LOCUSTS From The Book of JOEL

[CadyandZoe]

After Joel's prophesied series of Assyrian attacks came against Israel, the landscape and the people suffered accordingly. A nation's invading army sweeping through a district leaves devastation in their wake once they have passed through - just like natural locust swarms do to the vegetation of the country they have passed through.

I know that an invading army can devastate the land, and I considered this possibility when I studied Joel. Based on clues in the text, I decided that Joel was speaking literally when he mentioned the locusts.

Joel's text provides clear evidence for my interpretation. He mentions locusts by name four times, and the specific effects on the vegetation and fruit products are also detailed. The pomegranate, the palm, and the apple tree are among the casualties.

Finally, although a nation (of locusts) has invaded the land, no actual battle takes place. We would expect Joel to describe warfare and the death of people, but Joel doesn't mention soldiers. Rather he speaks about the drunkards who weep when they wake up, and the priests who mourn because all the grain offering is gone. The vine dressers wail because the vines are destroyed. Domesticated animals wander aimlessly, and the beasts of the field pant for water.

No battles or solders in this chapter.

 

[CadyandZoe]

Sigh...It is a typical belief among those with carnal minds, thinking everything in Revelation must be interpreted literally.

Really? Were you talking to me because I clearly spoke about Joel's prophecy? I said nothing about the book of Revelation. And did you actually intend to insult a child of God here?

 

[3 Resurrections]

No battles or solders in this chapter.

When I did some research on Steve Gregg's website with his own studies on Joel, I noticed that he also shares your opinion. I respect this gentleman's viewpoint for the depth of study he has done over the years on the scriptures, but in this case, I believe he is in error in thinking that literal locust plagues were the subject of Joel 2:4.

The reason why I believe this to be an actual nation's human army (and not an army of literal locusts coming out of the north) is that all the people were urged to pray for deliverance so that God's heritage would not be given to reproach by the heathen ruling over them, asking them scornfully, "Where is their God?" (Joel 2:17). Actual locusts don't speak reproachfully to anyone, and they are never described as being the heathen in scripture.

God promised to answer this prayer, sending his people an increase of corn, wine, and oil enough to satisfy their needs, saying to the people "I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:" (actual locusts are never described as being the heathen) "But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him" (a man - not a swarm of locusts) "into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things."

This "He", "Him", and "His" I believe was referring to Sennacherib, the Assyrian king who attempted to wrap up the wars against Israel by taking the city of Jerusalem under Hezekiah's rule. Scripture describes Sennacherib's humiliating defeat by God's angel killing 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in a single night, and of Sennacherib's retreat back to his own city of Nineveh where his own sons murdered him.

Some of those 4 Assyrian kings demanded tribute from Israel during those decades of Assyrian armies coming to fight against Israel and other nations in the Levant. They were described as "a great PEOPLE and a strong" (Joel 2:2) that would overtake the countryside so that in their wake, the landscape they had passed over appeared totally devastated. This "PEOPLE" and this "NATION" which was "strong and without number" I am convinced was the Assyrians which God had once called "Assyria, the rod of my anger" (Is. 10:5), compared to an axe in the hand of God against His own hypocritical people.

Assyria and its king became proud in thinking that their victories over Samaria and the other nations were due to their own power alone, and that Jerusalem would be an easy prize to take (Isaiah 10:11), but God predicted He would punish the stout heart of the Assyrian king (which He did, as also promised in Joel 2:20 when He would defeat that "northern army" and its leader).

 

[Keraz]

No battles or solders in this chapter.

Joel 1 and 2 are allegories, using locusts to describe the means the Lord will use to reset our civilization.
When the 70+ Prophesies about the fire of the Lords wrath, are read and understood, then from our observances of the sun, we can know that on the terrible Day of vengeance and wrath, the next Prophesied event; Isaiah 61:2b, the Lord will instigate a massive explosion on the suns surface.
The strike on the earth of the ejected mass, will literally do what Joel 1:15-20 & Joel 2:1-11 describe.

What else comes at the dawn; as the earth rotates to face the sun. Or enters houses thru the windows, what makes the earth shudder? Isaiah 13:13 What else could cause the earth [the Holy Land] to become a burned and a desolate waste? Hosea 4:3

For the Lord to use His creation, the sun this time, as He used water the first time, is right, because then the ungodly survivors, can think it was just a natural event and they will worship the 'beast', as Revelation 13 describes.

 

[TribulationSigns]

Really? Were you talking to me because I clearly spoke about Joel's prophecy? I said nothing about the book of Revelation. And did you actually intend to insult a child of God here?

Yes, YOU! Whether it is in Revelation or Joel, God did NOT talk about literal locusts here. Selah!

 

[TribulationSigns]

Joel 1 and 2 are allegories, using locusts to describe the means the Lord will use to reset our civilization.
When the 70+ Prophesies about the fire of the Lords wrath, are read and understood, then from our observances of the sun, we can know that on the terrible Day of vengeance and wrath, the next Prophesied event; Isaiah 61:2b, the Lord will instigate a massive explosion on the suns surface.
The strike on the earth of the ejected mass, will literally do what Joel 1:15-20 & Joel 2:1-11 describe.

What else comes at the dawn; as the earth rotates to face the sun. Or enters houses thru the windows, what makes the earth shudder? Isaiah 13:13 What else could cause the earth [the Holy Land] to become a burned and a desolate waste? Hosea 4:3

For the Lord to use His creation, the sun this time, as He used water the first time, is right, because then the ungodly survivors, can think it was just a natural event and they will worship the 'beast', as Revelation 13 describes.

Wow, you must have worked hard to build doctrines that depend on the literal sun. Reset our civilization due to the fire of the Lord's wrath which you think is the result of our G2-V star? Sad.

 

[CadyandZoe]

When I did some research on Steve Gregg's website with his own studies on Joel, I noticed that he also shares your opinion. I respect this gentleman's viewpoint for the depth of study he has done over the years on the scriptures, but in this case, I believe he is in error in thinking that literal locust plagues were the subject of Joel 2:4.

The reason why I believe this to be an actual nation's human army (and not an army of literal locusts coming out of the north) is that all the people were urged to pray for deliverance so that God's heritage would not be given to reproach by the heathen ruling over them, asking them scornfully, "Where is their God?" (Joel 2:17). Actual locusts don't speak reproachfully to anyone, and they are never described as being the heathen in scripture.

I see your point and to this I would suggest that Joel 2:1 begins a new topic. The priests are to blow the Shofar because the day of the Lord is near. After the Locust plague, comes the fires. And the fires appear to be supernatural "armies", coming from the Lord.

The people hear the call for them to come to Jerusalem. Those who travel to Jerusalem to pray for the nation will be spared. Those who stay home will be incinerated by the fires.

 

[CadyandZoe]

Joel 1 and 2 are allegories, using locusts to describe the means the Lord will use to reset our civilization.
When the 70+ Prophesies about the fire of the Lords wrath, are read and understood, then from our observances of the sun, we can know that on the terrible Day of vengeance and wrath, the next Prophesied event; Isaiah 61:2b, the Lord will instigate a massive explosion on the suns surface.
The strike on the earth of the ejected mass, will literally do what Joel 1:15-20 & Joel 2:1-11 describe.

What else comes at the dawn; as the earth rotates to face the sun. Or enters houses thru the windows, what makes the earth shudder? Isaiah 13:13 What else could cause the earth [the Holy Land] to become a burned and a desolate waste? Hosea 4:3

For the Lord to use His creation, the sun this time, as He used water the first time, is right, because then the ungodly survivors, can think it was just a natural event and they will worship the 'beast', as Revelation 13 describes.

Well, this sounds like a longer discussion. :)

 

[CadyandZoe]

Yes, YOU! Whether it is in Revelation or Joel, God did NOT talk about literal locusts here. Selah!

But do you have reasons for your beliefs and your attitude?

 

[dismas]

I know that an invading army can devastate the land, and I considered this possibility when I studied Joel. Based on clues in the text, I decided that Joel was speaking literally when he mentioned the locusts.

Joel's text provides clear evidence for my interpretation. He mentions locusts by name four times, and the specific effects on the vegetation and fruit products are also detailed. The pomegranate, the palm, and the apple tree are among the casualties.

Finally, although a nation (of locusts) has invaded the land, no actual battle takes place. We would expect Joel to describe warfare and the death of people, but Joel doesn't mention soldiers. Rather he speaks about the drunkards who weep when they wake up, and the priests who mourn because all the grain offering is gone. The vine dressers wail because the vines are destroyed. Domesticated animals wander aimlessly, and the beasts of the field pant for water.

No battles or solders in this chapter.

Why didn't you post the verses about the pomegranate, palm, and apple trees?

6For a nation has invaded My land, powerful and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and its fangs are the fangs of a lioness.​

7It has laid waste My grapevine and splintered My fig tree. It has stripped off the bark and thrown it away; the branches have turned white.​

8Wail like a virgin dressed in sackcloth, grieving for the husband of her youth. 9Grain and drink offerings have been cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD.​

10The field is ruined; the land mourns. For the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails.​

11Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.​

​

12The grapevine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, palm, and apple— all the trees of the orchard—are withered.​

​

Surely the joy of mankind has dried up.​

Are literal locusts 'withering trees'? Locusts do not 'wither trees'. Locusts are not 'drying up the land'.

 

[3 Resurrections]

I see your point and to this I would suggest that Joel 2:1 begins a new topic. The priests are to blow the Shofar because the day of the Lord is near. After the Locust plague, comes the fires. And the fires appear to be supernatural "armies", coming from the Lord.

Do you suppose Joel's mention of the fires could be the Assyrian army pursuing a sort of "scorched earth" tactic of subjugation of Israel? Perhaps either that or just the ordinary needs of a large army on the move needing firewood for their campfires, especially with the Assyrian king Shalmaneser V's three year siege against Samaria?

I remember God had once commanded Israel NOT to cut down the fruit-bearing trees when they were conquering the land of Canaan, since those very fruit-bearing trees would be needed for the Israelites' own sustenance once they had conquered their foes in the land of Canaan. God probably made this command to distinguish his own people's behavior from that of the heathen who would have no such compunctions against devastating the Israelite landscape with their invading army.

 

[TribulationSigns]

But do you have reasons for your beliefs and your attitude?

How long have you been here? Two years? And have you somehow missed tons of my posts explaining what the locusts of Joel and Revelation represent? Use the search if you want to know my belief. Thank you.

 

[CadyandZoe]

Why didn't you post the verses about the pomegranate, palm, and apple trees?

6For a nation has invaded My land, powerful and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and its fangs are the fangs of a lioness.​

7It has laid waste My grapevine and splintered My fig tree. It has stripped off the bark and thrown it away; the branches have turned white.​

8Wail like a virgin dressed in sackcloth, grieving for the husband of her youth. 9Grain and drink offerings have been cut off from the house of the LORD; the priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD.​

10The field is ruined; the land mourns. For the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, and the oil fails.​

11Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished.​

​

12The grapevine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, palm, and apple— all the trees of the orchard—are withered.​

​

Surely the joy of mankind has dried up.​

Are literal locusts 'withering trees'? Locusts do not 'wither trees'. Locusts are not 'drying up the land'.

Yes, a locust storm can wither trees, because the tree withers after all the leaves are gone.

 

[CadyandZoe]

Do you suppose Joel's mention of the fires could be the Assyrian army pursuing a sort of "scorched earth" tactic of subjugation of Israel? Perhaps either that or just the ordinary needs of a large army on the move needing firewood for their campfires, especially with the Assyrian king Shalmaneser V's three year siege against Samaria?

I remember God had once commanded Israel NOT to cut down the fruit-bearing trees when they were conquering the land of Canaan, since those very fruit-bearing trees would be needed for the Israelites' own sustenance once they had conquered their foes in the land of Canaan. God probably made this command to distinguish his own people's behavior from that of the heathen who would have no such compunctions against devastating the Israelite landscape with their invading army.

I don't know how to answer exactly. I think Joel 2 goes with Malachi 4. If I am right, the purpose of the fire is to incinerate the arrogant evildoers. (Malachi 4:1) If I am right, the fires of Joel 2 are the same fires of Malachi 4:1 and the purpose of the fires is to incinerate everyone who did not travel to Jerusalem to pray for the nation.

In Joel 2:1, they blow the shofar, which signals Israel to come to Jerusalem to pray for the nation. Those who make the trip to Jerusalem will not die in the fires. God will consider them to be "holy ones" and Isaiah calls them "survivors." (See also Joel 2:15-17)

Joel 1:32
“And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Will be delivered;
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who escape,
As the Lord has said,
Even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.

1. They will come to Mt Zion to pray for deliverance
2. Those who call on the name of the Lord will be delivered.
3. On Mt. Zion there will be those who escape (the fires)

Do you see it differently?

 

[CadyandZoe]

How long have you been here? Two years? And have you somehow missed tons of my posts explaining what the locusts of Joel and Revelation represent? Use the search if you want to know my belief. Thank you.

Let's focus on the topic at hand, the interpretation of Joel. The length of my presence here is irrelevant. What matters is the content of our discussion.

Those who analyze a passage search for clues within the text itself. Joel provides readers with clues to indicate whether he has used symbolism. Therefore, our answer to the question should come from Joel's chapter one.

The obvious clues that indicate Joel is speaking literally rather than figuratively are the impact that the locusts have on agriculture and animals. Another clue that Joel is speaking literally in chapter one is the absence of any mention of armies or soldiers. Joel does not speak about armies or soldiers until chapter two, where the topic has shifted away from locusts to fires.

 

[Spiritual Israelite]

No. It is YOU who lost credibility or spiritual understanding.

The Devil is everyone's adversary and doesn't belong to anyone.

He is the rebellious spirit within mankind that holds him in bondage to sin. He is the antichrist spirit that opposes the Kingdom of God. This spirit has always been in the world (since the fall), was bound at the cross for the sake of the nations, and will be unrestrained in the world as judgment in the last days. When Christ contends and disputes with the Devil, He contends and disputes with the spirit of false Priests, Teachers, Prophets and Messengers. This is that evil spirit that works in the children of disobedience and is offended in Christ Jesus. When we read that Christ disputed with the Devil, He is contending with mankind that is in opposition to His kingdom. They are those who have this antichrist spirit to resist, obstruct and speak against Christ. The question is, what spirit opposed Christ and denied His office as chief Messenger of the Covenant? Indeed the larger question is, who is the spirit of antichrist?

1st John 4:3

• "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."

According to God's definition of the term, all those who deny Christ as Savior is Antichrist. So what spirit contended with Christ about the body of Moses? Was it a Red supernatural man with horns or was it man with a lawless spirit? The very context of Jude tells us that the word of God is speaking about men who would always gainsay and resist God.

Jude 1:8-10

• "Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
• Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
• But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves."

This refers to Old Covenant Israel whom Christ called the children of the Devil, and how He opened not His mouth against them (although He was the chief messenger) when He was reviled, accused, spoken evil against, persecuted and brought before magistrates. Because He came as the suffering servant to confirm the Covenant before many. This language of Christ not rebuking Satan is taken from

Zechariah 3:1-3

• "And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
• And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
• Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel."

This prophesies of the coming of Christ and how He would cleanse the Lord's servants by taking away their filthy garments bringing them righteousness. The spirit Satan opposed Christ through the leaders of Old Covenant Israel who did everything in their power to resist Him, His kingdom and reign. This is that same spirit of Satan that Christ contended with regarding the body of Moses. It was all those with the spirit of disobedience who rejected Him, His kingdom and Covenant revelation and indeed sought to kill Him because of His teachings concerning this Kingdom. The pertinent questions here are, who is Michael the archangel (Christ, the chief Messenger), when did He contend with the Devil (at the time of His first advent), what is the significance of the body of Moses (the Old Testament Covenant), what is Satan's main modus operandi in opposing Christ (the nature of the Kingdom), what Scriptures support this conclusion (Zechariah, Revelation 12, Jude and Matthew among others) and what was Christ disputing with the evil spirit and adversary about? It was the same thing the Apostle Paul was disputing with the Judaizers about--the very nature and makeup of the law of Moses, Covenant, Kingdom, Reign and Messiah.

Acts 17:17

• "Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him."

The dispute with antichrist is always about the Kingdom of Christ because it is the spirit that opposes all that Christ stands for. The Kingdom wasn't taken from Israel for nothing, it was taken away "because" they opposed and rejected the Messiah of the Bible as God breathed head of that Kingdom. Every spirit that will not confess that Jesus come in the flesh as the prophesied Messaih and ruler of Israel is that spirit of antichrist. Yes, that's unpalatable to some, but it is a Biblical fact. Moreover, what is also a Biblical fact is that these are the people who Christ contended and disputed with about God's law and Covenant with Israel. In reality it was two houses coming against each other. The body of Moses vs the body of Christ. The Old Covenant vs the New. The Law vs Grace. The carnal/physical vs the Spiritual. Jerusalem of this world or heavenly Jerusalem. The list is endless. Here are the list on the next post:

Are you afraid to address my questions? You went out of your way to avoid them. Again...

Mark 1:12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

So, you expect us to believe that when Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, He was being tempted by "Man's spirit of disobedience" rather than an evil spirit being named Satan? Is "Man's spirit of disobedience" somehow able to tempt and talk to people like what Satan did to Jesus in the wilderness?

 

[Keraz]

Well, this sounds like a longer discussion. :)

Well, go for it, I'm ready.
I have a list of 117 scriptures that confirm how the Lord will send fire from the sun and the results of it, on His terrible Day of vengeance and wrath; the Sixth Seal worldwide disaster.
But people who believe otherwise are blinded to these truths.

 

[3 Resurrections]

In Joel 2:1, they blow the shofar, which signals Israel to come to Jerusalem to pray for the nation. Those who make the trip to Jerusalem will not die in the fires. God will consider them to be "holy ones" and Isaiah calls them "survivors." (See also Joel 2:15-17)

Joel 1:32 (Joel 2:32)
“And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Will be delivered;
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who escape,
As the Lord has said,
Even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.

1. They will come to Mt Zion to pray for deliverance
2. Those who call on the name of the Lord will be delivered.
3. On Mt. Zion there will be those who escape (the fires)

Do you see it differently?

I see a clear break in the chronological timeline starting in Joel 2:28. That phrase saying "And it shall come to pass AFTERWARD" tells me that whatever prophecy came before Joel 2:28 was separated in time from what was going to happen "afterward" in Joel 2:28-32.

Peter told us when Joel 2:28-32 was fulfilled, and it was in the period of Pentecost and following for that first-century generation to experience. As you have also noted, this was the same as the "great and dreadful day of the Lord" that is also found in Malachi 4. That fulfillment took place in real time in the AD 70 period - a judgment which John the Baptist (as "Elijah") had predicted would be coming soon for his own generation (Mal. 4:5-6 cp. Luke 3:7-9, 17).

But for the prophecy of Joel 1-2:27, this is a match for what happened in Jerusalem under the series of Assyrian invasions of Israel's cities, and eventually the Assyrian attempt to take Judah and Jerusalem. The Israelites feared to hear the taunting question from their enemies asking, "Where is their God?" in Joel 2:17. This is the very question which the warriors under Sennacherib asked of those at Jerusalem. They were boasting about the king of Assyria's recent victories when they asked, "Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?" (2 Kings 18:34-35).

If you read again the account of the Assyrians coming against Jerusalem in Hezekiah's 14th year in 2 Kings 18-19, even the king dressed himself in sackcloth and sent messengers begging Isaiah the prophet to intercede for Jerusalem (the same desperate pleading for God's protection as in Joel 2:15-17 by everyone from an infant in arms to the newly-married couples or the elders of Israel). God granted the city a temporary delay, but the Assyrians soon sent another message demanding Hezekiah's surrender of the city; scornfully asking how Hezekiah's God could possibly deliver them if all the other nations they had attacked had been utterly destroyed. You remember that Hezekiah took that letter and spread it before the Lord in the temple, begging again for His protection.

In mercy, God granted Hezekiah's and the city's plea for deliverance for Jerusalem and the remnant of His people from the Assyrians. As a sign of this deliverance, God promised them that they would eat that year whatever grew without cultivation, and the second year, they would also eat whatever grew naturally, and by the 3rd year, they would then be planting and reaping crops again. "For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the Lord of hosts shall do this." (2 Kings 19:29-31).

This was the same promise of blessing on Israel's crops given in Joel 2:21-26, with the increase of the pastures, the tree bearing fruit, the fig tree and the vines yielding plenty of food. "And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil." God's people would "eat in plenty and be satisfied" with this renewed increase in their harvests which had formerly been either eaten by their Assyrian enemies' invading armies, or confiscated to help supply the tribute demanded by the Assyrian kings.

 

[TribulationSigns]

Are you afraid to address my questions? You went out of your way to avoid them. Again...

Mark 1:12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

So, you expect us to believe that when Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days, He was being tempted by "Man's spirit of disobedience" rather than an evil spirit being named Satan? Is "Man's spirit of disobedience" somehow able to tempt and talk to people like what Satan did to Jesus in the wilderness?

Okay, first... Christ's fast in the wilderness was the fulfillment of the Chosen fast. Christ is the very essence of the chosen fast that is acceptable to God. Without Him, there is no acceptable fast. When He was led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be proved/tested of the Devil, he fasted 40 days (the number 40 is a spiritual signification for testing) to signify the Church's wilderness journey (New Covenant Church Era) where it would be tested and carry out the "Chosen Fast" in Him. Even as the Church was "fed" in the wilderness of this world by Christ, after it was delivered from bondage of spiritual Egypt by Christ (Revelation 12:14). It is a great spiritual picture of the chosen fast of Christ, commissioned through the work of the Church, and seen in th e feast of tabernacles.

Hebrews 3:8-9

• "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
• When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years."

See, the Scriptures are a gigantic spiritual "Picture Puzzle," and when every piece is in place, it is a Glorious portrait. The Old Testament congregation in the wilderness is a mirror figure of the New Testament congregation in the wilderness of this world. And as Christ was with them, he will be with us, his believers.

Acts 7:37-38

• "This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
• This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:"

The point being the Church in the wilderness in the Old Testament was tried forty years, the Church in the New Testament is tried 40 years "spiritually" and Christ tried in the wilderness 40 days is a picture of the body of Christ. As He was tried and did not succumb, so we, as believers in Christ, will be tried and not succumb to Satan's testing! In Christ alone, we accomplish the chosen fast in the wilderness. And this selfless act of Christ illustrates it.

It is our spirit of disobedience in our flesh that tried us and wanted to see us fail, but won't because we are in Christ and His Chosen Fast, which is acceptable to God. It is a spiritual picture of what Christ did in the wilderness on our behalf.

 

[Spiritual Israelite]

Okay, first... Christ's fast in the wilderness was the fulfillment of the Chosen fast. Christ is the very essence of the chosen fast that is acceptable to God. Without Him, there is no acceptable fast. When He was led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be proved/tested of the Devil, he fasted 40 days (the number 40 is a spiritual signification for testing) to signify the Church's wilderness journey (New Covenant Church Era) where it would be tested and carry out the "Chosen Fast" in Him.

Again, you did not answer my simple, straightforward questions. I'm simply asking you if you believe in the existence of an evil spirit being named Satan who is also known as the devil? Yes or no? Who or what do you think is "the Devil" that tempted Jesus in the wilderness?