Eyes to see and ears to hear – Acts 20

I think it is pointless to argue whether man or God wrote the bible.  We cannot set God on a table, and much of what is believed is by faith.  That being said, we are told in the bible that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  There is a difference though in the use of the word “Word”.  Sometimes it is logos or rhema in the Greek.  One is the actual written word and one is the Holy Spirit inspired word.  Both are applicable, but you cannot prove when you experience a Rhema.  Often it’s while reading the logos that rhema is experienced. You’ve read the text a thousand times before and suddenly it goes from it’s milk meaning in your heart to a much deeper meaning and understanding which we would call MEAT.  I had that one day in reading in the book of Acts.  It was a great moment.  It revolved around the one who fell asleep while sitting in a window sill.  They fell out of the window possibly covered with some lattice.  There is a huge significance to this story for me.

Act 20:7  And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Act 20:8  And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.
Act 20:9  And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
Act 20:10  And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.
Act 20:11  When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
Act 20:12  And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

This to me points to not becoming weary in the late hours as the disciples were warned over and over by Jesus to remain awake with oil in their lamps.  There are some clues in the Greek as well.

Act 20:9  And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus,G2161 being fallen into a deep sleep:G5258 and as Paul was long preaching,he sunk downG2702 withG575 sleep,G5258 and fell down fromG575 the third loft, andG2532 was taken up G142 dead.
Act 20:10  And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his lifeG5590 is in him.

I know this is a lot of Greek to look at, but this is how I find the gems hidden in the word.  Let’s go from each Greek word and see if a deeper meaning becomes apparent in these two verses:

The young mans name is Eutychus

G2161
Εὔτυχος
Eutuchos
yoo’-too-khos
From G2095 and a derivative of G5177; well fated, that is, fortunate; Eutychus, a young man: – Eutychus.

For me, this man symbolizes the young believer in Yeshua.  He is well fated and fortunate.  But, what did Yeshua warn the disciples of for the virgin not to fall asleep, right? Virgin denotes someone who is young usually.

Act 20:9  And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus,G2161 being fallen into a deepG901 sleep:G5258 and as Paul was long preaching,he sunk downG2702 withG575 sleep,G5258 and fell down fromG575 the third loft, andG2532d was taken up G142 dead.
Act 20:10  And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his lifeG5590 is in him.

Then we see he has fallen into a deep sleep due to Paul’s long preaching and later we learn it was midnight, and if you read verse 8 you see there were many lights in the chamber so more than likely it was hot with all those people and lights.  What about the words deep sleep though

G901
βαθύς
bathus
bath-oos’
From the base of G939; profound (as going down), literally or figuratively: – deep, very early.

G5258
ὕπνος
hupnos
hoop’-nos
From an obsolete primary (perhaps akin to G5259 through the idea of subsilience); sleep, that is, (figuratively) spiritual torpor: – sleep.

Deep seems to indicate to me that he fell early before the right time into a spiritual torpor.  I had to look up torpor just to be sure of what it meant, and my online dictionary says

tor·por  (tôrpr)
n.
1. A state of mental or physical inactivity or insensibility.
2. Lethargy; apathy. See Synonyms at lethargy.
3. The dormant, inactive state of a hibernating or estivating animal.

So, the young man cannot remain awake in the late hour (hour of the anti-Christ) becomes insensitive and is apathetic and falls into a spiritual sleep.

Verse 9 continues to say Paul was long in preaching and the young man sunk down and that is our next interesting word, “down”

G2702
καταφέρω
katapherō
kat-af-er’-o
From G2596 and G5342 (including its alternate); to bear down, that is, (figuratively) overcome (with drowsiness); specifically to cast a vote: – fall, give, sink down.

Here we see it’s not just settling its as if there is a struggle where one is pressed down and overcome and look at that other aspect of casting a vote. That is about choosing and we are warned a false one will come and except those days be cut short the deception or pressing against the truth by the evil one, even the very elect chosen from the foundation of the world would not make it.   But, the days are cut short, and they will make it!

So, the young man falls from the third loft.  I cannot recall where I got the imagery of the window having lattice except maybe it’s my knowledge of the Middle East and ancient home structures that they would often put lattice up for privacy.  So, the young man may have felt safe sitting in the window with this lattice and in his comfort (knowledge of salvation in Yeshua, he became lethargic and fell into the lies of deception and appeared as dead spiritually).

Let’s see verse 9 again

Act 20:9  And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

Such a simple word “and”, but it’s not the same and all the time. This time is is G2532 in the Strong’s Concordance and mean

G2532
καί
kai
kahee
Apparently a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so, then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words: – and, also, both, but, even, for, if, indeed, likewise, moreover, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yea, yet.

That word taken is G142

G142
αἴρω
airō
ah’ee-ro
A primary verb; to lift; by implication to take up or away; figuratively to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind); specifically to sail away (that is, weigh anchor); by Hebraism (compare [H5375]) to expiate sin: – away with, bear (up), carry, lift up, loose, make to doubt, put away, remove, take (away, up).

This young one is taken by the anti-Christ. He (church / bride)  is made to doubt and put away the truth he has known.  We are warned in Matthew about those taken over by the anti-Christ. Two are in the field working one is taken and one is left.  Some Christians who believe in the rapture doctrine will say, “Praise God, I hope I am taken”, No they don’t, for they will be taken by the false one playing Yeshua /bridegroom, and that is why we are warned to pray our flight not be in winter or that we are not pregnant or nursing, why?  Because it’s figurative.  The harvest time is summer not winter. If you are taken in winter, you are harvested out of season. If you are pregnant and nursing a child when your true bridegroom Yeshua comes, then whose baby figuratively / spiritually are you carrying and nursing along? Why, the anti-Christ’s teachings who is pretending to be Yeshua!  Notice they run to Yeshua on the seventh trump crying “Lord Lord, we preached in your name, cast out demons and healed in your name” and Yeshua says, “Get away from me you workers of iniquity, I never KNEW you”.

Have you ever talked about the use of the word “knew” in the New Testament?   To biblically know someone is a polite way to say, have sexual intercourse.  Let’s compare to sections of the bible and see if what I say is true:

Mat 7:23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knewG1097 you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Mat 1:24  Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
Mat 1:25  And knewG1097 her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

G1097
γινώσκω
ginōskō
ghin-oce’-ko
A prolonged form of a primary verb; to “know” (absolutely), in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as shown at left, with others not thus clearly expressed): – allow, be aware (of), feel, (have) known (-ledge), perceive, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand.

Two simple words, “and” followed by “Taken” and we see exactly what Yeshua was warning of elsewhere in scripture!  Not only that, they fly away!  Fly away with whom? Why with the anti-Christ by believing lies, false teachers, and made up doctrines like the rapture and astrotheology or mythicism.  God even makes fun of that fly away rapture doctrine teaching in Ezekiel:

Eze 13:18  And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?
Eze 13:19  And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?
Eze 13:20  Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.

The sewing pillows refers to the false teachings which enable the lies of the evil one to fool the children of god.  Polluting God’s truth and image to make a buck by spreading these false teachings and lies.  God says he is against these false teachings called pillows that cause people to believe the lie and he says, make the “fly”.  Put two pillows under your arm and what happens to your arms? Look at this rapture image and imagine spiritual pillows stuck in their armpits. Just ready to fly away.

So, we see the images coming in a simple verse in Acts 20.  Some can read over that passage over and over and then one day a light bulb, Rhema understanding comes as if driving a point home.

It’s late at night, it’s hot and the young man feels secure and he falls out of a window appearing dead.  let’s see what other gems are in that example.  I mean they could have put lots of things in the bible, but why this passage? Could it be something for the deeper student to pick up on, but only revealed if you study it more deeply?

Let’s look at verse 10 now with the significant words and their Greek numbers in the Strong’s Concordance:

Act 20:10  And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his lifeG5590 is in him.

We are told Paul goes down and embraces the youth (I suggest reading my early stuff here on Paul to see what I think of him based on the bible.  It’s not a popular viewpoint, I can say that)  and we see his life is in him. What of that word life

G5590
ψυχή
psuchē
psoo-khay’
From G5594; breath, that is, (by implication) spirit, abstractly or concretely (the animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from G4151, which is the rational and immortal soul; and on the other from G2222, which is mere vitality, even of plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew [H5315], [H7307] and [H2416]: – heart (+ -ily), life, mind, soul, + us, + you.

He is not spiritually dead.  He has breath in him.  He rises and returns to the room where we read

Act 20:11  When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
Act 20:12  And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

He is raised up which is figurative of the 7th trump where all the spiritually dead are raised not just believers, but all are changed and and given new bodies for the millennial day of the Lord.  The evil one we know is locked up 1000 years and what of this bread he is eating.  The word of God is spoken of as bread. Jesus broke the bread and said it was his body. Jesus is the word made flesh.  We are told elsewhere that the famine of the last days is not for bread, but for hearing the word of the Lord.  We are also told that in the millennium the truth will be taught without the lies of the evil one.  So, this one who fell to the anti-Christ has a 1000 years to get the truth down right.  It comforted those who did not fall asleep to know this one is alive again and learning truth.

All of that hidden in these simple three verses:

Act 20:9  And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.
Act 20:10  And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.
Act 20:11  When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.