Similarities Between the Exodus
And the Events of Revelation
INDEX:
* Introduction
* The Sacred Agreement With AbraHam
* Moses and Jesus
* Who is Modern-Day Israel?
* The Coming of Moses and Jesus
* The Blood of the Lamb
* The Firstborn
* The Flight and then the Destruction of Pharaoh and His Army
Introduction
Please understand that the following discussion simply suggests close parallels to scriptures and events. It is not meant to be promoted as established truth or doctrine and is open to modification and input from readers.
If there are any parallels between the events that preceded and followed the exodus of Israel from Egypt (c. 1555-BCE) and to the ÔLast DaysÕ that are spoken of throughout the Bible, perhaps we should consider those ancient events to see what can be learned about things that might happen again in the future.
The Sacred Agreement With AbraHam
Until the time of Moses, the only Sacred Agreement (Covenant) that the IsraElites had with The God was one that He had made with their forefather, an ancient man of faith named AbraHam. In this Agreement, God promised AbraHam that he would become the Ôfather of many nations,Õ his seed would inherit the land of Canaan, and that He (Jehovah) would thereafter be his God and the God of his descendants (see Genesis 17:1-14). However, something would be required of his family to fulfill their part of the Agreement: All the males (including the non-related people who lived with them) had to be circumcised.
Moses and Jesus
More than five-hundred years later, a descendant of AbraHam named Moses was chosen by God to deliver the descendants of AbraHam's grandson Jacob (IsraEl) from their captivity and bondage in the land of Egypt. Notice that like Jesus, Moses' life had been miraculously saved by God when he was a baby, and his early years were spent in Egypt. And thereafter, Moses returned to deliver God's people out of Egypt, just as Jesus later returned to draw a people to God.
Also, as Moses became the mediator of a Sacred Agreement between the people of IsraEl and God that included Laws and promised great blessings if they would agree to abide by its terms, Jesus became the mediator of an even greater Sacred Agreement just before his death on earth, which brought a new law (of love) to God's people. For IsraEl had repeatedly forsaken the Old Sacred Agreement by not following its laws, so He allowed them to be destroyed not once, but twice.
So some 1500 years after Moses (just before the second and final destruction of that nation), Jesus appeared to become the mediator of a New Sacred Agreement between God and those who chose to be His people. So from all of this, it appears as though Moses in the Exodus pictured Jesus during his brief lifetime on earth, and possibly during some future deliverance of GodÕs people.
Who is Modern-Day IsraEl?
Note that IsraEl didnÕt have any Laws from God prior to their exodus from Egypt, all they had was GodÕs Agreement with AbraHam.
Nor did they have a Tent of worship or a Priesthood, so they were just people who lived with a promise that had been given to their forefather. And are there any people who are living
with such a promise today? Paul (the Apostle) wrote at Galatians 3:26-29:
ÔThe fact is; youÕre all sons of God because of your faith in the Anointed Jesus. And all who were baptized into the Anointed One have put on the Anointed One.
So there arenÕt any Jews or Greeks, slaves or freemen, males or females, because youÕre all in the Anointed Jesus. And if you belong to the Anointed One;
according to the promise, youÕre AbraHam's seed and his heirs!Õ
So according to Paul, all Christians (regardless of race, status, or gender) are the seed of AbraHam and heirs to the promise that was given to him. This is why it appears as though modern-day Christians seem to be pictured by IsraEl just prior to their exodus from Egypt, for our hope of salvation is still based on the same promise that was given to AbraHam.
The Coming of Moses and Jesus
Going back; when Moses was forty-years-old, he left Egypt. Then forty-years later, he returned to Egypt to deliver the IsraElites from bondage there. And the question this raises is whether Moses' return pictures a second coming of Jesus, for there are definite similarities. For example: God sent ten plagues upon the land of Egypt prior to Pharaoh's releasing of GodÕs people, and the Revelation also speaks of plagues that will be poured out (though the numbers differ) before the great war that was called 'Armageddon' in the Revelation.
In addition, the destruction of the armies of Egypt and the miraculous delivery of IsraEl through the Red Sea seems to picture the Battle of Armageddon. For in the same way that Pharaoh and his army were destroyed for attacking IsraEl; Armageddon is said to be fought against Ôthe kings of the earthÕ who are attacking His people. Note that the description of Armageddon at Revelation 16:13-16 doesnÕt seem to be a destruction of all the wicked people on the earth, as many religions claim. Just read the account, and you'll see why we're saying this.
The Blood of the Lamb
Also notice that after they had witnessed nine of the ten great plagues that God brought upon Egypt, the IsraElites were told to sacrifice a lamb, splatter its blood on their door posts, then to eat the lamb and not leave their homes until GodÕs destroying messenger (angel) had passed them by. And the lives of the firstborn of those who did as they were told, were saved (see Exodus 12:1-23).
In a similar way, the Bible tells us that the same thing will be true of faithful Christians in the future, for we are told that we must have faith in the shed blood of 'the Lamb of God' (Jesus) in order for us to be saved from a coming destruction (see 1 Peter 1:18, 19).
The Firstborn
However, notice that the saving of the firstborn of IsraEl in Egypt came with a price. For when their firstborn were saved from destruction,
they all belonged to the God that had saved them (Exodus 13:1, 2). So are there similar ÔfirstbornÕ saved ones who will belong to God at that time? We are told at Hebrews 12:22-24:
ÔBut what you've approached is Mount ZionÉ the City of the Living God. It's Heavenly JeruSalem, where millions of [God's] messengers are attending a convention
of the gathering of the firstborn whose names have been written in the heavens by God, who is the judge of them all. [You've approached] the unseen force
of those who are righteous and who have been made perfect, and [you've approached] Jesus, the mediator of a New Sacred Agreement,
whose sacrificial blood speaks out better than Abel's.Õ
As you can see, Paul spoke of a gathering of 'firstborn' who have been declared righteous and made perfect, whose names have been written in the heavens, and who (along with God's messengers) will be attending a convention in the heavens.
At Revelation 14:1-5, we also read of such a group, for there it says:
ÔThen I saw {Look!} the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his FatherÕs Name written
on their foreheads. And I heard a sound coming from heaven that sounded like a lot of water and loud thunder. Well, the sound that I heard was that of people
who were all playing harps and singing. They were singing a new song in front of the throne and in front of the four animals and the older ones,
and nobody could learn that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand who were purchased from the earth. These didnÕt dirty themselves with women.
In fact, they are virgins who keep following the Lamb no matter where he goes. They were bought from mankind [and offered] as the first fruitage to God and to the Lamb.
No lies are found in their mouths and they donÕt have any defects.Õ
Also at Revelation 7:1-4, we read: ÔAfter that, I saw four messengers who were standing at the four corners of the earth. They were hanging onto the four winds of the earth so the winds wouldnÕt blow on the earth, the sea, or the trees. Then I saw another messenger who was coming up from the sunrise. He had the seal of the living God, and he shouted aloud to the four messengers who were allowed to harm the earth and sea, saying, DonÕt harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until after weÕve sealed the slaves of our God in their foreheads. And I heard how many of them had been sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand from among every tribe of the sons of IsraEl.Õ
So in the above verses we find two distinct groups:
1. IsraEl
2. Those ÔfirstbornÕ ('first fruitage') who are chosen from among them.
The Flight and Then the Destruction of Pharaoh and His Army
Then going back, notice that after Pharaoh released the IsraElites, he tried to attack them as they were leaving. However, God protected His people and none of them were harmed. So if we believe that there will be a modern parallel to what happened in the Exodus; after this future attack, God will bring Armageddon to destroy those attacking armies and their rulers.
And if the end of this age does in fact find direct parallels to what happened in the Exodus, we would have to ask these questions:
* Will the 'firstborn' be selected prior to Armageddon?
* Will there also be a period of testing and cleansing, as happened to IsraEl during their 40-year trek in the desert?
We don't have answers, we just have questions.
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