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| 1 The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. |
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| 2 And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbour; city against city, and 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 the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. |
Seek...familiar spirits – Communications with the fallen angels. R2172:1, R1642:6, Q804:3; HG726:1
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| 4 And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts. |
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| 5 And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up. |
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| 6 And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither. |
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| 7 The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more. |
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| 8 The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish. |
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| 9 Moreover they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded.
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| 10 And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish. |
Ponds for fish – Nephesh, souls, sentient beings. E334
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| 11 Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? |
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| 12 Where are they? where are thy wise men? and let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt. |
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| 13 The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof. |
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| 14 The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit. |
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| 15 Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do. |
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| 16 In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh over it. |
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| 17 And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined against it. |
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| 18 In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. |
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| 19 In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD. |
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 shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver 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 the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform 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 the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be entreated of them, and shall heal 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 shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. |
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| 24 In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: |
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 Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. |
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