-------News-------

After a month of waiting to get my computer repaired, I have finally got a working laptop once again. The person who repairs my computer does it for nothing (he is a pastor) and he was delayed due to a very sick mother.

It has been a little frustrating waiting so long but I am now back. Time to start writing again.

Just before my operating system crashed I had finished a new addition to An Unseen World. This page takes a look at exorcism. Visit here: https://www.anunseenworld.com/exorcism.html

-------The Red Sea--------

The story of God parting the Red Sea for the Israelites so they could cross over and enter the promised land in spite of the fact the entire Egyptian army was right behind them with no intention of letting the Israelites go is filled with the symbolism of the salvation process.

Pharaoh is both a type of antichrist and a picture of Satan. Pharaoh stood opposed to God's will and rebelled openly against the commands of God. What did Pharaoh do? He oppressed God's chosen people by keeping the Israelites in bondage to his desire for a free work force. This work force served only one purpose which was to glorify Pharaoh. All of the people alive on planet Earth today are God's chosen people (Christ died for the sins of the entire human race) but Satan wants to be glorified so he does everything in his power to blind men from the simple truth of the gospel and keep them in bondage to sin.

Satan has always wanted to be God and desires to be worshiped just as the Pharaoh of Egypt was considered to be Godlike and desired the worship of his subjects. In fact, one day soon a man will arrive on the scene who will seem to be a god, but this man's power will come from Satan himself.

The Israelites who were enslaved by the Egyptians are symbolic of mankind enslaved to sin. Without God's intervention, the Israelites had no hope of being freed from slavery. It is the same for the human race today. God had to intervene so man could be freed from the bondage of sin. God did this by becoming a man, living a sinless life, and dying on the cross for our sin.

In Exodus chapter 14 we read, "1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 'They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.' 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord." And they did so. 5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, "Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him. 7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. 8 And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. 9 So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon. 10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord."

The text states that the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart. This hardening was a direct result of Pharaoh's refusing to bow to God's will. Lucifer became Satan because Lucifer hardened his heart against God and refused to bow to God's will. In Exodus Chapter 5 we read, "2 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." Pharaoh believed he was god. The true God was trying to show Pharaoh his error but Pharaoh stayed in rebellion against God which always leads to death. Lucifer died a spiritual death and became Satan because he would not acknowledge and obey the one true God.

The Egyptian army in this story represents the fallen angels or demonic spirits who are under Satan's command. The army was instructed to recapture the Israelites and bring them back into bondage or to kill them. The army was told by Pharaoh that these Israelites were not going to enter the promised land no matter what. It is the same today for a human being who is under the bondage of sin. This person is about to step out of that bondage by trusting and believing in the provision God made for sin by accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. Since all human beings belong to the family of Satan until they are born again, Satan will send all the forces of hell against that person to prevent that person from leaving Satan's domain and crossing over into the promised land which is symbolic for heaven.

There was a barrier between the promised land and the Egyptian army. This barrier was a body of water called the Red Sea. How could the Israelites cross this impassable barrier to the promised land? It was humanly impossible. God would have to intervene and God did. God parted the sea so over a million people could cross over in one night. This gap in the sea could have been anywhere from 2 miles to 12 miles wide. This could only have been done by God and at that time it was the greatest miracle for the benefit of God's people that the world had ever known. That miracle has been supplanted by the miracle of the cross.

The Israelites knew that the Egyptian army was right behind them and they knew they had no defense against them as none of them were allowed to leave Egypt with weapons. This army, which represents the forces of hell, thought victory was theirs. The Israelites stood their ground just as Christians today are told to stand their ground against Satanic attacks. God fights for us.

In verse 10 of Chapter 14 we read, "10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord."

Crying out to the Lord for help is exactly what we are supposed to do when we are under Satanic attack. What was God's response to Moses prayer on behalf of the people? "19 And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night. "

The Angel of the Lord which was probably God or Christ Himself stood between the Egyptian army (the forces of hell) and the Israelites (those in bondage about to cross over to the promised land and freedom). The army was physically blinded because they opposed and rejected God just as unbelievers today remain in spiritual darkness for the very same reason. The Israelites camped in light just as believers are illuminated by the Holy Spirit and spiritual understanding. God protects His own even if He allows His children to die. If His children die a physical death, they go to be with Him in heaven.

When the Egyptian army followed the Israelites into the miracle of the parted Red Sea, God again intervened. We read, "24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians." The army could not follow because God was protecting his children. This army of evil and rebellion realized God was fighting for the Israelites and desired to flee from the wrath of God but fleeing from God's wrath in an impossible task. When the Israelites had crossed over, the waters came in on top of the Egyptians destroying all of them.

There is coming soon another time in which the wrath of God will be poured out on a people who remain in rebellion against God and choose to worship Satan. This time is known as the tribulation period. Revelation chapter 6 gives us a preview, "15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"

Mankind has two choices. Stand with God and receive all of His blessings or remain opposed to God and come under His wrath. I have chosen to stand with God, how about you?

Copyright 2009 by Gary Goodworth