Similarities Between Moses and Christ

Many prophecies in the Bible are dual in nature. It's amazing how God tried to give us an understanding beforehand by helping us to look back at some of the things of history. We talked a little bit about that and some of the messages that I've been giving recently about how we can take a look at some of the examples of God's people back in the Old Testament. In fact, let's just notice 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 11.

We'll take a look at that scripture here, 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 11. We talk about some of the things that happened to the children of Israel and that God intended us to learn from them. As we look at various parts of scripture, we realize there are many lessons that are there for us. In fact, we look at books like Joshua, Judges, Kings, and Chronicles.

And actually, they're considered even though we consider them historical, they often have some prophetic meaning to them. And so, there are things that are there, that are lessons that are there that we can learn from. It says in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 11, All of these things happened to them as examples and they were written for our admonition. So, there are things that we can learn from them. In fact, God intended us to learn from them. They didn't necessarily themselves have examples that they could look back on.

They became an example for us. And so, it wasn't just history for history's sake. God intended us to learn from them. Many events that have taken place in the Bible seem to have a future fulfillment.

Something that's going to happen later on. There are types of things to come later on. And so, today as we begin observing the days of 11 bread, we're going to look at some of the events that happened to God's people in the past. You know, some of the events that occurred to Israel leading up to the Exodus, during the Exodus, and following the Exodus.

And we'll see that they are dual in nature. And that there are also types of things that are going to happen in the future. And some of them have not happened yet. But they're still ahead of us. So, as we study the Exodus, we'll find there are different analogies also that can be drawn.

And we have to be a little careful with analogies and with types, because they're not perfect. And sometimes they do break down. But we'll see that there are some clear indications of various types of things that point to Jesus Christ. They point to future events that have not yet happened.

When we look at types and dualities, we can look at the example. For instance, I'll give you a couple of examples. We can understand that the Passover Lamb was a type of Jesus Christ. That it was pointing to Him all along. The sacrifices were pointing to Him all along. The animal sacrifices. Jesus Christ, who was the Lamb of God. That paid the penalty and the sacrifice for our sins. So, I think this is one type that most of us understand. And there's some other ones, too. I'll give you another example surrounding the Exodus.

It's Moses. Moses and the duality with Jesus Christ. In a sense, there's a remarkable correspondence between Moses and Jesus Christ. Some of the duties, some of the commitments, some of the obligations that they had. The role that God, the Father, was asking them to fulfill. A remarkable correspondence between Moses and Christ.

So, a few things that I hope to accomplish this morning in this message. There's a couple of few of these analogies and these types. We'll investigate some of them today. And we'll also focus on the connectivity between a couple of prophets. Moses and Jesus Christ. Because we'll see that Moses typifies Jesus Christ in many ways. And we'll also come to understand that many of the events that are surrounding the Exodus were futuristic in their applications.

So, let's turn over to begin with the first verse here. Let's turn over to Deuteronomy chapter 5 and verse 4. Deuteronomy chapter 5 and verse 4. I've got a lot of scriptures today, so I may refer to some of them. And if you've got time, you may want to look them up. And if not, you may want to jot them down so that you can review them for later. But we'll begin with Deuteronomy chapter 5 and verse 4. Now, we know, and have been taught through scripture, that God utilized Moses to lead his people out of slavery. To lead them out of the slavery in Egypt.

And perhaps you've already made this connection, or you will hopefully make this connection, that we'll see the application to Jesus Christ. That God the Father utilized Jesus Christ to lead his people out of slavery as well. The slavery of sin. But I'm getting a little bit ahead of the story. There are a lot of analogies in scripture that we'll find today. And you may even have some that I won't even cover, some that come to mind that I won't even cover today.

Because there are a lot of them. So now, in this context, we're three months after the Exodus, the children of Israel have left Egypt. They've come to Mount Sinai. And God is personally giving them the Ten Commandments. So let's pick it up here in Deuteronomy 5, verse 4. He says, the Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire.

And I stood between the Lord and you at that time. So, in a sense, Moses has become their mediator. He's standing between God and he's standing between the people. And of course, we understand that Jesus Christ is a mediator as well. So there's some connection there. He says, I stood between the Lord and you at that time to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire and you did not go up to the mountain.

Let's jump over to verse number 23. And so it was when you 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 all of your elders. So the leaders of the people were coming to Moses when all of this was going on.

There was a lot going on in verse 24. And you said, Surely the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness. And we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. And we have seen this day that God speaks with man. And yet He still lives. So in a way, we know this couldn't be God the Father because God speaking with man, and of course, Jesus relate to us the fact that no one has heard the Father's voice.

And so this God that was speaking was the Word who eventually became Jesus Christ. That's a little bit of a side note. But yet, we see at the very end of verse 24 that we've heard His voice from the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God speaks with man, yet He still lives. Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. 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 lived. You go near Moses, and you hear all that the Lord our God may say, and then tell us what the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear, and we will do it.

So we see here that the people didn't want to hear God's voice because they feared that they would die. It was so stupendous, it was so powerful, that they felt that they would not be able to continue to survive if God continued to speak to them. So it would be Moses who would hear God's words, and it would be Moses who would relay this information to them.

They were afraid, and they asked Moses to be a mediator, and so he was. Let's read on in verse 28, And all of this people which they have spoken to you, they are right in all that they have spoken. O that they had at heart in them that they would fear me, and always keep my commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever. Go and say to them, return to your tents, that as for you, stand here by me, and I will speak to you all the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I am going to possess.

So we see that God is the one that says, Moses, I want you to listen to my words, I want you to hear what I have to say, and I want you to relay that to the people. Well, let's go over to Deuteronomy chapter 18 in verse 15. Deuteronomy chapter 18 in verse 15. We've covered in past messages that a true prophet of God doesn't speak his own words.

He speaks the words that God has given to him, and we know that Moses was certainly a prophet of God. In Deuteronomy chapter 18 in verse 15, Moses says this, The Lord your God is going to raise up for you a prophet, like me, from your midst, from your brethren, him shall you hear. Now Moses said there's going to be another prophet to come. He's going to be like me. He's not going to be me, but he's going to be like me.

And this is an obvious reference to Jesus Christ. A lot of people don't think of Jesus Christ as a prophet. He had a lot of titles, but a prophet was also one of them. But how would he be like Moses? Moses said he's going to be like me. How is he going to be like Moses? You know, you and I can say that, well, our children are going to be like us. You can say that children are just going to be like their parents.

But what does that mean? Like you in looks? Like you in temperament? Like you in abilities or skills? Or like you in traits or in genes? Well, what Moses is relaying to them from God is that this coming prophet eventually began to be known as a term, that prophet or the prophet. That that prophet was going to be like Moses in his calling. He was going to be a prophet that was also going to lead God's people out of slavery.

He was going to be similar in his calling, similar in his duties, similar in his responsibilities. And notice it says, this will be someone from your midst. So this would be an Israelite. And notice it says, him shall you hear. Now, why does Moses say this? Well, the next verse I think gives us a clue. Let's read verse number 16. According to all you desire to the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire, anymore lest I die.

So the people said they didn't want to hear the voice of God anymore from Mount Sinai. And notice the last part of verse number 18. It says, God would put His words in the mouth of His prophet. He says, I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren, and I will put my words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. So we see that this coming prophet was going to be just like Moses.

You know, God told Moses, don't worry that you can't speak. Don't worry that you don't have a tongue. I will give you the words to say. I will teach them to you, and you will speak to the people my words. And this same prophet to come, it says the same thing. God said, I'm going to put my words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And then He goes on to say in verse number 19, And it shall be that whoever will not hear my words, which he speaks in my name, that I will require it of Him.

So apparently there's some accountability and responsibility of the ears, that if you don't hear what that prophet has to say, God will require it of you or of me. Well, there's an application here to Jesus Christ, and we've touched on this in the past, but I want to bring it out again for those that may not have been here.

Let's turn over to John 6 in verse 14. John 6 and verse 14. We see that Jesus Christ was that prophet that was to come, the one that Moses talked about, the one that would be like Him, that they would share some of the same responsibilities, some of the same duties.

John 6 and verse number 14. Picking up the context a little bit in verse 13, there's just been a miracle where several thousands have been fed miraculously, and then there were 12 baskets with fragments of five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

Verse 14 of John 6, it says, Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, truly, this is truly the prophet who is to come into the world. So they began to realize, too, there's a good chance that whoever this man is, he's that prophet that Moses talked about. Let's turn over to John 12 in verse 47. John 12 and verse 47. We'll see that God the Father also wanted His disciples to understand, and you and I, as we read, that yes, this is my prophet. And by the way, He's also my Son.

And I want you to hear the words that He has. I said John 12, but before we go there, I apologize. Let's go to Matthew 17 and verse 5.

This is when Peter and I think it was James and John went up to the mountain, and Jesus Christ was transfigured, verse 2, before their eyes, His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with them. In verse 4, then Peter answered and said, If you wish, let us make three tabernacles, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. And while He was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Hear Him. So God, through Moses said there's a prophet coming, you need to hear the words that He has. And now God the Father has told those that were up there, Peter, James, and John, This is my Son, I want you to listen, I want you to hear what He has to say. And of course, that means more than just listening to what He has to say, but to actually do the words that He speaks, the things that He brings to us. Let's go now to John 12, in verse 47. John 12, and verse 47. Talking about hearing the words of Jesus Christ, this prophet that was to come.

It says, If anyone hears my words, and Jesus is speaking, if anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge Him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me and does not receive my words, has that which judges Him.

The word that I have spoken will judge Him in the last day. So we see that because it is His words that are going to judge us in the last day, they will determine whether or not a person will have eternal life or not.

Now those who claim that what Jesus Christ taught is out of date, that we should probably follow Paul only, that he's a little more recent. But you know, that's not what God says about Moses, His prophet. And it's not what God says about Jesus Christ, His prophet. Both Moses and Jesus Christ were sent from the Father Himself. Both of them were given a message to deliver from God Himself. Both of them spoke on authority that came from God Himself. And that prophet that we hear about, or this prophet, received His message directly from the Father. Let's notice that here in verse number 49.

For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me gave me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Want to know what God's command is? It's everlasting life. That's pretty encouraging. That's His intent. That's His will. That's His command. He says that's what I want for these people, His everlasting life.

Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told me, so I speak. I think a lot of us have noticed in religious history or maybe attending other churches, that there's a lot of thought out there that Jesus Christ brought things that were different from God in the Old Testament. And that maybe this God of the Old Testament was somebody that was a little old-fashioned, a little out of date.

And now we have Jesus Christ coming, who's going to share a little bit more of an upbeat, a little more of a progressive type of message. But that's just the opposite of what is true. Jesus Christ said that what you're hearing from Me that you think is so different, and you think is maybe so progressive or whatever verbiage that you want to use, it's not Me. It's not for Me.

This is My Father's teaching. It's not Mine. I'm not speaking of My own authority. And that's what a prophet does. He speaks on only what he is given to speak on. And so Jesus Christ certainly fulfilled that role of a prophet of God. We'll see today that Moses was a type of Jesus Christ. Moses was a type of Jesus Christ at His first coming. Many things happened to Moses that also happened in Israel that were duplicated by Jesus Christ. There were many things that happened to Moses in Israel that were duplicated, or there was some dual meaning or a type in Christ.

And let's look at a few of those as we go through the message today. Acts 7 and verse 17. Let's take a look at that. Acts 7 and verse 17. We'll actually spend a lot of time in Acts 7 today.

Acts 7 and verse 17. We'll read on through verse 21. It says, But when the time of the promise drew near, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied. You know, God had given them a promise that they were going to go into a promised land, which in a way typifies the kingdom of God, a promised blessing for God's people.

But the time was beginning to draw near, as it says, which God had sworn to Abraham, and the people grew and they multiplied in Egypt until another king arose, who did not know Joseph. This man dealt treacherously with our people, and he oppressed our forefathers, and he made them expose their babies so that they might not live. At this time, Moses was born and was well pleasing to God. So there seems to be an indication, really almost right out of the womb, that this was a special child. This was a child that was well pleasing to God, and God had some thoughts and desires of how he was going to use this young person, this baby, which would turn into a man to lead his people out of slavery.

So, verse 20, at this time, Moses was born and was well pleasing to God, and he was brought up in his father's house for three months. But when he was set out, Pharaoh's daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son.

Verse 19 says that this man dealt treacherously with our people, and he pressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies. And you may remember the story that there were males that were killed. Eventually, Pharaoh said, I want these children killed, that they would not be able to grow up.

He killed all the male baby boys of the Israelites. Now, why would he do that? Why would he do that? Because it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense, because these babies would grow up to be men. And they would be the ones that would maybe till the fields, or they would maybe be plowing the fields, reaping, harvesting.

They'd be building the cities. They'd be building the houses. They'd make the bricks. Well, brethren, what was beginning to happen is that Pharaoh and the Egyptians were beginning to become afraid of the Israelites, because they were growing more powerful. They were becoming innumerable. They were basically being very blessed by God from the womb, and they were expanding incredibly quickly, from what had been a very few people to a multitude of people in a few generations. You know, there are some analogies that we can draw from here. I don't know, maybe you've thought of this connection before, maybe you haven't.

But you know, Pharaoh is a type of Satan the devil. Pharaoh is a type of Satan the devil. And he's attempting a lot of different things. He's attempting to destroy God's family, His people. He becomes afraid that His dominion is possibly at risk and in jeopardy. And he's afraid that we may become more powerful. And so, the analogy is there with Satan as a Pharaoh, and with God's people today. Being in slavery, and staying in slavery. You know, tradition says that the prophets of Egypt predicted that there would be a deliverer for the children of Israel. There is some historical evidence that shows that, that the prophets of Egypt predicted there would be a deliverer that would arise from Israel when they were in their land.

And so, I suppose that could be another reason for an attempt to prevent that deliverer from ever showing up by killing the male boys. Well, let's see if there's some application here also to Jesus Christ. Let's turn over to Matthew 2, verse 13. Matthew 2, verse 13. You may want to keep your finger in Acts 7 if you haven't left there yet, but we can come back there if you have. Matthew 2, verse 13. Because we'll see also that just as the time that Moses the prophet came on the scene and there was a killing of young males, that the same thing was happening at the time of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 2. And we'll pick it up here in verse 13. And we'll read on through verse 16. Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, and he was to the wise and take the young child and his mother and 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 for Egypt.

And there 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 called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry. And he sent forth and he put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem, in all of its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

So we see also that Herod wanted to kill Jesus Christ. He had all the males that were under the age of two killed and destroyed. And Satan has tried to subvert the plan of God since the beginning, throughout the ages. He's attempted to destroy Israel. He's also attempted to destroy the Messiah that would come, be descended from the Israelites. You know, it says there in verse number 15, it says, Out of Egypt I called my son. You know, there's some duality there, because it not only refers to Jesus Christ here, but it also refers to the children of Israel.

I'll just refer to a couple of Scriptures here. In Exodus chapter 4 and verse 22, when Moses was telling Pharaoh, Let my people go, that they may serve me, he was telling Pharaoh in that context, he said, Let my people go, because Israel is my firstborn. He is my son. Let him go that he may serve me, because if you don't let him go, then I will kill your firstborn. I'll kill your firstborn sons.

So we see some duality here, that when it says, Out of Egypt I called my son, it's referring to the children of Israel, the firstborn of God, and also it's referring to Jesus Christ. Let's go back to Acts chapter 7 and verse 20.

We saw here that Moses was sanctified, set apart, almost from the womb. And some even think before. Acts chapter 7 verse 20, At this time Moses was born and was well pleasing to God, and he was brought up in his father's house for three months. So we see Moses was sanctified at a very young age. God had chosen him to deliver his people from slavery, because they were a slave people. And Jesus Christ was also preordained from the foundation of the world to be our Savior, to bring us out of sin.

That's in Revelation chapter 13 verse 8. I'll just refer to that here. Revelation chapter 13 and verse 8. That Jesus Christ was preordained from the foundation of the world. Let's turn over to Romans chapter 6 and verse 16. Romans chapter 6 and verse 16. You know there's a connection between Egypt simplifying sin and, of course, God using Moses as one of his prophets to bring them out of slavery to freedom. And Jesus Christ has a similar role with what he plays. Romans chapter 6 and verse number 16.

It says, Do not, don't you know, that to whom you present yourself slaves to obey, you are that one slave whom you obey. Whether of sin leading to death, so God knows where sin leads, He doesn't want us to go there, because He loves us. His commandment is everlasting life. But He's afraid of where sin will lead, and He knows we've been slaves to sin. Whether of sin leading to death or of obedience which leads to righteousness. But God be thanked, that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart, that form of doctrine which was delivered to you. So God explains to us through Paul that we've been slaves.

We've been slaves, in fact, we were born into slavery, just like the children of Israel were at that time in their history. You know, they didn't know any other way of life. They've been constantly under the tutelage and under the influence of the present ruler of this age. We've been constantly, in a sense, under Pharaoh. We were born into slavery. We don't really know what it's like to be free. We were born into slavery. We've been slaves of sin. Yet Jesus Christ, as a prophet, the God the Father is utilizing to begin to take us out of Egypt, of spiritual Egypt towards the Kingdom of God, the Promised Land.

Jesus Christ came to free us from slavery. Sometimes it's hard for us to grasp. It just seems like words. But it's more serious than we understand because God takes it seriously. Let's notice Matthew 1 and verse 21. Matthew 1 and verse 21. I don't think we'll realize how much of slavery we've been in until we're no longer slaves and we're totally free. Matthew 1 and verse 21. Part of the purpose of why Jesus Christ came.

It's an important one. It's one that the Father thought of for a long time. Matthew 1 and verse 21. It says there, And she will bring forth a son, referring to Mary, the mother of Jesus. She will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, which means salvation.

For he will save his people from their sins. We have to be saved from our sins. And of course, we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God. And we have to be saved from that. And so we've been in slavery to sin, which produces death. And it talks about that in the Scripture. Well, let's go back now to Acts 7.

Acts 7. We'll pick it up in verse number 22 of Acts 7. It says, And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in words and in deeds. You know, it kind of caught me a little bit by surprise when I read the Scripture, because it says he was mighty in words and in deeds. But later on, he says, well, I can't speak. You know, I've got difficulty in speaking.

I'm not a good speaker. But apparently, at this time in his life, this is how it's described, that he was mighty in words and in deeds. It says he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. So he learned a lot. He spent the first 40 years of his life growing up in this Egyptian culture. You know, Josephus indicates that Moses was a general.

And Josephus was there on the scene in the first century, that Moses was a general. So as such, he would have been accustomed to organizing armies, of knowing what weaponry was needed, depending upon the battle. He was accustomed to mobilizing large groups of soldiers, you know, in a quick moment of time, and of feeding these soldiers when they moved from one place to another.

Let's read on in verse number 23. Now when he was 40 years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended, and he avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. For he supposed that his brethren would have understood, that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. Now there's a lot here in these three verses. It says this, it says, he knew that the Israelites were his brethren.

You know, don't know exactly how, but he knew that these are my people, that I am not an Egyptian, I am a Hebrew, I am an Israelite. So he knew they were his family. And Moses apparently thought that God was going to deliver Israel from captivity by his hand. You know, here he had all the experience. You know, he'd been a general. He'd been able to organize large groups of military troops, and all that goes with it in battle.

And he probably thought that he'd been prepared and educated, and he had the experience that this is why God chose him, because I am the right man for the job. But you know, there was one thing that was lacking. He didn't have the attitude that God could use. When we rely on ourselves, and our own training, and our own abilities, you know, God can't use us.

Well, let's go on, verse number 26. And the next day, he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, Man, you are brethren! Why do you wrong one another? But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, and said, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? You want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday? And then at this, saying, Moses fled, and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.

And when forty years had passed, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire, in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. So something happens. There's really a transformation that takes place. Moses becomes humbled. In this next forty years, God begins to work with him. God doesn't work with him the way that he thought God was going to work with him, because he thought, wow, I've had all this training, and God's going to put me in charge, because I'm the right man for the job. The transformation takes place. Let's notice Numbers 12, verses 1-3. Numbers 12, verses 1-3. We'll see a transformation in his life. Moses becomes humble. Numbers 12, verses 1-3.

Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married, for he had married an Ethiopian woman. So they said, has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also? And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was very humble. I think some translations say meek. He was very humble more than all men who were on the face of the earth. It's quite a statement, isn't it? That God saw his humility now. In fact, he had come to the point of humility. And you know, I'll just refer to this Scripture, but this typifies Jesus Christ, because he was meek. I'll refer to Matthew 11, verse 29, where it says that...

Well, let's go ahead and turn there. I think we've got a little time. Matthew 11, verse 29. These were two prophets of God that had similar responsibilities, similar callings, bringing people out of slavery to freedom. And they had some of the same characteristics and traits. They only spoke what God asked them to speak. They were both prophets of God. They both had a humble attitude. Matthew 11, verse 29. It says, Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.

For I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. I think some translations say, for I am meek and lowly. And we know that Jesus Christ was meek as well as Moses. So God, when he began to deliver his people, Israel, out of slavery in Egypt, he did it in a manner that was different than what Moses thought, didn't he?

And he probably did it in a manner that was different than the people thought. You know, God didn't guide them logistically in the way that maybe they thought that they should go, or the way that they would have assumed that they would go. It wasn't necessarily the most direct path from point A to point B.

And the way that he freed them wasn't in the way that they thought. They didn't realize that God was going to destroy this nation of Egypt. He wasn't just going to have his people leave. They were going to be punished and they were going to be destroyed. He was going to destroy Egypt before he led them out of Egypt, in a way that they probably didn't understand, or for reasons maybe they didn't know.

God had other purposes in mind that they were not aware of. And you and I don't always see the directions that God is taking us, or the direction that God is leading us. And sometimes that's where faith comes in. They walk by faith and not by sight. God led them to the Red Sea. And that was not a logical place for them to go, or to find themselves, or at least it wasn't until they thought. But he had other things in mind. The Egyptians were pursuing. Pharaoh was pursuing. They were out to track them down. And God had something else in mind.

When it came to Jesus Christ, the Jews of Christ Day were looking for a king to deliver them, a Messiah. They didn't understand that Jesus Christ would first come as a lamb of God to die for sins, the sins of the people. He didn't come as they expected. Jesus had the right attitude that God could use. He was humble right from the beginning.

Moses had to become that way. He had humility and submission. John 5, verse 19. Then Jesus answered and said, Most assuredly I say to you, the Son of man could do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father do, for whatever He does, the Son does in like manner. Sounds like a son that's watching his father, doesn't it? In fact, he says, you know what? He said, I don't do anything unless I've seen my Father do it. I've learned from Him. You know, I can do nothing of myself, but what I see the Father do and whatever He does, I do in the like manner.

Let's jump over to verse number 30. He says, I can of myself do nothing. He keeps saying it over and over again. As I hear, I judge. My judgment is righteous because I don't seek my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me. So we see that Jesus had the right attitude that God could use. He had the humility and the submission. He felt He couldn't do anything of Himself. Well, let's go back to Acts 7 and verse 37. These are important characteristics of a prophet of God leading people out of slavery.

Acts 7. And we'll pick it up in verse number 37. Acts 7. And verse number 37. This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brethren.

Him you shall hear. And this is He who was in the congregations in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to Him on Mount Sinai, with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give us. There's a parallel here, too, brethren. God gave His commandments, the Ten Commandments, to His people through Moses. Moses was a lawgiver. But you know, Jesus Christ came to magnify and to amplify those laws so that we could understand their true and full intent. The true intent, the spiritual intent of the law. Both of these prophets were lawgivers.

They both had that same characteristic that God the Father used. Let's notice another common characteristic that these two had. Still in this same chapter of Acts 7. Let's go back to verse number 35. This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge, is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer, by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

Brethren, they rejected Moses. They rejected this prophet of God. This Moses that says, whom they rejected, says, Who made you a judge and a deliverer, became a judge and a deliverer, because God the Father sent Him. We know it's a very similar thing happened to Jesus Christ. But before we go to some Scriptures that show that, let's continue to read on here. Verse 36, He, referring to Moses, brought them out after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and the land of the Red Sea and in the wilderness for 40 years.

God used Moses to provide some miraculous signs. You know, the plagues, remember the ten plagues that maybe even rehearsed last night. But God used Moses in showing those plagues and those various signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. But they wouldn't obey. Verse 39, whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected, even despite all the miracles, despite all the signs, despite all of the wonders, despite all the plagues. It says, our fathers would not obey, but they rejected this prophet.

And in their hearts, they turned back to Egypt. Verse 40, saying to Aaron, make us gods to go before us, for as this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what's become of him. So they rejected this prophet. God's people rejected Moses, despite all the plagues and all the signs. And we'll see there's an application to Christ too, because he was rejected. John 1 and verse 11. John 1. We'll pick it up in verse 11. It says, He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

Now Jesus Christ came as a prophet from God, but the words from God Himself, that God Himself had said, I want you to hear this prophet, this is my Son. I want you to hear His words and heed what He has to say. They're all required of you. And so we see that He came to His own, and His own didn't receive Him. Let's also notice Luke chapter 19 and verse 12. Just a few pages back. Luke chapter 19 and verse 12. And we'll read from verse 12 through verse 14. Luke chapter 19 verse 12.

The citizens hated Him and sent a delegation after Him saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. They rejected Jesus Christ. This is referring to Christ. And verse 15, So it was, when He returned, having received the kingdom, He then commanded these servants, to whom He had given the money to be called to Him, and that He might know how every man had gained by His trading. But what we see here is they said, the citizens said, We don't want Him to reign over us. We will not have this man to reign over us. Let's go to Luke chapter 24 verse 19. They rejected Christ. Luke chapter 24 and verse number 19. We'll read through verse 21 of Luke 24. It says, And He said to them, What things? So they said to Him, The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth. They were walking down the road. It was after Jesus had been crucified. He'd been resurrected, but some of them did not know it yet. They were walking down the road, and Jesus had joined them. And verse 19, And Jesus is speaking here. He said to them, What things? So they said to Him, The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, Who was a prophet, mighty in deed and in word. Sounds a little bit like Moses that we read about, doesn't it? These two prophets were mighty in deed and in word, before God and all the people. 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 who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all of this, today is the third day since these things have happened.

So Jesus was mighty in deed and in word, and they hoped He would redeem Israel, but they rejected Him. You know those who rejected Moses, we know what happened to them. Those that rejected Moses, remember the story? They lacked faith in God's prophet. They died in the wilderness. They didn't go to the Promised Land. They weren't hearing the words of God's prophet. The Jews rejected Christ. They rejected Christ. And there are several things that happened historically. They went into captivity in 70 AD. The temple was destroyed.

And they would fare as their forefathers had. And we know that the Jewish people that have rejected this prophet, Jesus Christ, that they won't enter the Promised Land, the Kingdom of God, when it begins. They won't be part of the millennium. They'll have an opportunity afterwards because they're still God's people.

And He has blinded their eyes for the time being. But He's going to open their eyes to see the things that we see now. And then their accountability will begin. But they'll miss out on the first thousand years of the Kingdom of God. But God has a plan for them, and all will work out well. Let's go back to Acts 7. Acts 7. Why is it that the people of God seem to continually reject these two main prophets that were trying to bring them out of slavery? We'll notice the problem here in Acts 7.

We'll pick it up here in verse 51. Acts 7. In verse 51, we'll notice the problem together. He says, "...You are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hardened ears. You always resist the Holy Spirit. Brethren, that's what God's people were doing. The children of Israel, the Jewish leaders of the day, and many of the Jewish people, they rejected Christ. They were resisting God's Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you." And he goes on to talk about which of the prophets didn't your fathers persecute or reject, in other words.

They killed those who foretold the coming of this just one, of whom now you have become the betrayers and murderers. And so that seems to be the problem, is resisting God's Holy Spirit. There are a couple of themes that I hope to cover here. One of the themes, the first one we've actually begun to address and discuss already, which is what Jesus Christ did at His first coming with the church and with His people, that Moses has a lot of the same common characteristics when Jesus came, as when Moses came.

They were both rejected. But there's also a second theme that we haven't touched on yet, that I'd like to cover in the time that we have left. The second theme is the second coming of Jesus Christ, and the dual application of the events that surround the Exodus and Moses.

So let's take a look and notice the application also to the second coming of Jesus Christ. We've already read, I won't go back to Acts 7 and verse 17, but we've already read the statement there that when the time of the promise drew near.

Well, there's another promise in the Bible, and that's the second coming of Jesus Christ. Let's notice Acts 3 and verse 19. Acts 3 and verse 19. We'll notice something here. In Acts 3 and verse 19, it says, "...repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before." So now, they've already heard about Jesus Christ and His first coming, but now we hear that He's going to send Him again.

And it has to do with repenting of our sins, that they may be blotted out, that we may begin to come out of that slavery, that sometimes we don't understand just how powerful that it is. In verse 20, "...that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven and earth must receive, until a time of restitution." A time where God's kingdom comes back to the earth.

You know, there was a time when it was beautiful, and there was a time before the serpent had deceived any of God's sons and daughters, and it was beautiful, and the angels shouted for joy. There's going to be a restitution in many different respects. So Jesus Christ, who's in heaven at this time, will remain there, until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of His holy prophets since the world began.

And Moses truly said to the fathers, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren, him you shall hear in all things, whatever he says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed among the people. So Jesus Christ is that prophet, and God does want us to hear what He has to say.

God's going to send a deliverer. He's going to send a Savior. He's going to deliver Israel. And He's going to deliver all mankind. Let's notice James 5, verse 7. James 5, verse 7. It's in the context, brethren, of you and I being patient and persevering. Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord, until that restoration, that restitution of all things. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it, until it receives the early and the latter rain.

And therefore, you be patient. Establish your hearts, because God's coming. It's going to happen. It's at hand. Verse 9, don't grumble against one another. This is all in the context here of being patient and waiting for Jesus Christ to return. Don't grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. You know, the things that we say are very important, whether they are helpful or not. Don't grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned.

Behold, the judge is standing at the door. Jesus Christ is a way of saying it's not that far from now. Hang in there. Be patient. Endure. Verse 10, my brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering, and of patience. Indeed, we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end, intended by the Lord, that the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

So sometimes, even though it doesn't look very good, and we're in the midst of a trial, God says, hang in there. Be patient and endure to the end. It is through much tribulation that we do enter the kingdom of God, and we need to endure to the end. You know, the church has waited a long time for the return of Jesus Christ.

It's probably been waiting about 1983 years for the return of Christ. And you know, God has waited. God's waited 6,000 years for His plan to be fulfilled. You know, He's watched the suffering of humanity for a very long time, hasn't He? We're His sons and daughters. He's seen His people in slavery for a very long time, and suffering for a very long time.

You know, He watched His people, the children of Israel, suffer in slavery for 430 years. And brethren, there's an analogy here. There's an analogy here, because He's been watching, just as He watched them for 430 years, He's been watching all of us, mankind, for 6,000 years.

You know, God did send Jesus Christ, the prophet, as He promised in 27 A.D. He started to preach. But that wasn't the time to restore all things. 2 Peter 3 and verse 8. But that time is coming to bring these people out of slavery, to have Pharaoh let them go.

2 Peter 3 and verse 8. But beloved, do not forget this one thing. That with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and in a thousand years is a day, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise. He doesn't lie. He's going to bring it about. He's not slack concerning His promise to some count slackness, but He is long suffering towards us, because He's not willing that any should perish, or excuse me, yes, not any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. So during this time that we're in the wilderness wandering, so to speak, on our path, on our journey to the kingdom of God, as we look at our dwellings and we examine ourselves, God has a desire that no one should perish, that we'd all be freed from this slavery that Jesus Christ came and He talked about. So there's going to be a second Exodus some day, Jeremiah 23, verse 7. There is going to be another Exodus. Jeremiah 23. We'll pick it up here in verse 7.

Therefore behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that they shall no longer say, as the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, but the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I have driven them, and they shall dwell in their own land. This is an Exodus that hasn't taken place yet. This is an Exodus where God is going to remember His people, the ones that He's blinded for the time being, the descendants of those that He brought out of Egypt. And then He's scattered because they didn't obey His covenant. He says, I'm not going to forget them. They're going to have a chance to see and understand. They're going to have a chance for the Holy Spirit to be received so they can see. Let's go back here to verse number 3 here in Jeremiah 23. Verse number 3, So we see here as we go on that God's going to bring them back. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord. Verse 5, that I will raise to David a branch of righteousness, a king shall be a king, and a king shall be a king. And I will bring them back to their folds, and they shall be fruitful and increase. I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking, says the Lord. In the branch of righteousness, a king shall reign and prosper and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. Now this is his name by which he shall be called, the Lord our righteousness. So there's going to be another Exodus some day, and there's going to be another Exodus even beyond that. When God works not only with his descendants, the children of Israel, where he brings them back out of slavery, because they still are in it, and they rejected that prophet that came, Jesus Christ. Their descendants had rejected, their fathers had rejected Moses, the first prophet, and they weren't able to go into the Promised Land. But now God says they're going to be brought back into their own land. You know, people don't hear Christ at this time when the millennium is set up. The people don't hear Christ. God says that I'm going to require of them. He basically says they're going to be destroyed. It seems harsh. But God says we need to hear Him. We need to hear this prophet. You probably noticed that the return of Christ hasn't happened exactly the way that we thought it would. You've been around for a while. You know, there was some thought that here we are in 2013, but there was some thought it might be in 1972 or 1975 or other years. Well, Christ is going to return. And the exact events leading up to the church being protected and Christ's return may not happen exactly as we envision. May not happen exactly the way that we envision. There is a parallel between Jesus Christ coming back to deliver Israel and the world from bondage. And there's a parallel with Moses delivering the children of Israel from bondage. There's an amazing parallel. We're going to cover a little bit more of that. Let's look at a few points here. We don't have time to cover them all. But let's notice Exodus 10 and verse 7. Exodus 10 and verse 7.

It says, "...Then Pharaoh's servants came to Pharaoh and said, How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?" Now, God hardened Pharaoh's hearts.

So we know that there's the accountability there. God's going to be fair with him. But he had something that he wanted to show. Pharaoh was depicting our enemy, Satan the devil. And there's an analogy there, which is actually a sermon all of its own. But they're saying to Pharaoh, let these people go. Can't you see that our kingdom is being destroyed? In fact, they've already said it had been destroyed, and there were still more plagues to follow in this context.

They hadn't reached the tenth one yet. And they said, let these people go. Can't you see that Egypt is destroyed? Why did God destroy Egypt? Let's notice Exodus 14, verse 4. God says, I'm going to harden Pharaoh's heart so that he'll pursue them. And I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all of his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. God wanted them to know that he was God, and that there is no other.

Joshua 2, verse 8. Joshua 2, verse 8. Let's take a look at what that has to say. They have been destroying God's people. They had kept them in slavery. God said, it's time for my people to be free. And there needs to be accountability. There needs to be accountability for those who kept my people in slavery in an unrighteous way, an unrighteous manner.

Joshua 2. And we'll read verses 8 through 11. Joshua 2, beginning in verse 8. Now, before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof. So, the context here is ... I think we've got ... Rahab is the harlot's lodge there. So, God's people are coming into Jericho. This is the first city in the Promised Land. And she protects them from harm and the spies that came to spilt the land.

Now, verse 8. Now, before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof. And she said to the men, I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are faint-hearted because of you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what He did to the two kings of the Amorites, who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted. Neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God, in heaven above and on earth beneath. So we see that the fear of God had fallen on the nations around Israel. All of the surrounding nations had heard of the things that He had done. And they began to realize that this God is God. When Jesus Christ returns to the earth, He's going to have to destroy.

He's going to have to destroy Egypt, if you will. If we look at the analogy a little bit, of the present dominion of Pharaoh, He's going to have to destroy it. Let's notice Revelation 11, verse 18. He's going to have to destroy the military might. He's going to have to destroy the economic power, the political power of the nations before they will accept His rule and His government.

Revelation 11, verse 18. Revelation 11, verse 18. It says, The nations were angry, and your wrath has come, in the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that you should reward your servants, and the prophets, and the saints, and those who fear your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.

God doesn't destroy just for the sake of destroying. He destroys because this is something that they are destroying My people. They're destroying My creation. They're destroying My sons and daughters. And I'm not going to tolerate it any longer. So He begins to intervene, and He destroys those who destroy the earth.

You know, I don't have the time to talk about the fact. We know that when God began to intervene in Egypt, He had the plagues, the ten plagues. You may have rehearsed some of those last night. We did, in our particular night-to-be-much observance, we did review some of that. But in Revelation 6, it talks about the seals. It talks about false religions, wars, famines, pestilences, martyrdom, and all of those things that the heavenly signs that happen on the day of the Lord.

And then it talks about the seven trumpet blasts and all the things that are supposed to happen. All of these signs, all of these wonders, like God did in Egypt, He's going to do some of those same things at the end of the age. He's going to do some of those same things that He did in Egypt, just before the return of Jesus Christ. You know, the seven trumpets talk about the hail. They talk about the fire that burns up one-third of the trees and the grass. This is similar to the fiery hail that they had in Egypt.

He talks about one-third of the sea becoming blood, and the waters of Egypt and the Nile River turn to blood. He talks about one-third of the sun, the moon and the stars are struck. He talks about continual warfare between the beast power and most likely a southern king of Muslim power. He talks about seven last plagues. Remember that in the book of Revelation? Severe sores on mankind. Boils in Egypt, remember that? Seas that are turned to blood. Sun that scorches mankind. Darkness over the land. Some of the same things that happen in Egypt.

You know, when it came to the ten plagues in Egypt, remember the story how God said, I'm going to make a difference between my people and the Egyptians. And after the third plague, the last seven plagues, the God's people in Egypt didn't experience those. They didn't experience any of them. God protected them from the last seven plagues. And there's the last seven plagues that it talks about in the book of Revelation, before God says enough is enough. So when these seven last plagues come that the book of Revelation talks about, similar to the last seven plagues, I suppose, in Egypt, do the people repent? What happens? Do the people repent or are their hearts hardened? Well, let's take a look at what happened. What happened to Pharaoh in Egypt? Let's look at Revelation 9 and verse 20. Revelation 9 and verse 20.

It says, But the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons and idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood, which can neither see nor walk nor hear. But I don't know if we comprehend how evil it's going to be at the end of the age. You know, Satan is going to come to the point where he's deceived the whole world into them, worshipping him. There's going to be the worship of demons, as it talks about, in false gods. And they're going to be destroying God's creation. God says enough is enough. And so he says that the people, their hearts are hardened. They don't repent. Let's notice verse 21. And they did not repent of their murders, or their sorceries, or their sexual immorality, or their thefts. Let's notice also Revelation 16 and verse 9. He says, and men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God, who has power over these blades. And they did not repent and give Him glory. You know, the Egyptians didn't do that either. They didn't repent and give God glory. Let's notice verse 11. They blasted the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and they didn't repent of their deeds. Verse 21. And great hail fell from heaven upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great. Let's go over to Revelation 17 and verse 12. This is across the page in my Bible. Revelation 17 and verse 12. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind. And they give their power and authority to the beast, and they will make war with the Lamb. So not only do they not repent, but they're actually battling Jesus Christ. They're not wanting to give up this dominion. They're battling Jesus Christ Himself. They'll make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, for He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and those who are with Him are called chosen and faithful. So even at the return of Jesus Christ, people are going to be fighting Him. It's hard to imagine that. But that's exactly what's going to take place.

You know, Israel rejected Moses. They turned back to Egypt in their hearts. And Israel, the Jews of Christ's day, rejected Jesus Christ as a prophet. They rejected Him at His first coming. It appears that the world is going to reject Christ. Many will reject Christ at His second coming as well.

Ezekiel 38, verse 16. Ezekiel 38, verse 16. The nations are going to come to know who the true God is. And that's part of the reason why it's become so bad. They have to be destroyed, and they have to know who the true God is. It's not Pharaoh. It's not Satan. Satan's going to palm himself off as a God, the God to be worshiped. He's going to be very good at it. God says that won't continue. Ezekiel 38. God's going to bring people out of that slavery.

We'll pick it up here in verse number 16 of Ezekiel 38. Ezekiel 38. You will come against My people like Israel like a cloud to cover the land. And it will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O God, before their eyes. So, O God, is an instrument of Satan the devil. But God says I'm going to be hallowed in you, O God, before their eyes. And He says the nations are going to know who I am. Let's go to verse number 23.

That's going to be at the end of the age. Just as He said to the Egyptians, they're going to know that I am the Lord. So that's God's plan, His design. You know, we talked about the fact that God actually protected His people in Egypt from the last seven plagues of the ten. And God will protect His people also in the future. While we may suffer through some of the seals and that type of thing, well, let's notice that there is protection for some of God's people.

Revelation 3, verse 10, just says there was protection for the children of Israel, for the seven last plagues that they experienced when they were in Egypt. Revelation 3, verse 10. There are so many different analogies here. Revelation 3, verse 10. Because you have kept My word, Jesus says, and you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. So we see there is a time that God's people will be protected. He said there's going to be some that will not have to partake of that. So that's something that's important to know.

That God says, because you kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world. Let's notice Revelation 9, verse 4. Revelation 9, verse 4. God, when He begins some of these plagues here, we see in verse 3, Out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth, and to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads.

So there will be some that God's going to protect. There will be a seal that He will somehow place in their foreheads, while they will not partake of some of the things that happen. Revelation 12. Let's take a look there.

Revelation 12. I'll pick it up in verse 4. We see the dragon here, and he's drawn a third of the stars of heaven in verse 4, and drew them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman, who was ready to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born.

And God protects. Here's this dragon that's ready to destroy, to devour this child. She bore a male child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. And then the woman fled into the wilderness, and she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there for 1,260 days. So we see that God protects the woman, so that she cannot be overwhelmed.

Now we do know that some will lose their lives, we know that that's true. But we also can sense and see and understand that just as the children of Israel were protected from some of the last seven plagues, that God's people will also be protected as well, when all of these terrible things are happening at the end of the age. A couple more points, and then we'll wrap things up. Trying to look at some of these analogies of things that have happened in the past, which will help us to understand what will happen in the future.

Remember the magicians in Egypt? Some of the things that they were able to do? That they were able to do some of the same miracles, at least initially, that Moses and Aaron were doing with the rod turning into a snake and that type of thing? They were able to even duplicate the blood, you know, in the water, some of the plagues that God had begun to start as far as part of the first ten. We saw the magicians were able to duplicate some of those plagues that Moses and Aaron did.

And we also see that in the end time there will be a false prophet who will do signs and wonders. There will be two witnesses, though, that God is going to give power to. And I think the implication is that the false prophet, though, will be limited. He'll only be able to go so far. You know, just like the magicians were only able to go so far in Egypt, I think God is going to allow them to do certain things, but they'll only be able to go so far.

And then the two witnesses come on the scene. The two witnesses come on the scene that God gives power to. I think it seems logical that God will inspire the two witnesses to tell the beast and the false prophet about some of these plagues that are going to come before they come. You know, I think there's an implication that that's possible, that the two witnesses will begin to tell about these seven plagues that God is going to bring upon the earth.

Just like Moses was telling the magicians and Pharaoh about these plagues that were going to come on the earth, there's some parallelism there. And maybe that's one of the reasons that they're going to be hated, you know, because they don't have good news to share about what God is going to bring. You know, when God delivered Israel from Egypt, He made a covenant with them. We talked about covenant last time, that they entered voluntarily into a covenant with Him, and God makes certain promises.

And He does not lie. And, of course, He expects us to fulfill our promises as well. So when God delivered Israel from Egypt, He made a covenant with them. When God delivers us from spiritual Egypt, He makes a new covenant with us. And He's going to make a new covenant with His people, Israel and Judah as well. It's called a new covenant for them too.

Jeremiah 31. We've entered into it maybe a little bit sooner than them, but they have an opportunity to enter into it as well. Jeremiah 31. And verse 31. They're still His people. They're still His sons and daughters, and He wants to bring them out of spiritual Egypt as well. Jeremiah 31. And verse 31.

And after those days, says the Lord, I'm going to put My law into their minds and write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And no more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, say, Know the Lord, for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord, because I'm going to forgive their iniquity. I'm going to bring them out of sin too. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. So, brethren, the law and the Word of God will go out to the whole world, eventually from Jerusalem, and all nations will have the opportunity to enter into that covenant. Everyone will have an opportunity. Jesus Christ will be the deliverer of all mankind, that prophet that Moses talked about. The true fulfillment of the promise that God is going to make is bringing us into a promised land. The kingdom of God, and the kingdom of God is going to be established on the earth, and the millennium will begin. So, as we conclude here, are there lessons that we can learn from all of this that we've read? No, we saw that Israel rejected Moses. They turned their hearts back to Egypt. Let's go to Hebrews 3 and verse 8. There are some lessons that we can learn from what they went through. Israel rejected Moses. They turned back to Egypt in their hearts. In fact, they even wanted to go back a few times. The Jews rejected Christ at His first coming, and the world is going to resist and reject Jesus Christ when He comes the second time. But He'll have a way of softening them up, eventually getting their attention, and He will rule for the good of all human beings. But let's notice what it says here in Hebrews 3 and verse 8. It says, today if you'll hear His voice, the latter part of verse 7, don't harden your hearts as in the rebellion. He's talking now to you and me. He's talking to Christians, disciples of Christ. And He's saying with all that they went through, they rejected Him. He says, I don't want you to do that. He says, don't harden your hearts as in the rebellion and the day of trial in the wilderness. And that's what we are, brethren. We're in our wilderness wanderings. We are. We're not the king of God yet. We're not the promised land. We're in these wilderness wanderings. It's a day of trial to test that God puts us through, just like He did them.

Where your fathers though tested Me, God said, and tried Me. And they saw My works for forty years. Therefore, I was angry with that generation and I said, they always go astray in their heart. You know, as we read earlier, the problem was that they were stiff-necked. They wanted to do their own thing, their own way. They resisted God and His Spirit. He says, I was angry with that generation, verse 10, and they always go astray in their hearts and they have not known My ways. They haven't been listening to Me and the words that I've sent from My prophets. They have not known My ways, so I swore in My wrath that they shall not enter My rest. Beware, brethren, lest there be any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.

But here's what He wants us to do, brethren, as we go forward the springboard of the first day of Unleavened Bread. But to exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. You know, we can be brought right back into slavery, is what God's trying to tell us. And we can be hardened and it's so deceitful, it can happen without us even knowing it. And so He tells us, don't let your hearts be hardened in verse number 8. And He goes on to tell us in verse number 12, to beware lest there be an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the words of our deliverer, the prophet that God sent. Verse 13, to exhort one another daily, He always tells us what not to do and then He tells us what to do. He doesn't leave us wondering, but exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence to the end, steadfast to the end. While it is said, and the emphasis again emphasizes, today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. Brother, don't harden your hearts and I need to be careful not to harden mine, because God wouldn't have said this unless it was a very real possibility. And He loves us, and so He always warns us. He says in verse 12, to beware. So as we go forth here from the Days of Unleavened Bread, let's follow the scriptural examples that we've seen among God's people in the past. Let's follow the scriptural reference that Paul, or the writer of Hebrews, is giving to us here in Hebrews chapter 3. You know, many of our friends and many of our family members have fallen. They're no longer with us. You probably know many people. They no longer believe even that these events will take place, some of them.

And there's a danger. There's a danger for you and I to go backwards. There's a danger for us to turn our hearts back to Egypt and back to the ways of Pharaoh, this world and its ways. There's a danger for us to become discouraged and to give up, and I think that's why He talks about to exhort one another. And not to take that for granted, because we all do need to be encouraged. We struggle in this wilderness journey. The danger is for us to reject the leadership that God has given us. He's given us the prophets. He's given us Moses. He's given us Jesus Christ. The danger is for us to begin to doubt God and that these prophecies are even true, and that the spiritual Pharaoh will be even replaced.

We stand at the threshold of the Kingdom of God. Let's not quit. Let's go forward. Let's hear His voice, and let's follow His example, and let's courage one another, and follow the words of the prophet. Let's hear the voice of Jesus Christ, and let's follow His example, and courage and edify one another on this journey, until the realization of the coming Kingdom of God.