Again, Samaria is that ruling class of church leaders (the mountain) who cause others to continue to follow after idols (Baal worshipl)..
(Amos 6:1 KJV) Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
The leaders, who enjoy the status quo of the chuch, trust in their positions (the mountain of Samaria)...they are at ease.. Jesus gives them time to repent but THEY DO NOT. They do NOT grieve at the condition of the church. They are DRUNK.
(Amos 6:6 KJV) That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
They are complacent...they think in their hearts that God will do nothing good or bad to them. Little do they know the day of the Lord is at the door:
(Zep 1:12 KJV) And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.
They drink wine in bowls...indicating drunkeness with their positons and falsehoods...they are referred to as the drunkards of Ephraim (of the church)..the crown of pride who have fattened themselves at the expense of those underneath them and whose glory will depart by the judgement of God :
Isaiah 28:
28:1 Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!
2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.
3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
Again, this is echoed by Jesus in Luke 12:
45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
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.
They say in their hearts that the Lord's coming is still far off and so they "beat" those underneath them...they don't feed them or give them drink spiritually and those who swear by the sin of Samaria do not expect the time of their visitation too soon.
(Amos 8:14 KJV) They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.
Just as a side note...the tribe of Dan is not on the list of those 144,000 who are sealed in Revelation.
As Jesus stated, they think that the Lord delays his coming....when they hear the words of prophecy they think it for a far off time...knowing not that it applies to them and is about to happen. The Lord comes as a thief in the night. Those who drink are drunk in the night.
(Ezek 12:27 KJV) Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.
12:28 Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.
But before the Day of the Lord comes upon them, there is a call to repent....to return to the Lord...to throw away the idols and worship God in spirit and truth.
Hosea 14:
14:1 O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
3 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
6 His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
7 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
In fact Jesus calls for us to witness to Samaria. Even though the following verse was an immediate command to his disciples, it was forward-looking as well. If you follow the context before it, it speaks of the timing of the end of the age:
Acts 1:
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Jesus came to Samaria ...he must go to the spiritual land of Samaria also:
(John 4:4 KJV) And he must needs go through Samaria.
Then Jesus comes to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar which means "intoxication, strong wine, drunkard".....hence, comes to the town of "drunkards" in Samaria seeking those who are interested in the true, living water....to worship God in truth and spirit. He comes to the church that has been beaten by those who are drunken (the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to Joseph near the city of Sychar "intoxication").
(John 4:5 KJV) Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
4:6 KJV) Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
It was about the sixth hour....which is high noon...the hottest time. The SUN must be BEATING down.
A woman of Samaria comes for water....the people of God are thirsty under the leadership of the drunkards of the church...there is no knowledge:
Isaiah 5:
11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.
13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
(John 4:7 KJV) There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
4:8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
The woman of Samaria has no knowledge...she asks questions...the people of God have languished with hunger and thirst underneath the leadership of the church...they have no knowledge. They are spiritually poor and needy.
(John 4:10 KJV) Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
We are to ask Jesus for knowledge because we are not getting it from those at "church". He chastens those he loves and will come to us with spiritual food and water if we hear him knock and open the door....if we hear the Lord's voice ( as the woman of Samaria heard him ask.)....if we recognize the Lord's voice, ASK for the living water and he will give it to you!
Rev 3:
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
4:11The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
4:12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
4:13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
The woman asks Jesus for the living water:
(John 4:14 KJV) But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
4:15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
The Lord will have mercy on those who have suffered underneath their cruel masters (church leaders)....they are spiritually poor and needy...the Lord will hear them and wil not forsake them...He will give them LIVING WATER
(Isa 41:17 KJV) When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
The Lord will lead the hungry and thirsty among God's people to the springs of water...He has mercy on them. The heat nor sun will not smite them....the drunkards will no longer beat those underneath them...they will no longer cause the people of God to follow their ways. Blessed is he who the Lord finds him giving the people of God their meat (knowledge) in due season. The woman at the well was there at the sixth hour......high noon.
(Isa 49:10 KJV) They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.
But woe to the servant that is drunk and beats those underneath him:
45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
The sun shall go down:
(Micah 3:6 KJV) Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.
Why?? Because they hate the good and love the evil and mistreat the people of God under their care.
2 Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
3 Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
The people underneath them will leave them and go to the mountain of the house of the Lord which will be established in the TOP of the mountains. The sun of the church leaders will never beat against the people again.
(John 4:16 KJV) Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
The woman says "I have no husband"....the Lord is our husband but because of the idols of the church (Ephraim is joined to his idols), we have commited adultry and have been forsaken....widowhood. The Christian church worships the Lord but yet has idols.
(John 4:17 KJV) The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
4:18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
I suspect the answer of the five husbands is shown in 2 Kings 17:24 which shows the king of Assyria ( the one sent as judgement on the Christian church) brings men into the church (placing them in the cities of Samaria... making them leaders of the church) who are symbolically representations of men from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, and from Sepharvaim...which is 5 nations = 5 husbands. They POSSESSED Samaria...the true leaders of the flock have been replaced with those who bring idols with them.
(2 Ki 17:24 KJV) And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
They brought their gods with them.....and yet, they FEARED GOD BUT SERVED other gods:
(2 Ki 17:33 KJV) They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
The woman of Samaria had five husbands (five possessors of the church) and the one she has (the true Lord...the church has fear of the Lord within itself) is NOT her husband...the true God is NOT her (the church's) Husband:
(Jer 3:8 KJV) And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
The church has played the harlot....but YET GOD IS MERICFUL and allows us to return to Him.
(Jer 3:1 KJV) They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
People will repent of their ways in the church and return to the Lord to worship Him in spirit and truth and then we will be considered "married" once again to the Lord:
Isa 62: 4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.
(John 4:19 KJV) The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
We are to leave the mountain of Samaria and be the "true worshippers" who worship the Father in spirit and truth. We have been poor and needy....thirsty and hungry under the church leaders:
(Amos 4:1 KJV) Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.
We are to throw away our idols and repent of our ways and God will be merciful...such a loving Father for He cares for His children.
(John 4:21 KJV) Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
The woman then goes into the city and is a witness to them concerning the Messiah....and then they WENT OUT OF THE CITY AND CAME UNTO HIM!
They left the city of drunkards (Sychar) in the land of SAMARIA to come unto Jesus.
30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
In Amos, we see the children of Israel are to be taken out of Samaria where they have been dwelling by the Shepherd....Jesus:
(Amos 3:12 KJV) Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.
In Revelation, it shows a people who come out of the tribulation....and they will not hunger or thirst or have the sun beat down on them. They have come out of the Babylon they have been in and have removed the idols and are no longer hungry or thirsty because of the bad shepherds they had over them. The wicked servants no longer "beat" them and become drunken...the sun nor any heat come upon them. The Lamb will lead them to living fountains of waters and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. They worship God in spirit and truth.
(Rev 7:16 KJV) They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
(Rev 7:17 KJV) For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.