Exodus 10:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:

Exodus 10:2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.

Exodus 10:3 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.

Exodus 10:4 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:

Exodus 10:5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:

Exodus 10:6 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

Exodus 10:7 And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?

Exodus 10:8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?

Exodus 10:9 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.

Exodus 10:10 And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.

Exodus 10:11 Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

Exodus 10:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.

Exodus 10:13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

Exodus 10:14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

Exodus 10:15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

Exodus 10:16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.

Exodus 10:17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only.

Exodus 10:18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.

Exodus 10:19 And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.

Exodus 10:20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.

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The eighth plague of God upon Egypt is the plague of locusts. All that survived the plague of the hail, mingled with fire, will now be consumed by the locusts. All of the plagues, of Egypt, are but figures of the spiritual plagues poured out upon this unbelieving world to accomplish the redemptive purpose of God in the deliverance of His people. They are given to teach Israel, both then and now, that there is no hope outside of Goshen (Christ). Everything God intends to save He has put in Christ. It is from the safety of our Saviour that he shows us His viles of wrath poured out on this present evil world. These last several plagues are plagues of reprobation. He no longer speaks of Pharaoh and Egypt hardening their hearts but now it is God who hardens their hearts. God can break the hardest heart, but what God hardens He will not break! What are these spiritual locusts and what do they have to do with the reprobation of unbelieving rebels?

In Revelation 9 He reveals the spiritual antitype saying they were released out of Hell and rose from the smoke of the pit to cover the earth. The spiritual locusts of our day are the demonic spirits who like Satan of old, left their first estate and were bound in chains of everlasting darkness. Satan is here pictured as a falling star. Stars represent preachers in the scriptures (See Revelation 1:16-20). Even so the falling star is set forth as a false preacher (See Jude verse 13). By the Lord’s permission the father of lies unlocks the bottomless pit and a thick smoke fills the air out of which the spiritual locusts come in a great swarm.

Most people today do not believe in demonic spirits, but the bible is quite clear as to their existence and to their nature. The apostle Paul tells us, “to put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness (spiritual darkness) of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:11-12) The spiritual death out of which we were quickened is described as “…in time past walking according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2)

The spiritual locusts are the vast swarm of invisible satanic spirits sent into this world as a plague for their persistent rejection and unwillingness to receive the love of the truth that they might be saved (2nd Thessalonians 2:10-11).

What do they do? They do as the locusts did in Egypt; they take away all hope of life. They devour within themselves all the spiritual food that gives life to fallen sinners. God has sent them strong delusion to believe a lie and be damned (2nd Thessalonians 2:11). There are so many that all light is blotted out and all gospel hope utterly taken away. The locusts that God sent into Egypt filled Pharaoh’s houses, his servant’s houses, and all the houses of the Egyptians. Is there any house in this day of apostasy that are not filled with these spiritual locusts? Be it churches, homes, or individuals, anywhere you look at it, this plague has surely fallen upon this world. “If our gospel be hid it is hid to the lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” (2nd Corinthians 4:3-4)

What will God have us to see as this plague falls upon this unsuspecting world? He intends to show us that outside of Christ there is nothing but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries (Hebrews 10:27). God also will show us these plagues to prepare our hearts to leave this cursed place and follow Him to our promised place of rest. Without doubt He intends for us to see in His preserving hand, in Christ, the glory of His mercy and grace.

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D. Pruitt