by
Keith Hunt
Many know that Bible prophecy predicts a yet to come, end
time, GREAT TRIBULATION, on the peoples of this earth, that has
NEVER been the like in man's history. Jesus did indeed say that
such a time would come on this earth (Matthew 24; Mark 13: Luke
21). The book of Revelation also confirms this end time trouble.
Jesus and the book of Revelation clearly tell us that part of
this end time tribulation will be upon the very true Church of
God - a mighty PERSECUTION of the saints, many of which will have
to give up their lives for THE faith once delivered to the
saints. I have in other studies on this Website given you the
nitty-gritty details of it all, as well as in the New Testament
Bible Story, as we covered the book of Revelation.
Now it does not take much research to find that all during
the last 2,000 years since the formation of the NT Church of God,
there has from time to time, always been persecutions on the
saints of God. Secular and Church history attest to this fact.
And it is also true that during those tribulations of God's
people, there has been the death of saints, and there has been
the protection of saints. Not ALL ever had to give up their lives
for the truths of God, some always were spared, and some were
always killed.
It should be quite easy then to see that in the end time
tribulation, before Jesus returns, SOME will be SPARED from
death, and given safety.
Jesus talked about it as we see in Luke 21:36.
It will not be any different in the end time tribulation -
some true Christians will die and some will escape death. It has
been this way from the BEGINNING of human time on this earth.
Because this is the truth of the matter, some have come up with
some pretty "fancy" ideas about those who will escape death in
the end time tribulation. We have some fundamental Churches who
teach the "rapture of the saints" - Jesus coming invisibly and
having a close encounters with the earth, but catches the saints
off to heaven with Him for 7 or 3 and 1/2 years, before returning
visibly with the saints to this earth. Depending on what part of
fundamental theology you explore on this subject, will depend on
exactly how they teach the "safety" of saints at the end of this
age. I have shown and given you in other studies that this
teaching is in gross error! There will be NO invisible
disappearance of the saints, by an invisible Jesus Christ, only
to come again in power and glory. The NT teaches ONLY ONE "second
coming of Christ" and that coming is VISIBLE. There is no such
thing as a TWO PHASED second coming of Christ.
Then, we have had, and there is still, a teaching by some of
the Churches of God, that the place of safety for the saints who
will not suffer death, at the end time tribulation, is ONE PLACE,
one central location, on this earth.
Somehow, which they have never really figured out, or
explained, is HOW the saints get to this location, and how they
know WHERE it is. Oh, some "off the wall" preachers try to tell
you they have figured it out, because they have some secret
Internet line with God.
The MAIN proof some give for this idea is from the 12th
chapter of Revelation. From verse 9 it is indeed talking about
Satan having one last great persecution on the saints of God. In
verse 14 it talks about the woman (representing the church)
flying (some may take this literally, so they figure they will
have a bunch of aircraft ready to take them to safety - which
their "inspired" leader will have revealed to him) on eagles wings
into THE PLACE - or HER PLACE.
They say the SINGULAR word is used here for "place" - hence
it must be just ONE location somwhere on this earth.
There is ONE HUGE problem with this teaching, and this is
where false teachers fall down, and take you with them, if YOU
are not reading your Bible, and not reading the CONTEXT.
Back in verses 4 we find Satan taking one third of the
angels with him in a revolt against God. And this
dragon/serpent/Devil then tries to KILL the man child (the Son of
God) when He was just yet a baby. The woman/true church brings
forth a man child that is to rule all nations, and this child was
eventually caught up to heaven and to God. This is un-mistakenly
talking about Jesus being born on earth, and then finally going
back to be with God the Father in heaven.
We are now after the return of Christ to heaven. Satan goes
forth and for a most important period of 1260 days, or 1260 years
(a day for a year as most Bible students of prophecy know), the
woman - true Church of God, is PERSECUTED! It's all in secular
and church history. Satan did go forth and many true Christians
were persecuted and some even killed, during a period of 1260
years when the Devil had his false woman church in mighty power
over the Western world. All this is covered in various studies on
this Website.
BUT NOTICE verse 6. The true woman Church of God is told or
led to FLEE into the WILDERNESS! Here she is PROTECTED for and
during that 1260 year period. And she has a PLACE prepared for
her! It is in the SINGULAR! A PLACE! Just as it is in verse 14.
And THE FACT OF HISTORY IS THAT DURING THE 1260 YEARS SHE
WAS IN HER PLACE, WAS NOT ONE CENTRAL LOCATION, BUT THE TRUE
CHURCH WAS IN THE WILDERNESS IN MANY PLACES OF THE WORLD,
WHEN THE MIGHTY BEAST POWER RIDDEN BY THE WOMAN WHORE CHURCH WAS
PERSECUTING THE SAINTS!
As it was in the middle ages so it shall be again at the end
of this age. Safety for God's people is with the Lord in the
hills, forsets, valley, mountains, as it has always been.
People will fall into many false ideas and teachings when
they take ONLY one verse, and ignore the rest of the CONTEXT, and
be willing to let God show them that "singular" words do NOT
always mean or teach "singularity" per se in actuality.
Also some common human LOGIC IS GOOD TO HAVE! Many,
so-called educated "people" or so-called "theological" experts,
are really illogical in their thinking and reasoning.
Do you know what an "expert" is?
Well "ex" is an unknown quantity, and "spert" is a drip
under pressure!
The fundamentalist "rapturists" are WRONG in their teaching,
and the Church of God "one central place of safety" teachers are
WRONG in their teaching. They are BOTH WRONG!
But YOU can find the truth of the matter, if you look and
study, and use some logic.
..............
Written February 2008
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