Acts 20:7-12
7"Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together. 9 And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down, fell {epepesen} on him, and embracing him said, “Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him.” 11 Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. 12 And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted."
The Holy Spirit is quite a story teller, isn't He? He has structured the Bible so it is multi-layered storehouse of treasure. Peel it back, layer by layer, like an onion, and you find the most amazing things! It is full of stories about every facet of Jesus' beauty, glory, majesty and humanity!
There are basically four levels of Bible study: Parshat, Remez, D’rash & Sod." Each layer is deeper than the one before.
#1: The first level is called "P’shat" (pronounced peh-shaht’). It means “simple." Basic truths and principles are learned by their study. All believers start out here. But God doesn't intend that we stay here but progress in the grace and the knowledge of the aloud Jesus Christ; that we move on to deeper levels.
Deeper meanings and understandings do not change the Bible in any way, of course. They are not "new revelations." They were always there. But just as your understanding of any other subject grows deeper and more detailed, so too our understanding of God's amazing book!
#2: The next level of study the rabbis call, "Remez" (pronounced reh-mez’) meaning “hint." This is where another (implied) meaning is alluded to in the text, usually revealling a deeper meaning. There may still be a p’shat meaning as well as another meaning as any verse can have multiple levels of meaning.
An example of implied Remez is Proverbs 20:10 – Different weights, and different measures, both of them are alike an abomination to the Lord. The p’shat would be concerned with a merchant using the same scale to weigh goods for all of his customers. The remez implies that this goes beyond this into aspects of fairness and honesty in anyone’s life.
#3: D'rash ( pronounced "deh-rash) is also called "Midrash." It is the third level of study. A Drash understanding can not be used to strip a passage of its p’shat meaning, nor may any such understanding contradict the p’shat meaning of any other scripture passage. As the Talmud states, “No passage loses its p’shat.” It uses scripture to interpret itself which it does very well.
This teaching, exposition or application of the P’shat and/or Remez, in some cases, could be considered comparable to a “sermon.” For instance, Biblical writers may take two or more unrelated verses and combine them to create a verse(s) with a third meaning.
A perfect example of "Midrash" is John 3 & 4. In Chapter 3, Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus by night. He had questions, as most religious people do, and he was afraid of other religious leaders finding out that he sought Jesus out for a private audience.
In the very next chapter, Jesus sought out a woman who was living in sin, a Gentile AND a Samaritan at that, a race of people hated by the Jews. HE CAME TO HER IN BROAD DAYLIGHT; high noon in fact! He also revealed Who He really was to her: The Promised Messiah. He didn't do that the the ruler, Nicodemus, notice. Amazing!
One came to Him in the dark; the other He purposely went looking for in broad daylight. Compare and contrasting chapters. The book of Luke is full of chapters compared side by side, demonstrating Grace contrasted with Law.
It is important to note that no layer contradicts or changes any other in any way.
#4: The 4th layer of Bible study is called the "Sod" (pronounced sewd or sood) It Means “hidden”. Im this layer of Bible study are found the hidden, secret or mystic meanings of the text. Some examples of this would be the dragon, whore of Babylon, and number “666,” all from the book of Revelation. Any meaning that is prophetic in nature would be a "Sod" interpretation.
It is down in the "sod," where you find what I like to call, "the story behind the words." Include a study of the Greek and Hebrew and you find that even the letters themselves reveal wonderful truths that warm and bless us with beautiful pictures of Jesus. That's how we are transformed, after all: By beholding His glory and beauty!
Eutychus.
On the surface, this is a story about a young man who sat in a window, presumably to get some fresh air. It's a hot climate, after all, and they were on the third floor. One could come away simply with a lesson about the dangers of falling asleep in Church. Remember, they were meeting together "on the first day do the week: Sunday."
If you've ever had anyone fall asleep during your sermon, don't feel too bad. This was the most famous preacher of all time, who wrote three fourths of the New Testament: The Apostle Paul himself! But, to be fair, he did talk a "bit" long; all evening in fact, up untill midnight! I'd be tired, too!
But our favorite story teller had more than that on His mind. He has a revelation that applies to us here in the 21stcentury. It's hidden in this story behind the words. Let's dig a little deeper and see what else He wants us to know.
Throughout scripture, there are typologies, meanings in numbers and in names, places and things. Our famous preacher, Paul, was in a THIRD-STORY room. He was preaching for a very lo-o-o-ong time, on the "THIRD HEAVEN." That's why the young man in the story, Eutychus, fell asleep in the first place.
His name in Hebrew means "good fortune." You wouldn't think he was having such good fortune, would you though, since he fell out of that very same THIRD STORY to his death!
You noticed the bold, capitalized words? The meanings of numbers in the Bible is called by the rabbis, "gematria: meaning of numbers." (For more on this topic, follow the link below:
"3," is the number of "resurrection." Jesus was resurrected on the third day. Eutychus fell out of a "3rd" floor window while Paul was preaching on the "3rd" heaven. He came down to where the fallen young man lay dead, fell on him and raised him from the dead!
The word in Greek here for fell is "epepesén," the same word as used in Acts 10:44 when the Holy Spirit "fell" on the Gentiles for the first time; He literally gave them a Holy Spirit "bear hug!" After
being brought back to life, Paul led the young man back upstairs and they "broke bread." In other words, they had communion.
being brought back to life, Paul led the young man back upstairs and they "broke bread." In other words, they had communion.
The mention of the "third story and third heaven," is a reference to events that will happen that will bless the church on the "third day."
2 Peter 3:8 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
You see, as God reckons time, a thousand years is as, or like, one day TO HIM. Doesn't say it's "exactly" a thousand years, but more or less that time frame. By that reckoning, Jesus has been gone from this earth only two days. When the year 2,000 dawned, we crossed over into the early dawn hours of the THIRD DAY.
It is noteworthy that he was a "young man." Why? Through this story of Eutychus, the Holy Spirit is painting a picture of today's youth.
Have you ever heard anyone express that the young generation seems so lost that they appear to be beyond hope---you know, DEAD---for all intents and purposes, as dead as this young man, Eutychus? Well guess what? THEY'RE NOT DEAD--not really. They're only "sleeping," like Jairus' daughter.
(For more on that topic, follow this link: http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2015/12/talitha-cumi.html)
What will bring them back to life? THE PREACHING OF THE REAL GOSPEL: "GRACE."
It is being restored to the Church in these last days! Like young Josiah who found the book of the law, read and began to follow it, commanding his people to do likewise, so the Real Gospel has been found and restored to us! It is spreading across the globe like so much Holy fire
accompanied by signs, wonders and people of all ages getting saved right, left, center!
accompanied by signs, wonders and people of all ages getting saved right, left, center!
The importance of taking communion weekly, even daily, is also being restored to the Church. It is being given it's rightful place and effecting the blessings it was intended to bestow on God's people.
Ministers who are preaching mixture, trying to "balance" grace with the law--WHICH GOD HATES--don't understand they are doing so; that they are actually harming the sheep. To be blunt: THEY ARE KILLING THEM. If they knew they were not preaching the true gospel, I'm sure they would cease. But thank God He is opening more and more eyes of those godly, well-meaning pastors.
In our day, thankfully, we are coming out of Babylon, meaning out of confusion. The stone--the law--is being rolled away, Halleluia! It will finally be rooted out and it's preachers replaced by shepherds who will feed the sheep, not beat them.
So, keep on keepin' on, people of grace. Keep on teaching the truth. A great true gospel revival is coming your way. And keep on looking and listening for the story behind the words.
