Habakkuk's Two Tables #71

PART SEVEN: JOSIAH

Presented by Jeff Pippenger

Invocation by Brother Jeff Pippenger: Heavenly Father, we thank you for a night's rest and giving us another day of life. As we consider the story of Gideon in the context at the end of the world, we ask that you would granted us your Holy Spirit that we might understand what Gideon is teaching us about ourselves and about your people, about end-time events. We want the Latter Rain poured out upon us. We ask that you would accomplish that and that you would prepare our vessels to receive that Rain. We ask that you take control of the words and thoughts that I convey, that I be hidden behind your cross, and that you prepare the hearts and minds of those hearing this message, to receive it as you see fit. We see the troublous times in the world and know that probation is about to close, and we would ask that you would use this presentation to help finish your work in us as individuals and your church, and on Earth that you might come soon. In Jesus's name, amen.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: We took up the consideration of Gideon in order to emphasize that these Biblical illustrations of the end of the world take place in the time of the Latter Rain. We see Gideon in our last presentation asking where the miracles are, that they had been told about; thus, emphasizing that God's people understand, whether they consciously think about it or whether they have buried it in their Laodicean mindset. But, Adventism knows that it is the Church that is raised up to proclaim the Loud Cry of the Third Angel, and the Loud Cry of the Third Angel is the message that is carried during the Latter Rain time period, and they know that they are the people of the Latter Rain.

The Winepress—Judges 6:11

Revelation 19:11-21; Revelation 14:14-20; Isaiah 63:1-6

We ended yesterday—we did not look at it closely—but, we ended in Judges 6:11, identifying that Gideon, the story of Gideon, takes place by the winepress; thus, it is saying that the story of Gideon is set on the verge of the winepress of the Bible.

And in verse 11 of Judges 6 it says,

"¹¹And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites." Judges 6:11 (KJV).

Of course, we have looked at the fact that the Angel was Christ. He is going to give an offering here. This offering will impact him at the end of his story; because, he thinks because Christ received his offering, ultimately that that qualifies him to be a priest, and he uses this misconception in chapter 8 to take the golden earrings from the battle and make an ephod, which becomes a snare for Israel, the same way that Aaron took the golden earrings and made a golden calf.

But, he is threshing wheat. Gideon's name means Feller or Thresher.

The thresher of Bible prophecy is an important symbol to understand, and he is behind the winepress.

And we have reference for the winepress in your notes: Revelation 19:11-21; Revelation 14:14-20; but, let us just look at Isaiah 63 to put that in context.

What we are saying is that this story is taking place on the verge of the time period when the Lamb of God tread's the winepress alone, the end of the world, the Seven Last Plagues, the Second Coming of Christ.

In verse 1 of Isaiah 63, it says,

"¹Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. ²Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and they garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? ³I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. ⁴For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. ⁵And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. ⁶And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth." Isaiah 63:1-6 (KJV).

That is where Gideon was. He was by this history; that is where we are. We are on the verge of the winepress, when the Lord is going to return in His fury.

Notice verse 4, the day of vengeance is in His heart.

If you go backwards to chapter 61 of Isaiah, just so we understand the context of the Day of Vengeance. In Isaiah 61, this is the passage of the Scripture that Christ proclaimed when He stood and opened the Bible and read it.

Verse 1,

"⁶¹The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; ²To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,"—

And then Christ closed the Scroll and sat down.

But, it continues on.

"²To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn; ³To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

"⁴And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. ⁵And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. ⁶But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves." Isaiah 63: 1‑6 (KJV).

The Day of Vengeance is the day of the winepress.

Gideon: Feller, Thresher

Now, let us consider what it means that Gideon is the thresher.

Go to Micah, chapter 4. Beginning in verse 1, it says.

"¹But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established"—

Does that sound familiar?

Have you ever looked how similar Micah, chapter 4, is to Isaiah, chapter 2?

"¹But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains,"—[to be continued]

Just keep your finger there just so you can see this, if you have not seen it before, and go to Isaiah 2.

Do you remember what we just read, or has it already fled out of your mind?"

Okay. It is early in the morning.

Now, if you have got your Bible like this [holding the segments between his fingers], holding Isaiah 2 and Micah 4, it is very easy to see.

Verse 2 of Isaiah 2 says,

"²And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow into it." Isaiah 2:2 (KJV).

If you go back to Micah 4, it says,

"¹But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow into it. ²And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us to up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

This is Isaiah 2.

Michael 4, verse 3:

"³And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. ⁴But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. ⁵For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

"⁶In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth,"—

What does it mean to halteth? Limps?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: To halt?

BROTHER PIPPENGER: No. To halteth. It is not a symbol of them that halt. Halteth; when you limp, you are halteth-ing.

—"will I assemble her that halteth,"—

Who halteth it? Who halteth it?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Israel.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Israel? Be more specific: Jacob.

Okay. When Jacob struggled with the Angel, the Angel touched him and, from that point on, he halteth.

And He changed his name from JACOB there, the supplanter, to ISRAEL, the overcomer.

So, He is going to assemble those that are represented by Israel, the overcomer.

Verse 6,

—"⁶In that day,—

And what day is that? The last days, when the Lord is establishing His Church, His glorious holy mountain.

—"⁶In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth,"—

He will assemble those that have struggled with the Angel and have overcome their sins.

—"and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;"—

Who is "her" that was driven out? It is the church people that have been outcast from the Church.

—"⁷And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever. ⁸And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come,"—

Who is the "tower of the flock"?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Christ.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: What does that tell you? That a tower represents a church. It is Christ's Church.

"⁸And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem."—

What is the "first dominion"? Eden. There is a promise of Eden restored here.

Verse 9:

"⁹Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? For pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. ¹⁰Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion,"—

What is the daughter?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The remnant.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: It is the remnant, the last Church.

—"O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon: there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies."—

The King of the North is now conquering in the time period when the call is, "Come out of Babylon!"

Verse 11:

"¹¹Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion."—[to be continued]

Keep your finger there.

Now, what does it say? ". . . many nations are gathered against thee . . ."

What would "many nations" be prophetically?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: United Nations.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: United Nations: it would be Egypt; it would be the Ten Kings.

And they said, "Let her be defiled," that is Zion, the remnant of Zion, and they are going to look upon Zion.

Keep your finger there and go to Psalm 48, just so you can see that this is not a casual reference. This is a subject of prophecy.

In Psalm 48, verse 4, it says,

"⁴For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. ⁵They saw it,"—

What did they see?

If you back up to verse 2,

"²Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King." Psalm 48:2 (KJV).

So, this is the same reference as in Micah. It is about Zion.

Verse 4 (continued):

"⁴For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. ⁵they saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away." Psalm 48:4 (KJV).

Okay. When the kings are looking at Zion—go to Psalm 83, because all the prophecies are the end of the world—and in verse 2 of 83, it says,

"²For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. ³They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. ⁴They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. ⁵For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: . . ." Psalm 83:2-5 (KJV).

These are the Ten Kings that are of one mind. They look upon Zion, and they determine they are going to cut Zion off from being a people.

If you go back to Micah 6:11, it says,

—"^{11 continued} Now also many nations"—the Ten Kings—"are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. ¹²But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. ¹³Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion:"—

And do what? What is the daughter of Zion going to do?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Thresh.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: It is going to thresh.

^‑—"13Arise and thresh,"—

When does the daughter of Zion arise?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Various responses.)

BROTHER PIPPENGER: When it is lifted up as an ensign. At The Sunday Law, she arises and threshes.

—"O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces"—

In pieces? Who beats in pieces?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Stone.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Stone in Daniel 2.

Who else beats in pieces?

What about Josiah? What did Josiah do to all the idols? He beat them into pieces, into fine powder.

And we are heading towards Josiah.

—"¹³Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth." Micah 4:1-13 (KJV).

In your notes, from Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pages 62 – 63, it says,

"Not until he fell crippled and helpless upon the breast of the covenant angel did Jacob know the victory of conquering faith and receive the title of a prince with God. It was when he 'halted upon his thigh' (Genesis 32:31) that the armed bands of Esau were stilled before him, and the Pharaoh, proud heir of a kingly line, stooped to crave his blessing. So the Captain of our salvation was made 'perfect through sufferings' (Hebrews 2:10), and the children of faith 'out of weakness were made strong,' and 'turned to flight the armies of the aliens' (Hebrews 11:34). So do 'the lame take the prey' (Isaiah 33:23), and the weak become 'as David,' and 'the house of David . . . as the angel of the Lord' (Zechariah 12:8)." Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 62–63.

Okay. Habakkuk 3:12, you see in your notes. You do not have to look there. It says,

"¹²Thou didst march through the land in indignation,"—

This is the indignation against the wicked.

—"¹²Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst"—what?—"thresh the heathen in anger." Habakkuk 3:12 (KJV).

What does GIDEON mean?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Thresher.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Thresher. Gideon is a symbol of those that the Lord uses to thresh the heathen in anger.

But, in so doing, who is threshing the heathen? The Lord. It is the same type of parallel connection as the ensign that is lifted up. The ensign represents Christ at one level, but it represents those that perfectly reflect His character. Christ threshes the heathen, but He does so with His people.

A Word to the Little Flock, page 12:

"This, will not take place, until Jesus has finished his priestly office in the Heavenly Sanctuary, and lays off his priestly attire, and puts on his most kingly robes, and crown, to ride forth on the cloudy chariot, to 'thresh the heathen in anger,' and deliver his people." A Word to the Little Flock, 12.

The winepress, the threshing, the Seven Last Plagues.

Isaiah 41:10-16

Go to Isaiah 41, verses 10 through 16. This is the history that Gideon is on the verge of entering into in his story. He is by the winepress; he is next to it.

Isaiah 41:10-16 says—

The first time I ever went up to present—a long time ago in California, the first time I ever went up front to present in front of God's people, I was scared, scared, scared. And this dear old sister, Martha Mason, came up and she gave me Isaiah 41:10. And I do not know why. She did not know I was scared.

She said, "Here you go."

So, this verse has been a favorite verse of mine, as it is probably for everyone for many years.

Her husband later on, who was a different sort of person, he came up one time and he gave me the Bible verse that says, "Study to be quiet."

He gives me this Bible verse on this piece of paper, and he said, "Any time you ever think about speaking in church again, remember this verse."

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Laughter).

BROTHER PIPPENGER: (Laughter). So, there was a blessing and a curse in that family, as far as my experience.

Verse 10:

"¹⁰Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."—

A nice promise, huh?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: (Affirmations.)

Verse 11:

—"¹¹Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. ¹²Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. ¹³For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. ¹⁴Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. ¹⁵ Behold, I will make thee a new sharp"—Gideon instrument.

GIDEON means thresher.

—"I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff."—

What gets beaten small and made into chaff? Daniel 2.

Verse 16:

—"¹⁶Thou shalt fan them,"—

What happens to the chaff in Daniel 2? It gets blown away in the wind.

—"¹⁶Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 41:10-16 (KJV).

Now, so, what I am saying is: Gideon represents those people that thresh the heathen in anger.

And this next passage I have it printed out in your notes because it is from Jeremiah 51, and I jump. We are going to read for the record, for those that are watching this on DVD or on LiveStreaming. We are going to read verses 1 and 2, then 5 through 10, and then 13 and 14, and then 9 through 26, and then verse 33, and then verses 35 through 37, and then verses 44 to 49. It is all in your notes. It is at the end of this passage.

So, here we go. Jeremiah 51, we are trying to understand what Gideon represents in his name, the thresher, and we are seeing that it represents God dealing with the heathen at the end of the world, the Seven Last Plagues time period. It is a parallel understanding to Daniel 2, when the Rock strikes the feet of the image.

"¹Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind; ²And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about. . . .

"⁵For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the Lord of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel."—

What does that mean? That means at the end of the world the Seventh-day Adventist Church is filled with sin.

Is that what it means to you?

"³For Israel"—

Are we not modern Israel?

—"³For Israel hath not been forsaken,"—

Because the Lord is going to take a remnant out of Israel.

—"nor Judah of his God, of the Lord of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. ⁶Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance;"—

What is the time of the Lord's vengeance? That is Isaiah 61.

—"he will render unto her a recompense. ⁷Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. ⁸Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. ⁹We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven,"—

When does her judgment reach unto heaven? At The Sunday Law (in Revelation 18, verse 5-6, her sins have reached unto heaven; therefore, double unto her double: "For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works; in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.").

—"for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies. ¹⁰The Lord hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God. . . .

"¹³O thou that dwellest upon many waters,"—

Who "dwellest upon many waters"? This is modern Babylon, Revelation 17.

—"abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness. ¹⁴The Lord of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillars; and they shall lift up a shout against thee. . . ."—

What is the shout that they lift up?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Loud Cry.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Loud Cry, the Third Angel.

—"¹⁹The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the Lord of hosts is his name. ²⁰Thou art my"—what?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Battle ax.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: —"battle ax and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms;"—

What is this making you think of? Daniel 2, the threshing.

—"²¹And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; ²²and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider; With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid; ²³I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers. ²⁴And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the Lord. ²⁵Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain. ²⁶And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate forever, saith the Lord. . . .

³³For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon"—

What is the daughter?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Remnant.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Remnant.

—"The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come. . . ."—

Gideon represents those that beat in pieces Babylon: Daniel, chapter 2.

—"³⁵The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,"—

What is the violence done to Christ and His flesh? Well, it is the cross; but, what is it in a secondary sense? It is the persecution of His people. Revelation 17:14, the Ten Kings are going to make war with the Lamb; and, Sister White informs us they do this by persecuting His people.

—"³⁵The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. ³⁶Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry."—

What is that? That is the drying up of the Euphrates.

Who did that?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Cyrus.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Cyrus.

—"³⁷And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant. . . .

"³⁴And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall. ⁴⁵My people, go ye out of the midst of her,"—

What is that? That is the Loud Cry of the Fourth Angel, "Come out of Babylon!"

—"⁴⁵My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord. ⁴⁶And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler."—

How many rumors are there at the end of the world? Two.

—"⁴⁷Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her. ⁴⁸Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the Lord. ⁴⁹As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth." Jeremiah 51:1–2, 5–10, 13–14, 19–26, 33, 35–37, 44–49 (KJV).

So, when we see Gideon by the winepress, and his name is Thresher, we are seeing Gideon being prepared to accomplish this work, to break in pieces at the threshing floor of Babylon, nations and kings.

Judges 6:17-21

Let us go back to Judges 6, verses 17 through 21.

"¹⁷And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. ¹⁸Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. ¹⁹And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it."—

Who is he presenting it to? To Christ, the Angel.

—"²⁰And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. ²¹Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight." Judges 6:7-21 (KJV).

Signs of the Times, June 23, 1881:

"Gideon desired some token that the one now addressing him was the same that spoke to Moses in the burning bush." Signs of the Times, June 23, 1881.

This is Christ.

Judges 6:22-24

Verse 22:

"And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! For because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face. ²³And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. ²⁴Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites." Judges 6:22-24 (KJV).

Okay. We are probably beyond the scope of this study; but, Sister White says that Gideon is seeking for a sign that this is the angel of the Lord, and once he realizes that it is, what does he say?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Alas.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Alas (Woe), which is also Woe.

So, this sign at the end of the world is accomplished on September 11, 2001, when the Third Woe comes into history, and the Mighty Angel that is dealing with Gideon comes down out of Heaven. This is the sign here.

Judges 6:25-27

Verse 25:

"²⁵And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: ²⁶And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. ²⁷Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night." Judges 6:25-27 (KJV).

Judges 6:27-32

Manuscript Releases, volume 21, 129, says,

"Every heart emptied of self will have the quickening energy of the Holy Spirit. It is now that some are being worked by satanic agencies. Mark the fruit. The whole life is one of ambitious determination to carry out their own plans and purposes, to do a special work to exalt themselves. God puts to them the challenge, 'Choose ye this day whom ye will serve. If it be God, serve Him; if Baal, serve him.' But some have been fixing themselves for a long time by a species of deception and misrepresentation and prevarication, because they have not turned from their idols to serve the living and true God." Manuscript Releases, volume 21, 129.

The work that Gideon is going to do requires that first, before he can be used to go thresh Babylon, to destroy the system of Baal in the world, he first has to take Babylon out of his own home.

Manuscript Releases, volume 18, page 246, says,

"He has so fully established the idol self in the heart and worshiped at its shrine, there has been no room for Jesus, no room for light, for love, for meekness, and lowliness of heart. Self is magnified into wonderful proportions. His only hope is to die to self, crucify self. If not, he loses that life which measures with the life of God. It is life or death that is set before Dr. Burke. 'Choose you this day whom ye will serve'; 'If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him.' I would give my own life if such a gift would save his soul, but it would not. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the land, as I live, saith the Lord God, 'they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; . . . they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness,' which is the imputed righteousness of Christ." Manuscript Releases, volume 18, 246.

Before Gideon takes up this sacred work, first the idolatry in his family must be destroyed.

The Faith I Live By, page 111:

"What is justification by faith? It is the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself. When men see their own nothingness, they are prepared to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ." The Faith I Live By, 111.

This is what Gideon is illustrating here. Those people that are going to partake of the Latter Rain have to receive the Early Rain; and, Sister White tells us that the Early Rain is perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.

I jumped some verses, did I not?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Yes, you did. You did Judges 6:27.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Yes, I did; but, I did not do 28 through 32.

Okay. Let us read 28 through 32.

FROM THE AUDIENCE: You did not do the Signs of the Times quote of June 23, 1881.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Okay. I blew it. Somebody should have stopped me.

Let us go back.

Judges 6:25-27 (Continued)

He [Gideon} tears down the altar, verses 25 through 27, and then in the Signs of the Times [June 32, 1881,] Sister White says,

"The family to which Gideon belonged was grievously infected with idolatry."—

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is grievously infected with idolatry.

—"His father"—

The leadership.

—"His father erected at Ophrah, where he dwelt, a large altar to Baal, at which the people of the towns worshiped. Gideon was commanded to destroy this altar, to cut down the groves that surrounded it, and in its stead to erect an altar to Jehovah, over the rock on which the offering had been consumed, and then to offer a sacrifice unto the Lord. Gideon faithfully carried out these directions, performing the work by night, lest he should be compelled to desist if he attempted it by day.

"The deliverer of Israel must declare war upon idolatry before he went to battle with the enemies of his people. He must esteem the honor of God above the credit of his father, and regard the divine commands as more obligatory than parental authority. . . .

"It was of great importance that the deliverance of Israel should be preceded by a solemn protest against the worship of Baal, and an acknowledgment of Jehovah as the only true and living God." Signs of the Times, June 23, 1881.

The people that are lifted up as an ensign, that call the eleventh-hour workers out of Babylon during The Sunday Law crisis, must deal with the idolatry that is in the Seventh-day Adventist Church first. They must address it. They must be faithful in that regard if they are going to secure the privilege of being part of the ensign that beats Babylon to pieces, and this is what is being illustrated here.

Judges 6:27-32 (Resumed)

"²⁷Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

^"28And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. ²⁹And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing. ³⁰Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it."—

When God's people, prior to The Sunday Law, begin to stand against the idolatry in Adventism, those that are the idolaters are going to want to kill them.

—"³¹And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will he plead for Baal? Will ye same him?"—

His father starts using some logic. It is the same logic as Elijah. This is a parallel story. Elijah starts taunting the prophets of Baal, "Hey, well, maybe your god is on vacation. Maybe he can't hear."

So, now the same logic is going to be exercised by Joash, Gideon's father. He says,

—"Will he plead for Baal? Will ye same him? He that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar. ³²Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying,"—

Gideon gets another name here.

—"Let Baal plead against him,"—

What does JERUBBAAL mean?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Let Baal plead.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Let Baal plead.

—"he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar." Judges 6:27-32 (KJV).

Okay. Then we have the three quotes that I previously read, that we first have to remove idolatry out of our own life, out of our own homes, our own experience, before we will be privileged to be lifted up as an ensign.

We first have to have the Early Rain experience, the sprinkling experience that begins at 9/11, if we are to be qualified to receive the full outpouring at The Sunday Law.

Judges 6:33-35

Verses 33 through 35:

"³³Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel."—

Who is this?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The threefold enemy.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: It is the threefold enemy, modern Babylon: the Beast, the Dragon, and the False Prophet.

And the valley of Jezreel, where is the valley of Jezreel? It is the valley that we looked at when we were considering where the King of the North comes to his end with none to help. It is the valley that has Carmel, the place where Elijah's story was set.

All these famous Bible battles are in the same place, in the valley of Jezreel, is that geographical area as well. This is Armageddon.

What does JEZREEL mean? God sows.

Verse 34:

"³⁴But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he"—what?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: He blew a trumpet.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: He blew a trumpet? So, when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon Gideon, he blew a trumpet; and, Gideon represents the end of the world.

What trumpet is blown at the end of the world?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Seventh.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Seventh Trumpet; and, it marks the point in time when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon Gideon.

When the Seventh Trumpet, the Third Woe, arrives in history, the Latter Rain begins to sprinkle.

—"³⁴But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. ³⁵And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them." Judges 6:33‑35 (KJV).

There is a what? There is a gathering now—two gatherings in Adventism, actually: A gathering together of the wise, and the gathering together of the foolish; the gathering together of those that are drinking the new wine, and the gathering together of the drunkards of Ephraim begins when the Spirit begins to sprinkle, when the Seventh Trumpet arrives in the Third Woe.

Signs of the Times, June 23, 1881:

"The whole transaction, with the stirring appeals of Gideon, produced a powerful effect upon the people of Ophrah [Israel]"—

The Third Woe produces a powerful effect upon the people of Israel.

—"All thoughts of violence were dismissed; and when, moved by the Spirit of the Lord, Gideon sounded the trumpet of war, they were among the first to gather to him. He then sent messengers throughout his own tribe of Manasseh, and also to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and all cheerfully obeyed the call." Signs of the Times, June 23, 1881.

What was that? That is the 3:1 combination. You have four tribes there, but the first tribe was set off distinctly by itself, saying that this is an illustration of the Loud Cry of the Third Angel.

Judges 6:36-40

Verse 36:

—"³⁶And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, ³⁷Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor;"—

What does wool come from? Does it come from a cow, a horse, a sheep?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Sheep.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Okay. Wool comes from sheep.

—"³⁷Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and"—

What are sheep?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: God's people.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: God's people.

"and if the dew be on the fleece only,"—

What is the dew?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Latter Rain.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Latter Rain.

Verse 36:

—"³⁶And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, ³⁷Behold I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. ³⁸And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. ³⁹And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. ⁴⁰And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground." Judges 6:36-40

So, what is the story about? It is two classes of fleece, two types of sheep. One received the Latter Rain and one does not receive the Later Rain.

Sister White says in Testimonies to Ministers, beginning at page 506:

"'Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain.' 'He will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain.' In the East the former rain falls at the sowing time. It is necessary in order that the seed may germinate. Under the influence of the fertilizing showers, the tender shoot springs up. The latter rain, falling near the close of the season, ripens the grain and prepares it for the sickle. The Lord employs these operations of nature to represent the work of the Holy Spirit. As the dew and the rain are given first to cause the seed to germinate, and then to ripen the harvest, so the Holy Spirit is given to carry forward, from one stage to another, the process of spiritual growth. The ripening of the grain represents the completion of the work of God's grace in the soul. By the power of the Holy Spirit the moral image of God is to be perfected in the character. We are to be wholly transformed into the likeness of Christ.

"The latter rain, ripening earth's harvest, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of man. But unless the former rain has fallen, there will be no life; the green blade will not spring up. Unless the early showers have done their work, the latter rain can bring no seed to perfection. . . .

"Many have in a great measure failed to receive the former rain. They have not obtained all the benefits that God has thus provided for them. They expect that the lack will be supplied by the latter rain. When the richest abundance of grace shall be bestowed, they intend to open their hearts to receive it. They are making a terrible mistake. The work that God has begun in the human heart in giving His light and knowledge must be continually going forward. Every individual must realize his own necessity. The heart must be emptied of every defilement and cleansed for the indwelling of the Spirit. It was by the confession and forsaking of sin, by earnest prayer and consecration of themselves to God, that the early disciples prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. The same work, only in greater degree, must be done now. Then the human agent had only to ask for the blessing, and wait for the Lord to perfect the work concerning him. It is God who began the work, and He will finish His work, making man complete in Jesus Christ. But there must be no neglect of the grace represented by the former rain. Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it." Testimonies to Ministers, 506–507.

We will be the fleece, the dry fleece.

Christ's Object Lessons, beginning at page 406, says,

"In the parable, all the ten virgins went out to meet the bridegroom. All had lamps and vessels for oil. For a time there was seen no difference between them. So with the church that lives just before Christ's second coming. All have a knowledge of the Scriptures. All have heard the message of Christ's near approach, and confidently expect His appearing. But as in the parable, so it is now. . . .

"Without the Spirit of God a knowledge of His word is of no avail. The theory of truth, unaccompanied by the Holy Spirit, cannot quicken the soul or sanctify the heart. One may be familiar with the commands and promises of the Bible; but unless the Spirit of God sets the truth home, the character will not be transformed. Without the enlightenment of the Spirit, men will not be able to distinguish truth from error, and they will fall under the masterful temptations of Satan.

"The class represented by the foolish virgins are not hypocrites."—

They are just dry fleece.

—"They have a regard for the truth, they have advocated the truth, they are attracted to those who believe the truth; but they have not yielded themselves to the Holy Spirit's working. They have not fallen upon the Rock, Christ Jesus, and permitted their old nature to be broken up. This class are represented also by the stony-ground hearers. They receive the word with readiness, but they fail of assimilating its principles. Its influence is not abiding. The Spirit works upon man's heart, according to his desire and consent implanting in him a new nature; but the class represented by the foolish virgins have been content with a superficial work. They do not know God. They have not studied His character; they have not held communion with Him; therefore they do not know how to trust, how to look and live." Christ's Object Lessons, 406–411.

Now, for these last two long quotes, I have been trying to remember a place in the Bible. It is hard to read (it is hard to read with meaning) and figure out the verse you are looking for at the same time. I think it is in Hosea, but I could be wrong. Hosea was coming into my mind.

Okay. Hosea, chapter 6, verse 1.

"¹Come, and let us return unto the Lord:"—

What does that mean?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: We are not with Him.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: We are not with the Lord.

"¹Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up."—

When we are away from the Lord, we are having problems. He is willing to heal our problems.

Verse 2.

"²And after two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight." Hosea 6:1-2 (KJV).

So, when are we raised up?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: In the third day.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: In the third day.

When are we raised up?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The Third Angel's Message.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Third Angel's Message.

When are we raised up?

When is the ensign lifted up?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: At The Sunday Law.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: The Sunday Law.

So, how many days precede The Sunday Law?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Three?

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Two; the third day you are raised up.

So, go back to Judges, and we just read 36 through 40 of Judges 6. Gideon wants to know if he is the one that is actually going to be lifted up as an ensign. He is the thresher that is going to finish the work; but, in order to know that, he is going to do the test of the fleece.

How many days does the testing of the fleece take?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: Two days.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: Two days.

And once he sees that he is the chosen one in this story comes the third day when he going to be lifted up.

The Cleansings

Okay. "The Cleansings."

Signs of the Times, June 2, 1898:

"The Word of God, just as it reads, is the ground of our faith. That Word is the sure word of prophecy, and it demands implicit faith from all who claim to believe it. It is authoritative, containing in itself the proof of its divine origin. 'We have not followed cunningly-devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His majesty.' 'He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.'" Signs of the Times, June 2, 1898.

The ground of our faith is the Word of God, and the Word of God is the prophetic Word.

So, in Judges 7, verse 1, it says,

"¹Then Jerubbaal [Let Baal Plead],"—that is Gideon's name—"who is Gideon, [which means 'Thresher'] and all the people that were with him, rose up early,"—

They are rising up now.

—"and pitched beside the well of Harod [which is the spring of terror or trembling]: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them,"—

So, who is the host of the Midianites? It is Midian, the Amalekites, and the children of the East; but, the entire host is the Midianites; but, where are they?

FROM THE AUDIENCE: The North.

BROTHER PIPPENGER: This is the King of the North. The King of the North is the symbol of modern Babylon, the threefold enemy.

—"so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh"—

They were on the North side of them,

—"by the hill of Moreh"—which means [teacher or early rain].

Before the battle starts, they are by the hill of Moreh. They are in the time period of the Early Rain when The Sunday Law comes, when the full outpouring begins.

—"in the valley." Judges 7:1 (KJV).

Habakkuk's Two Tables #71 (Continued)

[Continuing with #72A Notes]

PART SEVEN: JOSIAH

(The beginning of these notes were presented within the time and DVD allotted for Presentation #71)

The Geography

Jerubbaal, [Let Baal Plead]—Mount Carmel; Megiddo; the valley is about 13 miles long with two mountains on the southern end—Ebal (the mount of cursings) and Gerezim (the mount of blessings).

So, let us set the geography: This valley of Jezreel is where Ahab's House made its fate. Okay?

How did Ahab's House meet its fate? Jehu, Jehu.

Mount Carmel is there.

This is where we find Megiddo (Armageddon). The valley is about 13 miles long.

There are two mountains on the southern end.

On the North side is Ebal (which is called the Mount of Cursings); and, on the South side is Gerezim (the Mount of Blessings).

And God's enemy is prophetically on the North.

So, this story of Gideon is a clear story of the end of the world.

So, let us have a word of prayer.

Benediction: Heavenly Father, we want to be among those that are represented by Gideon, that have the privilege of being the threshers in your hands that call people out of Babylon here at the end of the world. But, we understand from the story of Gideon that first we must remove the idolatry, we must remove Bel from our own hearts and our own homes and, if we will do this, you promise to pour your rain out upon us. We ask that you give us the courage to accomplish that work in ourselves through the power of the Holy Spirit. We ask that you give the courage to our brothers and sisters to do likewise. We thank you for bringing us this far in this LiveStreaming and blessing it up to this point, and we thank you for the work we are doing in recording the DVDs. And now we set before you this day and ask you to watch over us in whatever task we are doing, that we would be safe and that we would do it for your glory and honor. In Jesus's name, amen.

Habakkuk's Two Tables #71 (Continued)

[Balance of #72A Notes Only, no DVD]

PART SEVEN: JOSIAH

The Geography

Jerubbaal, [Let Baal Plead]—Mount Carmel; Megiddo; the valley is about 13 miles long with two mountains on the southern end—Ebal (the mount of cursings) and Gerezim (the mount of blessings).

Daniel 11:45

"⁴⁵And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in [and] the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." Daniel 11:45 (KJV).

Valley Of Jezreel

Review and Herald, February 26, 1914:

"In the last days of this earth's history, God's covenant with his commandment-keeping people is to be renewed. 'In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and I will make them to lie down safely. And I will betroth thee unto me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness; and thou shalt know the Lord.'

"'And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; and the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.' Hosea 2:14-23.

"'In that day, . . . the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, . . . shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.' Isaiah 10:20. From 'every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people' there will be those who will gladly respond to the message, 'Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.' They will turn from every idol that binds them to this earth, and will 'worship him at that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.' They will free themselves from every entanglement, and will stand before the world as monuments of God's mercy. Obedient to every divine requirement, they will be recognized by angels and by men as those that 'keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.' Revelation 14:6–7, 12.

"'Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God. Amos 9:13–15.'" Review and Herald, February 26, 1914.

JEZREEL: Strong's Concordance, H3157—God will sow.

Hosea 10:12

"¹²Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." Hosea 10:12 (KJV).

ACHOR: Strong's Concordance, H5911—From H5916; troubled; Akor, the name of a place in Palestine:—Achor. 5916—A primitive root; properly to roil water; figuratively to disturb or afflict: - trouble, stir.

Isaiah 61:11-62:12; Zechariah 9:12-10:1

Isaiah 61:11-62:12

"^{Chapter 61:1} The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; ³ To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

"⁴ And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. ⁵ And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. ⁶ But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. ⁷ For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. ⁸ For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. ⁹ And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. ¹⁰ I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. ¹¹ For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

"^{Chapter 62:1} For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. ² And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. ³ Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. ⁴ Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. ⁵ For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

"⁶ I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, ⁷ And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. ⁸ The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:

⁹ But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.

"¹⁰ Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. ¹¹ Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. ¹² And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken." Isaiah 61:1-62:12 (KJV).

Zechariah 9:12-10:1

"^{Chapter 9:12} Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee; ¹³ When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. ¹⁴ And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south. ¹⁵ The Lord of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar. ¹⁶ And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. ¹⁷ For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids.

"^{Chapter 10:1} Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain; so the Lord shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field." Zechariah 9:12-10:1 (KJV).

A Movement—Judges 6:34–35

"³⁴But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. ³⁵And he sent his messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them." Judges 6:34-35 (KJV).

The Great Controversy, page 611:

"The angel who unites in the proclamation of the third angel's message is to lighten the whole earth with his glory. A work of world-wide extent and unwonted power is here foretold. The advent movement of 1840–44 was a glorious manifestation of the power of God; the first angel's message was carried to every missionary station in the world, and in some countries there was the greatest religious interest which has been witnessed in any land since the Reformation of the sixteenth century; but these are to be exceeded by the mighty movement under the last warning of the third angel." The Great Controversy, 611.

The Double Cleansing—Judges 7:2–7

"² And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. ³ Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. ⁴ And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, 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. ⁵ 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. ⁶ And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. ⁷ 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." Judges 7:2-7 (KJV).

Review and Herald, December 6, 1892:

"When Jesus began his public ministry, he cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation. Among the last acts of his ministry was the second cleansing of the temple. So in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches. The second angel's message is, 'Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.' And in the loud cry of the third angel's message a voice is heard from heaven saying, 'Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plaques. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.'" Review and Herald, December 6, 1892.

Judges 7:8–15

"⁸So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

"⁹And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. ¹⁰But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: ¹¹And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host. ¹²And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. ¹³And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. ¹⁴And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.

"¹⁵And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian." Judges 7:8-15 (KJV).

Selected Messages, book 2, pages 105-106:

"The book that was sealed was not the book of Revelation, but that portion of the prophecy of Daniel which related to the last days. The Scripture says, 'But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased' (Daniel 12:4). When the book was opened, the proclamation was made, 'Time shall be no longer.' (See Revelation 10:6.) The book of Daniel is now unsealed, and the revelation made by Christ to John is to come to all the inhabitants of the earth. By the increase of knowledge a people is to be prepared to stand in the latter days. . . .

"In the first angel's message men are called upon to worship God, our Creator, who made the world and all things that are therein. They have paid homage to an institution of the Papacy, making of no effect the law of Jehovah, but there is to be an increase of knowledge on this subject." Selected Messages, book 2, 105–106.

Leviticus 23:16-17:

"¹⁶Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. ¹⁷Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord." Leviticus 23:16–17.

Signs of the Times, July 14, 1881:

"The apparently powerless condition of that little company of Israelites, compared with the vast host of the enemy, was fitly represented by the cake of barley bread. But as that loaf overthrew the tent upon which it fell, so would the handful of Israelites destroy their numerous and powerful enemies. The Lord himself directed Gideon's mind in the adoption of a plan which the latter immediately set out to execute. He divided his three hundred men into three companies. To every man was given a trumpet, and a pitcher containing a lighted lamp. He then stationed his men in such a manner that they surrounded the entire camp of Midian. They had been previously instructed how to proceed, and at midnight, at a signal from Gideon, all the three companies blew their trumpets, uncovered their lamps, and broke the pitchers, at the same time shouting, 'The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!' The light of three hundred lamps, piercing the midnight darkness, and that mighty shout from three hundred voices, suddenly aroused the sleeping army. Believing themselves at the mercy of an overwhelming force, the Midianites were panic-stricken. A terrible scene of confusion ensued. In their fright they fled in all directions, and mistaking their own companions for enemies they slew one another.

"As the news of Israel's victory spread, many who had been sent to their homes returned, and joined in the pursuit of their fleeing enemies. Gideon also sent messengers to the Ephraimites, requesting them to seize the fords of the Jordan that the fugitives might not escape eastward.

"In this terrible overthrow, not less than one hundred and twenty thousand of the invaders were slain, and so completely were the Midianites subdued that they were never again able to make war upon Israel. A remnant of fifteen thousand who managed to escape across the river, were pursued by Gideon and his faithful three hundred, and utterly defeated, and Zebah and Zalmunna, two Midianite princes, were slain." Signs of the Times, July 14, 1881.

The Loud Cry

Review and Herald, February 21, 1893:

"Those who have been, and who still are, diligent students of prophecy, are to 'prepare the way of the Lord, and to make his paths straight.'" Review and Herald, February 21, 1893.

Judges 7:16-22

"¹⁶ And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ 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, and of Gideon. "¹⁹ So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. ²⁰ 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. ²¹ And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. ²² 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." Judges 7:16-22 (KJV).

Patriarchs and Prophets, pages 548 – 554:

"By divine direction a plan of attack was suggested to him, which he immediately set out to execute. The three hundred men were divided into three companies. To every man were given a trumpet, and a torch concealed in an earthen pitcher. The men were stationed in such a manner as to approach the Midianite camp from different directions. In the dead of night, at a signal from Gideon's war horn, the three companies sounded their trumpets; then, breaking their pitchers and displaying the blazing torches, they rushed upon the enemy with the terrible war cry, 'The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!'" Patriarchs and Prophets, 548–554.

Clay Pots

The Great Controversy, Introduction, vi-vii:

"God has been pleased to communicate His truth to the world by human agencies, and He Himself, by His Holy Spirit, qualified men and enabled them to do this work. He guided the mind in the selection of what to speak and what to write. The treasure was entrusted to earthen vessels, yet it is, nonetheless, from Heaven. The testimony is conveyed through the imperfect expression of human language, yet it is the testimony of God; and the obedient, believing child of God beholds in it the glory of a divine power, full of grace and truth." The Great Controversy, Introduction, vi-vii.

Acts of the Apostles, page 330:

"'We have this treasure,' the apostle continued, 'in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.' God could have proclaimed His truth through sinless angels, but this is not His plan. He chooses human beings, men compassed with infirmity, as instruments in the working out of His designs. The priceless treasure is placed in earthen vessels. Through men His blessings are to be conveyed to the world. Through them His glory is to shine forth into the darkness of sin." Acts of the Apostles, 330.

Light

The Desire of Ages, page 107.

"To sin, wherever found, 'our God is a consuming fire' (Hebrews 12:29). In all who submit to His power the Spirit of God will consume sin. But if men cling to sin, they become identified with it. Then the glory of God, which destroys sin, must destroy them." The Desire of Ages, 107.

Christ's Object Lessons, pages 415 - -416:

"Those who wait for the Bridegroom's coming are to say to the people, 'Behold your God.' The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them." Christ's Object Lessons, 415–416.

Testimonies, volume 7, pages 26 – 27:

"God will move upon men in humble positions to declare the message of present truth. Many such will be seen hastening hither and thither, constrained by the Spirit of God to give the light to those in darkness. The truth is as a fire in their bones, filling them with a burning desire to enlighten those who sit in darkness. Many, even among the uneducated, will proclaim the word of the Lord. Children will be impelled by the Holy Spirit to go forth to declare the message of heaven. The Spirit will be poured out upon those who yield to His promptings. Casting off man's binding rules and cautious movements, they will join the army of the Lord." Testimonies, volume 7, 26–27.

Sword

"¹²For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 (KJV).

Trumpet

Patriarchs and Prophets, pages 548 – 554:

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Isaiah 58:1.

"The simple act of blowing a blast upon the trumpet by the army of Joshua around Jericho, and by Gideon's little band about the hosts of Midian, was made effectual, through the power of God, to overthrow the might of His enemies. The most complete system that men have ever devised, apart from the power and wisdom of God, will prove a failure, while the most unpromising methods will succeed when divinely appointed and entered upon with humility and faith. Trust in God and obedience to His will are as essential to the Christian in the spiritual warfare as to Gideon and Joshua in their battles with the Canaanites. By the repeated manifestations of His power in behalf of Israel, God would lead them to have faith in Him—with confidence to seek His help in every emergency. He is just as willing to work with the efforts of His people now and to accomplish great things through weak instrumentalities. All heaven awaits our demand upon its wisdom and strength. God is 'able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.' Ephesians 3:20." Patriarchs and Prophets, 548–554.

Joshua and Gideon

Signs of the Times, June 21, 1881:

"It is not safe for God's people to adopt the maxims and customs of the ungodly. The divine principles and modes of working are widely different from those of the world. The history of nations presents no such victories as the conquest of Jericho or the overthrow of the Midianites. No general of heathen armies had ever conducted warfare as Joshua and Gideon had done. These victories teach the great lesson that the only sure ground of success is the help of God, working with human effort. Those who trust to their own wisdom and their own skill will surely be disappointed. The only safe course in all the plans and purposes of life is to preserve the simplicity of faith. Humble trust in God and faithful obedience to his will are as essential to the Christian in waging spiritual warfare as they were to Gideon and his brave associates in fighting the battles of the Lord." Signs of the Times, June 21, 1881.

The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 2, 1004.

"It is a dangerous thing for men to resist the Spirit of truth and grace and righteousness, because its manifestations are not according to their ideas, and have not come in the line of their methodical plans. The Lord works in His own way, and according to His own devising. Let men pray that they may be divested of self, and may be in harmony with heaven. Let them pray, 'Not my will, but thine, O God, be done.' Let men bear in mind that God's ways are not their ways, nor His thoughts their thoughts; for He says, 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.' In the instruction that the Lord gave Gideon when he was about to fight with the Midianites,—that he should go out against his foes with an army of three hundred blowing trumpets, and carrying empty pitchers in their hands, and shouting, 'The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon,'—these precise, methodical, formal men would see nothing but inconsistency and confusion. They would start back with determined protest and resistance. They would have held long controversies to show the inconsistency and the dangers that would accompany the carrying on of the warfare in such an extreme way, and in their finite judgment they would pronounce all such movements as utterly ridiculous and unreasonable. How unscientific, how inconsistent, would they have thought the movements of Joshua and his army at the taking of Jericho!" The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 2, 1004.

Unity—Judges 7:23–8:3; Isaiah 11:10–16

Judges 7:23-8:3

"^{Chapter 7:23} And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. ²⁴ And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. ²⁵ And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

"^{Chapter 8:1}And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. ² And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? ³ God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that." Judges 7:23-8:3 (KJV).

Isaiah 11:10-16

"¹⁰ And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. ¹¹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. ¹² And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. ¹³ The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. ¹⁴ But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. ¹⁵ And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. ¹⁶ And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt." Isaiah 11:10-16 (KJV).

ENSIGN: 5251—from 5264; a flag; also a sail; by impl. a flagstaff; gen. a signal; fig. a token:—banner, pole, sail, (en-)sign, standard. 5264: to gleam from afar, i.e. to be conspicuous as a signal; to raise a beacon:–lift up as an ensign, standard bearer. Strong's.

Evangelism, page 281:

"It is at this time that the true Sabbath must be brought before the people both by pen and by voice. As the fourth commandment of the Decalogue and those that observe it are ignored and despised, the faithful few know that it is the time not to hide their face but exalt the law of Jehovah by unfurling the banner on which is inscribed the message of the third angel, 'Here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.' Revelation 14:12." Evangelism, 281.

Testimonies, volume 8, page 41:

"In vision I saw two armies in terrible conflict. One army was led by banners bearing the world's insignia; the other was led by the bloodstained banner of Prince Immanuel. Standard after standard was left to trail in the dust as company after company from the Lord's army joined the foe and tribe after tribe from the ranks of the enemy united with the commandment-keeping people of God. . . . The army following the banner with the inscription, 'The commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus,' was gloriously triumphant." Testimonies, vol. 8, 41.

Review and Herald, March 19, 1895:

"Trials are to come upon God's people and the tares are to be separated from the wheat. But let not Ephraim envy Judah any more, and Judah will no more vex Ephraim. Kind, tender, compassionate words will flow out from sanctified hearts and lips. It is essential that we be united, and if we all seek the meekness and the lowliness of Christ, we shall have the mind of Christ, and there will be unity of spirit." Review and Herald, March 19, 1895.

Review and Herald, January 3, 1899:

"Paul asks, 'Is Christ divided?' Have we not one spiritual Head? Christ has been the uniting stone, the chief corner-stone, in all ages. The patriarchs, the Levitical priesthood, and Christians of today, all have their center in him. He is all and in all. 'The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.'

"The cross of Christ is the pledge of our fellowship and union. The time must come when the watchmen shall see eye to eye; when the trumpet shall give a certain sound; when 'Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim' any more." Review and Herald, January 3, 1899.

A Wolf And A Raven, (The Papacy And The Ten Kings)—Oreb & Zeeb

Judges 7:25

"²⁵And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan." Judges 7:25 (KJV).

Zeeb: "Jackel Or Wolf" (Died At Winepress)

Psalm 83; Revelation 17:12–14

Psalm 83

"¹Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

² For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

³ They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. ⁴ They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. ⁵ For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: ⁶ The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; ⁷ Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; ⁸ Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. ⁹ Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: ¹⁰ Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth. ¹¹ Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: ¹² Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession. ¹³ O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. ¹⁴ As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; ¹⁵ So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. ¹⁶ Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord. ¹⁷ Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: ¹⁸ That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth." Psalm 83 (KJV).

Revelation 17:12-14

"¹²And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. ¹³These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. ¹⁴These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." Revelation 17:12-14 (KJV).

Selected Messages, book 3, page 392:

"'These have one mind.' There will be a universal bond of union, one great harmony, a confederacy of Satan's forces. 'And shall give their power and strength unto the beast.' Thus is manifested the same arbitrary, oppressive power against religious liberty, freedom to worship God according to the dictates of conscience, as was manifested by the papacy, when in the past it persecuted those who dared to refuse to conform with the religious rites and ceremonies of Romanists." Selected Messages, book 3, 392.

Testimonies to Ministers, page 38.

"Kings and rulers and governors have placed upon themselves the brand of antichrist, and are represented as the dragon who goes to make war with the saints—with those who keep the commandments of God and who have the faith of Jesus. In their enmity against the people of God, they show themselves guilty also of the choice of Barabbas instead of Christ." Testimonies to Ministers, 38.

Revelation 19:17-21

"¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; ¹⁸ That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. ¹⁹ And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. ²⁰ And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. ²¹ And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." Revelation 19:17-21 (KJV).

Oreb: "Raven" (Died At Rock)

Revelation 18:2

"²And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." Revelation 18:2 (KJV).

Isaiah 10 – 11

.

"^{Chapter 10:1} Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; ² To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! ³ And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? ⁴ Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

"⁵ O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. ⁶ I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. ⁷ Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few. ⁸ For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings? ⁹ Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus? ¹⁰ As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria; ¹¹ Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols? ¹² Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. ¹³ For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: ¹⁴ And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. ¹⁵ Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood. ¹⁶ Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. ¹⁷ And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; ¹⁸ And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth. ¹⁹ And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

"²⁰ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. ²¹ The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. ²² For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. ²³ For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

"²⁴ Therefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. ²⁵ For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction. ²⁶ And the Lord of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt. ²⁷ And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. ²⁸ He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his carriages: ²⁹ They are gone over the passage: they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled. ³⁰ Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim: cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth. ³¹ Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. ³² As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. ³³ Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled. ³⁴ And he shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.

"^{Chapter 11:1}And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: ² And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; ³ And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: ⁴ But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. ⁵ And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. ⁶ The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. ⁷ And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. ⁸ And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. ⁹ They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. ¹⁰ And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. ¹¹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. ¹² And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. ¹³ The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. ¹⁴ But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. ¹⁵ And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. ¹⁶ And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt." Isaiah 10, 11 (KJV).

Oreb and Zeeb

Testimonies, volume 7, page 182:

"The world is filled with storm and war and variance. Yet under one head—the papal power—the people will unite to oppose God in the person of His witnesses." Testimonies, volume 7, 182.

The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 4, page 1169:

"We have come to a time when God's sacred work is represented by the feet of the image in which the iron was mixed with the miry clay. God has a people, a chosen people, whose discernment must be sanctified, who must not become unholy by laying upon the foundation wood, hay, and stubble. Every soul who is loyal to the commandments of God will see that the distinguishing feature of our faith is the seventh-day Sabbath. If the government would honor the Sabbath as God has commanded, it would stand in the strength of God and in defense of the faith once delivered to the saints. But statesmen will uphold the spurious sabbath, and will mingle their religious faith with the observance of this child of the papacy, placing it above the Sabbath which the Lord has sanctified and blessed, setting it apart for man to keep holy, as a sign between Him and His people to a thousand generations.

"The mingling of churchcraft and statecraft is represented by the iron and the clay. This union is weakening all the power of the churches. This investing the church with the power of the state will bring evil results. Men have almost passed the point of God's forbearance. They have invested their strength in politics, and have united with the papacy. But the time will come when God will punish those who have made void His law, and their evil work will recoil upon themselves." The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 4, 1169.

Testimonies, volume 1, pages 360 – 361:

"Our kingdom is not of this world. We are waiting for our Lord from heaven to come to earth to put down all authority and power, and set up His everlasting kingdom. Earthly powers are shaken. We need not, and cannot, expect union among the nations of the earth. Our position in the image of Nebuchadnezzar is represented by the toes, in a divided state, and of a crumbling material, that will not hold together. Prophecy shows us that the great day of God is right upon us. It hasteth greatly." Testimonies, volume 1, 360–361.

Luke 8:11

"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God." Luke 8:11 (KJV).

Genesis 11:1-9

"¹And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. ² And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. ³ And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. ⁴ And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. ⁵ And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. ⁶ And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. ⁷ Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. ⁸ So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. ⁹ Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth." Genesis 11:1-9 (KJV).

Youth Instructor, September 22, 1903:

"The image revealed to Nebuchadnezzar, while representing the deterioration of the kingdoms of the earth in power and glory, also fitly represents the deterioration of religion and morality among the people of these kingdoms. As nations forget God, in like proportion they become weak morally.

"Babylon passed away because in her prosperity she forgot God, and ascribed the glory of her prosperity to human achievement.

"The Medo-Persian kingdom was visited by the wrath of heaven because in this kingdom God's law was trampled under foot. The fear of the Lord found no place in the hearts of the people. The prevailing influences in Medo-Persia were wickedness, blasphemy, and corruption.

"The kingdoms that followed were even more base and corrupt. They deteriorated because they cast off their allegiance to God. As they forgot Him, they sank lower and still lower in the scale of moral value (YI Sept. 22, 1903)." Youth Instructor¸ September 22, 1903."

Habakkuk's Two Tables #71 (Continued)

[#73A Notes Only, no DVD]

PART SEVEN: JOSIAH

Break Down this Tower

Judges 8:4-9

"⁴And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them, ⁵And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. ⁶And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? ⁷And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. ⁸And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him." Judges 8:4-9 (KJV).

Isaiah 2:12-22

"¹² For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: ³ And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, ¹⁴ And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, ¹⁵ And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, ¹⁶ And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. ¹⁷ And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. ¹⁸ And the idols he shall utterly abolish. ¹⁹ And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. ²⁰ In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; ²¹ To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. ²² Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? Isaiah 2:12-22 (KJV).

The Desire of Ages, page 597:

"In the parable the householder represented God, the vineyard the Jewish nation, and the hedge the divine law which was their protection. The tower was a symbol of the temple." The Desire of Ages, 597.

Jacob's Time of Trouble: Penuel

Judges 8:10-12

"^1-Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

"¹¹And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure. ¹²And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host." Judges 8:10-12 (KJV).

Zebah: "Born on the Day of Sacrifice"

Zephaniah 1 – 2:3

"^{Chapter 1:1}The word of the Lord which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. ² I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the Lord. ³ I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the Lord. ⁴ I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests; ⁵ And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham; ⁶ And them that are turned back from the Lord; and those that have not sought the Lord, nor enquired for him. ⁷ Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. ⁸ And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel. ⁹ In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit. ¹⁰ And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills. ¹¹ Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.

"¹² And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil. ¹³ Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof. ¹⁴ The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. ¹⁵ That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, ¹⁶ A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. ¹⁷ And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. ¹⁸ Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

"^{Chapter 2:1} Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; ² Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger come upon you. ³ Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger." Zephaniah 1 – 2:3 (KJV).

Zalmunna: "Shadow Of Protection Is Withheld"

Isaiah 30:1–3; Psalm 91

Isaiah 30:1-3

"¹ Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin:

² That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

³ Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion." Isaiah 30:1-3 (KJV).

Judges 8:13-21 – Men Whom Ye Slew:

Maranatha, page 199:

"The two armies will stand distinct and separate, and this distinction will be so marked that many who shall be convinced of truth will come on the side of God's commandment-keeping people. When this grand work is to take place in the battle, prior to the last closing conflict, many will be imprisoned, many will flee for their lives from cities and towns, and many will be martyrs for Christ's sake in standing in defense of the truth." Maranatha, 199.

Succoth: [Booths]

The Desire of Ages, pages 447 – 448.

"The Feast of Tabernacles was the closing gathering of the year. It was God's design that at this time the people should reflect on His goodness and mercy. The whole land had been under His guidance, receiving His blessing. Day and night His watchcare had continued. The sun and rain had caused the earth to produce her fruits. From the valleys and plains of Palestine the harvest had been gathered. The olive berries had been picked, and the precious oil stored in bottles. The palm had yielded her store. The purple clusters of the vine had been trodden in the wine press.

"The feast continued for seven days, and for its celebration the inhabitants of Palestine, with many from other lands, left their homes, and came to Jerusalem. From far and near the people came, bringing in their hands a token of rejoicing. Old and young, rich and poor, all brought some gift as a tribute of thanksgiving to Him who had crowned the year with His goodness, and made His paths drop fatness. Everything that could please the eye, and give expression to the universal joy, was brought from the woods; the city bore the appearance of a beautiful forest.

"This feast was not only the harvest thanksgiving, but the memorial of God's protecting care over Israel in the wilderness. In commemoration of their tent life, the Israelites during the feast dwelt in booths or tabernacles of green boughs. These were erected in the streets, in the courts of the temple, or on the housetops. The hills and valleys surrounding Jerusalem were also dotted with these leafy dwellings, and seemed to be alive with people.

"With sacred song and thanksgiving the worshipers celebrated this occasion. A little before the feast was the Day of Atonement, when, after confession of their sins, the people were declared to be at peace with Heaven. Thus the way was prepared for the rejoicing of the feast. 'O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever' (Psalm 106:1) rose triumphantly, while all kinds of music, mingled with shouts of hosanna, accompanied the united singing. The temple was the center of the universal joy. Here was the pomp of the sacrificial ceremonies. Here, ranged on either side of the white marble steps of the sacred building, the choir of Levites led the service of song. The multitude of worshipers, waving their branches of palm and myrtle, took up the strain, and echoed the chorus; and again the melody was caught up by voices near and afar off, till the encircling hills were vocal with praise." The Desire of Ages, 447–448.

Judges 8:22-23

"²² Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. ²³ And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you." Judges 8:22-23 (KJV).

Signs of the Times, July 28, 1881:

"The people of Israel, filled with joy and gratitude at their deliverance from the Midianites, proposed to Gideon that he should become their king, and that the throne should be confirmed to his descendants. His answer shows how true and noble were the motives by which he was actuated. 'I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. The Lord shall rule over you.' At the divine command, Gideon had willingly gone forth to battle for Israel; he had not shrunk from duty, nor hesitated in the face of danger; but he nobly refused to accept from the people those honors which the Lord had reserved to himself the right to bestow.

"God had manifested special favor to Gideon, in selecting him as the instrument through whom to deliver Israel. While great responsibilities rested upon him in this important crisis, Gideon's course was marked with humility and faithful obedience. God accepted his work, and crowned his efforts with success. But now Gideon was assailed by temptation in a new form. When the reprover of wrong has done his work, in obedience to God's commands, the period of inactivity which succeeds the struggle, is often the most dangerous. This danger Gideon now experienced. A spirit of unrest was upon him. Hitherto he had been content to execute the commands given him of God; but now, instead of calmly waiting for divine instruction, he began to devise and execute plans for himself. He had not learned to wait as well as to labor—to suffer God's will as well as to do it." Signs of the Times, July 28, 1881.

Review and Herald, February 21, 1888:

"No impatient man or woman will ever enter into the courts of heaven. We must not allow the natural feelings to control our judgment." Review and Herald, February 21, 1888.

Judges 8:24-29

"²⁴ And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) ⁵ And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. ²⁶ And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks. ²⁷ And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. "²⁸ Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon. ²⁹ And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house." Judges 8:24-29 (KJV).

Patriarchs and Prophets, page 574:

"It was not customary for the Levites to enter upon their peculiar services until they were twenty-five years of age, but Samuel had been an exception to this rule. Every year saw more important trusts committed to him; and while he was yet a child, a linen ephod was placed upon him as a token of his consecration to the work of the sanctuary." Patriarchs and Prophets, 574.

Patriarchs and Prophets, page 351:

"Over the ephod was the breastplate, the most sacred of the priestly vestments. This was of the same material as the ephod. It was in the form of a square, measuring a span, and was suspended from the shoulders by a cord of blue from golden rings. The border was formed of a variety of precious stones, the same that form the twelve foundations of the City of God. Within the border were twelve stones set in gold, arranged in rows of four, and, like those in the shoulder pieces, engraved with the names of the tribes. The Lord's direction was, 'Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the Lord continually.' Exodus 28:29. So Christ, the great High Priest, pleading His blood before the Father in the sinner's behalf, bears upon His heart the name of every repentant, believing soul. Says the psalmist, 'I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me.' Psalm 40:17." Patriarchs and Prophets, 351.

Signs of the Times, July 28, 1881:

"Gideon led the people to look upon this ephod and the breastplate as possessing special sacredness in themselves. In this he erred. All that could make them sacred was the fact that they were employed in the solemn service of God as he had directed. The high priest alone was authorized to wear them when he went in before the Lord." Signs of the Times, July 28, 1881.

Signs of the Times, July 28, 1881:

"The ephod and the breastplate were regarded with pride, because of their costly material and exquisite workmanship; and after a time were looked upon with superstitious reverence." Signs of the Times, July 28, 1881.

Spirit of Prophecy, volume 4, pages 383 – 384:

"A religion of externals is attractive to the unrenewed heart. The pomp and ceremony of the Catholic worship have a seductive, bewitching power by which many are deceived; and they come to look upon the Roman Church as the very gate of Heaven. None are proof against her influence but those who have planted their feet firmly upon the foundation of truth, and whose hearts are renewed by the Spirit of God. Thousands who have not an experimental knowledge of Christ will be swept into this deception.

"A form of godliness without the power is just what they desire. The Romanist feels at liberty to sin, because the church claims the right to pardon. To him who loves self-indulgence, it is more pleasing to confess to a fellow-mortal than to open the soul to God. It is more palatable to human nature to do penance than to renounce sin. It is easier to mortify the flesh by sackcloth and nettles and galling chains than to crucify fleshly lusts. Heavy is the yoke which the carnal heart is willing to bear rather than bow to the yoke of Christ.

"There is a striking similarity between the church of Rome and the Jewish church at the time of Christ's first advent. While the Jews secretly trampled upon every principle of the law of God, they were outwardly rigorous in the observance of its precepts, loading it down with exactions and traditions that made obedience painful and burdensome. As the Jews professed to revere the law, so do Romanists claim to reverence the cross. They exalt the symbol of Christ's sufferings, while in their lives they deny him whom it represents." Spirit of Prophecy, volume 4, 383–384.

Patriarchs and Prophets, page 317:

"How often, in our own day, is the love of pleasure disguised by a 'form of godliness'! A religion that permits men, while observing the rites of worship, to devote themselves to selfish or sensual gratification, is as pleasing to the multitudes now as in the days of Israel. And there are still pliant Aarons, who, while holding positions of authority in the church, will yield to the desires of the unconsecrated, and thus encourage them in sin." Patriarchs and Prophets, 317.

Signs of the Times, July 28, 1881:

"Satan is never idle. He is filled with hatred against God, and is constantly enticing men into a wrong course of action. After the armies of the Lord have gained a signal victory, the great adversary is especially busy. He comes disguised as an angel of light, and as such he endeavors to overthrow the work of God. Thus thoughts and plans were suggested to the mind of Gideon, by which Israel were led astray.

"The tribes on the east side of the Jordan were quite a distance from the tabernacle at Shiloh, to which all the men of Israel were required to repair three times a year, to attend the great annual feasts. This of course, required a considerable outlay of time and means. The thought was suggested to Gideon that it would be a great advantage to these tribes to have a place at home, for sacrifice and worship.

"Without waiting for the divine sanction, he determined to provide a suitable place and to institute a system of worship similar to that carried on at the tabernacle at Shiloh. . . .

"As is natural, even at the present day, the people of Israel were more ready to ascribe the honor of the victory to Gideon than to the Lord. They readily complied with the request. . .

"Gideon led the people to look upon this ephod and the breastplate as possessing special sacredness in themselves. In this he erred. All that could make them sacred was the fact that they were employed in the solemn service of God as he had directed. The high priest alone was authorized to wear them when he went in before the Lord.

"Because he had been commanded to offer a sacrifice upon the rock where the angel appeared to him, Gideon concluded that he had been divinely appointed to officiate as a priest, and that by instituting a service there, he might save the people the trouble and expense of their journeys to Shiloh.

"The Lord was not pleased with this arrangement, for it was contrary to the order which he had established. It was an assumption of authority on the part of Gideon which proved disastrous to himself and to all Israel. God designs that his people shall place a high estimate upon every provision for their salvation. He desires them to appreciate his great mercy and condescension, and to manifest gratitude and zeal proportionate to the value of the great gift of the Son of God. But we are disposed to shun sacrifice and self-denial for our eternal interest, while we readily devote time and strength to seeking temporal advantage. Thus our conduct too often shows that we place a higher estimate upon earthly things that upon the heavenly treasure.

"It is the work of God's true people to advance his glory in the earth. Through connection with him, they will be imbued with divine wisdom, which will lead them to place a right estimate upon eternal things. The Lord desired his people to go up to the tabernacle at Shiloh, at the stated seasons, even though it might require considerable sacrifice. That very effort would lead them to place a higher value upon their religious privileges.

"In seeking to bring the worship of God nearer home, Gideon was but providing to indulge the people in their indolence. This would have no beneficial influence upon them. All plans based upon human reasoning should be looked upon with a jealous eye, lest Satan insinuate himself into the position which belongs to God alone. The course pursued by Gideon proved a snare, not only to himself and family, but to all Israel. The irregular and unauthorized worship led the people finally to forsake the Lord altogether, to serve idols. The ephod and the breastplate were regarded with pride, because of their costly material and exquisite workmanship; and after a time were looked upon with superstitious reverence. The services at the place of worship were celebrated with feasting and merriment, and at last became a scene of dissipation and licentiousness. Thus Israel were led away from God by the very man who had once overthrown their idolatry.

"If men could foresee the result of their course, if they could realize the influence which they exert upon their own families and upon society, they would move with greater caution, and would maintain a firmer reliance upon God. The misconduct of parents frequently produces the most ruinous effects upon their children and associates, after the actors themselves have been laid in the grave. There is no evil which man should so much dread, as being given up to his own lusts. This was the fate of Israel. After Gideon's death, the people, especially his own house, plunged into the grossest idolatry.

"Thus the snare which Gideon had so unwittingly set, entrapped the unwary feet of thousands. A snare,—how many snares are to be found in our path today! There is need that light from above be constantly shed upon our way, that we may see the snares laid for our feet. Oh, that fathers and mothers could realize the dangers that beset their path and the path of their children!

"Those who are placed in the highest positions may lead astray, especially if they feel that there is no danger. The wisest err; the strongest grow weary. Excess of caution is often attended with as great danger as excess of confidence. To go forward without stumbling, we must have the assurance that a hand all-powerful will hold us up, and an infinite pity be exercised toward us if we fall. God alone can at all times hear our cry for help.

"It is a solemn thought that the removal of one safeguard from the conscience, the failure to fulfill one good resolution, the formation of one wrong habit, may result not only in our own ruin, but in the ruin of those who have put confidence in us. Our only safety is to follow where the steps of the Master lead the way, to trust for protection implicitly to Him who says, 'Follow me.' Our constant prayer should be, 'Hold up my goings in thy path, O Lord, that my footsteps slip not.'

"The Israelites needed the benefits of assembling for worship and entering into covenant together to serve the Lord. In separating themselves from the place of worship divinely appointed, they lost much. God had servants whose lips he unsealed to speak words of warning, encouragement, and reproof, so that the light received from Heaven by one shone not for himself alone, but to lighten the path of others. God knows best what his people need. His words come down to us, in warning and instruction,—'Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.'

"At the present day, as in ancient times, the people of God plead their own ease or convenience as an excuse for neglecting divine service. They will devise means to preserve the Christian name without making any sacrifice of time or means. God requires his people to maintain his worship. And those who are burdened with care and responsibility, should be the last to excuse themselves from religious privileges. They need wisdom from above. They need to be constantly reaching upward to lay hold on the divine arm, lest they stumble and fall. They can walk safely, only as they fear God, and obey his voice. Those whom God has burdened with a place in his work, need not be left to their own judgment, as was Gideon, to lead men away from the right path. The feet that God is guiding will press on in a way which leads straight forward, ever ascending, and ever brightening, until it reaches the brightness of eternal day.

"All wrong-doing is forsaking the path where Jesus leads, turning aside to the crooked ways of darkness. Those who are determined in the strength of Jesus to make the most of their opportunities, seizing every ray of light that Heaven sheds on their pathway, will go straight forward, fulfilling their duty to God and to their fellow-men. They will not fall, nor stumble. A divine Guide goes before the faithful, encouraging them with his voice, aiding them with his hand, and they need never mistake the way." Signs of the Times, July 28, 1881.

Habakkuk's Two Tables #71 (Continued)

[#74A of Notes Only, no DVD]

PART SEVEN: JOSIAH

The Foundation

2 Chronicles 35:19-25

"¹⁹ In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this passover kept.

"²⁰ After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Charchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him. ²¹ But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not. ²² Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. ²³ And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded. ²⁴ His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. ²⁵ And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations." 2 Chronicles 35:19-25 (KJV).

Bible Commentary, volume 2, page 1039:

"Those who will not take God's Word as assurance, need not hope that human wisdom can help them; for human wisdom, aside from God, is like the waves of the sea, driven with the wind, and tossed. The word of Christ is, 'He shall guide you into all truth.' Reject not the light given.

"Read the history of Josiah. He had done a good work. During his reign idolatry was put down, and apparently successfully uprooted. The temple was reopened and the sacrificial offerings re-established. His work was done well.

"But at the last he died in battle. Why?—Because he did not heed the warnings given. . . . [2 Chronicles 34:26–33; 35:20–24 quoted.]

"Because Josiah died in battle, who will charge God with denying His word that Josiah should go to his grave in peace? The Lord did not give orders for Josiah to make war on the king of Egypt. When the Lord gave the king of Egypt orders that the time had come to serve Him by warfare, and the ambassadors told Josiah not to make war on Necho, no doubt Josiah congratulated himself that no word from the Lord had come directly to him. To turn back with his army would have been humiliating, so he went on. And because of this, he was killed in battle, a battle that he should not have had anything to do with. The man who had been so greatly honored by the Lord, did not honor the word of God. The Lord had spoken in his favor, predicted good things for him; and Josiah became self-confident, and failed to heed the warning. He went against the word of God, choosing to follow his own way, and God could not shield him from the consequences of his act.

"In this our day men choose to follow their own desires and their own will. Can we be surprised that there is so much spiritual blindness?" The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, volume 2, 1039.

Christ's Object Lessons, page 152:

"For each of the classes represented by the Pharisee and the publican there is a lesson in the history of the apostle Peter. In his early discipleship Peter thought himself strong. Like the Pharisee, in his own estimation he was 'not as other men are.' When Christ on the eve of His betrayal forewarned His disciples, 'All ye shall be offended because of Me this night,' Peter confidently declared, 'Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.' Mark 14:27, 29. Peter did not know his own danger. Self-confidence misled him. He thought himself able to withstand temptation; but in a few short hours the test came, and with cursing and swearing he denied his Lord." Christ's Object Lessons, 152.

1 Kings 13

JOSIAH: Strong's Concordance, H2977—From the same root as H803 and H3050; founded of Jah; Joshijah, the name of two Israelites: - Josiah. H803—Foundation.

Testimonies, volume 8, pages 296 – 297:

"The enemy is seeking to divert the minds of our brethren and sisters from the work of preparing a people to stand in these last days. His sophistries are designed to lead minds away from the perils and duties of the hour. They estimate as of little value the light that Christ came from heaven to give to John for His people. They teach that the scenes just before us are not of sufficient importance to receive special attention. They make of no effect the truth of heavenly origin, and rob the people of God of their past experience, giving them instead a false science. 'Thus saith the Lord: Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein.' [Jeremiah 6:16.]

"Let none seek to tear away the foundations of our faith,—the foundations that were laid at the beginning of our work, by prayerful study of the Word and by revelation. Upon these foundations we have been building for more than fifty years. Men may suppose that they have found a new way, that they can lay a stronger foundation than that which has been laid; but this is a great deception. 'Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid.' [1 Corinthians 3:11.] In the past, many have undertaken to build a new faith, to establish new principles; but how long did their building stand? It soon fell; for it was not founded upon the Rock." Testimonies, volume 8, 296–297.

A Movement: 2 Kings 22:1-7

"¹ Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. ² And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

"³ And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the Lord, saying, ⁴ Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people: ⁵ And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house, ⁶ Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house. ⁷ Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully." 2 Kings 22:1-7 (KJV).

The Great Controversy, page 611:

"The angel who unites in the proclamation of the third angel's message is to lighten the whole earth with his glory. A work of world-wide extent and unwonted power is here foretold. The advent movement of 1840–44 was a glorious manifestation of the power of God; the first angel's message was carried to every missionary station in the world, and in some countries there was the greatest religious interest which has been witnessed in any land since the Reformation of the sixteenth century; but these are to be exceeded by the mighty movement under the last warning of the third angel.

"The work will be similar to that of the Day of Pentecost. . . .

"The great work of the gospel is not to close with less manifestation of the power of God than marked its opening." The Great Controversy, 611.

Isaiah 58:12—Build; Raise Up; Repair And Restore

"¹²And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." Isaiah 58:12 (KJV).

The Old Waste Places

Isaiah 61:1-4

"¹ The spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; ³ To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

"⁴ And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations." Isaiah 61:1–4 (KJV).

Luke 4:18-20

"¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, ¹⁹ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. ²⁰ And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him." Luke 4:18–20 (KJV).

Old: Strong's Concordance, H5769—From H5956; properly concealed, that is, the vanishing point; generally time out of mind (past or future), that is, (practically) eternity. H5956—A primitive root; to veil from sight, that is, conceal (literally or figuratively):—X any ways, blind, dissembler, hide (self), secret (thing).

Waste: Strong's Concordance, H2723—properly drought, that is, (by implication) a desolation: - decayed place, desolate (place, -tion), destruction, (laid) waste (place).

Former: Strong's Concordance, H7223—From H7221; first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun):—ancestor, (that were) before (-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore [-father] (-most), former (thing), of old time, past. H7221—a beginning: - beginning.

P. Gerard Damsteegt, Foundations of the Seventh-day Adventist Message and Mission, page 22:

"William Miller, when applying his hermeneutic, noticed in the various apocalyptic passages a recurring theme of controversy between the people of God and their enemies. In his analysis of the persecuting powers of God's people throughout the ages he developed the concept of the two abominations, defined as paganism (the first abomination) symbolizing the persecuting force outside the church, and the papacy (the second abomination) representing the persecuting power within the church. It was the motif of the two abominations that characterized most of his following prophetic interpretations." P. Gerard Damsteegt, Foundations of the Seventh-day Adventist Message and Mission, 22.

REPAIRER: Strong's Concordance, H1443—A primitive root; to wall in or around:—close up, fence up, hedge, enclose, make up [a wall], mason, repairer.

RESTORER: Strong's Concordance, H7725—A primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbially again.

Jeremiah 6:16

"¹⁶ Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." Jeremiah 6:16 (KJV).

The Foundations of Many Generations

Isaiah 28:9-13

⁹ Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. ¹⁰ For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: ¹¹ For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. ¹² To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. ¹³ But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken." Isaiah 28:9‑13 (KJV).

2 Kings 22:8-10

"⁸ And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord, And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. ⁹ And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work that have the oversight of the house of the Lord. ¹⁰ And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king." 2 Kings 22:8-10 (KJV).

The 2520

"I [William Miller] had Cruden's Concordance, which I think is the best in the world; so I took that and my Bible, and set down to my desk, and read nothing else, except the newspapers a little, for I was determined to know what my Bible meant. I began at Genesis, and read on slowly; and when I came to a text that I could could [sic] not understand, I searched through the Bible to find out what it meant. After I had gone through the Bible in this way, O, how bright and glorious the truth appeared! I found what I have been preaching to you. I was satisfied that the seven times terminated in 1843. Then I came to the 2300 days; they brought me to the same conclusion." Apollos Hale, The Second Advent Manuel, 65.

The Year/Day Test

Isaiah 6, 7

"^{Chapter 6:1} In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. ² Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. ³ And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. ⁴ And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. ⁵ Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. ⁶ Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: ⁷ And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. ⁸ Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. ⁹ And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. ¹⁰ Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. ¹¹ Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, ¹² And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. ¹³ But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

"^{Chapter 7:1} And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it. ² And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. ³ Then said the Lord unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field; ⁴ And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. ⁵ Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, ⁶ Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: ⁷ Thus saith the Lord God, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

⁸ For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.

⁹ And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established. ¹⁰ Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying, ¹¹ Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. ¹² But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. ¹³ And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ¹⁵ Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. ¹⁶ For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

"¹⁷ The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah; even the king of Assyria. ¹⁸ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. ¹⁹ And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes. ²⁰ In the same day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard. ²¹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young cow, and two sheep; ²² And it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land. ²³ And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place shall be, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, it shall even be for briers and thorns. ²⁴ With arrows and with bows shall men come thither; because all the land shall become briers and thorns. ²⁵ And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle." Isaiah 6, 7 (KJV).

2 KINGS 22:11–20

"¹¹ And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes. ¹² And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying, ¹³ Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us. ¹⁴ So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her. ¹⁵ And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me, ¹⁶ Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read: ¹⁷ Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched. ¹⁸ But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard; ¹⁹ Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. ²⁰ Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again." 2 Kings 22:11-20 (KJV).

A COVENANT—2 KINGS 23:1–8; EZEKIEL 37:15–28

2 Kings 23:1-8

"¹ And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. ² And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the Lord. ³ And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant. ⁴ And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel. ⁵ And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all he host of heaven. ⁶ And he brought out the grove from the house of the Lord, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people. ⁷ And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the Lord, where the women wove hangings for the grove. ⁸ And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba, and brake down the high places of the gates that were in the entering in of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man's left hand at the gate of the city." 2 Kings 23:1-8 (KJV).

Ezekiel 37:15-28

"¹⁵ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, ¹⁶ Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions: ¹⁷ And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. ¹⁸ And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? ¹⁹ Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. ²⁰ And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

"²¹ And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: ²² And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. ²³ Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. ²⁴ And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. ²⁵ And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. ²⁶ Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. ²⁷ My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ²⁸ And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore." Ezekiel 37:15-28 (KJV).

2 KINGS 23:1–3; ISAIAH 27:8–11; DANIEL 2:34–35; ISAIAH 41:15–16; JEREMIAH 51:33; MICAH 4:11–13

2 Kings 23:1-3

"¹ And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. ² And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the Lord. ³ And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant." 2 Kings 23:1-3 (KJV).

Isaiah 27:8-11

"⁸ In measure, when it shooteth forth, thou wilt debate with it: he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind. ⁹ By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up. ¹⁰ Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof. ¹¹When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favor." Isaiah 27:8-11 (KJV).

Daniel 2:34-35

"³⁴ Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. ³⁵Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors, and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." Daniel 2:34-35 (KJV).

Isaiah 41:15-16

"¹⁵ Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. ¹⁶ Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 41:15-16 (KJV).

Jeremiah 51:33

"³³ For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come." Jeremiah 51:33 (KJV).

Micah 4:11-13

"¹¹ Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. ¹² But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. ¹³Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth." Micah 4:11-13 (KJV)

Habakkuk's Two Tables #72

[#72B of Notes, with DVD]