Realisation of who was the Egyptianised Moses

by Damien F. Mackey “[Wisdom] entered the soul of a servant of the Lord, and withstood dread kings with wonders and signs”. Wisdom 10:16 ------------------------------------------------------- Important Note: Previously, I have been adamant that Moses was not a king (Pharaoh), having recently written: “… another legend that has Moses as “a king” is misleading. Though great, Moses was definitely subservient to the two pharaohs who had the power of life and death over him. Indeed, “Chenephres” will even seek the life of Moses …” (Exodus 2:15; cf. 4:19). Moses, “… mighty in his words and deeds” (Acts 7:22), was the Vizier and Chief Judge in Egypt (cf. Exodus 2:14: ‘… Who made you ruler and judge over us?’), and we have found him exercising this twin office of enormous significance both as Weni (Uni) of Egypt’s Sixth Dynasty, and as Mentuhotep (also Sinuhe, Iny?), of Egypt’s Twelfth Dynasty. However, in recent weeks I have stumbled across a handful of new identifications for Moses all within my revised context – Djedefhor/Djedefre (Fourth Dynasty); Kagemni (Fourth-Sixth dynasties); Ptahhotep (Fifth Dynasty); Userkare (Sixth Dynasty). On these, see e.g. my articles: Moses in Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty (5) Moses in Egypt's Fourth Dynasty Vizier Kagemni another vital link for connecting Egypt’s Fourth and Sixth dynasties (5) Vizier Kagemni another vital link for connecting Egypt's Fourth and Sixth dynasties Moses in Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty (5) Moses in Egypt's Fifth Dynasty Was Moses indeed a King of Egypt - albeit briefly? (5) Was Moses indeed a King of Egypt - albeit briefly? These largely tell of Moses as having been a wise sage who wrote down Instructions, or Maxims (Proverbs). But they also indicate that Moses had actually been designated as Crown Prince, and had even served as Pharaoh for a brief period before abdicating (the only one ever to have done so?) – a likeness to the Buddha. This would support what Saint Paul wrote about him (Hebrews 11:24-27): By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. There is also that pious tradition that has baby Moses, not so much spitting the dummy, but throwing the royal crown out of his cot. So, slightly (but importantly) re-ordering our main players, we have: 1. The dynastic founding, oppressive “new king” (Exodus 1:8): Khufu (Cheops)/Teti/Amenemhet. His daughter, 2. “Merris” (Eusebius via Artapanus): Meresankh/Ankhesenmerire. 3. Moses, as pharaoh Djedefre (the sage Djedefhor)/Userkare. 4. “Chenephres” (Artapanus): Chephren/Pepi Neferkare/Sesostris. ------------------------------------------------------- Reconsidering Moses through a Sixth Dynasty lens We read this of the briefly-reigning Userkare, my Moses: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Userkare Userkare (also Woserkare, meaning "Powerful is the soul of Ra"; died c. 2332 BC) [sic] was the second king of the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt, reigning briefly, 1 to 5 years …. Userkare's relation to his predecessor Teti and successor Pepi I is unknown and his reign remains enigmatic. Although he is attested in some historical sources, Userkare is completely absent from the tomb of the Egyptian officials who lived during his reign and usually report the names of the kings whom they served. Furthermore, the figures of some high officials of the period have been deliberately chiselled out in their tombs and their titles altered, for instance the word "king" being replaced by that of "desert". My comment: Moses had ceased to live in Egypt and had gone of necessity into exile in the “desert” of Midian, near the Paran desert. Egyptologists thus suspect a possible Damnatio memoriae on Pepi…'s behalf against Userkare. My comment: This would make sense if Pepi (Neferkare) was the same as the “Chenephres” (Kanefere), who was so envious of Moses. In addition, the Egyptian priest Manetho who wrote an history of Egypt in the 3rd century BC states that Userkare's predecessor Teti was murdered but is otherwise silent concerning Userkare. My comment: Likewise, Teti’s alter ego, Amenemhet (Merenre?), was murdered. Consequently, Userkare is often considered to have been a short-lived usurper to the throne, possibly a descendant of a cadet branch of the preceding Fifth Dynasty. Alternatively, he may have been a legitimate short-lived ruler or a regent who ruled during Teti's son Pepi…'s childhood before his accession to the throne. My comment: That last remark comes closer to the truth: “Alternatively, he may have been a legitimate short-lived ruler or a regent who ruled during Teti's son Pepi…'s childhood before his accession to the throne”.

Are Joseph and Moses amongst sages named in Papyrus Chester Beatty IV?

by Damien F. Mackey Is there any here like Hordedef? Is there another like Imhotep? There have been none among our family like Neferti and Khety, their leader. Let me remind you the names of Ptahemdjedhuty and Khakheperreseneb. Is there another like Ptahhotep or Kaires? Papyrus Chester Beatty IV https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Immortality_of_Writers “The Immortality of Writers is an Ancient Egyptian wisdom text likely to have been used as an instructional work in schools. It is recorded on the verso side of the Chester Beatty IV papyrus (BM 10684) held in the British Museum. It is notable for its rationalist skeptical outlook, even more emphatic than in the Harper's Songs, regarding an afterlife. …. The scribe advises that writings of authors provide a more sure immortality than fine tombs. …. The text is dated to the transition period between the 19th Dynasty and the 20th Dynasty. …”. My comment: Egypt’s Nineteenth Dynasty must be fused with its Twentieth Dynasty inasmuch as Ramses II ‘the Great’ was the same as Ramses so-called III. See my article: Ramses II, Ramses III (5) Ramses II, Ramses III https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/literature/authorspchb.html The immortality of the writer A Ramesside view (1200 BC) [sic] One of a group of Ramesside manuscripts from Deir el-Medina bears the longest surviving ancient Egyptian passage in praise of writing and writers as the safest means of ensuring immortality. It occurs within a longer composition urging an apprentice to persevere with writing, in the tradition of the Satire of Trades. According to this passage, whereas offering-chapels and families may not survive a thousand years, a writer is kept alive by his writings. This is not exactly the same as bodyless immortality of the name, where immortal existence consists of the memory of a person among others. The ancient Egyptian belief in immortality included the belief that the dead needed food and drink, and this was provided by the recital of the 'offering formula': the passage below reveals the concern that monuments might be destroyed, and families and friends might not be present in future generations, and that therefore individuals required a wider audience to pronounce the offering formula for their names. In Egyptology the passage is celebrated in particular for its list of famous names from the past, associated with writings (Paragraph 7 below). Of eight names, five are known from surviving compositions (Teachings of Hordedef and Ptahhotep; Khety possibly identified from the Satire of Trades; Khakheperraseneb from excerpts on one source; Prophecy of Neferty). Papyrus Chester Beatty IV (British Museum ESA 10684), verso, column 2, line 5 to column 3, line 11 Is there any here like Hordedef? Is there another like Imhotep? There have been none among our family like Neferti and Khety, their leader. Let me remind you the names of Ptahemdjedhuty and Khakheperreseneb. Is there another like Ptahhotep or Kaires? Based on what I have written recently, I can find at least one reference to Joseph here, as the celebrated sage, Imhotep: Enigmatic Imhotep – did he really exist? (6) Enigmatic Imhotep - did he really exist? And, given that another of Joseph’s alter egos was Sekhemkhet, an identification for Joseph with the wise Khety (Sekhem-khet?) might also be considered. Moses is definitely (my opinion) duplicated here, both as Hordedef (Hordjedef): Was Moses indeed a King of Egypt – albeit briefly? Was Moses indeed a King of Egypt - albeit briefly? and (see same article) as Ptahhotep.

Was Moses indeed a King of Egypt – albeit briefly?

by Damien F. Mackey There was … Kagemni, which name occurs in both the Fourth and Sixth dynasties. Egyptologists, with their lengthy chronological separation of the Fourth from the Sixth dynasty must assume that two Viziers Kagemni are involved here. No need for that if, as I think, the Fourth and Sixth dynasties were contemporaneous. My search for the historical Moses • Phase One Initially, inspired by a legend that Moses was “a king” (was this clue from Artapanus?), I searched for him amongst whichever pharaohs I considered to be chronologically reasonable for Moses. This took up a lot of time, with no positive result. • Phase Two Much later, after I had to my satisfaction identified Moses as Vizier and Chief Judge of Egypt (cf. Exodus 2:14) - a high office, but clearly subordinate to Pharaoh - I came to reject any notion that Moses could have been a King (Pharaoh). And I decried legends that, whilst often helpful, can sometimes be highly misleading. See e.g. my article: ‘Chenephres’ drives Moses out of Egypt (6) 'Chenephres' drives Moses out of Egypt Moses was, I now confidently concluded: Sixth Dynasty: Weni (Uni), Vizer and Chief Judge; Twelfth Dynasty: Mentuhotep, Vizer and Chief Judge, and the semi-legendary Sinuhe, whose story shares “a common matrix” with that of Moses (professor Emmanuel Anati). I also liked Moses as the Sixth Dynasty’s general and trader, Iny, a name very like Weni (Uni), and who, like Weni, was nautically involved in both war and trading. • Phase Three Now, jJust in the last several weeks (late March 2025), a handful of likely Moses types has come to my notice. These were all writers and teachers of Instructions and Maxims. But, most significantly, a briefly reigning Pharaoh is amongst them. See Phase Four. There was (i) Kagemni, which name occurs in both the Fourth and Sixth dynasties. Egyptologists, with their lengthy chronological separation of the Fourth from the Sixth dynasty must assume that two Viziers Kagemni are involved here. No need for that if, as I think, the Fourth and Sixth dynasties were contemporaneous. Kagemni wrote Instructions. (Cf. Acts 7:22: “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds)”. And he, like Weni-Mentuhotep, Vizier and Chief Judge, was “Chief justice and vizier”. There was also (ii) Ptahhotep. Many, myself included, have been hypnotised by his supposed life span of 110 years, like Joseph of Egypt (Genesis 50:26): “So Joseph died at the age of 110”. And we have tried to make of Ptahhotep the biblical Joseph. But, although he is sometimes mentioned in a Third Dynasty (Joseph’s) context, he properly belonged to the Fifth Dynasty (Moses’s). Dr. Ernest L. Martin, who was absolutely convinced that Ptahhotep was Joseph, mistakenly mentioned him in a Third Dynasty context: “This Egyptian document is often called “The Oldest Book in the World” and was originally written by the vizier in the Fifth (or Third) Dynasty”: https://www.askelm.com/doctrine/d040501.htm Ptahhotep handed down wise Maxims. There was (iii) Djedefhor (Hordjedef), another wise writer of Instructions during the Fourth Dynasty. Summary of One to Three Moses, as Weni(Iny)-Mentuhotep, Vizier and Chief Judge (Fourth/Twelfth dynasties), combines nicely with Kagemni, Chief Justice and Vizier, Fourth/Sixth dynasties, also greatly strengthening my case for the Fourth and Sixth being just the one dynasty. And Kagemni, as a writer of Instructions, combines nicely with the Vizier Ptahhotep (Fifth Dynasty), a famous sage and writer of Maxims – both of these now connecting with Djedefhor (Fourth Dynasty), for all of the same reasons. Now, this is where Moses as a briefly-reigning king comes in. • Phase Four The wise Djedefhor was actually a son of Khufu, our dynastic founding “new king” of Exodus 1:8). Like Weni (my Moses), known as “the Elder” - pertaining to scholarship? - Djedefhor was called “the Old”. And like Moses, who renounced the Crown (Hebrews 11:24-26): By faith Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter when he was grown up. He chose to be mistreated with God’s people instead of having the temporary pleasures of sin. He thought that the abuses he suffered for Christ were more valuable than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking forward to the reward …. Djedefhor disdained to become Crown Prince. And he later abdicated. Here is the Moses-like Biography of this scholarly prince: https://althistory.fandom.com/wiki/Djedefhor_I_(Pharaonic_Survival) Djedefhor I (Pharaonic Survival) …. Djedefhor, called the Old and the Scholar, was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty during the Old Kingdom. He is also known as Hordjedef. Djedefhor was the son of Khufu … and successor of Bakara, his nephew, and his mother was Meritites I. He is notable for being one of the few Egyptian Pharaohs to Abdicate …. Biography Djedefhor was a son of Pharaoh Khufu and brother of pharaohs Djedefra … and Khafra … his mother was Queen Meritites … making him a full brother of Djedefra …. The Teachings of Djedefhor, a document of which only fragments remain, is attributed to him. Djedefhor was deified after his death. …. As a prince, Djedefhor dedicated himself to scholarly pursuits, showing a profound interest in education and intellectual growth. His elder brother Kawab's untimely death left a vacancy in the line of succession. Their father, Khufu, initially intended for Djedefhor to ascend the throne, recognizing his wisdom and capabilities. However, Djedefhor declined the offer, feeling that his contributions were better suited to other roles. Consequently, his younger brother Djedefra was named Crown Prince. Djedefhor continued to cultivate his reputation as a learned and highly respected individual. His counsel was sought after and greatly valued during the reigns of his brothers, contributing significantly to the governance and intellectual climate of the time. Upon the premature death of King Bakara, Djedefhor was elected king by the Great 20 of Upper and Lower Egypt. [End of quote] A few clarifications are necessary here: Djedefhor’s presumed mother, Meritites, would likely be the same as Meresankh (Ankhesenmerire), Moses’s actual Egyptian foster-mother, “Merris” (Artapanus). His supposed half-brother, Djedefra, who reigned for a short time, would be Djedefhor himself. The names are identical, except for the altered theophoric, where ra (the Sun god, Ra) is replaced with hor (the falcon god, Horus): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djedefre Djedefre (also known as Djedefra and Radjedef; died c. 2558 BC) [sic] was an ancient Egyptian king …of the 4th Dynasty during the Old Kingdom. He is well known by the Hellenized form of his name Rhatoisēs (Ῥατοίσης) by Manetho. Djedefre was the son and immediate throne successor of Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza …. Finally, since the Fourth and Sixth dynasties were one and the same, Djedefre would be the same as the short-reigning, Userkare, who, most interestingly, was erased by Pepi (one of my versions of ‘Chenephres’ who pursued Moses out of Egypt), with the word “desert” (to where Moses fled) inserted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Userkare Userkare (also Woserkare, meaning "Powerful is the soul of Ra"; died c. 2332 BC) [sic] was the second king of the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt, reigning briefly, 1 to 5 years, in the late 24th or the early 23rd century BC. Userkare's relation to his predecessor Teti and successor Pepi … is unknown and his reign remains enigmatic. Although he is attested in some historical sources, Userkare is completely absent from the tomb of the Egyptian officials who lived during his reign and usually report the names of the kings whom they served. Furthermore, the figures of some high officials of the period have been deliberately chiselled out in their tombs and their titles altered, for instance the word "king" being replaced by that of "desert". Egyptologists thus suspect a possible Damnatio memoriae on Pepi I's behalf against Userkare. ….

Were the Ten Plagues in Exodus aimed at Egyptian gods-goddesses?

“Again warning is given before the enactment of the plague takes place. Pharaoh is warned of the impending doom that will be faced if he does not listen to the Lord, and forget his own Egyptian gods and goddesses”. This interesting idea has been developed at various sites, one of these being: https://www.stat.rice.edu/~dobelman/Dinotech/10_Eqyptian_gods_10_Plagues.pdf- Ten Egyptian Plagues For Ten Egyptian Gods and Goddesses The God of Israel is greater than all other Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. Moses was a great prophet, called by God with a very important job to do. As an instrument in the Lord's hand he performed many signs, or "wonders", attempting to convince Pharaoh to allow the Israelites freedom from their bondage of slavery to the Egyptians. These "wonders" are more commonly referred to as "plagues" sent from the God of Israel, as a proof that the "one true God" was far greater than all of the multiple Gods of the Egyptians. These Egyptian Plagues were harsh and varied to correspond to the ancient egyptian gods and goddesses that were prevelant [sic] during Moses time in Egypt. The number ten is a significant number in biblical numerology. It represents a fullness of quantity. Ten Egyptian Plagues Means Completely Plagued. Just as the "Ten Commandments" become symbolic of the fullness of the moral law of God, the ten ancient plagues of Egypt represent the fullness of God's expression of justice and judgments, upon those who refuse to repent. Ten times God, through Moses, allows Pharaoh to change his mind, repent, and turn to the one true God, each time increasing the severity of the consequence of the plagues suffered for disobedience to His request. Ten times Pharaoh, because of pride, refuses to be taught by the Lord, and receives "judgments" through the plagues, pronounced upon his head from Moses, the deliverer. The Ten Egyptian Plagues testify of Jesus the Anointed One and His power to save. Moses and Aaron are sent as messengers of the Lord, to Pharaoh, to instruct him to let the children of Israel go "so that they may serve the Lord." It is further stipulated that they must be allowed to travel a three days journey so that they may offer their sacrifices as a means of worship. Pharaoh responds simply, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go." Soon however, Pharaoh will find out who this God is, and why he should obey His voice. He will understand His power over all the other Egyptian gods and goddesses. These ten Egyptian plagues not only demonstrated the power of God to Moses, the children of Israel, the Egyptians, and Pharaoh, but they were of such magnitude that they would be remembered for all generations, throughout the entire world. They again testify, as does both the Old and New Testament alike that salvation, from beginning to end, is only accomplished through Jesus Christ, "the author and finisher of our faith." (Heb 12:2) Corresponding Egyptian God and Goddess to the type of plague: Hapi- Egyptian God of the Nile This Egyptian God was a water bearer. Egyptian Plague- Water Turned to Blood The first plague that was given to the Egyptians from God was that of turning the water to blood. As Aaron, the spokesman for Moses, touched the "rod" of the Lord to the Nile River it immediately turned to blood, all the fish died, and the river stank. Partially able to duplicate this miracle, the magicians of Pharaoh also turn water into blood, leaving Pharaoh unimpressed with this great wonder from God. Seven days the water throughout all the land of Egypt remained in this state, unsuitable for drinking, the perfect length of time to demonstrate that the Lord was superior to all the other Gods of Egypt. Heket- Egyptian Goddess of Fertility, Water, Renewal Heket the Egyptian Goddess, had the head of a frog. Egyptian Plague- Frogs coming from the Nile River Still, Pharaoh refused to let the children of Israel go from the presence of Egypt. The second plague that was extended upon Egypt, from the "rod" by Aaron, was that of frogs. The frogs came up from the river and were in their houses, in their food, in their clothing, in every place possible. From the greatest to the least, no one in Egypt escaped the plague of frogs. Pharaoh's magicians were able to bring more frogs in their attempt to imitate the power of God, but only Moses was able to make the frogs go away. This was another attack on a famous Egyptian Goddess, Heket. Geb- Egyptian God of the Earth The Egyptian God Geb, was over the dust of the earth. Egyptian Plague- Lice from the dust of the earth Still Pharaoh would not concede, even after this display of power from the Lord, or magnificent plague, he would not let them go. At the command of the Lord to Moses, Aaron was told to stretch forth his rod and smite the dust of the earth. When he did the dust became lice throughout all the land, on both people and beasts. The very dust that was referred to in the creation process of man is now used to plague men, as a reminder of his mortality and sin which both lead to death. Finally, the magicians of Pharaoh are humiliated, being unable to compete with this power that was so much greater than themselves and the powers that they had from their Egyptian gods and goddesses, and they profess, "this is the finger of God." This was the last plague that required Aaron's involvement, as the next set of three plagues are issued by the word of Moses himself. Khepri- Egyptian God of creation, movement of the Sun, rebirth Khepri, the Egyptian god had the head of a fly. Egyptian Plague- Swarms of Flies With the fourth Egyptian plague, which consisted of flies, begins the great miracle ot separation or differentiation. Moses met Pharaoh at the Nile River in the morning and made the demand, speaking on behalf of the Lord, "Let My peole go, that they may serve Me." Again, Pharaoh hardened his heart and disregarded the request, resulting in a pronouncement of swarms of flies. This time, however, only the Egyptians are affected by the judgement, or plague, and the children of Israel remain unscathed. This wonder also moves the Egyptian plagues to a different level, adding destruction as well as discomfort to the consequence of their decisions. Plagued by flies, Pharaoh tried a new tactic and begins bargaining with the Lord, showing his desire to maintain power and authority over God. He tries to dictate the terms and conditions of the offer, telling them they may sacrifice but only "in the land" clearly not complying with the requested "three days journey" that the Lord required. Moses wouldn't budge, and Pharaoh relented allowing them to leave, but telling them not to "go very far." This temporary allowance is made solely to have Moses "intreat the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart", at this point Pharaoh has learned in part who the Lord is and asks for His assistance over the Egyptian gods and goddesses. As soon as the request is granted by the Lord, Pharaoh reneges on his promise and will not let them go, and continues to worship his Egyptian Gods. Hathor-Egyptian Goddess of Love and Protection Usually this Egyptian Goddess was depicted with the head of a cow. Egyptian Plague- Death of Cattle and Livestock Moses once again demanded of Pharaoh, "Let my people go, that they may serve me", revealing also the next Egytian plague to occur on the condition of continued disobedience to the request. This plague was given with an advanced warning, allowing a period of repentance to occur, which goes unheeded. "Tomorrow" the hand of the Lord would be felt upon all the cattle and livestock, of only the Egyptians, as"grievous murrain." This means that disease and pestilence would fall upon their livestock with so severe a consequence as to cause them to die. This plague affected the Egyptian by creating a huge economic disaster, in areas of food, transportation, military supplies, farming, and economic goods that were produced by these livestock. Still Pharaohs heart remained hard and he would not listen to the Lord but remained faith to the Egytian gods and goddesses. Isis- Egyptian Goddess of Medicine and Peace Egyptian Plague- Ashes turned to Boils and Sores Unannounced the sixth Egyptian plague is given, for the first time, directly attacking the Egyptian people themselves. Being instructed by the Lord, Moses took ashes from the furnace of affliction, and threw them into the air. As the dust from the ashes blew all over Egypt, it settled on man and beast alike in the form of boils and sores. As with the previous two, throughout the remaining Egyptian plagues the division is drawn between the Egyptians and the children of Israel, as God gives protection to his covenant people. The severity of the judgment of God has now become personal, as it is actually felt by the people themselves. Cleanliness being paramount in the Egyptian society, this plague pronounces the people "unclean." The magicians who have been seen throughout the previous plagues are unable to perform ceremonially rituals to their Egyptian Gods and Goddesses in this unclean state, not allowing them to even stand before Pharaoh; they are seen in the scriptural account no more. It is great to notice the contrast shown as Moses and Aaron are the only ones left standing in front of Pharaoh, with the "One True God" as their support. Nut- Egyptian Goddess of the Sky Egyptian Plague- Hail rained down in the form of fire Again warning is given before the enactment of the plague takes place. Pharaoh is warned of the impending doom that will be faced if he does not listen to the Lord, and forget his own Egyptian gods and goddesses. Hail of unspeakable size and ability to destroy, would rain down from the sky and turn to fire as it hit the ground. The Lord, in showing Pharaoh that "there is none like Him in the Earth", allows those who are willing to hear His word, and do as He commands, to be saved. A division is now felt between the Egyptians in the form of those "converted" to the Lord, as shown by their obedience and willingness to escape to the protection of their "houses." Similarly we are warned to make our houses a place of refuge from the world today, we have been warned. Interestingly enough, the crops that were destroyed by the hail consisted of flax and barley, which were ripening in the fields. These two particular crops were not the mainstay of their diet, but were used more specifically for their clothing and libations. This destruction would make their life uncomfortable, but as far as effecting their food supply , the wheat still survived. This gave the Egyptians still another chance to turn to "the One True God", and forsake their own Egyptian gods and goddesses, thus showing His mercy and grace even yet. Seth- Egyptian God of Storms and Disorder Egyptian Plague- Locusts sent from the sky Still Pharaoh would not listen to the message of the Lord, still he relys on his own Egyptian gods and goddesses. The eighth plague issued by the Lord had an even greater purpose than all the others, it was to be felt so that Pharaoh would tell even "his sons and son's sons" the mighty things of the Lord, thus teaching even future generations of the power of the "strong hand of God" over all the other Egyptian gods and goddesses. Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh with the same request, "Let my people go so that they may serve me", and pronounced the judgment of locusts if not heeded. This is the second wave of destruction to follow the hail, and whatever crops were left in tact after that display, were now completely consumed by the swarms of locusts that were unleashed from the sky. This wonder definitely affected their life source. By hitting them in their food supply, the Lord displayed the possibility of eminent death if a change of heart did not occur. Yet still, Pharaoh would not listen. Ra- The Sun God Egyptian Plague- Three Days of Complete Darkness Darkness now fell upon Egypt, unannounced, as a prelude to the future fate to be felt by the Egyptian empire when the message of the Lord was not heeded, and they still turned to their own Egyptian gods and goddesses. Three days of palpable darkness, that was so immense it could be physically felt, covered the land of Egypt. The sun, the most worshipped God in Egypt other than Pharaoh himself, gave no light. The Lord showed that he had control over the sun as a witness that the God of Israel had ultimate power over life and death. The psychological and religious impact would have had a profound influence on the Egyptians at this point. Darkness was a representation of death, judgment and hopelessness. Darkness was a complete absence of light. Pharaoh- The Ultimate Power of Egypt Egyptian Plague- Death of the Firstborn Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, was worshipped by the Egyptians because he was considered to be the greatest Egyptian God of all. It was believed that he was actually the son of Ra himself, manifest in the flesh. After the plague of darkness felt throughout the land was lifted, Pharaoh resumed his position of "bargaining with the Lord" and offered Moses another "deal." Since virtually all of the Egyptian animals had been consumed by the judgments of the Lord, Pharaoh now consented to the request made, to let the people go, but they must leave their animals behind. This was a totally unacceptable offer, as the animals were to be used as the actual sacrifice to the Lord. The Lord is uncompromising when He has set the terms. Enraged by the refusal, Pharaoh pronounced the last deadly plague to be unleashed upon the land from his very own lips as he warns Moses, "Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die." And Moses said, "Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more." At this point the passive obedience that the children of Israel have shown is now moved to a level of active obedience. They are given strict instructions to follow so that they do not also feel the judgment of this last plague sent by the Lord. These instructions are known as "The Feast of Passover", "The Feast of Unleavened Bread", and "The Law of the Firstborn." In these rituals are displayed the law of sacrifice, the law of the gospel, and the law of consecration, all necessary requirements to receive ultimate salvation from spiritual death. "Let My people go that they may serve Me" As God's children today we have learned through this great show of power that ultimately it will require "active obedience" to receive salvation from the "One True God." Looking back over the instructions that were given to Pharaoh to "let my people go that they may serve me", this principle is manifest throughout. Service to the Lord is the requirement of His people, and the blessing for this show of obedience and sacrifice is the ultimate salvation not only from physical death but from spiritual death as well.