Locusts in the Bible: Biblical Symbolism and meaning

The Symbolism of Locusts in the Bible: Discovering God’s Messages of Hope and Power!

Isn’t it amazing how God can speak to us through so many things? Today, we’re going to look at something you might not expect: locusts in the Bible! These little creatures pop up quite a bit in Scripture, and they carry some big messages for us. For many of us, these stories can be fascinating maybe a little confusing too. But don’t you worry! We’re going to explore what the Bible teaches about locusts, and you’ll see how it’s relevant for your life today.

Sometimes these locusts were part of a tough time, like a big plague that showed just how powerful God is. Other times, they were just food for a prophet out in the wilderness! And get this – they were even used as symbols for God’s judgment, like a mighty army, and sometimes even like scary, dark forces. But here’s the good news: even when things looked destructive, the Bible often points us right back to God’s amazing control over everything and His incredible promises to restore and make things new. So, get ready to be encouraged!

What’s the Big Deal About the Locust Plague in Exodus?

Alright, let’s talk about one of the most incredible displays of God’s power you’ll ever read about – the locust plague in the Book of Exodus! This was a game-changer, friend. It was the eighth of ten mighty plagues God sent to Egypt because the leader, Pharaoh, was being stubborn and wouldn’t let God’s people, the Israelites, go free from slavery.¹ Imagine this: God, speaking through Moses, told Pharaoh, “If you don’t let My people go, I’m going to send a swarm of locusts like you’ve never seen!” These weren’t just any locusts; they were going to be so many that they’d cover the ground, and you wouldn’t even be able to see it! They were set to eat up every single plant, every tree, everything green that had survived the earlier plague of hail.¹

The Bible tells us in Exodus 10:12-14 that this swarm was something else: “very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such”.⁵ Think about that! This plague was a direct hit on Egypt’s economy and their food supply, because they depended so much on their farming.¹ When God sent those locusts, He was showing His judgment on Pharaoh’s pride and the way he was treating God’s people. And here’s what’s amazing – the Bible shows God’s pinpoint control. An east wind blew those locusts right into Egypt, and later on, a powerful west wind swept every single one of them into the Red Sea. Not one was left!6 That’s our God – He’s in control of the details!

But there’s even more to it. Many believe these plagues were God showing up the false gods of Egypt.⁸ The Egyptians worshipped all sorts of gods connected to their river and their crops. Even Pharaoh thought he was some kind of god! So, when these locusts wiped out the land, and Pharaoh and his gods couldn’t stop it, it was a huge challenge to everything they believed. It was God saying loud and clear, “I am the Lord, the God of Israel, and I have all authority over every power, whether it’s a king on earth or any false god!” This just reminds us, as believers, that our God is the one true, all-powerful God!

And the Bible makes a point to say this locust swarm was like nothing ever seen before or ever would be again (Exodus 10:14 NIV).³ This wasn’t just a bad day for bugs; it was a clear, undeniable act of God! Sure, locust swarms happened back then 2 the size of this one, and the way God directed it, showed it was His special intervention. It was perfectly timed and perfectly carried out so no one could doubt God was in it. This teaches us that God can move in ways that shout, “This is Me!” to show His power and His plan.

You’d think after seeing all that, Pharaoh would have learned his lesson. He even asked Moses to pray for the locusts—this “death,” as he called it—to go away.⁶ But once they were gone, his heart got hard again. It’s a pattern we see: people see God’s power, get a little relief, and then go right back to their old ways. It’s a serious reminder for us, that we can be stubborn too, even when God is showing us His might and His mercy. It makes you think: how am I responding when God moves in my life and in the world?

What Can We Learn from the Locusts in the Book of Joel?

When you open the Book of Joel, wow, it starts with a powerful picture of a locust plague that has just wrecked the land of Judah. The prophet Joel uses four different Hebrew words to talk about these insects – words that mean things like “swarming locust,” “great locust,” “young locust,” and “other locusts,” or even “gnawing locust,” “swarming locust,” “creeping locust,” and “stripping locust.”2 Using all these different words really paints a picture of how total and relentless the destruction was. What one group of locusts didn’t eat, the next one did!1

The damage Joel describes isn’t just about lost crops; it’s like the whole world was affected. Fields were ruined, there was no wine or oil, people’s joy just dried up, animals were suffering because there was no food or water, and even the sun, moon, and stars seemed to go dim.¹⁰ It’s like all of creation was groaning under this judgment. And here’s the key: Joel tells us these locusts were doing God’s work. He calls them “My great army which I sent among you” (Joel 2:25).¹⁰ This makes it super clear that this wasn’t just some random bad luck; it was God’s judgment on the people.

So, what did Joel tell everyone to do? In the middle of all this devastation, he called everyone—the leaders, the priests, every single person, young and old—to mourn, to repent, and to turn back to God with fasting and a truly sorry heart (Joel 1:14, 2:12-17).⁴ He said, “rend your heart and not your garments” (Joel 2:13). That means God was looking for a real change on the inside, not just people tearing their clothes to look sad.

But here’s where it gets good, friend! Even with this strong message of judgment, the Book of Joel is filled with incredible hope. God, speaking through Joel, promises, “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten” (Joel 2:25).³ Isn’t that amazing? This promise of restoration isn’t just about getting things back to normal. It’s about an overflowing abundance of blessings from the land, and even more importantly, a fresh, close relationship with God, where His people would know He was right there with them.⁴

These locusts in Joel can be understood in a few ways. Chapter 1 sounds like a real, historical locust plague that wiped out the farms.¹⁰ But then in chapter 2, the picture gets even more intense, like an army: “their appearance is like the appearance of horses; and like war horses, so they run” (Joel 2:4).¹⁹ This has led a lot of people to think these locusts also represented a powerful human army invading them, maybe the Assyrians or Babylonians, who often came from the north (Joel calls them the “northern army” in Joel 2:20).¹⁰ And on top of that, this whole event was like a sneak peek of the great and awesome “Day of the Lord,” a future time when God will bring ultimate judgment.⁴ So, you see these layers of meaning – from a real disaster, to a symbolic invasion, to a future judgment – it shows how God can use the tough times we face right now to talk about deeper spiritual things and His big plans for us all.

The call to repent in Joel was for everyone. The whole community was told to seek God, showing that they were all in it together when it came to sin, and they all needed God’s mercy together.¹⁰ And why would God respond? Because He’s so compassionate! The Bible says, “Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, And pity His people” (Joel 2:18). He’s described as “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness” (Joel 2:13). He always prefers it when we turn back to Him rather than having to punish. This shows us a God whose heart is touched when His people genuinely repent, and He’s always ready to forgive and restore. That’s a lot of hope right there!

And that promise to restore “the years that the locust has eaten” – that’s bigger than just getting crops back.¹⁷ Yes, having plenty of food is part of it it comes right before the prophecy about God pouring out His Spirit (Joel 2:28-29)—and that’s the passage the Apostle Peter quoted on the day of Pentecost in the book of Acts! This suggests a much deeper spiritual restoration is coming.¹⁸ Those “years eaten by locusts” can be like a picture of everything we lose because of sin, or hard times, or when we’re under judgment: lost time, missed opportunities, spiritual dryness, and lost joy. So, God’s promise isn’t just to replace what was lost to redeem those very experiences. He can turn them into wisdom, compassion, and a closer walk with Him.¹⁷ For us as Christians, this promise finds its greatest fulfillment in Jesus Christ! He restores what sin has broken and offers us a future filled with His Spirit and abundant life. Hallelujah!

What About Those Symbolic Locusts in Revelation?

When we get to the Book of Revelation, we see some really vivid and sometimes mind-boggling pictures. In chapter 9, there’s a vision of locusts that is truly terrifying. These locusts are let loose on the earth after an angel blows the fifth trumpet, and they come pouring out of the smoke from the Abyss, which is also called the bottomless pit.¹ And right away, you know these are not your average garden pests.

Unlike regular locusts that eat plants, these symbolic locusts are specifically told not to harm any grass, green plant, or tree. Who are they after? “Only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads”.¹ Their appearance is something out of a nightmare, a scary mix of different creatures: they look like horses ready for battle, they have what look like gold crowns, faces like humans, hair like women’s, teeth like lions’, and iron breastplates. And here’s the really alarming part – they have tails with stingers like scorpions, and they use them to torment people for five months.¹ listen to this: they are not allowed to kill the people they torment, only to cause them such terrible pain that people will wish for death but won’t be able to find it (Revelation 9:5-6). That’s intense!

These locusts aren’t just a random swarm; they have a leader. Their king is called “the angel of the Abyss,” and his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, it’s Apollyon. Both of those names mean “Destroyer”.¹ The fact that they’re led by someone whose very name means destruction and who comes from this dark place is a big clue about what they represent.

So, what do these locusts symbolize? Scholars have a few ideas 1:

God’s Judgment: Just like in the Old Testament, they can be seen as tools God uses to bring judgment on a world that refuses to repent.
Demonic Forces: Because they come from the Abyss, look so monstrous, and are led by Abaddon/Apollyon, it strongly suggests they are a demonic army sent out to do a specific, terrifying job.
Military Power: The way they’re described like “horses prepared for battle” and how organized they are could point to warfare – maybe spiritual warfare, or even powerful human armies that are influenced or empowered by dark, demonic forces.
False Teachings: Some believe their ability to torment but not kill could symbolize the spiritual pain and anguish caused by false doctrines that can creep in and corrupt communities of faith.¹ One idea is that they represent false teachers and their followers who “devour the church from within”.²⁵
Oppressive Governments: In a political sense, they might represent cruel earthly powers that bring suffering, torment, and hardship to people, perhaps reflecting how the Roman Empire was treating Christians when Revelation was written.

The very look and actions of these locusts show a deep twisting of God’s natural order. Regular locusts, even though they can destroy crops, are still part of God’s creation. But these locusts from the Abyss are told not to touch plants; they go after humans directly.²² Their mixed-up, monstrous forms—part horse, part human, part lion, part scorpion—are unnatural and point to their demonic origin. It’s like they come from a realm that wants to twist, corrupt, and bring pain to God’s creation. This imagery really shows us the nature of evil – it’s deceptive, ugly, and bent on causing suffering.

But here’s something really important, even in this scary vision: there are limits on these demonic locusts. They can torment they can’t kill.¹ Their power is only for a set time – five months.¹ And most importantly, they can only harm those who do not have the seal of God.²² These boundaries show that even this terrifying demonic attack is happening under God’s sovereign control and is part of His specific plan as end-time events unfold. It’s not just random, uncontrolled chaos. This gives us a powerful truth: even in the scariest pictures of judgment and demonic activity, God is still in charge. His people are protected from this particular torment, and the power of evil is strictly limited by His will. That should give you peace!

The fact that these locusts have a king, Abaddon/Apollyon, is also major. Proverbs 30:27 says that natural locusts “have no king, yet they advance together in ranks”.³ But these demonic locusts in Revelation have a named leader whose very name is “Destroyer”.¹ This shows how organized and directed these evil forces are. It suggests there’s an intelligent, evil will guiding their mission of destruction. For us as Christians, this reminds us that spiritual warfare is real, and we’re up against an organized enemy. But it also points us to rely on Jesus Christ, who has ultimate authority over all such powers. He’s already won the victory!

Were Locusts Just Bad Weather, or Did God Have a Plan for Them?

The Bible is crystal clear: while locust plagues could definitely happen as natural events, God often used them for His specific, divine plans. Think of them as powerful tools in His hands, mainly to show His judgment.¹ Remember that incredible story in Exodus? That locust plague wasn’t just a random bug invasion. No, sir! It was a direct act of God to punish the Egyptians for how they were treating the Israelites and to powerfully show everyone that He was stronger than Pharaoh and all the false gods of Egypt.¹ And then in the Book of Joel, that devastating swarm of locusts? God Himself called them “My great army” (Joel 2:25)! He sent them to wreck the land as a judgment and as a wake-up call for the people to repent and come back to Him.⁴

This idea of locusts being agents of God’s justice pops up in other parts of the Old Testament too. For example, in Deuteronomy 28:38 and 42, locust infestations are listed as one of the curses that would hit the Israelites if they turned their backs on God and His ways.⁵ The prophet Amos even had a vision of locusts God sent to eat up the spring crops – a judgment that was only stopped because Amos prayed and interceded (Amos 7:1-3). And in 2 Chronicles 7:13, God plainly says, “if I command the locusts to devour the land,” showing He’s the One giving the orders.⁵

It’s true that locust swarms were a known and feared problem in the ancient world. They could cause massive famines and destroy economies.² But the Bible stories often highlight things that made these events stand out as God’s direct intervention. Maybe it was the unbelievable number of locusts, or their perfect timing, or even a supernatural kind of direction – like those specific winds that blew the locusts into Egypt and then blew them out again.⁶ Even when locusts are used as symbols, like in the Book of Revelation, they represent judgments or forces that are part of God’s sovereign plan, not just out-of-control nature.¹

This biblical view shows us something really important about how God works with the natural world. He’s not separate from it; He can actually work through natural things to achieve His specific goals.⁷ A locust swarm, which is a natural event, could suddenly take on divine meaning because of its timing, its intensity, or the message God was sending through it. This really challenges the idea that everything is just random. It encourages us as believers to think about what God might be saying or doing in different situations, without jumping to conclusions that every bad thing is a direct punishment for a specific sin.

And here’s something else: God’s use of locusts shows us different sides of His character – both His justice and His incredible mercy.¹ The devastation these plagues caused reminds us that God is serious about sin and He will judge rebellion. But, so often, these judgments came with a call to repent, just like we see in Joel.¹⁰ And when people genuinely turned back to Him with sorry hearts, God often showed mercy. We see it when He removed the locusts from Egypt after Pharaoh (even if it was just for a little while) begged for help, and we see it in Joel’s powerful promises that God would restore everything.⁷ So, these locusts become this stark background that makes both God’s serious justice and the amazing depth of His compassion shine even brighter.

When God used locusts like this, it was often about more than just punishment. A big theme, especially in Exodus, was that these things happened so that people “may know that I am the LORD” (Exodus 10:2).¹ The plagues were like giant billboards declaring God’s unique power and His authority over everything. It’s the same in Joel – the promised restoration after the locusts would lead the people to a new understanding: “Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God” (Joel 2:27).¹⁸ This shifts our focus from just being afraid of judgment to realizing that even the really tough and devastating things God either sends or allows can have a higher purpose: to bring us to a true and deeper knowledge of Him. And that’s a good thing!

Here’s a little table to help us see some of the main ways locusts were used as symbols and what God was teaching through them in different parts of the Bible: The symbolism of locusts often highlights themes of devastation, divine judgment, and eventual renewal in God’s plan. In addition, barley’s biblical significance explored in various contexts illustrates God’s provision for His people, contrasting the destruction brought by locusts. Together, these elements deepen our understanding of the balance between judgment and mercy in the biblical narrative.

Table 1: Symbolic Meanings and Purposes of Locusts in Key Biblical Books

Biblical Book	Primary Symbolic Meaning(s)	Key Characteristics Emphasized in the Symbolism	Purpose/Message Conveyed
Exodus	Divine Judgment, God’s Power	Overwhelming numbers, total destruction of vegetation, divinely controlled arrival and departure	Demonstrate God’s power over oppressors (Pharaoh, Egyptian gods), compel release of Israelites
Joel	Divine Judgment, God’s Army, Devastation & Despair, Invading Human Armies (possible metaphor)	Relentless waves of destruction, total consumption, militaristic advance, darkening of sun/moon	Call to national repentance, warn of the impending Day of the Lord, promise divine restoration upon repentance
Nahum	Invading Armies, Transience of Worldly Power	Numerous like swarms, destructive capability, but also fleeting and unreliable (officials scattering like locusts)	Mock the seemingly invincible power of Nineveh/Assyria, illustrate the vulnerability and downfall of God’s enemies
Revelation	Demonic Forces, Divine Judgment, Torment	Supernatural origin (Abyss), grotesque/composite appearance, inflict pain (not death), target specific people, led by Abaddon/Apollyon	Illustrate the nature and intensity of spiritual evil in end times, warn of judgment on the ungodly, show God’s control over evil

What Did the Early Church Leaders Teach About Locusts in the Bible?

Those wise early Christian thinkers and writers, the ones we call the Church Fathers, who lived in the first few centuries after Jesus – they really loved digging into the Scriptures! They believed the Bible was God’s inspired Word, and they often looked for many layers of meaning in it. When they talked about locusts, they definitely acknowledged the literal side of things they also found amazing symbolic, spiritual, and moral lessons that were super relevant for living the Christian life and understanding our faith.

Let’s talk about John the Baptist’s diet (Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6):

That simple little verse saying John the Baptist ate “locusts and wild honey” got them thinking!

Jerome (who lived around 347–420 AD) thought this diet was just right for someone living a simple, disciplined life in the desert. It was basic food, not fancy meals. He also connected John’s leather belt, which reminded him of the prophet Elijah, to the idea of “mortification” – that’s about disciplining your body to help you grow spiritually.³⁰
Rabanus Maurus (a bit later, around 780–856 AD), who was building on what earlier folks had said, described John as being happy with “poor fare,” like little insects and honey from trees. He also saw a symbol here: the locusts, which fly fast but then quickly fall, and the honey, with its sweetness, could represent John’s preaching – it was sweet to hear it was for a short time before Jesus came on the scene.³⁰
Remigius of Auxerre (around 841–908 AD) suggested that John’s simple clothes and food showed how sorry he was for the sins of all people.³⁰ there was a little debate back then about whether the Greek word for locusts, akrides, might have meant the pods from a carob tree. But most people today agree it really meant the insects, which were actually okay to eat under Jewish law (Leviticus 11:22).³⁰

What about the locusts in the Book of Joel?

That dramatic locust plague in Joel really sparked a lot of deep thought.

Jerome, when he talked about Joel 2:9-10, knew that locusts literally did invade cities and homes. But he also saw their destructive power as a picture of how devastating the Chaldean armies could be. And he thought the way locusts snuck into houses like thieves was like how the Day of Judgment would come suddenly and unexpectedly.³¹
Theodoret of Cyrus (around 393–c. 458/466 AD) pointed out that locust heads really do look a bit like horse heads! He thought the “northern army” mentioned in Joel 2:20 wasn’t literal locusts (he didn’t think they usually came from the north) but human invaders like the Assyrians. For Theodoret, when the prophecy said this symbolic locust army would be destroyed, it was God doing “great things” to deliver His people.³²
Cyril of Alexandria (around 376–444 AD), commenting on Joel 2:2, noted that locusts can literally make the sky dark. He saw these “great people and strong”—the locusts—as a powerful symbol of God’s divine judgments, which nobody can resist and which are totally destructive.³⁴
St. Gregory the Great (around 540–604 AD), as other writers mentioned, suggested that the different kinds of locusts in Joel 1:4 (like the gnawer, swarmer, lapper, stripper) represented a progression of human sins, each one worse than the last.³⁵ It’s also interesting that some early Jewish thinkers, whom Jerome knew about, saw those four types of locusts in Joel as symbols for four different Gentile empires that would invade, as prophesied in the Book of Daniel.³⁵

And those scary locusts in the Book of Revelation?

The terrifying locusts that came from the Abyss in Revelation 9 were definitely seen symbolically!

The Venerable Bede (around 672/673–735 AD), in his thoughts on Revelation 9:1, said the “fallen star” who opened the Abyss was like a servant of the devil, letting loose the powers of hell. For Bede, the smoke from the pit represented the devil trying to blind people with ignorance and wrong ideas, Although the locusts themselves were the devil’s agents spreading superstition, idol worship, error, and cruelty. He also noted that true believers, symbolized by “trees and the grass,” were not to be harmed by this plague.²³ This kind of symbolic interpretation, seeing demonic forces and spiritual corruption in the locust imagery, was pretty common. Some modern interpretations, though not directly from the very early Church Fathers, still see Revelation’s locusts as symbols of false teachers or demonic spirits.²⁵

You see, the Church Fathers generally believed that the literal meaning of Scripture was often a doorway to deeper spiritual, moral, or end-times meanings. They saw the locust, with its destructive, swarming, and overwhelming nature, as a really powerful and flexible symbol. It could stand for all sorts of opposition and corruption, like invading armies, human sins, demonic activity, or false teachings that threatened believers.³⁷ Their interpretations often focused on Christ and the meaning they tried to understand these symbols in relation to what Jesus did and the life and challenges of God’s people. This rich tradition of interpretation encourages us today to look for the lasting spiritual truths and how they apply to us in these ancient texts, always remembering to ground our understanding in God’s amazing plan of redemption through Christ. It’s all about Him!

Did the Bible Talk About Different Kinds of “Locusts”? And Why Should We Care?

Yes, the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, does use different words when it talks about locusts. This has led to some interesting discussions about whether these words mean different types of insects, different stages of their growth, or if it’s more about making a literary point. The best example of this is in the Book of Joel, chapter 1, verse 4. It says something like: “What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust has eaten. What the swarming locust left, the hopping locust has eaten, and what the hopping locust left, the destroying locust has eaten” (ESV).¹ the original Hebrew uses four distinct words here: gazam (often translated as cutter, gnawer, or palmerworm), arbeh (this is the most common word for locust, often called swarming locust or great locust), yeleq (which can mean young locust, hopper, licker, or cankerworm), and hasil (translated as consuming locust, stripper, or caterpillar).²

Scholars have talked a lot about what these four terms really mean.¹⁰ Some ideas are:

They could be different species of locusts or similar bugs, each with its own way of destroying things.
They might be different growth stages of the same locust species. For instance, the yeleq could be the young, wingless stage, Although the arbeh might be the fully grown, winged adult.¹⁰ People back then who lived off the land would have known about these stages and how they each ate plants differently.
It could be a powerful way of writing to show complete destruction. Using four different terms, even if we don’t know the exact scientific difference today, really gets the message across that this plague was total, relentless, and that wave after wave of these creatures left absolutely nothing behind.¹⁰

Even outside of Joel, the King James Bible Dictionary says there are about ten different Hebrew words used in Scripture for locusts or similar devouring insects, though Joel 1:4 is where you see so many used together.²⁷ And Leviticus 11:22 also lists several kinds of leaping insects that were considered clean and okay to eat: “any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper” 12, which shows they recognized different types.

So, why does it matter if there were different terms, especially in Joel? Well, it’s important for a few reasons:

To Show Total Devastation: The main reason for using multiple terms in Joel 1:4 is to paint this incredibly vivid picture of complete and utter destruction. Repeating it and using different words just drives home the point that nothing, absolutely nothing, was spared.¹⁰ It’s a literary way to make the horror and completeness of the disaster really hit home.
To Illustrate God’s Overwhelming Judgment: If these terms mean different stages or a series of different swarms, it shows a judgment that just keeps coming, relentlessly, giving no chance for recovery until God Himself decides to step in. It highlights how thorough God’s response to sin can be.
To Connect with Ancient Observations: The idea that these terms might reflect what ancient people actually observed about locust life cycles and how swarms behaved makes the prophetic picture even more real and powerful.¹¹ The original audience, who knew firsthand how these infestations progressed, would have found this imagery even more terrifying.
To Add Richness for Symbolic Meaning: As we talked about, some of the Church Fathers and early Jewish interpreters saw these four different “locusts” in Joel as symbols for different invading empires or different kinds of human sins.³⁵ Having distinct names gave them a framework for these deeper, symbolic readings.
To Highlight God’s Complete Restoration: Now here’s the good part! When God later promises in Joel 2:25 to restore “the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust” (NKJV) 14, He’s specifically referring back to these different destroyers. By naming them in detail both when He talks about judgment and when He promises restoration, it shows that God is meticulously aware of every single way His people have suffered, and He plans to heal them completely. It suggests that God understands and will deal with every specific “devourer” that has troubled His people, offering a perfectly tailored and complete redemption. That can bring so much comfort! It means that no part of our loss or devastation goes unnoticed or unaddressed by our restoring God. He sees it all, and He can fix it all!

So, Although we might still discuss the exact bug science today, using different words for locusts in the Bible, especially in Joel, serves some really important literary and spiritual purposes. It helps us understand the seriousness of judgment and the amazing thoroughness of God’s restoration that follows. And that’s a message of hope!

What Does the Bible Say About Eating Locusts? Especially About John the Baptist!

It might surprise you the Bible does talk about locusts as food, in both the Old and New Testaments! The most well-known spots are in the dietary laws God gave to Israel and when it describes the simple lifestyle of John the Baptist out in the wilderness.

Back in the Old Testament, the Law of Moses, which we find in the book of Leviticus, gave specific rules about which animals, birds, fish, and even insects were “clean” (meaning okay to eat) and “unclean” (meaning forbidden). And guess what? Leviticus 11:22 clearly says that certain kinds of leaping insects are clean and can be eaten: “Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper”.² So, God Himself said it was okay! This meant that for the Israelites, eating these particular insects wasn’t breaking God’s law.

This Old Testament rule gives us really important background for understanding the New Testament stories about John the Baptist. Both Matthew 3:4 and Mark 1:6 tell us about John’s simple, rugged life in the wilderness, and they mention that “his food was locusts and wild honey”.⁵ Since locusts were considered a clean food, John eating them was perfectly in line with Jewish law. And historically, people in many parts of the Ancient Near East, including Arabia, did eat locusts. They were actually a good source of protein and other nutrients, and they could be especially important when other food was scarce.² Some old writings suggest they ate them either raw or roasted. There was an idea for a while that the Greek word akrides, which Matthew and Mark used for locusts, might have meant the pods of the carob tree (sometimes called “locust beans”). But scholars today have pretty much dismissed that idea, agreeing that the word definitely means the insect.³⁰

So, what’s the big deal about John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey? Well, it tells us a few things:

A Simple, Disciplined Lifestyle: His basic, rough diet, along with his clothes made of camel’s hair and a leather belt, showed everyone that he was living a life of self-denial. He was set apart from the usual comforts and ways of society.² This lifestyle itself was a powerful statement, marking him as a prophet like Elijah of old, and it challenged the way people were living and thinking about religion at the time.
God’s Provision: Living out in the wilderness, John depended on what nature provided. Locusts and wild honey were things he could find, not things he had to grow. This symbolized a reliance on God to provide directly, even in tough or unexpected situations. And isn’t it interesting? Locusts, which were often seen as bringing famine and destruction, actually became food for God’s prophet!
Prophetic Meaning: Some wise theologians have seen even deeper prophetic meaning in John’s diet. One idea is that by eating locusts—creatures often linked with God’s judgment and curse (like in the plagues of Egypt or the devastation in Joel)—John was symbolically “consuming” or overcoming that curse because he was the one preparing the way for the Messiah.¹⁸ The desert, usually a place of emptiness and curse, became the place where the one announcing salvation appeared! And the “wild honey” could then represent the unexpected sweetness and blessing of the Gospel message that Jesus would bring.¹⁸ This view connects John’s personal actions to the amazing, redemptive work of Christ, who came to take away sin and all its destructive consequences—those “years the locusts have eaten”—and to bring the wonderful sweetness of God’s grace.

So, you see, John the Baptist’s choice of food wasn’t just a random detail. It was in line with Old Testament law, it showed his simple and dedicated life as God’s messenger, it demonstrated his trust in God’s provision, and it might have even carried a rich prophetic message pointing to the coming of Jesus Christ and the life-changing power of the Gospel. God is always working in ways that are deeper than we might first see! Furthermore, these elements of John’s lifestyle can be paralleled with the principles found in various religious teachings, including those of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jehovah’s Witnesses beliefs explained emphasize the importance of living a life that is in harmony with biblical teachings, much like John did. In this light, one can see how the choices we make can reflect our faith and commitment to God’s purpose.

Conclusion: Finding God’s Blessings, Even in the “Locusts” of Life!

When we read about locusts in the Bible, it’s about so much more than just ancient bugs. These creatures, often showing up in overwhelming, destructive swarms, are actually powerful lessons from God. We see them as real agents of devastation, like in the plagues of Egypt and the terrible destruction the prophet Joel described. These events showed God’s incredible power and His judgment against sin and oppression. Imagine, the sky could turn dark, and beautiful, fertile lands could become barren deserts almost overnight because of them! It was a vivid picture of what can happen when we turn away from God.

But here’s the amazing part: even these instruments of judgment are completely under God’s absolute, sovereign control. He directs when they come and when they go, often using natural things like the wind as His tools. This precise control assures us as believers that even when things look chaotic or calamitous, God’s hand is still there, and His purposes are being worked out. He’s still on the throne!

And it’s not all about judgment. Locusts also show up in stories about God’s provision and in powerful prophetic ways. Think about John the Baptist, eating locusts and wild honey in the wilderness. That speaks of a simple, dedicated life, a reliance on God to provide in unexpected ways, and maybe even a deeper symbol of how the Messiah would overcome the “devourer” – sin and its effects. Then you have those terrifying, symbolic locusts in the Book of Revelation, coming out of the Abyss. They paint a stark picture of demonic forces and tough times at the end of ages even their power is clearly limited by God, and they cannot harm those who have His seal of protection.

But perhaps the most powerful and enduring message for us today comes from the prophet Joel: that call for a heartfelt turning back to God when we face devastation, and then that incredible promise that God will “restore to you the years that the locust has eaten.” that promise is bigger than just ancient ruined crops; it speaks to every single one of us who has ever experienced loss, hardship, or the consequences of sin. It gives us unshakeable hope that our God is a God of restoration, a God of mercy, and a God of abundant new beginnings! He wants to give you back more than you lost!

So, as we think about the “locusts” in our own lives—those times of loss, those challenges, those spiritual attacks—the Bible encourages us not to give in to despair. Instead, we’re called to turn to God with a repentant heart and with faith, trusting in His sovereign power, His powerful mercy, and His ultimate promise to redeem and restore. The locusts, when we see them in their biblical light, ultimately point us to a God who, yes, is holy and just who is also passionately committed to restoring His people and His creation. And that restoration is made absolutely complete through Jesus Christ! His victory over every destructive force is guaranteed, and His faithfulness to you, His child, will endure forever. So, lift your head, declare His goodness, and know that your best days are still ahead!