Samson’s Story
And Samuel’s Echo
Samson had a miraculous birth, and miracle powers of strength. He began to deliver Israel from their enemies, the Philistines.
The book of Judges describes some bizarre events, but the prophetic pattern of salvation is seen to echo past patterns in a way that reveals Jesus.
The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy (Rev19v10b). The symbolic pattern of Jesus’ life appears in three parts:
Birth, Life, Death and Resurrection.
Samson’s parents were barren and unable to have children, but the angel of the Lord appeared to announce a special birth. Manoah was so shocked that he thought they were doomed to die, (Judges 13v22). But the child was born and the LORD blessed him and the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him.
Samson had super human strength and defeated the Philistines, but after he died the narrative of the later chapters in Judges describes idol worship, and growing wickedness.
The sexual immorality described in Judges 19 resembled that of the days of Lot. The concubine of a Levite was raped and killed, and a civil war broke out that almost wiped out the whole tribe of Benjamin (Judges 20v48, 21v2-3).
The Israelites wept bitterly, and grieved for Benjamin.
“Why has this happened to Israel? Why should one tribe be missing from Israel today?” (Judges 21v3).
“Today one tribe is cut off from Israel,” (Judges 21v6).However a Benjamite was soon to be anointed King of Israel (1 Sam 9v1-2).
To help save the tribe, some surviving Benjamite men were allowed to hide in the vineyards and rush out to snatch wives for themselves from girls of Shiloh while they were dancing (Judges 21v20-23).
Benjamin’s destruction at the end of Judges has eschatological (end times) significance. The abomination that causes desolation will be of a similar magnitude, and will leave no survivors if it is not cut short (Mat 24v22), but Jesus will return like a groomsman coming to snatch for himself a bride.
Twelve or Thirteen?
Benjamin was the twelfth son of Jacob, or maybe even a thirteenth.
Twelve is God’s number for his people, but there is usually also a thirteenth.
Jacob had twelve sons, but Jospeh’s two sons Ephraim and Manasseh were reckoned as belonging to Jacob which makes thirteen, (Gen 48v5).
The land of Israel was divided among the twelve tribes, but Levi was different. Being the priestly tribe they were given 48 towns, some from each of the twelve tribes, so they were like a thirteenth tribe scattered among Jacob (Gen 49v7, Num 35v7-8).
Jesus had twelve disciples, but if we count Jesus Himself, that makes thirteen.
Immanuel’s story which forms another prophetic picture of Jesus as part of the Chiasm of World History was during the time of King Ahaz, who was the twelfth king of Judah.
Samson was the twelfth judge of Israel. It is commonly recognised that Israel had twelve judges, but after Samson came Samuel, a thirteenth judge.
Samuel
Samuel was born with great difficulty, like Samson.
Samuel’s Father was Elkanah, who had two wives, Peninnah and Hannah. Due to Hannah being barren prior to Samuel’s birth, there was conflict between Elkanah’s two wives, just as there had been between the wives of Abraham and Jacob.
The struggle between Abraham’s wives Hagar and Sarah is understood to represent the struggle between flesh and spirit.
This is also reflected in the two men, Samson and Samuel. Samson was a man of great physical strength, but Samuel was a boy who wore a linen ephod (1 Sam 2v18), both a prophet (1 Sam 3) and a judge (1 Sam7v15).
It is believed that Samuel also served as priest because he was a Levite (1 Chronicles 6v16-28) and was given to the Lord (1 Sam 1v11 & 28) and trained in the temple by Eli the priest (1 Sam 2v11, 3v1).
As prophet, priest and judge, Samuel is comparable to Moses. Moses lead Israel to the Promised Land, and Samuel appointed Israel’s first king, Saul, and he also anointed David to be king after Saul.
The pattern in Samuel’s time that resembles the plan of salvation that God revealed most perfectly in the life of Jesus:
Samuel’s difficult birth came as an answer to prayer, and resulted in him being given to the Lord for his whole life. God called him as prophet (1 Sam 3). The Philistines captured the ark of the covenant but God struck them with tumours (1 Sam 5).
The Philistines were the main enemy at the time, but they returned the ark of the covenant to Israel as it brought judgement from God (1 Sam 6). Samuel lead the Israelites in repentance and God gave them peace (1 Sam 7).
Samuel’s sons served as judges but did not walk in obedience to God. Israel asked for a King, but their request revealed their rejection of God (1 Sam 8v7). However Samuel anointed Saul to be king, and he was a Benjamite (1 Sam 9v1-2).
Jesus is revealed. The tribe that had been almost completely destroyed by the sin of Israel gave rise to their first King. Jesus died for our sin, and rose again. He will return as our Lord and saviour, our eternal King.
Saul couldn’t understand why he was chosen to be king. He said, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin?” — 1 Samuel 9v21.
It is from great humility and a place of complete brokenness that God’s salvation is revealed to mankind. This is repentance. “The first will be last, and the last will be first.” — Mat 20v16.
End Times Journey
The pattern of Jesus’ life is prophetic. “The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.” — Revelation 19v10b. (Also Rev 1v1-2).
The birth, the life, and the death and resurrection of Jesus was revealed many times in Israel, and now we follow Jesus on the spiritual journey of faith. This journey begins with repentance when we are ‘born again’.
The apocalyptic birth and life long journey of the final generation that is revealed in prophecy will also resemble the life of Jesus.
God’s plan is to help his people come to repentance, and grow strong in faith so that we may rejoice on the Day of the Lord.
The birth is difficult and looks doomed to failure, but God gives his miraculous help. This is seen in both Samson’s and Samuel’s stories.
World war three will be like a doomed birth for the final generation, but as a time of repentance God will use it to do great miracles for his people.
Note: The following reflections on the apocalyptic birth will be hard to understand unless you have read a good part of God’s plan, and the birth of Israel where the law was given at Mount Sinai.
Samson’s long hair will have special significance in a post apocalyptic world in which nuclear radiation sickness will be like chemotherapy which causes hair loss. God will give us strength and health if we are obedient to his ways.
The law of God will be a blessing, and if we obey it we will live by it in the post apocalyptic world. Those who disrespect it will suffer tumours and plague like the Philistines did when they captured the ark of the testimony.
The end times journey will be a journey of faith lived out in a post apocalyptic world. Opposition during those times could be viewed as the attacks of the Philistines. But God will give us strength. God stirred the spirit of Samson, and his promise is to pour out his Spirit on all flesh in the last days (Acts 2).
We will look forward to the coming king, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the lamb of God who died and rose for us, cleansing us from all sin, and who will be revealed from heaven in great glory.
Jesus won’t return as a humble Benjamite, not like Saul who turned out to be a failed king. Jesus will return as the lion of the tribe of Judah in full glory and might.
