Eschatological Twists of TPM Doctrine – 1

I think worst part of tpm’s eschatology is that it undermines the faithfulness of God. Scripture is clear that ekklesia (made up of every truly saved believer) is the bride of Christ. TPM sees God abandoning his covenant to his people and coming for only a small portion and abandoning the rest (who will later be put in a faraway place called the New Heaven). TPM says once the “rapture” occurs, the doors of grace will be shut. So in essence, if the martyrs are saved, they are saving themselves by paying the price with their lives. TPM is all over the place with their doctrines.

For people who believe in what Tpm teaches about the second coming, please check out this link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrJmKDni6r8
Can you challenge your faith? Can you admit that your belief system has been wrong? Tpm mostly focuses on Zion, Eternity etc but the second coming of Christ forms the basis for it. And if Tpm has corrupted the very concept of the second coming of Christ, how trust-worthy is it?

It is very difficult to abandon your prized beliefs of a lifetime.

But if you must abandon it, it must be for a better cause, to gain the knowledge of Jesus. I myself, am struggling to cope with such changes that I have actively started seeking God’s word and speaking to Him as friend to friend.

No, I do not want another gospel, a different Christ- I want what the Lord has called me for. My God will never confuse, even if He speaks parables.

The problem is not in our brains or heart or sincerity. I call it theological conditioning. Just as a Buddhist needs to encounter amazing grace of Jesus to receive the true gospel, even so must you & I ask God for renewal in our daily lives. Else, we will parrot out doctrines of men.

Any doctrine should have its foundation in TRUTH and not interpretation of sets of verses.
Anybody who is shown the TRUTH, must be willing to shed ego and humble himself before the God who inspires the scriptures.
I, myself, am still growing in this aspect and am not being critical but am appealing to the readers.

Please don’t blindly follow pastors- do some homework yourself!

You’re right brother. Following pastors is a horrible idea, i don’t believe in practising it and definitely i don’t advocate it. However i believe in being open to having my faith challenged. When i first heard the sermon by Bro Zac Ponnen(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrJmKDni6r8) last year, i was boggled, it didn’t make sense to me because I was conditioned and programmed by Tpm (through Sunday school and sermons) to believe and follow only their point-of-view about the second coming of Christ, however this sermon challenged me with the questions similar to that which the admin has pointed out in this article and i didn’t have answers. You’re absolutely right when you say that its hard to abandon prized beliefs of a lifetime, but shouldn’t our desire to know more about Christ be bigger than our prized beliefs? I truly and fully agree with you that we should do our own homework and not rely just on pastors like the believers of Berea.

Bro,

They support rapture by taking the ref.

Jesus will come like thief…

They misinterpreted……!!!
It is jus meaning, we dnt know which time or hours of a day, when Jesus coming…

Tpm believes in 3 stages of Second coming
1) secret rapture,
2) harvest (end of 3.5 years)&
3) second coming – when every eye shall see him

Lets not laugh about it. Eschatology is one of widely debated subjects in Christendom. There are good scholars on each side of views.

There are following views w.r.t Second coming of Jesus
1) A millennialism
2) pre millennialism
3) Post millennialism

Then there are other kind if division based on fulfilment of prophecies
1) preterism,
2) futurism
3) historism

I think I am not very sure regarding any particular view concerning eschatology. What zac poonen says is very true that the doctrine of rapture is for those people who forget that there has been persecution and martydom since the birth of church in first century, and even continuing now in a greater extent. True that the apostles of Lord Jesus prepared church to pass through tribulation and martydom and not escape them, unlike prosperity preachers of modern times (TPM included).

I think it is a very vast topic and cannot be nutshelled in one article. Still can someone layout the detailed explanation of events prior to and post to 2nd coming of Jesus and wrt to fulfilment of prophecies.

Also one query,
I am not advocate of rapture or of any other view because i know i don’t have full knowledge on this topic therefore i normally neglect this subject, but suppose there is no rapture and say there is only second coming of Christ, then as tribulation period (7 periods/years) starts or if it has already started then is not it possible to find the exact date/time of second coming of Lord? I say this because Jesus said no one knows the day and time of his coming.

“Please provide me ONE Scripture verse which proves a Secret Coming”: I think the verses which refer to the suddenness of His coming–“twinkling of an eye,” “as the lightning that shines,” indicate that it would be secret.

I know from the above referenced videos of Zac Poonen (whom I respect greatly for his life with God) refer to a more visible appearing, where every eye sees Him, but how does every eye see Him in the twinkling of an eye? That would be a reason to suggest that those are two different appearances.

In another video referenced perhaps in another article, where Zac’s teachings are juxtaposed with I think John MacArthur’s, the latter makes some very interesting challenges, particularly when he refers to John 14: I go to prepare a place, and I will come again and receive you unto Myself: where I am, you will be also. If that is Christ’s appearing at the end of tribulation, then He isn’t taking us to a place He has prepared for us above: He’s taking us to a war in progress at Armageddon.

I’m not saying that these verses prove anything conclusively. I’m only saying that nothing has been proved conclusively the other way either. There are alternate ways to read passages: and as you would encourage those with a “TPM” bias to have an open mind when looking to the scriptures, I would encourage you not to allow an “anti-TPM” bias to similarly color your view of scriptures.

From what I have read and understand the “secrecy” of the second coming lies in the date and time.
This would explain why is His coming is compared to that of a “thief”, who does not announce his presence in advance.

It is obvious that the Lord’s appearance itself will be quite public in some sense.

The transformation and transportation of those raptured is something that i believe is mentioned in a figurative sense in the Bible.
One must bear in mind that at the time of the writing of the gospels and epistles, man’s scientific knowledge was limited.
So, those that received the word could only express themselves in their limited capacity and language.

Having said that, even though nearly 2000 years have passed since those words were written, man has not reached a level of understanding to be able to fathom God’s power.

So, what remains to be seen is
1. How exactly the appearance of the Lord will be manifested such that “every” eye can see it?
2. How does the transformation and transportation actually work?

I’m not learned enough to answer these questions, but I suppose that like a lot of things in the word of God, it could be figurative or literal, and the magnitude and majesty of his awesome power will be on display at that time.

Need everyone’s view on II Thessalonians 2:7 which says

“…for the mystery of iniquity doth already work: Only HE WHO now letteth will let, until HE be taken out of way.”

Question is who is HE which allowed mystery of iniquity to work during Apostle Paul’s time? TPM preaches it is Holy Spirit which restrains antichrists, and HS will be taken away at rapture along with perfect saints.

Was Paul talking about Holy Spirit or some civil ruler?
Please share your views.

Thanks to all for researching and providing your inputs.

I would love to add inputs from my research on topic for edification of brethren involved in this discussion.

I have found out that futurist interpretation of prophecies originated with Catholics (Jesuits). The background being thus — that during reformation era, the idea of Roman Catholic Church /(Pope) as Antichrist system prevailed among people. The proposition of Pope as Antichrist and Catholic church as mother of harlots was perfect and irrefutable and equally frustrating for Catholic priests. Everything from 1260 years (3 & 1/2 years) of papacy in power from AD 537 to AD 1798 to prophecies of Daniel and Revelation fitted almost perfectly! Catholic church drinking blood of saints, ruling over nations, changing times and seasons, speaking great boastful things, riding over beast of rome, etc etc fitted perfectly!

To tackle this & to divert attention of people from Pope as Antichrist, a fifth Lateran council was called and it was prohibited to preach about Antichrist. Then a Jesuit theologian (Jesuit was special task force of Catholic church like RAW agents created to evangelise and combat Protestantism) wrote a book about future Antichrist and thereby diverted people’s attention from Pope as Antichrist to Antichrist as someone who is coming in future. Rapture theory of Darby became catalyst to this Catholic invented view! I don’t remember exactly who he was, but most probably it was Darby who translated the work of Jesuit theologian in English and since then majority of Christians think Antichrist as someone who is yet to come to picture! Because people are unaware of history of Christianity, they think the tribulation period is yet to come, however the truth is that horrific atrocities have been committed against Christians in second and third century and in middle ages by Rome and Roman Catholic church. One example is that nero the king of rome used to burn people and use them as torches being hanged on pole. TPM has endorsed this Roman Catholic (Jesuit) view of eschatology – futurist view of antichrist. No wonder we find people excited about who is anti Christ – Obama or someone else or NWO or europian union!

I am not saying that everything fits perfectly as historic view or EU/NWO cannot be antichristian system, but that historic view must be considered and studied upon. I agree that some doubts remain and further research is needed on my part to say anything as to be absolute truth.

(Sometimes I feel so irritated by saints of TPM of conducting vain conventions for collecting money and purchasing lands and property, and not equipping church of treasures of knowledge available: thereby making them weak and susceptible to be carried away with false doctrines. So pathetic is the condition of pentecostal charismatics that most of them think they know deeper truths, but they dont even understand abc of christianity! Centre pastors keep roaming here and there and on busy bodies on mobile phones. I think they should have engaged and utilised their ample free time to do research and visit libraries and learn and feed the flock of Christ rather than wasting the time they have on futile things of construction! They should have constructed Christian libraries instead of convention grounds and encouraged people to come and spent some time studying. If each of them had done research and discussed among themselves the research and then properly fed believers, church members would not have appeared so malnourished. We sometimes feel burdened to take out time from our secular jobs to labour to research and find truth.)

GTA popularized a belief that true christians would not necessarily go to a particular place of safety when the tribulation would come upon us – that we probably would be protected where we are at that time. It is a heresy that we will be protected in our homes. What kind of character could I acquire locked in my own home – what lessons could I learn?

Ultimately it became sort of popular back then to laugh, to scorn those who believed in a literal place of safety – you were said to be petrified. You had to go underground with that sort of belief because it wasn’t popular to state it. Some of the brethren would ask – those who hadn’t got the point it was better not to do that. The old members knew they should button their lip. I knew the scriptures were there that we should flee but somehow we couldn’t deal with them.

Nobody in the anti-place of safety clique never made any attempt to explain away the scriptures about the place of safety. They condemned dogmatism – you mustn’t be dogmatic. They avoided the issue completely.

Now we can only inspire the people of God with some of the most precious promises contained within the Word of God. They are full of hope. Some of you will try to camp out in your living rooms – you will not survive for 3 1/2 years. People thought protection was in their own hands. The point is this – Ted would have you believe that the teaching that the people of God will be preserved in a literal place of safety makes people survival oriented and that gets people hung up on physical circumstances. It’s too physical – “It destroys faith” he used to say. But if you teach people there is no place of safety and you stress that maybe you’ll be protected in your living room then people will get more spiritually oriented, have more faith and confidence in God and everything would be so much better he claimed.

Just the opposite occurred – the doctrine built an unbelievable fear reaction in so many members who expected to die as martyrs – it destroyed faith in God. The truth makes you free – the truth about the place of safety will free you from a lot of anxieties and enable you to have more faith in God – because God does it anyway. It increases faith and love for God.

In Revelation 12:14 we read, “But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.” Here is the promise of physical removal. Some will not accept that promise of physical protection, some will not want to flee, some do not want to flee now. Not everybody who believed you’d be protected in your homes have left and gone with Ted. Some have stayed with that idea. There’s plenty of warning to them – because that idea is going to come back as time goes on, you’ll see it and you’ll hear it. It’ll come back. God says so.

Now go back to Revelation 12:10 “…the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down.” Here we see a lot of that accusation that probably will come through the media and government sources. Satan works through government and the media.

Verse 12 now. “Woe for the Devil has come down to you, having great wrath because he knows he has a short time.” Great wrath!

Verse 13. “Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.” He will do it through the government and the media.

Verse 14. “But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time from the presence of the serpent.” As persecution grows something happens. It talks about a bird here. It’s something symbolic.

In Exodus 19 and Deuteronomy 32 God pictures the literal removal of a people, a large nation, Israel, in large numbers from one place to another and he uses the symbol of a bird.

In Exodus 19:4 God says, “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to myself.”

In Deuteronomy 32:10 we read, “He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness, He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye”. He began to work with Israel there in the wasteland or howling wilderness. He encompassed him with angels. He led them around, He instructed them – an analogy.

Verse 11. “As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings.” She’ll take her eaglets who can’t fly yet to safety. That symbolism is a picture of something.

Verse 12. “So the Lord alone led him and there was no foreign god with him.” God’s protection here.

Verse 13. “He made him in the heights of the earth, that he might eat the produce of the fields. He made him draw honey from the rock and oil from the flinty rock” – symbolizing miraculous feeding etc. A promise of a removal into a wilderness. God is like a great eagle on whom the people of God can hang like eaglets and He will take them to another location.

Now back to Revelation 12:14. It talks about the wilderness. Is it Petra? – maybe.

Down now to verse 15. “So 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.” Water is a type of armies. Here is government harassment of the people of God even as we prepare and as we literally flee and sometimes people have said they are going to throw us out. We’ll leave when they throw us out. Brethren it says here they are going to try and stop us and to bring us back. They’ll be so upset when we leave that they’ll do everything in their power to stop the flight of the people of God. Water is a type of armies and they’ll be sent by Satan – government involvement. Brought back, perhaps imprisoned by the representatives of a certain country.

Verse 16 – “But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.” An earthquake will be between us and these armies, maybe in California. Who has Satan used the most? – the state of California. Satan is thwarted and goes back to that location geographically where the woman once lived to the remnant of the woman where those people lived and he attacks people who said, “I won’t go”. He goes back and finds a remnant in their homes and these aren’t unconverted people, they’re brethren who keep the ten commandments and have the truth of Jesus Christ and they will die as martyrs in their homes.

It seems the anti-place of safety idea may come again in some way. I think the anti-place of safety clique will make its appearance some day, I guess it’s possible. Maybe they’ll become very vocal. Even as we prepare to flee some unconverted relatives could call up the newspapers as we’ll have several weeks the Bible indicates that we’ll have to get ready. It won’t sort of happen, we’ll have time to prepare certain things and there will be headlines connecting us with the satanic Jim Jones cult. It will be hard to take, especially in southern California.

There will be a concerted organized attempt on the government to prevent and stop the flight. And some of our brethren will say “I don’t want to be a part of that”. There will be pressure not to flee, not to go, to keep on representing God in our homes and our community and people will be saying, “There’s got to be a witness back here. God will protect us. You can’t go off and sell your house and sell your car and give up your job and leave the dog home by himself and you can’t haul your kids out of school and maybe Ted was right. I didn’t expect all this publicity. We’ll be protected in our homes.” The seeds have already been sown for a flee or not to flee controversy. Ted began it. Somehow it may begin to roll again. I know what Mr. Armstrong would say. He will say “flee!”. There’ll be pressure there, an anti-flight bias.

I want to show you a little bit about that kind of a bias and what we should understand about Lot’s wife. In a very important passage of scripture we read in Luke 17:26-28, “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man they ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built.”

When was this? It was in the days of Lot before Sodom was destroyed. The others around were not affected by Lot’s warnings. As soon as Lot arrived in Zoar it happened. As we are preparing to leave, as we are doing what Lot and Noah did. Often we apply this to the return of Christ. It isn’t describing His return. It’s referring to the way of life of people and the reaction and attitude of people towards fleeing and the place of safety and some are going to say “I won’t go”.

Let’s go back to the story in Genesis 19. What actually happened before the destruction of Sodom, before the tribulation? Beginning in verse 12 we read, “Then the men said to Lot, ‘Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city; take them out of this place!’ For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.” The angels said get out. As it was in the days of Lot so shall it be. They didn’t believe.

“So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, ‘Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!’ But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking. When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, ‘Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.’ And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city”(verses 14-16) He was attached to the city. There were questions in his mind.

“So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, ‘Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed'”(verse 17). Finally he gets the picture.

“Then Lot said to them, “Please, no, my lords!”(verse 18) I’m not going to the mountains. “Indeed now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have increased your mercy which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtake me and I die”(verse 19). Some evil may overtake me in the mountains and I might die up there. Some ministers scoffed. “Petra has no food or water. You’ll die.” As it was in the days of Lot. The story of Lot is about escaping to a place of safety.

“See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. And he said to him, ‘See, I have favored you concerning this thing also, in that I will not overthrow this city for which you have spoken'”(verses 20-21). God does as he asks.

“Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt”(verses 22-26).

Flashback! Lot’s wife wasn’t sure she wanted to go into this place of safety. She liked Sodom and thought maybe God will protect me back in the city. She was about to turn all the way around and she was going to go back, turn around and march back into the city. She wasn’t going to have anything to do with this place of safety idea. She turned around and she became a pillar of salt! That is a memorial for us!!! It means when the call comes to flee, when the directive is given, we must go – we must not linger as Lot did, we must not turn back around as Lot’s wife did, we must go all the way! We must not give into some anti-place of safety bias or reject the promise of a literal physical protection.

Now back to Luke 17. “Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back”(verses 28-31).

Don’t come down to get your stuff. Some of our brethren apply this to the return of Christ but it doesn’t make any sense. At Christ’s return there would be no question of going back to get your stuff. When? It’s so totally clear brethren that this is referring to the example of Lot and Noah, the Ark and fleeing into a place of safety. If you are on the roof don’t come in to get your suitcase. If you are in the field don’t go back to your house to get it. And as you’re going through the trauma of leaving brethren please remember Lot’s wife – what happened to Lot’s wife and why. She became a pillar of salt on the way to a place of safety because she was turning around and she was going to go back.

Christ says in verse 32, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Some of you will forget what Lot’s wife did.

Christ goes in verse 33 and 34 – “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left.” This is not the night of Christ’s return. You can use this as a type of what might happen when Jesus returns but the context is not that.

Further he said in verses 35 to 37, “Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left. And they answered and said to Him, ‘Where, Lord?’ So He said to them, ‘Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.’ ” Here’s a clear promise of protection. Learn the lesson of Lot’s wife!

God promises in Revelation 3:10, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” For those who keep God’s word of perseverance He says He will keep you from – out of, away from, the hour of trial to try the WHOLE world!

In Isaiah 26:20-21 God says, “Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment until the indignation is past. 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.” Here is a promise of God of a literal physical removal and protection. Verse 21 indicates a worldwide tribulation. In verse 20 it says chambers – that is an enclosed location. God shut the doors of the Ark and nobody could get into it. You can’t hide in your homes. Hide where? A little uncertainty generates faith. Maybe Petra is a type.

In Revelation 12:14 it talks about a wilderness which means a desolate, deserted place. A howling wilderness. A desert. It’ll could be Arab land where the Bedouins live. There is the indication of it maybe being within a day’s driving or flying distance from the city of Jerusalem. The Bible indicates it might be less than a day to make the trip from Jerusalem to the place of safety.

Luke 21 indicates it may well be an Arab land and a days journey from Jerusalem. In verses 20 and 21 we read,”But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.” In Matthew 24:15-16 it’s put this way, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” This is the final sign for our leaving for the place of safety. There are going to be two signs that indicate that it’s time to leave – really it’s one sign in two stages. We’ll be shown one sign several weeks before the deadline and a second sign the day of the deadline.

There will be the destruction of a Jewish place of worship and Jerusalem will be surrounded with armies. Europeans are going to desecrate that place of worship. The European combine will do it. When that occurs we are told “let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” That happens the day when the place of safety is closed to new arrivals. That is the second sign and is only to those in Judea. They already have fled. Maybe some of us will be in Judea that day. That doesn’t mean we’ll already be in the place of safety. Why a day? Daniel 12 tells us that 1260 days before Christ comes that temple will be desecrated before Christ comes – 3 1/2 years.

Revelation 11 says 2 witnesses do their witness 3 1/2 years in Jerusalem. Revelation 12 says we’ll be in the place of safety 1260 days. The final sign to flee occurs 1260 days before Christ’s return, that’s the time we’re supposed to be there. That’s the last day. These people are down in Jerusalem, the deadline day, and they’ve got a few hours to get out of there and to flee into the place of safety. Most of the others of us will long since have made that trip. We may be all there that day, I don’t know, helping the two witnesses set up and getting Jerusalem ready for them. If you’re in Judea that day you flee. Once again the time setting is clear. Don’t come down from the housetop, don’t race back to get your clothes because you’ll have no time to do that if you’re in Jerusalem. Time is going to be at a premium. You’ll have a few hours to make that city of refuge before the doors literally close (verse 19-21). It’s not on Jewish soil. You can see Jerusalem from the place of safety.

In Daniel 11:40-45 it indicates God says He will supernaturally protect a piece of Arab real estate for 3 years, but not 3 1/2. The king of this protected nation that is described here is that of King Hussein and of the Kingdom of Jordan and God is describing the basic limitations of a little Arab country that is across the River Jordan from the nation of Israel. It’s been there as long as Israel. And in that nation we found years ago 3 types of people there. Some of them are still there, some of them are not but the area in which these people live is going to be protected by God for 3 years. Why?

Verse 40. The King of the South is the leader of an Arab combine. The King of the North, Europe, will come against this Arab leader and begin to destroy Arab countries. Verse 41. Edom used to be the south end of the nation of Jordan (Sinai). Moab is the country that now is Jordan. Ammon is the north part of Jordan. Verse 42. Why preserve a whole nation? I thought the place of safety was just one little city. God will preserve the major part of a tiny nation so we can build the place of safety into a magnificent city and we’ve got to have some facilities and we’ve got to have some help to do that. Why might God give stability and a certain amount of prosperity to that area for 3 years but not for the final 6 months? He’ll cut off the central and northern part of the country in the last 6 months and then He’ll protect the south where we apparently are going to be.

What about the idea of Petra? In the Standard Bible Dictionary we read the following about the Nabacean Arabs – a nomadic Tribe south and east of the River Jordan called Bedouins who claim to be descendants of Nabacean Arabs.

In Isaiah 42:1 God says, “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.” It’s describing the return of Jesus Christ. Verse 11 – “Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, The villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing, Let them shout from the top of the mountains.” Who is Kedar? A nomadic tribe that inhabited the Arabian desert many hundreds of years ago, a selective term for the Bedouin community in general, now the Arabs called Nabacean Arabs who live over in Petra call themselves Bedouin. They live there some of the time but they basically wander and they view themselves as the descendants of the Nabacean and the descendants of Kedar.

That area of the Middle East in which the Bedouins live is told to rejoice and let the inhabitants of Petra sing. The Bedouins don’t live in Petra. They go through, they graze their sheep there, they live around there. But here are people living there, it says in the Hebrew. Let the inhabitants of Petra sing. Who’s doing the singing? The unconverted Bedouins with their flocks or somebody else who happens to live in the area in which Kedar dwells? “Let them shout from the tops of the mountains.” Oh! Do you mean mountains will be still standing where the Bedouins live? Haven’t you read that all the mountains are going to be flattened the day Jesus comes, or read in Revelation that all of the mountains flee out of their place, that God will flatten the Alps, the Rockies and there will be unbelievable earthquakes but here in the Middle East in the area where a rather small number of thousands of Bedouins live there are mountains standing and up on the top of those mountains people are singing and in the middle of those mountains is the old city called Petra also standing and untouched. Why? Verses 12 and 13 show it’s the time of Christ’s return.

Isaiah 33 is a fascinating chapter. Very, very striking symbolism. Verse 3 shows it is the end of the age. The whole world will be scattered, a time of worldwide tumult and the end of the age. Verse 5 – Someday Christ is going to dwell on high but not quite yet. Verse 9 – The earth is going to mourn and languish. It talks about some Arab countries being destroyed such as Lebanon.

Down to verse 14 – “The sinners in Zion are afraid; Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites: ‘Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?'” Why are they afraid? Is this everlasting burnings something nuclear? Who can survive this awful time? Verse 15 – “He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil” The answer – a servant of God will. Where?

Verse 16 – “He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure.” In the mountains. Matthew 24 says flee into the mountains. Which mountains? “His place of safety (defense – that’s what the Hebrew says) shall be the fortress made of rocks” Hebrew: mountains = Masad. Rocks = Petras, Selas. “Bread will be given him there”. Because there will be no growing season at the beginning there we’re going to have to create one. “His waters shall be sure”. The rainy season in Petra in the desert in the Negev is in October to March. That desert gets beautiful about the month of January, it blossoms like a rose for a few weeks and you can catch the water there. At the beginning we’ll have insufficient water but God says He’ll work it out so our waters are sure. That involves some miracles.

Verse 17 talks about Christ’s coming. “Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off.” Seeing the land far off could be a type. Verse 18 – “Your heart will meditate on terror: ‘Where is the scribe? Where is he who weighs? Where is he who counts the towers?'” But you won’t be living in this terror. The scribe, that is the military man that signs up the young soldiers receives the general that decides what tribute you bring. You will be able to see military maneuvers from the place of safety off in the land of promise but there will be no maneuvers where you are. Verse 19. “You shall not see a fierce people” there. That munitions of rocks will be untouched by those massive armies. We’ll see the Phantom jets screaming overhead but they won’t be able to drop bombs, we’ll see the rockets exploding at night. We’ll see untold to millions killed in some of the bloodiest battles but we’ll be untouched where we’ll be.

For 3 years Jordan is going to be protected and for 6 months only the southern end of the country will be protected because there is going to be an attack on central and northern Jordan and God will remove His protection. God will give this promise for protection for them to give us time to build, to give us access to supplies and building materials and they’ll be favorable towards us and we’ll build and they’ll sell us vehicles and anything we need. I’d imagine they’ll help us construct the irrigation canals and help us to build homes. And they’ll be prosperous because of us. But God will ultimately withdraw His protection from them after we have built the most magnificent city on the face of the earth. I’m convinced of that. God will cut off that lifeline with the populous center in the northern part of the nation of Jordan. And He will leave us in a sense to our own devices and we’ll have a lot of company because God says those Jordanians that helped us are going to be allowed to flee south where we are and we’re going to have a big pack, maybe 30000 Arabs and Jordanians, living with us in the place of safety for the last six months before Jesus comes. And I’d tend to think a lot of them are going to be converted during that time. I don’t think they’ll be right in there with us. I think they’ll set up tent villages in the area.

Isaiah 16 is an unbelievable, incredible scripture. Isaiah 15 gives the context because the 15th chapter tells about the fall of Moab. Now God in Daniel 11 said Moab would be protected but He didn’t say how long. It would be about 3 years. We read in Isaiah 15:5, “My heart will cry out for Moab; His fugitives shall flee to Zoar like a three-year-old heifer. For by the Ascent of Luhith they will go up with weeping; For in the way of Horonaim they will raise up a cry of destruction.” Because ultimately His protection is removed his refugees will flee into Zoar – that’s where Lot went but because there’d be no protection in Zoar, they would flee ultimately into the true place of safety but notice he would be like “a heifer of 3 years”. What does that mean?

God says in Isaiah 16:14, “But now the LORD has spoken, saying, ‘Within three years, as the years of a hired man, the glory of Moab will be despised with all that great multitude, and the remnant will be very small and feeble.'” God is going to hire in a sense the Moabites to be our help and supply us with those needs that we have, we’ll have favour with them and they’ll help us build to some degree.

Now back to Isaiah 16:1, “Send the lamb to the ruler of the land, From Sela to the wilderness, to the mount of the daughter of Zion. For it shall be as a wandering bird thrown out of the nest; So shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.” What are the Moabites doing in the south? They should be in the north. They are in the south because that’s where we are and they have been living in tents and villages of Kedar. They send a tribute and a thanksgiving to Jesus when He comes. Here are these Arabs, Moabites, and they’ll be living there. Send to the ruler of the land — Jesus Christ. The lambs are going to be sent from Sela (Petra), sent through the wilderness, across Jordan,”into the Mount of the daughters of Zion”. Why do you have these Moabites from the central part of Jordan down in Petra which is in the south and isn’t their land at all and as Jesus comes they are sending tribute to Him across the desert to Jerusalem and they are saying in effect we want to be submissive to you. Maybe a lot of them will be converted because of their contact with us.

Isaiah 16:3 – “Take counsel, execute judgment; Make your shadow like the night in the middle of the day; Hide the outcasts, Do not betray him who escapes.” As you flee you should be careful so you’re not seen. They are going south and God says to them make your shadows as the noon, even as you flee at the noon make sure you can’t be seen as the Russian armies across central and northern Jordan. He said don’t let those armies see where you’re going as you flee south. Why? Because there are other refugees there, other outcasts there, and the outcasts of Moab are to protect the outcasts of the living God, the refugees who have already fled there and there are 2 groups of people who will flee into southern Jordan.

Verse 4 – “Let My outcasts dwell with you, O Moab; Be a shelter to them from the face of the spoiler. For the extortioner is at an end, Devastation ceases, The oppressors are consumed out of the land.” There are 2 groups – God’s outcasts and the outcasts of the nation of Moab. And when does this occur? Verse 5 – “In mercy shall the throne be established.” That’s when Christ returns. So after the 3 years the protection is removed and the last few months it’s just the South. But who’s the invader of Moab? The invader of Moab begins to surge across that part of the world. You need to understand this.

You see that Jordan is going to be invaded by massive Communist Oriental armies in the north and the centre but not in the south. The Communists will come into the land of Israel where the Europeans will be in charge from the direction of north, from Russia, Lebanon they’ll also come from the east and the Communist hordes of China, Vietnam, India will roll across Iraq and Iran and they’ll join them and then they’ll surge across the southern end of Syria and across the northern end of Jordan into the land of Israel and to the city of Jerusalem from the East. Now when that happens you’ll know about it. Because suddenly thousands of Arabs will be fleeing south to escape those armies and will find them banging on our door and we’ll be saying you can’t come in where we are but you can make villages all around us because God will protect you.

Ezekiel 25:1-2, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying, Son of man, set your face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them.” We are going to preach this to them someday. We are going to set our face against them and some of you may drive but to Ammon some day, maybe Mr. Armstrong will do this, and we’ll say ok this is going to happen to you someday. Verse 3 – “Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord GOD! Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you said, ‘Aha!’ against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity.” The sanctuary in Jerusalem when the Jews place of worship is profaned and they laughed, they didn’t mind, when Israel and our nations went captive and when the Europeans literally blitzed the nation of Judah into smithereens and the Jordanians say aha, serves them right because you see there are a lot of Palestinians over in Jordan and they are not very great lovers of the Jews.

Verse 4 – “Indeed, therefore, I will deliver you as a possession to the men of the East, and they shall set their encampments among you and make their dwellings among you; they shall eat your fruit, and they shall drink your milk.” That will happen in the last few months when the protection been removed. Verses 5 to 8 – “And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels and Ammon a resting place for flocks. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. ‘For thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced in heart with all your disdain for the land of Israel, indeed, therefore, I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations; I will cut you off from the peoples, and I will cause you to perish from the countries; I will destroy you, and you shall know that I am the LORD. ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Look! The house of Judah is like all the nations,” Deliver Moab to the 200 million strong Communist hordes rolling across that part of the Middle East to take Jerusalem from the Eastern side across the West Bank. Verse 10 – “To the men of the East I will give it as a possession, together with the Ammonites, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations.” But some of them survive and flee.

We read in Jeremiah 48:1, “Against Moab. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Woe to Nebo! For it is plundered, Kirjathaim is shamed and taken; The high stronghold is shamed and dismayed” This is going to happen and some of them will flee and God says they can. He doesn’t say stay in your cities and die when these massive Communist armies literally destroy and devastate all of Moab and central Jordan and wipe out the city of Ammon. These people are going to help us to some degree and God gives them a special blessing. Nebo – that’s in the North. Verses 2 to 5 “No more praise of Moab. In Heshbon they have devised evil against her: ‘Come, and let us cut her off as a nation.’ You also shall be cut down, O Madmen! The sword shall pursue you, a voice of crying shall be from Horonaim: ‘Plundering and great destruction!’ Moab is destroyed; Her little ones have caused a cry to be heard. For in the Ascent of Luhith they ascend with continual weeping; For in the descent of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.”

Now what do we say to them? Verse 6 – “Flee, save your lives! And be like the juniper in the wilderness.” Flee! Verses 8 to 9 – “And the plunderer shall come against every city; No one shall escape. The valley also shall perish, And the plain shall be destroyed, As the LORD has spoken. Give wings to Moab, That she may flee and get away; For her cities shall be desolate, Without any to dwell in them.” Give wings unto all these carnal Arabs and where did God say they should flee to? Verse 28 – “You who dwell in Moab, leave the cities and dwell in the rock and be like the dove which makes her nest in the sides of the cave’s mouth.”

Every Jordanian knows exactly where Petra is. It’s the only big tourist attraction in the whole country. The Jordanian government has spent thousands of dollars to clean up Petra, to clean out the caves because it’s a tourist site. They want tourist dollars. They’ll also know where we are. The sign to flee is always involved with the Jews. What they do and what they build – another temple. We’ll be doing so much. We are going to build a city. People working in construction in God’s church. We are going to rough it for a while. There won’t be any Sealy Posturepedic mattresses in those caves. The mattresses will come. It’s going to hurt for a couple of months. I can promise you that. There’ll be a lot of fresh food when we arrive. But God can use manna or He can cause other people to put the food there for us – the evangelicals.

Many Jews will flee when the tribulation begins and many may flee to Petra. Some Christian businessmen knowing this have gone to Petra and stored tons of food in the caves. They’re also full of tracts about their beliefs. We’ll make bonfires out of those tracts. There’s food there and it’ll feed us for a while, time enough to get our engineers out repairing those irrigation basins to get the water down between October and March and then begin to plant gardens. 40 miles away from Petra the Israelites have built beautiful towns in 12 months. If the Jews can do it we can do it. At one time 130 000 Arabs lived in that city 2000 years ago and they had sufficient water. What kind of energy might be used? – maybe solar. You have got no idea of the potential that’s there. We bring in by the truckload all these Jordanian made tools and we say get out there and build us a city. You will build us a city the likes of which the earth has never seen. You thought A.C. looks nice – wait till you see what the place of safety will look after 3 1/2 years. It’s a long time. The Israelites build beautiful towns in one year out of nothing. We got so much expertise in this church that it’s not funny – carpenters and so on. I don’t know what you’ll do in the Kingdom of God but in that place of safety there will be plenty to do.

When Jesus comes all the Israelites and Jews who have gone as refugees worldwide will be brought back into the wilderness where Petra is. When Jesus comes we’ll be in the wilderness, we’ll rise and meet Him, we’ll rejoice and then we’ll go to Jerusalem and to live in that land and resettle it. They are going to have to go through a time debriefing and reeducation and God says that is going to happen in the wilderness and He will not allow them into the land and they’ll come under the rod of the covenant. They’ll come into that wilderness and what are they going to find there? Isaiah said they’ll find a city, people rejoicing and those mountains will be still standing and a city will have been built and they’ll take people into that city and go into the land of promise. Once they’re ready they’ll walk across that 28 miles of desert to the River Jordan and they’ll walk across the River Jordan exactly as our ancestors did thousands of years ago.

Let’s look at Ezekiel 20 now. Verse 33 – “‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘surely with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, I will rule over you.” That’s the tribulation. Verse 34 – “I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out.” This is after Jesus comes and where will they go? Directly into Palestine or are they going to be reeducated first? Are they going to have a rehabilitation centre all ready for them? Jerusalem will be in rubble. Only one city will not be in rubble. Verse 35 – “And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will plead My case with you face to face.” This will last many weeks.

Verse 36 – “Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you,’ says the Lord GOD.” The same way as Ancient Israel — He’ll debrief and prepare them again to enter the land. Verses 37 to 38 – “I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.” They shall not go into the land of Israel first. Where will our kids be when we rise to meet Christ? When we are at the marriage supper they’ll be in the most beautiful city on the face of the earth.

Without God a place of safety would not be a place of safety. It’s a terrible mistake to place too much emphasis on what we can do and what the church can do. We’ve got all these skills and we’ll draw on it but even with all this expertise we must have the living God with us. He is our Rock. Petra is vulnerable to take attack. God will have to keep jets away from that place of refuge. God will place a cover over us. The heat is terrible, as is the cold at night and the scorpions. We’ll be only a few miles from some of the most horrendous battles to be fought in the history of mankind and we’ll hear the bombs being dropped.

Psalm 91:1 – “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Shadow could refer to a cloud in wilderness. He will warm us at night and cool us off in the day. Verses 2 to 7 – “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.” We’ll be able to see it happening from the peaks.

Verses 8 to 16 – Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.”

In conclusion – Remember Lot’s wife – she didn’t flee because she didn’t want to go!!!