As I began to study the Book of Joel, I realised that my only knowledge of the book was what I had read in Acts 2:17 from the Day of Pentecost and as a Pentecostal I have heard thousands of sermons (seriously no exaggeration!) quoting this about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The quote in Acts 2:17 says “In the last days, says God, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

The Book of Joel, just like the many of the other minor prophets, is quite a small book, only spanning 63 verses. But throughout this book, there is a reoccurring theme, or a kind of character - the locusts. The locusts are particularly referenced in 1:4 and 2:25. At first glance, these locusts might not seem to be of much importance but as you continue on its seems as if there is much more to these locusts. Are they actually literal locusts or a metaphor for something more? This question has received a fair share of attention from old testament scholars and theologians alike. And is, in fact, a question that is integral to how we interpret the whole book of Joel.