Suspense part 2 (The Gideon Parallel)

Judges 6-8 tells us the story of Gideon, and I believe that this story is a type and a shadow of God's strategy for the battle which concludes the great seven-year tribulation. First of all Judges 6:1 specifically says Israel was submitted to a seven year period of suffering under the Midianites, before being delivered by God. At some point towards the end of that seven year period, God sends his angel to call upon Gideon, and prepare him for God's purpose. Another parallel to judgment day is in the fact that when God calls, Gideon is working in a wine press, separating wheat from chaff in his effort to hide from the enemies of Israel. John the Baptist foretold that Christ would separate the wheat from the chaff in a reference to judgment day. In prophecy, the righteous are often related to wheat and the wicked are compared with chaff. Also, Revelation chapter 14 describes the great wine press of God's wrath, which is used at a set point in the last days. So with those parallels established, let's see how the story unfolds:

Judges 6:12 says

"The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior!"

When Gideon hears this, he scoffs and asks where the Lord has been, and why he has allowed the enemies of Israel to take root. He doesn't even acknowledge the fact that this stranger addressed him as a "mighty warrior", because to his ears it is nonsense. The scripture then takes a jump, and the angel is replaced by the Lord himself, who tells him that he is being appointed by "I Am" to deliver his people from their oppressors. At this point the mood changes: Gideon gets scared, and blurts out that he must be mistaken about that because he (Gideon) is the youngest son in his family, which is of the weakest clan in the tribe of Manasseh. His reaction is very human, and one that I empathize strongly with in my own walk of faith. But God's selection process is another pattern, for remember that the Lord told the apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

The Midianites, meanwhile, are described as an innumerable swarm of people who descend upon Israel like locusts. (This is another comparison to the time of judgment in Revelation chapter 9). The Midianites occupy the promised land in force, and their sole intention is to wipe out the seed of Abraham, because the devil has motivated them to do so. If they had been given enough time, they would have succeeded in wiping out the Israelites entirely. But God never intended for that to happen. He allowed the occupation for a set time as punishment to a rebellious people; he then called and used Gideon to demonstrate his power, and to bring the people back to him. These are all things that are foretold in prophecy to take place in the last days.

This story is also a demonstration of the roller coaster effect of faith. In Judges 6:11-27, when the Lord first calls Gideon, he is immediately skeptical and asks for a sign of verification that he is being called of God and not simply losing his mind. Gideon, to make certain that he is not being fooled, thinks up the test himself, and the Lord passes it as only the He can. At that point, Gideon is provided with enough encouragement to lead a group of ten servants to destroy the alters of Baal and Ashteroth, and erect an alter to Jehovah, as he was instructed to do. When the people discover what he has done, they are stirred up against Gideon, and plan to kill him. But the Lord does not allow this; he instead inspires Gideon to call together three tribes of Israelites, to raise up an army.

At this point, Gideon is perhaps a little uncertain that the Lord is really calling him to defeat the Midionites. He is very good at second guessing himself, and of making sure that this thing he will do is of God's will and not his own imagination. 32,000 Israelites have also gathered by this time, having been summoned to fight with Gideon. These people need to see a sign, just as much as he needs a reaffirmation so once again, Gideon asks the Lord for signs to validate this calling. Over the next two mornings they all witness the Lord's signs of confirmation that He will deliver the Midianites over to them.

These signs encourage all who witness them. Then, the Lord takes the abundance of courage these men are filled with, and transforms it into faith in him. Jehovah orders the size of the army gathered to be reduced, first from 32,000 to 10,000; then from 10,000 to a meager 300 men. This is a very literal fulfillment of Christ's promise that "many are called, but few are chosen". I believe this army of 300 is a parallel to the 144,000 described in Revelation chapter 7. For while the entirety of Israel would be delivered from the enemy at the hands of Gideon, only 300 would participate in the battle against the Midianites. This distinction is made by Christ when he said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few".

So what does God plan to do with his army of 300 men and his very nervous, newly appointed general, Gideon? He first re-fills Gideon's heart, which had been drained by the downsizing of his army.

Judges 7:8b-11.

Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. During that night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah. and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp." So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp.

Note that the Lord presented Gideon with the option to observe the camp alone, but then said "If you are afraid...go with Purah". Also note that Gideon opts to go with Purah! The Lord, even then, was presenting Gideon with the choice to either step forward in faith on his own, or to be led while still under the influence of his own fear. He was addressing both the personal weakness, and the potential of his creation. This passage contains the paradox of having free will, while at the same time being predestined of God. It is wise to act in faith, but God understands that doing so is difficult for us. Why else do you think Jesus allowed his 12 disciples to follow him, even though they continually demonstrated that their level of faith was meager? Faith is something that God supplies, but that we have the power to develop. Faith in God is the great untapped potential of humanity.

The Lord replenishes the faith of Gideon one last time, and then his army of 300 is given their instructions. Each man is supplied with a clay jar, a lit torch, and a trumpet. They are instructed to split up in three groups on top of the hills surrounding the Midianite camp. They are ordered to gather there quietly, and by cover of darkness. Upon Gideon's signal, the 300 are told to smash their jars to let their torches shine, and to blast their trumpets and shout, "For the Lord and for Gideon!" and then stay put...that's it. No swordplay, certainly no scud missiles, just a shout and a light. But this is the strongest parallel between that battle and the day of judgment. In the opening of Revelation, when John is visited by Christ, he describes the sound of a trump, and the light from Christ himself, and the flame of seven lamp stands that appear with him.

The 300 do as they've been instructed, and sure enough, the Lord descends upon the enemy camp, and causes them to begin fighting and killing each other off. This is a type of judgment as well; for when Christ returns, the sins of the wicked will be their destruction, while the faith and obedience of the righteous shall be their deliverance.

1 Thess 4:16a says

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.

2 Peter 1:16-19 gives another strong clue about what will happen the day that Jesus returns. I feel that the best way to clearly see that clue as it relates to this story is by the Message Bible:

We weren't, you know, just wishing on a star when we laid the facts out before you regarding the powerful return of our Master, Jesus Christ. We were there for the preview! We saw it with our own eyes: Jesus resplendent with light from God the Father as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke: "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of all my delight." We were there on the holy mountain with him. We heard the voice out of heaven with our very own ears. We couldn't be more sure of what we saw and heard—God's glory, God's voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You'll do well to keep focusing on it. It's the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts.

I see the trump as being symbolic of the appointed time "when all that is whispered in secret shall be shouted from the rooftops". I see the torches as representing the light of glory that will anoint the last group of saints meant to greet Christ upon his return. This light is a parallel to the "tongues of fire" which anointed the disciples at Pentecost, and also to the way that the skin of Moses literally glowed when he descended from the mountain where God gave him the Hebrew law. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 is a confirmation of these parallels. It also ties in the clay jars used to conceal the army's lit torches. I see a modern parallel between the clay jars and our current status whenever I am called a "crackpot". This passage also reminds us why God used 300 men with jars and trumpets to defeat an insurmountable foe.

2 Cor 4:6-7

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us

Truly, judgment day is the ultimate last resort. It is also the greatest point of suspense possible. Imagine the planet Earth as a damsel in distress tied to a set of railroad tracks, about to be run over by a locomotive called "consequences". Ultimately, the devil is playing the evil, mustachioed menace who is cackling maniacally at his own deviousness. Ready to witness the carnage. This is the point that we have arrived at. The consequences we face are due to our insatiable appetite for consumer products, our gross negligence of the suffering of others, our constant tendency to wage war, and our stockpiles of yet unused weapons of mass destruction which could eradicate most (if not all) life on the planet. These things constrict us, and set us up to meet certain doom, much sooner than later. This current reality is why I believe strongly that the Lord is about to intervene like the typical hero; to save the damsel (earth) and defeat the villain (Satan). I believe this because the Lord is good, and he is true, and that's what we have been told throughout the ages would happen when things got as bad as they're headed. The Lord is not slow in his timing as we might imagine. Though he might allow suspense to build to the point where we feel we can take no more, he will surely save us. And what a great day that will be!