Category Archives: Symbolism

Psalm 69, Of David and the Christ, Part 5 of 5

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An audio lesson.


Press play to listen to the podcast, or right click to download it as a podcast.

The last part of Psalm 69 not only has to do with the Christ and you and I, but it also seems to have to do with the Jews as a nation. It speaks strangely of things which seem to have FAILED concerning the nation of Israel. But is it a failure of a prophecy which we see here, or is it merely something which has not happened YET!

The subject of the Jews turning to Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth, is discussed in detail in my third book, Jewish Chronicles, How the Jewish Nation will turn in faith to Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth, Well Before the Second Coming. It will bring glorious times to the gospel and the Jewish people, and will bring an era of great prosperity to the entire world. Available from your bookseller.

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, Part 12

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And the Christian is called out of Egypt

“1 Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.”
1Cor 10:1-4

In such symbolism then Pharaoh represents the god of this world, this age, 2Cor 4:4. He has indeed held in us bondage. Christ came and took part of flesh and blood,

“14 … that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Heb 2:14-15

The fear of death has kept us in line with “those who by nature are not gods.” Gal 4:8. Egypt represents the world system which is so corrupt.

“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
1Jn 5:19

“… If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him.”
1Jn 2:15

Baptism is our separation from this world.

“3 Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.”
Rom 6:3-4

“7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him;”
Rom 6:7-8

We do our own wandering in a wilderness in the Christian life.

Just as ancient Israel did, we often lose our bearing when things do not go as expected. As they often fell apart and blamed God, and reject their faithful leaders in the Lord, so do we very often when things seem to go wrong, when it seems things are beyond even God’s control. Of course things never are beyond God’s control.

It would be a blessing to enter the promised land early.

It would have been a blessing if Israel had been willing to enter Canaan when they were first instructed. But ancient Israel was intimidated by their worldly adversaries, as we also often are, and then fell into sin, as we frequently do.

Sometimes, like ancient Israel, we may just wander around
in our desolate places until we perish.

We were delivered from Egypt, but loved our bondage to sin so much we perished in it, after being delivered to where we could live. Israel’s sins are warnings to us.

It doesn’t have to be that way!

“Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.”
1Cor 10:11

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

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, Part 11

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And Jesus is called out of Egypt

There were attempts from the first by Satan to have Jesus killed. Herod heard about this King of Israel who was born from the wise men, evidently from Persia. He feared the overthrow of his kingdom by another pretender to the throne of God’s people. Revelation says that when the child was born, of the dragon (Satan, Rev 12:9),

“The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.”
Rev 12:4

This took the form of Herod the Great sending the wise men to find the child. An angel of God appeared then,

“… to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.””
Mtt 2:13

And so Joseph and Mary did.

Herod had learned where the Christ
was to be born.

When the wise men failed to return, he took counsel with his men concerning the times they had learned from the wise men,

“… and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, …”
Mtt 2:16

Herod the Great died a terrible death of cancer
on April 1, 4 BC

Which means our calendar is off by four or more years. Then Joseph was told they could now return to Israel, Mtt 2:19.

“… that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.””
Mtt 2:15

God’s son Israel, was symbolic of His true Son, Jesus of Nazareth.

When physical Israel was called out of Egypt,
they were never to go back

“… You shall henceforth return no more that way.”
Deut 17:16

Jesus for sure never returned that way. He never accepted or overlooked the worldliness of the Jewish leaders to make himself acceptable to them. In Revelation it describes in one place the great city where the bodies of the two witnesses lay dead for three days.

“Their dead bodies will be in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.”
Rev 11:8

Paul said,

“… For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.”
Gal 1:10

Jesus definitely never tried to please men. “… the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children,” Gal 4:25, He never flattered nor tried to please. He was indeed a servant of God. The Christ, having come out of the Egypt of this world as a child, never endorsed it. He gladly would have helped Jerusalem below. As He said toward the end,

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!”
Mtt 23:37

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

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 5 of 15

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God often lets the wicked balk and bluster for a while

David talks about those who oppose God in Psalm 37. The whole psalm is good in this respect.

“12 The wicked plots against the just,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord will laugh at him,
For he sees that his day is coming.”
Psa 37:12-13

We need not worry. God will ALWAYS win in the end.

“No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of Yahweh, and their righteousness which is of me, says Yahweh.”
Isa 54:17

Pharaoh had his time.

Moses and Aaron do some minor signs of God’s work before Pharaoh, and then Pharaoh has his magicians do the same and it says

“Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.”
Ex 7:13

God had explicitly said earlier that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart, and that is what happened. Even so, it also clearly says at times that Pharaoh hardened his own heart.

“Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he didn’t let the people go.”
Ex 8:32

There seems to be a little of both. Again it says.

“When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.”
Ex 9:34

The same may be with us. If we do not want to listen God, we want to harden ourselves against Him, so God may say to you and I, Okay, you want to harden your heart? I will help so you will do it good! So, it says,

“But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let them go.”
Ex 10:27

There is a time to listen for all of us.

Even the beast of Revelation is given time to listen

It is illustrated in more than one passage. It seems that Ahab King of Israel is also a type of that final man who opposes God, and whom all the world worships. The drought on Israel is for 3-1/2 years, Jas 5:17, and the beast himself rules for 3-1/2 years. When Ahab is faced with his sins by Elijah in 2Kings 21, for a while he is repentant. It says

“27 It happened, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. 28 The word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 See you how Ahab humbles himself before me? because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son’s days will I bring the evil on his house.”
1Kgs 21:27-29

The word of the Lord had its effect on Ahab, and it brought a response from the Lord, but his repentance didn’t last.

We are all given perhaps more time than we deserve. It is important to seize that time while we can.

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

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 4 of 15

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Satan can do his own signs … up to a point.

Satan did some powerful works in Job 1. By God’s permission Satan is is able to hurt Job and all he has. He is able to stir up the Sabeans to make a raid and capture Job’s oxen and donkeys, and kill the men tending them. Then Satan was able to make fire fall from heaven and burn up seven thousand sheep and their herdsmen! Also Satan stirred up the Chaldeans to make a raid on Job’s camels, and take them all, and kill the men tending them. Then he made a strong straight line wind come across the plains of Mesopotamia, and hit the house where Job’s sons and daughters were having a get-together, and knock the house down, and kill all of his children. All in one day. All by God’s permission.

Still Satan has his limitations, He has great influence over many, perhaps even us. Even so, just like you and I, he can only do what God allows him to do!

And Pharaoh could do his own signs … up to a point.

In Exodus 7 Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh and Pharaoh asked them to perform a sign from God. First Aaron threw he rod on the floor and it turned into a snake. Then Pharaoh called for his magicians and sorcerers, and they did the same “with their enchantments,” Ex 7:11-12. But then Aaron’s rod swallowed up the rods of the magicians. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he would not listen to the words of God through Moses and Aaron.

Again by God’s command, Moses and Aaron met Pharaoh in the morning as he went out by the Nile River. They told, “Let my people go, that they might serve me …” Then Moses and Aaron struck the waters of the Nile so that they turned to blood, and the fish died, and the water became undrinkable, Ex 7:14-21. Then the magicians did the same with their enchantments. So Pharaoh would not listen.

One day another great champion of evil will oppose God.

Revealing the Christian Age discuses asteroid size bodies hitting our earth, “something like a great burning mountain.” Rev 8:8-9

Someone called “the beast” is given, “Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation,” Further, he is given to “make war with the saints, and to overcome them,” Rev 13:7. This beast is opposed by “two witnesses” in Revelation 11, who “have power to shut up the sky, that it may not rain” and over the waters “to turn them into blood,” Rev 11:6. These two witnesses sound a little like Moses and Aaron, and little like Elijah.

How is this to be? A parallel vision in Revelation 8 says,

“The second angel sounded, and something like a great burning mountain was thrown into the sea. One third of the sea became blood, 9 and one third of the living creatures which were in the sea died. One third of the ships were destroyed.”
Rev 8:8-9

There is more than one reference to waters turning to blood and becoming undrinkable in those final conflicts.

The contest between Moses and Pharaoh is evidently
symbolic also of this final contest in history.

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

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 3 of 15

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Pharaoh of old represents the god of this age,
Satan’s rule over US!

Moses after more objections finally headed toward Egypt with his brother Aaron as his spokesman. They were able to present their case before Pharaoh.

Pharaoh did NOT want to release Israel, but to grind them down in oppression.

“Who is Yahweh that I should listen to his voice,” Ex 5:2. He told them to “Get back to your burdens!” Ex 5:4. He figured they had too much time on their hands, so he increased their work load.

“The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble …”
Ex 5:19

The people began to blame Moses, and Moses was close to unhinged, and pleaded and asked the Lord why He had cause this. Moses was sure Pharaoh would never listen to him, especially now. God responds,

“I am Yahweh. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to you.”
Ex 6:29

Further, God confirms that Pharaoh will NOT listen you. God in fact says that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will NOT listen. God says.

“… I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring forth my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.”
Ex 7:4

God says that in the end, the Egyptians will know that “I am Yahweh,” and assures Moses that the people of God will be released, Ex 7:5

So Jesus came with powerful works of God

As Moses came to release Israel from slavery, Jesus came to release us all, Jew and gentile.

“Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,”
Heb 2:14

Satan also does NOT want to release us.

The false teachers of our age all promise us liberty in sin.

“promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for by whom a man is overcome, by the same is he also brought into bondage.”
2Pe 2:19

However, instead of liberty, sin results in enslavement to those evil habits which we detest in ourselves. Here is my own literal translation.

“Don’t you know that to whom you present yourselves as slaves to obedience, his slaves you are whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?”
Rom 6:16 nf

Soon, what we thought we could just play with, is indeed our master. Then our very wrongs become part of the blinding power of Satan, the god of this age.

“in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.”
2Cor 4:4

It is only by powerful acts of God that we are delivered from sin and death. These began with Jesus works before men, and climaxed in His resurrection from the dead.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are from the World English Bible,
a copyright free revision of the original ASV
American Standard Version 1901

nf is my own translation based on the WEB.

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 2 of 15

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As that 400 years was coming to a close,

God prepared Moses

to lead the children of Israel out of their bondage. The purpose was to “bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” Ex 3:10. However it was not be anything like Moses had started out 40 years earlier. It seems Moses was so completely stung by his earlier experience that he no longer had any thought of himself as able to deliver Israel.

Still, God personally called Moses

at Mount Sinai. God says He, the Lord, will do it.

“I have come down to deliver them …”
Ex 3:8

God says He will send Moses to Pharaoh that he might bring forth God’s people, Ex 3:10. Moses is now 80 years old, not an eloquent man, herding sheep way off in boonies. He painfully feels his limitations, and is no longer aggressive but very humble in attitude. Moses replies.

… “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
Ex 3:11

God explains how to talk to the Israelites and assures Moses they will listen to him, Ex 3:18

Further, God explains that Pharaoh
will NOT listen.

God says He will strike Egypt.

“I will put forth my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst of it, and after that he will let you go.”
Ex 3:20

Moses still protests his inability. He says they will not listen to him, or believe that Yahweh has spoken to him. God gives Moses a series of signs to demonstrate God being with him. The rod turning into a serpent, his hand becoming leprous, and turning the water of the Nile to blood,

Likewise the prophet like Moses (Deut 18:15), came
with powerful signs from God.

In fact, Jesus Himself was a sign.

“and Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against.”
Lk 2:34

Jesus works indeed were signs of His divinity, and His approval by God, and many were believing.

“Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name, observing his signs which he did.”
Jn 2:23

Some of the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews, were also convinced, and Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to discuss these things, saying,

… “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”
Jn 3:2

The ultimate sign of His Sonship was His
resurrection from the dead.

This focus on spectacular feats irritated Jesus.

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Mtt 12:40

All to lead God’s people out of slavery to sin, in a wicked world.

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