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| 1 The burden of Egypt. Lo, Jehovah is riding on a swift thick cloud, And He hath entered Egypt, And moved have been the idols of Egypt at His presence, And the heart of Egypt melteth in its midst. |
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| 2 And I armed Egyptians against Egyptians, And they fought, each against his brother, And each against his neighbour, City against city, kingdom against kingdom. |
Set the Egyptians – The opponents of God's people. F458, C315
Against his neighbor – Selfishness gone to seed will bring forth anarchy at the close of this age. OV419:3; SM385:1
The bond of human sympathy and brotherhood will be utterly snapped in riotous selfishness. OV321:2
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| 3 And emptied out hath been in its midst the spirit of Egypt. And its counsel I swallow up, And they have sought unto the idols, And unto the charmers, And unto those having familiar spirits, And unto the wizards. |
Seek...familiar spirits – Communications with the fallen angels. R2172:1, R1642:6, Q804:3; HG726:1
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| 4 And I have delivered the Egyptians Into the hand of a hard lord, And a strong king doth rule over them, An affirmation of the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts. |
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| 5 And failed have waters from the sea, And a river is wasted and dried up. |
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| 6 And they have turned away the flowings, Weak and dried up have been brooks of the bulwark, Reed and flag have withered. |
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| 7 Exposed things by the brook, by the edge of the brook, And every sown thing of the brook, hath withered, It hath been driven away, and is not. |
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| 8 And lamented have the fishers, And mourned have all casting angle into a brook, And those spreading nets on the face of the waters have languished. |
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| 9 And ashamed have been makers of fine flax, And weavers of net-works. |
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| 10 And its foundations have been smitten, All making wages [are] afflicted in soul. |
Ponds for fish – Nephesh, souls, sentient beings. E334
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| 11 Only, fools [are] the princes of Zoan, The counsel of the wise ones of the counsellors of Pharaoh hath become brutish. How say ye unto Pharaoh, 'A son of the wise am I, a son of kings of antiquity ' |
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| 12 Where [are] they now, thy wise ones Yea, let them tell to thee, I pray thee, And they know what Jehovah of Hosts hath counselled against Egypt! |
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| 13 Foolish have been princes of Zoan, Lifted up have been princes of Noph, And they have caused Egypt to err, The chief of her tribes. |
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| 14 Jehovah hath mingled in her midst A spirit of perverseness, And they have caused Egypt to err in all its work, As a drunkard erreth in his vomit. |
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| 15 And there is no work to Egypt, That head or tail, branch or reed, may do. |
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| 16 In that day is Egypt like women, And it hath mourned, and been afraid, Because of the waving of the hand of Jehovah of Hosts, That He is waving over it. |
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| 17 And the land of Judah hath been to Egypt for a cause of staggering, Every one who doth mention it, for himself feareth, Because of the counsel of Jehovah of Hosts, That He is counselling against it. |
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| 18 In that day there are five cities in the land of Egypt, Speaking the lip of Canaan, And swearing to Jehovah of Hosts, 'The city of destruction,' is said of one. |
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| 19 In that day there is an altar to Jehovah In the midst of the land of Egypt, And a standing pillar near its border to Jehovah, |
In that day – The day when the great Savior and Deliverer shall come to set at liberty sin's captives. C315
This storehouse of knowledge, like the major part of the Bible, was kept purposely sealed until its testimony should be needed and appreciated. C320
Altar to the LORD – The Great Pyramid. R4790:6; C315; B366
Designed by the Lord, unlike all other pyramids.
From its base-line upward the Great Pyramid seems to stand as a symbol of God's plan of salvation. C331
Its construction shows an exactness and skill possessed 4,000 years ago which was lost in the interim, contrary to Evolutionist teaching. R3619:6, R737:4
Among the tools used by pyramid builders were both solid and tubular drills, straight and circular saws, the drills being set with jewels. R3620:1*
Midst of the land – Of the land surface of the earth. C326
The center of the sector-shaped country of northern Egypt. Q743:1
Of Egypt – Type of the world of mankind, full of vain philosophies, ignorant of true light. C315
A pillar – The limestone blocks were taken from a quarry southeast of the city of Cairo; but the nearest red granite blocks are found hundreds of miles up the Nile. R4621:5
At the border – Of the sector-shaped land of lower Egypt. C326; Q743:1
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| 20 And it hath been for a sign and for a testimony, To Jehovah of Hosts in the land of Egypt, For they cry unto Jehovah from the face of oppressors, And He sendeth to them a saviour, Even a great one, and hath delivered them. |
And it – The Great Pyramid, probably constructed by Melchizedec in 2170 BC. C322, C338
Completed at midnight of the autumnal equinox, the true beginning of the year. C321, C327*
When "a Draconis" looked directly down the entrance, and the ascending passage pointed to the Pleiades at the very same time. C321
Showing correctly such facts as the length of the year, earth's distance from the sun, etc. C326, C378
Shall be for a sign – Not on a parallel or equality with the Word of God, which stands pre-eminent always in authority.
The crowning feature is the top-stone, itself a perfect pyramid, type of Christ, first finished, model for the whole. "A stone of stumbling and rock of offence." (Isa. 8:14; 1 Pet. 2:8) C328, C329; R1568:4
The downward passage representing the course of sin. C331; R224:6
The entrance to the downward passage showing the date when Isaac came into possession of Abraham's estate. C366, C368
The lower terminus of the Well showing 1881 AD as the time when restitution blessings should begin to be due. C367
The subterranean chamber, or bottomless pit, representing the time of trouble and the end of every being pursuing a downward course. C341, C344
Its location showing the time of trouble due to begin in 1914 AD. C342
The First Ascending Passage representing the Law dispensation. C332; R224:6
Its length showing the period from the exodus to the full end of Jewish favor, 36 AD. C347
The Grotto, representing Jesus' death. C361
The Well, representing the new way to life opened up by Jesus' death and resurrection. C337; R224:6
The upper terminus of the Well showing the length of our Lord's life. C337
The passage to the Queen's chamber, showing the 6000 years of sin and 1000 years of restitution. C369-371
The Queen's chamber, representing perfect human life. C358
Its air tubes showing that human life will be everlasting to those who meet the conditions. C373
The Grand Gallery, representing the period of the Gospel call. C332; R224:6
An opening at the top of the upper end of the Grand Gallery indicates where the Bridegroom came as a spiritual being in 1874 AD. R225:1
The step at the upper end of the Grand Gallery pictures Christ as "the stone of stumbling." The progress of all seems dependent on recognizing the Present One. R225:1
The Grand Gallery height represents the spiritual blessings of the Gospel call; its narrowness the narrow way to life; its steepness the danger of backsliding. C349
Its leaning south wall, the date of the Lord's second advent as 1874 AD. C365; R225:1
Its length, showing the termination of the call in 1881 AD. C363, C367; R225:1
The low entrance to the antechamber representing the first step of consecration, death of the human will, or begetting of the Spirit through the Word of truth. C351, C357
The granite leaf in the forepart of the antechamber representing the second step of submission to the divine will or quickening to service and sacrifice through sanctification of the Spirit. C351, C357
The antechamber, representing the School of Christ. C352; R5060:3
Its granite floor beyond the granite leaf, representing our standing as New Creatures. C351
The low passageway into the King's Chamber, representing birth of the Spirit. C357
The King's Chamber, representing heaven itself, the condition of those who attain immortality. C355
The Vertical Axis, showing the distinction between human and spirit natures. C357
Prof. Piazzi Smyth's interest centered in the upper chambers of the Pyramid, accounting for the error in his diagram, placing the vertical axis prior to the pit, instead of bisecting it. R3451:2; C333
The Great Pyramid does not show a place for the Great Company. They all come into the antechamber, but only the "faithful unto death" pass beyond it into the King's Chamber. R5060:3
Now commencing to speak to men of science. Noah's ark may be preserved as another such witness. R525:4
For a witness – To his foreknowledge and to his gracious plan of salvation; "Signs and wonders in the land of Egypt even unto this day." (Jer. 32:20) C318
In that it so clearly corroborates the teachings of the Lord's Word. C328; Q743:1
The Pyramid stands strangely related to the hope of the Jews. R4953:2*
For they – The Egyptians, the poor world during the time of trouble coming. C317
A saviour, and a great one – The Savior of the world; "The mighty God." (Isa. 9:6) R4634:5, R1747:4
Not of the Jew only, but also of the Gentile. R2050:6
Of the Church now, in a partial sense, by hope; future in the fullest sense, in the "first resurrection." The saving of the world will begin then. R4634:5
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| 21 And known hath been Jehovah to Egypt, And the Egyptians have known Jehovah in that day, And done sacrifice and present, And vowed a vow to Jehovah, and completed [it]. |
Known to Egypt – The world. C317
In that day – In the Millennial day, at the close of the time of trouble. C317
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| 22 And Jehovah hath smitten Egypt, smiting and healing, And they have turned back unto Jehovah, And He hath been entreated of them, And hath healed them. |
Shall smite Egypt – The world, in the great time of trouble just at hand. C317
Shall heal them – He wounds to heal. A256; R1869:3
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| 23 In that day is a highway out of Egypt to Asshur, And come in have the Assyrians to Egypt, And the Egyptians into Asshur, And the Egyptians have served with the Assyrians. |
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| 24 In that day is Israel third, After Egypt, and after Asshur, A blessing in the heart of the earth. |
In that day – In the future. Prophecy is more to be understood after it is fulfilled. (Written in 1906) Q353:3
They shall be waked in due time, "the Times of Restitution of all things." (Acts 3:21) R3725:6*
Israel...Egypt...Assyria – In what way Israel is going to be one with these others in the future is not very clear yet. Q353:3
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| 25 In that Jehovah of Hosts did bless it, saying, 'Blessed [is] My people Egypt, And the work of My hands Asshur, And Mine inheritance Israel!' |
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