I am not a Bible scholar nor have I attended university to study and interpret Scripture. Aside from a class at the University of Santa Barbara, California about the Bible as literature, I have not taken any classes on how to study the Bible. However, I love God’s word and I want to know more about the Lord by studying Scripture.

Therefore, when I read something like Joel, I can be intimidated when I have a question about what I’ve read because there’s a lot of symbolism and some of what Joel talks about deals with end times prophecy. Of course, I always pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s word, but that doesn’t mean I don’t read commentaries, listen to sermons, etc. for insight into the Scripture.

Still, I had a question today while reading Joel, so I will do my best to answer it.

In Joel 1:6, Joel mentions a “mighty army.”

“A nation has invaded my land, a mighty army without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness” (emphasis added).

Joel 1:6 (NIV)

I had some thoughts about this verse after reading it but I didn’t dwell on it until I started reading Joel 2.

“Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand—a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come” (emphasis added).

Joel 2:1-2 (NIV)

Joel mentions an army again. In the following verses 3-10, Joel describes this army. Then, in verse 11, Joel says something intriguing.

“The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?”

Joel 2:11 (NIV)

Wait a minute – “The LORD thunders at the head of his army”? This is interesting. Although Joel mentions the “day of the LORD” in verse 1, my mind was still on the army from Joel 1:6. However, now that Joel mentions the Lord at the head of the army, I have a question. Who was the army in Joel 1? Is it the same army as in Joel 2? Actually, I had more questions, but these will suffice for now. Indeed, in trying to answer these two questions I found myself delving deeper into the text.

Therefore, I will try and answer the first: Who was the army in Joel 1:6? I might say something about the army in Joel 2, but I don’t know yet.

In Joel 1:2.

“Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors?”

Joel 1:2 (NIV)

Something had happened and Joel asked if anything like it had ever happened before. Then, Joel told the elders to tell their children about it.

“Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.”

Joel 1:3 (NIV)

What is it that happened? Verse 4 tells us.

“What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten.”

Joel 1:4 (NIV)

Locusts have eaten everything. Therefore, the people should mourn and take notice.

“Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips.”

Joel 1:5 (NIV)

Although Joel refers to “drunkards,” he is referring to all the Israelites who haven’t taken notice of what has happened. That is to say, their perceptions are clouded as if they were drunk.

What has happened? Verse 6 tells us.

“A nation has invaded my land, a mighty army without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness” (emphasis added).

Joel 1:6 (NIV)

In verses 7-14, Joel describes the devastation and tells the people they should fast and mourn.

After examining Joel so far, it’s evident that the army in Joel 1:6 isn’t a “who” as much as it is a “what.” That “what” is locusts. Yes, literal locusts devastated Israel. Therefore, the “army” in verse 6 was an army of locusts described as a “nation.”

However, in verse 15, Joel gives us this insight.

“Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.”

Joel 1:15 (NIV)

As I have mentioned, I’m not a Bible scholar, but it appears that verse 15 “links” the devastation wrought by the locusts with a “new” thing.

Considering that Joel refers to a future time, “is near; it will come” indicates the future and not the past. Still, in verses 16-20, Joel discusses the damage in the present relative to the army of locusts.

Then, in Joel 2, he continues a prophetic word about the future. After discussing the army of locusts in Joel 1, his description of the coming army resembles those locusts in its destructive nature. As seen in Joel 2:3-10.

Verse 11 confirms that this army was sent by the Lord as a judgment.

“The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?”

Joel 2:11 (NIV)

Therefore, the army in Joel 1:6 was an army of locusts (sent by the Lord in the past), and the army in Joel 2:11 is an army sent by the Lord in the future. However, not the Lord’s army we read about in Joshua 5:14, which is a righteous army. Instead, this army in Joel 2:11 is composed of wicked people sent to exact justice on the people.

We don’t need to be Bible scholars to understand God’s word. Indeed, we shouldn’t be intimidated by what we read and think we’re not “smart” enough or “qualified” to discern what Scripture tells us. Sure, we might not understand the symbolism but we don’t need to.

Instead, we walk by faith knowing that the “end result” is our victory over death in Christ Jesus and eternal life thanks to His sacrifice on the cross for our sins.