That Prophet

Many prophecies in the Bible, brethren, are dual in nature. We know of the example that we just heard in the sermon, like, for instance, family time on the Sabbath. Family time on the Sabbath is dual on the night. Dual is a duality, because it's family time, but it's also time with God's family, not just our family. There are analogies in the Bible continuously, or physically and spiritually, type and anti-type, full of it.

Or shadow and reality. We've heard about the Holy Days are a shadow of things to come. So there's always this time to come again, these things that have happened that point to something else. But that's not unusual. You and I know that we all learn from history. And if we don't learn from history, we're going to make the same mistakes. That's what it is. And that's what God is giving us in the Bible. Certain historical things that He guided in specific ways to give us some important lessons for the future.

And so, as we approach the Days of Unleavened Red, we're going to look today at some events around the top of Moses and the Exodus. There were some of the events around that period. And we're going to see how some of those events focus on Christ. And even though they were around Israel and Egypt and Moses, they have a shadow of a future event, which was either Christ first coming or Christ second coming. So we're going to look at that. Now, we always have to be careful, brethren, when we look at analogies, because they do break down. I mean, we can take an analogy, and sometimes we focus the much in the analogy, the other fourfold, but not exactly like this.

But there are concepts or principles that we can take forward to the other four pieces. We know the possible land. And we know the possible land is a part of Christ, because He was the Lamb of God. He is or was the sacrifice for our sins. So let's look at some examples of that, and let's start by looking at three months after the Exodus. And that is in Deuteronomy 5. Deuteronomy 5. About three months after the Exodus, the Israelites had left Egypt, and they went to Mount Sinai, where God gave them the Ten Commandments.

So we're looking at Deuteronomy 5. God is giving them the Ten Commandments. So we can see Yah in verse 4. Deuteronomy 5, verse 4. The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. Because remember, Deuteronomy is kind of a restating of what happened. So the history is in Exodus and all that. But Yah of Deuteronomy is saying, at the end of the forty years, Moses is telling Israelites, Look, this is what happened. He's repeating, and he says, Look, God spoke to you face to face.

So that's what he says. The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. And then let's jump a little bit forward. Still on chapter 5, but on verse 23. So this is when God gave the Ten Commandments. And then on verse 23 it reads, So it was, when he heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, That you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. And it was all the important chiefs and heads of families and things like that.

And you said, Sure, the Lord our God has shown us his glory and his greatness. And we have heard his voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man, and yet he still lives. And it was yet man, he's still living. Verse 25, Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. So they were afraid.

And they said, No, why are we going to die? This fire is going to be, we're going to get killed. Now, if we hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore, then we shall die. For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire as we have?

And look! So we can see, and I do not want to hear God speaking to them face to face anymore. And then I said, verse 25, You go near, you, Moses, go near, and hear all that the Lord our God may say, and then you, Moses, you, tell us. We don't want to hear that.

We tell us that the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear it, and we do it, and we'll do it. Then the Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, I have heard the voice of the words of those people which they have spoken to you, they write, in all that they have spoken. Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear me, and always keep all my commandments, that it may be well.

Keep the commandments for their own good. Oh, I wish they would do that. Be well with them and with their children forever. Go and say to them, return to your days. But as for you, stand there by me, you, Moses, and I will speak to you, Moses, said God, all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which you shall teach them, that I may observe them in the land, for I am giving them, which I am giving them to possess.

Basically, brethren, they did not want to hear God's voice. They did not want to hear God's voice. And then a little later, Moses, in chapter 18 of the same book, in verse 15, he says, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet. Like me, like Moses, wonder what did Moses do? What is it that he's going to be like Moses? Like me, from your midst, from your brethren, he shall be here. How is he going to be like Moses? Because Moses had a calling. Moses had duties. Moses had responsibilities, and this prophet would forefold those sort of duties and responsibilities.

Moses was a Lord-giver and a leader. He was a leader. He led him, and he gave him the Lord. And he said, there's going to be a prophet, like me. And him shall be here. You do not want to hear God, but him you shall hear. Why did Moses say that, that he shall be here? Because they didn't want to hear God, but now they would have to hear God. Because Jesus Christ would come first of it.

Look at it in verse 16. According to all the desire of the Lord your God in horror, that is, of Mount Sinai, when he gave the text of Moses, in the day of the same week, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die. They said, I don't want to hear God anymore.

Well, Moses prophesied, he said, there's going to be a prophet, which in fact will be God, and him you will have to hear. And the Lord said to me, what they've done is good. In verse 18, I'll raise up for them a prophet like you, from among their brethren.

You see, in early on he said, from your midst, from your brethren, from among your brethren. In other words, he would be an Israelite. He would be an Israelite. And will put my words in his mouth. God will put God's words into the mouth of this prophet, the prophet, which we know is Jesus Christ. And he shall speak to them all that I command him. So he'll speak everything that God wants to be said. And it shall be that, whoever will not hear my words, which he speaks in my name, which he, in other words, Jesus Christ speaks in the name of God, I will require of him.

Basically saying, if we are not going to listen to the words, the doctrine, the teaching of Christ, it will be required of us. We can see that God put the words into Christ's mouth. And we're going to see that in a moment.

But you know what? God put the words into Moses' mouth. Look at this analogy. Let's start in Exodus chapter 4. Exodus chapter 4, when Moses was first being called. Exodus chapter 4, verse 10 through 12. Then Moses said to the Lord, Oh, my Lord, I'm not eloquent, neither before nor since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of spin and slow of tongue. So the Lord said to him, Where is my man's mouth?

You're not eloquent, but I made a mouth. I can make your mouth talk the right things. Or who makes the mute the mute or the death and the sin or the blood? And not I, the Lord, now therefore go, and I'll be with your mouth and I'll teach you what you shall say. I'll teach you what you're going to say. But he said, Oh, my Lord, please, send by the hand of whosoever else you may send.

And then in verse 15, verse 15, Now you shall speak to me, and you put the word to this mouth. So he asked for Aaron to be like a spokesman, which he was initially, but afterwards it was Moses that was speaking to them directly. So Moses got the words from God and he spoke first to Aaron and Aaron would speak to the others. But later on, Moses would speak directly. He got the confidence and he started speaking directly.

You see, you would only speak what God would give him to speak. But look at how the analogies of Christ, looking at John 14, verse 24. John 14, 24. He says, He who does not love me does not keep my words. And the words, the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me. The words you're hearing through me are not my personal words, it's what the Father has given me to tell you. So you can see, Jesus Christ's words were actually God's Father's words. He was just being a messenger. And He did exactly what the Father wanted to do. Look also in Matthew 17, verse 5. Matthew 17, verse 5.

This is the moment of the transfiguration. You remember that? Transfiguration. And in 17, verse 5, He says, And while He was still speaking, Behold the bright cloud overshadowed, and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him. In other words, Peter, James, and John were told through the transfiguration, a voice came out, and it said, Hear Him. Hear the words. And you saw about when Moses prophesied about the prophet, says, You shall hear Him. Hear Him. So that's very, very important. Look at also in John, chapter 12. John, chapter 12. And the question I have here is, Why is it important to listen to Christ's words? Why is it important to listen to Christ's words, to Christ's teaching, to Christ's doctrine? John, chapter 12, verse 47 through 50.

It says, If anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge Him.

For I do not, did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. Now He will reject me.

And does not receive my words as that which judges Him. The word that I have spoken will judge Him in the lost day.

That's why it's important to listen to Christ's words, because these words of Christ are what will judge us. For I have not spoken my own authority, but the Father who saved me gave me a command where I should say and where I should speak. And I know that His command is an everlasting life. Therefore, wherever I speak, just as the Father has told me, so I speak.

Christ's words were exactly what the Father wanted him to say.

So why do we hear it? Why is it important to listen to Christ? Because these words will determine whether you and I will have eternal life or not. Both Moses and Jesus Christ were sent by the Father. Both were given a message to deliver. Both spoke of the authority that came from God the Father Himself. That prophet, who was Jesus Christ, received this message directly from the Father. He was with the Father, and there were one mind and one purpose. So we can see the duality here again. There are many things that are duplicated, as I said, between Moses and Israel as a top of Jesus Christ. Let's look at some examples here as a top of His first coming. And let's read in Acts 7. So we're going to look at Acts 7, and then we're going to go up to other scriptures, and we're going to come back to Acts 7. So put a little marker if you have. On Acts 7, we're going to come back to it and make it easier for you.

We're going to start reading in verse 17.

The people grew and multiplied in Egypt.

So the latter king arose, who did not know Joseph. This man dealt treasureously without people and oppressed our forefathers. Make them expose their babies so that they might not live. Now think about it. If they were slaves, isn't it the male babies that would want to grow to adults to be your slaves, to do the hard labor? Why kill the man? Because they were your slaves.

You see, they would grow up into men, and they would do the hard work, build the cities, make the bricks, etc. Now, you could say, and I could say, the Egyptians were afraid that the Israelites would become more powerful. And yes, that's true.

But there is some tradition that says that one of the prophets of Egypt had predicted that a deliverer would arise from Israel, then would deliver them from slavery. And so an attempt was made to prevent that deliverer to live. And so the killing of males.

Can you see an analogy there? An attempt being made to kill the deliverer? Let's look at that analogy in Matthew 2, verse 13. Matthew 2, verse 13. Now, where they have departed, the old and angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in the dream, saying, Arise, take the young child and his mother flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. And when he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt, I call my son. Can you see that analogy? Satan was trying to subvert the plan of God. And he's always trying to do that through all the ages. That's why he attacks the church, time and time again. Why? Because he wanted to destroy Israel. If you'd kill Moses, and his birth, then the deliverer would be killed. So he knew it was going to be Moses. So this decree came out, like the decree came out, to kill Christ. Can you see the similarities there? So, you can see that he has always attempted to destroy Israel. In fact, he's attempted to destroy the Messiah. And he, in fact, did it, trying to destroy the Messiah himself. And he said, Out of Egypt, I call my son. Out of Egypt, came out of Israelites. Out of Egypt, was Christ called out. Then it's interesting these analogies. Aren't they fascinating and encouraging? I see them encouraging. Then go back to Acts 7. Acts 7, verse 17. Acts 7, verse 17.

He said, When the time of the promise drew near. What promise drew near? He says, a promise which God had sworn to Abraham. Which promise did God swear to Abraham? Now, you need to go back to Genesis 12. We're not going to go there, but you might just want to. And I can note, beyond Bible study afterwards, in Genesis 12, verses 2 and 3, where God promised to Abraham a physical blessing through his rites, through the physical descendants of Israel. But he also promised a seed through which mankind will be blessed, which will represent Christ. In other words, a promise of grace. You see, God predicted what would happen to Israel. He also said, they will deliver them out of slavery. And he also said, they will judge Egypt. You can read that in Genesis 15, 13 through 14. You see, so there was a promise there for physical, but it was also a promise of the seed which is the Messiah, that is Christ, that would save people from sinners. And look here, continue reading in Acts chapter 7. At this time, Moses was born and was well pleasing to God and was brought up in his father's house for three months. So the Bible is approaching for this promise, and it was well pleasing to God. You know what?

Moses, this implies to me quite clearly that Moses was called from the womb, or even before. Because that's why Satan knew about it and inspired the seed to kill all the male children. Just like he did the same trick at the time of Christ.

So Moses was saved from the womb or set apart for that purpose from the womb, or perhaps even before. God had chosen him to deliver his people from slavery.

They were the slave people. Now, can you see that analogy? That Jesus Christ was preordained from the foundation of the world to save mankind.

You can read in Revelation 13, verse 8. There's a lot of scriptural references that I'm not going to go to, otherwise the sermon will be a little longer. But take note, Revelation 13, verse 8, you will see that Christ was preordained from the foundation of the world. Just like Moses was preordained, was decided all the way from the womb because it says he was well pleasing to God for him to do that. And we're going to see even more on that. And also, it doesn't show that we are slaves to sin. You can read that in Romans 6, 16, and 17. We wrote, we're slaves to sin. We're slaves to our own natures, our own lusts and appetites, as well as slaves to Satan. And it's Christ that brings us out of slavery. Like physically, it was Moses that brought the people out of slavery, which was Egypt. And Jesus Christ came to free us from the slavery of the cruelest kind. Because the end of result of this slavery we are, the end of the result of sin is death. And so, he is rescuing us out of that. But he has another interesting analogy now. And let me explain to you the analogy first, and then you're going to see. Moses at first thought that he could do it with his own power. And he had to learn that it was not by his own power, but the power of the Holy Spirit, and he had to do the work, not by his own power. And Christ himself also said, not by my power, but through prayer and fasting that he did, it was through God's power. And that's the lesson to us. But look at this in Acts 7, verse 22. Acts 7, verse 22. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egypts, and was mighty in words and beings. You see, Moses had been taught in all the top, the highest schooling, or universities, let's call it that, of Egypt, the highest education, and was mighty in words and beings. Why? Because he was probably a general in the military there. He knew how to organize. He had been prepared, had been educated, and he had the experience of organizing people, of training people, of doing things with the power that he had. And so, he may be thinking, I can do it. I've got the skills, I've got the ability, I can do this. Our freedom is relaxed. But one thing was lacking. We did not have the attitude that God could use.

You see, when you and I rely on ourselves, in our power, in our might, in our training, in our abilities only, God cannot use us. So, let's go on reading in verse 24. For each of us, let's go on reading in verse 22. So, let's go on verse 23. Now, when he was forty years old, he came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. Well, he knew very well where his brethren were. Obviously, he had lived with family. He knew where his mother and family were. So, he knew that he was Israelite. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and eventually was oppressed and struck down the Egyptian.

You see, I was forty years old, and he's been trying, and he says, aha! This is the time for me to act. Pick up my eggs, strength, training. This is the time to say, Israel, and so I'm going to start doing it.

Verse 25. For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God will deliver them by his hand. You see, he knew that God was going to deliver Israel through Moses. And therefore, he supposed that the people also knew. That's why he did that. But they did not understand. These are lives they did not understand that way. You see, that first formation of his mind had to happen. He had to be humble and make the man most humble amongst all men and most meek.

So that he would be teachable and moldable and used by God. God could not use him with that attitude. And then verse 26. And the next day he appeared to two of them, two of Israelites, as they were fighting and tried to reconcile him. Saying, hey, man, guys, come on, you brothers. Stop it. Pull down. Let's be friends. And then he turned. But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, pushed Moses away, saying, who do you think you are? Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Get away. Leave us alone. Do you want to kill me, as you also did the Egyptian incident? Who do you think you are?

Then at this time, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Eden, where he had two sons. This became known, and the situation was that he could not be there anymore, and he had to flee.

And so he had to stay there. And then, when forty years had passed, another forty years of trial and testing, another forty years of training, now under God's hands, training to become humble and big and teachable and a mind that God could use, then an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire, in a bush, in the ovals of Mount Sinai. And then look at verse 34. And he said, I have surely seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard it growling and have come down to deliver them, and now come. I will send you to Egypt. You see, he had to have the right attitude before God could use him. He had to have the right attitude before God could use him. Jesus Christ had the right attitude from day one. And therefore God could use him. He had humility and submission. He is meek. You can read that in Matthew 11-29. Don't have to turn there. He says, I am meek. But look in John chapter 5. John chapter 5. Verse 19. Then Jesus answered and said to them, Most surely I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself. But what he sees the Father do, for whatever he does, the Son also does in like manner. You see, Christ realized it was not his power. It was not his as a physical human being. He had invested in himself of all the God-like powers. He had the mind of God, but he did not have the powers. And so the mind of God, he was meek and teachable. And look at verse 30. I cannot myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge. And my judgment is righteous, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me. You see, Christ recognized that he could not do nothing by himself. And so you can see, I do another set of parallels between Moses and Christ. Now, look at how the Israelites were delivered. They were delivered in a way that the people did not expect it. The way the people thought. He did not organize the Israelites in a logistical manner, in a way that they would have assumed that it would be. For instance, they did not think that God was going to destroy Egypt. But God destroyed Egypt as a nation that has never recovered. Egypt of today is not the Egyptians, as we understand. So, Egypt was destroyed before Israel went out of slavery. You see, God had purposes in his mind that teach us lessons, or picture lessons, well into the future. And therefore, God's got a big picture. And when God leads us through this world, we sometimes don't understand certain things. And we say, how can God allow that? But you see, you and I don't see the picture that God sees. His vision is different in ours, because it's so much greater, and it's so much more impressive. And that's where faith comes in. We're going to move by faith, because we have to trust him that he's doing it the correct way. You see, the Jews, in Christ's day, were looking for the king to deliver them. The Messiah, the king, is going to deliver them. And to our part, there's a Messiah, part of the Messiah. But you know what? The Messiah came as the Lamb of God at that time, not to deliver them, but to die for the sins of the world.

To destroy Egypt. In other words, to destroy Egypt. Sids of the world destroy Egypt. They did not come as they expected. God led them through the Red Sea, into the desert. That was not the logical way to do it. I mean, there's a short route they could have gone. Well, maybe it's just saying, well, God didn't want him to see warfare going into the land of Canaan and encountering some warfare and become discouraged. But he had to take them out of sin through the wilderness. Why? Not really when we come out of sin, come through the wilderness. You know, life, as we come out of sin, when we come into God's church, is like being in the wilderness. We go out into the wall, the whole wall around us is like a spiritual wilderness, because we are only a few one year and one day and another day. It's well, so in other countries, you know, it's like a little wilderness. People are by themselves and some get discouraged.

And what must not be? What must not get discouraged? We see God waited for another four years before they got into the promised land. Look at Acts chapter 7 again, in verse 30, what are we reading just now again? And he said, when forty years had passed, so you can see there were forty years that God waited. And in verse 34 he says, I will now deliver you. God waited, as in other scriptures we see, in Exodus 12, 41, I did it since the promise was given to Abraham, to where this was, four hundred and thirty years. The promise was given, to when they were delivered from Egypt, for one hundred and thirty years.

As the Bible, as the scripture says, the sojourning, sojourning of the children of Israel, which were in Canaan and in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And so God had to wait for that. And you can compare that with Galatians 3, 17, it was four hundred and thirty years. The Jews, during the day of Jesus Christ, were also under rubber and occupation and dominance. They wanted to be relieved from that slavery. But it didn't happen yet. Then the service too, the first coming of Christ. You see, there's many analogies that we can draw from these two. For instance, Moses gave them the law. Christ also gives us the law. He amplifies the spiritual intent of the law. Let's go back to Acts 7 and read verse 35. We'll finish reading verse 34. Let's read verse 35. This Moses, who they rejected, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge? Hey, who do you think you are? May they reject the Moses? He's the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

You know what? He was rejected. Is there an analogy in that too? He was rejected, but he became a ruler and a deliverer. Look at verse 36. He brought them out. After he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for two years. He showed signs and wonders. He has many signs in Egypt. They were the plagues of Egypt. They were the miracles of the Red Sea and the miracles in the wilderness. The miracle of manna for forty years and the miracle of water, where they were in areas that they did not have water. And he gave them water.

Verse 39. Who our fathers would not obey but rejected. They did not obey the instruction. They rejected the instruction in the wilderness.

And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt.

They rejected God, they rejected the teaching and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt.

Yes, a big lesson. Yes, a big lesson to us.

Because history, we learn from history and we don't want to make the same mistake. And we don't want to go back in our hearts to Egypt to sin. But some have. Some have. Let's look at this application to Christ.

Start in John chapter 1 verse 11. John chapter 1 verse 11. He came to his own, that's Jesus Christ, and his own does not receive him. Christ was rejected by the Israelites, and he came in his first coming. But as many as received him to whom he gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. For ever in the answer, again, I know it's clear about that we are called by God. It's not of the will of man, not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of, not because of blood, but we are called by God. But again, the Israelites rejected him. He came to his own, and they rejected him. Look in Luke 19. In Luke 19 we have a parable. The old man was parable.

Luke 19 verse 12 to 14. A certain nobleman went into a fourth country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. And he called ten of his servants and delivered them to ten minas and said to them, New business do not come. But he citizens hated him and said to the delegation after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. They rejected Moses, who made you ruler over us, get away. They rejected Christ, and he as a parable, growing that analogy. New one, that this man rule over us. Look at Luke chapter 24. Just a few pages here. Luke chapter 24 verse 18 through 21. This was after Christ's resurrection.

And Christ had been resurrected and he came and he met these people. And then in verse 18 says, Then what? Then one whose name was Cleopas, also said to him, Are you the only strange in Jerusalem? And have you not heard? Have you not known the things that have happened there in these last three days? And he said to them, What things? So he said to him, The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, Who was a prophet? The prophets, seen in the capital. Mighty indeed and word before God and all the peoples. And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we were hoping that it was he was going to redeem Israel. We are hoping that he would save Israel at that time.

But he didn't because he had to wait.

See, Jesus Christ was mighty in deed and words. And they hoped that he would redeem Israel at that time. Those who rejected Moses, lacked faith and died in the wilderness.

They did not obey. They lacked faith and died in the wilderness. They did not enter the promised land. The Jews rejected Jesus Christ and went into captivity in 70 A.D. The Temple was destroyed.

And they basically did it like their forefathers did. You see, the problem is in Acts 7, back to Acts 7, verse 51. Acts 7, verse 51. You stiff naked and uncirconsizing heart and ears. You always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers do, so do you. That's the problem. And that's the lesson we need to learn. Because those people resisted. They did not obey. They did not believe. They did not have the faith. Just like at the time of Moses. So then and so today, mankind does not believe.

Let's look at some examples about the Second Coming of Christ. Some analogies. We look at some analogies from Moses' time to the First Coming of Christ. Let's look at some analogies to the Second Coming of Christ. And again, let's start from Acts 7, verse 17. Acts 7, verse 17. But when the time of the promise drew near.

Now that I alluded to the time of promise of them leaving Egypt, leaving slavery. 430 years after the promise was given. But you know what? There were two promises. Race and grace.

And there's a promise towards the Second Coming of Christ. A promise when Christ will come to really be the Messiah. To really restore the earth to its former conditions. And turn with me to Acts chapter 3. Acts chapter 3, verse 19 to 23.

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blocked out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. That he may send Jesus, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the Father, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. Him shall you year in all things, whatever it says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. The prophet will come. Yes, he came for the first visit, for the first time, to die for us. But the promise is still there that he's going to come to save mankind. Jesus Christ will come being sent by the Father to restore all things. He will deliver and save Israel like they thought two thousand years ago. But not only Israel, he will save mankind as well. Turn with me to James chapter 5.

Verse 7, through 11. Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. So also be patient. Establish your arms, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Be all the charges standing at the door. My brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed, we count them blessed who endure. You are aware of the perseverance of job, and see the end, the end intended by the Lord, that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. Brethren, God is very compassionate and merciful. And God waits.

He waits for the right time. And when the time of the promise to be fulfilled has arrived, He will do it. We don't know the time or the date of His Second Coming. We do not know. But we know that the church, since when the church was founded, was 1,982 years ago. We still have been waiting. You see, God has waited nearly 6,000 years since the creation of mankind for His plan to be fulfilled.

God waited 430 years to rescue His role.

And at the right time, He will restore. At the time He's near, the time He's approaching for the restoration of all things. Turn with me to 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 8 and 9.

2 Peter chapter 3 verse 8 and 9.

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one dies a thousand years and a thousand years is a die-off. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise. A son counts slackness, but is long-suttering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. God wants us all to repent. He's not slack concerning His promises.

You see, there's going to be a second Exodus. I'm going into there. There is a second Exodus. Christ will return, and there will be great events that will lead up to Christ's Second Coming. It might not be exactly as you and I envision, but we know enough to repent.

That's the reason of prophecy. Prophecy is not so that I can boast around how I know all these things, and the beast is coming, and that person is the beast, and it's so many years from now. The importance is, we know enough that we know that the season is near and near. And yes, there's a lot of parallels. There's going to be a lot of false prophets, a lot of people attracting people with dates and with things, and signing things, and this is going to happen, and it barely does happen! And people are going to say, well, he's a prophet of God! To the law and to the testimony. If it's not according to that, he's not of God. Just because he says something and it does happen exactly that way, does not mean he's a prophet of God.

God destroyed Egypt. Why? Why? Why? So that they might know that God is God.

You see, we remember the story about Joshua, when he went into cross, to Jordan, and went into the promised land.

And then he went into Jericho. And then the prostitute, the right hand, took the spies in.

Why did she take the spies in? She said, we know! We don't fear the fear of God and the fear of Israel upon all of us. We are terrified.

God destroyed Egypt.

Sin is destroyed, so that they would know that God is God. When Jesus Christ returns, he will destroy the military power, the economic power, the political power of the nations of this world.

He's going to destroy the power of the nations of this world.

China, Russia, Europe, Korea, Iran, will destroy the power, so that they may know that God is God.

And there's a lot of things that are going to happen. We know of prophecy, there's going to be false religions, and wars, and famines, and pestilences.

And then we know that God is going to protect the church. He needs to be for some of those things that will not protect the church.

But then, he'll protect the church. So, like these are allies.

Some of the plagues in Egypt they went through, but later on they were protected. They did not have the same plagues.

And so the church will be protected from the Great Tribulation, or part of the church, some of the church will.

That's why it says, Pray and watch that you may be counted worthy to escape. Others will go through it.

And then, after that, there's going to be heavenly signs. It says that God is getting to reveal.

Then it's the Day of the Lord. Out of the Great Tribulation, a lot of people will repent. And so God will again protect people from Israel, and a great multitude from other nations. From the Day of the Lord. But then when the Day of the Lord starts, which is symbolized by the seven trumpets, then there'll be hail and fire that will burn a third of the cross, and of the land on planet Earth. A third of the seal will become blood. The church will be protected, and some of those other people that have repented, authored that during the Great Tribulation will also be protected. Then we hear about the sun and the moon being struck, and being a terrible warfare between nations. And a third of mankind will be killed. A third of mankind will be killed. Wars may be between maybe the Beast Power and Caliphate, or powers of the North, etc. And then we have the seven lost blades right at the end. After Christ's coming, or at Christ's coming, where there'll be severe storms, seas turned to blood, the sun scorching mankind, doctors over the land, and a final battle for the world. Do the people repent through this? The people who go through these lost things and have not repented previously, they will not repent. We read time and time again in Revelation 9, 20, and others. They did not repent. They did not repent. They did not repent. They did not repent. And so, to the point, they'll fight Christ like Pharaoh fought against Israelites right at the end. They'll fight Christ. But as we hear right at the end, in Ezekiel 38, right at the end, when there's the into the world tomorrow, and God and may God gives the final attempt against that city, the people then know that God is God. You see, God will protect the church. We will suffer through some of the trials and difficulties initially, but later on, we'll be protected. We have to be aware and awake. As we now approach the days of the living bread and the possum, we need to use this time to prepare ourselves. Then there's a time when the false prophet will come. Just like the magicians in Egypt, they were able to duplicate some of the miracles. But there will also be two witnesses. And the two witnesses will probably say, like Moses said, well, we're going to bring this plague down. And some initially, the false prophet will be able to do it. But oftentimes, he won't. And so, the intention, therefore, by analogy, is that the false prophet will be limited. And that's why they all hate the two witnesses, because they can't do it, and he's bringing pain upon them.

We see God delivering Israel out of Egypt. And he made a covenant with them, the old covenant, and he gave them a law.

He will now make a covenant with Israel again, which is a new covenant. Look at the covenant in Jeremiah 31. Jeremiah 31.

Jeremiah 31 verse 31 to 34.

The old, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I'll make a new covenant with the house of Israel, then with the house of Judah. Now, we quite often will forget that this is a covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, which is expanded or goes to the rest of the olive tree that is grafted in, spiritually speaking. But it is a covenant with the physical house of Israel and with the house of Judah, which is not today, because the house of Israel today is not repentant. It is will be in the world tomorrow.

Not according to the covenant I made with their fathers in the day that I took them out of them by hand, to lead them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke. Though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is a covenant that I'll make with the house of Israel. After those days, says the Lord, I will put my law in their minds and write it in their hearts, and I'll be their God, and they shall be my people.

Can you imagine the time when the whole nation, from the heart, wants to open a garden?

What time of peace will that be in the world?

You see, Jesus Christ will deliver all mankind to the end.

The true fulfillment of the Promised Land will actually take place. The Kingdom of God will be established on earth, and the Millennium will be king.

But is that a lesson for us? There is a lesson for us. Because all these are analogies. As we approach the eyes of the living brain, we can see around the style of the deliverance, the analogies. But the lesson for us is in Hebrews chapter 3.

Hebrews chapter 3.

So starting verse 8.

Hebrews chapter 3 verse 8. Do not harden your hearts, as in the repellent, in the day of trial in the wilderness.

Do not harden your hearts.

That's the lesson. You know, there's going to be difficult times. We don't even understand all the things. Why? For instance, why is Mr. Luca suffering? We don't understand the plan of God.

But we have to walk in faith.

We've got to walk in faith.

Do not harden your hearts, as in the repellent, in the day of trial in the wilderness. Where your father stayed with me, tried with me, and saw my words for years. Therefore I was angry with the generations, said they will always go straight in their hearts, and they have not done my ways, so I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest.

Beware brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. So what is the warning to us? Let's not lack faith. Let's not lack faith.

Because it says, Let's beware brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it's called to die, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Sin is deceitful. Sin is deceitful. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence state fast to the end.

So brethren, that's what it is. We've got it. Hold on.

While it is safe to die, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in your opinion. So, and let's just... I recommend you to read this section in your own time. But then let's just jump to verse 11 of the following chapter, chapter 4. Verse 11 of chapter 4. Let as they fall be diligent to enter that race, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. So brethren, the point is, let us be diligent to enter that race. We've got the Sabbath as a symbol of the race, as we heard in the sermonette, as the family died. But those people just abide. They lack faith. They quit. How many of our friends, brethren? How many of our friends and families, they were with us in the church. They're not with us anymore. They have fallen by the wayside.

You know, Christ says, I'll never leave or forsake you. It reminds me of something somebody told me once, and he says, if this company in that body will ever fire you, it's just you that will fire yourself. Really, once we've been called into God's church, God will not fire us. You'll never leave or forsake us. It's us that may walk away. And that's the danger. That's the danger. He says, I'll never leave or forsake you. He says, therefore, be diligent to enter that restless. Anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. They disobeyed. Let's be careful as we get into the thousand-level bread for self-examination. Let's look at it. The danger is for us to turn back to Egypt in our hearts. The danger is for us to turn back to the swivel its ways in our hearts. The danger is for us to become discouraged and give up because we need the spiritual wilderness. The danger is for us to follow false prophets because many will come and will deceive many. And if it were possible, they see the very elect. Brethren, beware. It's going to come. It's near. Don't be deceived. The danger is for us to reject the leadership that God has given us. The danger is to begin to doubt God and that these prophecies are true. Brethren, you and I stand at the threshold of the war tomorrow. This is not no time to quit. It's no time to give up. We need to be patient because God will save mankind. You will protect His Church. He will return and will protect you if you are faithful and loyal to the end. God is with us. We have the power of the universe beyond us.