You wrote:
A little more on Exodus 11.
We don’t know how long the Lord took with the ten plagues, but it was used to touch the hearts of all that lived in Egypt. To show them who was the real God and how much he loved the people. To reveal to them the truth in a way that could not be refuted or dismissed. God demonstrated that he wished them good, but there will always be those that are so stubborn in their evil ways that it is as if God is forced to say ‘you want to harden your heart, here, let me help you harden your heart’.
The time is coming and I believe that is close at hand when once more God will reveal himself to the world. It will be during the great tribulation that all will see in a way that is undeniable that the God of the bible is God, the only God, and that the bible is his word.
Like in Exodus, I am of the personal belief that during the first part of the tribulation wise men will be able to copy some of the miracles performed by his prophets. In Egypt he used Moses and Aaron while in the book of the Revelation “these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth” Revelation 11:10.
“These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will” Revelation 11:6.
“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” Revelation 6:15-16, but still the people won’t repent and turn to God. They will know that Jesus is God and still not turn to him.
“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” 2 Thessalonians 2:10
Back to Exodus: previous to chapter 11 and after Moses fled Egypt, no one thought much of Moses, not even he himself. He resisted God’s call on his life, because he wasn’t ‘eloquent’. Now in chapter 11 we read not only of Moses, but of all that group of despised slaves, “And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people” Exodus 11:3.
We are coming on a time of great tribulation, if we will see it I don’t know. We read that, “judgment must begin at the house of God” 1 Peter 4:17.
We also read, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” Revelation 12:17.
What I found so encouraging in Exodus was the transformation, how God took a group of slaves and not only delivered them, but they gained great favor in the sights of their enemies. What God has for us, if we are faithful, is much better than what Moses and the people received and what they received was very great. Think about it, we get the Spirit of God to live within us.