Chapter 11: Tola

After the death of Abimelech, Israel reverted back to its system of deliverers, or Judges, appointing Tola, who judged them for 23 years (Judges 10:1, 2). His name referred to a worm that was used to make scarlet dye. The scarlet worm is known scientifically as the coccus ilicis. Of this we read,

When the female of the scarlet worm species was ready to give birth to her young, she would attach her body to the trunk of a tree, fixing herself so firmly and permanently that she would never leave again. The eggs deposited beneath her body were thus protected until the larvae were hatched and able to enter their own life cycle. As the mother died, the crimson fluid stained her body and the surrounding wood. From the dead bodies of such female scarlet worms, the commercial scarlet dyes of antiquity were extracted. What a picture this gives of Christ, dying on the tree, shedding his precious blood that he might 'bring many sons unto glory' (Heb. 2:10)! He died for us, that we might live through him! Psa. 22:6 describes such a worm and gives us this picture of Christ. (cf. Isa. 1:18) (Henry Morris. Biblical Basis for Modern Science, Baker Book House, 1985, p. 73)

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H8438&t=KJV

We see from this that the scarlet worm represents Christ, who shed His blood for the remission of sin and who died that we might have life. Furthermore, because red dye was extracted from these worms and used to dye royal garments, the name Tola prophesies of the royal garments given to the deliverers, or saviors, who are called to reign with Christ.

In the progression of judges’ names, we must insert Tola into our sequence. In that Tola is the Judge that follows Gideon, “feller,” we can now see that the enemy is to be felled by the power of the blood of Christ. Hence, we may now extend the prophecy to read:

“The voice of God united in His sons (in an orderly manner that is subject to God’s Word) will fell the enemy by the power of the blood of Christ and open the Ark to show forth the light of the Sun.”

Tola, then, tells us the power by which the enemy is to be “felled.” We see that it is the power of the scarlet worm, which in turn prophesies of Christ in His shed blood on the cross.

It is also significant that Tola judged Israel for 23 years, for this is the biblical number of death and resurrection. (See my book, The Biblical Meaning of Numbers from One to Forty.) This adds to the overall revelation that it is by the death and resurrection of Christ that the enemy is felled.

Tola was then replaced by Jair, whose name adds yet another dimension to this prophecy of the Judges.