Above Forty

Could "being beaten with more than forty stripes" relate to the Church in Tribulation and God's judgment on Babylon?

FORTY (40): TESTING – ELECT BEATEN IN TRIBULATION – CONTROVERSY IN THE CHURCH WITH UNRIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT?

De 25:1 If there be a controversy <07379> between men <0582>, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked. (Controversy: cause, strife, contention…)

Isa 41:11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they <0582> that strive <07379> with thee shall perish.

De 19:17 Then both the men <0582>, between whom the controversy <07379> is, shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;

De 17:8 If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy <07379> within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;

Ps 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

Pr 17:15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.

Isa 5:23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Joh 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Lu 18:2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

Lu 18:6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

Lu 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

NOT TO EXCEED FORTY: COMMAND NOT TO KILL IN TRIBULATION?

De 25:2 And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.

De 25:3 Forty stripes (40) he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many <07227> stripes <04347>, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee. (vile: condenmed, despised).

Nu 11:33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great <07227> plague <04347>.

Jer 3:25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.

Eze 4:4 Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity.

Eze 4:5 For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days (390): so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

Eze 4:6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days (40): I have appointed thee each day for a year. (390+40=430) or (40-1=39)

BEATEN ABOVE FORTY: ELECT KILLED IN TRIBULATION - UNJUST JUDGE ADMINISTERING MANY STRIPES?

Ga 1:13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

2Co 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

Ac 16:23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them (Paul and Silas), they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

Re 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Mt 18:30 And he (wicked servant) would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

Mt 21:38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

Re 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

LESS THAN OR EQUAL TO 40 SALVATION: ELECT NOT BEATTEN ABOVE MEASURE?

2Co 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty {stripes} save one (40-1=39).

Lu 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Mt 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

ABOVE 40 SALVATION: ELECT REDEEMED FROM JUDGMENT?

Ac 4:22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed. (Peter and John making a lame man walk)

Mt 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

Lu 13:11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself….

Lu 13:12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.

Joh 5:5,8 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years…. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

SUBSTITUTION JUDGMENT: CHRIST BEATEN ABOVE FORTY (JUDGED) ON BEHALF OF THE ELECT?

Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

2Sa 7:14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Ps 89:31 If they (Christ’s children) break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;

Ps 89:32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

JUDGMENT: THE WICKED ARE BEATTEN ABOVE FORTY WITH NO REDEMPTION – GOD RECOMPENSING EVIL FOR EVIL?

Lu 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes (above 40 – judgment?)

Lu 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Ex 21:22 If men strive (controversy), and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

Ex 21:23-25 And if any mischief (evil, harm, hurt) follow, then thou shalt give life for life,… Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,… Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Re 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Mt 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Re 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

SUMMARY CONCLUSION

God appears to be associating the number 40 where stripes are administered with tribulation and eternal judgment. In tribulation, the wicked beat the elect with many stripes, exceeding 40. Because of this God causes them to also be beaten above 40. Because Christ had taken on stripes on behalf of the elect, they are said to receive less stripes since they come out of tribulation.