“A day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn spreading on the mountains, a great and strong people; there has never been the like, neither will there be any more after them, even to the years of many generations.”

The day of the Lord will not be a happy day for those who are under its judgment. The day is coming for these wayward people and it will come in the form of a huge swarm of locusts. It will appear as a day of thick darkness, there will be so many of them. The sun and daylight will be blotted out for there has never been such a hoard of marauders such a these. 

They will appear like the sun coming up over the mountains and spreading across the countryside so fast and furiously. As the light travels so fast, so will these destructive hoards of insects. There has never been such a swarm as this one – never been so many insects like these who will destroy everything in front of them. Neither will there ever be again, for they are the judgment of the Lord, like the final judgement that is to come. 

They are described here as “strong people,” like a marauding army of invaders from over the mountains who will sweep in like the sea and drown all the land with their plague. They will spread like light over the ground as it arrives over the mountains. No oner will be able to stop it, for it will sweep away everything in sight. 

We can only imagine the terror at the sight of this monstrous and destructive army cascading over the hills and devouring the work and livelihoods of the people. They watch helpless as the army of locusts eat their way through the entire land in a few hours. They leave destitution and famine and death. It surely is a day of gloominess and the prophet is right to bemoan the trouble of the people, even if they do not see it for themselves. They must call out to the Lord to deliver them, for there is no one else who can possibly help. 

Beloved, when the day of the Lord comes for us, may we be ready to meet it under the shadow of the wings of the Almighty God, who will shelter His people from the last great storm and bring all His ransomed people home safely and triumphant. May we be among that great throng and look in confidence and rest at that last battle where the enemies of the Lord, and of His people, will finally and forever be vanquished.

“I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called “The Word of God.” The armies which are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in white, pure, fine linen. Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword, that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Revelation 19:11-16