Deborah: A Portrait of the Bride of Christ, Declaring and Bringing Judgment in Judges Chapter 4&5
Introduction
This post is an excerpt of a of longer study on Judges chapter 4&5, “The-battle-of-armageddon-the-earthly-version-already-happened/” This post is about the faithful woman, Deborah, who we are introduced to in Judges Chapter 4. Deborah was a prophetess, and she was the only female to be a judge in the nation of Israel. However, what is really key within this account, is that Deborah is also a portrait of the Bride of Christ, the body of true believing Christians, the Saints, who continue to faithfully proclaim God’s Word within the context of the apostate era in which God will be pouring out His wrath on the apostate church, and this God-hating world, just prior to Judgment Day. Therefore, every believer should take note of what we read in Jude 21 “Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”, as each believer will be expected to be a faithful and watching witness for Jesus until He comes back on Judgment Day.
Deborah Means “Bee” and She Faithfully Declares God’s Word
Deborah means “bee”, by interpretation from the original Hebrew, דְּבוֹרָה (dᵊḇôrâ) H1682, which is from the root word דָּבַר(dāḇar) H1696 meaning to “speak” or “declare” and is intimately linked with the Hebrew word for “word” דָּבָר(dāḇār)H1697. (For more on God’s use and meaning of the word “dāḇar” in the Bible, please see Chapter 2 here.) It is also an interesting fact that, where bees gather, you will also find honey, and “honey” is a type that God uses in relation to His Word/the Gospel of Jesus Christ (see Judges 14:8&9, and Psalm 119:103, and Revelation 10:9&10 and below under Abinoam). For a detailed exposition on the meaning of “Honey” and “Honeycomb” in the Bible, please see The Meaning of Honey in the Bible.
However, “bees” דְּבוֹרָה (dᵊḇôrâ) H1682 are also used by God in the Bible to denote a means of judgment that God sends in response to rebellion (because they are given power to chase and sting). See for example:
Isaiah 7:18, “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.”
Deuteronomy 1:44, “And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, [even] unto Hormah“).
Psalm 118:12, “They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.”
It is also noteworthy that Jesus told us that His Word is what will bring judgment on Judgment Day 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.” That last day is Judgment Day!
Please also note the parallels with Isaiah 11:4, “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.” and
Revelation 1:16 also tells us the following, “And he (Jesus) 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 that Sword is the Word of God (Who Is also Jesus).
Note: It is interesting to note that although Psalm 145:5 reads, “I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous (פָּלָא (pālā’))H6381 works.” The Hebrew word that was translated as “works” should more accurately be translated “words” (דָּבָר (dāḇār))H1697. Therefore, we can more correctly read it as saying “I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous words.“
Deborah is NOT an Allegorical “Type” of Jesus Christ!, but rather a “Type” of the Bride of Jesus Christ (His Church)!
It is often claimed by theologians (particularly in our day) that, in this historical account, it was the woman, Deborah, who “saved the Israelites from Canaanite forces”, and moreover…”if there is any allegory to be found in this account…it must therefore be Deborah who is the one who should be viewed as a “Type” of Jesus Christ”.
However, in this study, it will be clearly shown, and proven, that it was NOT Deborah, but rather Barak, who was the key figure as a “Type” of The LORD Jesus Christ.
Today, Barak is shoved aside by modern, humanistically and worldly (not Godly) focused theologians, who, consciously or not, are in complete rebellion against God’s line of authority. Such theologians (and so-called academics) want only to elevate the woman, Deborah (who actually represents the Church, the “Body” of Believers, the “Bride” of Jesus Christ), above the man, Barak, who was really the savior in this historical allegorical account. Barak serves as an allegorical “Type”, who God used to represent The Lord Jesus Christ in this historical account (which is therefore also an historical parable). Jesus Christ, Alone, Is The Head of the Church, as well as The “Bridegroom” in the Heavenly Marriage, as we read in the Book of Revelation.
Anyone who interprets and argues that Deborah was the “savior” is entirely contradicting God’s clearly established, and clearly enunciated, plan of authority and headship…for we know, according to 1 Corinthians 11:3, that, “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man; and the head of Christ [is] God.” as well as what we read in Ephesians 5:23, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and heis the saviour of the body.” and Colossians 1:18, “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”
And is it not interesting that, when God recounts the great men of Faith in Hebrews, Chapter 11, that in amongst the Judges Gideon and Sampson, it was NOT Deborah who was mentioned, but rather Barak? We find this in Hebrews 11:32-34, “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: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” This is because in each case the “man” named is actually an allegorical “Type” of The LORD Jesus Christ, which is entirely consistent with what we read in Luke 24:27 and John 5:39.
Deborah Was the Wife of “Lapidoth”
Deborah was a prophetess (one who declares the word of God) and a judge in Israel. We also know that she was the wife of Lapidoth (לַפִּידוֹת (lapîḏôṯ)H3941), which is a plural form of the Hebrew word, “lapid” (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940 ), meaning “lamp” “torch” “lightning“, see below under Barak). We see the word lapid used 14 times in the Bible: lamp(7x), firebrand(2x), torch(2x), brand(1x), lightning(1x), burning(1x).
The first time “lapid” appears in the Bible, it is quite terrifying, as we read in Genesis 15:1-21 where God promised Abram (Abraham) a future land of inheritance, and instructed that Abram prepare a sacrifice of five animals (heifer, goat, ram, turtledove, and pigeon; of which the first three were divided (cut) into pieces), and afterward Abram fell into a deep sleep and had a horrible vision where God revealed that the descendants of Abram (Abraham) would be in servitude in Egypt for 400 years, spanning four generations (to wit, Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Aaron), but then would come out with great substance. Then we next read in Genesis 15:17 “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp (“lapid” לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940) that passed between those pieces.” And then the LORD made a covenant with Abram (Abraham) regarding the Promised Land of Israel for an inheritance to his descendants.
In Isaiah 62:1, we read, “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 (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940 ) that burneth.”
In Nahum 2:4 we read, “The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940), they shall run like the lightnings (בָּרָק (bārāq)H1300).” (More on this below under Barak)
In Zechariah 12:6, we read, “In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940)of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, [even] in Jerusalem.“
The word “lapid” (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940 ) thus appears to have more generally been used in the verses above in a manner that speaks more to God’s Holy Covenant, His Justice, His Atonement for Salvation, and His Righteous Judgment, just as the word “Barak” also implies. The use of the original Hebrew word (לַפִּיד (lapîḏ)H3940 ) is therefore generally much more ominous than the other word in the original Hebrew (נִיר (nîr) H5216), which the King James translators also interpreted as “lamp” or “candle” (see below).
Deborah would seem therefore to be a typological representation of the true believers during a time of great apostasy who actively, and faithfully, declare the whole counsel of God’s Word that brings the message of both deliverance and judgment when the devil is loose. Deborah is indeed an allegorical picture of the remnant of the Christian Church which remains faithful to the end, enduring the end-times’ “Great Tribulation” as Jesus described in Matthew 24:21. Such true believers, together with all other believers throughout history, are described in the Bible as the Bride of Christ as described in Revelation 21:2.
We should also remember that Jesus is The“Lamp”, which is translated from a different Hebrew word (נִיר (nîr))H5216), which is normally translated to English in the King James Bible variously as lamp (35x), candle (9x), light (4x). It is translated in English as “lamp” here in 2 Samuel 22:29 “For thou [art] my lamp (נִיר (nîr) H5216), O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.” and Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp (נִיר (nîr) H5216) unto my feet, and a light (אוֹר (‘ôr)H216), unto my path.” and Psalm 132:17, “There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp (נִיר (nîr) H5216) for mine anointed.” And lastly, these two verses provide additional proof texts for this correlation: 2 Chronicles 21:7, “Howbeit the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light (נִיר (nîr)) H5216 to him and to his sons for ever.” and 1 Kings 11:36, “And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light (נִיר(nîr))H5216 alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there.“
We can derive the correlation between Jesus and the lamp because Jesus is The Word made flesh, as we read in John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Deborah’s Palm Tree
We are also told that Deborah “dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah“ (the “palm tree” may be another reference to Jesus, because as we read in Psalm 92:12, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.“).
NOTE: It has been pointed out to this teacher by another Bible student that there is more information regarding “palm tree” than this teacher was previously aware. The name “Tamar”, in the original Hebrew is תָּמָר (tāmār)H8559, means “Palm tree”. Tamar is the name given to three women in the Bible: 1) The widow of Er (the son of Judah), who was chosen by God to be a progenitor of the Lord Jesus Christ via Judah; 2) A daughter of David by Maacah, sister of Absalom, and rape victim of Amnon her half brother, another son of David, and 3) a daughter of Absalom.
We should also remember the use of “palm branches” found in the New Testament in the worship, praise, and adoration of the Lord Jesus Christ. There was the first “Palm Sunday” where we read in John 12:12&13, “¶On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, G5404 and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.“, and in Revelation 7:9&10, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms G5404 in their hands;And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.“). Hence we can see additional indications that the “palm tree” is also a sign of the joyous reflection of Jesus’s Righteousness providing a protective covering of Salvation for believers from the just penalty for sin. Psalm 132:16, “I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.” and Leviticus 23:40, “And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.“
Interestingly, the doors of Solomon’s temple included carved palm trees covered in gold (together with cherubims and open flowers) in 1 Kings 6:29-35.
Palm trees also represent life in the Old Testament, because where they were located there were springs of life giving water (Exodus 15:27, Numbers 33:9 typifying another of the Attributes of Jesus Christ. Reinforcing this idea is the use of the word “dwelt.” For the believer, Jesus is our dwelling place (i.e., Psalm 90:1, {A Prayer of Moses the man of God.} “LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou [art] God“). We also know that the palm tree was located “between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim“. Ramah means “high place,” and Bethel means “house of God.” Ephraim pertains to the tribe of Ephraim, descended from the younger son of Joseph who received the double portion, and who Jacob blessed with his right hand and said “in thee shall Israel bless.”
It is worth a moment to consider why “the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.“ A judge is someone who hears a matter and then pronounces a sentence against an accusation, whether vindication or condemnation and subsequent punishment. When the believers bring the gospel of salvation they are always bringing the two-fold message of deliverance from the bondage to sin and Satan through Jesus Christ or the alternative just punishment of sin which is an eternity in Hell on Judgment Day. How can anyone truly know about salvation through Jesus Christ unless they first understand from what they are being saved? Every human being is by nature in desperate need of a Savior to protect him or her from the coming judgment and wrath of God, which is the just penalty for his or her sins. Furthermore, we know that if “He that spared not his own son” (Romans 8:32) in that Jesus had to endure God’s wrath in Hell, will not God also do the same to those who do not become saved? 2 Corinthians 5:11, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;“
Conclusion
Deborah represents none other than the Bride of Christ…the believers will actively be involved in the conquering and plundering of the devil and his kingdom. Jesus specifically said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” When we look closely at the virtuous woman whose “price is far above rubies” at the very end of Proverbs (Proverbs 31:10-31) we see a similar correlation. The Bible also says that the believers are “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37).
The believers have the whole armor of God including “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”! (Ephesians 6:17). A sword is for offense, not defense. Remember what we are told in Job 19:29, “Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath [bringeth] the punishments of the sword, that ye may know [there is] a judgment.“
God has set it up such that the believers, the Church, the Bride of Christ, His Saints (consistently represented by a woman) are co-involved with Jesus in winning the final battle of Armageddon on Judgment Day…just as Barak was accompanied by the ten thousand followers coming with him down from Mt. Tabor. (See also “the-believers-the-saints-will-be-with-jesus-in-bringing-judgment-on-judgment-day/“)
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