The danger of not reading prophetic descriptions of war in the Old Testament is the inability to recognize them in the New Testament. Swarms of locusts represent armored soldiers on horses. They did in the destruction of Babylon, as they did in the destruction of Jerusalem (earthquakes represent the shaking of powers that be). Here is one of many already-played-out prophecies:
Jeremiah 51:
27“Raise a banner in the land!
Blow the ram’s horn among the nations!
Prepare the nations against her.
Summon the kingdoms against her—
Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz.
Appoint a captain against her;
bring up horses like swarming locusts.
28 Prepare the nations for battle against her—
the kings of the Medes,
their governors and all their officials,
and all the lands they rule.
29 The earth quakes and writhes because the LORD’s intentions against Babylon stand: