How Samson is a Picture of the Messiah

Considering what happened to Samson, how could he be a picture of the Messiah? However, not everything about a biblical character has to fit exactly, but there are aspects to his birth and death that tells us a great deal about Yeshua. Remember, Yeshua said that these stories in the Tanak taught about him (Luke 24.27). The story of Samson is a major picture, so we will give two examples, starting with his birth, and then at his death. We will not go into major detail here, but give enough information to show he is a picture of Yeshua

The story of his birth is given in Judges 13.1-25, and to catch the messages God has placed in the Scriptures you need to know the Scriptures and the basic laws of interpretation. You will also need to look up the meanings of the Hebrew words used. Every detail means something, even down to directions, height, length, geography, history and much more. Samson’s father lived in Zorah, meaning “she was stricken with leprosy (zara’at).” He will be a picture of unbelieving Israel stricken with sin. He was from the tribe of Dan, meaning “judge:” His name is Manoach, meaning “rest.” This story will be similar to Miriam (Mary) and Joseph also. Having no children, an angel appears to his wife who will be a picture of the believing remnant of Israel. Her name is not mentioned. The angel appears and promises her a son. She seems to be a Nazarite (Num 6) based on the injunctions given to her in Judges 13.4, and her son will be a lifetime Nazarite (Judges 13.5). A Nazarite is totally separated to Yehovah and cannot cut his hair, touch the dead or drink wine or eat grapes, raisins, etc. All of these allude back to the garden of Eden.

She tells her husband, and Manoach prays that the angel will appear again (13.8), and the angel appears again to his wife (believing Israel) who was in the field (Israel in the world waiting for the promised son to appear). She tells Manoach the “man” she spoke to has come (13.10), and he obediently responds by following her to the man, and he asks the angel if he was the “man” who had spoken with his wife (13.11), and he tells him about the promised son. This alludes to the believing Jewish remnant telling unbelieving Israel about Yeshua. Manoach invites the man to eat, but the angel said “No” but tells Manoach to offer a burnt offering to Yehovah (13.16) Unbelieving Israel can have no communion with God until Yeshua has been accepted.

But Manoach does not know that he was an angel of the Lord, and he asks him what his name was, just like Israel does not know who Yeshua is. They see him as a “man” but not the angel (messenger) of the Lord sent by God to bring salvation. The angel says his name is “hidden” (13.18) and that is what Jacob asks in Gen 32, and exactly what Isa 9.6 says about Messiah. Manoach is now together with his wife at the altar which alludes to Israel’s acceptance of Yeshua as a nation. The angel ascends in the flame of the burnt offering meaning his offering is accepted, alluding to the fact that the Father has accepted Yeshua’s offering, and they are still alive. We can have the same assurance that our offering (Yeshua) is accepted by the Father giving us “new life” in him. They name the boy “Shimshon” (written as Samson) which means “sunshine” and that alludes to the Messiah who is the “sun of righteousness” in Mal 4.2, who will arise (Luke 1.78) with “healing in his wings.” The word for “wings” is “kanaf” which means “corners.” The tzitzit or “fringes” were hung on the corners of the garment, or “talit”, which was an outer garment. Yeshua came with healing in his wings (corners) when people touched his tzitzit hanging on the corners of his garment (talit), and were literally healed (Mark 5.25-29; 6.56). Now let’s discuss briefly about the death of Samson and how it alludes to Yeshua in Judges 17.18-31.

Samson had his hair cut, and he is captured by the Philistines, where he is blinded, mocked and abused. The Philistines took Samson to their pagan temple to be paraded as a sign that their god Dagon was more powerful than Yehovah.. They made him stand between two pillars, like Yeshua was crucified between two thieves. Samson prays that God will remember him and give him the strength one last time to avenge the loss of his eyes. He spread out his arms and grasped the two pillars, one on his right and the other on his left (17.29), like Yeshua did when his arms were spread out to be crucified. This also alludes to Yeshua being the “mediator” between two opposites, God and man. Samson says, “Let me die with the Philistines” and Samson bent with all his might so that the house fell on all the people inside the temple. This alludes to the destruction of the house of Ha Satan and all his followers, and victory was accomplished by his death. Then his brothers and all his father’s household came down, took him, brought him up, and buried him (Yeshua was buried by those who loved him) between (alludes to being a mediator) Zorah (she was smitten with leprosy) and Eshtaol, meaning, “I will be enthroned.” Yeshua was the mediator between those smitten with sin so that we can be enthroned with him in the heavenlies (Eph 2.6).

Hopefully, with just these two examples, we can see that Samson is one of the best pictures of the Messiah we have in Scriptures.