The Riddle: Out of the eater came forth meat; out of the strong came forth sweetness.
The answer: What is sweeter than honey and what is stronger than a lion?
Second Riddle: What has this got to do with End Time Prophetic Vision?
Second answer: A Lot!

Judges 14:
1 ¶ And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines.
2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
5- Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.
6 And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and [he had] nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.
7 And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.
8 And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, [there was] a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.
9 And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.
10 So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.
11 And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.
12 And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find [it] out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:
13 But if ye cannot declare [it] me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.
14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.
15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? [is it] not [so]?
16 And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told [it] me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told [it] my father nor my mother, and shall I tell [it] thee?
17 And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.
18 And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What [is] sweeter than honey? and what [is] stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.
19 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house. The Riddle speaks of the Word of God.
The lion is Jesus And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. Rev. 5.5 The lion died; he died for us, ("I am he that liveth and was dead …." Rev 1:18)
Inside the carcase of the Lion was found the honey.
The honey, the sweetness is the word of God. Then said Jonathan, …: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. 1 Sam 14;:29

And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: …. Rev 10:10

The meat (food) speaks of the word. Hebrews. 5 in discussing the word of righteousness tells us that meat is for them that are of full age.
The bible says that hidden in Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3 So this sweet meat [food] hidden inside the lion speaks of the Word of God, but especially it speaks of deep revelation and rich understanding of the Word. Hidden treasures of Wisdom. It speaks of mature insight into the Word.

The Philistines Couldn't Possibly Know the Answer.
In this story there was no way the Philistines could know the answer. They had to be totally clueless at to what Samson was talking about.
This agrees with the idea that the Riddle speaks of the Word of God. The Philistines are a type of the world. The natural man cannot understand the Word of God

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1Co 2:14 Samson is a Type of the Lord Jesus Christ
Just as Samson was dedicated to the Lord from birth, as a nazarite, Jesus was dedicated and separated to be the head of the church.
Samson is also a type of the resurrected Christ. Nothing could bind Him. Nothing could hold Him, not even death, hell and the grave.

His Wife is a Type of the Church

Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath …. Judges 14:5 There are three clues in this verse. 1. Samson went down; this speaks of Jesus coming down from Heaven. 2. Timnath means portion. This says Jesus came down to get His portion or inheritance. [The World] 3. He came to the vineyards of Timnath; vineyards speak of the Church.

The Church is His Harlot Bride. Samson kept going after a harlotous, Gentile bride. JESUS has done the same. Jesus' bride, the Church in many ways has been just as harlotous as Israel ever was and yet Jesus will purify her for she pleaseth him..

And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. Judges 14:3 Samson's Wife Couldn't Possibly Know the Answer either.
Now here I have to be careful. We just said that the natural man cannot know spiritual things. [The Word of God.] But the Church, surely is different! We are made up of born again believers, we are spiritual people aren't we?

Well recall that we said knowing the answer to the riddle speaks of Mature Insight into the Word. It means a depth of revelation. Can we say that about today's Church? Rather look back again to Hebrews 5:12

" For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat." Here we find a more accurate description of the state of the Church today. The strong meat is the answer to the riddle, but we are not ready!
Secondly it is impossible for us to know the answer because the Books are Sealed! But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Daniel 12;:4

Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. Isaiah 8:16

Revealing the Answer on the Seventh Day is a type of End Time Revival
The seventh day speaks of the Millenium or the end times which we are now in.

Revealing the Answer is the Revelation of Jesus Christ

And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. Rev. 5.5 Revealing the answer to the riddle is the same as opening the Book.
In the Book of revelation we see Jesus the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, opening the Book. In Judges 14:17 we see Samson revealing the answer to his wife. This speaks of nothing less than God Revealing Himself, because Jesus is the Word of God. And only God can reveal Himself. No man was found worthy to open the book. Man cannot comprehend God by his own efforts. God reveals Himself to man at the time of His choosing.
Notice also that the answer was not revealed to the wife until she wept before Him and pleaded for the answer. Doesn't this speak of deep repentance that we know must come to the Church?

The Lesson
So we see that Samson revealing the answer to the riddle to his wife is that same as Jesus revealing Himself to the Church! Notice what happens next!

… and she told the riddle to the children of her people. Judges 14:17 As soon as she knew the answer, she turned around and told the other Philistines. Isn't this what the Church is required to do? To reveal Jesus to a lost and dying world, marked for judgment? So we see that when and only when we receive the Revelation of Jesus Christ will we really be able to impart that to the lost. [Previous Article] [Next Article]

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