The woman in the wilderness and the 144.000 - part 3
THE WOMAN IN THE WILDERNESS AND THE 144,000 : PART 3
Last Updated: 12/18/98
Miracles In The Wilderness, Length Of The Beast's War And Great Tribulation, Significance Of Dragon's Flood, Endtime Deceivers And Wolves, The Sealed Of The Tribes Of Israel, Endtime Prophecy Focused On Israel, The Escapees And The Great Slaughter, Sabbath Or Salvation?, The Burden Of The Law, Jewish Orthodoxy And The Anti-Christ, Life Or Death?
At this current time, I honestly don't know with one hundred per cent certainty, that this secret location where the Jews will be hidden, is actually Petra; or that the 'they' in the previous verses from the Book of Revelation, who take care of the woman, are actually King Hussein and the Jordanians. Considering the volatility of Middle Eastern politics, in which alliances and loyalties can change from one day to the next; I simply think it is risky business to unequivocally say that Petra is the place which has been prepared by God for the protection of the Christian Jews during the coming Great Tribulation; but such an idea does seem to have some strong Scriptural support. In fact, since many years ago, I have heard that the place has been stocked with necessary provisions for its future Christian Jewish refugees. Time will certainly tell.
One other thought which has occurred to me, is that if this place is prepared by God Himself, well then who knows; maybe the 'they' are actually real Angels, who will miraculously protect and feed these saved Israelies in the wilderness of Petra, or wherever their place of refuge may be. Isn't this precisely what we are told in the previous verses from Psalm Ninety-One? The Lord did the very same thing in the days of old with Angels' Food, multitudes of quail, water out of a dry rock, etc. Surely He could do it again if He so chose. Consider the following inspiring verses which demonstrate the Lord's miraculous provision for His children during their time of need:
"I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat."
(Exodus 16:12-15)
"Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full. He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations. So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;"
(Psalms 78:23-29)
"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also."
(Numbers 20:7-11)
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 4:19)
Allow me to also point out that, as I explain in the series 'The Great Tribulation And The Rapture', the various verses regarding the Woman in the Wilderness make clear that the Great Tribulation lasts for a period of three and a half years, and not the full seven years as some Pre-Tribulation Rapture theorists erroneously claim. 'A thousand two hundred and threescore days' is precisely three hundred and sixty days, or twelve thirty-day Jewish months. The phrase 'for a time, and times, and half a time' is the same as 'for a year, and years, and half a year; in other words, three and a half years or forty-two months; the same time period designated by both Daniel and John for the period of the Beast's war against the Saints, and the occupation of the city of Jerusalem.
Following are a few more verses for your consideration:
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."
(Daniel 7:25)
"And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished."
(Daniel 12:7)
"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."
(Revelation 11:2-3)
"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."
(Revelation 13:5-7)
So as you can see, the Bible is very consistent regarding the length of the Great Tribulation, and the persecution against the Lord's Endtime children. Concerning the flood which the dragon casts out of its mouth, it might possibly represent a physical army, or government forces; as this same word is used in the Old Testament to represent a large army of people, such as in the following verse describing the military exploits of the Beast:
"And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant."
(Daniel 11:22)
As I mention in the series 'John Lennon's Imagine And Secular Humanism', words are spiritual weapons. The fact that the flood proceeds out of the mouth of the dragon, also suggests the possibility that it might symbolize a war of words. In othe words, it might represent worldly propaganda against the Believers, or perhaps the lies and doubts that Satan speaks to our minds and hearts. As I point out in some of my other articles, this is why the Apostle Paul warned us to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; and to put on the Helmet of Salvation; and not to listen to the deceptive lies of Satan:
"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"
(2 Corinthians 10:5)
"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:"
(Ephesians 6:17)
The fact that the Earth swallows the dragon's flood, might signify that the people of the world will swallow Satan's lies, and the slanderous propaganda of the political Beast and the religious False Prophet; while God's true children will exercise Spiritual Discernment; and thus will not be deceived by their strong delusion. As I point out in many of my articles, such as 'Who Is Hindering The Anti-Christ?', strong delusion will definitely be the order of the day with those who worship the Jewish false messiah known as Moshiach ben David. This is why Jesus, Paul, Peter and others warned us to beware of such decievers; such as in these following verses:
"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves."
(Matthew 10:16)
"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
(Matthew 24:24)
"For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock."
(Acts 20:29)
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
(1 Peter 5:8)
"Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:"
(2 Thessalonians 2:9-11)
"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."
(2 Timothy 3:13)
I cannot over-emphasize how important it is, that you firmly ground yourself in God's Word. This is the only way that you will personally escape the strong delusion of the Endtime. Do not just accept at face value what you hear on the radio, or on the television set, or even what you hear coming from church pulpits; because in these last days, Satan has his pawns everywhere! There are many wolves in sheep's clothing; and you just might be their next meal if you don't watch out!
In addition to all of the evidence I have now presented, one final Scriptural link which is a strong indication that the 144,000 are indeed saved Israelies who will heed the Lord's warning, and who will thus flee from the face of the demonic Islamic Beast and his forces as they surround Jerusalem, is the following. In John's description in Revelation chapter seven, he specifically tells us that the sealed servants of the Lord are 'of all the tribes of the children of Israel':
"And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand."
(Revelation 7:4-8)
If the 144,000 are indeed flesh Jews of the physical tribes of Israel, and more specifically, if they are Messianic Jews who have professed faith in the Blood Atonement of Jesus Christ, the following words of warning from the Lord found in Matthew chapter twenty-four and Luke chapter twenty-one make even more sense.
The Lord said:
"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."
(Matthew 24:15-21)
"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea 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 thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."
(Luke 21:20-24)
After issuing the above warning in Luke chapter twenty-one, the Lord went on a few verses later to add the following sobering words for His listeners, as well as for His Endtime readers:
"And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."
(Luke 21:34-36)
In reading the above verses, it seems that some Western Christians have adopted the practice of interpretting the Lord's 'ye' to mean them; and I am beginning to think that in some cases, this is a mistake. For some odd reason, some Western Christians have this mighty idea that they must be at the center of Endtime prophecy, but this may not be the case whatsoever. Many years ago, due to my associations at the time, I too embraced this attiude; however, over the years, as I have come to a better understanding of the Holy Scriptures, I have been slowly realizing that most of us may be merely spectators in the overall scheme of God's Endtime plan. In other words, I have been gravitating to a more Israel-central understanding of Endtime prophecy.
Remember again the words of Michael to the Prophet Daniel:
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."
(Daniel 12:1)
Most of the Endtime prophecies, such as those found in the above verses from the Gospels, are addressed to the Jews, or 'thy people' as Michael called them, who would be living during the Endtime. More specifically, they are addressed to the Christianized Jews who will be living in Israel, and in Jerusalem, at the time these events actually begin to occur. Just like every word written in the Epistles and the Book of Revelation, Jesus wasn't addressing His unbelieving Jewish enemies; He was primarily addressing the future fruit of His First Century Jewish Apostles and Disciples. While these world-shaking events will affect all Christians everywhere, and while we may even witness them on television, we will not actually experience them ourselves. We won't participate in them directly. We will not be in Jerusalem when the Beast invades Israel; but we will most definitely participate in the glorious Rapture three and a half years later!
So this brings us to our main question. What did the Lord really mean when He said 'that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass'? Well, to what things was He referring? Obviously, to the siege and invasion of Jerusalem which He described earlier in His sermon. What did Jesus mean by being 'accounted worthy to escape'? If you accept the erroneous view held by those who embrace the Pre-Tribulation Rapture theory, the Lord is addressing all Christians everywhere, who they claim will escape the Great Tribulation via the Rapture. If the vast majority of us are not even going to be in Israel at that time, then why will there even be a need for us to escape such things? If these events happen any time soon, you may very well be sitting comfortably in your home in the United States of America, watching the invasion and battle for Jerusalem on the evening news! Might it be as King David wrote:
"Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked."
(Psalms 91:8)
If you accept all of the Scriptural evidence I've presented in this series, as well as in 'The Great Tribulation And The Rapture' series, then the escape to which our Lord must be referring, can only be the miraculous flight of the saved Christianized Jews, who will be found worthy to be included in the sealed 144,000 servants of the Lord. They will be the Woman in the Wilderness who escapes the wrath of the Islamic Beast by fleeing to Petra, or to some other secret location prepared for them by the Lord. As far as I can tell, it has absolutely nothing to do with worldwide Christiandom. These escapees will constitute under 2.5 per cent of Israel's current population of about six million people. The rest of the unbelieving anti-christs, who have rejected the Word of the Lord, are going to get slaughtered by the Muslim sword, as part of God's stern chastisements against them. It will be a very terrible slaughter 'such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be'!
Notice also that the Lord specifically states 'pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day'. Here again we see a specific mention of 'flight', as in this verse which we have already looked at, which shows that the escape is not into the air via a Pre-Tribulation Rapture, but rather into the wilderness for the duration of the three and a half years of Great Tribulation:
"And 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."
(Revelation 12:14)
But why does the Lord say 'neither on the sabbath day'? This again is another clear indication that the 144,000 are flesh Jews of all the tribes of Israel, and no one else. You see, while the Messianic Jews do accept Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour, they still adhere to some of the practices set forth in the Mosaic Law. This includes the observance of the Sabbath day. Unless I am mistaken, Law-observant Jews are only permitted to travel about one eighth of a mile on the Sabbath. What this means, is that when the Arab invasion is imminent, and the total destruction of Jerusalem is nigh, these people are going to be forced to make a choice. Either they are going to follow the laws of Jewish Orthodoxy, or else they are going to obey the Lord's warning, and flee as fast as they possibly can from Jerusalem! They are going to fly into the wilderness, not turning back for anything! Let me remind you again of the Lord's own words:
"Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes."
(Matthew 24:17-18)
If those Jews vacillate for even a minute, they will be just like Lot's wife! They are going to be fried; maybe by atomic fire from the sky! Remember Lot's wife! Jesus said that for a reason!
This is all related to what I state in the article 'The Sabbath: Are Christians Obliged To Keep It?'. Jesus clearly stated that the Sabbath is made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. In other words, through the implementation of the Sabbath day observance, God was giving the Israelites an opportunity to rest from their labors; which was something which they were not accustomed to doing at that time. Don't forget that they had just come out of hard Egyptian bondage. Taking a day off was apparently not a part of their mode of thinking. It is something which they had to be taught. But, what happened later, is that, as with many other Laws given by the Lord to Moses, the legalistic Jewish Elders turned the observance of the Sabbath into a burden, more grievous to be born that the whips in Egypt. In other words, the Law became the master, instead of men being the master of the Law. The Scribes and the Pharisees used it to their own self-righteous advantage as Jesus clearly exposed:
"...The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers."
(Matthew 23:2-4)
"...Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers."
(Luke 11:46b)
This brings us to the final point I will be sharing in this series. As I explain in my article 'The Kings Of The North And The South', with each passing year, Jewish Orthodoxy is growing stronger and stronger in Israel. There are already a number of staunch Conservative Jews in the Israeli Knesset. It is these same religious Jews who are creating serious problems for current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; who is now involved in 'land for peace' negotiations with the Palestinians. It is these very same Orthodox Jews who will be responsible for the inevitable contruction of the final Jewish Temple on Mount Moriah. Not only that, but they will be the ones who will herald Moshiach ben David as the true Jewish messiah, when in fact he is the Anti-Christ. Part of this scenario is that observance of the Torah will become very strong. Devout Jews refer to this return to the Law of God as 'Teshuvah'.
So what does all of this mean? The picture which comes to my mind, and I admit that this is only speculation on my part, is that while the false Jewish messiah known as Moshiach ben David will be sitting in the rebuilt Temple claiming to be 'God', enforcing the Mosaic Law, and possibly even telling the Israelies that he is going to miraculously deliver them from the invading Muslim forces, the smart Jews who have converted to Christianity, will be faced with the decision of either yielding to their Jewish heritage by obeying the Law, meaning observing the Sabbath and staying in Jerusalem, or else obeying the words of the Lord when He tells them to run for their lives, if they expect to survive the coming massacre. Those who obey and flee will comprise the 144,000. I am reminded of the following words of wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs. In fact, it appears to be repeated twice, as if the author wanted to give it emphasis:
"A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished."
(Proverbs 22:3)
"A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished."
(Proverbs 27:12)
In conclusion, this is my understanding regarding the most probable identity of the Woman in the Wilderness and the 144,000. In my view, scripturally-speaking, it seems to make a lot of sense. What do you think? Time will certainly tell how accurate I have been. If I am correct, and if you happen to be a Christian Jew in Israel at the time these things begin to occur, I urge you to be wise, and to flee for your life! Don't look back! In the words of King David, flee as a bird to your mountain! With these remarks, I will bring another series to a close. I pray that it has been a blessing in your life.
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