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The
Bible has recorded what has happened to God's people when a history-altering event was about to occur.
Two past history-changing events that have already taken
place are (1) birth of Moses and (2) the birth of Jesus. One is yet future (3)
Jesus return.
First let's study two past two prophesied events. Both
involved deliverers. Moses and Jesus. Both of these deliveries were two step processes.
In Moses day.
(A) Moses prepared the way and
(B) God delivered Israel from
bondage to Egypt. Moses was called 'the deliverer' but God did the work.
In Jesus day.
(A) John the Baptist prepared the
way and
(B) Jesus delivered us from bondage
to sin.
Our future deliverance when 'Jesus returns' is to be "after the manner of Egypt"
(Isaiah 10). We find plagues and other similarities when comparing the past
events at the time of the Exodus
and the prophesied events in the Book of Revelation.
Is it possible that the future 'Jesus returns' deliverance
will be in two parts just as in the past with Moses and Jesus?
Will be a future 'Moses' or future 'John' prepare the way for
Jesus return.
And when the time is right, Jesus will do the delivering.
You may have seen the movie The Ten Commandments. It usually
plays on TV at Easter. Next time you watch notice that 'everyone' expected a
promised deliverer. Pharaoh, the Egyptians and the Israelites.
All were on the look out for a deliverer. Moses was even asked, "Are you the
deliverer?" While Moses was the deliverer, even he, at that time, did not
know he was the prophesied deliverer. Moses did not know he was the
deliverer until God told him while speaking out of the burning bush.
In ancient Egypt, they, the ruling powers, expected and feared a God sent deliverer.
The Israelites expected and prayed for a God sent deliverer. There were two
sides. Some in Egypt who wanted a deliverer and others who did not want a
deliverer. Those opposed to the coming of a deliverer were even willing to kill children to
prevent the arrival of a deliverer. Prayer is the beginning of the deliverance process.
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Exodus 3
7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people
which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their
taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
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2 Chronicles 20
9 If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or
pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy
presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our
affliction, then thou wilt hear and help. |
"for thy name is in this house"
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No longer silent. |
Nehemiah 9
9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest
their cry by the Red sea;
Chronicles2 7
14 If my people,
(Christians) which are called by my name* (Christ),
shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn
from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin, and will heal their land
* The people are also called 'Israelites' and 'Israel' because they were
named after the man whose' name was Israel. The word Israel means
'ruling with God'. Starting in New Testament times it is the Christians are
"called by my name".
Hosea 5
15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their
offence, and seek my face
in their affliction they will seek me early. |
To prevent the two step deliverance process they need to do
something:
(1) Prevent the prayer for deliverance so God will not send
a deliverer.
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a. Or have people pray for the wrong things or
wrong reasons. The doctrine that, "the law is done away in Jesus"
nullifies prayer. (See Proverbs 28:9) |
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b. Make sure there is no sudden trauma in society
that will cause people to seek God's help. You may have noticed the
events of September 11, 2001 sent many to church. To boil the frog,
the heat must be turned up slowly. The Rapture doctrine keeps people
sedated since, no matter how bad it gets, they need not worry, they
will be Raptured. |
(2) Prevent the birth of a deliverer thru birth control, corruption of the
women and abortion. Failing that, find and kill the deliverer while there is
yet time, while he is a child. They tried to kill Moses
Fearing a deliverer Pharaoh
went after the newborn males of the Hebrews. The Egyptians used the Hebrews
as slave labor. But they only killed the male children. While they
needed more workers, preventing
the deliverer was more important than obtaining more slave labor. Perhaps
the Hebrew women had to enter into the work force to make up for the lack of
male laborers. (Like today?)
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Exodus 1
7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased
abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land
was filled with them. (As the United States until 1960)
8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children
of Israel are more and mightier than we:
10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and
it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also
unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the
land.
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16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew
women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall
kill him: (Delivers are very rarely women.) but if it be a
daughter, then she shall live. (Perhaps to marry an Egyptian.) |
Pharaoh must have heard of
the prophecies foretelling the birth of a Deliverer.
This plan to prevent the birth of a deliverer failed
because God protected Moses. God hid the deliverer right under Pharaoh's
nose. Right in his own home.
Moses was born during a time of great pain and at the height of great
tribulation (travailing) of the Hebrew people. And God herd the prayers and sent a
deliverer named Moses. Moses united and organized the children of Israel and
lead them out from
under the cruel bondage of Egypt. Moses led them back to God where they would serve
him. But while we call Moses a deliverer, more accurately Moses prepared the
people and God delivered them. Would God have sent Moses if
the people had not first cried out? They tried to kill Jesus
The Bible records another great event that occurred in our history. This great and awesome event was the birth of Jesus. Again
there was a
conspiracy to prevent the birth of this deliverer. The Bible
records how King Herod conspired and sought to
slay the Christ Child as soon as possible. Here is what the Bible says of
this great prophesied event.
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Matthew 2
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of
Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east
to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his
star in the east, and are come to worship him.
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all
Jerusalem with him. (Why would 'all Jerusalem' be
troubled?)
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people
together, he demanded of them where where Christ should be born. (What
are we going to do about this?)
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is
written by the prophet, (The chief priests and scribes knew the
prophesies. The question is, on whose side were the chief priests
(clergy) and scribes (reporters)?)
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among
the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall
rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had
privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what
time the star appeared. (The Bible does not say Herod privily
gathered all the chief priests and scribes. So it may be correct to
conclude these two conversations were of a different nature.)
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently
for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again,
that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star,
which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood
over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child
with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they
had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and
frankincense and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not
return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise
men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the
children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof,
from two years old and under, according to the time which he had
diligently enquired of the wise men. |
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Luke 2
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the
passover.
42 And when he was twelve
years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the
feast.
43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the
child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother
knew not of it.
44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a
day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and
acquaintance.
45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to
Jerusalem, seeking him.
46 And it came to pass, that after three days
they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking
them questions.
47 And all that heard him
were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said
unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father
and I have sought thee sorrowing.
John 1 (Seventeen years after Luke 2:41)
19 And this is the record of John,
when the Jews sent priests and
Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20 And he
confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And
he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may
give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the
wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet
Esaias.
24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
25 And they asked him, and said unto him,
Why baptizest
thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that
prophet?
26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water:
but there standeth one among you,
whom ye know not;
(Jesus the deliverer had been on the Earth for almost forty years
and they had not found him.)
27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before
me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and
saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
(The deliverer is revealed.)
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Now put your thinking cap on. Here is the sequence of
events.
1.
They kill all the young children in and around Bethlehem in an effort to
kill the new born Messiah. 2. Ten to twelve years later Jesus
presents himself in the temple at Jerusalem. While they were amazed at his
wisdom, none cried out. "Oh happy day! The Messiah has returned. He's come back."
They did not know who he really was. 3. Seventeen years later
they
ask John the Baptist saying, "Who art thou?" and "Why baptizest thou then,
if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?"
So, they thought they had killed the prophesied deliverer years before and
thinking him dead, they did not recognize Jesus for who he was when twelve
years old. But still on the look out just in case God
did not give up, just in case God might try again to send a redeemer, they spied on John (Who art thou? that we may give an
answer to them that sent us.) They wanted to know if John was the messiah. And
if his answer were "yes" they would have wanted to kill him just as they did
Jesus.
Luke 22:2 And the chief priests and scribes
sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.
John 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he
not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his
Father, making himself equal with God.
John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not
walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. |
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