Commentary on Judges Part 2 (No. F007ii)

Samson and the Judges (No. 073)

“The land had rest for forty years (or another generation) and then they again lapsed into idolatry and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years. Israel dwelt in the rocks and caves of the mountains. The Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east came up against Israel and destroyed the produce and left no food or animals for Israel (Jdg. 6:1-5). Israel cried out to the Lord and they were sent Gideon of Manasseh. The story of Gideon (meaning to fell a tree or cut down and, hence, a feller or warrior) or Jerubbaal (meaning Baal will contend) (Jdg. 6:1 to 8:28) is dealt with in the paper Gideon's Force and the Last Days (No. 022). The essence of the story refers to the last days and is the story of the removal of idolatry and the subsequent war that follows, from the fact that Baal contends in the last days. The significance for the elect and the apostasy of the end requires study.”

Gideon

Gideon's Force and the Last Days (No. 022)

“The story of Gideon has a symbolism that extends far beyond the restoration of Israel in the times of Jerubaal and the Judges, over three thousand years ago. It points towards the restoration of the system and the mighty struggle with the Baal or Mystery cult system in the last days.”

“The Restoration of the Last Days

How will the restoration be effected? Micah 5:3-6 says of Messiah that:

Micah 5:3-6 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. ⁴And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord His God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. ⁵And this Man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principle men. ⁶And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when He cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.

“The concepts here are that:

· Messiah is to give up the elect to the world system until the Church (she that travaileth; (see also Rev. 12:13-17) is completed. The dragon makes war with the remnant of the woman’s seed. This equates with the fifth seal. It also relates to the continuation into the Great Tribulation for the multitude who make their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

· When the number of the Church is complete, namely the full number of those chosen or predestined from the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4) and entered in the book of life of the Lamb at the foundation of the world (Rev. 17:8) are brought into the body of Christ, the end will come.

· The end times will entail an invasion by the forces of the north. This will be the last wars of the King of the North found in Daniel 11.

The prophecy seems to indicate that the end wars will entail the raising of seven shepherds and eight principle men to defeat the Kings of the North and to establish the prerequisite for the Millennium. The explanation of these wars and their sequence and duration is the subject of other papers.

Micah makes the point in Micah 5:7-15 that the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people. They shall be among the Gentiles as a young lion among flocks of sheep. They will, at that time, be invincible. This is identified as the last days from Micah 4:1.

What we are concerned about is how that sequence of activity will take place. How will the elect be prepared to deal with the situations that they will face in the future?

Firstly, the pre-conditions are established for the calling of the elect. This finally results in the cessation of the Church eras. There are four Church eras extant at the time of the coming of the Messiah in Revelation 2:18 to 3:22. The Pergamos Church appears to be not functioning and has been destroyed in war, or brought to repentance as stated in Revelation 2:16. There are elements of this church alive, but the major structure has been destroyed in the previous century, prior to the final stages of the coming of the Messiah.

“These extant eras are understood to be: the Thyatiran, now concentrated in Eastern Europe, the Sardis and Laodicean eras, which can only be the churches that are to be found largely in the English-speaking world, the Americas and the Pacific. The Laodicean and Sardis Churches are stated to be rejected and do not enter the kingdom of God as structures. The Church of the Philadelphians is numerically small as an organisation with little strength, but is pure and loved by Christ. It is the Church of brotherly love.

These terms are descriptive terms, and in fact, there are elements of each era in each Church. The Philadelphians are in all eras and are pillars to all eras, but in the last days they seem to be formed from the elements of the other four churches prior to the coming of the Messiah.

All of these eras are asleep at the end time. This is established from the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Matthew 25:5-6 states that while the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept. At midnight (at the deepest part of the night) there was a cry made, Behold the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. All the virgins arose and went out to meet him, but the foolish virgins did not have enough oil in their lamps and they were extinguished (Mat. 25:8). These virgins, although betrothed, do not marry Christ at the First Resurrection. As God does not break His word and because betrothal is a quasi-marriage (and certainly was at that time and place), they are consigned to a second marriage in the Second Resurrection.

Further, before the Messiah comes, the nations are warned as to what is to take place. The cry of warning is found in Jeremiah 4:15 (cf. the paper The Warning of the Last Days (No. 044)). Before we deal with that we must now examine the necessary pre-conditions that have to be met.

The sequence entails, firstly, the fall of the Churches (cf. Measuring the Temple (No. 137)) and secondly, the fall of the nation.

The major example of what is to take place is found in the story of Gideon.”

Gideon's Death

“As soon as Gideon was dead, Israel again went whoring after foreign gods. This happened every time a judge had died. Israel left God’s message and went into idolatry, until they cried to God and He raised up another judge. Each time the judge was from a different tribe and with different authority to the previous judge. Never did the son of a judge succeed for good purpose, or with the authority of God.” (No. 073)

Chapter 6

The Midianite Oppression

¹The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of he Lord; and the Lord gave them into the hand of Mid′ian seven years. ²And the hand of Mid′ian prevailed over Israel; and because of Mid′ian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens which are in the mountains, and the caves and the strongholds. ³For whenever the Israelites put in seed the Mid′ianites and the Amal′ekites and the people of the East would come up and attack them; ⁴they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the land, as far as the neighborhood of Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep or ox or ass. ⁵For they would come up with their cattle and their tents, coming like locusts for number; both they and their camels could not be counted; so that they wasted the land as they came in. ⁶And Israel was brought very low because of Mid′ian; and the people of Israel cried for help to the Lord. ⁷When the people of Israel cried to the Lord on account of the Mid′ianites, ⁸the Lord sent a prophet to the people of Israel; and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of bondage; ⁹and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you, and gave you their land; ¹⁰and I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not pay reverence to the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not given heed to my voice.”

The Call of Gideon ¹¹Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Jo′ash the Abiez′rite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Mid′ianites. ¹²And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.” ¹³And Gideon said to him, “Pray, sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this befallen us? And where are all his wonderful deeds which our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Mid′ian.” ¹⁴And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Mid′ian; do not I send you?”¹⁵And he said to him, “Pray, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manas′seh, and I am the least in my family.” ¹⁶And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall smite the Mid′ianites as one man.” ¹⁷And he said to him, “If now I have found favor with thee, then show me a sign that it is thou who speakest with me. ¹⁸Do not depart from here, I pray thee, until I come to thee, and bring out my present, and set it before thee.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.” ¹⁹So Gideon went into his house and prepared a kid, and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour; the meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the oak and presented them. ²⁰And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so. ²¹Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and there sprang up fire from the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight ²²Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord; and Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” ²³But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you; do not fear, you shall not die.” ²⁴Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it, The Lord is peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiez′rites. ²⁵That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull, the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Ba′al which your father has, and cut down the Ashe′rah that is beside it; ²⁶and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order; then take the second bull, and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Ashe′rah which you shall cut down.” ²⁷So Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had told him; but because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.

Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal ²⁸When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Ba′al was broken down, and the Ashe′rah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered upon the altar which had been built. ²⁹And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had made search and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Jo′ash has done this thing.” ³⁰Then the men of the town said to Jo′ash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has pulled down the altar of Ba′al and cut down the Ashe′rah beside it.” ³¹But Jo′ash said to all who were arrayed against him, “Will you contend for Ba′al? Or will you defend his cause? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been pulled down.” ³²Therefore on that day he was called Jerubba′al, that is to say, “Let Ba′al contend against him,” because he pulled down his altar. ³³Then all the Mid′ianites and the Amal′ekites and the people of the East came together, and crossing the Jordan they encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. ³⁴But the Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon; and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiez′rites were called out to follow him. ³⁵And he sent messengers throughout all Manas′seh; and they too were called out to follow him. And he sent messengers to Asher, Zeb′ulun, and Naph′tali; and they went up to meet them. ³⁶Then Gideon said to God, “If thou wilt deliver Israel by my hand, as thou hast said, ³⁷behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that thou wilt deliver Israel by my hand, as thou hast said.” ³⁸And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. ³⁹Then Gideon said to God, “Let not thy anger burn against me, let me speak but this once; pray, let me make trial only this once with the fleece; pray, let it be dry only on the fleece, and on all the ground let there be dew.” ⁴⁰And God did so that night; for it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.

Intent of Chapter 6:1-8:35

The Story of Gideon.

6:1-6 Israel was invaded by the Midianites.

Gideon a hero of Manasseh drove out the invading Midianites who were nomadic raiders like the Hebrews of an earlier time and the later Arab Bedouin.

Intent of Chapter 6

Gideon's Force and the Last Days (No. 022)

Gideon’s Force

“Gideon was raised up and made a [ruler] judge of Israel. The story is found in Judges 6:1 to 8:35. Israel had fallen into idolatry and was sent under the hand of Midian for seven years and they dwelt in the mountains in caves for defence (Jdg. 6:1-6).

A parallel for this might be the Second World War (1939-1945). This war followed on from a similar disaster in 1914-1918, the First World War. Israel was depleted of its manpower from these wars.

God raised up Gideon through the Angel of Elohim or the Angel of Yahovah (Jdg. 6:20-22) namely Messiah, from a Passover. Thus the restoration began a sacred year.

With ten men of his father, of a clan of Manasseh, he removed the altar of Baal that his own father had built together with the nearby Asherah (a phallus, not a grove as per KJV) (Jdg. 6:25 and fn. to Companion Bible). The phallus, as part of the cross system, can still be seen to this day in profusion in Lithuania.

[v. 11 The Angel of the Lord See 2:1 n. And Psalm 45 (F019_2). Heb. 1:8-9; Psa. 110; F019_5iii and the Appendix Summary]. An Abiezrite was a member of the small (v. 15) Manasseh clan of Abiezer. Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress, as opposed to a usual exposed position on a rise.

6:25-32 Gideon destroyed the alter of Baal. The Asherah was most probably a pole or tree representing the goddess Easter or Ashtaroth beside the Sun cross of Baal. The name Jerubaal is given to represent a family of Baal Worshippers. The traditional explanation is to “let Baal contend.”

6:33-40 Gideon prepares to attack the Midianites.

Gideon blew the trumpet and gathered together all Manasseh and sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun and Napthali and they came up to meet him (Jdg. 6:35). The Valley of Jezreel. The eastern end of the Valley of Esdraelon in the north of Palestine. The Spirit of the Lord (v. 34) (see 3:10 n.).

Gideon tested God by prayer through the fleece to see that God was indeed with him to deliver Israel (Jdg. 6:36-40).

After this all the Amalekites, the Midianites and all the children of the east were gathered against Israel.

Chapter 7

Gideon Surprises and Routs the Midianites

¹Then Jerubba′al (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Mid′ian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley ²The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Mid′ianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, ‘My own hand has delivered me.’ ³Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home.’” And Gideon tested them;^[^a^]twenty-two thousand returned, and ten thousand remained. ⁴And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; take them down to the water and I will test them for you there; and he of whom I say to you, ‘This man shall go with you,’ shall go with you; and any of whom I say to you, ‘This man shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” ⁵So he brought the people down to the water; and the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one that laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself; likewise every one that kneels down to drink.” ⁶And the number of those that lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. ⁷And the Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will deliver you, and give the Mid′ianites into your hand; and let all the others go every man to his home.” ⁸So he took the jars of the people from their hands, and their trumpets; and he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the three hundred men; and the camp of Mid′ian was below him in the valley. ⁹That same night the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp; for I have given it into your hand. ¹⁰But if you fear to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant; ¹¹and you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men that were in the camp. ¹²And the Mid′ianites and the Amal′ekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is upon the seashore for multitude.¹³When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade; and he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream; and lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Mid′ian, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” ¹⁴And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Jo′ash, a man of Israel; into his hand God has given Mid′ian and all the host.” ¹⁵When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped; and he returned to the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise; for the Lord has given the host of Mid′ian into your hand.” ¹⁶And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. ¹⁷And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise; when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. ¹⁸When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’” ¹⁹So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. ²⁰And the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars, holding in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow; and they cried, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” ²¹They stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the army ran; they cried out and fled. ²²When they blew the three hundred trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow and against all the army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shit′tah toward Zer′erah, as far as the border of A′bel-meho′lah, by Tabbath. ²³And the men of Israel were called out from Naph′tali and from Asher and from all Manas′seh, and they pursued after Mid′ian. ²⁴And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Mid′ianites and seize the waters against them, as far as Beth-bar′ah, and also the Jordan.” So all the men of E′phraim were called out, and they seized the waters as far as Beth-bar′ah, and also the Jordan. ²⁵And they took the two princes of Mid′ian, Oreb and Zeeb; they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the wine press of Zeeb, as they pursued Mid′ian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.

Intent of Chapter 7

Midianites Defeated

Gideon's Force and the Last Days (No. 022)

“God was indeed with him and thus Israel pitched camp at the hill of Moreh in the south. The Midianites and allies were in the north (Jdg. 7:1). This has significance for the wars of the last days of the Kings of the North and South in Daniel 11.

What was then done is highly significant. The Lord had decided to redeem Israel but, so that no flesh would glory in the victory and that it was evident that the Lord had indeed delivered them, He decided to reduce the numbers available in the force (Jdg. 7:2-3).

Firstly, He had allowed the force to be gathered. This was symbolic of the gathering of the full number of the elect prior to Messiah’s return.

He then said to them that whoever was afraid of the battle may return home. Of the 32,000 that were gathered, some 22,000 returned home and 10,000 remained (Jdg. 7:3). The remainder were then further reduced (Jdg. 7:4-8)

The lesson here was that although the force gathered was effectively the inheritance of the Lord, namely His chosen congregation, He did not choose to use the force at His disposal. They were prepared but returned home after they had reported for duty and made preparation for war.

The parallel with the last days is easy to see. The Holocaust was designed to eliminate the law of God and all Bible research from Europe and the world. It had the support of the Trinitarian churches of Europe. The work of the church was given time to be developed over the forty years after the war from 1946-1986. This is effectively a generation. This is also likened to the peace that Israel knew for forty years under Gideon, but that was after the battle (Jdg. 8:28).

The time frame of 1987 to the fortieth jubilee in 2027 is exactly forty years. This is the last generation of the church in the wilderness that Christ referred to as this generation in the Olivet prophecy. This generation will not pass away until all is accomplished (Mat. 24:34).

Quite obviously Christ was not referring to the generation of his time, as they all died nineteen hundred years ago and he uttered some prophecy that covered centuries. Revelation was itself a work that stretched over, at the very minimum, some thirteen centuries.

The First Eliminations

The earliest eliminations were all done in accordance with the laws of God as found in Deuteronomy chapter 20 (see the paper Deuteronomy 20 (No. 201)).

Not all were chosen or summoned and those that were called found themselves subjected to a screening process. This was also along the lines that many are called but few are chosen (Mat. 20:16).

The first reduction in numbers increased the odds from 4 to 1 to approximately 13 to 1 in favour of the enemy forces.

These numbers relate to the numbers of the governing units of the council of God; twenty-four elders in groups of two and also as one apostle and one judge per tribe under Christ. The structure of Christ and the apostles reflected this at the Last Supper. However, the god of this world also reflected that structure in his government as opposed by Christ alone.

The Final Selection Process

The second reduction in the numbers of the force was of a significance that related to the last battles in the last days with the Baal system. The selection process was done from the way in which the elect approached water. Water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. These living waters flow out of Christ (Jn. 4:10-11,14). The waters of Gideon exemplify the way in which we approach God. Those that worship God in a discriminating way are able to be used. This worship is of God (cf. The God We Worship (No. 002)). Obedience to him and respect for those acting under delegation is not worship. This may be symbolised by kneeling or prostrating oneself (the act of prostration (proskuneo) before Christ and the elect. Such action is an act of subservience, but is not of itself worship, as it is translated in Hebrews 1:6 and Revelation 3:9. We are to worship God the Father only (Lk. 4:8; Jn. 4:21-24; Phil. 3:3; Rev. 22:9).

The reduction from 13 to 1 to the next figure, which represents 450 to 1, has a direct relationship to act in obedience to the delegated authority of God and placed in the individual by the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Elijah. 450 to 1 is the ratio of the priests of Baal to Elijah, as principal prophet dealing with the destruction of the Baal system, both in Ancient Israel and as the principal witness of the last days. This Baal system of the Black Cassocked Ones, the Khemarim of the Bible, will be destroyed in the last days. Gideon’s Force is assembled in the last days to do that task and accomplish the detail of the messages of revelation 14 (see the paper The Messages of Revelation 14 (No. 270)).

God has stated that He will send the prophet Elijah to restore all things.

Malachi 4:4-6 "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. ⁵"Behold, I will send you Eli'jah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. ⁶And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse." (RSV)

The Bible is clear that Elijah will be sent to restore all things. No matter what any person does to teach the restoration of all things, the final restoration will not be complete until the nexus of the law is restored by Elijah. This has been broken under the demons and this will not be restored until Elijah comes and restores this nexus. At present it rains on the just and the unjust. Under the final part of the restoration under Elijah, the nexus of the law will restore the blessings and the curses (cf. The Blessings and the Curses (No. 075)) for the keeping of God’s Law. If we do not keep the Sabbath and the New Moons, the Passover and Unleavened Bread, Pentecost and The Feast of Tabernacles, we will get no rain in due season and all the plagues of Egypt will be placed on those who fail to send their representatives to Jerusalem for Tabernacles (Zech. 14:16-19).

The relationship to the times of the end is this. The nations of Israel were given a period of forty years peace in which to disseminate the gospel and prepare the elect for the liberation under Messiah spoken of in Micah. The elect were then given exposure to idolatrous teaching, which resulted in full-blown Trinitarianism among the Churches of God. This was the error of the Laodicean Church. The Laodiceans were poor, pitiable, blind and naked. They thought themselves rich, but God has commanded Christ to spew them out of his mouth (Rev. 3:16). Those people in the church in the last days will have to buy gold refined in the fire (Rev. 3:18) of tribulation and white raiment of martyrdom (Rev. 6:11) washed in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:11).

Sardis and Laodicea are held to be unfit to enter the kingdom of God and only individuals from those structures enter the kingdom of God. The remainder will be a relatively small force, like a commando unit, which will spread the word of God and warn the nations of the coming of Messiah. By the illumination of torches fed from the jars of the nation (see Gideon above) and using the trumpets of the watchmen of the last days, that force will work under the direction of Messiah. It will be composed of multiple tribes of Israel – initially commencing with Manasseh, Asher and Napthali with some from Zebulun (cf. Jdg. 6:35, 7:23). It extends to publishing affliction by Dan-Ephraim (Jer. 4:15) (No. 44 ibid., and No. 137 ibid.). Finally it sees the conversion of Judah and then the calling of the people to Jerusalem by Zebulun and Issachar, which is their birthright promise (cf. Calling the Peoples to Jerusalem (No. 238)).

In a sense, this is a continuation of the work commenced before the start of the measuring of the Temple in Revelation 11:1. The reference to the Little Book in Revelation 10:9-11 precedes the measuring of the Temple but is also contemporaneous with it and goes on to the 1,260 days of the two Witnesses at Revelation 11:2-6.

Gideon was given the understanding of the time from the dream given to one of the enemy forces (Jdg. 7:13-15).

7:13 In the Midianite dream the Barley bread represents the Israelites under the Messiah of the barley harvest as the Wave Sheaf. The text is held to represent the nomadic Midianites.

The 300 men were divided into three companies and given lamps and pitchers. They placed the lamps within the pitchers and, on a given signal, the whole group sounded the alarm together (Jdg. 7:16-18).

This action prefigures the divisions of the work of the last days and the three shepherds who are to be removed in one month (see the paper Measuring the Temple (No. 137)). The work then involves Ephraim (Jdg. 7:24-25). The pursuit of the 15,000 children of the east by Gideon’s 300 extended over Jordan. 120,000 had been slain in the night. The battle had started at the beginning of the middle watch, i.e. just after 10 p.m. In other words, this was just before midnight when the bridegroom came (7:19-25).

The idea behind this parable gave the name to the group placing Bibles in hotels and other areas, called the Gideons. We are finding however, that the Bible texts are being corrupted in all nations and languages by the Protestant system and the mistranslations are obscuring the true Bible narration and Laws of God (see Nos 164F; 164G; 164H).

Gideon attacked the camp of 15,000 with the 300 and captured the kings of Midian, Zebah (meaning sacrifice) and Zalmunna (meaning shade has been denied), who had fled (Jdg. 8:11-12). The two cities that had refused the group assistance, Succoth (meaning (idolatrous) booths or tabernacles) and Penuel (meaning the face of God), were punished for failing to render assistance. This prefigures the elements of the churches of the last days that have lapsed into false religious practice, had previously known God as the elect, and were to be punished. The elders of those in Succoth who refused food to the 300, on the grounds that they were not under their authority, were whipped with the thorns of the wilderness and with briars (Jdg. 8:7). The men of Penuel were in fact slain and their tower, or means of security and power, was destroyed (Jdg. 8:9,17).

Gideon was requested to rule over Israel, but he refused saying the Lord shall rule over you (Jdg. 8:23). This is in fact the end result of the wars of the last days. The request Gideon made was that the earrings, which had been taken from the Ishmaelites, be given to him as a reward. This was done and Gideon made a gold ephod out of it and it, in fact, proved to be an object of idolatry, which became a snare to his house. The significance is not readily understood from the text. Earrings were in fact amulets, which protected the orifices from evil spirits. They were idols in their own right.

The golden calf of the Exodus was made by Aaron out of the earrings of the host that came from Egypt. He said that these were the gods that brought them up out of the land of Egypt (Ex. 32:4). This was not a grammatical error as the scribes of Nehemiah thought, rendering the text in the singular (Neh. 9:18). Thus, earrings were forbidden to Israel. The texts referring to earrings (mostly in the KJV) are mistranslations for forehead jewels. The significance is that the items taken into the Millennium will pervert the nation as the ephod made from the materials became a snare to Manasseh (cf. The Golden Calf (No. 222) and The Origin of the Wearing of Earrings and Jewellery in Ancient Times (No. 197)).

The warning of the coming of the last days is issued from Dan/Ephraim.

Jeremiah 4:15-17 For a voice declares from Dan and proclaims evil [or publishes affliction] from Mount Ephraim [or the mountains of Ephraim]. ¹⁶Warn the nations that He is coming; announce to Jerusalem, “Besiegers come from a distant land; they shout against the cities of Judah. ¹⁷Like keepers of a field are they against her round about, because she has rebelled against me, says the Lord.

The end result of this war is found five verses later in Jeremiah 4:23-27.

Jeremiah 4:23-27 I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void; and to the heavens and they had no light. ²⁴I looked on the mountains and lo they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. ²⁵I looked and lo there was no man, and all the birds of the air had fled. ²⁶I looked and lo the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the Lord, before His fierce anger. ²⁷For thus says the Lord, “The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.

The Seventh Day Adventists use this text for justification of a heavenly Millennium (leaving a desolate earth to Satan for 1,000 years, contrary to Rev. 20:4) ignoring the promise that the Lord will not make a full end and that there are living men mentioned as dwelling outside the cities in Jeremiah 4:29. They themselves lapsed into Trinitarianism from a process that seemed to commence from the penetration of their ministry, after the death of Uriah Smith from 1931, finally culminating in the declaration of Trinitarianism in 1978. They thus forfeited their position for the next phase.

From this sequence, taken as prophecy, we are dealing with the publication of affliction involving a number of nations in the last days, under direction of the tribe of Joseph as Danite-Ephraim using groups prepared beforehand, initially from Manasseh, using Asher and Napthali and the various tribes of Israel. That time is now at hand. We are being prepared. The tools we are given will form the nucleus for our capacity to endure the rest of the persecution of the remainder of the 100 years, which commenced from 1916 taking up fully from 1927. For more information on the persecution of the Fifth Seal see:

http://www.ccg.org/_domain/holocaustrevealed.org/

Each of the force will be a light and a trumpet to Israel and the world. The force went in among the nations with Gideon and spread fear and trembling. So, too, it will go amongst many nations in the last days from Micah 5:7-8. It is not for the faint-hearted or those who do not know their God; but the people who know their God will do mighty works.

A preoccupation with numbers saw 70,000 of one of the Sabbatarian churches over the last jubilee fall and spiritually die, as was the case with David when he numbered Israel. David numbered Israel because God wished to make an example of Israel for their iniquity (2Sam. 24:1-25). David had Israel numbered in spite of his advice. On realising his error, he was given three choices:

· Seven years of famine;

· Three months of flight before his enemies; or

· Three days of pestilence.

He chose to fall into the hands of God and not men and chose three days of pestilence. 70,000 people died.

The pestilence was stopped short of the threshing floor of Araunah who, as a king, gave the floor to David as king. But David refused the gift and paid 50 shekels of silver for it. The altar was built there and the plague was stayed.

Here we see David paid 50 shekels for the threshing floor and the oxen, yet from 1Chronicles 21:25 he paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site. So we can assume that the surrounds were purchased for 600 shekels and the area was enlarged for the construction.

Thus the central core of the Temple of worship was established from an inflicted pestilence. God used this sequence to bring about His will through His servants. Many of the iniquitous died in that process. This is the same cleaning out process at the end.

God will achieve His will and promulgate His word at the end days. To do that he has to purify the elect and remove all error induced by those who are respecters of persons and are unable to recognise and implement truth.

From the restoration of the last days the church will be strengthened and go on to prepare for the coming of the two Witnesses and the restoration by Elijah of the nexus of the law of God (cf. also The Law of God (No. L1); the Law series (No. 252-No. 263) and The Witnesses (including the Two Witnesses) (No. 135) and also 1260 days of the Witnesses (No. 141D)).

Until that time the spirit of Elijah rests in the Churches of God that must perform the tasks allotted to them in the restoration of the understanding of Bible prophecy.”

Chapter 8

Gideon’s Triumph and Vengeance

¹And the men of E′phraim said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight with Mid′ian?” And they upbraided him violently. ²And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of E′phraim better than the vintage of Abi-e′zer? ³God has given into your hands the princes of Mid′ian, Oreb and Zeeb; what have I been able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger against him was abated, when he had said this. ⁴And Gideon came to the Jordan and passed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, faint yet pursuing. ⁵So he said to the men of Succoth, “Pray, give loaves of bread to the people who follow me; for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmun′na, the kings of Mid′ian.” ⁶And the officials of Succoth said, “Are Zebah and Zalmun′na already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” ⁷And Gideon said, “Well then, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmun′na into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” ⁸And from there he went up to Penu′el, and spoke to them in the same way; and the men of Penu′el answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. ⁹And he said to the men of Penu′el, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.” ¹⁰Now Zebah and Zalmun′na were in Karkor with their army, about fifteen thousand men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East; for there had fallen a hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword. ¹¹And Gideon went up by the caravan route east of Nobah and Jog′behah, and attacked the army; for the army was off its guard. ¹²And Zebah and Zalmun′na fled; and he pursued them and took the two kings of Mid′ian, Zebah and Zalmun′na, and he threw all the army into a panic. ¹³Then Gideon the son of Jo′ash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. ¹⁴And he caught a young man of Succoth, and questioned him; and he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men. ¹⁵And he came to the men of Succoth, and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmun′na, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are Zebah and Zalmun′na already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are faint?’” ¹⁶And he took the elders of the city and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth ¹⁷And he broke down the tower of Penu′el, and slew the men of the city. ¹⁸Then he said to Zebah and Zalmun′na, “Where are the men whom you slew at Tabor?” They answered, “As you are, so were they, every one of them; they resembled the sons of a king.” ¹⁹And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother; as the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not slay you. ²⁰And he said to Jether his first-born, “Rise, and slay them.” But the youth did not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth ²¹Then Zebah and Zalmun′na said, “Rise yourself, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength.” And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmun′na; and he took the crescents that were on the necks of their camels. ²²Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also; for you have delivered us out of the hand of Mid′ian.” ²³Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.” ²⁴And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you; give me every man of you the earrings of his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ish′maelites.) ²⁵And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a garment, and every man cast in it the earrings of his spoil. ²⁶And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold; besides the crescents and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Mid′ian, and besides the collars that were about the necks of their camels. ²⁷And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah; and all Israel played the harlot after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. ²⁸So Mid′ian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. ²⁹Jerubba′al the son of Jo′ash went and dwelt in his own house. ³⁰Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives. ³¹And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abim′elech. ³²And Gideon the son of Jo′ash died in a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Jo′ash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiez′rites. ³³As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and played the harlot after the Ba′als, and made Ba′al-be′rith their god. ³⁴And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hand of all their enemies on every side; ³⁵and they did not show kindness to the family of Jerubba′al (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel.

Intent of Chapter 8

8:1-3 Gideon is rebuked and chastised by the men of Ephraim. He placates them by telling them their gleanings will be greater than the previous accomplishments. The Midianite chiefs Oreb and Zeeb were captured and they were executed by the men of Ephraim.

8:4-17 Gideon continues to pursue the Midianites eastward and kills their chieftains Zebah and Zalmunna, similar to the previous account in 7:24-8:3.

v. 5 Succoth and all the other places mentioned in this text are all east of the Jordan.

8:18-19 These verses indicate that Gideon's motives were not merely religious or patriotic but also personal. The OARSV n. indicates the scholar's opinion that these details may have been included in the beginning of the story (see also Josh.20:3).

8:22-23 Gideon refuses an offer of hereditary kingship.

8:24-28 He makes an ephod from the spoil of the Midianites.

8:29-32 Gideon's family and his death.

vv. 30-35 “Gideon had seventy sons, which symbolised the council of the elders. As soon as Gideon was dead, Israel again went whoring after foreign gods. This happened every time a judge had died. Israel left God’s message and went into idolatry, until they cried to God and He raised up another judge. Each time the judge was from a different tribe and with different authority to the previous judge. Never did the son of a judge succeed for good purpose, or with the authority of God.” (No. 073)

Chapter 9

Abimelech Attempts to Establish a Monarchy

¹Now Abim′elech the son of Jerubba′al went to Shechem to his mother’s kinsmen and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother’s family, ²“Say in the ears of all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubba′al rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.” ³And his mother’s kinsmen spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the men of Shechem; and their hearts inclined to follow Abim′elech, for they said, “He is our brother.” ⁴And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Ba′al-be′rith with which Abim′elech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him. ⁵And he went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brothers the sons of Jerubba′al, seventy men, upon one stone; but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubba′al was left, for he hid himself. ⁶And all the citizens of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abim′elech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem. ⁷When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Ger′izim, and cried aloud and said to them, “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you. ⁸The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ ⁹But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my fatness, by which gods and men are honored, and go to sway over the trees?’ ¹⁰And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’ ¹¹But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to sway over the trees?’ ¹²And the trees said to the vine, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’ ¹³But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine which cheers gods and men, and go to sway over the trees?’ ¹⁴Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’ ¹⁵And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’ ¹⁶“Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and honor when you made Abim′elech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubba′al and his house, and have done to him as his deeds deserved— ¹⁷for my father fought for you, and risked his life, and rescued you from the hand of Mid′ian ¹⁸and you have risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abim′elech, the son of his maidservant, king over the citizens of Shechem, because he is your kinsman— ¹⁹if you then have acted in good faith and honor with Jerubba′al and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abim′elech, and let him also rejoice in you; ²⁰but if not, let fire come out from Abim′elech, and devour the citizens of Shechem, and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the citizens of Shechem, and from Beth-millo, and devour Abim′elech.” ²¹And Jotham ran away and fled, and went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abim′elech his brother.

The Downfall of Abimelech ²²Abim′elech ruled over Israel three years. ²³And God sent an evil spirit between Abim′elech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abim′elech; ²⁴that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubba′al might come and their blood be laid upon Abim′elech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to slay his brothers. ²⁵And the men of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountain tops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told Abim′elech. ²⁶And Ga′al the son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his kinsmen; and the men of Shechem put confidence in him. ²⁷And they went out into the field, and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank and reviled Abim′elech. ²⁸And Ga′al the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abim′elech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Did not the son of Jerubba′al and Zebul his officer serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem? Why then should we serve him? ²⁹Would that this people were under my hand! then I would remove Abim′elech. I would sayto Abim′elech, ‘Increase your army, and come out.’” ³⁰When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Ga′al the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.³¹And he sent messengers to Abim′elech at Aru′mah, saying, “Behold, Ga′al the son of Ebed and his kinsmen have come to Shechem, and they are stirring upthe city against you. ³²Now therefore, go by night, you and the men that are with you, and lie in wait in the fields. ³³Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, rise early and rush upon the city; and when he and the men that are with him come out against you, you may do to them as occasion offers.” ³⁴And Abim′elech and all the men that were with him rose up by night, and laid wait against Shechem in four companies. ³⁵And Ga′al the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city; and Abim′elech and the men that were with him rose from the ambush. ³⁶And when Ga′al saw the men, he said to Zebul, “Look, men are coming down from the mountain tops!” And Zebul said to him, “You see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.” ³⁷Ga′al spoke again and said, “Look, men are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the Diviners’ Oak.” ³⁸Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your mouth now, you who said, ‘Who is Abim′elech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the men whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them.” ³⁹And Ga′al went out at the head of the men of Shechem, and fought with Abim′elech. ⁴⁰And Abim′elech chased him, and he fled before him; and many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate. ⁴¹And Abim′elech dwelt at Aru′mah; and Zebul drove out Ga′al and his kinsmen, so that they could not live on at Shechem. ⁴²On the following day the men went out into the fields. And Abim′elech was told. ⁴³He took his men and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the fields; and he looked and saw the men coming out of the city, and he rose against them and slew them. ⁴⁴Abim′elech and the companythat was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed upon all who were in the fields and slew them. ⁴⁵And Abim′elech fought against the city all that day; he took the city, and killed the people that were in it; and he razed the city and sowed it with salt. ⁴⁶When all the people of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered the stronghold of the house of El-be′rith. ⁴⁷Abim′elech was told that all the people of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. ⁴⁸And Abim′elech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the men that were with him; and Abim′elech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bundle of brushwood, and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men that were with him, “What you have seen me do, make haste to do, as I have done.” ⁴⁹So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abim′elech put it against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about a thousand men and women. ⁵⁰Then Abim′elech went to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it. ⁵¹But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the people of the city fled to it, all the men and women, and shut themselves in; and they went to the roof of the tower. ⁵²And Abim′elech came to the tower, and fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. ⁵³And a certain woman threw an upper millstone upon Abim′elech’s head, and crushed his skull ⁵⁴Then he called hastily to the young man his armor-bearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest men say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” And his young man thrust him through, and he died. ⁵⁵And when the men of Israel saw that Abim′elech was dead, they departed every man to his home. ⁵⁶Thus God requited the crime of Abim′elech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers; ⁵⁷and God also made all the wickedness of the men of Shechem fall back upon their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubba′al.

Intent of Chapter 9

9:1-57 Abimelech

Samson and the Judges (No. 073)

9:1-6

Shechem was the most important city and sanctuary in north central Palestine. It guarded the important east-west highway that passed between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim.

v. 4 Baal-berith the Lord of the covenant was the god of Shechem. It is here that the Israelites entered into a covenant with the Lord (Josh. 24:1-27); where there are Canaanite cultic associations.

9:6 The oak of the pillar, see Josh. 24:26.

9:7-21 Jotham denounces Abimelech.

v. 7 Mt. Gerizim is the mountain south of Shechem (Deut. 11:29).

Gideon's half Canaanite son comes to an end when he tries to make himself king.

9:22-25 Trouble breaks out between Abimelech and the Shechemites.

9:8-14 The olive is considered a noble tree while the bramble is a useless shrub.

“Abimelech, son of Jerubbaal, or Gideon by his maid-servant (Jdg. 9:18) was made king over the men of Shechem, the people of his mother’s house. Abimelech reigned over Israel for three years (Jdg. 9:22). The reign of Abimelech represents the first attempt at usurping the authority of the Sanhedrin to the kingship. Abimelech killed his own brothers, the seventy, in order to seize rulership. Abimelech was killed by a woman throwing a piece of a millstone from the tower of Thebez. It broke his skull and he begged his armour bearer to kill him so that he would not be said to have been killed by a woman (Jdg. 9:53-54). In a way, this is symbolic of the Host where Satan, who makes war on the seventy of the celestial Host, is overcome by the woman that is the Church.”

9:26-49 Abimelech crushes Gaal's rebellion.

v. 28 Abimelech lived at Arumah (vv. 31,41) and governed Shechem by a deputy, Zeebul.

9:50-57 Abimelech was killed at Thebez.

Bullinger’s Notes on Chs. 6-9 (for KJV)

Chapter 6

Verse 1

children = sous.

evil. Hebrew. ra'a' . App-44 .

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

Verse 2

and = the.

Verse 5

grasshoppers = locusts.

Verse 8

a prophet. Hebrew "a man (' ish, App-14 .) a prophet"

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .

from Egypt. Some codices, with Septuagint and Syriac, read "from the land of Egypt".

bondage. Hebrew bondmen. Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct). App-6 .

Verse 11

an oak = the oak, as being well known.

Joash = Jehovah gave.

Gideon = cutter down.

by the winepress = in the winepress. Shows the straits of the people. Compare verses: Judges 6:2-6 . Threshing-floor exposed, winepress sunk in ground.

Verse 12

Angel of the LORD = angel of Jehovah: i.e. the Covenant God "with" His servant (Gideon). Compare Judges 6:20 = angel of Elohim, the Creator working a miracle for His creature.

mighty man. Hebrew. gibbor.

Verse 13

my Lord = Adonai . App-4 .

Verse 14

thy might. His might lay in the knowledge of Jehovah's strength (Judges 6:13 ) and his own weakness.

Verse 15

my LORD*. This is one of the 134 places where the primitive text "Jehovah" has been altered to "Adonai" See App-32 .

behold. Figure of speech Asterismos.

family = thousand (1 Samuel 10:19 ).

poor = the meanest.

Verse 16

I will be With thee. Compare Exodus 3:12 .Isaiah 7:14 .Matthew 1:23 .

Verse 17

Thou talkest. Supply Figure of speech Ellipsis ( App-6) thus: "Thou [art Jehovah Who] talkest".

Verse 18

present = Hebrew. minhah. App-43 .

Verse 19

kid = kid of the goats.

unleavened. For offering: quickly made.

ephah. See App-51 .

a basket = the tray. Hebrew. sal, always connected with royalty, or sacrifice.

a pot = the pot.

Verse 20

God = Elohim. See note on Judges 6:12 , above.

this = you.

Verse 21

rose up fire. This fire was the token of Jehovah's acceptance. See note on "respect", Genesis 4:4 .

fire = the fire.

Verse 22

O Lord GOD = O Adonai Jehovah. App-4 , (2).

for because = forasmuch as.

Verse 24

Jehovah-shalom. Jehovah [gives] peace. One of the Jehovah titles. See App-4 .

Verse 25

even , or "and".

the grove = the 'asherah. See Exodus 34:13 . App-42 .

Verse 26

rock = strong place.

ordered place , or due order.

offer. See App-43 .

as = according as.

Verse 32

Jerubbaal = Let Baal plead. 1 Samuel 12:11 . 2 Samuel 11:21 .

Verse 34

Spirit = Hebrew. ruach. See App-9 .

came upon = clothed (1 Chronicles 12:18 . 2 Chronicles 24:20 ). Hebrew. labash, to put on so as to fill.

gathered: gathered by proclamation.

Verse 36

God. See note on Judges 6:12 .

Verse 37

floor = threshing-floor.

Verse 39

God = ha- Elohim . The God. App-4 .

Chapter 7

Verse 1

host = camp.

Verse 2

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . lest, &c. This is the real reason of this direction.

Verse 3

mount Gilead. What was more natural than that the half tribe of Manasseh on the west side of Jordan should so name a mount in their tribe in compliment to the famous mount on the east side? (Genesis 31:21-26 ; Genesis 37:25 .Numbers 32:1 , Numbers 32:40 . Deuteronomy 3:15 .Joshua 17:1; Joshua 17:1 ). Gideon was of that tribe. Probably "the wood of Ephraim", on east side; so named here out of compliment to the half tribe on west side (2 Samuel 18:6 ).

twenty = probably 20 + 2,000 = 2,020. Compare Judges 12:6 . 1 Samuel 6:19 . If there remained 10,000, there must have been 10,000 + 2,020 = 12,020; and, as only 300 remained, 9,700 must have gone away at the second testing. Only 1,000 of each tribe = 12,000, sent out to fight in Numbers 31:4 , Numbers 31:5 .

Verse 5

lappeth: i.e. without kneeling down as idolaters were accustomed to do ( 1Ki 19:18 . 2 Chronicles 29:9 . See note on Esther 3:2 .

as = according as.

Verse 8

the People. So the 300 are called.

Verse 12

Amalekites. See note on Exodus 17:16 .

children = sons.

grasshoppers = locusts.

as the sand, &c. Figure of speech Paroemia.

Verse 13

behold . . . Behold . . . lo. Figure of speech Asterismos (three times). App-6 .

a dream. See note on Genesis 20:3 .

Verse 14

God = ha-'Elohim here (= the God), because in connection with Midianites, His creatures. Not Jehovah, App-4 .

Verse 16

lamps = torches, which smoulder till waved in the air.

Verse 18

The sword. These words are supplied by Figure of speech Ellipsis from Judges 7:20 . But some codices, with Aram, and Syriac, read these words in the text. Literally "For Jehovah and for Gideon".

Verse 24

mount = hill country.

Verse 25

two princes. Compare Psalms 83:11 .Isaiah 10:26 .

Chapter 8

Verse 1

chide. This was the beginning of the strife which ended in the division of the kingdom (1 Kings 12:0 ).

Verse 2

What . . . ? Is not. . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .

Verse 3

God = Elohim delivered His creatures; not Jehovah the Covenant-God. App-4 .

anger. Hebrew. ruach, spirit ( App-9 ). Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause) for the angry manifestations of it.

Verse 5

men = folk. Hebrew. 'enosh. App-14 .

Verse 7

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah.

Verse 10

hosts = camps.

children. Hebrew sons.

Verse 11

host = camp.

Verse 15

Are . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .

Verse 18

a = the.

Verse 21

ornaments = crescent-shaped ornaments used still on necks of horses and camels.

Verse 24

earrings. Hebrew. Nezem, Any ring worn in ear or nose = a nose ring in Genesis 24:47 . Proverbs 11:22 .Isaiah 3:21 .Ezekiel 16:12 ; and "earring" in Genesis 35:4 and Exodus 32:2 . Other passages doubtful (Judges 8:25 .Job 42:11 .Proverbs 25:12 .Hosea 2:13; Hosea 2:13 ).

because. This parenthetical remark solves the difficulty of Genesis 37:25 , Genesis 37:28 , Genesis 37:36 , and Genesis 39:1 . Ishmael and Midian were halfbrothers, sons of Abraham by Hagar and Keturah (Genesis 16:11 , Genesis 16:12 ; Genesis 25:1 , Genesis 25:2 ), All Midianites were Ishmaelites, but all Ishmaelites were not Midianites.

Verse 27

ephod. Probably the priests were lax in restoring the worship of the true God. So that Gideon would have meant well and desired to judge well. Compare Judges 17:5 , where Micah made another. The reason given being that "there was no king, and every man did what was right in his own eyes", Judges 17:6 ; and Judges 18:5 , where it was used to "ask counsel"; and for the same reason, Judges 18:1 .

Verse 28

children = sons.

lifted up their heads no more = made no more attempts to vex.

was in quietness. See note on Judges 3:11 .

Chapter 9

Verse 1

brethren. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Species) for other relatives.

Verse 2

men = masters, lords, or owners. Hebrew. baalim.

Verse 4

light = rash.

persons. Hebrew. 'enosh. App-14 .

Verse 6

plain = oak.

of the pillar. Genitive of Apposition = that is to say, the pillar made of oak. See Joshua 24:26 . Compare Genesis 28:18 , Genesis 28:22 ; Genesis 31:13 , Genesis 31:45 ; Genesis 35:14 , Genesis 35:20 ; 2 Samuel 18:18 .

Verse 7

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 . Not Jehovah in covenant.

Verse 8

The trees. This is pare allegory ( App-6 ). The interpretation is local and historical. The application is dispensational.

went forth. Verb, duplicated by Figure of speech Polyptoton ( App-6 ). Very emphatic = " a going forth they went forth", or went forth with great earnestness of purpose.

the olive tree = Israel's religious privileges. Romans 11:0 .

Verse 9

honour. Compare Exodus 27:20 , Exodus 27:21 .Leviticus 2:1 . The interpretation of these three "honour", &c. is clear from the context. An application may be made as to what should be seen in Israel and in ourselves.

go = march about, instead of fulfilling my mission.

Verse 10

the fig tree. Israel's national privileges (Matthew 21:19 , Matthew 21:20 . Mark 11:13 , Mark 11:20 , Mark 11:21 .Luke 13:6-9; Luke 13:6-9 ).

Verse 11

forsake. Same Hebrew as "leave" in Judges 9:9 and Judges 9:13 .

Verse 12

the vine = Israel's spiritual privileges (Isaiah 5:0 .John 15:0 ).

Verse 13

leave. Same Hebrew as "forsake" (Judges 9:11 ).

wine = new wine. Hebrew. tirosh. App-27 .

Verse 14

the bramble. This is prophetic of the false nation under the rule of Antichrist, which will devour the nation as foreshown in Judges 9:20 .

Verse 15

put your trust = flee for refuge. Hebrew. hasah . App-69 .

Verse 17

Note the parenthesis of verses: Judges 9:17 , Judges 9:18 .

life = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 .

Verse 22

reigned = exercised power over. Hebrew. sur, Occurs only here, and Hosea 8:4 ; Hosea 12:4 .

three years. A usurpation, and therefore not included in Anno Dei reckoning. See App-50 . They are concurrent with Tola's first three.

Verse 23

God = Elohim. Not Jehovah.

an evil spirit = an evil ruach. App-9 .

Verse 28

Shechem. Some codices, with Septuagint, read "the son of Shechem".

Verse 29

would to God = would that. Figure of speech Ecphonesis. App-6 .

And he said. The Septuagint reads "and say".

Verse 31

privily = deceitfully or craftily.

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos.

Verse 33

as = according as.

Verse 37

plain = oak.

Verse 38

now. A special various reading called S evir has "thou" (emphatic) instead of "now" = I pray thee, thou, &c.

Verse 41

dwelt = waited, or sat down.

Verse 44

ran = rushed

Verse 46

Berith = covenant = a sanctuary.

Verse 48

trees = brushwood.

Verse 52

hard = close.

Verse 53

a piece of a = an upper.

all to brake = altogether brake. (Obsolete.)

Verse 54

A woman slew. See note on Judges 4:21 .

Verse 56

rendered = requited. Hebrew brought back.

wickedness. Hebrew. ra'a'.

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