Scripture for Today, 3-1-21: Deliverance

3/1/2021

THE THIRD DAY
“But ye brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”
Note: Month of Abib
Jewish Name: Nisan
Gregorian: March–April

1 Thessalonians 5:4; Mark 13:30, 37

2-28-21, Purim, another JEWISH Holy Day, has come and gone, and our beloved Savior has not returned to resurrect and rapture His GENTILE bride and believing people [born again Christian Church, John 3:3, 7] to glory.

Please don’t be discouraged! Have faith as our Lord is coming, just as He promised. John 14:3. Now I set before our readers a question: Why should the Lord come on a JEWISH Holy Day for His GENTILE bride? We Gentiles are not under Jewish Law and not obligated to observe the Jewish Holy Days.
I'd like to reveal another “possibility” for the timing of the Lord’s return as our text Scripture plainly states that the Lord’s Church and believing people “are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”

I know that true believers who are seriously studying the prophecies, and “watching” as our Lord instructed, [Mark 13:30, 37] have a fervent desire and longing in their heart and soul for our Lord to come and deliver us out of this present evil world. The greatest deliverance of God’s people in human history; THE DELIVERANCE OF ANCIENT ISRAEL should give you encouragement. The Israelites had been slaves in the land of Egypt for 430 years. They cried out to the Lord God of Jacob and Joseph for deliverance from their bondage. The Lord graciously heard their prayers and rose up for them one of their own people the prophet Moses to deliver them. [Study the call of Moses in Exodus 3:1.]

God gave Israel a new calendar as He made a new beginning for His Israelite people [Exodus 12:1-2] then the Lord God selected a certain date during the first month of the year, based on the new calendar, for the Israelites to make a sacrificial offering to God as an atonement for their sins: 14th day of Abib, the first month of the year on the new calendar.

Four days before the appointed date, the 10th day of Abib, the Israelites were to select a lamb for every house and family in Israel, and during those four days the lamb was to be carefully examined, to make sure it was without spot or blemish. God is pure and holy, and will only accept as a sacrifice that which is likewise pure and holy. Then on the 14th day of Abib, the lamb was to be killed and offered to God as a burnt offering. The blood of that lamb was to be used to anoint the houses of every Jewish family and person in Egypt. The reason for this anointing, was that the Lord God was going to “pass over” the land of Egypt during the night of Abib 14, and bring terrible judgment; the death of the firstborn, upon the Egyptians. He told Moses, “And the blood shall be to you for a token [sign] upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt,” Exodus 12:13; Hebrews 9:22.

And so it was! The Lord God did “pass over” the land of Egypt that night, bringing judgment and death upon all of the firstborn [the natural man], but sparing all those who had anointed their houses with the blood of the innocent lamb [John 1:29] that made atonement for the sins of the Israelites, setting them FREE from their sins. However, they were still in the land of Egypt, and longed for deliverance from that land of suffering, sorrow, and misery. The Lord God knew that, and told Moses exactly what they were to do.

THE FLIGHT TO VICTORY: The Israelites left Egypt the next morning; the 15th day of Abib. The Word tells us that there were Israelite men besides the women and children. Estimating there would have been appx two million Israelites who left Egypt that day. When the Word says they “pitched” at certain places, this does not mean that they stayed there overnight. They only stopped briefly long enough to rest and eat. The Word tells us that they traveled by day and by night. [Look at your Bible map.]

As the Israelites left Egypt they traveled east across the Sinai peninsula headed towards the Red Sea. Most of them were walking, taking their flocks and herds with them. What a rigorous journey, but they were being led by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. Exodus 13:21 Glory!

After leaving Egypt; with the help of the Lord, the Israelites crossed the Sinai in THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS, arriving at the western coast of the Red Sea on the evening of the 17th day of Abib.

Now the Israelites had a real problem. They could not turn back, because the Egyptian army was in pursuit behind them. They could not go North or South because high mountains were to each side of them. They could not go forward because the Red Sea was in front of them. They were trapped and the Egyptian army was approaching. What were they to do?

Apparently in great fear, the Israelites began to murmur against Moses, Exodus 14:10-12. Moses answered their scorn with: “Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom we have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.” Exodus 14:13

The Lord then instructed Moses to stretch out his rod towards the sea and as Moses obeyed, the Lord God sent a great wind from the east and parted the sea. The sea literally stood up in heaps on both sides of them. Then by faith the Israelite people stepped down into that watery grave, passing through it on land which the Lord God had dried up enough to support their weight. The people then marched right across and through the sea, emerging out onto the banks on the east side of the Red Sea.

On the morning of Abib 18, the people of Israel stood VICTORIOUS on the eastern side of the sea. As they looked back, the sea had closed in on the pursuing Egyptian army and the Israelites saw the dead bodies of the Egyptians floating in the sea. Exodus 14:28

This historical truth has been confirmed by archeologists who have found and photographed the rusting metal remains of the chariots of the Egyptians on the sea floor exactly where the Bible says that the crossing over took place. Glory to God!

The salvation or deliverance of ancient Israel took place three days and three nights; 72 hours after the redemption of the Israelites on on Abib 17; THE THIRD DAY. [2021: Passover March 28th]

This historical event has taught us that ON THE THIRD DAY big things happen. So it is the Lord Jesus Christ whose blood was shed at Calvary to pay the redemption price for all of fallen mankind, setting FREE all who will repent and believe, Luke 13:3; Hebrews 2:9; Isaiah 53:10-11-12; John 8:31-36.

We believers have not yet been delivered out of this present evil world. Such deliverance will take place at the coming of Christ to resurrect and rapture His church and believing people to glory, [Titus 2:11-15] but when will that be?

The Lord Jesus Christ was:

sacrificed on Passover.
His body was placed in the tomb that same evening.
His body was in the tomb three days and three night; Abib 15, 16, and 17.
was resurrected and came forth from the tomb exactly at the end of the Jewish Sabbath as the 17th day of Abib was ending, and the first day of the week, Abib 18, was beginning, Matthew 28:1.
The Lord Jesus came forth on THE THIRD DAY after Passover.

I would say these inspired facts of history are very relevant to the time we believers are living today. Why? Because the Apostle Paul was inspired of God to write: “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likenss of His resurrection,” Romans 6:5.

It is my understanding that IF the deliverance of ancient Israel is a 100 percent reliable type, then the rapture of the church should occur on THE THIRD DAY following Passover. IF this year is our deliverance - it may fall on our Gentile [Gregorian] calendar: Tuesday, March 30, 2021.

I am ready to go; I will be “watching” and praying. Hope you are also.
John 14:6; Mark 13:35-37; Revelation 22:20
~~~
Pastor F. M. Riley
14275 Co. Road 8120
Rolla, Missouri 65401
[email protected]