Parasha 45: From Egypt to the End of Days

 

From Egypt to the End of Days

-- T O R A H   P O R T I O N --

Introduction:

Warning signs on the road are very important. They give information for directions and warnings for drivers. How about the prophecies in the Bible? What warnings do they give?

Last week, Jacob was sick, and Joseph, together with his two sons, visited him. So he strengthened himself and spoke to Joseph. Jacob claimed Ephraim and Manasseh as his, and he blessed them. He stretched his right hand on Ephraim’s head and his left hand on Manasseh’s head. Joseph was displeased, so he tried to remove Jacob’s hand from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head, but Jacob refused, for he knew that the younger son of Joseph would be greater than the elder one. Also, Jacob gathered his sons and gave his last words regarding what would befall them in the last days.

Our Torah portion this Shabbat is the final chapter of Genesis, and it starts with the prediction of Jacob to his younger son Benjamin, whose name means son of the right hand. Then Jacob told his sons that when he died, his body should be buried in the cave of Machpelah, just like his fathers. After he said this, he breathed his last.

Joseph kissed Jacob and wept, and his body was embalmed for forty days.

We can see Joseph respected his father Jacob until death. First, he made a request to Pharaoh to allow him to fulfill his oath to bury Jacob’s body in Canaan. This is proof that the land of Israel is very important, for this is also a reminder of the promise of Adonai YHVH to Abraham that he would have many offspring. It also shows that Adonai is true to His promises. Second, he continued his kindness and care for his brothers. It came to a point that his brothers were afraid when they came back to Egypt from the burial of their father. They thought Joseph would repay them for the evil things they did to him. But Joseph assured them that he would continue to provide for their needs.

Now when Joseph was about to die, he told a prophetic message to his brothers. In verse 24, he said, “I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” From his statement, we can see two prophetic warnings here:

God will surely visit you – The question is, where will Adonai YHVH visit them? Here Joseph foresaw the fulfillment of Genesis 15:13, where Adonai said to Abraham, “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.” When Joseph requested Pharaoh to bury Jacob in Canaan, he told Pharaoh that he would come back (v.5), and he did, together with his brothers and all who went up with him (v.14). In the first place, it was possible that Joseph and his brothers would not return to Egypt, but he did not insist. Maybe that is the reason why the author of Hebrews said in chapter 11:22, “By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.”

Bring you out of this land – Moving forward to the book of Exodus, in chapter 1:6–7, Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty, and they filled Egypt. During this time, the new king over the land did not know Joseph, and this is one of the reasons why Israel became slaves. Another reason is Pharaoh was frightened due to the numbers of Israel, which could be a reason to fight them. So here comes Moshe. He was sent by Adonai YHVH to Pharaoh to tell him to let His people (Israel) go. But it was not easy, for Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he still had to receive ten plagues before he changed his mind. In the end, Moshe was successful, for his God Adonai YHVH is powerful and true to the promises He made to the Patriarchs. That means bringing Israel out of slavery and back to the Promised Land.

At the very end of Joseph’s life, he still showed concern for his people by giving them two prophetic warnings—not to scare them, but to prepare especially the next generation of Israel.

Even at the edge of death, Joseph’s eyes were fixed not on Egypt but on God’s promise.

Genesis 50:25

“God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.”

Joseph believed God’s word more than Egypt’s wealth, more than his own life. What about you? If death were near, would your testimony point your family toward Adonai’s promises, or toward the empty treasures of this world? Where does your faith truly rest?

-- H A F T A R A H P O R T I O N --

In the Haftarah, Prophet Zechariah prophesied and gave warning about the return of Yeshua as:

Judge and Deliverer (vv.1–8) – Prophet Zechariah begins with the day. The question is, what day? It will be the day when Yeshua will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. Why? To plunder Jerusalem, and that will be the perfect time for Yeshua’s feet to stand on the Mount of Olives as proof of His return to deliver and fight for His people. I remember 2 Chronicles 20, when King Jehoshaphat and his people sought help from Adonai because three mighty nations came to make war against them. Then the Spirit of Adonai came upon Jahaziel, and he told King Jehoshaphat, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” Yeshua will be victorious in this battle as He will destroy the wicked nations and enemies of Israel.

King of kings and Lord of lords (vv.9–11) – Yeshua will be Messiah Ben David, the reigning King, when He returns. He will be worshiped year to year in Jerusalem (Zech. 14:16). During His first coming, He was not recognized. But when He returns to His people, they will finally recognize Him, and there will be a great mourning (Zech. 12:10–11).

Revelation 19:15–16

“From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

The nations will gather against Jerusalem, but the King will stand upon the Mount of Olives and fight for His people.

Zechariah 14:4

On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem on the east. 

The Day of Adonai will not be delayed. If Yeshua’s feet were to stand on the Mount of Olives today, would He recognize you as His disciple—or would you be swept away with the world? Are you living as if that Day is near, or as if it will never come?

-- APOSTOLIC P O R T I O N --

In the Apostolic portion, it was the feast when the governor was accustomed to releasing to the crowd one prisoner whom they wished—between the two men, Barabbas and Yeshua. One would be set free, but the other would die. The Complete Jewish Bible in Matthew 27:16–17 says: “There was at that time a notorious prisoner being held, named Yeshua Bar-Abba. So when a crowd had gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to set free for you? Bar-Abba or Yeshua, called the Messiah?’” The name Bar-Abba means “son of the father,” and we also know that Yeshua is the Son of the Father. Sadly, the crowd chose Bar-Abba Yeshua, a robber and murderer, over Yeshua the Messiah. Why? So that the prophecy about Yeshua’s death would be fulfilled. Here are two passages from the Tanakh:

Psalm 22:16–17

“For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet. I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.”

Isaiah 53:3, 5

“He is despised and rejected by men (against Bar-Abba), A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

I believe the incident that happened before, about the choosing of Bar-Abba over Yeshua by the crowd, also has a prophetic warning for later times—for people will choose to believe in a false messiah and false teaching.

Revelation 13:11–14

“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.”

2 Timothy 4:3–4

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth (Torah), and will turn aside to myths.”

Our Apostolic portion is a reminder to us that we must not be deceived. Let us keep on seeking the truth and be zealous in obeying the Torah.

The voices that cried ‘Crucify Him!’ still echo today whenever we choose the world’s counterfeit over the true Messiah.

Every day, the world still shouts “Not this Man!”—rejecting Yeshua for false saviors, false doctrines, and false comforts. What about you? In your choices, your compromises, your silence—are you choosing Bar-Abba over Messiah? Whose side are you truly standing on?

The connection of our parasha is about prophetic warning. In the Torah, the dying Joseph told his brothers about the fulfillment of God’s prophecy to Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in Egypt for four hundred years, but God would visit them and bring them out of that land. In the Haftarah, Prophet Zechariah prophesied about the second coming of Yeshua as Judge and King. In the Apostolic portion, the incident of choosing Bar-Abba over Yeshua by the crowd is a warning to us that we should not be deceived.

Returning to my introduction… Just as road signs are important, so too are the prophecies in Scripture. For they give us warnings and provide a better understanding of future events—especially the second coming of the true Son of the Father, Yeshua HaMashiach!

The God who visited Joseph’s children, who will stand upon the Mount of Olives, is the same One the crowd pierced. His promises warn us, awaken us, and call us to choose Him before it is too late.

When Adonai visits, when Yeshua stands, when the world chooses the false son again—where will you stand? Today is the time to choose HIM, because tomorrow may be too late.

Baruch Hashem Adonai YHVH for He is reminding us!

Shabbat Shalom,

Topher

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-- S O U R C E S --

jewishroots.net

jewelsofjudaism.com

jeremiahstudybible.com

free.messianicbible.com

bible.org

truerichesradio.com

Complete Jewish Bible

The MacArthur Study Bible