THE PLAGUES OF ANCIENT EGYPT AND THE PLIGHT OF MODERN EARTH

 
So far from this earth being a nice, comfortable place for amoral antics from degenderised, regenderised or plausibly neuter persons, with 'neutral' views on unknown gods and the like, it is in fact the creation of God Almighty. This He has visited with judgments and joy, and to this He has provided the gospel of grace, by which restoration of friendship with Himself is made available, in Jesus Christ.

 
From near the beginning, when man sinned (and the term refers to human kind), the first pair were given the consequence of their pretended autonomy. The earth was cursed. Romans 8 tells us that the whole creation groans and travails, awaiting deliverance. 

 
This is not the groaning of the factory, manufacturing bliss; it is the groaning of a damaged model, 'made subject to vanity, not willingly but on account of Him who subjected it in hope' (Romans 8:20). Of man in particular, we read: "by one man's offence, death reigned by one", and "by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners" (Romans 5:17,19). Indeed, the state of the world is Biblically described as one of 'bondage to corruption', though from this the redemption which Christ provides operates on an individual basis, until 'the redemption of our body' (Romans 8:23).

 
Now I should like to point out to you, from the Bible, the BASIC CURSE; and remind you , again, that Christ 'was made a curse for us' (Galatians 3) - who believe in Him - to 'redeem us' from the impact of trespasses in all their categories and their very due eternal shame (Daniel 12:1-3, Romans 3:23ff.). THEN it is of great interest to notice two things:

 
1) the relationship of this to the plagues of Egypt, under Moses, during the Exodus of the former Israelite slaves, and 
 

2) the way THAT relates to the present plight of this diseased and doomed earth (though a 'new heavens and a new earth' are predicted - II Peter 3:13 - after the 'dissolution' in the 'fervent heat' of this one).

 
Thus in Egypt, the PLAGUES of the recalcitrant Pharaoh, and of the useless home-made gods: these held pictographic, illustrative or even paralleling features (Exodus 9:13-18, 4:21-23, 7:2-6, 8:19, 9:14-15, 10:7). Indeed, the eldest sons in Egyptian households would die because Pharaoh insisted remorselessly on continuing the slavery of God's adopted 'son', the Israelities, constantly reneging on his promises. There was in these plagues in case after case, a directly didactic aspect, and they could mirror the madness of man with the hand-glass of horror. 
 

NOW the WORLD, the whole earth is as Egypt. To this earth, God has sent His own EVERLASTING SON, who as Jesus Christ was presented indeed, though the world has decided, like Pharaoh with the Israelites, not to accept HIM. Like the plagues of Egypt, so the pestilences forecast for earth (Matthew 24:5-7) will predictedly rise to a crescendo, indeed with fears, distresses , wars until, as in Egypt (Exodus 10:7) the place will become unlivable. 
 

In fact, as Jesus said, "Unless those days were shortened, there should no flesh be spared" (Matthew 24:22). However, for the sake of HIS chosen ones (like the Israelities in Egypt, who escaped), those days WILL be shortened, He continued.
 

Incidentally, He does not say they will not be STARTED, for the elect, but not reach their consummation - that is, they will be shortened. When prohibition to buy and sell is in view, it does not need to continue AT THAT LEVEL, too long! (Revelation 13:8,17). Things, hot now, will certainly grow hotter. 
 

The body of Christ is meanwhile being persecuted in THIS earth as the adopted Israelites were in EGYPT, and the impact of judgment is as predicted, arising to a crescendo, before the DELIVERANCE of HIS ELECT (Matthew 24:30,21-22,36-42; cf. Micah 7:15-16, Zechariah 14, Romans 11:24-26). 

  • Just as the miraculous opening of the Red Sea was wrought for long enough to cover the Israeli escape out of Egypt, 
  • so the Lord Himself Himself will send for His people, now internationally Christians, people of the Messiah, and bring them through the engulfing environmental hazards and every barrier, to be with Himself, the greater Moses.
When ? Unexpectedly, as before (because of unbelief in Pharaoh), so now He will do it in His own timing. When the time is ripe, He will call His people out of this world, neither without warning, nor precisely predictably! (I Thessalonians 5:1-11, with 4:14-18). As before faith will know when the time is near (Luke 21:28). 
 

Let us then put in two columns the instructive parallel, realising that in addition to this, the very plagues on Egypt themselves, were a focussed and concentrated form of the original curse on the earth, delivered to it because of sin. Egypt's famous plagues were in fact an interpreted, directed concentration of this curse, within the conditions already created, and now being intensified. 
 

The beauty, of course, of the present situation on EARTH, is this:
WE may relate to, call upon, come to, cast the burden of our own personal sins on - Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and so make peace with the God who raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). Continuance, to pursue the parallel, in the camp of 'the Egyptians' is purely voluntary. No race affects THIS place; only the sins of the HUMAN race, from which there is now ample opportunity to be delivered, no more consolidated in that pit. 
 

Some may prefer to imagine they are worldly lords, like Pharaoh, and others, hopeless slaves: but as the first is mere mirage, so the second is mere depression. The stay in such states is purely voluntary. Indeed, it is worse: it is self-categorising - John 3:16-19. To become a spiritual 'Israelite' and to be delivered, these are alike essential delights available. It is only the lords and the slaves in heart - who alike seek no deliverance, though for what are in some senses opposite reasons - for whom there is no deliverance.
 

Now we shall study the parallel and learn from it. 

 

                        A COMPARISON OF CASES

 

EGYPT THE WORLD TODAY

 

Focus of the curse on earth as first given. Concentration of the curse on earth.
 

RISING TO CRESCENDO NEAR Exodus of the Israelites.

  

Rising to crescendo near Christ's return for HIS people.
 

Exodus was by leader, Moses, miraculously through Red Sea.

  

'Rapture' or taking of Christ's people is by HIM, through the engulfing environment.
 

Warning was long given to Pharaoh first, before all the details (Exodus 4:23).

 Warning has for nearly 2000 year s been given to the people of EARTH, in the Gospels.
The target people of Pharaoh were Israelites, persecuted growingly.   

The persecuted Christians are on earth long victims of dire harassment, inquisition and slaughter, by fuming popes and murderous kings, by Moslems and as also by insidious indoctrinations, like those of the Bannon and Brown governments in the S.A. in Schools, as in countless universities: without ground. Physical slaughter estimates run to many millions. Mental  and spiritual carnage through false teaching is appalling, almost beyond measure. Of the former, Russia and China are examples. Even England in her time has been guilty.

Pharoah employed 'magicians' to seek to duplicate Moses' warning signals to Pharoah (Exodus 7:22).  

The world is full of quacks, pretenders, false Christs (as predicted), gurus and ideologies like Freudianism,  Darwinianism, Marxism which contradict Christ and orphan reason - even Japan had her ... 'outing' recently, with suitably technical nerve-gas included in the guru-itis epidemic.
Pharoah's magicians were forced to exhibit their 'power failure' before the hand of God (Exodus 9:11, 10:7).  

The ideologies of earth have failed to deliver peace or even plausibility in prediction, and are in revisionist tortures and tatters. China is an acute example of tortuous twistings in her ideology, seeking to harness the workability of free enterprise with the soul-catchment provisions of an alien ideology, without acknowledgment of her new religion. Russia illustrates the point more directly with notable candour, while receiving aid.
While the contest went on, Egypt (above) was plagued and declining, with vast environmental troubles.   

While the people of God are persecuted on earth, and the sins that brought the first curse (disobedience and mad aspirations for what - in effect - is divine power and place), the foundations of society totter, and environment wilts.
Pharoah's irrepressible invitation for the plagues which were fitting for his woefully irrational resistance, was specifically met, with things to ... remember, to the point, like the death of the eldest sons.   

The earth's invitation for plagues (Matthew 24:7, Revelation 6; 9:20-21) is being answered, progressively, socially, in embrangled, entangled youth, in famine, earthquake and in mindless madness
(II Timothy 3-4, II Peter 2-3).
The extremity came by observable stages, 
resulting in rescue of God's Israelites from slavery and Egypt.		 The PREDICTION of Jesus Christ similarly sketches the stages duly being fulfilled, on course, and target.
Pharaoh was absurdly recalcitrant, dubious, devious, writhing.  

The 'wisdom' of this world is constantly defeated in every confrontation, but absurdly continues brazen, unrepentant (cf.  Wake Up World!.. Ch. 6).
As the plagues exhibit and focus, even interpret the initial curse on earth, so they were overcome for those delivered, by God's own power and by blood (of a lamb slain, on each Jewish door)  

Our plagued earth reels to a judgment which even many secular people 'see'. The deliverance is through the blood of Jesus Christ, 'the Lamb of God', freely placeable on life's door, in parallel. Then it was by any commanded Jewish family, outwardly. Now it  is by any called individual, and inwardly: though outwardly confessed (Hebrews 9:13-14, 10:22, Romans 10:9-10, John 7:37-38), by every soul who receives Him. 

 

Marvels from the Almighty

The marvel is this, that the God who made man has provided for intellects prodigious and far more homely, both in one Gospel so straightforward that children can grasp it, so sublime that artists can savour it, so clean that men of commerce can marvel and so comforting that the soul God also made, finds here both strength and tenderness simultaneously. This is done in the way only the Creator can fashion, carving the career path of deliverance spiritually through Jesus Christ, the forerunner from heaven. To be honoured just as the Father is (John 5:19-23) is His due; and yet He, in prodigious willingness, placed Himself where men could see and sin could come, so that His people might go free.

Exposing Himself not merely to the danger as did Moses with Pharaoh, but to the wrath of judgment, He has removed the ground of fear as He has provided through limitless grace, the source of acceptance with God, Himself crucified, sin-bearer, soul-carer.