Category Archives: Using the Bible

Psalm 46, A Synopsis of Revelation, 1 of 9

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“For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.” This is the introduction our psalm. The sons of Korah were Levites who were charged with part of temple care and services.

“God is our refuge and strength,

“A very present help in trouble.”
Psa 46:1

If you wanted to pick a key theme of psalms, and Revelation, and indeed all of Scripture, is that God is a very real help when men are in trouble. This is an incredible assertion to many men of all ages, for sure including Bible times. The wicked say of such things,

“They say, “How does God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?””
Psa 73:11

The wicked trust none of these things. They trust in their own preparations, their lands, their money, their swords.

Even so, yes! We will have problems.

God disciplines and punishes both men and nations. Elihu talks about climate change for correction or for love.

“11 Yes, he loads the thick cloud with moisture.
He spreads abroad the cloud of his lightning.
12 It is turned round about by his guidance,
That they may do whatever he commands them
On the surface of the habitable world,
13 Whether it is for correction, or for his land,
Or for loving kindness, that he causes it to come.”
Job 37:11-13

We are told,

“It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with children, …” Heb 12:7

Further,

“For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;”
2Cor 4:17

Clearly though, not all have discipline / chastisement.

“But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” Heb 12.8 KJV

Even death is not permanent for those God loves

Of the babies that Herod the Great had murdered in an attempt to kill the Christ, the prophet says,

“16 Thus says Yahweh: Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says Yahweh; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. 17 There is hope for your latter end, says Yahweh; and your children shall come again to their own border.” Jer 31:16-17

God promises,

… “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.”
Heb 13:5

Or as Jesus promises,

… “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he die, yet will he live.” Jn 11:25

God will speedily answer calls to Him

“7 Won’t God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, … ? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. …”
Lk 18:7-8

If we will turn to Him in true repentance, the Lord will turn the hardships away. It is only when we harden our hearts and will never turn, that punishments become relentless. Just as it is in the book of Revelation of those final times of our universe.

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

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

The Jews, Tragedy and Glory to Come, 3 of 3

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Both the Old Testament and the New Testament testify
everywhere to the sins of the Jews

Moses laid it out.

“32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom,
Of the fields of Gomorrah:
Their grapes are grapes of gall,
Their clusters are bitter:
33 Their wine is the poison of serpents,
The cruel venom of asps.”
Deut 32:32-33

A later Jewish prophet also noted,

“14 … the Jews; 15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:”
1Thes 2:14-15 KJV

All of this will turn around during a time of great stress

One day the Jews will wake up! It all be in a time of severe stress on the Jews worldwide. Also it seems this will be preceded by severe persecution of Christians worldwide. This is discussed at length in Jewish Chronicles, available from your bookseller.

“When you are in oppression, and all these things are come on you, in the latter days you shall return to Yahweh your God, and listen to his voice:”
Deut 4:30

The KJV incorrectly translates this as a conditional promise, but it is an UNFULFILLED statement of what WILL BE! The next one is unambiguous even in the KJV.

“Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live.”
Deut 30:6

There will be a dramatic spiritual turnaround for the Jews, which will result in a dramatic flourishing of Christianity both in Israel and all around the world.

The great time of stress will evidently
begin with severe worldwide
persecution of Christians!

This is too big a topic to condense into a short article, but it does seem to indicate the persecution of Christians precedes the assault on Israel, but is dealt with in “Jewish Chronicles.”

The Jewish survivors of this great time of stress, will build
Israel into a mighty worldwide power

“In that day, Yahweh’s branch will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the beauty and glory of the survivors of Israel.”
Isa 4:2

They will preach the gospel of Jesus Christ among the nations.

“… I will send such as escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off, who have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.”
Isa 66:19

There are many other passages to quote.

Here is the promise, written about 1400 BC

“40 If they confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, in their trespass which they trespassed against me, and also that, because they walked contrary to me, 41 … if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled, and they then accept the punishment of their iniquity; 42 then I will remember my covenant with Jacob; and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham; and I will remember the land.” Lev 26:40-42

Only the truth will make the Jews … or you and me … free!

New and better days are coming for the Jews, all in their Messiah, Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth.

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

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 14 of 15

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By Mighty acts of Judgment God delivers His people

When God’s people in the Old Testament were totally under the power of Pharaoh, and needed deliverance from the power of the Egypt of this world, so that they might have their own land in the promised land of Canaan, God led them to freedom by mighty acts of judgment on an evil ruler, the Pharaoh of Egypt and his people.

When in the New Testament God’s people will be totally under the power of the beast, and need deliverance so that they might have their own land in the promised land of Heaven, God will lead them to freedom by mighty acts of judgment on an evil ruler, the beast of this world and those who worship him.

This is for a relatively short period of time.

Satan is allowed to reign only for the short time a of time of 3-1/2 years, which called 1260 days (Rev 11:3), 42 months (Rev 11:2, 13:5), and “time, times, and half a time,” (Dan 7:25, 12:7, Rev 12:14). It does say that the beast “overcomes” the church, the saints. Daniel is told that this will last,

“… for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
Dan 12:7

Further it should be noted that Daniel deals with both the final events, and also with ancient kings who are symbolic of the final events. So how is the release of God’s people to be accomplished?

God will respond with might acts of judgment on
the kingdom of the beast and his followers

Always remember that the book of Revelation is a series of parallel, overlapping, cumulative visions. Putting them end to end, makes no more sense than putting the parables of the kingdom in the Gospels end to end.

These mighty acts of judgement are mentioned Revelation 11 with the testimony of the two witnesses. More is in chapters 15 and 16 when it talks about the seven last bowls of wrath, the last plagues which will be poured out on the earth. It mentions specifically,

“The fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened. They gnawed their tongues because of the pain,”
Rev 16:10

The plagues that fall toward the end, are remarkably similar to the plagues
that fell on Egypt in the book of Exodus!

In Rev 16:2 it mentions “a harmful and evil sore on the people who had the mark of the beast, and who worshiped his image.” In Rev 16:3-4 “the sea become blood,” and the rivers and springs of water became blood. All of which seems to be described from a different point of view in Rev 8:8-9. These things are specifically mentioned as punishment for spilling the blood of Christians, Rev 16:5. The world is also scorched with heat from the sun. And Rev 9:3-11 seems to speaks a plague of locusts, which seem to spiritual locusts, to afflict only those who do not have the seal of God.

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, 13 of 15

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And the “god of this world” 2Cor 4:4, overcomes the church.

This is actually a subject of several prophesies, but the one that catches the eye of many is in Revelation 13. The passage in Revelation 13 is obviously parallel to 2Thessalonians 2, that is the say that the “beast” is the “man of sin,” (or “of lawlessness,” depending on your translation). Both are worshipped by the entire world, all of the lost. Both are destroyed by Jesus Second Coming (2Thes 2:8, Rev 19:20). The man of lawlessness / sin is produced by the “mystery of lawlessness, which is already at work in the first century of our era, 2Thes 2:7. In Rev 13:1-2 the organization which produces the beast is called “a beast,” and it has seven heads (men who direct the organization), and ten horns / crowns, rulers who are part of the beast organization. So ten national rulers are part o the “beast” organization, which evidently is existing from at least the first century of our age.

Then one of the seven heads of the organization has a fatal wound and that fatal wound is healed, Rev 13:3. The whole world is fascinated by this one who is killed, yet has some sort of recovery. This head, one of the seven heads of the beast organization, then becomes “the beast,” Rev 13:3.

“The beast” is allowed to make war for forty-two months, or 3-1/2 years, Rev 13:5. This period of time is also referred to by the prophet Daniel. This beast blasphemes God and claims he is the one and only God, Rev 13:6 and 2Thes 2:4. This beast is given great temporary authority.

“It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him.”
Rev 13:7

No man has had authority over “every … nation” up till now. And no one has overcome the church world wide up to now. So this has NOT happened yet!

Everyone, whose name has not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world, will worship this beast , Rev 13:8, Rev 17:8. This means that everyone will worship this beast who is not a faithful Christian.

Notice carefully, the beast has AUTHORITY to BOTH make WAR with the saints (all true Christians), AND to CONQUER them!

We are talking about a situation where the saints (those sanctified, cleansed by the blood of Jesus) are completely overwhelmed, and that is plainly stated by the text. The word used in Rev 13:7 for the church being “overcome” is the Greek word nikao and it means to overcome, overpower, conquer, prevail, have the victory over. Nike the Greek “goddess” of victory derives her name from this word, and it a regular word for conquering a foe in battle.

So here is a situation very similar to when God’s people were
under the power of Pharaoh in Egypt.

They will be totally under the power of “the god of this world,” 2Cor 4:4. They will need rescue from power of this evil one.

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 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, 9 of 15

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When God’s judgments fall on this world,
there is often no place to hide.

For the wicked that is. Next swarms of flies are over everything in Egypt, Ex 8:21. However, the land of Goshen, where the people of God lived, there were no flies,

“… to the end you may know that I am Yahweh in the midst of the earth.”
Ex 8:22

Some negotiations with Pharaoh do occur, and the flies disappear, completely! But again Pharaoh hardened his heart. Then there was a plague on the cattle of Egypt, and all the cattle died, except for the cattle of the Israelites, Ex 9:6. But still Pharaoh would not relent. Then a plague of boils on man and beast. Even the magicians could not stand before Moses, Ex 9:10-12.

God says He could have already
destroyed all of the Egyptians.

“For now I would have put forth my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth;”
Ex 9:15

But God wants to show His power, so His name will be honored throughout the earth. Severe hail came next with thunder and lightning, with the hail breaking every tree, the crops which were out of the ground, and unprotected animals and men. However Goshen, where Israel dwelled, was spared, Ex 9:23-26, 31-32. Pharaoh at last said, “I have sinned this time,” Ex 9:27; but it did not last long! Then came the locusts, and mighty hordes of locusts can strip bare even a lush green land. When the clouds of locusts came in they darkened the sky, and ate all that was left.

Again Pharaoh admitted sinning against Yahweh and Israel, and again his repentance did not hold.

Then a plague of darkness fell over ALL the land of Egypt, except for Goshen. This was darkness which could be felt, and no one rose from house, Ex 10:21, 23. Again Pharaoh hardened his heart.

Then came the last plague: the death of all of the firstborn

The first born of every man, the privileged, the heirs, and the first born of every critter that was left. Of course Israel was protected by staying under the blood of the sacrifice, that was painted on the door frames, Exodus 12.

Similarly, you and I must stay under the blood of Jesus, to be spared from the Judgments falling on men for their sins.

God’s saints will be protected from the plagues
falling on the earth just before the end,
much as in ancient Egypt.

In Revelation 12 the dragon (the devil or Satan, Rev 12:9) is thrown out of heaven, and then persecutes “the woman,” God’s people, and it says,

“Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”
Rev 12:14

So while the beast rules, and God’s plagues fall on sinful men who persecute the church, the faithful are “nourished,” one more time IN THE WILDERNESS!

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, 8 of 15

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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.

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 7 of 15

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Egypt is also a place of magic and enchantments.

Much is told about these things history, and in the monuments of Egypt, and it shows up in Scripture from time to time. When the Pharaoh of the time of Joseph had his troubling dream, he first approached “all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men of it,” Gen 41:8. Such was common in the ancient world.

So when Aaron threw his rod down and it became a snake,

Pharaoh called “his wise men and the sorcerers,” and they did the same with “their enchantments,” Ex 7:11.

Paul compares the magicians of Egypt to
false teachers of the Christian age.

There has always been a certain fascination among some with secret knowledge. Some of this was mere tricks such as is seen with modern stage magicians. Some of this was primitive forms of chemistry and drugs, and indeed the later alchemists of medieval times sort of morphed into what is now modern chemistry. Some of this relied on hypnotizing the audience, with or without drugs, so that people “saw” what was intended.

Finally, some at least pretended that they were relying on supernatural spirits or so called “gods.” This last is the most ambiguous of all. It is true that angels are more powerful than men, 2Pe 2:11. Satan is powerful angel who has gone bad, and we saw in earlier lessons that he is capable of powerful works in nature (Job chapters 1 and 2), and that he can put ideas into men’s heads, as we can also see in Job 1 and 2, and also in our own lives. He is called “the devil and his angels,” Mtt 25:41. Further, these angels turned bad are also called demons, and “principalities” and “powers” and “the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age,” Eph 6:12, and that is what we as human beings are fighting against. Moreover when we worship other “gods” we are actually worshiping demons, Deut 32:17, 1Cor 10:19-20.

Two of the Egyptian magicians are named by Paul in 2Tim 3:8, Jannes and Jambres, and they are viewed as men who know that their own claims were fraudulent, but were still opposing Moses. Modern false teachers are said to be like these men.

“Even as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so do these also oppose the truth; men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith.”
2Tim 2:8

These are things we should avoid.

It is not a matter of whether these things sometimes may seem to “work.” Sorcery/witchcraft is one of the works of the flesh in Gal 5:20.

“There shall not be found with you anyone … who practices sorcery, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, 11 or a charmer, … or a wizard, or a necromancer.”
Deut 18:10-11

Spectacular signs will be given by Satan before the
final Exodus out of this world.

The man of lawlessness/the beast,

“even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”
2Thes 2:9

These signs will almost be enough to fool the chosen of God, Mtt 24:24.

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, 6 of 15

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Sometimes judgments come on men because of sin. Scripture Is full of such stories.

Mighty Judgments of God come on men and nations
who oppose Him, or oppress His people.

These are facts of life for Pharaoh, you and me, or whoever.

“For thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘For honor he has sent me to the nations which plundered you; for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye.”
Zech 2:8

About the Egyptian army that perished, Moses sang,

“6 Your right hand, Yahweh, is glorious in power,
Your right hand, Yahweh, dashes the enemy in pieces.
7 In the greatness of your excellency, you overthrow those who rise up against you:
You send forth your wrath. It consumes them as stubble.”
Ex 15:6-7

But for God to support us, it takes some focus.

“But if you indeed listen to his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries.”
Ex 23:22

Sometimes even you or I may think to oppose or ignore God.

We are warned against smugly ignoring God and thinking everything will still be alright. We may turn out to be like the man Moses describes who abandons God.

“and it happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart, …”
Deut 29:19

What might God do to such a man, a mere man like perhaps even us?

“20 Yahweh will not pardon him, but then the anger of Yahweh and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and all the curse … in this book shall lie on him, and Yahweh will blot out his name from under the sky. 21 Yahweh will set him apart to evil … according to all the curses of the covenant …”
Deut 29:20-21

Like Pharaoh, the beast, or you and I can be singled out
for curses until we are destroyed

We too are called to come out of the Egypt of this world to serve the Lord in love and in truth. We may think we have control of, or are due this or that, when really we may not due any of it. Rather it is God’s to do with as He pleases. Like Pharaoh, or the beast of later times, we may trip and fall in our delusions.

Esau was such a man. He was technically the first born, but lost it all in his arrogance. We should be careful,

“15… lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled; 16 lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, as Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal. 17 … when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind though he sought it diligently with tears.”
Heb 12:15-17

The warnings are not just for kings, or the beast of Revelation, but also for us.

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