The Three Signs
“And the Lord said to Moses.- When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand.” Exodus 4:21
It is a fact well known that the return of Moses to Egypt represents the return of our Lord Jesus to the surroundings of the earth (1 Thess. 4:17). As Moses returned to Egypt in person, so our Lord came down from heaven in person.
The life of Moses is divided into three equal parts: forty years from his birth till he visited his brethren, forty years from the flight to Midian till the angel appeared in the burning bush, forty years from his return to Egypt till his death. These periods, and Moses himself, were typical. Moses represents Christ and the three periods represent the Judaic age, the Gospel age and the time of the Parousia of the Lord.
The mission of Moses was to bring Israel out of Egypt. “So now go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10, NIV). In this verse a great type is shown. The antitypical Moses, Jesus, will bring out of the slavery of sin and death and rescue from the power of Satan not only the Church of the firstborn, but also all mankind.
A great number of events took place after the return of Moses. Here we shall limit ourselves to studying the first three signs, and the ten plagues in a general way. Moses had said to God, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, The Lord has not appeared to you” (Exodus 4:1). The Lord answered Moses “What is that in your hand? He said, A rod.” Then God showed to Moses the signs he should perform in the presence of the children of Israel. Finally God said to Moses, “And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs” The first three signs were to be performed before the elders of Israel (Exodus 3:16). These signs were to prove to Israel that God had appeared to Moses.
THE FIRST SIGN
“So the Lord said to him, What is that in your hand? He said A rod. And He said, Cast it on the ground. So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent,- and Moses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, Reach out your hand and take it by the tail (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand).” (Exodus 4:2-4)
The rod symbolizes authority; the serpent represents the devil, the old serpent, Satan (Revelation 12:9). In the beginning, when God created Adam, God exercised authority over the earth through Adam. After the sin of Adam he was condemned, the earth was cursed, and God allowed Satan to usurp authority. Satan became the god or prince of this world, and held sway over all the kingdoms of this world (Matthew 4:8-10). The rod became a serpent.
But now the authority is being taken from the devil. Our Lord, who is present, is laying hold on the dragon, the old serpent, by the tail as it were. He is depriving Satan of authority, binding him, that he should deceive the nations no more. In due time, he will bruise his head (Genesis 3:15). By seizing the devil, our Lord proves that he has come down from heaven and he is taking his great power. Our Lord Jesus received this great power from his Father after his resurrection, but he did not use it until he came again. Now he is using his power. With this power he is binding the old serpent (Revelation 20:2).
When Jesus has taken away the authority from Satan, when he has completely bound this one, the serpent will be a rod in his hand. The authority all over the earth will be no more exercised by Satan, but by the Lord Jesus. This transfer of authority is in progress.
THE SECOND SIGN
“Furthermore the Lord said to him, Now put your hand in your bosom. And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. And he said, Put your hand in your bosom again. So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh.” (Exodus 4:6, 7)
The hand symbolizes power, and leprosy typifies sin. In the beginning God had dominion over the earth through a perfect man, Adam. The power of God was exercised by Adam. After the transgression of Adam, God used sinful men to represent Him in the world and to do His will. There were first Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the Prophets, then, during the Gospel age, the Apostles and the other members of the Church. All these were sinners by nature. However God used them as His instruments to accomplish His purposes, because they loved Him. God showed His power by these faithful human beings.
But at present, since the return of the antitypical Moses, the hand is becoming healthy. The Lord has raised up his members who were sleeping in the tomb. Those who have had a share in the first resurrection have a spiritual body; they are rescued from sin. These ones are into the heavenly Kingdom and are with the Lord as wholesome creatures.
When the other members of the Church are all changed in a moment and have had a place in the first resurrection, they will also possess a spiritual and glorious body, the divine nature, and they will also be wholesome creatures, free from the leprosy of sin.
As the first sign or voice shows the binding of Satan has begun, so the second sign or voice points out the first resurrection has also begun. After the first resurrection the “better resurrection’ will take place. When the ancient worthies are resurrected they will be perfect human beings They will be princes in all the earth (Psalm 45:17). The Lord will also exercise his power through these human instruments.
Finally sin, symbolized by leprosy, will disappear, and the hand of the antitypical Moses will be entirely healthy.
THE THIRD SIGN
‘Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign. And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land.” (Exodus 4:8, 9)
So it is in the antitype. Some spiritual Israelites do not believe the voice or message of the first sign. They do not believe that the old serpent, Satan, is being bound. Some others do not believe the message of the second sign. They do not believe that the first resurrection has begun. Others, again, do not believe two signs. However they must believe the third sign. The first two antitypical signs are not visible with natural eyes, but with the eyes of understanding. But the third sign is visible with natural eyes.
The water represents Truth, and the land represents society. Harvest Truth, present truth, was spread widely on the earth during the “faithful and wise” service of Bro. Russell. The Lord had promised he would serve his faithful ones after his coming, and that promise has been wonderfully fulfilled (Luke 12:37).
But the Truth which was so great a blessing for the people of God was repugnant as blood to those who did not receive it. The darkness hates the light, and those who preach false doctrines hate the Truth because it reprobates their errors and falsehoods.
This sign seems to have a greater signification. Present truth permits us to understand better than before the typical sacrifices of the Law and the doctrine of the ransom for all. Christ shed his blood to redeem all the inhabitants of the earth. “Without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). This clear knowledge of the ransom was preached in all the earth. The knowledge of the Law sacrifices was also widely preached. In this sense the blood was poured on the earth.
CONCLUSION
So we see that when Moses came again he did not go immediately into Pharaoh’s presence. He summoned first the elders of Israel. He made himself known to them and transmitted the divine message to them (Exodus 4:29-31). Christ did likewise. At his coming he has not to do at once with the world, but he gathers first his faithful ones and makes himself known to them. He reveals to them his presence. According to the parable of the pounds, he settles first his accounts with his servants and deals later with his enemies (Luke 19:27, see also 1 Peter 4:17). However, this does not mean the Master will deal with the world only after the Church is complete. Psalm 46 points out that the last members of the Church will see the trouble beginning. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea” (verses 1, 2).
Then ten plagues smote Egypt. They correspond to the seven plagues of Revelation 16. Egypt symbolizes the world. It should be observed that the ten plagues smote Egypt after the return of Moses. We have therefore the assurance that the seven plagues or bowls of God’s wrath, mentioned in Revelation, are poured out on the earth during the second presence of the Lord.”
– Antoine Papajak, France