How does Exodus 7:21 connect to the plagues in Revelation 16:4? Setting the Ancient Scene • In Exodus, the LORD confronts Pharaoh, the self-proclaimed deity of Egypt, through a series of ten plagues. • Revelation presents the final outpouring of divine wrath upon a rebellious world during the Tribulation. • Both narratives display God’s supremacy over false gods and human power, using nature itself as His instrument. Exodus 7:21—First Plague: Water to Blood “ ‘The fish in the Nile died, the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water; and there was blood throughout the land of Egypt.’ ” (Exodus 7:21) • The Nile, lifeline of Egypt, becomes a symbol of death. • Judgment falls on a nation that had shed Hebrew blood (Exodus 1:22). • The plague is literal: actual water becomes actual blood. Revelation 16:4—Third Bowl: Rivers and Springs Become Blood “ ‘And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they turned to blood.’ ” (Revelation 16:4) • This plague targets every freshwater source, not merely one river. • It strikes a world that has slain God’s people (Revelation 16:5-6). • Like Exodus, the transformation is literal and global in scope. Direct Connections and Theological Threads • Same Substance, Same Sign – Water turned to blood in both texts testifies that the God of Moses is the God of the Apocalypse. • Escalating Scale – Exodus: localized judgment on Egypt. – Revelation: worldwide judgment, foreshadowed by Egypt’s experience (Isaiah 11:15-16; Micah 7:15). • Retributive Justice – Egypt: punishment for drowning Hebrew boys. – End times: punishment “for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets” (Revelation 16:6). • Exposure of False Deities – Hapi, the Nile god, is powerless (Exodus 12:12). – End-time idols—materialism, humanism—are likewise exposed (Revelation 9:20-21). • Call to Separation – Israel eventually departs Egypt (Exodus 12:51). – Believers are called to “come out of her” before Babylon’s fall (Revelation 18:4). Supporting Passages • Psalm 78:44; 105:29—Israel’s song remembers the Nile judgment. • Zechariah 14:12; Isaiah 34:8-10—prophecies of end-time plagues echo Exodus patterns. • 2 Peter 3:7—assures that just as the past was judged by water, the present heavens and earth are “reserved for fire.” Why the Connection Matters • Consistency: God’s character and methods are unified from Genesis to Revelation. • Certainty: Past fulfillment in Exodus guarantees future fulfillment in Revelation. • Comfort: God vindicates His people and judges evil, exactly as He promised. |
    |