The Other Seventy
Concerning the Other Seventy, Lk 10:1-4
Jesus appointed the other seventy, plus the original 12, Lk 6:13. He sent them out two and two, like he did Barnabas and Saul, Acts 13. They went before his face to prepare the way before him.
Jesus asked the seventy to pray the same thing that he asked the twelve to pray right before selecting them, Matt 9:37-38. And he sent then out as lambs among wolves, as in Matt 10:16. They had to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. The wolves were the religious leaders.
Jesus told them to travel light and salute no man by the way. See 2 Ki 4:29 where Gehazi’s instructions were urgent and his business exceptional.
Concerning the houses they enter, Lk 10:5-7
They were told to enter a house and say, “Peace be to this house”. These are different instructions than in Matt 10:11-13. Then he said, “If son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it”. The son of peace is only written here and it’s and expression like children of disobedience or children of light in Eph 5:6, 8. That is, if the man of the house is peaceful, y’all will be welcome as guests. If not, let your peace return to you again. Move on.
They were instructed to stay in the same house eating and drinking such things as they give. They were worthy of their hire, like the laborer in 1 Tim 5:18 is worthy of his reward. They weren’t to demand a certain fare or feel badly about the fact that others were taking care of them.
Concerning the cities they enter, Lk 10:8-11
If the people in the city receive you, eat whatever is set before you (may only be there for the day). Heal the sick and say that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. God was the one performing the miracles.
If the people in the city don’t receive you, go your way. Wipe the dust off your feet against them. And let them know that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
Concerning the cities that don’t receive them, Lk 10:12-15
It will be more tolerable for Sodom, than the cities that don’t receive them. Woe to Chorazin and Bethsaida. If the same mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented. It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than you.
In 2 Pet 3:7 we find “the day of judgment”. It’s at the end of the millennial reign of Jesus. Thus, the events of Rev 20:9-11 and the events of 2 Pet 3:10-13 appear to be connected. When the new heavens and the new earth are created, some of the cities will be there and some of them will be in hell.
This is probably what Jesus was referring to in Lk 16:9 we he spoke of everlasting habitations. Some of the nations and some of the cities will be in the new heavens and new earth.
Capernaum, particularly, was elevated to heaven (like Babel in Gen 11:4). This is probably due to the fact that Jesus had resided there after Nazareth. It will be cast down to hell. This is not a figurative statement.
Concerning the laborers and the Lord, Lk 10:16
Jesus said that if they hear you, they hear me. And if they despise you, they despise me and him that sent me. See Jn 15:17-21.
Concerning the joy of the laborers, LK 10:17-20
The other seventy came back rejoicing that the devils were subject unto them through Jesus’s name.
Jesus said that he saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven. He has five falls in all. From the 3rd heaven to the 2nd heaven, Is 14:12. From the 2nd heaven to the 1st heaven in Jn 12:31. From 1st heaven to the earth in Rev 12:12. From the earth to the bottomless pit in Rev 20:1. And from the bottomless pit into the lake of fire in Rev 20:10.
Jesus gave them power to tread on serpents and scorpions and power over the enemy so that nothing hurt them. Yet, remember, after Jesus’s ascension, there were many martyrs, including Stephen, James and Paul. More than rejoicing in their power they were to rejoice that their names were written in heaven.