Gideon

Chapter 12

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YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO BE A GREAT SHINING STAR IN THE UNIVERSE

06-03-12

(Luke 17:20,21)  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God [Jesus uses this descriptive term interchangeable with the kingdom of heaven] should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation [Gk: ocular evidence]: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you [Gk: entos; inside].

1.      (John 15:16)  Ye have not chosen [Gk: selected] me, but I have chosen [Gk: selected] you, and ordained [appointed] you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain [eternally]: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

2.      (Mat 19:23,24)  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

A STAR IS BORN (YOU) OUT OF GREAT TRIBULATION

(Luke 17:22)  And he said unto the disciples, The days will come [an allusion to the Great Tribulation (i.e., childbirth)], when ye shall desire [Gk: to set the heart upon, i.e. long for] to see one of the days of the Son of man [because of the terrible suffering (Gen 3:16) of that present evil day], and ye shall not see it.

1.      (Gen 3:16)  Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow [Heb: labor or pain] and thy conception [Heb: pregnancy]; in sorrow [Heb: (painful) toil; also a pang] thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [Heb: in the sense of stretching out after; a longing] shall be to thy husband [a type of Jesus Christ], and he shall rule over thee.

THE BIRTHING

(Luke 17:23,24)  And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them [a caution, a warning to all]. For as the lightning [Gk: bright shining /// to flash as lightning: shine /// a star], that lighteneth [Gk: to flash as lightning: shine] out of the one part under heaven [a reference to saved born-again people], shineth unto the [a specific article rather than an indefinite “a” or “another”] other part under heaven [a reference to unsaved people]; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.

1.      (Isa 66:8)  Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth [Heb: to writhe in pain (espec. of parturition): be sorrowful, travail] in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed [to bring forth], she brought forth her children.

2.      (Rom 8:18,19)  For I reckon that the sufferings [Gk: hardships, afflictions] of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed [Gk: to take off the cover, i.e. disclosed] in us [2 Thes 1:7,10,12]. For the earnest expectation [Gk: (in the sense of watching); intense anticipation] of the creature waiteth for the manifestation [Gk: disclosure: appearing, lighten, be revealed, revelation] of the sons [Gk: huios; (mature sons)] of God.

3.      (Dan 12:3)  And they that be wise [as were the “wise men from the east” Mat 2:1] shall shine [Heb: to gleam; fig. to enlighten (by caution): admonish, shine, teach, (give) warn (-ing] as the brightness [Heb: brilliancy] of the firmament [Heb: an expanse, the visible arch of the sky]; and they that turn many to righteousness [i.e., win souls for Christ] as the stars [shall shine brilliantly] for ever and ever.

a.      Commentary: perhaps your relative “brightness,” in comparison to other stars, will depend upon the condition of your heart, which condition is manifested (evident, made apparent) by your works. What works? Certainly to “turn many to righteousness” is among works.

NOAH AND LOT ARE BOOKENDS: REPRESENTING THE SPECTRUM OF THE SAVED

(Luke 17:25-29)  But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in the days of Noah [the best of the saved in heaven, “a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” Gen 6:9], so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot [the least of the saved in heaven, “just Lot… that righteous man” 2 Pet 2:7,8]; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

1.      (Gen 7:17)  [NOAH] And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters [symbolic of the Holy Spirit] increased [in authority, in strength], and bare up the ark, and it was lift up [Heb: exalted] above the earth.

2.      (Gen 19:16) [LOT] And while he lingered, the men [the two angels] laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. (Gen 19:30)  And Lot went up out of Zoar [Heb: little], and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave [Heb: a cavern (as dark)], he and his two [unnamed] daughters [who incestuously birthed Moab and Ammon].

a.      (Zep 2:9)  Therefore as I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom [the ultimate symbol of false doctrine], and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah [the ultimate symbol of false works], even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

(Luke 17:30-33)  Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed [Rom 8:18]. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his [earthly] life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his [earthly] life shall preserve it [Gk: to rescue from death: live].

(Luke 17:34-37)  I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? [Where will they be taken?] And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together [Gk: sunago, sunago; assembled].

1.      Commentary: The New American Standard Bible and the New International Version both say “vultures” which connotes an opposite meaning to the King James Version which says “eagles.” The Amplified Bible says both “vultures” and “eagles but gives preference to “vultures. The “vultures” advocates make the negative assumption that “Wheresoever the body is” is meant to indicate dead bodies, and thus vultures fly atop for corruption is the paramount thesis. However, what if this is indeed a positive edifying picture from the Lord and “Wheresoever the body is” is meant to indicate the corporate body of Christ, and the eagles flying atop are their raptured spirits being “gathered together” (Luke 17:37), assembled together, wherein joy and ecstasy are paramount? Let us look to some evidence as to the veracity of the latter conclusion.  

2.      (Mat 13:28-30)  He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up [Gk: sullego; collect] the tares [Gk: darnel or false grain] [posionous], ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together [sullego sullego] first the tares, and bind them in bundles [in preparation] to burn them: but gather [Gk: sunago; assemble] [Luke 17:37] the wheat into my barn.

3.      (Isa 40:31)  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Amen