Monthly Archives: December 2020

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 1 of 15

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Egypt was the big metropolis of safety

early in the book of Genesis. In Genesis 12 there was a famine in Palestine, and Abram went to live in Egypt with his entire family, Gen 12:10 ff, Gen 31:1. Later God promised Abram,

… “To your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:”
Gen 15:18

A promise yet to come to its full.

There were many connections with Egypt. Hagar, Sari’s handmaid, was an Egyptian. It was by Hagar of course that Abram had Ishmael, the forefather of the Ishmaelites. In one later famine in Palestine, God told him to NOT go down into Egypt, Gen 26:2.

Then Joseph was kidnapped and sold as a slave, and ended up in Egypt. That was the lead-in to all of the descendants of Jacob going to live in Egypt in a super famine which affected both Egypt and evidently all of the eastern Mediterranean world. There it was that the Israelites grew into a nation, a separate people living among the Egyptians. Also there it was that Israel came to be distrusted by the Egyptians and enslaved. God promised Abram,

“13 … “Know for sure that your seed will live as foreigners in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them. They will afflict them four hundred years. 14 I will also judge that nation, … Afterward they will come out with great substance.””
Gen 15:13-14

So Egypt came to symbolize both worldly safety
and prosperity, and cruel bondage.

The bondage was severe in those days. Taskmasters were set over them for the very purpose to “afflict them,” humiliate them, Ex 1:11. “and they made their live bitter with hard service … in which they ruthlessly made them serve,” Ex 1:14. Also genocide was planned, but it didn’t work. All of the male babies were to be killed. During a very severe period, Moses was born. By a series of events he escaped death, and was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter.

So Moses was raised as royalty,

but was a given a sense of who he was and his true heritage, and started his work of delivering his own people, killing a cruel Egyptian guard. He seems to have assumed the Hebrews would understand and allow him to lead them. Such was not the case. A cantankerous Israelite would not allow anyone to rule over him.

“He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.””

So Moses fled to a far country, Midian, where he lived for 40 years.

So Moses is called from this far country,
to lead Israel to safety.

Of course Moses is a type of the Christ, Deut 18:15. So it was that another worldly ruler, Herod the Great, attempted to kill Jesus at his birth. Jesus also was of royalty, the Son in His Father’s house. He also came from a far country, heaven, to save His people.

The story is part of the prophecy.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.

The Rapture? Part 3 of 3. There is no Pre-Tribulation “rapture.”

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There will be many special problems near the end of this present universe. Near the end of our present age the mystery of lawlessness (2Thes 2:7) and a religio-economic-political entity called Mystery Babylon the Great will be able gain absolute control of this world by God’s permission.These will be severe times for the entire world for 42 months, 1260 days, 3-1/2 years. The entire world will be forced to worship the beast or not be able to buy food Rev 13:17 or even exist!

Special protection is given the faithful in those days.

In Revelation chapter eleven those days are discussed under the imagery of the temple. Now the physical temple of the Jews was divided into two main parts. The temple over all is called the hieros. When for instance it says in Mtt 21:12 that Jesus entered the temple, it says that he entered the hieros. This included those parts which all believers could go, and much of Jesus teaching preaching was in the hieros. This part is what in Rev 11:2 is call the court or courtyard of the temple.

Even so, the innermost part of the temple is called the naos. This is that part of the temple where only the priests could go, and it included the holy place, and also even more secluded holy of holies where the ark of the covenant was supposed to rest. Now in Christianity ALL believers are priests and have access to God, Heb 4:16, etc.

In Revelation 11 only the naos is given protection. The rest of the temple will be destroyed.

“Leave out the court which is outside of the temple, and don’t measure it, for it has been given to the gentiles. They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months.”
Rev 11:2

It seems that the inner part of the temple, the naos, represents the true and dedicated believers, and it indicates they will be protected. On the other hand, the outer courts represents those who claim to believe, but have not really given their lives to the Lord. And it indicates that they will given over to their enemies.

Similarly, Revelation 12 points to the faithful
as being protected.

The faithful of God’s people seem to represented by a woman. Then it says of this woman,

“The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.”
Rev 12:6

So the woman flees into the woods to place prepared by God, for protection during those 1260 days during which the beast rules the world. Once again, indicating special protection for those who really belong to the Lord during that terrible 3-1/2 years.

But the church, those who are really faithful, are still there,
are still in the world during those time.

Yes they are given special protection, special nourishment, but she is still in the world, she is still hiding out in the wilderness from the beast. She is still undergoing stress and temptation.

But there is no special Pre-Tribulation “rapture.”

Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.

The Rapture? Part 2 of 3

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“Rapture” teachings that you hear are also filled with many other ideas. Not least is both a Second Coming and a perhaps a third coming. A third coming is implicit in much premillenial teaching. In some of these teachings there is even a “secret” coming of Christ to covertly snatch up His faithful ones. However,

The Second Coming will not be secret.

“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and EVERY eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen. ”
Rev 1:7 WEB

“26 men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will SEE the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
Lk 21:26-27 WEB (emphasis added)

Scripture does NOT teach both a second and third coming,

but only a Second Coming. In Scripture the Second Coming is associated with the passing away of this present universe.

“24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.”
Mk 13:24 KJV

“26 whose voice shook the earth, then, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, receiving a kingdom that can’t be shaken, let us have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe”
Heb 12:26-28 WEB

Perhaps a Secret (??) Taking Out
of the Followers of Christ.

When the “man of lawlessness,” 2Thes 2:3, “sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God,” 2Thes 2:4, then the active suppression of all Christians starts.

When it starts that “All who dwell on the earth will worship him,” Rev 13:8, and the abomination of desolation is set up, then,

Christians are to IMMEDIATELY run for cover

“16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house. 18 Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.”
Mtt 24:16-19 WEB

Armies are sent to capture all Christians

“8 … the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, …”
Rev 20:8-9 WEB

Physical Israel (who will be Christians in those days) and all true believers, will have to be rounded up. Ezekiel 38 pictures Gog and Magog combing the globe for believers.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901