Sobering Prophecy
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An earlier prophecy in Ezekiel 5:1-17 concerning the modern nations of Israel reveals more about God’s promised protection of His faithful servants. Some review sets it up.
Eze 5:1 states, “And you, son of man, take you a sharp knife, take you a barber’s razor, and cause it to pass upon your head and upon your beard: then take you balances to weigh, and divide the hair.”
Eze 5:2 shows what Ezekiel was to do next: “You shall burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled: and you shall take a third part, and smite about it with a knife: and a third part you shall scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.”
Eze 5:3 introduces a fascinating detail: “You shall also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in your skirts.” Eze 5:4 expounds on this: “Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.”
To understand this passage, we must yet again allow the Bible to interpret itself. Eze 5:1 is thoroughly explained in Eze 5:12, referenced earlier: “A third part of you shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of you: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about you; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.”
A third of the populations of all modern Israelitish nations are foretold to perish from disease and famine. Another third will die from military invasion. Then, the remaining third attempt to escape—unsuccessfully. The surviving third is taken into captivity—modern enslavement.
Notice the clarity with which Jeremiah records their fate: “And it shall come to pass, if they say unto you, Where shall we go forth? Then you shall tell them, Thus says the Lord; such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity” (Jer 15:2).
The term “skirts” in Ezekiel 5:3 is from the Hebrew word kanaph, better translated “wings” (as noted in most Bible margins). This is the same Hebrew word translated “wings” in Exodus 19:4, where God bore Israel on “eagles’ wings”! This parallels Revelation 12:14, in which the Church is taken to “her place” by the wings of an eagle. Ezekiel 5:4 shows that some (the lukewarm remnant) who initially survive are cast back into the fire—the Tribulation.
Three Overlapping Time Periods
An earlier passage in Daniel 12 reveals God’s Plan for His people, here presented with more context: “Many shall be purified, and made white [righteous], and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Dan 12:10).
There are two times of trial to understand. One is already taking place and the other is future. The first involves God’s people, who are being spiritually “purified, made white, and tried.” Theirconversion is being purified. This process continues into the second trial—the Tribulation—which, recall, “shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Rev. 3:10), and modern Israel in particular—“the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7). Also recall the Revelation 12:13persecution of God’s Church by the devil.
Let’s look at three critical time periods. The Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord together last 1,260 days, or three and a half years before Christ’s Return. The others are “1,290 days” and “1,335 days.”
The 1,290 appears in Daniel 12:11: “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.” These are obviously also literal days, beginning with the setting up of the abomination of desolation. So then, with the Church to be protected for only 1,260 days, there are 30 days before it arrives at its designated place of protection.
The 1,335-day period is introduced one verse later in Daniel: “Blessed is he that waits, and comes to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days” (Dan 12:12). What is this?
Starting 45 days before the 1,290-day “mile-marker,” the 1,335 date also counts down to the Return of Christ. This moment signals the end of God’s Work of preaching the true gospel and warning the world’s greatest nations. The 1,335 is when the “call” goes out to God’s people to assemble for flight to safety. Then, when the abomination is set up—45 days later—events culminate in Jerusalem and the Church flees. The 45-day period permits the Church time to gather from around the world in what we will see to be Judea. (In a longer scriptural exercise, beyond the natural bounds of this book, the 45-day period can be fully proven.)
These periods begin with different events, but end with the same event—Christ’s Return! The graph on the facing page illustrates how these three durations of time overlap.
1,335 Days—1,290 Days—1,260 Days
Since Daniel prefixes the event beginning the 1,335 days with “blessed is he that waits,” this is designated as the signal, with a possible accompanying event—at this specific time—for which the Church has patiently waited (Matt. 24:13; 10:22; Luke 21:19; Rev. 14:12).
The arrival of the critical 1,335 days moment is something that will only be known to those in God’s one, undivided Church. An internal warning will be inspired by the Church’s true Head, Jesus Christ (Col. 1:18-19; Eph. 1:22-23). Of course, no man could be the source of such a signal. Real faith will be required. Probably prepared beforehand, God’s people will plainly understand.
Miracles, almost certainly many, will have to be involved. Merely recall how God supernaturally eliminates Satan’s army (the flood) right before the Church arrives at her place. How many other miracles will be needed just for God’s servants from all over the world to gather, let alone escape?
You will soon learn how the abomination of desolation involves the Jew’s sacrifices being stopped, a religious figure entering the holy place and, the most obvious aspect of it, the city of Jerusalem being surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20).
Grasp this. All who believe in the rapture—all of them!—are being set up to enter the Tribulation. They have literally been set up to patiently wait until the Tribulation falls on them like a snare. And they have been set up for what will be the indescribable shock, anger and disappointment from betrayal by trusted religious leaders.
Consider. They have been told the worst of the Tribulation begins three and a half years after they will have supposedly already been sucked into heaven. They have been lulled into believing therefore that it would not be something that really concerns them. In truth, the Tribulation will blindside millions of rapturists with the force of a 100-car runaway freight train! They are oblivious to what is coming—and you cannot convince them otherwise. But the Tribulation also awaits other vast millions of professing Christians because virtually all of their beliefs can just as easily be proven to be unbiblical human inventions and traditions.
Great Haste!
Directly contradicting rapturists, notice what Christ instructed regarding the abomination’s appearance: “Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter there into” (Luke 21:21). The message is clear: leave quickly! This warning is so urgent, the need to get out fast so great, that those who flee are told not to return home for anything (Matt. 24:17-18).
The prophet Hosea describes the same 30-day period before the destruction of Judah, America, Britain and certain other nations: “They [Judah and Israel] shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord; but they shall not find Him [Why? They waited too long!]; He has withdrawn Himself from them…Now shall a month devour them with their portions” (Hosea 5:6-7).
No wonder the Church must flee in great haste. During that short interval—from 1,290 to 1,260 days—God holds back events, just as He did when Noah prepared the ark and when Lot had to leave Sodom. Imminent destruction was delayed until these men and their families had reached safety.
Let’s look again at how Jesus described Noah’s time: “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26-27). Once Noah’s family was safe, the Flood slammed into a disbelieving world!
Let’s now re-examine Lot’s situation: “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all” (Lk 17:28-29). As with Noah's time, destruction came “the same day”—immediately after Lot had escaped!
First God protected Lot’s family in the little city of Zoar, but they later also took refuge in nearby mountains. Here is God’s directive to Lot: “Haste you, escape there [Zoar]; for I cannot do anything till you be come there...” (Gen. 19:22).
Understand! God held back events until certain individuals were taken from harm’s way! Events will again be held back until the true saints have left their gathering place in Judea.
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