Latest / Faith by annm2705 / 887. Bible Study: Zechariah 10 (Jesus as the Cornerstone, Nile Drying Up)

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887. Bible Study: Zechariah 10 (Jesus as the Cornerstone, Nile Drying Up) · Faith by annm2705

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Chapter 10 from the book of Zachariah.
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First, let's pray. Dear Lord, please be with us as
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we read through this chapter and let our minds or and our hearts
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and our thoughts turn towards you as we read through what the
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words that you gave Zachariah. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
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Chapter 10 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime.
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It is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms.
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He gives showers of rain to all people and plants of the field
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to everyone. The idols speak deceitfully.
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Diviners see visions that lie. They tell dreams that are false.
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They give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like
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sheep, oppressed for lack of a shepherd.
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My anger burns against the shepherds, and I will punish the
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leaders, For the Lord Almighty will care for His flock, the
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people of Judah, and make them like a proud horse in battle.
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From Judah will come the cornerstone, from him the tent
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peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler.
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Together they will be like warriors in battle, trampling
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their enemies into the mud of the streets.
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They will fight because the Lord is with them, and they will put
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the enemy horsemen to shame. I will strengthen Judah and save
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the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I
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have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not
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rejected them, for I am the Lord their God, and I will answer
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them. The Ephraimites will become like
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warriors, and their hearts will be glad.
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As with wine. Their children will see it and
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be joyful. Their hearts will rejoice in the
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Lord. I will signal for them and
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gather them in. Surely I will redeem them.
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They will be as numerous as before.
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Though I scatter them among the peoples, yet in distant lands
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they will Remember Me. They and their children will
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survive and they will return. I will bring them back from
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Egypt and gather them from Assyria.
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I will bring them to Gilead and Lebanon, and there will not be
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room enough for them. They will pass through the sea
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of trouble. The surging sea will be subdued
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and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.
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Assyria's pride will be brought down, and Egypt's scepter will
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pass away. I will strengthen them in the
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Lord, and in his name they will live securely, declares the
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Lord. And that's the end of chapter
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10. So I will go through the
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questions and answers from the Study Bible, and then I'll talk
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about some of the things that I noticed when I was going through
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this. What idols and diviners were
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tempting God's people? The people of Israel had a
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weakness for idols, probably household gods and the smooth
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talk of diviners. Despite God's continual rebukes.
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Abraham had come from a family of idol worshippers, and his
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descendants frequently reverted to those old ways.
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It didn't matter which specific idols they look for, they
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adopted idols depending on what gods were currently popular.
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Who is the cornerstone? This is a name for the Messiah.
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This is This is a name for the Messiah that suggests his key
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role in the construction of God's plan of salvation found in
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first Peter chapter 2, verses 4 through 6.
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He is also the tent peg on whom God's glory hangs, as well as
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the Balboa through whom God will ultimately triumph.
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Who are the Ephraimites? Ephraim was a son of Joseph and
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later became a tribe in Israel. You can find that in Genesis
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chapter 48 verse 5. The name became a synonym for
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the northern Kingdom of Israel, distinct from the southern
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Kingdom of Judah in Zechariah 10 verse 6.
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What signal would God send to gather His people?
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The word literally means quote to whistle.
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See Isaiah 526. Shepherds would whistle and call
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for their flocks, gathering them in as the Lord intended to do
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with His people. So why pray for rain?
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Zechariah urged the people of Israel to declare their total
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dependence on the Lord. The surrounding peoples relied
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on false gods for their daily needs, but by depending on the
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Lord to provide for them, the Israelites testified to the
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sufficiency of God's provision. Apart from the idols of the
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other nations. Israel had learned to recognize
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what a fruitful that a that a fruitful harvest was evidence of
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God's blessing. A poor crop was a sign of his
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judgement. Since the Jews had just returned
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from exile in Babylon, Zechariah was intent on establishing their
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allegiance to the Lord from the beginning by teaching them to
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trust in the Lord for everything in their lives.
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That does not imply that they thought God would withhold reign
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if they did not pray. It was simply their way of
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showing that they relied totally on God though.
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Though God sends reign on both the righteous and unrighteous
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according as as stated, I guess in Matthew chapter 5 verse 45,
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acknowledging Him as our provider is one of the
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fundamental ways of honoring God as Lord.
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What is the sea of trouble? The sea of trouble is an image
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evoking the affliction the people of God had suffered at
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the hands of their enemies. It may also be a reference to
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the Red Sea which the Israelites passed through on their way out
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of Egypt found in Exodus chapter 14 verses 21 through 31.
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So some of the things that I had seen when I was reading this
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chapter is, is what the Bible, the study Bible talked about,
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about the cornerstone. And I always think it's nice to
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find scripture that interprets scripture.
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So there are several different scriptures that refer to the
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cornerstone. You can search it.
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I did this on blueletterbible.org and I'm
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using the NIV version. So in Psalm 118 verse 22 it says
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the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone and
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that verse is referenced by many people throughout the Bible.
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In Isaiah chapter 28 verse 16, it says so this is what the
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sovereign Lord says. See, I lay a stone in Zion, a
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tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure
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foundation. The one who relies on it will
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never be stricken with panic. Now this is talking about Jesus.
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He was tested. He is the cornerstone, He is the
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foundation. We'll see that interpreted later
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through Scripture. Then Zachariah a prophet in
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chapter 10 verse 4 says from Judah will come the cornerstone
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from him the tent peg, from him, the battle bow from him every
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ruler. That's the chapter we're reading
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right now. Then in Matthew, Jesus said to
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them, Matthew 21 verse 42, Jesus said to them, have you never
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read in the Scriptures the stone the builders rejected has become
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the cornerstone? The Lord has done this and it is
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marvelous in our eyes. And then Mark documents the same
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thing. Haven't you read this passage of
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scripture? The stone the builders rejected
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has become the cornerstone. Luke talks about it too.
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Jesus looked directly at them and asked, then what is the
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meaning of that which is written?
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The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
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In Acts chapter 4 verse 11 Luke explains Jesus is the stone you
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builders rejected which has become the cornerstone.
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I mean Luke documented it but I think it was Peter that said it.
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So yeah, in Acts chapter 4 verse 8, then Peter filled with the
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Holy Spirit said to them rulers and elders of the people and
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then he speaks about more things and then in verse 11 he says
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Jesus is the stone you builders rejected which has become the
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cornerstone. So he ties the Old Testament
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Scripture into what was fulfilled in front of them in
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Ephesians chapter 2 verse 20, built on the foundation of the
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apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the
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chief cornerstone. That also affirms Jesus as the
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cornerstone. And then in first Peter 2 verse
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6, this is where I guess Isaiah is referenced by Peter for in
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Scripture it says, see I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and
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precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never
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be put to shame. And then in the next verse it
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says, now to you who believe the stone is precious, but to those
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who do not believe, the stone the builders rejected has become
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the cornerstone. So Jesus is the foundation of
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everything about the future, about the Kingdom of God, and He
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is like he said, He is the way, the truth and the life, and no
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one comes to the Father except through Him.
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So then when I was reading this verse 8 from chapter 10 of
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Zechariah, I will signal for them and gather them in.
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It made me think about the use of the trumpet and also about
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the trumpet call when Jesus returns.
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So in Jeremiah, it in Jeremiah chapter 4 verse 5, it it showed
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like announce in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem and say
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sound the trumpet throughout the land, cry aloud, gather
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together, let us flee to the fortified cities.
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So the trumpet call was something that was used.
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Actually it goes back even further.
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It was when the tribes were in the wilderness and they had a
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specific arrangement, that of where each tribe was located,
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but they had certain trumpet sounds that they would do to
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call the people together and then they would also sound a
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sound, a trumpet sound to send people out.
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And they were different sounds. One was to gather in, the other
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was to send out for a war. And then there was also another
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time that trumpets were used and that was to announce a new king.
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And so you'll see that throughout the history.
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So I think all of these things, all of these purposes, and then
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they were also sounded at certain festivals, the trumpet
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would be sound sounded. So I think all of these things
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ultimately, just like everything in the Bible truly ultimately
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points to Jesus. And again, this trumpet sound,
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there were several things when I was reading through.
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I think it might have been just if the Bible, the study Bible's
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explanation of it, where it says the word literally means to
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whistle and it says see Isaiah 526.
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I didn't look that one up, so I might do that right now, but
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Isaiah 526, it says. He lifts up a banner for the
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distant nations. He whistles for those at the
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ends of the earth. Here they come swiftly and
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speedily. That is very similar to what
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Jesus said in Matthew 24 verse 31.
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And he referring to Jesus will send his angels with a loud
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trumpet call and they will gather his elect from the four
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winds from one end of the heavens to the other.
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And I think Mark also, the other gospels also reference this.
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I will read what I'll just read the section from Matthew,
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because it says this is talking about the tribulation
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immediately after the distress of those days.
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It's when the abomination happens.
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And it says as soon as that happens, the people should flee
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to the mountains who are those who are in Judea.
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And it says immediately after the distress of those days, the
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sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.
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The stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies
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will be shaken. Then will appear the sign of the
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Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the
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earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the
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clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
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And He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they
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will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the
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heavens to the other, in mark the way He says it, He says.
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But in those days following that distress, the sun will be
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darkened, and the moon will not give its light.
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The stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies
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will be shaken. At that time people will see the
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Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
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And He will send his angels and gather his elect from the four
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winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the
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heavens. And then Luke describes it a
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little differently too. He says there will be signs in
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the sun, moon, and stars on the earth.
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Nations will be in anguish and purposely at the roaring and
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tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror,
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apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly
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bodies will be shaken. I think this is when the fallen
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angels get thrown down to earth. At that time they will see the
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Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
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When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your
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heads because your redemption is drawing near.
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About these like signs in the sun and the moon stars.
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I want to just point something out which is just interesting.
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And I this year on August 12th, there is this Perseid meteor
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shower and it's August 12th, 2026.
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And just, you know, like there's a lot of things happening in
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2026. And I, I just know that there is
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a predicted meteor shower. So it also reminds me of like
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the stars falling from the sky. So I don't know if there's signs
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in the sun, moon and the stars. I don't know if that's relevant
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or not, but it's certainly something to watch for and just
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see, see what happens, I guess. But you know, here it clearly is
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talking about well, Jesus has in Scripture been defined as are
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compared to the Good Shepherd, the shepherd who watches over
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his sheep and and, and he says that my, my sheep know my voice.
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And so when Jesus calls out for his sheep, his sheep will know
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his voice. It's kind of like when that
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trumpet sounds and the people who are in Christ, they will
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know what that means. They will hear the signal for
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them. And so in verse 8 where
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Zechariah says I will signal for them and gather them in, it just
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made me think about Jesus doing that when he returns.
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Then it it talks about in verse 10, it says that I will bring
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them back from Egypt and gather them from Assyria.
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So that kind of made me think about things too.
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Like when did Israel return to Egypt?
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Like historically they were originally in slavery in Egypt
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and Moses brought them out of slavery in Egypt.
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But you know, like people from the ancient Israel's, the
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ancestors or the descendants from the original Israelites,
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I'm sure they're scattered all over the earth, not like in a
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huge concentration. And so I wondered like, when did
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Israel return to Egypt? And, and there's really nothing
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that comes up just searching that it, it talks about when
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Egypt or when Israel gave back land to Egypt.
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But it, it, this is, this is, that's not the same thing as
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going to Egypt. And I know in scripture that
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I've read in the past that God gets really upset when they go
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back to Egypt because Egypt is where they were in slavery.
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And I think Egypt is also symbolic of false gods, false
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deities, because Egypt worships all these different entities.
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And so that of course, offends God when his own people start
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doing the same thing, start picking up the bad habits that
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the people of Egypt who worship multiple deities, you know, are
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those, as I've said before, are those like fallen angels or
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rebellious angels who deceived the people of Egypt and told
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them they were gods because they wanted to be?
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I don't know. But anyway, there's and then you
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have those pyramids that nobody can really explain how those
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were built by people back then. There's just a lot of questions
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that kind of lead to lead you to believe that there may have been
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something supernatural perhaps that could have helped human or
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mankind to build those things. So then Assyria is another
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place. So when you look at Assyria,
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there's we don't really have a place called Assyria today.
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So what area represents Assyria in the Bible?
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And this is corresponds to modern day northern Iraq,
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southeastern Turkey and northeastern Syria.
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So I think those that's something that we should all pay
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attention to. There's so many times that the
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Bible refers to the Assyrian. Now of course in Bible history,
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in the history that's documented in the Bible, Assyria was the
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first to come against the 10 tribes of Israel.
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The the people that were the northern Kingdom of Israel when
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they separated after Solomon. There was the northern tribe,
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which northern 10 tribes of Israel.
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And then there were the 2 southern tribes that were Judah
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and Benjamin and they were called the Kingdom of Judah.
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And they had kings that were reigning at the same time
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because they were in disagreement over who should be
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king after Solomon. Anyway, that area of Assyria, of
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course, it has come against Israel several different times,
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but I think it's it's kind of important about that.
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And then we. Come to the verse where it says
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they will pass through the sea of trouble.
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That's verse 11. The surging sea will be subdued
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and all the depths of the Nile will dry up.
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So there's a couple things. They will pass through the sea
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of trouble. The surging sea will be subdued.
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That brings to mind the Exodus, when Moses on parted the Red Sea
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and they escaped out of Egypt, out of the slavery from Egypt
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into the land. Those things were literal, but
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then symbolic. We see that over and over again
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in Scripture where there is a literal event, but it has so
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much more meaning and only in hindsight do the people
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understand the meaning that it had.
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So Jesus's return will be the second Exodus.
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He will be because, you know, we were just talking about how he's
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going to gather his people and they're going to meet him in the
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clouds. Actually, I don't know if I read
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that part, but that's in Thessalonians.
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I think I might have that tab opened to read that verse as
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well. But when Jesus returns, he will
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gather his people up to him. Those have who have prepared
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themselves, who have the Holy Spirit.
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And and that's kind of some will refer to that as the second
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Exodus. Then we have this thing about
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what's going on with the Nile. And I don't know if you are have
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noticed this or seen this or especially I think it's all over
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social media. So you had to have seen it, but
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maybe not. I tend to see these things.
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But it talks about the Nile drying up.
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And today there is concern about the Nile drying up.
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And this is in prophecy. So in Ezekiel chapter 30 verses
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12, Ezekiel says, by the Lord I, I will dry up the waters of the
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Nile and sell the land to an evil nation by the hand of
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foreigners. I will lay waste the land and
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everything in it. I, the Lord, have spoken.
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So that is kind of interesting because it tells us a lot of
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things. It says that the waters of the
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Nile are going to be dried out. The land is going to be sold to
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an evil nation by the hand of foreigners.
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So somebody's going to get in the middle of this and sell the
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land to an evil nation. Now is this future prophecy for
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us to look at, you know, to watch for and then it says I
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will lay waste the land and everything in it.
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I, the Lord, have spoken. There's a prophecy that when I
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was looking in this past month or so that it says that Egypt is
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going to be desolate for 40 years.
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And I don't think that's happened yet and not from what I
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could find when I searched. So I think Egypt is some a
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nation that we should watch because that's what the Bible
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tells us that's going to happen. And I, I've seen it a couple
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Times Now and looking at this prophecy where it talks about
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Egypt and Assyria and bringing people out of there and then the
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Nile drying up. So I was, let's see, I was,
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let's see, what else did I look at?
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I'm trying to find these things about drying up.
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Now who, who controls the Nile River?
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I, I thought that would be a good thing to look into.
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The control of the Nile River is currently a contested evolving
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issue centered on water rights and infrastructure.
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Historically, Egypt has claimed the majority of the water based
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on the colonial era treaties. However, Ethiopia now asserts,
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starts significant control through the Grand Ethiopian
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Renaissance Dam called GERD, which it will be, which it
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built. It built on the Blue Nile,
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threatening downstream dominance by Egypt and Sudan.
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So there's more details about that you can search.
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And then I was curious because of this Assyria connection in
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Egypt and it says like I will bring them back from Egypt and
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gather them from Assyria. So if they took or take captives
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from Israel, we're talking about the land of Assyria.
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And Assyria, remember represents modern day part of Iraq, Syria
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and Turkey. So I was curious, Ethiopia and
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Turkey. So Turkey and Ethiopia, remember
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Egypt has control, but Ethiopia is emerging in control.
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So then I was wondering, OK, like how is what about Turkey
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and Ethiopia? Are they, you know, because it
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talks about selling the land to a foreign come foreign at the
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hands of a foreign entity basically, and it turns it over
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to an evil nation. So again just to watch Turkey
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and Ethiopia maintain strong expanding ties centered on
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defense investment and infrastructure marking 100 plus
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years of relations in 2026. Bilateral trade is high with
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roughly 2 1/2 billion in Turkish investments.
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Recent high level visits in 2026 focused on energy cooperation,
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hydroelectric, renewable trade and maritime access agreements.
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The relationship goes back to 1926, when Ethiopia became the
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first country in the sub-Saharan Africa recognized by the new
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Turkish Republic. 2026 diplomatic re engagement.
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So this is really timely. President Aragon met with Prime
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Minister Avi Amid in February 2026, marking a significant
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strengthening of ties with new energy memorandums of
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understanding investments in trade.
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Turkish investments in Ethiopia are significance second only to
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China, with bilateral trade reaching 650 million as of 2021.
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Turkey is a key partner in Ethiopia's defense sector and
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has acted as a mediator regarding Ethiopian maritime
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access in the Horn of Africa, particularly through its
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involvement with Somalia. 2026 deal focuses on developing
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renewable energy projects, specifically in
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hydroelectricity, dealing with the water utilizing Turkish know
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how education and connectivity. Hundreds of Ethiopian students
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study in Turkey on scholarships, and there are direct flights
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between Addis Ababa and Istanbul.
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So I just thought those those things were a little bit
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interesting right now. And you know, what perhaps would
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Turkey's interest in the Nile be?
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So that's kind of interesting, too.
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Turkey has demonstrated a growing strategic interest in
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the Nile Basin, driven by its broader foreign policy goals of
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expanding influence in Africa, establishing itself as a
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regional power, and managing key relationships with both Egypt
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and Ethiopia. Ankara's engagement in the
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region is characterized by a mix of diplomatic mediation,
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economic investment, and security cooperation.
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Turkey has positioned itself as a mediator in the Horn of
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Africa, notably facilitating agreements between Ethiopia and
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Somalia. This involvement is seen as a
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way for Ankara to gain influence in the Red Sea and Nile regions,
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often navigating complex relationships where it balances
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its strong economic ties with Ethiopia and its warming
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diplomatic relations with Egypt. Turkey has developed significant
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economic interest in the region, including investments in Agri
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business, construction and textiles.
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Egypt in particular has seen increased Turkish investment and
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is engaging in defense agreements, including the
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procurement of Turkish made drones and missiles, balancing
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relationships with Egypt and Ethiopia.
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While Turkey had passed tensions with Egypt following the 2013
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political shift in Egypt. A quote new era of normalized
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relations has seen increased cooperation and investment.
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At the same time, Turkey has maintained strong ties with
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Ethiopia, which is crucial for Turkey to maintain its influence
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even as the Nile water dispute, the GERD creates tensions
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between Cairo and Addis Ababa. Securitization of water
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management. While Egypt has historically
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been wary of upstream water usage, some observers suggest
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Turkey's experience with water cooperation agreements, such as
29:48
the quote oil for water approach with Iraq, could provide a
29:53
model, though Egypt's securitized approach to the Nile
29:59
makes this unlikely in the near term.
30:02
Turkey's involvement in the Horn of Africa and the Nile Basin
30:05
often coincides with this involvement in the Eastern
30:08
Mediterranean and Libya, where it has occasionally opposed
30:12
interests of actors closely aligned with Egypt.
30:18
GERD dispute. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance
30:21
Dam, or GERD, has created immense pressure on Egypt's
30:26
water security, causing it to seek partners and security
30:30
agreements. Ethiopia's completion of the dam
30:33
despite opposition has shifted regional power dynamics,
30:37
attracting increased interest from external players like
30:41
Turkey quote return to Africa. Turkey's interest in the Nile is
30:47
part of a wider quote return to Africa strategy, often viewed
30:52
through the lens of rebuilding influence in regions that were
30:56
historically part of the Ottoman sphere.
31:00
So I think that's really interesting to just watch, you
31:04
know, pay attention to Turkey, especially, you know, as we read
31:07
through the Ezekiel 38, the war that you know, everyone, you
31:13
know, these things will develop over time and they will unfold
31:17
because prophecy, all of it will happen.
31:21
Then getting back to the Nile, what's going on with the Nile?
31:24
The Nile River is currently experiencing significant long
31:28
term declines in water levels due to this is what this article
31:32
says. Climate change Increased
31:35
evaporation and upstream water usage.
31:38
Rather than completely drying up, the flow has dropped from
31:41
3000 to 2830 cubic meters per second over the past 50 years,
31:47
causing severe shortages in Sudan and Egypt.
31:52
Declining flow. While not completely dry, the
31:55
Nile's volume has decreased significantly since the 1970s,
31:59
causing lower water levels and threatening agriculture.
32:06
Impact of dams. The construction and filling of
32:09
the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, or GERD, have have been
32:13
linked by residents and officials in Sudan to reduced
32:17
downstream water levels and the appearance of new temporary
32:21
islands. Regional consequences Egypt
32:25
faces a major water deficit, with predictions of becoming
32:30
water scarce by 2025. Rising sea levels are also
32:35
forcing salt water in into the Nile Delta, contaminating
32:41
farmland. While parts of the Niles
32:45
tributaries have previously dried, the main river has not
32:49
completely vanished in recorded history, although it has
32:52
experienced periods of low flow that historically caused
32:57
societal instability. Currently, the combination of
33:01
environmental changes in human infrastructure development is
33:04
creating a critical long term water crisis for nations
33:08
dependent on the river. So that's really interesting.
33:12
When Zechariah was written in BC like thousands of years ago, and
33:15
it says all the depths of the Nile will dry up.
33:20
That's in chapter 10 of Zechariah verse 11.
33:25
And then it says a serious pride, Assyria's pride will be
33:29
brought down and Egypt's scepter will pass away.
33:33
I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will
33:37
live securely declares the Lord. So I think these are just a lot
33:42
of things in the Bible that has not happened yet.
33:46
You can find more about the Nile.
33:49
I'm just searching. I, I did blueletterbible.org and
33:52
just searched Nile and I think these are interesting because a
33:59
lot of people say history repeats and the Bible certainly
34:02
does say it. It kind of shows that I mean,
34:07
these, these things happen like there's like a double
34:10
fulfillment of prophecy. There are things that happen,
34:15
you know, that point to Jesus, such as the Passover, where
34:19
Jesus then died on the cross. I mean, the Passover was in the
34:22
Old Testament with the Israelites when they were in
34:24
Egypt and slavery, and it was the blood of the lamb on their
34:29
doorposts that saved them, which was symbolic of Jesus's death on
34:34
the cross, his blood which now saves all people.
34:41
So that was really, it was a literal event at Passover, but
34:45
it was fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross for all nations.
34:49
So again, this subject of the Nile is very interesting because
34:54
if we go back to Genesis chapter 41, Pharaoh had a dream about
34:59
the Nile. And this was about when he was
35:02
dreaming about the cows and one was heavy and one was skinny.
35:06
And Joseph interprets the dream and then tells him you're going
35:10
to have years of plenty and then you're going to have famine.
35:15
So we need to store up. And you know, these, I guess
35:19
Joseph's ability to interpret dreams gained him success with
35:24
Pharaoh and he became the number two guy with Pharaoh.
35:28
And he, he saved the land by interpreting Pharaoh's dream.
35:36
There was a warning, a warning from God.
35:38
You know, there's a famine coming.
35:39
You better stock up right now. So and this, this is really
35:44
interesting though. And then the whole thing about
35:47
Moses was, you know, his parents had put him in the Nile and he
35:53
was found by the Pharaoh's daughter.
35:56
And because he had given out an edict, I don't remember why I'd
36:01
have to go through it again because I did read it.
36:03
But I don't remember why they were killing the Hebrew boys if
36:06
the population was getting too big.
36:07
I don't know what, I don't recall what that was.
36:10
But there was an edict that he gave that order.
36:13
Every Hebrew, Hebrew boy that is born, you must throw into the
36:16
Nile. But let every girl live.
36:19
And so actually that was an Exodus 122.
36:24
I'm going to read like why? That was something about I he,
36:36
he worked them hard and he put slaves over them.
36:40
Oh, that's why they were getting too numerous.
36:43
Exodus 19. Look, he said to his people, the
36:45
Israelites have become far too numerous.
36:49
We must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even
36:52
numerous, even more numerous. And if a war breaks out, we'll
36:55
join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.
36:59
So again, out of fear, there's a lot of things that happen with
37:02
kings that are scared about Israel when Israel starts
37:07
growing, because God did say, you know that he was going to
37:10
make them more numerous than the sand or more numerous than the
37:14
stars in the sky, and he's done that several different times.
37:18
But then the Israel disobey God and then their numbers get
37:22
reduced. But God also, as we see in
37:24
Zechariah, he's going to make them like in verse 8, it says,
37:29
surely I will redeem them. They will be as numerous as
37:33
before. So God's word remains, but the
37:36
population of Israel has gone down and then grown and then
37:40
gone down. And it has to, it's, it's really
37:44
tied a lot to their disobedience to God and their rebellion
37:47
against God. Anyway, going back to Egypt,
37:52
they were the Nile is just such a a significant thing because
38:01
you know, this is the first thing about the dream with the
38:03
famine and the the years of plenty and then the famine and
38:06
then Moses being put into the Nile and then being found by the
38:11
Pharaoh's daughter and being raised like an Egyptian
38:16
essentially, even though he was a Hebrew boy, but he was spared.
38:21
He wasn't killed. He was saved.
38:22
And then he actually ends up rescuing them because God called
38:27
him to that. He and his cousin, I think Aaron
38:31
called him to rescue them. But then there's this point
38:34
where at the Nile they, when Moses and Aaron are, you know,
38:43
saying to the Pharaoh, let my people go, they need to be
38:47
released from their slavery and Pharaoh wasn't going to do that.
38:51
Then things started happening that relate to the Nile.
38:55
And so the Nile has always seemed to be pretty significant
38:58
in biblical prophecy and historical events.
39:03
So Aaron and Moses had Staffs, and when they here's what it
39:09
says, this is what the Lord says.
39:11
By this you will know that I am the Lord.
39:13
With the staff that is in my hand, I will strike the water of
39:17
the Nile and it will be changed to blood.
39:21
So that was one thing. Then the fish in the Nile will
39:25
die and the river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able
39:28
to drink its water. And so Moses and Aaron did, just
39:33
as the Lord commanded. He raised his staff in the
39:35
presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water
39:38
of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood.
39:42
And then it says further, in Exodus 7, the fish in the Nile
39:46
died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not
39:49
drink his water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt
39:53
and the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water
39:57
because they could not drink the water of the river.
40:00
This is interesting too, and symbolism. 7 days passed after
40:04
the Lord struck the Nile. Then the Nile will team with
40:09
frogs. They will come up into your
40:12
palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, onto the houses of
40:16
your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and
40:19
kneading troughs. So I didn't realize this until
40:23
it was called out in the study Bible.
40:25
But all of these plagues that God sent to Pharaoh because he
40:31
wouldn't let his people go. He wouldn't let the people come
40:34
out of slavery to worship the Lord.
40:37
All of these plagues were almost like a mockery to the gods, The
40:43
little G gods of Egypt, they had like these some kind of like
40:47
frog gods or something like that.
40:49
So then he has this infestation of frogs.
40:53
That's one of the plagues and and they're just everywhere.
40:56
And and so, you know, it just got to the limit where Pharaoh
41:00
was like, get these things out of here.
41:03
And so then it said, you know, the frogs will leave you and
41:05
your house as your officials and your people.
41:08
They will remain only in the Nile.
41:11
And then there, let's see what else there was.
41:18
OK, So then in Isaiah Chapter 7, verse 18, listen to this.
41:24
In that day the Lord will whistle for flies from the Nile
41:29
Delta in Egypt and for bees from the land of Assyria.
41:36
So that's kind of an interesting thing.
41:39
So Assyria was going to be the Lord's instrument and Assyria
41:45
has been, but I wonder if this is another thing that will be a
41:52
double fulfilled prophecy where, you know, Assyria was the one
41:57
who conquered the 10 tribes of Israel's territory.
42:01
But then is it also going to happen again?
42:05
And the significance of the Nile again.
42:10
So Isaiah 19 verse 7, it says also the plants along the Nile
42:16
at the mouth of the river, every sown field along the Nile will
42:20
become parched, will blow away and be no more.
42:27
The fishermen will groan and lament all who cast hooks into
42:30
the Nile. Those who throw Nets on the
42:33
water will pine away and let's see in let's Jeremiah 2.
42:47
Now why go to Egypt to drink the water from the Nile and why go
42:50
to Assyria to drink the water from the Euphrates.
42:54
I think this might have more symbolism to it to drink the
42:58
water because Jesus is brings the water of life, the living
43:05
water. He gives the living water which
43:07
is the Holy Spirit. And Egypt has false gods and
43:12
there's water that they get from the Nile.
43:14
Assyria also is has idolatry and it says the water from the
43:20
Euphrates. So it's like the water from the
43:23
Nile and the water from the Euphrates.
43:25
And these are like false worshipping gods that are in
43:29
these territories. So I think there is like
43:32
something also spiritual and, you know, literal and symbolic
43:38
at the same time. And Jeremiah 46, it says, who is
43:43
this that rises like the Nile, like rivers of surging waters?
43:50
Egypt rises like the Nile like rivers of surging waters.
43:54
She says, I will rise and cover the earth.
43:57
I will destroy cities and their people.
44:01
Are we going to see Egypt do something like this?
44:04
This is in Jeremiah 46. It does seem like at that time,
44:11
I mean it does seem like this is future prophecy, but I don't
44:16
know it was specifically. Again, this is I don't know if
44:22
this is like a double fulfilled prophecy because it does.
44:26
It was about the past during Pharaoh Neko, king of Egypt.
44:34
Again, this is weird, like Pharaoh from Egypt which which
44:37
was defeated at Karkemish on the Euphrates River by
44:43
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. So it talked about all of this
44:49
that would happen and Egypt, I guess Egypt rising up.
44:58
And I'm not sure. But there is, like I said,
45:00
there's this prophecy about Egypt.
45:03
Like, I don't know why Egypt's going to be desolate for 40
45:06
years. Egypt is going to have to
45:08
probably do something that will cause Egypt to be desolate,
45:15
something that God's going to not be happy with.
45:18
And we'll just, I guess, wait and see what that might be.
45:25
And then we have Ezekiel where he just talks about, Oh yeah,
45:32
like this, the Pharaoh king of Egypt, whether he's talking to
45:37
the actual Pharaoh or he's talking to maybe some
45:40
principality behind Pharaoh that's, you know, been inspiring
45:44
or influencing because he he describes it so much more than
45:47
just a human being. But speak to him and say this is
45:50
what the sovereign Lord says. I am against you, Pharaoh, king
45:53
of Egypt, you great monster lying among your streams.
45:57
You say the Nile belongs to me. I made it for my himself.
46:01
And so God has a He has a lot to say about that.
46:07
Egypt will become a desolate wasteland.
46:10
Then they will know that I am Lord, because you said the Nile
46:13
is mine. I made it.
46:15
And then in Ezekiel 30, I will dry up the waters of the Nile
46:19
and sell the land to an even evil nation by the hands of
46:22
foreigners. I will lay waste the land and
46:24
everything in it. I the Lord have spoken in Amos
46:27
another prophet, he says, will not the land tremble for this?
46:32
And all who live in it mourn? The whole land will rise like
46:35
the Nile. It will be stirred up and then
46:38
sink like the river of Egypt. And it says in Amos 9 verse 5,
46:45
the Lord, the Lord Almighty, he touches the earth and it melts,
46:49
and all who live in it mourn. The whole land rises like the
46:52
Nile, then sinks like the river of Egypt.
46:59
And in Zechariah 10, verse 11, they will pass through the sea
47:02
of trouble. Well, that's what we're reading
47:04
right now. The surging sea will be subdued,
47:06
and all the depths of the Nile will dry up a serious.
47:11
And so it says also historically that the Nile hasn't dried up.
47:15
So this has to be a future prophecy.
47:17
A serious pride will be brought down and Egypt's scepter will
47:21
pass away. Maybe this is when Egypt becomes
47:24
desolate for the 40 years. I don't really know.
47:27
But it's these are things that we we read about in the Bible.
47:32
And if it hasn't been fulfilled yet, then that has to be future.
47:36
But we don't know when it's going to happen.
47:38
But it's also something to watch for when we see the news of
47:41
what's going on. And we're in this this kind of
47:44
war time frame right now. And things are happening daily
47:48
that seem to line up with prophecy.
47:50
And some of these things stretch out about over, you know, many
47:56
years. I mean, like, again, some at
47:59
some point in the future, it says that Egypt's going to be
48:01
desolate for 40 years. So that has not happened yet.
48:06
And that just pay attention because it may happen soon.
48:12
When when you start looking at the, I don't know the the truth
48:17
in all of this, but these Dead Sea Scrolls and what the
48:22
Essenes, which were an ancient Jewish sect that stored things
48:28
in the Qumran caves and they were found around the time that
48:32
Egypt, not around the time that Israel became a nation.
48:36
They were accidentally found and there was calendars in there.
48:41
And so there's a calendar that you can go to thatsdss.org or
48:47
DSS calendar.org and it'll show you the year that we're in.
48:53
It has what they call the Pharisee year, which is what the
48:56
Jewish people go by. The year that they say it is.
48:59
It shows the Gregorian year, which is like with the USA looks
49:04
at and and then it also has the Essenes year.
49:09
And what's interesting, in fact, we may have just crossed over
49:14
that time frame. I think the 15th of March was
49:18
perhaps the first day of the Essenes.
49:22
I don't know if we're, I'm going to look at it, look it up today
49:24
because today's March 16th and we might have like 49 years
49:31
left, I don't know. No, it hasn't turned over to 49
49:34
yet, OK, Gregorian date. So I don't know when that
49:38
changes because the Dead Sea Scroll date, it's 5950 and the
49:44
Essenes believe there were 6000 years to completion before
49:48
Christ reigned. And so that would mean there are
49:52
another 50 potential or 4049 or 50 years left until we get to
49:58
the year 6000. And that I believe it's going to
50:04
be changing very soon. Maybe it's tomorrow that it
50:07
changes, but I'm going to look on the details.
50:11
So it looks like 5951 when we have 49 years left.
50:19
So March 18th is the like the first day in the Essenes
50:25
calendar for the year. That'll give us 49 more years.
50:29
So if we have 49 years and Egypt's supposed to be desolate
50:34
for 40 years, that means there's nine years.
50:36
So within like the next nine years, if it's true that there
50:41
are 6000 years before Christ reigns here on Earth.
50:46
So it's it's what the Athenians believed.
50:48
And it's just a very interesting theory at this point.
50:52
But, you know, maybe we just have about 50 years yet left
50:57
before Jesus starts raining on the earth.
50:59
And maybe he comes earlier than that, too.
51:02
We don't know. So we just have to remain
51:06
prepared. Like Scripture tells us that,
51:09
you know, we need to have oil in our lamps, which is symbolic for
51:14
the Holy Spirit. We need to have the Holy Spirit.
51:16
If we have the Holy Spirit and we are reconciled with Christ,
51:21
reconciled with the Father, we don't have anything to worry
51:24
about because just like this has shown us too, that God always
51:28
provides, we don't have to worry.
51:30
If we are children of God, He will provide for us.
51:32
We have nothing to fear. So anyway, this will wrap up
51:35
chapter 10 from the book of Zechariah.
51:38
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51:41
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51:43
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