Gideon, Another Hero of Faith Pointing Us to Jesus
Maerten van Heemskerck (Holland, Heemskerck, 1498-1574)
Introduction
In the New Testament, in the Book of Hebrews, Chapter 11, tells of many great exploits and examples of faith by various persons, both male and female, going through the Old Testament. However, in Hebrews 11:32, we read where a man named Gideon (Gedeon) is specifically named just before a few other great men of faith, “¶And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and [of ] Barak, and [of] Samson, and [of] Jephthae; [of] David also, and Samuel, and [of] the prophets:”
But who is Gideon?, and what does the Bible tell us about him and the times in which he lived and the relevance for us today? And where can we find Jesus interwoven in the Biblical text concerning Gideon?
Gideon was the fifth judge in Israel and acclaimed by many as the greatest of Israel. The name, “Gideon”, in the original Hebrew גִּדְעוֹן (giḏʿôn) H1439, means “hewer” or “one who cuts down”, “one who cuts off“, “cuts asunder” or “feller” (in terms of a warrior). Gideon is taken from the root Hebrew word, גָּדַע (gāḏaʿ) H1438 , which primarily means to “cut off” or “destroy.” Some related verses can be found in:
- Deuteronomy 7:5, “But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down (גָּדַע (gāḏaʿ)) H1438 their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.”
- 1 Samuel 2:31, “Behold, the days come, that I will cut off (גָּדַע (gāḏaʿ)) H1438, thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.“
- Psalm 75:1, “All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; (גָּדַע (gāḏaʿ)) H1438, [but] the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.“
- Lam 2:3, “He hath cut off (גָּדַע (gāḏaʿ)) H1438 in [his] fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, [which] devoureth round about.“
- Ezekiel 6:6, “In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down,(גָּדַע (gāḏaʿ)) H1438, and your works may be abolished.“
In Judges 6:25, we read, “¶And 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:” The Hebrew word used here for cut down is כָּרַת (kāraṯ) H3772, which also means “to cut (off, down, or asunder)“and is therefore telling us, from the contextual use, that it is essentially the same. Also, “throw down” is from the original Hebrew word, הָרַס (hāras)H2040 which does mean to “throw down“, “tear down“, and “destroy“.
Gideon’s name is apt for several reasons, as we will see below that Gideon cut down both the altars, and the tree groves, that were associated with Baal worship during his lifetime. He was also a warrior who fought valiantly with the sword against the Midianites.
Gideon was also from the tribe of Manasseh, the half-tribe who are descendants from the first born son of Joseph in Egypt.
Note: Although it may not be entirely clear why Gideon is from the tribe of Manasseh, it should nonetheless mentioned that, although Manasseh was the firstborn of Joseph, his younger brother, Ephraim, received the primary patriarchal blessing from Israel, their grandfather. Joseph tried to correct his father, Israel, such that Israel would bless Manasseh with his right hand, but as we read in Genesis 48:19&20, ¶And his father refused, and said, I know [it], my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.¶And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.“
One Biblically valid explanation is that, just as in the case of Jacob taking the place of his elder brother Esau (who should have the firstborn birthright), Ephraim supplanted his elder brother Manasseh. This would therefore have to be viewed as a reiteration of the fact that God establishes the blessing of Salvation by Grace through God’s election program and not by the works of the Law. This is made clear in Romans 9:11-13, “(For the [children] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; ) It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.“
It is also interesting to note that Gideon’s name appears 40 times in the Bible (if one also includes the New Testament verse above), which by apparent coincidence 40 is also the number of years that Gideon was a judge in Israel.
God Warned of What Would Be Coming in the Time of Judges
Judges chapter 2 tells us that After Joshua died then in Judges 2:11-15, “¶And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longerstand before their enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORDwas against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.” The people of Israel disobeyed God’s explicit commands that are found in both Exodus 34:10-15 and Deuteronomy 7:1-5, particularly Deuteronomy 7:5, “But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.“.
Moreover, God reiterated this commandment, which could not be more clear, in Deuteronomy 12:1-3, “¶These [are] the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth. Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.“
God Established Judges in the Land of Israel as Typifying Jesus, Who Is Both The “Savior” and The “Judge”
Nonetheless, we learn the following, beginning in Judges 2:16, “¶Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; [but] they did not so. And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, [that] they returned, and corrupted [themselves] more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way. ¶ And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep [it], or not. Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.“
Judges Chapter 6 Provides the Backstory Regarding Gideon
After 40 years of peace and prosperity brought about by the victory over the Canaanites by Barak and Deborah in Judges 4&5, the Israelites once again turned away from God, and they began worshipping other gods, notably Baal. As punishment, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other foreigners “from the east” vexed Israel for seven years.
The Oppression by the Midianites
Judges 6:1-6, we read, “¶And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: [and] because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which [are] in the mountains, and caves,and strong holds. And [so] it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; [for] both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.”
Now the Midianites are direct descendants of Abraham, via Abraham’s second wife after Sarah died named Keturah (meaning “incense/perfume”)(Gen 25:1&2). One of her six sons was named “Midian” מִדְיָן (miḏyān)H4080 whose name means “strife“
The Amalekites were descended from Esau’s grandson, Amalek, Genesis 36:12, “And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these [were] the sons of Adah Esau’s wife” Amalek עֲמָלֵק (ʿămālēq H6002 simply means “dweller in a valley”
Both of these factions along with unnamed foreigners from the east were used by God to punish Israel for its spiritual adultery.
God Responds to the Cry of Israel With an Admonition to Fear Him
Judges 6:7-10 tells us of God (via an unnamed prophet) admonishes Israel to repent and to not fear the gods of the locals, but rather the True God that saved Israel from Egypt.
Gideon Is Visited by God (via “an angel of the LORD”)
Judges 6:11 “¶And 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.”
The locality of Gideon’s family was Ophrah, עָפְרָה (ʿāp̄râ)H6084 meaning “fawn“.
Gideon was of the family of the Abiezrites, who are also known as the Jeezerites. We know this from Numbers 26:29-32, “Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead comethe family of the Gileadites. These [are] the sons of Gilead: [of] Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites: of Helek, the family of the Helekites:” And [of] Asriel, the family of the Asrielites: and [of] Shechem, the family of the Shechemites: And [of] Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites: and [of] Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.”
Jeezer, אִיעֶזֶר (‘îʿezer)H372 , means “no help.“
However, Joshua 17:2, tells us that the Jeezerites must also be known as the Abiezerites, “There was also [a lot] for the rest of the children of Manasseh by their families; for the children of Abiezer, and for the children of Helek, and for the children of Asriel, and for the children of Shechem, and for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida: these were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families.“
Abiezer, אֲבִיעֶזֶר (‘ăḇîʿezer)H44, means “my father is help“
Joash יוֹאָשׁ (yô’āš)H3101, means “Given by the Lord”
Gideon earned the title Jerubbaal (or Jerub-Baal) after he destroyed his family’s altar of Baal. “Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.” (Judges 6:32).
Clearly something significant had happened to go from being called a family that had “No help” to “My father is help”. The only explanation that one can draw is that an unrecorded blessing/conversion occurred at some point between the family’s wilderness sojourn and its entrance into the land of Canaan. And this is also consistent with the idea that, for the elect of God, upon leaving this earthly sojourn and entering into Heaven (“typified” by crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land), they will all be given a “new name“. They will forever be identified as the children of the God Who helped them.
This is why we read where Jesus states in Revelation 2:17 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it].”
Refinement: A Proving or Testing
In Judges 7:1-8, we find how Gideon is told by Jehovah God to go to war with the Midianites such that He could deliver them into Gideon’s hand. However, the number of the people with Gideon, specifically 32,000, was too many to give the glory of victory to God. The reasoning by God for drastically winnowing down the number of soldiers was because God did not want the Israelites to think it was by their hand that they got the victory. This is clear in Judges 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.”
Therefore, God instructed Gideon to separate out what eventually became only 300 men who would ultimately go into battle with Gideon against the Midianites. In Judges 7:4, we read, “¶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.”
Note the word “try” in Judges 7:4. This word in the original Hebrew is צָרַף (ṣārap̄)H6884, which can also be translated as “purge” or “refine” as one would refine and purify a a precious metal, particularly “gold“. The word is even translated five out 33 times as “goldsmith“. When one purifies or refines gold (or other precious metals) from its ore, there is far more dross than pure gold.
In Psalm 66:10, we see how this word is used (twice in the same verse), “For thou, O God, hast proved (בָּחַן (bāḥan))H974 us: thou hast tried (צָרַף (ṣārap̄))H6884 us, as silver is tried (צָרַף (ṣārap̄))H6884.
In Daniel 12:10, “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried (צָרַף (ṣārap̄)) H6884; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.”
Then in Zechariah 13:9, we read something interesting (where the word is again used twice in the same verse), “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine (צָרַף (ṣārap̄)) H6884 them as silver is refined (צָרַף (ṣārap̄)) H6884 ,and will try (בָּחַן (bāḥan))H974 them as gold is tried (בָּחַן (bāḥan))H974: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my people: and they shall say, The LORD [is] my God.” The Hebrew word בָּחַן (bāḥan)H974 also means to prove, test, examine as God examines our hearts. Proverbs 17:3, “The fining pot [is] for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trieth (בָּחַן (bāḥan)) H974 the hearts.”
One Third Versus Two Thirds
Among the examples of that can be found, include the three who were crucified on Golgotha hill in 33AD. The one thief on the cross went to Heaven, while Jesus and the other thief went to Hell.
Another is the case we read about in 2 Kings 1:9-15, where king Ahaziah three times sent contingents of soldiers, each consisting of 51 men (a captain with 50 soldiers), to fetch the prophet Elijah, but only one of the three contingents was not destroyed by fire from Heaven. In 2 Kings 1:13&14, we read, “¶And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.“
Another example is in Zechariah 13:8, “And it shall come to pass, [that] in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off [and] die; but the third shall be left therein.”
Finally, in 2 Samuel 8:1&2, “¶And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.¶ And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And [so] the Moabites became David’s servants, [and] brought gifts.“
In Judges 7:8-22 we read of the battle in the Midianite and Amalekite camp where Gideon (after secretly hearing an enemy’s dream and its interpretation heralding Gideon’s victory) divided the 300 men into three companies of one hundred (Gideon took one hundred men with him, which is another one-third reference) and each man held a pitcher with a lamp (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ))H3940 inside in one hand, and held a trumpet in the other hand to blow when Gideon gave them the signal, whereupon they would break the pitchers to reveal the lamp/inside. In verse 20, we read “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.” Note that it was Gideon who first blew a trumpet. Jesus will determine when the final trump is blown and lead the charge from Heaven on Judgment Day.
Clearly God is showing us through these verses that there is an intimate association between the refining and testing of His people, typified by the culling down to 300 and then down to the one-third part (the 100 that accompanied Gideon, the “Christ Figure” in this “Historical Parable”, spiritually represent all believers).
Judgment Day Prefigured!
Although It will not be elaborated upon in great depth in this study, the battle defeating the Midianites (and the Amalekites and “all the children of the east”) is another picture of Judgment Day, where the enemies of God are miraculously destroyed, Gideon represents Jesus Christ, and the men with Gideon who participate in the attack represent the believers. This is also reminiscent of Judges 4&5.
In this “Historical Parable” of Gideon, we are provided with another “hidden gem” that God has concealed within the Bible. Looking again at Judges7:20, we read “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.”
- The “Trumpets” warn of the Judgment to come
- The “Pitchers” are the bodies and hearts of the believers that hide the Light of Christ
- The “Lamps” represent the Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
- The “Sword of the LORD” is the Word of God
1. When The Last Trumpet Sounds, It Will Herald Judgment Day
The Trumpet is from the original Hebrew word שׁוֹפָר (šôp̄ār)H7782, and is the same word that we read about in Exodus 19:16, Exodus 19:19, Exodus 20:18, and Joshua 6:4-20 at the battle of Jericho (another prefigurement of Judgment Day).
When the “Last Trump” sounds, it will be Judgment Day for the world as we are told in 1 Corinthians 15:52, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” The seventh trumpet is the last trumpet that we read about being sounded by the seventh angel in Revelation 11:15, “¶And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become [the kingdoms] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.“
2. The Pitchers Also Typify the Believers
2 Corinthians 4:3-7, tells us plainly, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
Remember also Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.“
The “pitchers” are “earthen vessels”, which represent the believers who have the Light of Jesus Christ shining brightly in their hearts, that is otherwise hidden from the world of the unsaved..
John 3:19-21, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
Isaiah 8:20, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them.
This is all in accordance with God’s plan. That Light will be kept hidden from the world of unbelievers until Judgement Day, when the Judgment that befalls them comes as a “thief in the night”. This is exactly what we are told in 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.“
3. The Lamp Is The Light of The Gospel of Jesus Christ
The lamp (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ))H3940, which means “lamp“, “torch“, and “lightning” points to the Light of Christ that will be made fully manifest on Judgment Day. For more on the meaning of “lapid”, please see the section that expounds on the meaning of Lapidoth, the husband of the Prophetess, Deborah, in the study of Judges 4&5.
Which leads us to remember John 9:5, where Jesus announces, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” after which he immediately healed a blind man, “born blind”. Then we read later in John 9:39,”And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.”
4. The “Sword of the LORD” Is the Word of God
The “sword” is also important because it is another spiritual reference to the Word of God as we find in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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.” and remember that Jesus is pictured as having a two-edged sword coming out of His mouth in Revelation 1:16, “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength.“
And regarding the “Sword of the LORD”, We should also remember these verses:
Isaiah 34:5&6 “For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment. The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.“
Ezekiel 21:28 “And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword [is] drawn: for the slaughter [it is] furbished, to consume because of the glittering (בָּרָק (bārāq)H1300):”
Psalm 7:11-13 we read, “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry [with the wicked] every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.” It is very difficult to begin to understand the might of God’s wrath against the wicked, against God’s enemies on Judgment Day. But that Sword of Truth is Jesus, and He told us that His Word is what will bring judgment on Judgment Day as we read in John 12:48, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”
The believers are also viewed as conquerors as we find in Romans 8:37, “¶Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” And the reader should be aware that, on Judgment Day, Jesus will be coming with the believers to that Final Judgment as was reported earlier.
The Death of The Four Kings of Midian
The finality of the Judgment is also manifest in the last verse of Judges Chapter 7, Verse 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.“
The First Two Kings
The first two Midianite kings, who Gideon slew, were named Oreb (עֹרֵב(ʿōrēḇ)H6159) means “Raven” (an unclean “fowl of the air”) which represents the forces of the devil as Jesus expounded upon in the “Parable of the Sower“, and Zeeb (זְאֵב(zᵊ’ēḇ)H2062) means “Wolf”, [which the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, protects His flock from, remembering also in Matthew 7:15 “¶Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”]. So in both cases these kings represent the wicked one’s servants who look like “kings”, but are really purveyors of a false gospel seeking to kill and devour the righteous.
It should be clear that the death of king Zeeb at the “winepress” (יֶקֶב (yeqeḇ))H3342 is not accidental or incidental, because it brings to mind other references that point to Judgment Day. The “winepress”, which in the original Hebrew can also be גַּת (gaṯ)H1660, refers to God’s wrath that must be brought to bear in judgment for sin. Jesus, as the believers’ atoning sacrifice, first had to endure that wrath and suffer the shame of God’s reproach for their sins. But for those who remain dead in trespasses and sins, they will be tread down in the winepress of God’s wrath by Jesus as their Judge.
Key verses to recall regarding the meaning of the “winepress”:
Isaiah 63:1-6, “Who 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. Wherefore [art thou] red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat (winepress, גַּת (gaṯ) H1660 ? I (Jesus) 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. For the day of vengeance [is] in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And 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. And 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.“ Jesus endured the wrath of God in the Winepress of Shame in the first Judgment Day (in 33AD for the believers), and Jesus will bring Judgment on His enemies in the great winepress of the wrath of God on the second and final Judgment Day.
Joel 3:13, we read, “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press H1660 is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness [is] great.”
Revelation 14:19, “And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.”
Revelation 19:13, we see this picture of Jesus, “And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.“
For more on this please see the study of Jonah (Jonah was from a village called “Winepress of Shame”).
The Second Two Kings
But there were two other kings who Gideon pursued as we read about Chapter 8. It is particularly noteworthy that these Midianite kings, Zebah (זֶבַח (zeḇaḥ) H2078) which means “sacrifice“, and Zalmunna (צַלְמֻנָּע (ṣalmunnāʿ) H6759) which means “deprived of protection“, had earlier killed the brothers of Gideon, evidently at mount Tabor, and were themselves, subsequent to their capture, also killed by Gideon.
In Judges 8:18, when Gideon asked the two remaining Midianite kings the following question, and they gave their reply (just before Gideon had them killed), “Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men [were they] whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou [art], [so were] they; each one resembled the children of a king.” The children of a king refers to the believers who are the children of God and they are like Jesus. For more about the meaning of “children of a king”, please see: mephibosheth-and-a-covenant-of-grace/ Gideon replied to the two kings in Judges 8:19, “¶And he said, They [were] my brethren, [even] the sons of my mother: [as] the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.“
“As Thou Art, So Were They“
These two Midianite kings made it clear that those whom they slew at mount Tabor appeared like Gideon. Does this not bring to mind what we read in Hebrews 2:9-13, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. ¶For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified [are] all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.” (Note: Hebrews 2:12 is specifically referencing Psalm 22:22, which reads, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.“)
And when we look a little further down in Hebrews to Hebrews 2:16-18, we are reminded of how closely Jesus identifies with mankind to save a people for Himself, “For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.“
And is it not also true that the Bible says that the believers are to become likened to Jesus? Look at what 1 John 3:2 says, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
Mother and Brethren?
Given that Gideon is an unequivocal “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is worth remembering what Jesus said regarding His “mother” and His “brethren”. In Matthew 12:48&49, we read “But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! And again in Mark 3:33&34, “¶And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?And he (Jesus) looked round about on them which sat about him, and said,Behold my mother and my brethren!“
Therefore, those who are counted among Jesus’ disciples, the believers, are Jesus’ brethren. Where do we see accounts of Jesus’ brethren (disciples) being killed? The first recorded one is Stephen, in Acts 7:59. And who killed Stephen? The apostate church leaders! And what were Stephen’s last words? In Act 7:55, we read, “But he(Stephen), being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, andsaw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” His death occured in the presence of Heaven. And remember what Tabor spiritually represents? Yes, Heaven (with Judgement in view)! God saw it, received Stephen, and God, as Jesus the Judge, will remember it, come Judgment Day! This was the case for all the prophets that were also killed in the Old Testament and continuing right through to the end of Great Tribulation in the run up to Judgment Day.
Some additional verses that address how the apostate church (represented by the Jews) killed Jesus’ disciples:
1 Thessalonians 2:15, “Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.”
And consider the last days when the witnesses (representing the true believers) are killed by the apostate church ruled by the Abomination of Desolation in Revelation 11:7-12, “¶And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies [shall lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice overthem, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. ¶And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.“
Note how well this conforms with John 16:2, “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.” The apostate church will drive out (and effectively “kill”) the true believers. But we must remember that Psalm 116:15 makes clear how God feels about the death of Jesus’ brethren, “Precious in the sight of the LORD [is] the death of his saints.“
Further Corroboration
Note also that in Psalm 83:9-12, where we read of the death brought to the enemies of God in the book of Judges, “Do unto them as [unto] the Midianites; as [to] Sisera, as [to] Jabin, at the brook of Kison (Kishon) [Which] perished at Endor (Endor, the same that was the home of a witch 1 Samuel 28:7, is located in the valley of Megiddo at the foot of Mont Tabor): they became [as] dung for the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.”
Therefore, in Psalm 83:9-12, God is clearly equating Gideon with Barak (and hence the Lord Jesus Christ), because they both defeated and killed those named individuals, all six who were clearly identified as “enemies” of God (who sought to claim the “houses of God” as their own) as stated in Psalm 83:2, ” For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.” Moreover, we can again see more clearly how both and Gideon and Barak are spiritual representations of Jesus, Who, on Judgment Day, will defeat the devil and his accomplices, the false teachers who have sought to subdue the Church of God (take “the houses of God in possession”) through apostasy. We see in Psalm 83:3, “They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.”
Conclusion
We have learned from this study that we have been provided another amazing “Historical Parable” pointing us to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been shown that Gideon is a clear “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ, and how Gideon was chosen by God to both save his people from their oppressors and utterly destroy God’s enemies, typified first by the cutting down of the Baal related idols and groves, and then to utterly defeat the Midianites (and the Amalekites and “all the children of the east”) in a battle typifying Judgment Day with 300 men out of 32,000 who were refined and purified for the purpose through testing by God. God also provides another spiritual one third/two thirds separation example, as well pointing to the fact that only those who are with Jesus will be saved. Also pointed out is that Gideon judged for 40 years, which also represents a time of testing.
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