Battle Symbols

Military map symbols were first used by Western armies after the Napoleonic Wars. With the formation of NATO in 1949, the U.S. Army created a standardized set of symbols with different shapes and colors to represent different forces: friendly (blue rectangle), hostile (red diamond), neutral (green square), and unknown (yellow quatrefoil).

In keeping with the theme of the seven trumpets, this fifth trumpet is likewise depicted by its martial aspect. The prophet Joel writes extensively of a time before the day of the Lord in which a “great army” comes in like “the swarming locust, … the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust” (Joel 2:25) with “the appearance of horses” (v. 4) and “a noise like chariots” (v. 5), “strong, and without number” with “the teeth of a lion, and … fangs of a fierce lion” (1:6). Note the similarities to today’s passage.

Interestingly, the Arabian forces were known for their cavalry. It is also common knowledge among Arabs that a man’s turban represents his crown or honor. It is said that Muhammad, the founder of Islam, specifically wore a white one and that, since then, the turban has become strongly identified with the followers of Islam. Crowns in Scripture symbolize victory (1 Corinthians 9:25). Some also see in this the conquering Arabian soldiers. Even in war, they wore what has come to be known as the “turban helmet,” of a peculiar dome shape resembling the Arabian headdress.

That they had “faces of men” further solidifies the symbolism of the locusts—not literal insects but a plague of warriors. So also, Muslim soldiers were known for not cutting their hair so that it was long, “like women’s hair.”

And remember who it was that was allowed to release these locusts in the first place. These locusts have “lions’ teeth” just like the fallen star, the devil, who “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Dear God, I place my loyalties with the armies of heaven. I submit to Your divine leadership. You are the only ruler to whom I will ever bow.

For Further Study: 1 Kings 8:37–40; Psalm 57:4; Revelation 9:16–19

Key Bible Texts

And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. (Revelation 9:7 KJV)