Sorry, you must have Windows Media Player 9 or higher.

HOW THE GREAT TRIBULATION… ENDS

06-05-11

PROVOCATION

(Judg 6:1-6)  And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years [a type of the 7 year tribulation (may also indicate the two terms of Presidential office)]. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. And so it was, when Israel [Heb: he will rule as God; prince with God] had sown, that the Midianites [Heb: brawling, contentious, discord, strife] came up, and the Amalekites [Heb: descendants of Esau], and the children of the east [the Arabians], even they came up against them; And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance [food] for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

1.      Commentary: “did evil” = The United States Government exorcised God out of the national school system in 1962, approved abortion in 1973, discontinued Conscription (the military draft) in 1973, and voted for (placed their confidence and trust in) Barack Hussein Obama (an Arabic name) in 2008.

2.      Commentary: the entire invading host consisted of three armies, the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east, called collectively “Ishmaelites” (Jud 8:24). According to Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, “Mohammed claimed Ishmael as his ancestor, as do most Arabs.” That would make these invaders a type and shadow of modern-day Muslims.

3.      Commentary: “For they came up with their cattle and their tents” = This was not a raid or a temporary incursion by enemy warriors into Israelite territory, but a full scale invasion with intent to remain, for they brought “their cattle and their tents” and thus their wives and children to manage the household chores. The United States is experiencing this demographic invasion now, both legally through our lax immigration policy, and illegality across our pathetic but purposely weak borders. Obviously, somebody wants this to happen. 

4.      impoverished = Heb: slackened or be feeble; fig. to be oppressed:--bring low, dry up, be emptied, be not equal, fail, be impoverished, be made thin.

5.      Commentary: “greatly impoverished” = X greatly. There was a great famine in the land, i.e., Great Tribulation. We the readers are herein viewing this “seven year” experience during its last few days.

EMPOWERMENT

(Judg 6:14-16)  And the LORD [Heb: Jehovah] looked upon him [Gideon: Heb: feller (warrior) /// to fell a tree: cut asunder, hew down], and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith [how] shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man [meaning the Old Testament Israelites, but foreshadowing the New Testament Body of Christ].

1.      Commentary: “Surely… as one man” = this is the second command for Gideon (Jesus Christ) from Father God to go, which may well represent, on the receiving end, the Second Coming prophesied.

THE FIRST TEST:

10,000 BELIEVED GOD, AND 22,000 DID NOT

(Judg 7:1-3)  Then Jerubbaal [Heb: Baal will contend], who is Gideon, and all the people 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: a noose (for catching animals): be ensnared, trapped], in the  valley. And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites [who numbered 135,000 warriors] into their hands, lest Israel [who numbered 32,000 warriors] vaunt [Heb: boast] 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, let him return [to his home] and depart early from mount Gilead [Heb: heap of testimony] [a type and shadow of the cross]. And there returned [to their home] of the people twenty and two thousand [unsaved]; and there remained ten thousand [saved: imputed for righteousness].

THE SECOND TEST:

300 WERE VIGILANT, AND 9,700 WERE NOT

(Judg 7:4-8)  And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water [symbolic of the Holy Spirit], and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth 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 to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men [shepherds]: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water [sheep]. And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place [“unto his tent” v.8, versus unto his home]. So the people took victuals [Heb: food] in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained [Heb: seized] those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

1.      (1 Pet 5:8)  Be sober [be not intoxicated], be vigilant [Gk: watchful]; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

2.      (1 Th 4:16,17)  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump [Gk: trumpet] of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up [Gk: to take for oneself] [seized] together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

THE NEWLY FORMED ARMY IS TRAINED

(Judg 7:16-18)  And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet [symbolic of voice] in every man's hand, with empty pitchers [Heb: earthenware] [“the dust of the ground” Gen 2:7], and lamps [Heb: flaming torches] 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 camp, and say, The sword of the LORD [“which is the word of God” Eph 6:17 & Heb 4:12], and of Gideon.

1.      (John 2:5)  His mother [Mary] saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

2.      (Jude 1:14)  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints [“a great cloud of witnesses” Heb 12:1],

JUDGMENT

(Judg 7:19-23)  So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch [about 10:00pm]; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands [by crossing over with their trumpet hand, resulting in Joel 2:1-11, praise God]. And the three companies 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 [“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7b]: 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, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath. And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the [15,000 remaining] Midianites.

Amen