Page 16 - Heavenly Signs II by Mel Gable

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The Flight to Egypt

Matthew 2:13-15 “Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a
dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there
until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”

14 “So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt.
15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord
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through the prophet: “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.”

We also know after Herod’s death that Joseph returned to the city of Nazareth with Christ. This is described in
Matthew that the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream in the land of Egypt. Joseph obeyed God and took both
Mary and the child Jesus back to the land of Israel. Joseph finally ended up in Nazareth which was a fulfillment
of Old Testament scripture of Jesus being called a Nazarene.

Matthew 2:19-23 “But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to
Joseph in Egypt, and said,”

20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the
Child’s life are dead.”
21 “So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was
afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee,
23 and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the
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prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Herod the Great

The Romans made Herod's son Herod Archelaus Head of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea (biblical Edom) from 4 BC to 6 CE,
referred to as the tetrarchy of Judea. Herod's other son Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee from 4 BC – 39 CE. Archelaus was
judged incompetent by the Roman emperor Augustus who then combined Samaria, Judea proper and Idumea into Iudaea province
[8]
under rule of a prefect until 41 BC.. Since the work of Emil Schürer in 1896, most scholars have agreed that Herod died at the end
of March or early April in 4 BC. From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_the_Great

Large Herodian Bronze Coin:

Obverse the Helmet with cheek pieces
surmounted by a star and flanked by two
palm branches. Reverse: Tripod with
leaves on base; Around - Greek inscription:
BAΣIΛEΩΣ HPΩΛOY “of King Herod”

Bronze coin of Herod, bearing the legend of King Herod: 40-4 BC

Further evidence is provided by the fact that his sons, between whom his kingdom was divided, dated their rule from 4 BC, and
Archilaus apparently also exercised royal authority during Herod's lifetime. Josephus states that Philip the Tetrarch's death took
place after a 37-year reign, in the 20th year of Tiberius (34 CE). Josephus tells us that Herod died after a lunar eclipse. He gives

13 New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Mt 2:13–15). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

14 New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Mt 2:19–23). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.