UNDERSTANDING REVELATION

Part Two
July 2006
Michael F. Blume


In addition to what already we wrote about Understanding Revelation, since I wrote it, some further wonderful parallels from the Old Testament Exodus became even more evident.  

There is a clear parallel to the burning bush experience of Moses when John heard a voice behind Him saying it  was the I Am.   John, like Moses, had to turn to see the voice.  When turned, he saw, similar to Moses' experience, a burning tree-shaped candlestick, whereas Moses saw a burning bush.  And Christ was in that candlestick.

When Moses went atop Sinai for the Law, Exodus 24 reads God called him up, as follows:

Exo 24:12  And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

Notice what John was told:

Rev 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

And when Moses obtained the Ten Commandments,m they were described as follows:

Exo 32:15  And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

Rev 5:1  And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

The sequence of furniture God spoke to Moses to build, which we learn in Hebrews 9 was a pattern of the tabernacle in Heaven, follows with John's sequence of sights in Heaven.

Ark of the covenant - Exodus 25:10-22
Throne of God - Rev 4:2

Table of Shewbread - Exodus 25:23-30
Twenty Four seats - Rev 4:4

Candelestick - Exodus 25:31-40
Seven Lamps Burning - Rev 4:5

Barrier of Curtains and Veil with Cherubims embroidered: Exodus 26:1-10; 31-37
Barrier of Crystal Sea and Four Beasts (Cherubims): Rev 4:6-11.


Rev 4:6-9 shows the Lamb slain, whose blood redeemed the saints, take the book to open the seals.  Moses was able to retrieve the Tablets of Law from God on Sinai after the Passover lamb's blood was shed and struck onto the doorways to redeem Israel from Bondage.

Plagues are found in both the Egyptian ordeal and through the seals, trumpets and vials of Revelation.


Revelation 12 seems to span the entire Exodus parallel regarding the initial Exodus aspect of entering the wilderness after leacving Egypt  in one chapter.

Pharaoh parallels the dragon, or serpent.  Pharaoh even wore a crown with the serpent emblazoned on it.  And the man-child corresponds to Moses, and is fulfilled in Jesus.

Exo 1:15-16  And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:  (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: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

Rev 12:1-4  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:  (2)  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.  (3)  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.  (4)  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.


Moses went into Egpyt where he arose in power for the throne, escaping Pharoah's massacre.

Exo 2:1-5  And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.  (2)  And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.  (3)  And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.  (4)  And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.  (5)  And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

Mat 2:12-18  And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.  (13)  And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.  (14)  When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:  (15)  And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.  (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.  (17)  Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,  (18)  In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Rev 12:5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.


Much time passes and Israel escapes Egypt's bondage by Passover, when the lamb's blood redeemed them, and Pharaoh pursues the people.  Time passed for Christ as well, after escaping death at the hand of Herod, and He dies and resurrects to the throne of God.

 Israel flees into the wilderness and is fed manna for 40 years.  Pharoah pursues the people.

Rev 12:6-13  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.  (7)  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,  (8)  And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.  (9)  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.  (10)  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.  (11)  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.  (12)  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.   And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.


Exo 14:5-8  And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of 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)  And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:  (7)  And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.  (8)  And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.

When Pharaoh comes upon Israel, they are at the Red Sea and God opens up the Red Sea for Israel to escape, blocking Egypot's armies by the pillar of fire and cloud.  Pharaoh sees the pillar remove and sends his armies off after Israel into the Red Sea.  And God drowns out the armies of Egypt.

Exo 14:23-28  And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.  (24)  And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,  (25)  And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.  (26)  And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.  (27)  And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.  (28)  And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

When Moses later worships God with Israel, God spekas how he carried Israel on eagle's wings and had the earth swallow up the armies of Egypt.

Exo 15:12  Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.

Exo 19:4  Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

Rev 12:14-16  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.  (15)  And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.  (16)  And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.


Here is where things get really interesting.  

As Moses came down from the Mount with Law, God informed him that the people made a golden calf and were worshipping it.

Exo 32:1-34  And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.  (2)  And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.  (3)  And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.  (4)  And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  (5)  And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.  (6)  And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.  (7)  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:  (8)  They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

We read of an IMAGE OF THE BEAST in Revelation as well.

Rev 13:14  And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

When Moses came down, he demanded a separation from the worship of the image of the beast, the golden calf, and the Levites came out and stood with Moses.

Exo 32:26  Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

After we read of the people worshiping the image of the beast and wearing the mark, we read of another group standing with the Lamb on a mountain.

Rev 14:1  And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

In considering the mark of the beast, or his name or his number, on the foreheads of the worshipers of the beast, we read a very interesting connection with the Law of Moses.

Deu 6:2-8  That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.  (3)  Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.  (4)  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:  (5)  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  (6)  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  (7)  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

Associated with the law being obeyed from their hearts, and with their soul and might, we can see a connection to the soul being represented by the  forehead, and the might represented by the right hand.   These are Hebraic metaphors for  soul and might.  They indicate one's totally allegiance to the Law of God and full dedication to the Lord.  But satan's answer is the mark in the right hand or forehead.

After Moses called for folks to stand by his side, he sent these faithful ones forth to slay the others.  Three thousand died that day by the edge of the sword.  Similarly, we read of Babylon having fallen, fallen, after the 144,000 stand by the Lamb's side on Mount Zion.

Exo 32:28  And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

Rev 14:7-10  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.  (8)  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.  (9)  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,  (10)  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

Revelation ends with a New Jerusalem, and God and the Lamb are the temple of it.  The ultimate journey of Exodus would end with Israel's entrance into Canaan to take Jebusi and convert it into Jerusalem, and build a temple for the Name of the Lord.


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