Egypt verses tribulation

### 1. The Pattern of Separation *The 10 Plagues - Egypt:* - *Plagues 1-3: EVERYONE in the land, including Israel in Goshen* 1. Water to blood 2. Frogs 3. Lice/Gnats No distinction mentioned. - *Plagues 4-10: SELECTIVE - God makes a distinction* > "I will set apart the land of Goshen... that no swarms of flies shall be there" - Ex. 8:22 > "The Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and Egypt" - Ex. 9:4 > "Only in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel were, there was no hail" - Ex. 9:26 > "There was thick darkness... but all the children of Israel had light" - Ex. 10:23 4. Flies - Israel spared 5. Livestock - Israel spared 6. Boils - likely Israel spared [only on Egyptians and magicians mentioned] 7. Hail - Goshen spared 8. Locusts - only Egypt 9. Darkness - Israel had light 10. Death of firstborn - Israel spared ONLY by the blood of the lamb on the doorpost *Tribulation Judgments - Revelation:* Same 2-stage pattern, but worldwide: - *Seals - Rev 6: EVERYONE* - war, famine, death affect 1/4 of the earth. Believers are martyred under the altar during this. No protection from hardship yet. - *Trumpets & Bowls - SELECTIVE protection appears* > "Do not harm the earth... until we have sealed the servants of our God" - Rev. 7:3 > Locusts from pit "were told not to harm... only those people who do not have the seal of God" - Rev. 9:4 Trumpets affect 1/3 - partial, warning judgments. Bowls affect ALL who have the mark - Rev. 16:2. So in both: Early judgments hit everyone to prove God's power, later judgments prove *He can live with His people in the middle of judgment and they are untouched.* ### 2. Key Distinctions Egypt Tribulation **Scope** One nation Whole earth **Duration** Weeks/months 7 years, with 3.5 intensified **Purpose** Redeem Israel OUT of Egypt Purify Israel and judge nations before Kingdom IN **God's people location** Present in Goshen, protected in place Present on earth sealed - Rev 7, or protected in wilderness - Rev 12:6 **Response to miracles** Pharaoh's heart hardened after each plague - Ex. 9:12 Mankind's heart hardened after each trumpet/bowl - Rev. 9:20-21, 16:9, 16:11 "and they did not repent" **Mediator** Moses intercedes, plague stops No intercessor - Jesus has taken His throne as Judge **End result** Egypt lets Israel go, then pursues to Red Sea Nations gather against Jerusalem to Armageddon ### 3. The Big Theological Point Both Make 1. *Judgment starts general* to show no one escapes by nature. 2. *Then God draws a line* - _palah_ in Hebrew, to make a distinction - not based on Israel being better, but on the *blood*. In Egypt: lamb's blood on door. In Tribulation: Lamb's blood on person - seal in forehead. 3. *The plagues mimic creation un-creation:* water to blood, darkness, death — God un-creating Egypt's gods. Tribulation is the same but global: sun darkened, sea to blood - Rev 8:8, 16:3 - a global un-creation before new creation. 4. *Egypt's magicians could copy 1-2, then failed.* In Tribulation, the false prophet copies miracles - Rev 13:13 - but cannot stop judgment. Bottom line: In both, God proves He doesn't have to rapture His people _out_ to protect them. He can protect them _in_ Goshen, in darkness that has light, in the 5th trumpet while locusts sting everyone else.