Bible Study Seattle

Due to an extreme famine Jacob and his entire family move to Egypt under the care and protection of Joseph.  The Israelites multiply exceedingly.  Later, a different Pharoah comes to power, and Moses comes on the scene.  After ten plagues, the Israelites begin the Exodus out of Egypt.  After three days they are trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army.  Then God delivers the Israelites by a miraculous deliverance.  Could this represent Armageddon?  After this the Israelites are given the law and told how to live.  By their disobedience they are made to wander 40 years in the desert.  Their children will march into the promised land.  Could the 40 years represent the Millennium?  Then Joshua takes them into the promised land.  Could this be the eternal life – the Age to come?  Paul seems to take a different view in Hebrews:

“Who were they that heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses?  And with whom was he provoked forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?   And to whom did he swear that they should never enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?   So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.”  Hebrews 3:16-19

Paul is talking about ultimate salvation as God’s ‘rest’.  He’s goes on to equate this with the seventh day:

“ For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way, “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.”  And again in this place he said, “They shall never enter my rest.”  Hebrews 4:4-5  “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later of another day.  So then, there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God;”  Hebrews 4:8-9

And yet, we are in the seventh day from Adam and Armageddon hasn’t occurred yet.  It is interesting to note that the population of Israel barely changed during the forty years wandering in the wilderness.  Could this be birth and death equaling out during the Millennium?  It is also interesting that one sixth of the spies (2 out of 12) entered Joshua’s ‘rest’.