Angels at the Time of the Exodus
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the advance guard of a great army.... Terror filled the hearts of Israel.
Some cried unto the Lord, but the far greater part hastened to Moses
with their complaints.... His calm and assuring reply to the people was,
“Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” ...
The wonderful pillar of cloud had been followed as the signal of
God to go forward; but now they questioned among themselves if it
might not foreshadow some great calamity; for had it not led them
on the wrong side of the mountain, into an impassable way? Thus
the angel of God appeared to their deluded minds as the harbinger of
disaster.
But now, as the Egyptian host approached them, expecting to
make them an easy prey, the cloudy column rose majestically into
[96]
the heavens, passed over the Israelites, and descended between them
and the armies of Egypt. A wall of darkness interposed between the
pursued and their pursuers. The Egyptians could no longer discern the
camp of the Hebrews, and were forced to halt. But as the darkness of
night deepened, the wall of cloud became a great light to the Hebrews,
flooding the entire encampment with the radiance of day.
Then hope returned to the hearts of Israel. And Moses lifted up his
voice unto the Lord. “And the Lord said unto Moses, ... Speak unto
the children of Israel, that they go forward. But lift thou up thy rod,
and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children
of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.” ...
“The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the
sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 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.”—
Patriarchs and Prophets, 283-287
.
Angels of God went through their host and removed their chariot
wheels.—
The Spirit of Prophecy 1:209
.
The Egyptians were seized with confusion and dismay..., they
endeavored to retrace their steps, and flee to the shore they had quitted.
But Moses stretched out his rod, and the piled-up waters, hissing,
roaring, and eager for their prey, rushed together, and swallowed the
Egyptian army in their black depths.—
Patriarchs and Prophets, 287
.
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[The] Leader [of the Israelites] was a mighty general of armies. His
angels, that do His bidding, walked on either side of the vast armies of
Israel, and no harm could come to them. Israel was safe.... Then came