Two Shadows of the Son

            One of Jacob’s sons with his beloved Rachel is named Joseph. Yes, he is the one who will receive the coat of many colors from his father. It’s one of the reasons why his brothers hate Joseph. He is their father’s favorite. It doesn’t help when Joseph has a dream in which his brothers bow down to him (Gen. 37). Not surprisingly, the dream doesn’t go over well with them.
            By the way, take note of Joseph’s dream. An element of it appears again in Revelation 12, as the woman with a crown of stars. This is an example of how we use Scripture to interpret Scripture. The Holy Spirit purposely used words and visuals from the Old Testament to connect to scenes in the New Testament. We don’t have to guess the interpretation; God already has provided it via this divine linkage. In the case of Revelation 12, the woman is the nation of Israel that came forth from Jacob’s (Israel’s) sons. In Revelation we see Israel at the end of this age. The male Child born in labor is the Church being raptured. More on that later.
            Now, back to our story. The eleven brothers hatch a plan to get rid of Joseph. To make a long story short, they sell him to a caravan of traders who then sell him as a slave to some Egyptians. Joseph must have learned his lesson because he continues to worship God and finds favor in God’s sight. Through many plot twists, he eventually ends up as the second in command under the Pharaoh of Egypt.
            When famine hits that part of the world, Joseph is already prepared and Egypt is spared. In another plot twist, his brothers come to buy grain from him. They don’t even recognize him. Who would when the setting is so out of context? Joseph eventually clues them in, and he is reunited with his father and forgives his brothers. And the Jews are delivered in their time of need.
            The entire family settles in Egypt and continues to grow and prosper. When Joseph dies, he gives his kinfolk one last instruction. “ ‘I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.’ Then Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, ‘God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here’ ” (Gen. 50:24-25).
            Exodus 1:6-7 sets the sequel. “And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.”
            Needless to say, the Egyptians are not at all pleased with this multiplication. They are not about to let their empire be contaminated by these prolific immigrants. So they turn them into slaves, idyllic for making all the monuments and statues to their Pharaohs and gods. The oppression becomes unbearable, and the people call out to the God of their fathers for deliverance.
            Enter Moses. Let’s fast forward through his story. He is miraculously spared at birth by Pharaoh’s daughter, is raised in the royal household, and yet eventually finds out about his true heritage. He, too, jumps the gun on God’s plan and kills an Egyptian who is beating a Jewish slave. When his countrymen call him out on his impromptu fix, Moses panics and runs into the wilderness of Midian. There he encounters a burning bush. God is in its midst. Moses answers the call, reluctantly, giving God every reason why he is not the one to do what God is asking—to lead His people out of Egypt. Yet whom God calls, He also equips.
            Moses goes to Pharaoh to demand the release of his people. Ten plagues later, Pharaoh relents, but only after the death of his first-born son. As with the other plagues, the angel of death did not touch the Jewish households. The blood of the lamb on the doorpost caused the angel to pass over their houses. The feast of Passover honors that miraculous deliverance. Little do the Jews know that it also foreshadows an even greater miraculous deliverance.
            Then Pharaoh relents again, and sends his armies after the Jews who are exiting Egypt and are on the banks of the Red Sea. Not surprisingly, they panic in unbelief. Yet God is faithful and miraculously delivers them once again. Because of their unbelief, though, they are forced to wander 40 years in the wilderness before reaching the border of the Promised Land.
            The Chronos Lesson: Why ten plagues? For one thing, the number symbolizes order, responsibility, and testimony in the Bible. For another, they offer multiple chances for repentance. Each subsequent plague is a warning. Each subsequent refusal to heed the warning shows the hardness of heart toward God. 
            We see this again in God’s wrath against evil as the Day of the Lord begins. It will come in the form of seven trumpet and bowl judgments. The number seven represents completion and perfection. And sadly, once again, we will see the same stubborn hardness of heart and lack of repentance.
            In Exodus 15, we find the triumphant Song of Moses in praise to their deliverance. You might want to check it out because we will be singing it later as the immortal government of Heaven.
            As believers, we put our trust in God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Trust is a matter of the heart. It’s a faith thing. It’s based on God’s Word and His unfolding plan of redemption according to His chronos timetable. When we don’t understand the chronos times, our hearts can be shaken by what we see in the natural, just like the Israelites despite being spared from all the plagues. That is why the chronos message of comfort, hope, and victory is so vital.
            Like the wandering Jews, we are not of this land. We are citizens of Heaven. What happens on earth does not change our identity and does not determine our fate. That is, unless we allow it to. This is why Jesus warned us to watch for the signs and guard our hearts against those who would belittle the timely rapture and scoff at our escape to stand before God’s throne as the heavenly court.
            By the way, Moses will make an encore appearance during the Wrath of that Day, which happens during the first 3½ years of the 7th Day. As the final world war unfolds in Israel, Moses and Elijah are miraculously sent back to earth to serve as witnesses to God’s undeterred plan. As you may know, Elijah never died; he was taken to Heaven in a chariot of fire—another shadow of things to come for us. The Bible records that Moses died, but it also records a peculiar incident. Satan and the archangel Michael fight over his body. It seems that his body must be preserved for a future assignment!