PART TWO – PROMISED PROTECTION

Next Part Church Eras and the Place of Safety

Unrest is growing worldwide. So is violence and terrorism. Bad news is replacing good news everywhere. World troubles and conditions now worsen daily. People are unsure of what the future holds. Many fear the arrival of end-time prophecies and World War III. Most are largely unaware of what the Bible says, but do hope to escape the dreaded Great Tribulation, leading to Armageddon.

What does the future hold? All want to know what lies ahead. Many have opinions, but few recognize where to find real answers. Others think they understand the prophecies of the Bible—and this is probably most true of the book of Revelation. Yet all popular human interpretations of the Bible’s biggest prophecies border on ridiculous. They are a jumble of ideas where a little truth is invariably mixed with MUCH error. These are almost painful to read—yet major magazines report that great numbers do believe these dangerous, counterfeit scenarios.

Adding to the confusion, a culture of “end-of-the-world” prophecy scholars has arisen. These supposed experts manipulate and twist Bible prophecy to feed the public’s hunger for “understanding.” Even Christ’s disciples, who heard His Matthew 24:1-51 Olivet Prophecy, did not at first grasp the timing of events preceding His Return. Similarly, the prophet Daniel did not understand what he was inspired to record: “And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go your way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (Dan 12:8-9).

The end of this age looms much closer! Daniel’s prophecies are no longer “sealed”—their meaning has been MADE KNOWN. It has become God’s time to REVEAL what lies ahead. The stage is set and God has lifted the curtain on the future. Certain great nations must be warned while there is still time. So must you be warned! Revelation describes soon-coming terrible plagues and earth-shaking events! Take heed. If you do, God’s Word also reveals that you can escape—and, as you have seen, it will not be by a secret rapture!

The Great Tribulation

God promises to protect His people from the terrible suffering that will be unleashed on the world during the Great Tribulation. His statements are real. Will you take them to heart?

First notice Christ’s admonition: “Watch you therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to ESCAPE all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36). The phrase “all these things” means all end-time events—those just before Christ’s Return. Recall that Lk 21:35 states, “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.” It is God’s purpose that some be spared—that they can escape—global calamity.

Matthew 24:21-22 shows the coming cataclysm will be worldwide—and unprecedented in severity: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved [alive]: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

Daniel adds, “There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time...” (Dan 12:1). Of this same time of extreme global troubles, Jeremiah 30:4-5 reveals, “And these are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus says the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.” Then, in Jer 30:7: “Alas! For that day is great, so that NONE IS LIKE IT: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” Only a remnant—a tenth—of Jacob (the modern descendants of Israel) will survive these tumultuous times (Ezek. 6:8; Isa. 6:11-13; Amos 5:1-3).

Overview of the True Church

Another of God’s explicit promises of safety is found in Revelation 3:10, addressing what is the Philadelphian era of His Church: “Because you have kept the word of My patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation [trial, meaning the Tribulation], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” This has to be the same as the “snare” of Luke 21:35. Yet, rapturists actually cite Revelation 3:10 as proof of a secret rapture. You will soon see it to be proof of ignorance.

Jesus Christ built one Church (Matt. 16:18). This Church does His Work of announcing the true gospel around the world and warning great nations of impending punishment. It also holds to and declares all of the many truths of the Bible. And this Church exists and functions under God’s government. (To understand the true Church, its teachings, its government, its work—and its eras—read the fascinating book Where Is the True Church? – and Its Incredible History!)

All of Revelation 12:1-17 briefly overviews the 2,000-year history of the true Church of God. Rev 12:1-4 reveal that Satan attempted to destroy Christ when He was born of a “woman” depicted there. This woman symbolizes the Old Testament Church that was ancient Israel. Read Acts 7:38.

Revelation 12:6 adds, “And the WOMAN [now spiritual Israel, the New Testament Church] fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” We will see that, on several occasions—this is one—history demonstrates that God sent His people into hiding in a special place to protect them.

In Bible prophecy, a day often represents a year, as revealed in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6. With the Nicene Council in A.D. 325, the Roman Empire forbade the true Church from functioning within its domain, forcing God’s people to flee into north-western Europe. Ultimately, this allowed God’s Church somewhat greater religious freedom. Catholic domination ended in Britain in about 1585 (and shortly afterward in Holland). Thus, 1,260 years of suppression and martyrdom came to an end.

Revelation 12:1-17 continues, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Rev. 12:9). This leads to the event described in Rev 12:13: “When the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman [the true Church] which brought forth the man child.” The timing of this persecution is in the near future.

Notice how the woman is to be protected: “To the woman were given two wings of a GREAT EAGLE, that she might fly into the wilderness, into HER PLACE, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent” (Rev. 12:14).

A biblical “time” is equal to a prophetic year of 360 days. Revelation 12:14 refers to the same period, that of three and a half times—Revelation 11:2 says 42 months—or 1,260 days (3½ x 360 days). In this case, the context of time is in units of literal days. (This will be important when we examine Daniel 12:11-12 because the 1,260 days correspond with verses there.) The Revelation 12:1-17 woman was taken into “her place” in the wilderness for three and a half years—the length of the Tribulation. This is inconsistent with a secret rapture.

Some have misunderstood the phrase “she might fly into the wilderness.” This does not indicate the mode of transportation, but rather that the woman escapes, or flees—“flies”—from Satan’s persecution. Notice that Exodus 19:4 uses this same term: “You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto Myself.” Israel did not literally fly out of Egypt—they walked! Yet God (the “great eagle”) still carried them on “eagles’ wings”—He provided for and protected them in their journey.

The providing of a place for the Church (Rev. 12:14) corresponds directly to the promise given to Philadelphians (Rev. 3:10). Revelation 12:15-16 continues this prophetic account: “And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman [the Church], that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.”

This paints a dramatic picture, with miraculous delivery necessary for God’s people to survive. The term “flood” represents an army sent to destroy the Church. A number of scriptures use this analogy. For example, notice Isaiah 59:19: “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” Speaking of Korah’s rebellion against Moses’ authority, Numbers 16:32 gives the following account: “And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.”

The account of the earth swallowing up the flood is also analogous to the Red Sea closing in and drowning the Egyptian army pursuing the Israelites. The parallels are clear. Revelation 12:15-16 points to God’s deliverance of His Church during the time of protection when the woman is “in her place, where she is nourished” (Rev 12:14). The timeframe indicates Satan’s attempt to destroy the woman.

Revelation 12:17 shows what happens next: “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.” This occurs during the Tribulation—the time of Satan’s wrath against the modern nations of Israel and the true Church. The “remnant of her seed” are brethren who will not be protected. The Greek word loipoi translated “remnant” also means “remaining ones,” “residue,” or the “rest.” These are those of the lukewarm Laodicean seventh era—who have neither held to pure biblical truth nor stressed personal growth and overcoming in their lives as they should. But they do still keep God’s Law—His Commandments.

Thus, Revelation 12:1-17 gives a 2,000-year overview of the true Church until the Return of Christ.