Now Pharaoh’s magicians also turned water into blood,
as Moses had, but I think without the wide spread results that Moses showed. Still it says,
“… Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.”
Ex 7:22
Then Moses plagued Egypt with frogs
“and the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up and come into your house, and into your bedchamber, and on your bed, and into the house of your servants, and on your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading-troughs:”
Ex 8:3
Amazingly, the magicians of Egypt were also able to do the same with their “enchantments,” Ex 8:7. The Hebrew word is lat, and it a secret or secret things. Perhaps the New American Standards “secret arts,” is as good as anything. Then Pharaoh reluctantly called for Moses to take away the frogs. Moses agreed and let Pharaoh set the time when the frogs would disappear, and that is what happened! However when the hardship was over, he again hardened his heart. How like us Pharaoh was at times. When the pressure lets up, and we again turn to our favorite sins!
Then another plague fell on Egypt
“16 Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’” 17 They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were lice on man, and on animal; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.”
Ex 8:16-17
Once more then the magicians tried to bring forth lice out of dust, but they couldn’t, and there was lice on everyone and every creature.
Then the magicians said to Pharaoh,
“This is the finger of God:”
But Pharaoh was still hardened. Even so, in both history and our personal lives there comes a point where, for good or ill, we have no choice but to acknowledge it is the hand of God who is influencing events. From this point on the plagues of Egypt seem to get worse.
Mystery Babylon the Great in Revelation
is a world wide religio-political-commercial power. She is clearly pictured in Revelation chapter 18 as facilitating and dominating world trade. The imagery is taken mainly from the prophet Ezekiel talking about earlier dominating commercial powers: Tyre and Sidon. Mystery Babylon is evidently already in place in the first century of our age, and will last until just before the end of our age. A partner of Mystery Babylon, “the beast” and ten horns/kings, will be used by the Lord God to destroy her within history, Rev 17:16-17, near the end.
She will use “sorcery”/witchcraft (pharmakia is the Greek word) to mislead ALL the nations of this world. Worse, she the instigator of all the conflicts and wars on the earth, clearly to make money. In her is found “… the blood … of ALL who have been slain on the earth,” Rev 18:23-24.
Sorcery has age long evil effects.
Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.