The Exodus—The Hidden Storyline for the Apocalypse, Part 2
This is part 2 in the series entitled, The Exodus—The Hidden Storyline for the Apocalypse. The key passage presenting my theory of the case for the relevance of the story of the Exodus when interpreting the book of Revelation is 1 Corinthians 10:1-11:
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come (1 Corinthians 10:1-11).
In this passage, Paul mentioned that certain events (from the Exodus story) were written as examples for those “upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 mentions a number of events from Israel’s past history including the splitting of the Red Sea, the incident of the golden calf, the incident of Baal Peor, and the complaints about those who died during Korah’s rebellion. It is plain to see that all these events were ones that occurred during Israel’s exodus from Egypt and travels towards the Promised Land. In a nutshell, Paul has stated that the events of the Exodus and wilderness wanderings were written as examples for those “upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” And who are those upon whom the ends of the ages have come? He is specifically speaking of those who will be here on planet Earth during the events recorded in the book of Revelation when Yeshua returns! In other words, the last generation, those upon whom the ends of the ages have come, will need guidance, wisdom, examples and instruction in order to remain faithful and prevail; and that guidance, wisdom, and instruction is to be found specifically in the stories concerning Israel’s exodus from Egypt and travels to the Promised Land.
This is why I am taking time to show the abundance of connections between the Exodus and the book of Revelation. I want you to see how intimately connected these two stories are so that you will believe what Paul is laboring to teach us. In order to understand the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of the book of Revelation, we simply need to go to one of the book of Revelation’s primary reference sources—the Exodus story! This is why it is so important to study the Scriptures thematically. By making the proper thematic connections, we begin to see Adonai’s divine reference sources in the Bible. We can quote from books written by men all day long, but what’s most important is that we determine Adonai’s references so we can know how He wants us to interpret a passage.
Hopefully, you have noted how important the story of the Exodus is from some of my previous articles.
Do you remember how Adam and Eve’s banishment from the garden of Eden (Genesis 1-3) is a prophetic picture of Israel’s exile from the Promised Land?
Do you remember how Abraham’s exile and rescue in Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20) is a prophetic picture of Israel’s exile from and return to the Promised Land?
Do you remember how Abraham’s exile and rescue in Gerar (Genesis 20) is a prophetic picture of Israel’s exile from and return to the Promised Land?
Do you remember how Isaac’s exile and rescue in Gerar (Genesis 26) is a prophetic picture of Israel’s exile from and return to the Promised Land?
Do you remember how Jacob’s exile and flight from Padam Aram (Genesis 28-32) is a prophetic picture of Israel’s exile from and return to the Promised Land?
Hopefully you do because then you will be able to understand why Israel’s exile from and return to the Promised Land is the most seminal event in the Tanakh. This event is so critical to Israel’s prophetic destiny that Jeremiah references it when speaking of Israel’s ultimate regathering to the land:
“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,’ 8 but, ‘As 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 had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land” (Jeremiah 23:7-8).
As you can see, Israel’s history, past and future, is dominated by the theme of exile and return, and this theme is also the storyline of the book of Revelation. How so, you may ask? As Jeremiah hints, there will be two great and glorious returns for the children of Israel to the land of Israel. The first return is history past. It’s the story of how Jacob’s family, the seventy souls, went to Egypt, multiplied, were enslaved and then rescued by Adonai through the hand of Moses and brought back to the Promised Land. This is what Jeremiah was referencing when he said, “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’ ” (Jeremiah 23:7). Israel’s exodus from Egypt and journey to the Promised Land was the epic story of rescue, abounding with miracles that stagger the imagination, culminating in the splitting of the Red Sea. Think of all the miracles wrought by the hand of Moses throughout that forty-year period! Some of the most supernatural demonstrations of Adonai’s power (and the power of the enemy) were on full display for the world to see.
With this in mind, think of what Jeremiah said. He said that the days are coming when people will no longer say, “As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt”! He goes on to say the days are coming when people will say, “As 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 had driven them.” What? Really?? The days when Adonai brings up and leads the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where He had driven them will eclipse the days when Adonai brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt? Whoa! Them’s mighty big words Jeremiah! Again, I ask you, do you really understand what Jeremiah is saying here? He's essentially saying this: “You think when Adonai miraculously brought the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage that that was some big deal? You haven’t seen anything yet! Wait until you see what happens when Adonai brings the children of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where He had driven them!” In other words, the second highly anticipated return of Israel’s exiles to their land will be so great, so spectacular, so epic and glorious, that it will eclipse the first return such that people won’t even remember the first return Israel experienced from the land of Egypt! That’s exactly what Jeremiah 23:7-8 is saying.
You see beloved, Adonai is planning a second greater exodus for Israel’s exiles, and it’s all going to happen during the events prophesied of in the book of Revelation. There is one more grand and glorious return of the exiles of Israel to their land, and it will occur at the last trump, when every saved Israelite who was exiled from the land of Israel into other lands where they died, will be resurrected to meet Yeshua in the air and returned to Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel). It is the resurrection at Yeshua’s return and Israel’s gathering unto Him so that He can take them back to Israel that will be the event that will dwarf Israel’s first exodus from the land of Egypt, to such an extent that it will no longer be the Exodus that everyone talks about. Oh, and by the way, a boatload of Gentiles will also be part of this great resurrection and return!
“And now the LORD says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel is gathered to Him (for I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and My God shall be My strength), 6 Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth’ ” (Isaiah 49:5-6).
Notice how Isaiah mentions gathering Israel to Him. He’s talking about the re-gathering of Israel after her dispersion into the world. But also note that Adonai’s servant, Messiah Yeshua, will also bring His salvation to Gentiles!
Everything you are learning here at this site about the Pattern of Judgments, the man-child/144,000, etc., will help you understand what Adonai is going to do as the events of the book of Revelation unfold. For now, our task is to see that the book of Revelation is simply the story of the Exodus from Egypt played out in the lives of the last generation who will be here to experience the Revelation of Yeshua.
One last thing before we get into more connections between the story of the Exodus and the book of Revelation. In Exodus 3, Adonai introduced Himself to Moses and commissioned him to bring Israel out of Egypt.
And the LORD said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:7-12).
After Moses complained that Pharaoh would never listen to him, he asked Adonai a question about His name.
Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations’ (Exodus 3:13-15).
Thus, at this point, it’s safe to say that not only does Pharaoh not know who Adonai is, even the children of Israel do not know who He is! This point is made very clear in Exodus 6 where Adonai addressed this issue:
And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them. 4 I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. 5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.’ ” 9 So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage (Exodus 6:2-9).
Here, Adonai stated that He had not revealed Himself as the LORD to the saints in the Tanakh. When you see the word lord spelled with all caps (LORD), it means that in the Hebrew, the word being translated is actually the tetragrammaton, יהוה, NOT the word lord (or Adonai). Furthermore, He went on to say in His five I wills, that Israel will know Him once He completes their deliverance. Therefore, from this point forward, one of Adonai’s objectives is to teach Israel who He is!
Concerning Pharaoh and his lack of knowledge of Adonai, chapter 5 chronicles how Moses went before Pharaoh and delivered to him Adonai’s message to let the children of Israel go.
And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go” (Exodus 5:2).
As you can see, Pharaoh does not know Adonai either! So, neither Israel nor Pharaoh know Adonai. Thus, the one of Adonai’s goals for the Exodus is to get two different groups of people (Pharaoh/the Egyptians and Israel) to know Him! As you will remember, Adonai used the plagues to, shall we say, introduce himself to Pharaoh and the Egyptians (as well as Israel), since they did not know Him. And know Him they did. It is through the plagues that Egypt and Israel learned that Adonai 1) created the heavens and the earth and had complete sovereignty over them, 2) loved the people of Israel, 3) was upset that Egypt had enslaved Israel, and 4) was intent on freeing them. Note how many times Adonai uses the phrase, “shall/may know that I am the LORD” throughout the Exodus story! This is a major part of the storyline of the Exodus, and it’s intimately connected to the events in the book of Revelation! How so, you may ask?
The Egyptians and Israel need to know Adonai. In other words, they need a REVELATION of Adonai! Ha ha! Now think of the book of REVELATION! What’s it about? It’s about revealing who Yeshua is! In other words, I submit to you that we can make the following astounding thematic connection between the events of the Exodus and the events in the book of Revelation. In both stories, Adonai has two objectives, to provide a REVELATION (that you may KNOW) of who He is! In the story of the Exodus, He was making Himself known as YHVH (יהוה). In the book of Revelation, He’s giving us a REVELATION of Yeshua. Thus, again we can see an amazing parallel between these two impressive portions of Scripture when we connect them through their similar themes. With that as my introduction to Part 2, here are more connections between these two awesome stories, confirming that the story of the Exodus provides the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY AND HOW of the book of Revelation.
