UNSHEATHE YOUR SWORD

A PROFILE OF END-TIME CHRISTIANITY (PART 1)

01-15-23 This message may be viewed live streaming video at youtube.com and tabernacleofmoses.org today Sunday at 11:00 am, and repeated 24/7 thereafter. The video, audio, and study notes are archived.

 

YOU ARE A SOLDIER

(2 Tim 2:3) Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier

 

THE PROPHESIED FINAL INVASION

(Judg 6:1-6) And the children of Israel [Heb: he will rule as God] did evil [as may be inferred by the significant decline in church attendance in the last 20 years] in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian [Heb: brawling, contentious, discord, strife] [heathens, unsaved people] seven years [of tribulation]. And the hand [Heb: power] of Midian [unsaved people] prevailed [overcame, conquered] against Israel [against saved people] [1]: and because of the Midianites [because of the unsaved people] the children of Israel made them the dens [to hide in] which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. And so it was, when Israel had sown [seed, crops], that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites [Heb: descendants of Esau], and the children of the east [nomadic desert tribes], even they came up against them; And they [the invading army assembled under the Midianite banner] encamped [Heb: for abode or siege] against them [against the Israelites], and destroyed the increase of the earth [the crops], till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance [Heb: (no) preservation of life: (no) food] for Israel [no wheat], neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass [nor barley] [2]. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers [Heb: as locusts] for multitude; for both they and their camels [burden-bearers (drug runners)] were without number [3]: and they entered into the land to destroy it [not primarily with guns (please note that there is no mention of a military presence in this invasion), but they shall destroy the USA with their total economic needs, being dependent completely upon the citizens of the USA for their food, shelter, medical, education, money, i.e., their everything]. And Israel was greatly impoverished [Heb: (made) feeble; oppressed: dried up, emptied] [of happiness, safety, health, wealth, and joy] because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried [Heb: shrieked (from anguish or danger)] unto the LORD. 

1.    (Dan 7:25) And he [the antichrist] shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out [Heb: to afflict] [syn: trouble, worry, upset, distress, vex] the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand [Heb: power] until a time and times and the dividing of time [3 ½ years (the Great Tribulation]

2.    (Rev 6:5,6) And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he [the Antichrist(s)] that sat on him [controlled him] had a pair of balances [Gk: fig. servitude] in his hand.  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley [animal fodder] for a penny; and see thou hurt not [take not] the oil and the wine [reserved for the rulers]

3.    Commentary: “without number” = so far representing over 5 million illegal invaders (a huge vast economic army) during the last two years, over more than the entire populations of Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Delaware COMBINED (6 states 4,609,028).

 

THE LORD’S CALL TO ACTION

(Judg 6:33-35) Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together [totaling 135,000 soldiers], and went over, and pitched [their tents] in the valley of Jezreel [Heb: God will sow]But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon [Heb: feller (warrior) /// to fell a tree] [a type and shadow of Jesus Christ] and he blew a trumpet [i.e., the Word of God]; and Abiezer [Gideon’s family] was gathered after him [i.e., summoned to church]. And he sent messengers [(angels)] throughout all Manasseh [32,200] [Gideon’s tribe]; who also was gathered after him [summoned to church]: and he sent messengers [(angels)] unto Asher [41,500], and unto Zebulun [57,400], and unto Naphtali [53,400] [1]; and they came up to meet them

SEPARATION OF TRUE BELIEVERS FROM UNBELIEVING SOLDIERS

(Judg 7:1-3) Then Jerubbaal [Heb: Baal will contend with], who is Gideon [Heb: feller (warrior) /// to fell a tree] [a type and shadow of Jesus Christ], and all the people [32,000 assembled soldiers] that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod [Heb: fountain of trembling]: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh [Heb: an archer; also teacher or teaching; also the early rain], in the valley. And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee [the 32,000 soldiers that responded to the call of God and came to church] are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt [Heb: boast: glorify self, vaunt self] [i.e., with pride] themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid [i.e., whosoever does not believe God for the victory, essentially believing “God is a liar”], let him return [to his home] and depart early from mount Gilead [Heb: heap of testimony, heap of witness: rolling forever] [the altar of burnt offering, a type and shadow of the cross]. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand [22,000 unsaved soldiers who did not believe God]; and there remained ten thousand [10,000 saved soldiers who believed God]

 

REFINEMENT WITHIN THE RANKS OF SEPARATED BELIEVING SOLDIERS

(Judg 7:4-6) And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people [the saved 10,000] are yet too many; bring them down unto the water [a type and shadow of the Holy Spirit], and I will try [Heb: fuse (metal), refine: melt, purify, purge] them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee [to fight the war], the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee [to fight the war], the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water [of the running river]: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth [Heb: licks] of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees [displaying a subservient position] to drink [thereby placing themselves defenseless and subject to the enraged Midianite host across the river]. And the number of them that lapped [discriminately licking in the water of the Word while excluding the debris of the world], putting their hand [Heb: power] [i.e., putting their gained Godly power, their understanding, the sum of their Christian Education] to their mouth [taking action, enabling each to preach/teach the pure Word of God], were three hundred men [300]: but all the rest of the people [9,700] bowed down upon their knees [(on four limbs)] to drink water [indiscriminately sucking up the water of the Word with the debris of the world]

 

(Judg 7:7,8) And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred [300] men that lapped [the combat troops (shepherds, pastors, officers)] will I save you, and deliver the Midianites [the unsaved] into thine hand: and let all the other people [the 9,700 support troops (enlisted sheep)] go every man unto his place [assigned position in the Army of God]. So the people [the 300] took victuals [Heb: food] [sacrificially supplied, in a time of great famine (Rev 6:5,6), by the 9,700 support troops] in their hand [Heb: power], and their trumpets [their Bibles, symbol of the Word of God]: and he sent all the rest of Israel [the 9,700 saved support troops] every man unto his tent [in contrast to sending the 22,000 unsaved men (v.3) back to their homes], and retained [Heb: seized: caught (up)] [i.e., raptured] those three hundred men: and the host [Heb: army] of Midian [Heb: brawling, contentious, discord, strife] was beneath him in the valley. 

 

(Judg 7:16-18) And he divided the three hundred men into three companies [of 100 soldiers each], and he put a trumpet [the Word of God, a Bible, the voice of God] in every man's hand [Heb: power] [understanding], with empty pitchers [Heb: earthenware] [representing their bodies], and lamps [Heb: torches] [flame, fire, light] [“I am the light of the world” John 8:12; “Ye are the light of the world” Matt 5:14] within the pitchers [within their bodies]. 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 [the Bible, the Word of God], I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets [your Bibles, the Word of God] also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD [1], and of Gideon [the Word of God sheathed within an earthen vessel]

1.     (Eph 6:17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God[and unsheathe your Sword]