Eutychus' fall from the window

The upper room in which Paul held a meeting, in Troas, as recounted in Acts 20, is a beautiful type of the work that the Lord is doing in our days. As can be seen by the following:

• The meeting took place on “[day] one of the Sabbaths” (20:7), a technical term that refers to the day of the sheaf of the firstfruits. The day, above all, in which Christ arose from the grave;
• the Lord gathers unto Himself a people with an exalted destiny (Eph.2:6). “The heaven of heavens,” “the third heaven” (2Cor.12:2) depicted by the “third floor” (20:9);
• the Lord brings them up to date through the word that Paul proclaims;
• in the upper room, mutual fellowship is experienced, pictured by them eating a meal, together (the breaking of bread);
• while it was night, there was much light in the upper room – a representation, obviously, of the Word.

The special feature of this meeting in the upper room is, of course,  to be found in the fall of Eutychus from the window. It’s not difficult to see in this young man a type of the people of Israel. In the book of Acts, it’s all about whether, at that time, the Kingdom of Israel would be restored (1:6). And the miracles and the particular histories which are recounted in this book are illustrations of the developments that are being described. From Corinth, where Paul had just been, he had written the letter to the Romans. And in that letter, from chapter 9 through chapter 11, Paul writes about the current position of Israel. And guess what? Eutychus portrays that position perfectly! Please check once again:

• Just like Eutychus sat in the window, Israel was given a great perspective. “Theirs are,” Paul wrote in Romans 9:4.5 “the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the legislation, the divine service, the promises, the fathers and (…) the Christ”;
• Eutychus was overcome by sleep and so Paul writes about Israel (Romans 11:8): “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes not to be seeing and ears not to be hearing” (cp Acts 28:26,27);
• Eutychus fell, just like Israel fell. “Through their fall salvation is come unto the nations…” (Romans 11:11);
• Eutychus was taken up dead. It is the condition in which the people of Israel, currently, find themselves. “… What will their acceptance be, but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:15).

In this latter data, also sounds the mighty hope that the condition of death for Israel is only of a temporary duration. The people will be made alive! When Paul’s preaching was interrupted by Eutychus’ fall, he takes pity on him and immediately makes it known that everything will turn out good for him. This is exactly as Paul also reported concerning Israel. Their rejection has an “until” (Rom.11:25). Consequently, Paul did not wait for Eutychus’ to recover, but goes back to the upper room to continue his preaching, until the new morning (20:11). Only then is it said that Eutychus was taken up, alive (20:12). The continuation of the meeting, after midnight, is a ‘picture’ of the continuation of Paul’s preaching, after Israel’s fall. Eutychus is absent and will, in due course, be restored, but in the meantime, the people in the upper room are “exceptionally encouraged” by everything that Paul spoke to them, additionally (20: 11). Till the light of the new morning dawns!

Delen: