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These parallels are plain and need no comment. There shall not only be a
New Covenant made with Israel which shall be infinitely greater than the covenant
which the Lord made with them in the day that He:
"took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt" (Jer. 31: 32),
but there shall be a repetition of the Red Sea experience also. In the book of the
Revelation the place of Pharaoh is taken by the Beast. The magicians that withstood
Moses find their antitype in the False Prophet. The plagues of Egypt are repeated on a
grander scale in the vials of wrath, and the song of Moses blends with the song of the
Lamb.
"I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that had gotten the victory
over the Beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name,
stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing THE SONG OF
MOSES AND THE LAMB" (Rev. 15: 2, 3).
These extracts will show the place that the crossing of the Red Sea holds in prophecy.
When reading Psa. 77: we find that the Psalmist, being cast down and troubled,
found strength and comfort in remembering that even such an obstacle as the Red Sea
must give place before the word of God:
"I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times . . . . . Will the Lord
cast off for ever? . . . . . Hath God forgotten to be gracious? . . . . . Then I said, This is
my infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High"
(Psa. 77: 5-10).
What is it that the Psalmist recalls for his encouragement? He remembers that
moment that Israel, hemmed in by the wilderness and threatened by the pursuing
Egyptians, saw the Red Sea open before them:
"The waters saw Thee, O God, the waters saw Thee: they were afraid . . . . . Thy way
is in the sea . . . . . Thou leddest Thy people like a flock . . . . ." (Psa. 77: 16-20).
We understand from Heb. 11: 29 that not only did the Lord open the Red Sea, but that
Israel passed through "by faith". The two phrases of the one act are expressed in the
words of Exod. 14: 13, 15:
"Fear ye not, STAND STILL, and see the salvation of the Lord."
This is the Godward aspect.
"Wherefore criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they GO
FORWARD."
This is the other side of the truth. We find many parallels to this same duality,
Eph. 2: 9 declares that we are not saved `out of works', and Eph. 2: 10 as strongly
declares that we have been saved "unto good works". Phil. 2: 12 says, "Work out your
own salvation", while Phil. 2: 13 follows by saying, "it is God that worketh in you".