Much can be applied to us today from the warnings issued in Jehovah's judgment of mankind in Joel's day. The plague of the caterpillar, locusts, and cockroaches noted in Joel 1:4 have symbolic meaning.
The caterpillar is the first or larval stage in the life of a locust. In order to avoid detection, caterpillars tend to blend in to the background. The same can be said of false Christians and their leaders who at first appear to be sincere followers of Christ. They blend in with the true believers, much like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Acts 20:29-30 warns of this happening: "I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you and will not treat the flock with tendernesss, and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves." The appetite of caterpillars is voracious, eating as much as twice their weight in vegetation daily. So,too. is the voracious appetite of those who speak twisted things to draw members of the congregation away.
Biblically the locust has been used to represent God's judgment. The invasion of locusts can transform a paradise-like place to a wilderness. Among believers, there is a similar devastation in God's congregation when false teachers tear apart true believers, dividing them into groups and causing such dissension among the members of a congregation that what once was a spiritual paradise has become a desolate wilderness of doubt. In the Book of Romans Paul was inspired to warn of those who like locusts were stripping away the faith of true believers. "For God's wrath is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who are suppressing the truth in an unrighteous way. Because although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God nor did they thank him, but they became empty-headed in their reasonings and their unintelligent heart became darkened." (Romans 1: 18, 21) Too many times these "locusts" have come into a congregation and through their sowing of seeds of doubt have devastated or even destroyed a congregation.
The cockroach is an insect which prefers to only come out under cover of darkness to consume whatever has been left behind by the others. Peter warns us about these "cockroaches" who come among us in times of spiritual darkness to consume whatever is left behind that may be weak or vulnerable in our spiritual state, ''...There will also be false teachers among you. These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects...many will follow their acts of loose conduct and on account of these the way of the truth will be spoken about abusively. Also with covetousness they will exploit you with counterfeit words." (2nd Peter 2: 1-3) If we are not watchful, carefully guarding our hearts and minds with the truth of God's word, we can be consumed by false words and leave the teachings of the true teachers of the congregation. The litmus test for truth is the Bible. If a person's teachings cannot be clearly supported by Bible verses, those words are false.
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