The End, Part 3

Today's sermon is part three of a series that we're going through on the end time.

The first sermon in the series examined humanity's struggle to survive the events that are coming.

The second in the series involved the survival of the church, something that was promised by Jesus Christ to take place. Prophecies in Scripture foretell hellish events that will take place before the return of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that His church would always exist through them. And here you and I are today in His church, and we are seeing leaves on the tree as it were, starting to bud, indicating that something is happening at some time in the future, and it may not be too far in the distance.

As we see the day approaching, the question arises, what will happen to me? Do you ever think that? I mean, be honest, do you ever think that? What will happen to me? What do these events portend to us as individuals and to the church at large? This series is not particularly the most exciting and interesting one. We know that God loves us, and we know that He wants us to not fear unduly.

He wants us to be courageous, in fact, and be strong and dedicated and endure in the godliness that He's creating in us through all situations. But what will happen to you in the times that are ahead? If the end, great tribulation, period of time, day of the Lord comes upon you in your lifetime, what will happen to you? Do you need gas masks? Do you need storage of food? Do you need a bomb shelter in the backyard? Stockpile provisions? What is it that you and I need to do to be prepared for the times that are coming? We're going to see from Scripture that those are not the preparations we need to be making. We have a God in heaven. We have His miraculous power and angels. He is on the side of those who are His. Today I'd like to talk about what will become the body of Christ during the period that we know of as the great tribulation and the day of the Lord.

Is there a place of safety? Is it something that can be counted on and relied upon?

If so, what is it? Where is it? And who will be in it? The title of the sermon today is The End, Part 3, A Place of Safety. I'd like to give seven considerations regarding the place of safety for God's church that takes place during the great tribulation in advance of the Second Coming of Christ. It's important to know that there is hope available for a possible escape. It's also even more important to know that the bride of Christ will make herself ready and that all of those who are faithful, whatever they go through, will endure and be in the first resurrection. Some will be alive, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, and will be caught up after the dead or brought up from their graves. In the end, we win, as it were. Most who are compelled along this way and led by God's Holy Spirit will do fine. There are others who are not so compelled and not really being led that will face some other challenges and other situations. So I'd like to give seven considerations that you can look at in the Scriptures, that you can absolutely rely on and understand what the possibilities are for your future and the future of others during the times that are in advance of the return of Jesus Christ. The first point, the first consideration I'd like to present is that God promises shelter for some. God promises shelter for some. Let's go back to Psalm 31 and read verses 19 through 24. Psalm 31, beginning in verse 19. David says about God in general. This is a general statement. I don't know that we would apply it just at the church in the end time, but he says, Oh, how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you. God lays up goodness for those who have a respect and honor and obedience of fear for him. Not the wrong kind of fear, but certainly the wrong kind of, if you're not going to obey him, those things will take place. But going on, which you have prepared for those who trust in you in the presence of the Son of Man. So we see here that God is a type of God that knows there are difficult times that humanity brings upon those who follow him. And he prepares in advance and lays up for those who trust him, who follow him, who obey him.

Verse 20. You shall hide them. Now we come to kind of a prophecy, don't we?

And this may be an indication that relates to the church and the times ahead as well.

You shall hide them in the secret place of your presence from the plots of man. You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Blessed be the Lord, for he has shown me his marvelous kindness in a strong city.

Verse 23. O, love the Lord, all you his saints, for the Lord preserves the faithful. And he fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage and strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord. So we find that those who are gods have God's eye, his attention. He has preparations for them. He is constantly caring and he is concerned for them.

In contrast, in Isaiah 2, verses 10-12, we see what God is against. This is certainly a warning to us and a responsibility that we need to take on to make sure we're not in the other camp.

Something that God has to not protect, but rather actually come and correct. He says, enter into the rock, a refuge. Some will enter into the rock. As we just read, God prepares a pavilion or a place. For his people you enter into the rock and hide in the dust, for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty.

In verse 11 of Isaiah 2, the lofty looks of man shall be humbled.

Do you and I fall into that category? Sometimes we do. Sometimes we think, I'm pretty cool, I'm better than you, and I'm I'm I'm. I thank you, God, that I might like these other people. We just get inflated like yeast blowing up bread. We need to have a pin stuck in us. So God comes along and he says, the lofty looks of man will be humbled. The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. You know, if you do things, even with God's inspiration, and you take the credit, God will humble us because he alone should get the credit for all good things. Verse 12, for the day of the Lord is coming, the day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up, and it shall be brought low. So if you lift up yourself against God's word, you think, ah, I know I know more than this. I don't have to do what God tells me. We'll come down. If you think of yourself in a conceited way, God has to bring that down. So here we've seen already, there's a type of a sheltering that God gives for some. And it's not just because you've got a special name, it's because you have a certain mentality, a certain mindset. It's associated with humble.

God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble, and that grace can include protection and shelter. The second consideration is that an in-time place of safety is not just figurative.

For some time, people have come up with other ideas and concepts. They say, oh, maybe the place of safety is when you're dead. Well, of course, you are sort of safe from terror when you're dead, but I wouldn't really call that a place of safety. That's not what the Bible speaks of. Some say, well, the place of safety will just be wherever you are. God will just put a little bubble around you. Stay where you are. It's not what the Bible says. So others come up with, well, maybe there will be places of safety everywhere. We're going to see. That's not biblical either. We have to, if we're going to trust in God, we have to look at the word of truth, not our own ideas.

In Revelation 12 and verse 6, let's just notice some specifics about the place of safety.

Bring this up just to show that we're not talking here about something that's ethereal. And the sermon today is not one that's supposed to sort of say, well, maybe, possibly, hopefully, no, this is the real thing. Revelation 12 and verse 6 talks about the church. It's an out-of-order description of the history and the future of the church of God. And it's referred to as a woman. And here in verse 6 it says, and the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared of God that they should feed her there 1,203 score days. Now, when we look at that passage, we see a lot of details. We see that this church fled. Didn't just sort of end up there. There was actually a decision made. There was something to get away from. And she went into the wilderness. It wasn't, you know, something in a big city. No, it was an uninhabited place where she has a place prepared of God. She has a place. That place has been prepared of God. Remember how David said God prepares a place for those who fear Him?

That they should feed her there. She doesn't have to fend for herself. I don't know who they are. Maybe it's the angels. Maybe it's manna from heaven. But she is fed for a period of time. 1,203 score days, which is three and a half years. So we see their specifics being given to us by Jesus Christ. And the book of Revelation is written to us, the church, so we will know what happens to the church in the end times. You can read that in the first part of Revelation.

There is more. Jesus gave more information in specific details in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 20.

The Olivet prophecy, as it's called, because it was given on the Mount of Olives, talks about the end of the age, the coming of the tribulation, the coming of the great false prophet, the return of Jesus Christ, the persecution of the church. A lot of events happen here.

And in there, He says, I don't want you to worry. I want you to be faithful. Don't fear.

But He does say here in verse 20, and pray that your flight may not be in winter.

And we just look at that phrase. You pray to God that your flight, remember it was a fleeing, it was an escape that was spoken of earlier that we just read of, that it would be a fled into the wilderness, a fleeing into the wilderness. He says, pray that your flight, if you look up the word flight, you'll find that it is an escape. It's an escape, is what the Greek here is meaning.

And that it may not be in winter, which is a season, because I guess you could say that's difficult, which raises other questions, because if it's not winter someplace, it could be winter someplace unless it's at a time of year where there is no winter, but going on, neither on the Sabbath day. Now that would tell you that this escape is in a very finite period of time, because if you pray that it was not on a Sabbath day, what are you saying? That it's accomplished in six days or less.

Otherwise, it would be across a Sabbath day, wouldn't it? So we're now beginning to see that this flight to safety is very focused, a brief, specific event. Verse 21, for then there will be great tribulation. We're not talking about something historically. We're talking now about the great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world till this time, known or ever shall be. This is talking about the church escaping, fleeing to a place of safety at a place in a wilderness, in a finite time that takes a certain amount of time, and right after it begins the great tribulation. For then, I mean it is right then. And boom, the great tribulation starts. We'll talk about how it starts and what the sign of that is. Brings us to the third consideration. Who are given safety? There's the glimmer of hope. There's going to be an escape there, just in advance of the start of the great tribulation. Who is included in that? Maybe how can I get included comes to mind. You know, we shouldn't be thinking selfishly, and yet Jesus said, pray that your flight is not in the winter on the Sabbath day, but is it just about me? Oh, God, I'm so concerned about me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me? If so, we won't be on the flight, or in the flight, I should say, not that it's an airline flight or something, but you know, we're to love God with our heart, soul, and might, and love our neighbor as ourself. So that prayer needs to certainly reflect that mindset. But who are given safety?

You might think, oh, maybe it's this group, maybe it's this clan, maybe it's these people, maybe it's the followers of this guy, you know, you can come up with a lot of, maybe it's the one who knows the the most righteous people in the church, those will all get to go. Our God is said in the Bible to not be a respecter of persons. He is not a supporter of some cliques. He doesn't pamper people who sin. Rather, there's an age-old principle in the Bible that is well defined in Zephaniah chapter 2 and verse 3. Zephaniah chapter 2 and verse 3.

And here it says, seek the Lord all you meek of the earth. Now, this is the Hebrew version of meek. It's not the preyote's Greek version, and it seems to mean humble. Remember, God resists the proub, it gives grace to the humble. He's talking about the humble, the meek of the earth, those who are not trying to direct their own steps and paths, but actually are following God, who have upheld his justice. You should be seeking the Lord. Do you seek God? Do you seek his way? Are you trying to repent every day and put this into practice? If so, you could include yourself among these.

Going on. Seek righteousness. Seek the righteous fulfillment of God's law, of his nature, of loving him, loving others, repenting of sin, having righteousness. Seek humility. Strong defines this word, humility, as condescension, not towards others, but actually towards yourself. In other words, if you look up the word condescension, it's willful equality with those that you consider to be inferior, or those who are considered to be inferior. You say, you know what? I'm just like the rest. In fact, I'm not worthy. You're better than me. Consider others better than yourself. It's these people, you see. It's the humble. Now, let's just read this. Seek righteousness.

Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger.

We're asking the question, who are given safety? And we've just come up with a partial answer.

If you are humble and you are seeking righteousness, it may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger.

Job chapter 5 and verse 11, we have another glimpse of those who are given safety, lifted to safety, as it's called. These are such important concepts, not to just get yourself saved and make sure you get on the lifeboat, but rather just as a way of life. These are the people that God is able to say, you know, these individuals are faithful, they're diligent, they're honest, they're not faking it, they're not trying to, you know, fake it in and get on at the last minute. This is their way of life. And therefore, they're in a category where God can protect them. He can prepare things for their safety, for their protection, because they don't necessarily need to be taken through what others who have not come to that state need to be. And so, in Job chapter 5 and verse 11, it says, he sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. Now, that brings to mind a couple of passages in the Bible, doesn't it? He sets on high those who are lowly. You know, wait on God to lift you up.

Like Jesus Christ humbled himself, and God lifted him high up and put him at the right hand.

Jesus said, blessed are the humble, for theirs shall be the kingdom of God. In the next verse, he said, blessed are those who mourn, those who sigh and cry for the abominations.

They shall be comforted. They shall be comforted. Now, there's many ways of being comforted, but one of those might include being lifted to safety. The end time is a period of correction for an age that has gone awash in sin. It's turned its back on God. It doesn't want God. It doesn't want God's way. It's invented a false Jesus Christ based on a plethora of false gods, starting with Nimrod, and that probably a version of things coming out of Egypt that got wrapped and twisted through Assyrian and Babylonian and Greek and Persian and Roman cultures and this poly-ethnic thing that came out that was born Christmas and has something to do with Easter, those pagan holidays and pagan symbols and associated with the day of the sun, Sunday. That falsehood is enslaved and captured mankind. That needs to be corrected, and change you can believe in needs to come. And Jesus Christ's rule is really going to be changed that you can believe in. In Isaiah chapter 33, there's a warning to one mentality and a blessing to others.

Let's consider here that we are in the group that has God's blessings, that we are pleasing God in the way in which we live. Again, not in order to just get something for ourselves, but that is a blessing. God wants us to be blessed. He wants us to prosper in that sense.

Isaiah 33, beginning in verse 1, he says, whoa, from God, that's a tough word, whoa, to you who plunder. It's for me. I'm coming in, I'm plundering. I'm plundering your accounts. I'm plundering your mortgage. I'm plundering your stuff. I'm plundering your life. I'm getting stuff for me. Though you have not been plundered and you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you, verse 2, O Lord, be gracious to us. Here's the other side. O Lord, be gracious to us. We have waited for you. Be there, our arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. Not a time of trouble, the time of trouble.

At the noise of the tumult the people shall flee. When you lift yourself up, the nations shall be scattered. Jesus Christ is coming. The scattering of the nations will take place. We are waiting for Him. He is our salvation in the time of trouble. Verse 14, who should be afraid? It tells us. The sinners in Zion are afraid. Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites. You and I do not need to fear what's ahead. We need to be respectful of it. We certainly need to endure it faithfully.

We need to be strong and of good courage that God lives in us and that we will perform that thing that He has called us to do. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? The question isn't who will dwell with the devouring fire, but who among us? That's our question here. Well, here's the answer. He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly. See, it's not about cliques. It's not about who you know. It's not about some group, some leader, some name. He who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, who stops his ears from hearing bloodshed and shuts his eyes from seeing evil. If you love that bloodshed in the movies, if you like the evil in the books and the movies, and that's your entertainment, you love the video games that you know, killing people and all that. You're in a different group, you know? But there are those who walk loving of God and loving a fellow man and saying things that are encouraging and teaching, who don't want evil in their lives. See? Verse 16, that individual will dwell on high.

His palace or place of defense will be the fortress of rocks. Bread will be given him. See this theme?

Church is going to be fed. Bread will be given. Got a fortress of rocks. His water will be sure.

What we're seeing here are similarities to Israel in the wilderness, similarities to the Exodus.

God did it once with the Israelites. He's going to do it again with His church.

And if you listen and watch, you'll see a lot of similarities here.

Verse 17, your eyes will see the King in His beauty.

Now, to simply knowing about God's protection, give anybody special favor.

If you knew when it was, if you knew where it was, if you could go there today and hang out, would that give you authorization to be there?

You know, Paul says over in 1 Corinthians 13 that even though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries, including everything about a place of safety, but if I have not love, agape, the love of God, profits me nothing. So it doesn't matter what we know. It doesn't matter how much we might know. I'll tell you right now, we don't know much more than what the Bible tells us, and we don't even know when or where or how. We just have to know that we need to be always a prepared virgin that is full of God's Holy Spirit and full of the fruits. God will take care of the rest.

The fourth consideration is, why are some given safety? Why is that?

You know, there's probably a lot of theories we can come up with. I have a theory. We're all too soft in this generation to go through a hardship. God knows it, so He's going to protect us. He's not going to give us more than what we can handle. That's what the Bible says. You won't be tempted beyond what you can handle. Maybe that's a part of it. I don't know. But all theories and assumptions aside, let's dive in and ask the Bible, why are some given safety? Well, Jesus tells all the end-time members of His church this. In Luke chapter 21 and verse 36. Luke chapter 21 and verse 36. This is to all of us. This is the same, I believe, sermon that He gave on the mount that we read of in Matthew 24. Here is Luke's account of it. Luke 21 verse 36 begins with the word watch. Let's break that down from the Greek, so you know not necessarily to tune in on TV and spend all your time there watching. The Greek word means be circumspect or attentive. It's talking about your spiritual life, your calling, your development in godliness and righteousness, because that is far more value than your career, than getting your daily bread, the cares of this world, etc., etc. Those other things are nice and they're good to have in your life. God wants us to be blessed and enjoy those things. But if they crowd us out, you see, from being a circumspect, attentive person, we'd have a problem. So he tells us, you, be circumspect, be attentive, prioritize, as it were, therefore, and pray always. What is pray always? Some people think you've got to go around just praying. Sorry, just a minute. I'm praying. I can't talk to you right now. I can't really talk on the phone because I'm praying. I have to pray always. Well, if you examine this word, the word always actually isn't there. Instead, there are three words, not just one. There are actually three words in the Greek that the translators make into always. So let's just take out the word always and look at these three words. The first is the word in, the second is the word every, and the third refers to a measure of time. The modern King James Version puts this into the three words of, and pray in every season. It uses those three words. But every season, if you look up that word, doesn't really match what the Greek would say. What it's talking about is that in every measure of time, pray in every... there's a certain time, in other words, to pray. Pray at that time. We know that Jesus said in Matthew 5, give us this day our daily bread. That's how we're to pray. So we know at least it's daily. There's a time to pray daily. We know that David and others believe Daniel prayed three times a day, and they set specific times for prayer.

But what he's saying here is you need to pray and be praying in those times and not missing them, not skipping prayer. Pray without ceasing, as we'll see in a minute, means pray without skipping.

Pray without avoiding or omitting that time when you should pray.

So let's now read this verse a little more clearly. He says, Be attentive therefore, and pray in every time you should that you may two things. A, be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and B, to stand before the Son of Man. It's important to note that the last two aren't the same. They're different. Not everybody's going to escape the things that are come to pass, but all who purify themselves in the body of Christ will stand at the return of Jesus Christ.

So in summary, he's saying, Be attentive to your spiritual life with daily prayer, because those will be considered for a place of safety, number one, and they will certainly stand in the kingdom at the first resurrection of Christ's return.

That's what we need to get out of that. We need to be spiritually attentive and prayerful people, not skipping prayer, not getting them saying, Oh, well, I did this instead. Now I've got to race to work. I've got this thing. I've got a doctor's appointment. I can't pray right now. I've got this. That broke. You know, see, the cares of this world are choking out the prayer.

Prayer ceases when urgent tasks come along. Prayer ceases when work and deadlines come along. And seeking first the kingdom in God's righteousness, you see, gets sort of postponed to get sidelined by all these urgent things that we have in the cares of this life. We drop down to verse 34. It says, But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with various things in the cares of this life that the day come on you unexpectedly. You don't want to show up at the time when the tribulation begins and have not been a person of prayer and a person who is spiritually focused and full of the fruits of God's Spirit. That can happen, he's saying here.

The day can come upon you unexpectedly, for it will come as a snare. A snare is something that just sits there. It's like the trap on my front door, front porch. It just sits there. It doesn't do anything. I'll look out there every few days. Hadn't done a thing. But you know, when the animal goes in and steps on the right spot, bam! Everything changes in that animal's world, just like that. And that's what he's saying. If you're not there in that specific time ready at that certain day of the week, when it's time to go, you won't be ready. It's going to come as an honest as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the earth. So watch, be attentive to your spiritual condition, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things.

That is so important, brethren. That's from Jesus Christ Himself.

Will those who postpone daily prayer and Bible study and repentance be in the place of safety?

That's a good question, isn't it? Will it? Well, Jesus Christ gave an ironclad answer that we just read. The result, you see, comes from personal choice and consequence. Those who make one choice end up in one group. Those who make another choice reap the consequence of the other group. Everybody always wants the reward. Everybody's always knocking on the door, oh God, let me in!

That's always there. But who wants to do the work, you see? Who wants to be faithful? You know, the five foolish virgins, they scurry around at the end trying to make up the last time it doesn't happen. He's looking for the genuine ones who are daily prayer, daily repentance, growing, doing the real work. Again, the point here is, why are some given safety?

Why are some spared? Jesus says in Revelation 3, verse 10, Because you have kept my command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world. Because you have persevered and you have been faithful, I will keep you from the hour of trial that's coming upon the whole world.

That's why some are given safety.

Fifth consideration. The place of safety is an absolute guarantee for some.

It's an absolute ironclad guarantee. Let's re-examine an earlier passage back in Revelation, 12, verse 6.

Then the woman, the church, fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days for three and a half years. Verse 13, When the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the woman, this church, was given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness to her place.

This has never happened to the church that has flown to her place on the wings of an eagle for three and a half years, except one prototype, as it were, that we can find in Exodus chapter 19, verses 4 and 5. Let's go to Exodus 19 and read verse 4 and 5. This little background, where we all start thinking of jumbo jets flying to, you know, out in the wilderness, where they don't have airports, we don't know what that language means, other than we do have an occasion to see it used on another group. Exodus chapter 19, beginning in verse 4.

You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagle's wings, and I brought you to myself. So God brought Israel out from slavery. You saw what He did to the Egyptians. He drowned them in the sea. He brought them to Himself, coming up to the Promised Land. Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to be above all people, for all the earth is mine. And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. That is stated again in Revelation chapter 5 and verse 10.

These are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel.

Now, when you analyze how Israel came out on the wings of eagles, you find that it is the same that God always does with people. He always puts them in a position of growth, with example. God came out with Israel. It was not easy for them. There were a lot of tests, a lot of trials, but God was there with them all along the way. He set them an example. He expected them to grow in imitating him. Eagles and wings of eagles. Eagles are an interesting breed.

When I grew up in Southern California, I'd heard that eagles were basically extinct and their population really reduced. My wife and I, I had my first pastoral assignment or first ministerial assignment was in British Columbia. Our daughter, Rayan, was born out on Vancouver Island. To get there from the mainland, you had to take a ferry. The ferry wound through the islands. At one point, we stood on the bow of the ship looking around and counted 17 bald eagles all at the same time, just in one spot. It's so exciting to be around bald eagles. So, you know, you get all excited about eagles. What are eagles about? Study into eagles or read about them anyway. It's kind of neat coming out on eagles' wings. There is a process that baby eagles go through before they can fly.

And I'm going to talk about the process that's actually recorded through cameras and that the naturalists go out and study and watch. One naturalist, Francis Hammerstrom, documented how an eagle's first flight takes place. The parent, you see, brings it food and brings it food and kind of gets fat and it grows up and it loses its little fluffy feathers.

And so it gets close to flight, but it's really too heavy. And if it jumps out, it's going to kill itself. And so they start flying by and tempting it with food. They don't actually feed it. And the eagle reaches up and it can't get it. And this might go on for a week or two. And they come near with this nice smelly little pieces and morsels and little animals. And the eagle's reaching. Well, during this time it's losing weight. It's getting lighter. And it's also using those wings and fluttering a little bit, getting a little higher to get the food. But it never can quite get the food. And so as the food gets past and tempting it, at some point that eagle lifts off and makes its first flight. 40% of eagles, up to 40% of eagles, die in their first attempt to fly.

That's the sad part of first flights. They don't always work out. But the other 60% go somewhere and crash land. And as this naturalist said that the eagle eventually took its first flight. Coasting on a current of wind, it glided across the valley and toppled onto land.

Still hungry and unhurt, the effort was rewarded as the parent dropped the enticing food as a hard-earned price. Now think of yourself with God. Think of this walk with God. He didn't just pamper us forever. Sure, he'll feed us for a while, but at some point we've got to get up and walk the walk, don't we? And God challenged Israel. He took him out on eagle's wings, as it were, but the wings of an eagle require effort and work. And over time, that little eaglet, actually a full-grown bird, would have to develop muscles in order to fly longer and farther. And then it had to learn to hunt. The parents go right back to feeding it, by the way. And they will feed it and feed it and feed it as it learns to hunt and imitates the parents. And then it learns to fly by flying with the parents, and eventually it will take off on its own. It reminds us a lot about why humans are put on this earth. We're to learn, we're to grow. We're not here to just chill out, find the truth, and kick back. We're to grow in it. In Revelation 12, let's continue in verse 14. We see that the church was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly. Notice she doesn't get flown, that she might fly. She's assisted, but this is some kind of a growth, an effort on her part. It's possible we don't know any more about it. Revelation 12 will continue on in verse 14. Notice here that she might fly into the wilderness, general term, generally an uninhabited place, to her place. Notice it's not places. It's a singular place, not several places of safety or protection, wherever a person is. The scripture doesn't support any such theories that I'm aware of. Where she is nourished for a time, times, and half a times, from the presence. I think this is important to realize, from the presence of the serpent. I don't know what that means, but Satan is not there. I don't know if the influence remains. I don't know, but it's from the presence of the serpent, and that's a protected place. That would be a special place. So, in response, the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. Let's go back to Egypt for a minute. God takes them out on eagle's wings for six days, and they arrive at the shore of the Red Sea. There she is, from the presence of Pharaoh. They were safe. And what happens?

Pharaoh's army draws up. Here we see the serpent spewed out water like a flood after the woman, maybe sends an army after the woman. It might cause her to be carried away by the army. Pharaoh wanted to bring the Israelites back. I wonder what that will be like for the church. Will there be trust? Will there be faith? You know, when you see the war machine showing back up, do you really believe that the earth's going to open up and swallow them? It did for Pharaoh's army, didn't it? They came right down, the whole big army, and the chariots, and everybody came right down in the bottom of the ocean, and it went in. Here we see, the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of its mouth. That's protection. That's drama.

Verse 17, and the dragon was enraged with the woman and went to make war with the rest of her offspring. When the devil comes to make war and he is mad, that's tough, but still we shouldn't fear. Jesus said, do not fear that's what is going to come upon you. Remember, Jesus knew something was going to come upon him. He knew he, the Romans were going to come after him, and the Jews, and he was going to lose his life. And what did he do? He prayed, and he showed up, and he did things right and properly, and he went to his end properly, and he prayed for those who despitefully used him. He set a good example, one that we should be willing to follow.

It's a time of trial, a time of testing of the body.

We are to demonstrate following Jesus' personal example. His experience has been replayed by many, and will be replayed by many. Now, one thing we need to realize is before the place of safety and timing, you don't just sit here like today and get the call and we're out of here. Oh, no. For the place of safety, Matthew 24 and Luke 21 talk about massive problems and issues and wars and rumors of wars. Talks about chaos and destruction with earthquakes and famine, hunger, pestilence, rodents, disease, persecution on the church, the church hated by all nations.

This is in advance, evidently, of that. I'm not saying I understand it all because, you know, it's all packed in there pretty tight in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. But at some point, you see, this comes. And we have to realize that before anyone goes to a place of safety, there's a problem. There's big, huge problems, and that is why the tribulation begins. I think we can, if you look carefully in the scriptures, you'll see the tribulation begins because of all the chaos and destruction and problems in the world. Because, you see, the tribulation begins when the great false prophet steps into the holy place and declares himself the Messiah, essentially, and declares the new age has begun. And he is the one who steps in, and everybody says, yes, finally we have a solution to all these problems. We've been looking for change. We've been looking for some way out of all of this.

And you better be careful because it's going to look so good, and you're going to be so weary at that point. You're just liable to say, yes, I accept him.

So, Luke 21, verse 18, is a warning that Jesus gave us in concert with these times.

Luke 21, verse 18.

There are going to be a lot of trials, a lot of issues.

In verse 17, we just finished up with what I was talking about. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake.

Verse 18, but not a hair of your head shall be lost.

How about that? See, God is looking after his people.

Not a hair of your head will be lost by your perseverance.

That word should be. By your enduring perseverance, you shall save your life, or your life shall be saved.

The Greek there means steadfastness, or enduring perseverance. Possess your lives.

Again, two groups, aren't there?

Those who are doing one thing have one result. Those who do the other have another result.

Verse 20, but when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.

Little hints. We don't know how that is all going to happen.

But we do know that humanity is going to want relief. We know from the previous experiences when things have been very difficult. You remember the Great Depression really took this nation down, took nations around this world down to their knees, and people were really in peril.

Somebody stood up and said, I am your Savior. I am starting the third kingdom.

The third kingdom. And everybody said, yes, finally. A Savior.

See, the first kingdom that he was referring to was the Roman Empire.

The second kingdom he was referring to was a brief flourish of Germany in the 1800s up until World War II.

But the third kingdom, or Reich, as it's translated from Germany, was Hitler with his thousand-year millennial reign.

And it was embraced as a solution to the problems that existed at that time.

Now we're going to be presented with a fourth Reich, a fourth kingdom, as it were.

The false Messiah is going to come and give us a false millennium. And, oh, it's going to work out pretty well for a while.

You can read in Revelation 18 how luxurious it all becomes. How wealthy, how at ease, how the opulence that takes place. It does work, and it works well for a while if you buy into the system of the beast, and you have the mark of the beast.

But that's not God's system.

And Jesus warns, do not accept this first Messiah that comes along with his millennium, his fourth Reich, thousand-year reign. Look at this in Matthew 24, verse 21.

Matthew 24, verse 21, because all these events take place right about the time where the start of the place is safety, and those going to the place is safety get separated.

Matthew 24, verse 21 says, For then will be great tribulation, such as not been since the beginning of the world. We know the tribulation is now going to start.

Pray that your flight may not be the winner of the Sabbath.

Going on down, verse 23, Then if anyone says to you, Look, here's the Christ, or there, don't believe it, because they will, you see.

Finally, we have the Messiah, the Christ.

He's here. He's brought his kingdom.

It's all over. It's going to be better now. For a false Christ and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. You can be down so low and so far and see your salvation show up and the declaration of the end of all problems. And you can see the one who is standing in Jerusalem with signs and wonders. And yes, I'm Jesus Christ, and I am here. I've arrived. Look at my power. You can say, Oh, I'll take this one. It's a shortcut. Shortcuts feel pretty easy. Jesus Christ was offered the very same thing, and he turned it down. Remember? He was on earth. He was in his ministry. He was going to have to die. It was really going to worry him. It was really going to grieve him. And Satan showed up, and he tempted him, and he said, Tell you what, you just do what I tell you, and you can be the Messiah now. I will give you all the kingdoms now. We can do a shortcut. We can just cut right to the millennium. See, he's had the temptation. Now you and I are going to get the temptation, and he's telling us, Don't buy it. Don't do it. See? I have told you beforehand. Therefore, if they say to you, Look, he's in the desert. He has arrived.

Do not go out. Or, Look, he's in the inner rooms. He's in that special building. Just take our word for it. He's in there. He's in there with the important people. Do not believe it. This is down in verse 28. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered. It's kind of like, to me, birds of a feather flock together. Those who want that way for themselves, the escape for themselves, but don't want godliness, they're going to flock over there to that kind of thing.

Those who go all the way, like the ones in Hebrews 11, they're not going to tolerate that. They're not going to accept deliverance. We look at this first messiah type standing in the holy place. We find that it begins the three and a half year tribulation. The flight to safety takes place right then, just before then. Probably take place before he shows up. Just a breath of light. And then, the second time, the second time, the second time, the second time, the second time, the breath space beforehand.

We find that that is prophesied in Daniel and in other places. But let's go to 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 1-4 and just see the overview of it. 2 Thessalonians 4 will begin in verse 1. 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 1-4. Let me get this clear. Now brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, this has got the timing here, and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind, or troubled either by Spirit or Word or by letter, as though the day of Christ had come.

This hasn't happened yet. Let no one deceive you by any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away in the church comes first. That's going to happen first. In the true church, there's going to be a growing cold, a growing cold of many.

This is going to be a disastrous time of people trying to survive. And the man of sin is revealed. This is the great false prophet, the second beast of revelation, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or all that is worshipped. In other words, I'm the Messiah, so that He sits as God, as Jesus Christ, in the temple of God showing Himself that He is God.

And that's what begins the Great Tribulation. Now, once the Great Tribulation begins, Satan and this false Messiah and His false church, where it's going to take aim at church members, let's go over to Daniel 11, verses 32-35. Daniel 11, verse 32. What I'm doing here is I'm filling in some of the details right around for some who do go to the place of safety, some who don't go to the place of safety, but we're all in this real short span of maybe the same week.

But we all need to be aware of it. We all need to be at the right place, and certainly to be a bride that is fully cleaned up, ready for His return. Daniel 11, verse 32. Those who do wickedly against the covenant are those who have a covenant with God. But they're not fulfilling their covenant, are they? They're doing wickedly against the covenant. We made a covenant that we will repent of sin, that we will always put out sin, that we will look for it as the days of unleavened bread show us, that we will put righteousness in, that we will love God and love our neighbor.

So there are some who do wickedly against their covenant. He, this is talking about the great false Messiah, shall corrupt them with flattery. It's going to entice them. It's going to flatter them. He's going to make them feel like, come this way, it'll work well for you. But the people who know their God shall be strong and advance. I just want to clarify this word, advance, or whatever your Bible says, might say, do great exploits, do something.

The only word there is the word do, by the way. Everything else you'll notice is in italics, because that's been added by translators. Let's see what it really says. In the Hebrew, the word is, ausau. It means work, accomplish. So these people who know their God will be strong, they will work, they will accomplish. They're not going to be defeated in growing in godliness. They're not going to be defeated in doing what God wants them to do.

Great exploits is not in any Hebrew manuscript anywhere. Verse 33, And those of the people who understand shall instruct many, they shall become teachers, perhaps at that time, or perhaps teachers in the world tomorrow, doesn't say. Yet for many days they shall fall. Sounds like you're falling, almost failing. For many days they're going to fail, they're going to fall. But if you look up the Hebrew word for fall, which is used three times in this passage, it means to it's the word kal shawl, it means to totter, to waver, to stagger from weakness in the leg, especially in the ankle. It doesn't mean that they fall or fail.

It's just that there are some don't go into the place of safety because they're not fully strong, they haven't really finished up. They're still weak. They still fumble a little bit. They stagger, they totter just a little bit. For many days they shall totter. Remember the eaglet? They're still catching their wings. They're going to be refined by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering.

Verse 34, some good news. Now when they fall, it's not to fall, when they totter, they shall be aided with a little help. But many shall join with them by intrigue. Oh no, more tears coming in, joining in the church by intrigue. There will always be that temptation to bail on loving God and fellow man and do something self-centered. Some of those of understanding shall totter. See, if they fell, it would be the end of them. But no, some of them shall totter to refine them, to purify them, and to make them white.

The good news is, they get made white through those experiences. Now we are told that there are various trials that can come if need be. Do you need some trials? Are you tottering? I'll leave that to you to think about. Point number six, or consideration number six. Where will the place of safety be located? There have been various ideas down through time. Let's ask this in a different question. Does Scripture give the location of the place of safety? The answer is, not for certain. Not for certain. But one passage may be a hint.

It's not necessarily a hint. It could be a hint. Once you get there, you'll know if it was a hint. It's found in Isaiah 16, verse 4. If you are curious, we could go over there. Isaiah 16 in verse 4. Prophecy, or the statement is sure, but does it refer to the place of safety, or does it refer to those in God's church? Isaiah 16, 4 is a passage that God is speaking to Moab.

Moab in ancient times was located in the area today that is modern Jordan. He says to Moab, verse 4, Isaiah 16, Let my outcasts dwell with you, O Moab. Be a shelter to them from the face of the destroyer, for the extortioner is at an end. Devastation ceases. The oppressors are consumed out of the land. Verse 5, In mercy the throne will be established, and one will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness.

So who is that referring to at that time? We'll see. But that's the only strong hint. If it is a hint that I know of. The seventh and final consideration is, will I get to go to the place of safety? We can all ask. We've dealt with that somewhat. Since I was a child in the church, members have worried about that. Is there a place of safety? Will I get to go to a place of safety? Will I be protected from the great tribulation? When I read in the New Testament when there was persecution and persecution and people getting killed, I don't read of anybody saying, is there a place of safety?

Will I get to skip out on some of this persecution? It seems to be something from a softer time, from a softer generation like our own, to ask questions like that. In Revelation chapter 14, verses 12 and 13, we need to understand what some many church members will go through. Revelation chapter 14, verse 12 says, here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

I want to be counted in that number. Persevering saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Jesus says the Spirit that they may rest from their labors and their works. Follow them. Some go into some circumstances. Some are needed in other circumstances. Some are protected.

Will I get to go to a place of safety? What's important is not whether you or I get to go to the place of safety, but which resurrection will be in. How many of you want to be in the first resurrection? How many of you want to be in the third resurrection? That's what's important, you see.

Third resurrection, for all who are going to get burned up in the lake of fire, we want to miss. That's the big question here. Jesus said, do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the life. Sukei is the Greek word. But rather fear him who is able to destroy both life and body in Gehenna and the lake of fire.

That's the real issue. Of course, I didn't really answer the question, did I? Okay, but I still want to know. Well, I get to go to the place of safety. The answer to that is the Bible indicates that is largely up to you. More than anything, that is largely up to you.

You can go back and review point four. Each person bears great responsibility for what happens to them during the Great Tribulation. God states Himself that the decision of who goes to the place of safety involves His assessment of your spiritual stay as to whether you are considered worthy to escape these things. They include humility and righteousness, devotion to Him and steadfastness. They don't include politics. They don't include some kind of political favors. Again, Jesus said, be attentive and don't skip prayer that you may be considered worthy to escape.

So that's largely up to you and me. In Ezekiel chapter 14, verses 13 and 14, here's a rule that God goes by. Many of us will try to bend the rule, but it's God's rule. He's real clear about it. He makes the point over and over. Ezekiel 14, verse 13 says, Son of man, when a land sins against me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out my hand against it.

That's coming. I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness. See, these individuals, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were very righteous people, and God said they would be delivered because of their righteousness. Skipping on down to verse 20, the last part, they would deliver neither son nor daughter or by extension, church members, friends, family they were talking about, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.

So will I get to go to the place of safety? There's your answer. That's my answer. It's largely up to us. In conclusion, there will be a place of safety for some. More importantly, there will be a purification of the bride for all. And that's very, very good news. I'd like to share with you my favorite passage about the place of safety. It's not one we've read before, but it's one that I really like.

Isaiah 26, verse 20, through chapter 27, verse 4. I think you'll see why it's kind of an encouraging scripture, because it is placed right in the context of the time of the end, the return of Jesus Christ, and the beginning of the millennium. It all happens in this one passage. Isaiah 26, verse 20, says, Come, my people. Think about that. He's saying, come, leave where you are. Come, who's coming? My people. Enter your chambers. Your chambers is someplace God has prepared for you.

And shut your doors behind you. Guess what? There's going to be doors. I can tell you that much. Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is passed. For behold, the Lord comes out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain. It continues right on. There's no chapters in the scrolls. Chapter 27, verse 1, it just carries right on. In that day the Lord with his severe sword, great and strong, will punish Leviathan, the fleeing servant.

Leviathan, that twisted serpent. And he will slay the reptile that's in the sea. That's pretty exciting. When you stop and think about serpents, you think about Satan. And here we have three. And these three serpents that we're talking about here are actually three principal powers that have existed down through time, that have directly impacted the church and impacted humanity. For the background on this, you can look at Kiel and Delech commentaries on this particular verse in Isaiah, chapter 27, verse 1.

But Egypt is the sea serpent mentioned here. Egypt was the one that had Israel as slaves. Egypt also had a great impact on the world at large for its deception about the afterlife, about religions, about the worship of the sun, etc., etc. that came down into what is believed even today, in part. Syria is the fleeing serpent. The fleeing serpent is one that's stretched out, also like an arrow. It is part of the symbolism of that country. They took away the ten tribes of Israel. They took them prisoner, took them away to Assyria, enslaved them, kept them, brought them all the way around in time into Europe. And Assyria will again dominate the beast's power and will be an instrument of God for punishing Jacob during the three and a half years, during the time of Jacob's trouble. That power is a satanic power. And the third is the twisted serpent. That was a symbol of Babylon. Babylon that took the Jews captive, if you remember, took them to Babylon and then developed a system that comes down and at the end of time, Babylon the betrayed the second beast, the spiritual whore that deceives mankind. Jesus Christ is coming back to punish Satan and punish all of those three heads. It's pretty exciting. In verse 2, in that day, sing to her. It's talking about the church. In that day, sing to her. Now, it calls it various things here. One thing it can't be is a vineyard of red wine because that's not the way the Hebrew reads. It's a vineyard that's delightful. Or as other translations read it, like modern King James, a delightful vineyard. We are the branches. We're producing fruit. We're part of the vine. We're supposed to be producing fruit. The church to God is a delightful vineyard going on. Verse 3, I the Lord keep it. I water it every moment, lest any hurt it. I keep it day and night. That's how God feels about His church. We're not going to be out there. We're not going to be apart from God. He's not going to be uncaring. He considers us to be a delightful vineyard producing the fruits that will be harvested. And God keeps it. He waters it every moment, lest any hurt it. I keep it day and night. The bride of Christ is going to be pure. It's going to be cleaned up. It's going to be ready. Next time in part 4, we're going to examine the transition of this current evil age into a wonderful world tomorrow led by Jesus Christ. To glimpse ahead at that coming return, we see right here in the same passage in verse 6, the return of the remnant of the house of Jacob into the land of Palestine. He shall cause those who come from Jacob to take root. Israel shall blossom and bud, and shall fill the face of the world with fruit.