Surely Israel should not have fetched the ark from Shiloh.  Was it covered, or uncovered?  That, we do not know.  But nobody should have ever seen that holy furniture, save the High Priest once a year, and then it would have been obscured by the smoke of the incense.  The ark was not to be thought of as a lucky charm.  God was most displeased, and the ark was captured.

V.1 Aphek means fortress in Hebrew.  It is somewhat of a generic term as there were several cities named Aphek.  The one mentioned here was conquered by Joshua (Josh 12:18) and was located in the territory of Ephraim.  Today it is known as Tel Ras El Ain and is located northeast of Jaffa.

V.4 The ark was not brought from Shiloh to be used within the framework of genuine worship.  Rather it was being used as a talisman in Israel's struggle with the Philistines. Thus, it constituted idolatry, like that of the bronze serpent of the wilderness wanderings (Num 21:8,9; 2Kin 18:4).  This worldly mind-set would shortly manifest itself in Israel's hankering for an earthly king.

V.10 Had God given Israel victory because the ark was taken into battle, nothing but spiritual demoralisation would have come to His people. Instead, Israel were taught the lesson they needed. "There was a very great slaughter and the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli were slain"

V.8 In the ancient Near-East, nations knew about the national gods of their neighbors by reputation.  If a nation had obtained significant success, then the reputation of that god was enhanced.  This is how the Philistines viewed what they thought were Israel's gods.  They did not understand the nature of Yahweh, but viewed the God of Israel in the same idolatrous fashion as they viewed all other gods (who were indeed idols).

4:1        When we add 1Sam 3:21 to the comment here ‘the word of Samuel came to all Israel’ we are being shown that Samuel not only heard the word of God but taught it to the nation.  This contrasts with Eli who was aware that God spoke but did not instruct his own house and so was unqualified to work in the nation – the ecclesia 1Tim 3:5

4:3 In saying ‘let us …’ the people were echoing the sentiments of those who built the tower of Babel – Genesis 11:3– they were self seeking rather than being God centred in their behaviour.

4:2     The juxtaposition of Samuel speaking God’s word and the Philistines setting themselves against Israel marks a choice we all have. Do we listen to God or fear the immediate threat that we might see around us.

V.21 Ichabod means no glory.  He was aptly named by his dying mother.  Yahweh’s grace had departed from Israel, which like Ichabod had become an orphan (Lam 5:3).

4:13 In presenting Eli sitting echoes 1Sam 1:9 Eli is not presented as a man of action but rather inactivity.

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50:2 The questions of Yahweh’s ability to save is answered by reference to what He did in the past. The mention of the rivers being made a wilderness and the fish stinking reminds Israel of the deliverance from Egypt after the plagues. Exo 7:21

In this chapter we see Jesus in many ways. He became a dedicated slave (V.5). He came to do God's will (V.6). He trusted in God for help, knowing that he would be raised on the third day (V.7-9). We have to make the same type chooses, between the ways of the world, which we are surrounded by, walking in its darkness, or we can choose the true light, trusting in the Name of the LORD 

50:5 The opening of the ears echoes Psalm 40:5. Here Isaiah describes how the ears were opened to produce the willing sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus was ‘not rebellious’ and – Isa 50:4 – he listened to God’s instruction.

50:6 This verse, speaking of the trial of Jesus, was fulfilled in Luke 22:64

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50:1 The idea of being ‘sold’ by their iniquities is the point that Paul is making in Rom 7:14

V.1 In the divine scheme of things, Yahweh is the Father and Zion is the mother. Their offspring are the Children of Israel.  The parents are not divorced, but Israel is acting as if the family has broken up. It is acting like a (spiritual) orphan.

V.2 Yahweh has always been able to save His people.

V.3 All the enemies of Yahweh and His people will end up in a state of eternal obliteration.

Vs.4,5 Yahweh has appointed His Son, Jesus, as the savior of Israel (Acts 13:23). Jesus was to be accepted because He spoke on behalf of His Father, Yahweh (Matt 17:5; Heb 1:2).

V.6 Plucking out a man's beard and spitting in his face were considered two of the gravest indignities in the Near East.  And yet, Jesus accepted this humiliation with dignity and did not complain (Isa 53:7; Matt 26:67).

Vs.7,8 Despite opposition to Him, Jesus was resolute in obedience to Yahweh (Eze 3:8,9).

V.9 See Isa 51:8.

V.10 See John 8:12

V.11 Judas and his company opposed Jesus with implements of fire (John 18:3). Judas came to a sorrowful end (Matt 27:5; Acts 17:5).

Jerusalem was threatened by the Assyrian armies. In v2 God asks the question: why is there no man (to save)? All I need is someone like Moses, He is saying, so that I will show my great power and salvation through him (50:2, 51:9-10)?

Then in v4 the saviour is introduced. He was a man who would listen to God with an open ear. And that ear would be opened through his own suffering (v5-7). But who was that man?

The earlier chapters of Isaiah had prophecied of him. He would descend from Jesse (11:1) would have the spirit of knowledge and fear the Lord (11:2) and judge in righteousness and equity the meek of the earth (v3-4). Many of these characteristics are also picked up in the verses we've already looked at (50:4-10). Furthermore, this saviour would be able to slay Assyria with the breath of his lips (11:4). Would he be a miracle worker like Moses?

Hezekiah, born of the root of Jesse, appeared on the scene at age 25 and quietly began restoring worship of the true God. He was the man promised in these verses through whom God would save His people. During his ilness he further learned obedience and had his ear opened to instruction. So v9 picks up words from his prayer recorded in Psalm 102:23-26. And most importantly, as promised, it was through Hezekiah that God achieved salvation for Jerusalem by the breath of his lips (37:15-38).

Having understood the context of these prophecies, we can now look into the life of Hezekiah to see how these prophecies apply to Jesus too. How Jesus felt as a young man. The burden of needing to save his people. And how God worked through him by prayer and faith.

50:7 For ‘the Lord God will help me’ plays on the name of the king Hezekiah who was ruling at this time. His name means ‘helped of God’.

10 v.7 -The 'mystery of God' is the salvation which is available through God providing His son to die for our sins. [1 Timothy 3:16 1 Corinthians 2:7-10 Colossians 2:2-3]

11 v.11 - That 'the spirit of life from God entered into (the witnesses) and they stood upon their feet' is a great comfort to those who are afflicted.

10:7 has the fulfilment of the mystery of God - the gospel is now fully revealed. The use of Daniel 12 associates these events with the resurrection.

11:1 presents the temple of God. The quotations from Ezekiel highlight a fulfilment of those wonderful things which Ezekiel saw.

John, by the Spirit, is reminding his readers of a fundamental principle of God's dealings with man - He keeps no secrets from His servants.

The way in which the servants of God are clothed like David was when he fled from Absalom shows an attitude of mind.

10:2 The "little book opened" contrasts with the sealed book of  Rev 5:1

11:1 In being given "a reed like a rod" to measure the temple reminds us of what Ezekiel saw Eze 40:3

10:1The angel had a rainbow upon his head. Remember that a rainbow also surrounded the throne of Yahweh (4:3).  These were complete circles and not just the semi-circle that we are used to seeing in nature.  This completeness also contains the full range of colors in the spectrum.  Together these colors make white light.  The rainbows represent the immortalized saints who have been drawn from all nations (colors).  When they are all together, these saints constitute the whiteness of righteousness (19:7,8). 

The rainbow is also a sign of peace, as it was when given as a covenant after the flood (Gen 9:11-16).  When the returned Lord Jesus puts down His enemies, there shall be peace on the earth. 

10:11 In the Kingdom, it will be the role of the immortalized saints to teach the remaining mortal population the ways of Yahweh.

10:1 The one ‘clothes with a cloud’ answers to Dan 7:13. So this one is the glorious Christ. Daniel is speaking of the dominion that Christ will have over the bestial kingdoms.

11:5 The fire proceeding from the mouth is rather like Elisha calling down fire upon the bands of 50 – 2Kin 1:10.

11:8 In describing the city as ‘spiritually called …’ Jesus is describing a place which shows the characteristics of those two cities mentioned.

10:5-6 The lifting up of the hand and swearing by the one who lives forever draws together language from Dan 12:7, and Neh 9:6. Tow passages spoken in the context of the return from Babylon.

The seventh trumpet (in Rev 11:15) heralds again a picture of Christ’s kingdom. If we are following the continual historic meaning of Revelation, then we have arrived at the time of French Revolution, when the rich and important were killed. But the rejoicing in Rev 11:15-19 did not last.

11:1 The true followers of Jesus are considered the temple (2Cor 6:16). But, why are they being measured? They are being measured for persecution (2Tim 3:12).

11:2 Spiritual Israel constitutes the temple, while the Gentiles symbolize those who are not true believers.  Those unbelievers do not belong in the temple.  And so, they are relegated to the outer court.  It is these unbelievers who will persecute the true believers over the course of time. The time of 42 months is equal to 1260 days (30 days per month).  Traditional Christadelphian analysis has concluded that one day is a symbol for one year.  And so, the period of the persecution described would last 1260 years.  The problem is affixing an exact starting point. Certainly, the trouble began with Imperial Rome and extended into Ecclesiastical Rome.

11:3 Yahweh’s witnesses do not have to be believers.  Yahweh can and does use non-believers to carry out His will.  Cyrus is such an example (Isa 44:28).  And so, the two witnesses are such entities.  These witnesses represent two groups who are in opposition to the status quo, both political and religious. There have always been such groups and they very much alive today. Their function (unwittingly) is to smooth out some bumpy political and religious terrain to allow the Truth to survive.  They are the supporting cast to the main players, the saints.

Notice that the same length of time is shown as in v.2.  However, the two verses express this time differently: 42 months versus 1260 days.  The different expressions indicate different starting dates.

11:4 The olive trees and lamp stands are not quite the same in Revelation as those of Zechariah (Zech 4:3).  Zechariah has two olive trees standing beside one lamp stand, while Revelation has two olive trees each standing separately by a lamp stand (viz. two lamp stands).  For explanation, please see my note on Zechariah 4, for Dec. 21. 

11:5,6 The witnesses have no compunction in fighting the status quo, and for a time, will have the power to defeat their enemies.

11:7 But, the beast  (the papacy) will defeat the witnesses.

11:8 The city is Babylon, i.e. Rome, the crucifier of Christ (His brethren). And, just like arrogant Sodom and Egypt, Rome will pay the price for its actions against Yahweh’s children (Matt 18:6; Rev 18:21).

-To be continued in December’s Revelation Reading.

11:19 It might seem fashionable to identify those who ‘destroy the earth’ as a plea to conserve natural resources. However God always has the bigger picture in mind – and so should we – those who destroy the earth are those who have not time for tending ‘the garden of God’ – His people.