Hurricane Irma Testifies of Moses and the Red Sea

There is a time known to the church as the “Great Seven-Year Tribulation Period” that immediately precedes the earth-ending (as we know it) Battle of Armageddon.  At Armageddon, Jesus returns to this earth to destroy the Anti-Christ and his minions.  The results of this battle will be utterly devastating.  Listen to the description of what happens to those who engage in battle against Christ.  Zechariah 14:12:

And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

Immediately after Armageddon, Jesus Christ will reign upon the earth for 1,000 years—simply known as the millennium. 

During the seven-year tribulation, God’s judgments begin to devastate the earth and its inhabitants and the evil, dark machinations of the Anti-Christ will add considerably to the many horrors that will occur.  No one knows for certain when this period begins, but if the evangelical ranks are reading the Scriptures correctly, the word is soon—very soon.  What the world should expect to see during the tribulation is one calamity stacked upon another: wars, rumors of wars, and more.  The death and structural destruction will far exceed the earth’s experience, short of the days of Noah.  Your TV will broadcast back-to-back terror around the clock.  Starting to sound familiar? 

In this window of time, just prior to Armageddon, the born-again will be caught up to meet Christ in the clouds, an event commonly known as The Rapture (I Thessalonians 4:15-17).  Those who have known of Christ, yet rejected Him, will be left behind and it will be impossible for them to be saved.  They are doomed for all eternity (II Thessalonians 2:8-12). 

Are you born-again?  Will you be spared from God’s great wrath, which has possibly already begun?  If you reject this invitation and Christ returns for the redeemed while you are considering this feature, you will be the one described in II Thessalonians 2.  Don’t let that happen to you!  Turn your heart to Jesus Christ today!  He will cleanse you from all your sin and shame and will deliver you from all your bondages—no matter how hopeless you may think it is, He will shelter you from the coming storm.  Don’t wait!!  Click onto “Further with Jesus” for childlike instructions and immediate entry into the Kingdom of God. NOW FOR TODAY’S SUBJECT.

GOD SAID, Exodus 14:21-30:

21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,

25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

26 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.

27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

29 But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.

GOD SAID, II Timothy 3:14-17:

14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

MAN SAID: Armageddon?! The end of the world?!! It’s simply the Bible-thumpers’ ploy to restrict you to their prudish ways and arcane superstitions! 

Now THE RECORD: How marvelously accurate and immutable are the Holy Scriptures! Jesus said in Matthew 24:35:

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

The Bible’s history, geography, miraculous accounts, forays into multiple scientific disciplines and social creations are all the inerrant truth.  What is so gloriously majestic regarding God’s Word is that, since Eden, Satan has attempted to discredit the Scriptures via carnal reason, carnal beauty, and carnal wisdom, yet all of his efforts have resulted in the stacking of failure upon failure.  For over 6,000 years of this earth’s history, he has paraded his champions before the sons of Adam and each has blustered and demeaned, ridiculed and challenged, and each has failed miserably.

Welcome to GodSaidManSaid where every jot and tittle of God’s Word is true.  This is feature article #867 that will, for the 867^th time, certify the marvelous inerrancy of the Holy Bible.  All of these faith-building features are archived here in text and streaming audio for the enjoyment and edification of the saints and as ammunition in the battle for the souls of men.  Every Thursday eve, God willing, they grow by one.  Thank you for coming today.  May grace and peace be multiplied unto you. 

Numerous GodSaidManSaid features address Israel’s 400-plus-year history in the land of Egypt, from Joseph’s captivity, Jacob and his entire family’s entry into Egypt, to Moses, the plagues, and the exodus from Egypt’s cruel bondage via the miraculous parting of the Red Sea.  Several foundational paragraphs from previous GodSaidManSaid features follow.  Be assured: The Biblical record is far beyond reproach—yes, miracles and all. 

➤ GodSaidManSaid feature “Pharaoh Kills Babies:”  

Why didn’t someone tell the Egyptian professor that Jews never really served under the cruel bondage of the Pharaohs? 

The following report is found in The International Jerusalem Post, November 28, 2003, p. 31:

The recent publicity garnered by the Egyptian professor who intends to file a lawsuit against the Jewish people and the State of Israel for the return of the gold, silver, and clothing taken by the Israelites when they left Egyptian bondage over three millennia ago caused me to think how ancient scores are never really settled—at least when they involve the Jews.  The academic who claims to be filing this class-action suit is perhaps unaware that this tactic was attempted before—in fact, it was employed over 23 centuries ago, when Alexander the Great ruled both Egypt and the Land of Israel. 

The Talmud in tractate Sanhedrin relates that Egyptian representatives appeared before Alexander and asked that he demand from the Jews the return of all of the wealth taken by them when they left Egyptian slavery a millennium earlier.  Alexander sent a notice to the Jewish elders in Jerusalem asking for a representative to present the Jewish side of the dispute. 

The rabbis sent a man by the name of Gavha, who was small in stature but very clever.  His defense was that if one were to start down the slippery road of adjudicating ancient claims, then the Egyptians still owed the Jews for centuries of slave labor.  Alexander, no fool himself, realized the morass that he had placed himself in by agreeing to judge the case, and decided to dismiss the matter altogether. 

➤ GodSaidManSaid feature “Info Briefs:”

In Biblical Archaeology Review, in an article titled, “Scientists Part the Red Sea:”

Two scientists recently recreated the parting of the Red Sea—on paper, at least.  According to a Florida State University press release, Doron Nof, professor of oceanography at Florida State University, and Nathan Paldor, associate professor of atmospheric sciences at Hebrew University, have produced calculations that they claim offer a plausible scientific explanation for the Biblical account of the parting of the Red Sea.

They based their calculations on a strong wind blowing for several hours before the crossing, which coincides with the Biblical account (Exodus 14:21), and on a crossing site at the northern edge of the Gulf of Suez, a location supported by some scholars.  Nof notes that this site is “very long and extremely shallow.  Because of that, the wind can lift a lot of water.  It’s like blowing across the top of a cup of coffee.  The coffee blows from one end to the other.”

Nof and Paldor calculate that a 40-mile-per-hour wind blowing for 10 to 12 hours could push the gulf water a mile from the original shoreline and cause a sea level drop of about 10 feet. They say such a drop at the shallow north end of the gulf could allow a crossing on foot. The subsidence of the wind would cause the water to reflood the area in a matter of minutes, swallowing up the pursuing Egyptians in accordance with the Biblical account.

Although their scenario requires a northwesterly wind, while the Bible story tells of an east wind, Nof and Paldor believe that local wind variability may have permitted an east wind in a relatively small portion of the crossing.  They also suggested that the exposure of an underwater ridge might explain the Biblical description of the Israelites being flanked on both sides by water.

“We’re not making a judgment on whether this event took place,” Nof says, “We’re just saying that the winds in the area could produce such an event.”

➤ GodSaidManSaid feature, “The Red Sea—Yes, the Red Sea:”

We have addressed the issue of fluid dynamics and the parting of the Red Sea on this site before.  Now the latest research, published September 21, 2010 by Yahoo! News, under the banner, “Parting of Red Sea Jibes With Natural Laws,” again shouts YES to God—absolutely YES! The article reads:

Mother Earth could have parted the Red Sea, hatching the great escape described in the Biblical book of Exodus, a new study finds. 

A strong east wind, blowing overnight, could have swept water off a bend where an ancient river is believed to have merged with a coastal lagoon along the Mediterranean Sea, said study team member Carl Drews of the National Center for Atmospheric Research.  While archaeologists and Egyptologists have found little evidence that any events described in Exodus actually happened, the study outlines a perfect storm that could have led to the 3,000-year-old escape.

“People have always been fascinated by this Exodus story, wondering if it comes from historical facts,” Drews said.  “What this study shows is that the description of the waters parting indeed has a basis in physical laws.”

Drew and his colleagues used models that showed that a wind of 63 mph (101 kph), lasting for 12 hours, would have pushed back waters estimated to be 6 feet (1.8 meters) deep.  This would have exposed mud flats for four hours, creating a dry passage about 2 to 2.5 miles (3.2 to 4 kilometers) long and 3 miles (4.8 km) wide. 

To match the account in the Bible, the water would have to be pushed back into both the lake and the channel of the river, creating barriers of water on both sides of newly exposed mud flats, which is exactly what the models show could have happened.

As soon as the winds stopped, the waters would come rushing back.  Anyone still on the mud flats would be at risk of drowning. 

As the Bible story goes, Moses and the fleeing Israelites were trapped between the Pharaoh’s advancing chariots and a body of water that has been variously translated as the Red Sea. … In a divine miracle, a mighty east wind blew all night, splitting the waters and leaving a passage of dry land with walls of water on both sides.  The Israelites were able to flee to the other shore.  But when the Pharaoh’s army attempted to pursue them in the morning, the waters rushed back and drowned the soldiers. 

“The simulations match fairly closely with the account in Exodus,” Drews said.  “The parting of the waters can be understood through fluid dynamics.  The wind moves the water in a way that’s in accordance with physical laws, creating a safe passage with water on two sides and then abruptly allowing the water to rush back in.”

The subject headline in Grant Jeffrey’s 336-page book, titled The Signature of God, reads, “Merneptah—the Pharaoh Who Drowned.”  The following excerpts are from Mr. Jeffrey:

Egyptian archaeologists discovered the mummified body of Pharaoh Merneptah more than a century ago but didn’t complete a medical examination until 1975.  His body had been removed from its burial chamber thousands of years earlier following a grave robbery.  The priests repaired the damage and reburied Merneptah’s mummy in a small room in the new royal tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep II in approximately 1000 BC.  Fortunately, the priests included Merneptah’s name in the outermost wrappings of the repaired mummy.  The mummified body was first discovered, but not identified, by French archaeologist Victor Loret in 1898.

A detailed medical examination of Merneptah’s body was completed in 1974-75 with the aid of x-rays and modern forensic techniques.  Professor Michel Durigon of the Paris Police Forensic Laboratory examined the pharaoh’s tissue under a microscope and discovered the body had been in water for a short time.  Dr. Maurice Bucaille, the former chief of the surgical clinic at the University of Paris, participated in the examination and included the following statement in his book The Hebrews in Egypt:

[The] conservation of the transversal striations of muscular fibrillae gave evidence of the impossibility for the body to have remained more than a short time in the water, for, otherwise, these striations would not have appeared in the microscopic examination.

Although the internal organs had been removed during the initial mummification process, scientists were amazed to discover that massive injuries had been inflicted on this body.  The pharaoh’s body had suffered extreme violence from external blows that caused massive loss of tissue and bone in three areas: the abdomen, the thorax, and the cranium (skull).  The back also was severely damaged from a massive blow.  The remarkable violence inflicted on the pharaoh’s body was unusual because most Egyptian pharaohs died peacefully or by poison.  Yet the forensic evidence proved that this particular pharaoh had died during an incredibly violent incident, probably in water.

This raises the obvious question: what could account for these injuries?  If Pharaoh Merneptah died in an onrushing of seawater, and he had been trampled by panicking horses or crushed by overturned chariots, that could account for the injuries.  As the Egyptian army pursued the escaping Hebrew slaves between walls of water in the Red Sea, the horses would have panicked as the sea suddenly rushed together again.  Certainly, the soldiers and Pharaoh would have sustained terrible injuries as they drowned. 

The book of Exodus records that the pharaoh led his army to pursue the departing Jews and was killed with his army and their horses in the onrushing waters: “And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.” (Exodus 14:8) In Psalms, we read of the death of Pharaoh and his army: “To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever: and made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever: but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.” (136:13-15)

Sir Flinders Petrie, one of the greatest Egyptologists, concluded that Pharaoh Merneptah was the pharaoh of the Exodus.  Professor Karl-Richard Lepsius also identified Merneptah with the Exodus account.  Professor Gaston Maspero cited an Alexandrian legend that names Merneptah as the pharaoh of the Exodus “who is said to have perished in the Red Sea.” [End of quotes]

GodSaidManSaid received the following email from S.P., a blood-bought son of God:

Dear GodSaidManSaid Team,

I frequently listen to your weekly podcast and really enjoy how you take scientific discoveries and relate them exactly to the truth of God’s Word.  I am both a technical person and a Christian in a society that has determined that one cannot believe in both science and a Creator.  Your ministry consistently disproves that assertion and I thank you for that. 

I am watching news reports of Hurricane Irma coming into Florida.  One story caught my eye and I immediately thought of you.  A video posted of the incoming hurricane shows the ocean water completely removed by the winds of Irma—from the Bahamas shoreline for as far as the eye can see.

The weather forecasters on the news programs are just baffled that something like this could happen, but the Bible clearly teaches that this is not a new phenomenon.  Had the news team read the Bible, they would know that Exodus 14 speaks of how the Lord used the wind to blow the water out of the way so His people could escape the pursuing Egyptian army. 

This modern example—complete with video proof—illustrates that it is not only theoretically possible for the wind to move enough of the sea so that a person could walk across the dry land underneath, but that such an event actually happens today.

Thank you for what you do—you are making a difference! 

–-- S. P.

Thank you, brother, for your email.  Shortly after your email, another GodSaidManSaid researcher sent us the following reports:

👉 New York Times, September 10, 2017.  Headline: “Storm’s Winds Begin Battering Tampa Bay Area.”  Excerpts follow:

Suddenly, the water went away.  In the Bahamas, in Tampa Bay, and in Naples, observers were shocked to see the waters that usually lap against the shore recede into the distance. 

On social media, people reacted with incredulity, noting that the water had disappeared where whitecaps were just hours before on Sunday in Tampa Bay.  James Spann, an Alabama meteorologist and weather blogger, reacted sternly to a photograph on Twitter of people playing in the sand exposed by the retreating water. 

“The water will come rushing back with a vengeance,” Mr. Spann said on Twitter.  “They won’t have time to get out when it begins.” 

On Twitter, Gov. Rick Scott issued an urgent warning to stay away from the water.  “DO NOT GO IN! The water will surge back and could overtake you!” 

Chris O’Donnell, a reporter with The Tampa Bay Times, later reported that police had cleared people off of the shore well before the water came back. 

The phenomenon of water being drawn off by the power of Hurricane Irma is known as a negative surge.  As Mr. Spann warned, that odd condition will not last—and will become dangerous.  [End of quote]

👉 New York Daily News, September 11, 2017.  Headline: “Hurricane Irma Was So Powerful It Drained Beaches, Pulled Water into its Core as it Trudged Ahead.” 

As Hurricane Irma barreled through the Bahamas on its way to the Florida Keys and the southwestern portion of the state, it pulled out ocean water with it, much to the surprise of island residents and those on social media. 

Irma, which made its first US landfall in the Florida Keys on Sunday, was a Category 4 hurricane with max winds at 130 mph.  In the process—and in the days leading up to the landfall—the storm sucked water from the ocean away from its beaches. 

Facebook user Kelly Johnson posted a video, since deleted, captioned, “Long Island, Bahamas! There is no more ocean!  As far as the eye can see, and they don’t know where it went!  Wow!  Irma is more powerful than people think; be safe, guys!  In the video, people walk onto what used to be the seabed. There are no fish and hardly any remnants of water.  As the water made its exodus, it left behind conch shells, seaweed, buoys, and an old anchor.  [End of quote]

Rahab, the harlot of Jericho who later became a Hebrew proselyte and who is even counted in the lineage of Christ, knew of the miracle of the Red Sea and recounts it to the Israeli spies whom she hid. Joshua 2:8-11:

8 And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;

9 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

Parting of the Red Sea?  Of course; God’s Word is true and righteous altogether—every jot and every tittle. 

GOD SAID, Exodus 14:21-23:

21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh''s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

MAN SAID: Armageddon?! The end of the world?!! It’s simply the Bible-thumpers’ ploy to restrict you to their prudish ways and arcane superstitions! 

Now you have THE RECORD.

 

 

 

 

References:

 

Authorized King James Version

“Storm’s Winds Begin Battering Tampa Bay Area,” New York Times, September 10, 2017

GodSaidManSaid, “Pharaoh, Moses, and the Red Sea”

Gunderman, D., “Hurricane Irma Was So Powerful It Drained Beaches, Pulled Water into its Core as it Trudged Ahead,” New York Daily News, September 11, 2017

 

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