By Bill SalusComment from a friend regarding the 40-year Egyptian deportation of Ezekiel 29:12 -
Considering its only vindicated sheep (Matthew 25:31-46) entering the Millennial Kingdom and the earth will be restored on the onset, I find it very highly unlikely an overlap of punishment for Egypt or anyone else into the Millennium could happen. It just doesn’t seem to fit the Millennial picture at the onset.
Bill's Response - I concur that it is difficult to fathom the 40-years overlapping or commencing inside the Kingdom period for the reasons stated above. However, if you've read my recent related articles and listened to my recent radio shows posted at Prophecy Depot, the pivotal passages that probably connect and give us clues about Egypt's future are Isaiah 19:16-18, Ezekiel 29:12-15, Ezekiel 30:1-5, Psalm 83:1-8, and Daniel 11:42-43. Egypt appears to experience Psalm 83 first and subsequently Daniel 11:42-43.
In part, Daniel 11:42-43 appears to result because the Antichrist wants to kill the Jews living in 5 or more Egyptian cities at the time in fulfillment of Isaiah 19:16-18. The language of Canaan (Hebrew) is probably being spoken within these cities because Jews migrate there in the aftermath of the I.D.F. victory over the Psalm 83 Arab confederacy.
Personally, I remain uncomfortable with the historical fulfillment argument(s) regarding the 40-years of Egyptian deportation. The Jews we're captive for 70 years and it is clear biblically and historically when it was, and why it was. One of the reasons the Jews knew it would be limited to 70 years was so fellow Jews dwelling 5 to 6 decades in Babylonian captivity could be comforted in knowing their punishment was nearing an end.
Additionally, Abraham was told in Genesis 15:13 that his descendants would spend 400 years in what turned out to be Egyptian captivity. You can imagine Moses, Joshua, and Caleb were emboldened by the realization that the 400-years ended on time, at the time of the Hebrew exodus from Egypt. Furthermore, I believe Simeon in Luke 2 knew that his generation would witness the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies intended to be fulfilled in Daniel’s 69th week.
(Daniel 9:24-27)
The Lord issues specific times for specific purposes and the 40-years of Egyptian captivity is a very specific prophetic period. Should Egyptians be exiled into deportation in the near future, it should comfort them to realize its not a permanent condition.
Lastly, I caution against the presumption that this present world will pass away in the next one to two decades. Perhaps it will. However, the remaining unfulfilled end time's prophecies will take time to stage set and occur. I could easily see humanity existing several more decades. However with that said, I believe Christians should be fervently watching for the Rapture and Psalm 83 to occur very soon.
