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Moses' Commission

Bill Somers

Moses is often regarded as a type of Christ. In many ways he is a forerunner of Jesus. Jesus followed in his footsteps fulfilling certain patterns set by Moses' example.

The Lord met Moses at the burning bush and gave him his commission and a series of instructions. The commission and instructions can be seen as prophetic typology, which means the typology involved is prophecy. It foretells things to come later.

As Moses is the forerunner of Jesus, Moses' commission speaks prophetically of Jesus' ministry; both in the first and second comings. Parallels can be drawn, based on Moses' Commission, which show us that the Lord's instructions to Moses, are typical of the Father's instructions to his Son, Jesus. And those parallels provide us some interesting insights as well.

The relevant scripture is found in Exodus 3 & 4. We include here the entire passage, but we will only look closely at a few particular ones.

Exodus 3:6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:

17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.

18 And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.

21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:

22 But every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.

2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:

5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.

6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.

7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.

8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?

12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.

14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.

15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.

20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

I. God's Purpose

God's overall purpose in sending Jesus is profoundly highlighted through His purpose in sending Moses as predecessor.

We see it first in Exodus 3:8

And it's restated again in verses 10 and 12

"I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt." (Exodus 3:10)."

The second part of this overall purpose is found in Exodus 3:12.

"When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain."

Let's interpret the types. Pharaoh is a type of Satan, Egypt is the world and 'this mountain' speaks of the Church or the Kingdom of God. So God's overall purpose in sending Jesus is to bring his people out of the world system and bondage to Satan, and bring them into salvation and the Kingdom of God.

Colossians 1:12-13 acknowledges this when it says :

"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:"

Now let's look at some specifics.

II. Passages Relating To The First Coming

A. Tell Them I Am Has Sent You

14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

The scripture says tell them I am has sent you. This is to say 'tell them I am sent from the Father'; to tell them 'I AM is to tell them His oneness with the Father. To tell them 'I AM' is to reveal His deity; and tell them "I am that I am". This is to say 'I am that which I am" which is to reveal the nature of God by His attributes. I am the Light of the World; I am the Resurrection and the Life; I am the Great Shepherd; etc. So Jesus is sent into the world to reveal the nature of the Father, and His unity with the Father. You could say his purpose is The Revelation of Jesus Christ!

Here are some passages where he does just that.

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35 KJV)

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12 KJV)

And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. (John 8:16 KJV)

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (John 9:5 KJV)

And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. (John 9:39 KJV)

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9 KJV)

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (John 10:11 KJV)

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (John 11:25 KJV)

And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. (John 12:45 KJV)

I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. (John 12:46 KJV)

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6 KJV)

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (John 14:10 KJV)

Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. (John 14:11 KJV)

At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. (John 14:20 KJV)

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. (John 15:1 KJV)

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5 KJV)

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. (John 18:37 KJV)

Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. (John 19:21 KJV)

B. Cast The Rod Down.

Exodus 4:3 And he [God] said, Cast it [the rod] on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

Here Moses portrays the first and second Adams allegorically. The first Adam was given dominion by God. He lost it to Satan through forfeiture. This is shown by his casting down the rod that symbolizes his authority. Once he lets go this authority, Satan's controlling power manifests. He [Satan, the serpent, the devil] now holds Mankind in bondage by the fear of death, as evidenced by Moses fleeing the serpent.

Exodus. 4.4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:

However when Jesus, the second Adam, came, he demonstrated power over Satan. This is shown by Moses laying hold of the serpent. As the serpent becomes a rod again, we see that the power and authority that Adam lost was recovered by Jesus.

Let's look at this a bit closer.

The Rod speaks of authority, measurement, judgment, correction, punishment. It can also be a scepter, which speaks of ruling with authority. A lance or javelin speaks of throwing. A staff indicates support, and, by extension, life support as in the 'staff of bread'. It can be a branch, and figuratively means a tribe, as a branch of a 'family tree' can mean a tribe.

Examples:

Judgment: Leviticus 27:32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. [Passing under the rod is like passing inspection.]

Measurement: Revelation 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

Control or correction: Proverbs 26:3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.

Rulership: Revelation 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

And:

Psalms 110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

In Genesis 1 we find where God gave authority to Adam.

(Gen 1:28 KJV) And God blessed them, [Man] and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

The same idea is echoed in the Psalms.

Psalm 115:16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.

Through his sin of disobedience to God, Adam lost that authority; and by obeying the serpent, he became his servant.

Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

There is a very important passage in Hebrews 2 detailing the power that the devil has.

Hebrews 2:14-15 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Prophetic typology is seen in the following verse where Moses is struck with fear.

Exodus 4:3 And he [God] said, Cast it [the rod] on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

The passage from Hebrews speaks of how Jesus, through his death, triumphs over the devil, who has the power of death, and holds men in bondage through fear of death. [Important point!] When we reach a point of death to self, that death will allow us to overcome Satan by freeing us from the fear of death as well.

As noted earlier, Jesus is the second Adam, and when He came, he demonstrated power over Satan, and recovered the power that the first Adam had lost. Here are some representative scriptures.

Luke 4:40-41 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.

Luke 6:17-18 And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

C. Put your hand into your bosom.

This symbolically illustrates the idea that Jesus took our sin upon himself, died in our place, and was raised again in a new glorified body. Here is the scripture again.

6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.

7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.

8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

To see this part of the allegory, three elements must come into play. The first is the hand, which we assume is the right hand. The second is leprosy, and it's symbolic meaning. The third is the fact that Jesus bore our sins.

To be brief, the Right Hand stands for Jesus; and leprosy stands for sin. As Moses takes his right hand out of his bosom, he is acting as a type of the Father.

As Moses extends his hand, it speaks of the Father sending Jesus. As the hand is seen to be leprous, it speaks of Jesus taking on the sin of the world. As the hand is pulled back in and concealed, it speaks of Jesus' death and burial. And when the hand is brought forth again, it speaks of Jesus' resurrection. So Jesus' resurrection is a sign to those who will not believe.

The Right Hand

Now let's consider how the Right Hand stands for Jesus

What does it mean when Moses prays as follows?

Exodus 15:

16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.

17 Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.

Simply put, he is speaking of the church, and of the people he purchased. The same concept is found in Psalm 78, where the right hand is mentioned specifically.

Psalms 78:54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.

We are to be planted in the holy mountain, a people purchased with a price by Jesus who allegorically is portrayed as right hand.

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV)

So put two and two together, and you may conclude that the Right Hand is Jesus, the one who paid the price.

Here is a sample of typical verses using the phrase "Right Hand," all of which show or suggest its identification with Jesus.

Psalms 17:7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.

Psalms 18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

Psalms 20:6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

Psalms 80:15 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.

Psalms 80:17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 48:13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.

Isaiah 62:8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:

Leprosy as a symbol of sin.

Leprosy is a disease in which the flesh is corrupted and wastes away. In the bible it is used as a symbol of sin, which also corrupts the flesh. There is a clue that leprosy means more than just an illness in this passage from Matthew.

Mt 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Notice that Jesus here instructs his men to heal the sick and cleanse the lepers. You would think that healing the sick would include cleansing lepers, but it is listed separately showing there is something special about it.

Leprosy is dealt with very extensively in Leviticus 13 and 14, which we won't go into now. But here are two passages that clearly associate the sudden onset of leprosy with sin.

9. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.

10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous

11. And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. (Numbers 12:9-11 KJV)

18. And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honour from the LORD God.

19. Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar. 2 Chronicles 26:18-19

How Jesus took on our sin.

Jesus cleansed us by taking our sin upon Himself)

Peter states it another way who, speaking of Jesus, says:

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

These passages from 2nd Corinthians and Galatians say something quite similar.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2nd Corinthians 5:21

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: Galatians 3:13

It is also found in the old testament when the ministry of the suffering servant, Messiah, is prophesied.

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:11

This says that Jesus took our sins upon himself, or he became sin, or became a curse, for our redemption. Here are two more verses closely related to this theme.

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Mark 10:45

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Hebrews 9:28

III. Passages Relating To The Second Coming.

A. The Water Of The River

Exodus. 4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

This passage relates to the spiritual second coming. It is understood as 'coming to His Church' or 'to His rest'. That is his coming 'as the latter rain' or the coming as latter day outpouring of the spirit.

(Hosea 6:1-3) Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.

After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

This is also called the great end time revival!

When Moses time came to follow this command of the Lord's, he took of the water from the Nile River in Egypt. When Jesus does this, He will take of the water of a different river, the River of Life!

(Psalms 46:4 KJV) There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

(Rev 22:1 KJV) And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

When Moses poured out the water, it became blood. When Jesus pours out his Spirit on the 'dry land,' it means that multitudes will be brought into salvation, which follows the great end time revival.

(Joel 2:28-32) And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

B. The Men Who Sought Thy Life Are Dead.

This section relates to the physical second coming. It shows that Jesus' physical return awaits the judgment of the princes of this world. We find the pattern for this aspect of the return stated twice in the Bible. The first one is here in Exodus.

Exodus 4:18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.

Here we can conclude that Moses could not return to his people till this condition was met, i.e. that those who sought his life were dead. Who was it that sought his life? Pharaoh: a type of Satan. His return to his people depended on the removal of those who sought his life.

And in Mathew 2 where Jesus, as a young boy, cannot return to the land of his people till those who sought his life are dead.

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life

And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. (Matthew 2:19-21 KJV)

Once again, His return to his people depended on the removal of those who sought his life. In this case it's King Herod who sought his life. And King Herod is a type of [guess who?] Satan.

At the end of the Tribulation, before the battle of Armageddon, His return to his people will depend on the removal of those who sought his life.

The point is that Jesus can't return till the powers of heaven are removed. What exactly does that mean?

Who are they that sought his life?

Who sought his life but the Kings of this world, or the powers of the air. The principalities and powers ruling in heavenly places. The Powers of Heaven. We find their identity spelled out in this passage from 1 Corinthians where we are told that they are the ones who crucified him.

1 Corinthians 2:

6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Here are several other key passages, which mention these powers of the air. It's important to understand who these powers are, for they are the ones who exercise spiritual influence on the minds of men. These powers cloud people's understanding and actually prevent them from hearing the gospel.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12 KJV)

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38,39, NKJV).

...having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:14-15, NKJV).

What Happens To Them?

You can find references to these principalities throughout the Old Testament, if you know how to recognize them. Their appearance in Psalm 82, where they are called 'the gods', is especially important, for here the Lord pronounces their judgment.

Psalms 82: A Psalm of Asaph.

1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked

5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course

6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes

8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

And it is they who must die, [fall like Adam], for Jesus to return.

When the Lord returns, he first carries out judgment on the rulers of darkness and heavenly powers, before he actually returns to earth.

In Isaiah 34 we read of this judgment.

And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree For my sword shall be bathed in heaven . (Isaiah 34:4-5 KJV)

Before He returns these powers of heaven must be taken out.

Here are further scriptures showing that one of the final judgments is that the powers of heaven will be shaken and the stars will fall. This means the satanic kingdoms of the air will be judged and the demonic princes who sit in those thrones [Prince of Persia etc.] will all be cast down to earth.

And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. Mark 13:25

Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Luke 21:26

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: Matthew 24:29

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. (Isaiah

And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.

Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. (Isaiah 24:21-23 KJV)

For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of his place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. Micah 1:3

Here's a set of scriptures relating to the Lord's return, the powers of heaven, and the repentance of Israel.

Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1:7

The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. Isaiah 19:1

And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Mark 14:62

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. Zechariah 12:10

In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. Jeremiah 50:4

In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve. Jeremiah 50:20

Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel

For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name. (Amos 4:12-13 KJV)

C. The Rod Of God

Exodus 4:20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

This passage also refers to the physical second coming. With the Rod of God in his hand speaks of Jesus coming with a rod of iron to Rule the nations.

Note also where it says, Moses took his wife and his sons. This speaks of Jesus returning with his Bride and spiritual sons, the Church.

(Rev 19:14 -15) And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Summary

So we have seen this short exercise in typology take us from the first chapter of Genesis to the 19th chapter of Revelation. Let's close with the last two verses of the Bible.

(Rev 22:20 -21) He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.