The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Ruler, #5

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. (Judges 7:16)

Each one of Gideon's men was given a trumpet. There were 300 trumpets. The trumpets, as used here, are a type of the seventh trumpet—the end-time, latter-rain anointing that will enable the saints to announce the coming of the Lord, commanding all persons everywhere to repent and believe the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. This is what is meant by the empowering of the two witnesses of Revelation, Chapter 11. Each one of Gideon's men was given an empty pitcher and a torch inside the pitcher. There were 300 pitchers containing 300 torches.

The trumpet is a type of the proclamation of the soon coming of the Kingdom of God, with Christ as King and Lord of all.

The torch, the light, is a type of the forming of Christ, the Light of the world, in us. The empty pitcher is our mortal body.

The trumpet of Gideon, and the two witnesses of Revelation, Chapter 11, are symbolic of the preaching of the Gospel witness to every creature—particularly in the last days.

The torch of Gideon, and the Son, of Revelation, Chapter 12, portray the forming of Christ in the members of the Body of Christ.

It has been true throughout Church history that the forming of Christ in the saints has been accompanied by the bringing of Divine Life to other people. The deeper the crucifixion the saint is willing to endure, the greater is the Life of Jesus he experiences and the more powerful is the accompanying witness.

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. (II Corinthians 4:10)

The inner death and resurrection of the saint reveal the Life of Jesus to other people.

The coming of the Lord Jesus is at hand. It seems we are approaching (or else are in) the days of the sounding of the seventh angel. Therefore we can expect an emphasis to be placed on both the Spirit-empowered preaching of the Gospel to every creature and also the building up and sudden "birth," or revelation, of the Body of Christ (Isaiah 66:7,8).

Each member of the Body of Christ has a temporary ministry and also an eternal spiritual ministry. The first has to do with our labors during the present hour in the Kingdom of God. The second concerns our rulership over the creation as one of the Lord's kings and judges.

The eleventh chapter of Revelation emphasizes the earthly, temporary ministry of the saints. The twelfth chapter of Revelation emphasizes the preparation for the eternal rule of Christ in the saints during the ages to come.

To be continued.