Sorry, you must have Windows Media Player 9 or higher. THE MIRACULOUS BATTLE THAT CLOSES THE GREAT TRIBULATION 07-28-13 REASSURANCE (Judg 7:15) And it was so, when Gideon [Heb: feller (warrior) /// to fell a tree] [a type and shadow of Jesus Christ, the carpenter] heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped [the Lord God], and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise [an interesting pre-rapture command]; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian [Heb: brawling, contentious, discord, strife]. 1. Commentary: The Midianite host consisted not only of the Midianites but also of “the Amalekites, and the children of the east” (Judg 6:3). The unifying factor of this invading army who “entered into the land to destroy it” (Judg 6:5) was that they represented the unsaved peoples of the world. 2. Commentary: “into your hand” = is a further allusion to the Hand Ministry; i.e., the composite “Hand” (of God, doing the work of God) that is represented by the sheep or flock of 10,000 saved warriors, and out of which issued forth the extended four fingers of prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, who are the 300 shepherds. To the 10,000 (representing all saved persons) who are the “Hand” (of God) had been given the victory. However, please note that the Old Testament “Hand” (of God) that appeared to Belshazzar in a vision was revealed to Daniel (Dan 5:5) as fingers, then without the thumb of the New Testament apostle which was yet to be revealed. a. (Dan 5:5) In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. THE MIRACULOUS BATTLE THAT CLOSES THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND USHERS IN THE SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD CHRIST JESUS, IN US (Judg 7:16-18) And he [God - Jesus Christ - Gideon] divided the three hundred men into three companies [symbolizing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost and the holy acts of the triune Godhead accomplished through the willing instruments of the 100 men in each company], and he put [empowered them each with] a trumpet [Heb: showphar, sho-far': a curved horn] [a (loud) voice] in every man's hand [ref: the “Hand Ministry” Eph 4:11,12], with empty pitchers [earthenware clay pails with a hole in the bottom center] [your body], and lamps [Heb: a lamp or flame: (burning) lamp, lightning, torch] [the Holy Spirit] within the pitchers. And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the [enemy] camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. 1. Commentary: “three companies” = these three companies are all found standing on the “good ground” of “the parable of the sower” (Mat 13:18). The “good ground” is figuratively located only inside the tent of the holy/most holy place of the tabernacle of Moses. The three companies resident therein may be identified as the 100 fold “man child” company (Rev 12:5,11), the 60 fold “woman” company (Rev 12:1,2,6,13,14), and the 30 fold “remnant of her seed” company (Rev 12:17). In the parable of “I am the true vine” (John 15:1-5), John describes these same three companies as bearing “fruit” (30 fold), “more fruit” (60 fold), and “much fruit” (100 fold) for the Lord. According to the Bible, “The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11); what then is the “fruit” of the word of God? 2. Commentary: “he put a trumpet in every man’s hand” = literally, he put an inspired voice in every man’s hand – or Hand. In a directly related metaphor, the exterior curtains of the tabernacle of Moses compound that surround the inner tabernacle (tent) itself are described as the “hangings for the court of fine twined linen [Heb: white] of an hundred cubits long for one side [Heb: mouth]” (Exo 27:9). As such, the “hangings for the court” form the outer white garment, the garment of the “good shepherd” (John 10:11,14) surrounded by His sheep; the garment surrounding the one-dimensional “image” of Christ hidden from undiscerning sight within the structure of the tabernacle. That “image” may be derived from examining the 27 different Hebrew meanings of “side” when they are used to describe the materials of the tabernacle and the tabernacle compound. (See diagram). In effect, the white garment surrounding all four sides (Heb: mouth) of the Christ “image” (once perceived) is composed of the flock of His perfectly cleansed sheep actively and perpetually speaking forth, uttering, teaching and preaching the Word of God for all eternity, bleating if you will. THE GLORY WHICH SHALL BE REVEALED IN US (Rom 8:18; 2 Thes 1:7,10,12) (Judg 7:19-22) So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch [10pm]; and they had but newly set the watch [i.e., they were in enemy territory, and the new guards, fearful for their lives, were understandably uptight, nervous, edgy, and extremely jumpy]: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands [thereby revealing the (hidden – in us) “flaming fire” 2 Thes 1:8, much like a shocking bolt of searing lightening that suddenly explodes out of a calm quiet dark night]. And the three companies [representing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost] blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow [i.e., in the blinding darkness of their fear and panic they killed each other - we later learn 120,000 died. This is too much like what is beginning to happen throughout the world today: riots first (small wars), then wars and rumors of wars], even throughout all the host: and the host [of the remaining 15,000 Midianite warriors] fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath. 1. Commentary: Please take a moment to visualize the physical position necessary for the 300 (plus 1) saved warriors of God to hold the trumpets in their outstretched right hands (prepatory for the breaking), while holding the clay pails/pots each with a hole in the bottom and a flaming torch hidden inside (grasping the end of the torch protruding through the bottom hole) in their outstretched left hands. The physical image of each man that was thereby created and revealed to all the world sure looks like a cross to me. The Midianites were surrounded by 300 crosses, and didn’t know it, did not perceive it, did not discern it; they did not understand that they were completely surrounded by God. Each of the three groups of 100 saved Israelite warriors represented a member of the triune Godhead projecting the cross, a fearful sight to an unsaved man. Against the dark cold background of an unforgiving night, quite suddenly, “there was light” (Gen 1:3) and the thunder of hundreds of trumpets heralding the entrance of the Prince of Peace into the world, a very bright Light indeed, and the enemy (the world) saw “the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18) and “ran, and cried, and fled,” and “the LORD set every [Midianite] man's sword against his fellow.” 2. Commentary: May we who have ears to hear gently receive the resounding ring of the repeated battle cry of “The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon,” and a certain unspoken indescribable but serenely comprehended “compositeness,” the supernatural accomplishment of an essential unity into “one man” (Judg 6:16), a unity into the one Sword that is the twoedged Sword of the Lord, the God-Man, the respectively rhema-logos Word of God that we are becoming, being transformed into (Rom 12:2), daily being raptured Godwards (1 Thes 4:17). Praise God. Thank you Lord. (Judg 7:23-25) And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh [these three are the originally called tribes, excluding the fourth tribe of Zebulun], and pursued [Heb: to run after (usually with hostile intent): chased, put to flight, hunted] after the Midianites. And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim [a tribe in possession of the territory bordering the Jordan river on the west through which the Midianites were fleeing - eastward], saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan [i.e., cut them off at the waters]. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. And they took [Heb: captured] two princes of the Midianites, Oreb [Heb: raven] and Zeeb [Heb: wolf]; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side [east of the] Jordan [river and on into the wilderness]. Commentary: “two princes” = In the original Hebrew, the two princes, Oreb and Zeeb, are named raven and wolf respectively. Both creatures are carnivorous and their emphasis upon death and destruction symbolizes the physical activities of Oreb and Zeeb. However, Oreb and Zeeb were secondary governors (generals) directly subservient to, and acting as the hands of (a counterfeit Hand Ministry) the two spiritual kings that appear in Judges chapter 8. We will learn that the two kings, at whose behest and under whom Oreb and Zeeb commanded, were named Zebah and Zalmunna. Those names have the Hebrew meanings of Zeba (Heb: sacrifice) and Zalmunna (Heb: withheld), and therein is rendered the overall primary theme of Judges chapters 6-8, and the critically important lesson to all Christians which is the consequences of SACRIFICE WITHHELD, as we shall more clearly see next week, God willing. Thank you. God bless you.
07-28-13
(Judg 7:15) And it was so, when Gideon [Heb: feller (warrior) /// to fell a tree] [a type and shadow of Jesus Christ, the carpenter] heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped [the Lord God], and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise [an interesting pre-rapture command]; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian [Heb: brawling, contentious, discord, strife].
1. Commentary: The Midianite host consisted not only of the Midianites but also of “the Amalekites, and the children of the east” (Judg 6:3). The unifying factor of this invading army who “entered into the land to destroy it” (Judg 6:5) was that they represented the unsaved peoples of the world.
2. Commentary: “into your hand” = is a further allusion to the Hand Ministry; i.e., the composite “Hand” (of God, doing the work of God) that is represented by the sheep or flock of 10,000 saved warriors, and out of which issued forth the extended four fingers of prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, who are the 300 shepherds. To the 10,000 (representing all saved persons) who are the “Hand” (of God) had been given the victory. However, please note that the Old Testament “Hand” (of God) that appeared to Belshazzar in a vision was revealed to Daniel (Dan 5:5) as fingers, then without the thumb of the New Testament apostle which was yet to be revealed.
a. (Dan 5:5) In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
(Judg 7:16-18) And he [God - Jesus Christ - Gideon] divided the three hundred men into three companies [symbolizing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost and the holy acts of the triune Godhead accomplished through the willing instruments of the 100 men in each company], and he put [empowered them each with] a trumpet [Heb: showphar, sho-far': a curved horn] [a (loud) voice] in every man's hand [ref: the “Hand Ministry” Eph 4:11,12], with empty pitchers [earthenware clay pails with a hole in the bottom center] [your body], and lamps [Heb: a lamp or flame: (burning) lamp, lightning, torch] [the Holy Spirit] within the pitchers. And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the [enemy] camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
1. Commentary: “three companies” = these three companies are all found standing on the “good ground” of “the parable of the sower” (Mat 13:18). The “good ground” is figuratively located only inside the tent of the holy/most holy place of the tabernacle of Moses. The three companies resident therein may be identified as the 100 fold “man child” company (Rev 12:5,11), the 60 fold “woman” company (Rev 12:1,2,6,13,14), and the 30 fold “remnant of her seed” company (Rev 12:17). In the parable of “I am the true vine” (John 15:1-5), John describes these same three companies as bearing “fruit” (30 fold), “more fruit” (60 fold), and “much fruit” (100 fold) for the Lord. According to the Bible, “The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11); what then is the “fruit” of the word of God?
2. Commentary: “he put a trumpet in every man’s hand” = literally, he put an inspired voice in every man’s hand – or Hand. In a directly related metaphor, the exterior curtains of the tabernacle of Moses compound that surround the inner tabernacle (tent) itself are described as the “hangings for the court of fine twined linen [Heb: white] of an hundred cubits long for one side [Heb: mouth]” (Exo 27:9). As such, the “hangings for the court” form the outer white garment, the garment of the “good shepherd” (John 10:11,14) surrounded by His sheep; the garment surrounding the one-dimensional “image” of Christ hidden from undiscerning sight within the structure of the tabernacle. That “image” may be derived from examining the 27 different Hebrew meanings of “side” when they are used to describe the materials of the tabernacle and the tabernacle compound. (See diagram). In effect, the white garment surrounding all four sides (Heb: mouth) of the Christ “image” (once perceived) is composed of the flock of His perfectly cleansed sheep actively and perpetually speaking forth, uttering, teaching and preaching the Word of God for all eternity, bleating if you will.
THE GLORY WHICH SHALL BE REVEALED IN US (Rom 8:18; 2 Thes 1:7,10,12)
(Judg 7:19-22) So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch [10pm]; and they had but newly set the watch [i.e., they were in enemy territory, and the new guards, fearful for their lives, were understandably uptight, nervous, edgy, and extremely jumpy]: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands [thereby revealing the (hidden – in us) “flaming fire” 2 Thes 1:8, much like a shocking bolt of searing lightening that suddenly explodes out of a calm quiet dark night]. And the three companies [representing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost] blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow [i.e., in the blinding darkness of their fear and panic they killed each other - we later learn 120,000 died. This is too much like what is beginning to happen throughout the world today: riots first (small wars), then wars and rumors of wars], even throughout all the host: and the host [of the remaining 15,000 Midianite warriors] fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.
1. Commentary: Please take a moment to visualize the physical position necessary for the 300 (plus 1) saved warriors of God to hold the trumpets in their outstretched right hands (prepatory for the breaking), while holding the clay pails/pots each with a hole in the bottom and a flaming torch hidden inside (grasping the end of the torch protruding through the bottom hole) in their outstretched left hands. The physical image of each man that was thereby created and revealed to all the world sure looks like a cross to me. The Midianites were surrounded by 300 crosses, and didn’t know it, did not perceive it, did not discern it; they did not understand that they were completely surrounded by God. Each of the three groups of 100 saved Israelite warriors represented a member of the triune Godhead projecting the cross, a fearful sight to an unsaved man. Against the dark cold background of an unforgiving night, quite suddenly, “there was light” (Gen 1:3) and the thunder of hundreds of trumpets heralding the entrance of the Prince of Peace into the world, a very bright Light indeed, and the enemy (the world) saw “the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18) and “ran, and cried, and fled,” and “the LORD set every [Midianite] man's sword against his fellow.”
2. Commentary: May we who have ears to hear gently receive the resounding ring of the repeated battle cry of “The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon,” and a certain unspoken indescribable but serenely comprehended “compositeness,” the supernatural accomplishment of an essential unity into “one man” (Judg 6:16), a unity into the one Sword that is the twoedged Sword of the Lord, the God-Man, the respectively rhema-logos Word of God that we are becoming, being transformed into (Rom 12:2), daily being raptured Godwards (1 Thes 4:17). Praise God. Thank you Lord.
(Judg 7:23-25) And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh [these three are the originally called tribes, excluding the fourth tribe of Zebulun], and pursued [Heb: to run after (usually with hostile intent): chased, put to flight, hunted] after the Midianites. And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim [a tribe in possession of the territory bordering the Jordan river on the west through which the Midianites were fleeing - eastward], saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan [i.e., cut them off at the waters]. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. And they took [Heb: captured] two princes of the Midianites, Oreb [Heb: raven] and Zeeb [Heb: wolf]; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side [east of the] Jordan [river and on into the wilderness].
Commentary: “two princes” = In the original Hebrew, the two princes, Oreb and Zeeb, are named raven and wolf respectively. Both creatures are carnivorous and their emphasis upon death and destruction symbolizes the physical activities of Oreb and Zeeb. However, Oreb and Zeeb were secondary governors (generals) directly subservient to, and acting as the hands of (a counterfeit Hand Ministry) the two spiritual kings that appear in Judges chapter 8. We will learn that the two kings, at whose behest and under whom Oreb and Zeeb commanded, were named Zebah and Zalmunna. Those names have the Hebrew meanings of Zeba (Heb: sacrifice) and Zalmunna (Heb: withheld), and therein is rendered the overall primary theme of Judges chapters 6-8, and the critically important lesson to all Christians which is the consequences of SACRIFICE WITHHELD, as we shall more clearly see next week, God willing. Thank you. God bless you.