Based on Ezekiel 32:1-16 (New King James Version)
“And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him: ‘You are like a young lion among the nations, and you are like a monster in the seas, bursting forth in your rivers, troubling the waters with your feet, and fouling their rivers. ‘Thus says the Lord God: ‘I will therefore spread My net over you with a company of many people, and they will draw you up in My net. Then I will leave you on the land; I will cast you out on the open fields, and cause to settle on you all the birds of the heavens. And with you I will fill the beasts of the whole earth. I will lay your flesh on the mountains, and fill the valleys with your carcass. ‘I will also water the land with the flow of your blood, even to the mountains; and the riverbeds will be full of you. When I put out your light, I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. All the bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you, and bring darkness upon your land,’ says the Lord God. ‘I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples, when I bring your destruction among the nations, into the countries which you have not known. Yes, I will make many peoples astonished at you, and their kings shall be horribly afraid of you when I brandish My sword before them; and they shall tremble every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of your fall. ‘For thus says the Lord God: ‘The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon you. By the swords of the mighty warriors, all of them the most terrible of the nations, I will cause your multitude to fall. ‘They shall plunder the pomp of Egypt, and all its multitude shall be destroyed. Also I will destroy all its animals from beside its great waters; the foot of man shall muddy them no more, nor shall the hooves of animals muddy them. Then I will make their waters clear, and make their rivers run like oil,’ says the Lord God. ‘When I make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country is destitute of all that once filled it, when I strike all who dwell in it, then they shall know that I am the Lord. ‘This is the lamentation with which they shall lament her; the daughters of the nations shall lament her; they shall lament for her, for Egypt, and for all her multitude,’ says the Lord God.’”
In the year 605 BC, this prophecy against Egypt was fulfilled, something that was believed to be impossible to happen. At that time, the Egyptian kingdom had risen again and strengthened itself into a nation of great power, thought to be something that could not be shaken. However, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon completely destroyed the Egyptian army in the battle of Carchemish. And in this battle, not only did Egypt fall, but Babylon destroyed the Assyrian empire, and in such a way that the Assyrian empire completely disappeared after this battle. One should ask, “Why did God pronounce and come to make this great judgment against the nation of Egypt a reality?”
The serious problem for which God judged Egypt was because of its rebellion, its pride. Despite knowing God, and as a nation having seen the greatness of the Most High, they decided not to humble themselves before the God of heaven, but grew and became stronger only to challenge Him. And God could no longer bear their arrogance, and shamefully broke them and the one who accompanied them. God gave such power and strength to King Nebuchadnezzar that he used it to break the pride of Egypt completely.
The problem arises when a nation or a person knows the truth of God, and rebels against it, because God has great mercy on those who ignore His Truth. God does have mercy when there is genuine ignorance, when His Truth is completely unknown. We see this clearly in the Word when the Apostle Paul explains it based on his own ignorance, as he says: “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 1:12-14. But the Word also says this: “Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:29-31.
Now, when the truth is known, there is no excuse left. And the great truth that is known today is that there is an Almighty God, and that He, by His good will and grace, sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for the sins of humanity. If the knowledge of the law of Moses brought judgment on every nation and human being before, how much more will it not bring knowing the goodness of God and despising it? As it is written: “Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” Hebrews 10:28-29. Who today does not know the meaning of the cross of Christ? Billions of people today know well the story of the cross, and how Jesus Christ died for all of us. And if so, and God judged Egypt for things less than the cross of Christ, what do you think awaits this world and its nations today? Will God overlook the rebellion that exists today against His person, and against the cross of Christ? This is what the Word says: “For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.” 2 Peter 2:21.
What can be done to escape God’s coming wrath? This is what His Word counsels us: “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7. “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before.” Acts 3:19-20. The Lord is still leaving the door open today for repentance and conversion. The dispensation of God's grace through Jesus Christ still extends to this day. My best advice is not to ignore this opportunity. To you who know the Truth of God, stop despising Him or trying to use Him for your convenience. Seek the Lord while there is time because tomorrow may be too late. Serve Him as the Lord that He is so that you may not only obtain His forgiveness, but also His eternal life. There is life only in one Being, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Look for Him and follow Him as such. So, will you decide to suffer God's eternal judgment for continuing in your rebellion, or will you embrace the life that only the Lord can give? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel.