A year ago I wrote in this column about the “middle” plagues visited by YHVH on Mitzraim (Egypt) in the time of Moses. I tend to refer to them as the “Transition Plagues”, because unlike the first three plagues, where the “magicians of Pharaoh” were at least partly able to mimic the malady (as if adding a few more frogs to the infestation was somehow a helpful demonstration of their power!) — by the time the lice or gnats were brought upon them, those men were forced to admit that “this is the finger of God”. (Exodus 8:19) The transition, then, is between plagues or judgments which men may be able to imitate, and thus deny the will or existence of YHVH, and those they cannot. In other words, for a while, stiff-necked men are still able to claim that they are NOT suffering the curse brought on by their own rebellion to the Word of YHVH.
I speculated then that, if we are in fact entering the Biblical “End Times”, and “the pattern of the original Exodus repeats…then other judgments against the false ‘mighty ones’ of the current worldly systems of the modern versions of Babylon and Mitzraim will follow. For example, as was already evident some time ago, the breakdown of our fiat paper system of dishonest weights and measures continues. And in spite of literally trillions of dollars of bailouts and machinations (plagues of dollars are even easier to add to, evidently, than frogs), the world financial system is less stable today than ever. Even the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee (FOMC) recently admitted that what the modern money magicians persist in still calling a “recession” has not YET entered the long-promised recovery — and evidently won’t, any time soon. And the related Euro plague has expanded as well, with the initial infection of the PIIGS nations having spread beyond Greece and Portugal lately to downgrades of sovereign bonds in nations like Hungary and France.
It is likely that additional plagues are still to come, and are even somewhat predictable. Famines and wars generally follow currency breakdowns and bank holidays. But of arguably even greater concern is the condition predicted by our Savior in Matthew chapter 24. What those who translated most English versions of the Bible refer to as “lawlessness” or “iniquity”, however, I contend should be rendered more appropriately as “torah-less-ness”, or rebellion against His Word…which is, of course, what those words really mean:
“And because torah-less-ness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (MatitYahu/Matthew 24:12)
Admittedly, this condition even sounds more like a PREDECESSOR to the judgments to follow than an actual plague in itself. But the daily news certainly confirms the diagnosis. It is the implications of that prediction which are so important now, however, as we seek to “know the season”, and understand what is still to come…and WHY.
Most “Christians” have been brought up in a “Church” which teaches an insidious lie:
“the Law has been done away with.”
Can we be at all surprised, then, when entire nations make that same claim?
After all, He is no longer even permitted to be acknowledged in many Statehouses, legislatures, schools, or courtrooms!
If the “OLD” Testament — the very Foundation upon which the rest of Scripture rests — could have “passed away”, then why would ANYONE believe that something as ephemeral as any Constitution could ever endure? Can we doubt that when gullible people governed by evil men announce that the “Supreme Law of the Land” — whatever that means! — has been done away with, they are just repeating the same lie?
And that those who teach such lies are ultimately “without excuse”?
Just take a look at the ‘fruit’ of such perfidy:
The Transportation “Security” Administration now routinely ignores even the pretense of “probable cause” for its routine illegal searches and seizures. The concept of a “search warrant” is now nothing but a quaint reminder of a time when sworn “officers of the law” actually knew what the Bill of Rights said. Last month, overwhelming majorities of both a treasonous “Amerikan” House and Senate passed the “NDAA”, which now allows for people ANYWHERE — including, but not limited to “US citizens” — to be detained without charge, trial, or even evidence. Not even the pretense of “due process” remains. And only this month, an attempt to allow shutdown of websites based on allegations of “piracy” resulted in a massive online protest. Only after the offending bills were supposedly sent “back to the drawing board” did the revelation emerge that the administration had ALREADY signed an “executive agreement” masquerading as a treaty called “ACTA”! Thus, not even the pretense of “free speech” under the First Amendment may soon remain.
And the life savings of literally tens of millions of people is soon to be stolen – both directly and through insidious inflation. Other forms of “lawlessness” will inevitably follow. The iron fist of a police state will follow, as intended.
In the final plague before the “death of the first-born”, the Almighty brought “darkness” (or “chosef” in the Hebrew) upon Egypt; darkness which was so spiritually and physically intense that it “may even be felt” (Exodus 10:21). Interestingly, this is the same word that was “upon the face of the deep” in the second verse in Scripture, and which was “divided” from the light immediately thereafter by Elohim.
And — just as He had done in all of the plagues following that transition — YHVH “put a difference” between His people and those of the land of Mitzraim, and “all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” And our true King is now quickening the process of separation — wheat from chaff, sheep from goats, light from darkness, and His people from the paganism — and lawlessness! — of the world.
Pharaoh’s magicians got it; some probably left, and became part of the ‘mixed multitude’ which was brought out of the land of Mitzraim and were later “grafted in” to Israel. Those who did not (Exodus 10:1) had their hearts hardened right along with Pharaoh. Those who – regardless of their background – humbled themselves before YHVH and were obedient to His directions were saved.
What is coming is likely to be ugly, and then violent. But it is the prince of THIS world who claims that ‘the ends justify the means,’ and not our Master. We STILL have a “choice of Law,” a choice of Whom we serve! Even as those who are of this world descend into lawlessness, those who “come out of her“, and serve YHVH alone must remember that His ‘torah’ guides our actions! As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego understood, “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.”
Even though perhaps the plagues to come have only just begun, I will suggest that this difference between “light” and “darkness” is crucial. As we seek to understand the counsel of Revelation 18:4, “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues,” we must begin to make that separation ourselves. “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (II Cor. 6:14) Through whatever plagues may yet come, and whatever deception may be attempted by the Adversary, our instruction remains clear:
“If you love Me, keep My commands.”
