Link back to the Introduction To This Series
As a prelude to the parsha of Va'eira, at Exodus 10:1, we read of how Moshe is complaining to G-d on behalf of Israel that the promise of redemption which he has brought to them is not being accomplished. The First Seven Plagues In Egypt
Rabbi Chaim Malinowitz of Monsey, NY, (see for example - http://torahlectures.com/search.aspx), explains in a tape series commentary on this parsha that G-d is saying to Moshe that the fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, had the promise but lived without complaint without seeing the fulfillment of the promise through the revelation of the name, Hashem, the great name by which G-d makes Himself known in and through Israel alone. How then should Moshe complain when now the name is being revealed to him? Now, through the very obstinacy of Egypt in trying to keep Israel slave, G-d will reveal Himself by and through His great name, and will bring Israel into the beginning of the realization of the promise. But it is on behalf of the people of Israel that he complains, not due to his own trouble on this account. With this background to this study, I will begin to look at the unfolding of the plagues.
In the first plague Moshe is sent to encounter Pharaoh in a 'secret place' where Pharaoh has gone down by the Nile River. The construction of Moshe's name means that he is one who draws out of the water. Here he will draw the truth out of the water. The Egyptians have made their river their nature god. The truth is that Pharaoh's power came from the source of the angel of death on the side of enmity with the Creator of life, the G-d of Israel. Pharaoh filled the Nile River with blood when he sought to drown all of the sons of Israel in the river. Now Moshe will draw out this truth. In doing so, he will announce that the G-d of Truth will draw Israel out of the bloody waters of Egypt and bring them to Himself. Pure water will be found only with the children of Egypt through all the land. The Nile itself will be blood only within the borders of Egypt.
In the second plague unclean creatures, represented by frogs, will come out of the Nile in overwhelming numbers, entering every opening. The true unclean spirit of of the false god of the Nile will be seen. Everywhere the water of the Nile has gone the visible unclean spirit of the Nile will be seen to go. The terrible noise of the voices of endless frogs will reveal the noise of the lies of Egypt that are heard in the ears of the G-d of Truth.
In the third plague the dust and filth that Israel has been trappled into in slavery by Egypt is turned into a great pollution of lice and gnats that afflict the Egyptians but leave the children of Israel untouched. Here the principle of 'measure for measure' is pointedly illustrated to the Egyptians. They oppressed the Jews and pushed them down into the dirt and then called them, "Dirty". But now it is the Egyptians who the G-d of Truth is making to be truly dirty with lice and swarms of gnats.
In the fourth plague wild creatures, and even their habitat, from every place on the planet are miraculously transported into Egypt. Rather than nature being the willing servant/god of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, it is made evident that nature, as represented by all the creatures of the earth, are groaning and travailing in pain, under the servitude of Egypt and the nations, "waiting for the liberation of the children of G-d," (Romans 8).
In the fifth plague the livestock of Egypt is brought into judgment. In this the prosperity of Egypt is directly overthrown. In every way, the Egyptians designed to block the prosperity of Israel, seeking to keep husbands and wives apart through the designs of slavery, and in every way to economically afflict the children of Israel as Laban afflicted Jacob. Now, the future of the economy of Egypt, which Egypt has built up on the strength of the Jews, is torn down by the G-d of Judgment. Egypt is put on notice that unless it repents it will have no future.
In the sixth plague ashes of death are thrown up into the air and boils of uncleanness appear on the flesh of all Egyptians. These are the ashes of death that have been created by the propaganda of Egypt against the people of G-d, the one true G-d, even Hashem. The Egyptians have let its poison out into the air in the form of evil speech. Now its evil poison will remain within their bodies and come out only as boils upon their flesh.
In the seventh plague a great hail storm comes to destroy the early crops of Egypt, to destroy half of its very bread of life, as a final warning, before the hardness of its Pharaoh's heart is so great that even the opportunity to repent of his enslavement of Israel will be taken from him.
Now we have come to the key to understand the correlation of the plagues of Egypt with the plagues of the nations of all the earth in the last time, the last captivity of Israel. In the time of the 7th Trumpet, when it is preparing to sound, when the trumpet is to the lips and the sound is almost coming forth, at that time the warnings will come to an end and the full measure of judgments, brought through the Bowls poured out, will begin. For these Bowls are themselves the issue of the sound of the 7th Trumpet.
And here in Exodus we have this pattern given and set in the judgments and plagues of Israel's redemption. In the seventh plague of hail the early crops are destroyed and not the later crops. This is in order that the later crops may be destroyed by the plague of locusts which will come next.
Anyone who studies these things carefully will have in their understanding the key to learning the nature of the testimony of the two witnesses in Jerusalem, which will end with Jerusalem giving praise to Hashem, as told in Revelation 11:13. G-d willing, I will show this in the posts in this series to come.
From this point, of understanding the relationship of the 7 Trumpets and the 7 Bowls as given in the relationship of the Plague of Hail and the Plague of Locusts in Exodus, it is possible to go on directly to understand the mystery of the design of all the plagues in Exodus and in Revelation, each in their order. From this can be seen their precise correspondence, one with the other. All of this is given in the explanation of G-d to why He hardened Pharaoh's heart after he did not repent after the 6th and 7th plagues. G-d willing, it is at that point that I will continue to discuss these things in the next post in this series.
Next:
On The Seals of Authority
The first seal is the seal of authority over the word of Adam, which is the corporate power of empire and government. Read more...
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