1-20. Eighth Plague (Locusts).
1-6. Warning given.
7-11. Reception by Pharaoh's servants (parley).
12-15. Warning carried out.
16-20. Reception by Pharaoh (parley).
(The eighth plague was directed against the god Serapis, who was supposed to protect the land from locusts. They came at Moses' bidding, and retired only at his bidding. Thus the impotence of Serapis was made manifest.)
1491 B.C.
Exodus 10:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, "Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these My signs before him:
2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD."
(Stop and think for a moment, for God doesn't do any thing negative, so why would God harden Pharaoh's heart against after all that Pharaoh and the Egyptians have already gone through? Sure in the end Pharaoh would let them go, however God wanted to save the Egyptians also. To show they that the God of the children of Israel was also the only true God. God created all souls, and all souls living in their flesh bodies are God's children. Exodus 7:5 gave us this reason; "And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth Mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them." This is the reason that the Lord kept on hardening Pharaoh's heart. The Egyptians had many dead gods, of animals and trees and even the river Nile. Before the children of Israel departed Egypt, Pharaoh and all the people in the land would grow to respect the one true God.
This word of the events that are happening here will continue on through the centuries of time, father to son, all the way to the end generation to our time. Why? Because each of these plagues are an overlay of all the things that shall happen in the days of the end generation. They are the same plagues that are described in the book of Revelation, in the minor prophets, by Jesus in the Gospels, and throughout the entire Bible. The generation of the fig tree, Jesus told us, was the start of that final generation.
Matthew 24:32 "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:"
This lets us know that the final generation spoken of here began in the year 1948, that time when both the good and the bad fig tree returned to Judea, and were planted there. This was written of in Jeremiah 24. This is the subject of what Jesus is telling us here in Matthew 24, as well as in Mark 13:28, 29; "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near, So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh even at the doors."
Matthew 24:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
"This generation" is the Parable of the fig tree, that was alive at the planting of the fig tree in 1948, and that generation is approaching old age today. It is the generation that is reading this material written here.
Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away but My words shall not pass away."
This earth age of flesh man will pass away very shortly, but every Word spoken by God through His prophets will happen exactly as it is written in His Word. Sure much of it has been badly translated by the translators, as it passed from one language to another, but the truth from the Massorah can be sought through Bible study tools that are available today. Teachers and preachers will be accountable for what they teach from the Word of God, and it is important to know the difference between what God spoke through the prophets, and the fairy tales of tradition that flows from man imagination.
So these plagues and things that are happening to the Egyptians back in Moses day are written, to give us the "ensample" or example of those things and events that we shall face in our generation. Just like those things that we read of here in Exodus were one time events, that had never happened before, so the events of our day are one time events that shall never happen again. If you are a student of God's Word, it is up to you to note not the day, but the season that you are in.)
3 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, "Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, 'How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before Me?
(Humble = depression of spirit rather than softening of heart, "to cry out" as conscious of suffering. A man may be humbled without humbling himself. Pharaoh will be humbled when God has brought the Egyptians to the point of knowing who the God of Israel is, and when they are to see God's power. But why use Pharaoh? Whatever happened in that first earth age, Pharaoh deserved everything that he was getting.)
let My people go, that they may serve Me.
4 Else, if thou refuse to let My people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
(Cp. Joel 2:1-10, an Rev.9:3-11. The Locust army that shall move to cover the earth, shall sting mankind with their deceptive venom of lies and deceit to where there is no defense for them. It is Satan's army of fallen angels with all the evil spirits and demonic forces that Satan will bring with him, when Michael boots him out of heaven at the sixth trumpet.
Those locust will devour the people [trees] by the use of the pulpits that teach those doctrines that go against the Word of God. Keep in mind that this is the eighth plague, and we must pay close attention to those things that happen here, for it is close to the end.)
5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:
(These locust will destroy every thing that was left over from the hail and all the other plagues that come on Egypt. When we read from Revelation 9:3, 4, we are told that these locust are not locust, but symbolic of locust, for they are the fallen angels that God gave Satan the authority to release from the bottomless pit. Their purpose is not to hurt the grass or any green thing, but "only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads."
Revelation 9:5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
The people that are biblically illiterate will be turned over to Satan and these fallen angels by God, when Christians are not prepared for the lies, miracles and deception that Satan and his locust army will use to deceive the people. Remember that these locust are supernatural beings, just as Satan is, and not of flesh and blood bodies. They will use their supernatural wonders to draw you to Satan. They are angelic beings playing church right along with the pastor and the rest of the sleeping congregation. Will the Word of God be taught at all? Of course not, for Amos warned us of that in Amos 8:11, 12.
Amos 8:11, 12 "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:" And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it."
God is using these physical plagues that happened down in Egypt as a lesson to us living in this final generation.)
6 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day.' " And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.
(Notice that the message and harm that these locust bring to the land of Egypt, comes into every house of all the people, from the top to the bottom. They, just like the people living in the end times, will not be able to get away from the damage that these locust will bring to the earth at the sixth trump. In our day, the spiritual death and deceit that they will bring will enter by your doors, your mail boxes, your television and radio sets, and even your friends that stop over to visit. Those lies and false teaching will cover the entire earth, in every nation, and household that is living in their flesh and blood bodies will be saturated with those lies and supernatural acts. Is there a defense for their destruction? No my friend, when that sixth trumpet sounds, only those with the seal or truth of God's Word sealed away in their foreheads [their minds], will be protected and not be taken in by Satan and this hoards of fallen angels, and their lying deceit. This is why the false traditions and doctrines that are taught today are so dangers, for they put a false sense of security in ones mind, and God will turn that person over to Satan for his or her own good. Yes for their own good.
This is why each of us should have God's gift of discernment in our minds, and be familiar enough with the warnings from His Word so that flood of lies that flow from Satan's mouth don't wash us away. This is why we study the bible chapter by chapter, and verse by verse, so that we will be prepared for each of those things that shall come to pass in our generation. We are to be equipped mentally, spiritually, and physically see and know the situation that is upon us. Know when the truth is being told, and the meaning of the events as they take place. God does not His elect to be thrown by those things happening in Jerusalem and around the world, but they are things that mark the season that we are living in.
When a teacher or preacher tells you that the Bible says something, it doesn't mean that his statement is true, unless he can take you there and documents those things he says. Be careful especially in this generation.)
7 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, "How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?"
(The Pharaoh's servants are respecting Moses and they see that he is a man of the God of the children of Israel. They are starting to see that Moses' God is the one True God. As Moses speaks and predicts those plagues, there they come, and when Moses says stop, the plagues stop.)
8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, "Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?"
(Notice the "but", for Pharaoh is setting a condition on Moses, Aaron and the children of Israel. Religious people like to take the Word of God and make conditions to God's Word that just aren't there. Pharaoh was a very religious man, for he had many gods, and he tried to please all of them. Now Pharaoh wants to know how many of the men are going, after all, he had a work project under way. Pharaoh was trying to bargain with God and Moses.)
9 And Moses said, "We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD."
(Note the spiritual lesson: and cp. Eph. 6:4 and Gen. 7:1. In this end generation, both sons and daughter will be used by our Heavenly Father, to fulfill those things that God has for His elect to do. Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Joel 2:29 "And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My spirit." Both sons and daughters shall prophesy, for prophesy is a form of teaching the Word of God. If you do not know what is in His Word, then what are you going to prophesy? Traditions? In the final generation you will teach, or be taught the truth from His Word, or you are in trouble. We are to teach in the simplicity in which Christ teaches.
So Moses let it be known that all the people will take part in the feast to the Lord. men, women and their sons and daughter. All the people of the children of Israel must be allowed to be released to serve the Lord, and there will be no striking of bargains between God and Pharaoh or Satan.)
10 And he said unto them, "Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.
(Pharaoh is now threatening Moses and Aaron. It's a warning that if you go and take your little ones, then be ready for evil coming before you. Pharaoh is letting it be know that he will not allow all of them to leave, without paying a dear price.
However we don't have to worry about the Pharaoh of the end time, Satan the Antichrist, for God has given us power over Satan and all his realm. Christ has given us that authority to order him our of our lives. Luke 10:19 "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Any thing that comes against you as a Christian is our enemy.)
11 Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire." And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
(After Pharaoh made his threats, he chased Moses and Aaron out from before him. It takes the entire family to serve God, and there is no way that Moses and Aaron would accept the conditions that Pharaoh put to them. This is the same mind set that may have today when they say a woman can't preach the Word. That just isn't biblical, especially in these latter days. In Acts 21:9 we see that Philip the evangelist of the church of Caesarea "had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy." They taught the Word of God in their church. Then you have many that will say, "women must be silent in church." Men or women can't chatter in church, but those who are qualified to teach are the best to teach. Those that know the Scriptures, and how to teach it to the minds of others, are the best ones to teach, men or women.)
12 And the LORD said unto Moses, "Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left."
13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
14 And the locust went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
(This shows us the severity of the locust of the end times. Just as the countless numbers of locust of Moses and Aaron's day, so also will the countless numbers of locust of these end times be. Only today's locust will not be the insect locust, but men, fallen angels, and the demonic realm that Satan will bring with him at the sixth trumpet. They will be cleaning out and ripping off everything that gets in their way, through their religion that the false Christ will bring.)
15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
(Just as these locust stripped the land of Egypt, God will also allow the entire earth to be stripped dry and clean when these fallen angels come to earth.)
16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.
17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that He may take away from me this death only."
18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.
19 And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts,
(Locust are always brought by east wind and carried away by west wind.)
and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.
20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.
(This is the eighth time that God had hardened Pharaoh's heart. Stop for a moment and look around you; how much would it take to convince this world that there is a God? We have as as many religions as you have nations and tribes. Christianity is not a religion, but the reality of living your daily life, in according as God instructed us through His Word. There is a time coming when God will send Satan, in his role as the Antichrist, and he and his fallen angels will convert many to his religious system.)
21-27. Ninth Plague (Darkness).
21. Yahaveh's command (no warning).
22,23. Infliction of Plague.
24-26. Reception of Plague.
27-29. Yahaveh's hardening.
21 And the LORD said unto Moses, "Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt."
(1st of 4 instances of darkness in judgment. Ex. 10:22. Matt. 27:45. Jude 13. Rev. 16:10. This ninth plague is complete darkness so that even the moon will not give its light. Remember from Revelation 9:2; And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Out came all the darkness that those fallen angels would bring with them to this earth. Satan is the prince of darkness, we are talking about spiritual darkness in these end times.)
22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
(Here again is that divine number of three day, before the intervention of God would come. This is the number of days that the two witness would lie in the streets of Jerusalem before the end would come. Revelation 11:7 - 11 tells us that Satan will kill the two witnesses "and the people and kindred's and tongues and nations of the world would see their dead bodies lying there in Jerusalem." The world will rejoice because the two witness are dead. Why? Because those two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. There is a total spiritual darkness that shall cover the entire earth.)
23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
(When this darkness came over Egypt the people were afraid to move for three day, so they stayed put in their houses. However the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. To God's elect, we know what that light that filled the houses of the children of Israel, and their dwellings, for our Lord is the same today as He was in Moses day. That Light was our Lord Jesus Christ. It was the Spirit of our Lord and Savior. He is the Light that gives us truth, and it doesn't matter how dark it is, His Light shines in and through our lives. If you know the darkness is coming, you prepare mentally for that darkness, so the light will remain on no matter what happens. You make the arrangement ahead of time, with the a sufficient amount of oil in your lamp, or truth in your mind to last to the the end. With God on your side, you can be successful even in a time of darkness, because our heavenly Father lets His children know ahead of time, when they remain in His Word.
Mark 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
He foretold us all things that shall affect us through his Word, have you read it? that is how you will have the light when the darkness of Satan and his fallen angels flood the earth with their deception.)
24 And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, "Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you."
(He just will not learn that you do not bargain with God. God will not accept any condition that you, or Satan tries to make with Him.)
25 And Moses said, "Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.
(Remember that this was before the death of Christ and burnt offerings were a requirement by God. In as much as the Egyptians believed that the sacrificial animals were gods, this would have caused quite a stir, to be slaughtering their gods. This is why Moses wanted three days of travel to the location of the sacrifices. But Moses is now telling Pharaoh that he wanted the Egyptians to give them the animals that the Hebrews would sacrifice.)
26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither."
(Note the spiritual lesson. Not until we leave the world can we have a true conception of Yahaveh's requirements: "if any man do His will he shall know of the doctrine" - John 7:17. It takes everything you have to serve the Lord God; you wealth and your entire family. It is all God's anyway, and we are just servants of the wealth that God allows us to handle. Moses is telling Pharaoh that until God tells us what we need, we are taking all our wealth with us.)
27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.
28 And Pharaoh said unto him, "Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more;
(11 kings and rulers thus offended. #11 = disorganization. Here. Num. 24:11. 1 Kings 13:4; 22:27. 2 Kings 5:12. 2 Chron. 16:10; 24:21. Jer. 26:21; 32:3. Matt. 14:3.)
for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die."
29 And Moses said, "Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more."
(Moses did not leave Pharaoh's presence till 11:8. Fig., anticipating what is going to be, and speaking of future things as present. Our Heavenly Father will protect you from all the negative things that happen in your life time, but you must get that instruction from His Word. These plagues and things that happened in Moses time, are examples of those things that shall happen in these end times. When Satan comes, deception and his supernatural acts will deceive you if you are not prepared for those wonders when the happen. That is how we become sealed in our foreheads or minds, so that we are not taken by Satan's locust army when they are cast out onto the earth.)