SAMSON, HERO OF THE FAITH
GREG HEATH
<Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
For by it the elders obtained a good report.> Hebrews 11:1-2
Hebrews 11:32 < 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:>
Judges 16:27-28 <Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. >
“Samson, Hero of the Faith.”
In Samson’s day, it was a time when God’s children were sorely in need of deliverance. It is the same today in the hour that we live. We see that man is full of himself; man is rich in the natural things of life, but sorely, sorely in need of deliverance for the soul. We see that in Samson’s day and hour God saw the need of deliverance. God brought that about by sending down an angel to a little woman.
That’s just the way the whole thing got started in our
day and hour—by the appearance of an angel. Through the appearance of
that angel, it brought forth a man to deliver God’s children. His name
was William Marrion Branham. I want to type out Samson’s early life as
the ministry of the
We can see that through that angel of God coming down, a man of God was brought on the scene. That angel spoke to that woman there. (It doesn’t tell what her name was; it just tells what her husband’s name was.) When that angel appeared to that woman and told her that she was going to have a son, she went and told her husband about it. She didn’t say she saw an angel, she said she saw a man of God. Many times, people may see a man of God and not realize that they came in contact with the angel of the Lord, like Revelation 10:7.
Revelation 10:7 <But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.>
We found out this “seventh angel” to be William Marrion Branham, whom the Lord used to open up the mysteries of the Bible.
He made a promise to her that she was going to have a son. So she went and told her husband about it. She said, “Well, I saw this man of God–he kind of looked like an angel.” He said, “Well, what did he say to you?” And she started telling her husband how that the very first part of that message was on holiness.
Whenever you come in contact with a man of God that is bringing forth the message brought by the angel of the Lord, it will always be about holiness and how you should live; about the things of God and what He wants you to do. The angel that spoke to that little woman told her that when this man came, he would start to bring deliverance.
We had a man of God, Brother Branham, come in our day and our hour to start to bring deliverance to God’s children. Brother Branham preached a message of holiness and a return to Pentecost; he also had the Power of God.
Samson grew up. When the time came for him to start his work, the Lord led him and he went about the country in that day and that hour performing miracles. He was very misunderstood. We’ve all read about Samson so I’m not going to get into all the little details of it, but I just want to go more on the fact of how Samson went around performing miracles. The great things he did were in a natural form in that day and hour. It was in destroying the Philistine enemy that would steal all the crops and would kill the people and torment God’s children.
One of the things that I always marveled at with Samson was that day he ripped those gates off the city and carried them up on the hill! Those gates were the only defense that the people had back there. They just had swords and spears so they would build these big high walls. This wasn’t some little stone wall or something. These were great big high walls to protect the people. You would need ladders to climb up on them so you could see over them. The people of the city tried to lock Samson in there overnight so that they could kill him in the morning, but he ripped those gates off that city.
But we see that in all the miracles and all the things that Samson did, Samson had one real big problem, and that was he kept company with the wrong kind of woman. He kept going to those harlots out there. We see that Samson did that—he kept going to those harlots and it kept causing problems. However, the Lord used it and did many miracles through it. But it finally came around to the place that the weakness that Samson had in going to those harlots finally hooked him up with that woman, Delilah. It came to the place that Samson finally made a big mistake when he sold out the secrets of the Lord to that harlot. We see that Samson made that terrible mistake there and revealed the secrets of the Lord and it cost him very, very dearly. It caused Samson to lose his power.
TYPE OF THE EARLY CHURCH,
Now Samson
is a type of the early Church, which had its original covenant in effect by the
Power that they received on the day of Pentecost. Jesus told the
disciples to go up to
Luke 24:49 <And, behold, I send the promise of my
Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of
The early Church, like Samson, received Power on the
day of Pentecost, and they went for many years with that Power of God upon them
doing mighty signs, miracles, and wonders, until they came to the place called
Nicea,
When you can’t see the Word of God correctly, then you
are spiritually blind. That is why we went through the time of the Dark
Ages and we’ve come right up to that hour of
Revelation 3:14 < And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;>
Revelation 3:17 <Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:>
That is why God had to send a prophet today to bring back and restore the original Faith and point the children back to what our spiritual forefathers received, and that was an Outpouring of the Holy Ghost—Pentecost.
When people say, “It was all in Brother Branham. There’s nothing more after Brother Branham; we’re just waiting on the rapture;” then it shows that they are like Samson, blinded, without the Power of God and needing that covenant reinstated in their life. You need that Power of God to change your body so that you will be qualified for the rapture. Without that Power of God to change you, you cannot go in the rapture. The early Church, just like Samson, lost the great Power of God. Oh, if we could only realize the pitiful condition of the church today!
Samson got mixed up with the wrong woman, so much so that his hair was cut off, he lost that great strength, the power of God, and his eyes were put out. Then they were able to subdue Samson, and they put him in shackles and different things and put him on a grinding mill.
Back in that day, they did not have electricity or machines to grind their corn and wheat. They used to have two great big millstones, one on the top of the other, held just a certain distance apart. Then they would have a mule or horses pull a beam attached to the grindstone to turn it around and around. They would pour that corn in there and the stones would grind it. So, because of Samson’s great strength, they made him take the part of that mule and that horse. He had to go around and around, day after day, grinding corn for the enemy.
That is the very place–the very picture that we see of the followers of Brother Branham today. We see them in a place where they have no light–their eyes have been put out. They are in darkness and blindness just going round and round grinding out one heresy after another—around and around, grinding for the enemy. What a sore situation! What a pathetic situation! That is the place that we find the people of God around the world today sitting under these blind preachers grinding out these heresies. The poor people are blind. They don’t know which way to turn. They know that God sent a prophet. They know they need more than they have today, but they don’t know where to turn. They don’t know what to do.
But in all of the grinding that went on, (those heresies were being churned out and it was a seemingly hopeless situation) there was a little something taking place that the enemy didn’t know about—a little secret, as Brother Branham said, “…on the back side of the desert.” While all that grinding was going on, Samson’s anointing and Samson’s power was slowly coming back to him.
As his hair grew down the back of his head again, can you just picture it? Samson going around and around and around on that mill, pulling that thing, sweating, and the misery that he must have been in. How sad Samson must have been. I can just see him going around there praying to God, crying for deliverance, knowing the terrible mistake that he had made, and seeing how it had cost God’s children.
When God’s children were supposed to be delivered, here he was just going round and round. I can imagine him going there praying to the Lord and crying and repenting and asking the Lord if there was some way He could help him. Maybe he would reach back, feel that hair and feel that anointing, that Spirit, like we felt the other night. Down in his heart he would feel that anointing, that strength start to come back on him. He would start crying, “Lord, one more time!”
The Bride and the church’s cry today should be, “Lord, send a revival; send the Promise; send another Pentecost; send the Outpouring of the Holy Ghost. Lord, bring back the same Power that the early Church had!”
You know the enemy thought it was all over, they thought they had defeated the work of God. The secrets of the Lord had been lost—seemingly. The power that God’s children had seen on display seemingly was lost. And as he would feel that anointing upon him, that strength starting to surge through his body once again, he would cry, “Lord, one more time! Deliver thy children once more, Lord!” He would remember the revivals of the days gone past, the great things that the Lord had done, and he would ask the Lord, “Lord, once more!”
That is the place God’s children are in today—in desperate need of deliverance. All the grinding going on around the country, but God saw the tears. God heard the cries. There was a fixed time that God had for deliverance.
Certain things had to happen before that deliverance
could take place. Samson’s hair had to grow back out. The
Those Philistines were having their great big celebration and they wanted to bring Samson out to show the people so that they could make fun of him. Let’s look into this great scene. Oh, the Philistines were having themselves a great big celebration. Then they called for their big prize to be brought out: Samson. Can you see it: a little boy leading the great Samson out into the arena so they could mock him? Here he comes—a blind man—stumbling, staggering along.
They had had many shows; the drunken revelry had gone on all day, celebrating the victories of Dagon, their god, over the God of Israel. Now it was time for the big event. Here comes blind Samson led by a little boy. What a disgrace! All because Samson had failed to carry out the things God had called him to do.
That’s what happened to the
What a disgrace! Going along blind, powerless; stumbling along. Samson still had the same bone and muscle, but he had lost the Power of God. The blessings of God had left him.
The Church today has the framework; they have the written Word, but because of sin, the Church is powerless. In the day we live in, the followers of the message should be in the Glory and Power of God. But instead of going on with God, the people let the things of the world creep back into the Church. They let holiness slip. The television came back in the homes; and the people have turned to sports to entertain themselves instead of seeking God and His promised Outpouring of Power.
Here is Samson, standing there as a symbol of the Church; morally fallen, corrupted, blind, and powerless. He had to be led by a lad because he had no eyes.
Brother Branham showed us in the Scriptures and types that God wants to pour out His Spirit in our age. But because of blindness, the followers of the message walk right over the top of it. They cannot see that God has an end time Outpouring of Power for His Church.
Here stands Samson in front of the Philistines. The people said to themselves, “Is this the ‘Great Samson’ that conquered our armies and killed them by the thousands?” They remembered the day Samson picked up the jawbone of a mule, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, Samson defeated their solders even though they were wearing armor. They remembered the time they locked Samson in the city and he ripped out the big brass gates and carried them up a hill. They remembered how Samson brought fear to every heart of the Philistines. In amazement they thought, “Could this blind, helpless man be that ‘Great One’?”
We can look back and see the great Power the
RESTORATION PROMISED
God made a Promise in Joel chapter 2, verses 23 through 25 that down here in the end time He would restore. Brother Branham brought the people back to the Word, but that was only part of what God promised. In Joel chapter 2, verse 28 and 29, God promised that he would pour out His Spirit once again, and the people would go forth as a mighty army. Though an Outpouring of the Holy Spirit is all through Brother Branham’s message, many of the followers of the message blindly walk right over it. They just can’t see it. Just like Samson, so many today are blind.
Joel 2:23-29 <Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
Hear stands Samson who let a woman take away his power
and his sight. The
Revelation 3:17 <Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:>
We see Samson standing here in the arena being mocked by the Philistines. He’s broken and defeated, blind and powerless; but what the Philistines don’t know is that in Samson’s heart, he’s a changed man. He lost his power because he disobeyed God’s Word. Samson, in his defeat and humiliation, has come to a place that he is willing to pay the price for the return to power so he can defeat the enemy. Samson knows that the price for return to power is death. With tears in his eye sockets, he was repenting, crying out to God, making his heart right with God. How long had Samson repented and pleaded with God while he was going around and around, grinding corn for the enemy. Now he was willing to pay the price. He was willing to die, for he knew that was the cost. Here he stands in the arena, tears welling out of the empty sockets, running down his face pleading to God, “Send your Power once more Lord; that’s all I ask Lord, I am willing to die.”
If the Church can only come to that place where they are willing to die out to this world then they could get back to God. Instead, we see the followers of the message bringing back the television, competing in ball games, and the people have let Holiness slip. If the Church in this end time is ever to receive the Outpouring of the Holy Ghost Power that she is promised, it will take a people that are willing to pay the price, and that price is to die out to the things of the world. She must purge her heart from all worldliness and seek after the things of God and His Promise of an Outpouring of Holy Ghost Power.
Here stands Samson in such a pitiful condition—defeated and disgraced before his enemy, but he is in a condition where God can use him greatly one last time. With tears running down his cheeks, he reached back and felt the hair that had grown back, that he had let a woman take from him. His hair had been a covenant between God and him. As he ran his hand over his hair, he felt the stirring of the Holy Spirit—that anointing and presence—and knew that God would have mercy on him. He had the lad lead him over to the pillars that held up the arena. Now Samson was in the place and in the condition that God wanted him to be. Samson’s life was completely surrendered to God, and he was willing to give his life in order for God to return his power.
As Samson stood there, the crowds roaring praising their god, Dagon, for his victory over Samson and the God of Israel, Samson stood there with his hands on the pillars crying out to God, pleading, “Once more, Lord. Oh Lord, send your Power down one more time.” That is the cry of the Church today, “Once more, Lord. Send Your Power down on your Church. We cry, Lord, just once more.”
LET THERE COME A SOUND FROM HEAVEN ONCE MORE
Quote W.M.B.: Let there be a camp meeting on the side of a hill, like there was on the hill at the Upper Room. Let there come a sound from Heaven, like a rushing mighty wind, fill all the house, visible evidence of the resurrected Christ.
’Just once more, Lord, just once more,’ he cried. As he cried out, in sincerity, standing there, and his blinded eyes. ‘I know the price, Lord, but just once more!’
The God answers prayer. He felt the fibers tightening. His muscles begin to take hold. His leg strength begin to come back. He said to the little boy, "Lead me to the post now."
’Lead me, Lord, lead me. Lead me to the post, to
When he begin to feel them muscles tighten with the power of God, he didn't have to see what was taking place, he felt what was taking place.
Friends, there is a possibility that this church, in this state... There is a possibility. There is a possibility right here in this camp meeting. There is a possibility right here at this hour. There is a possibility, if we're ready to pay the price, we can see another Acts 2 take place. O Lord, Just Once More V-20 N-10 63-0628M.
Quote: 232 We've broke up our brotherhood. We've separated our fellowship. We've took a little group over here. We're fighting with one another, and the devil is sitting back, watching us whip one another down. Lord, is it possible that once more that all hundred and twenty of us can be in one accord in one place? Is it possible that there come a sound from Heaven, as a rushing mighty wind? Once more, Lord, once more!"
Let's stand to our feet, and say, "Once more, Lord! Once more, Lord!"
O Lord God, hear me, Lord. Once more, Lord! Once more send the Spirit upon this camp meeting, in power and glory! Oh Lord, Just Once More 63-0628.
May God bless you all, Amen.