As I have noted before on several occasions, God’s true saints will be protected during the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord in an unknown location. I personally believe “her place” to be the mountain called Petra in Jordan. Having been there I can see how it would be the ideal location. The supernatural protection of the Lord’s Remnant Church will be necessary due to the extreme danger that will mark the 3 1/2 year period just prior to His return to earth as revealed in Matthew 24:21,22: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” He went on to say that no one would be left alive if not for His intervention. He will save some of mankind, but only for the elect’s (saints’) sake. Sinners are promised no such protection, but rather wrath and tribulation on an unheard of scale. The world, including the church world, does not realize how God looks upon sinners, especially those in the church. To learn the Truth about God’s attitude toward sin and sinners one needs to read Psalms 5:5 with a heart open to His Truth: “The foolish shall not stand in Thy sight. Thou HATETH ALL WORKERS OF INIQUITY.” The word “hateth” in Hebrew is sane–to hate, to reject, to despise. The exact same word–sane–is used to describe His attitude toward idolatry as stated in Deuteronomy 16:22. Sin is the transgression of God’s Law (1 Jn. 3:4). Idolatry is the first sin mentioned in the Law (Exo. 20:3). GOD VIEWS SIN AS IDOLATRY. God views sin/idolatry among the churched the same as He views sin/idolatry among the unchurched–He sanes (hates) sin as well as those who commit it. In Romans 9:13 the Apostle Paul stated that God “hated” Esau. The Greek Word used in this instance is miseo, which has the exact same meaning as the Hebrew word sane. “Sinners saved by grace” who believe that God winks at their sins need to have a look at God’s Word on the subject. Having been one of those hapless, ignorant, unbelieving people, I can assure the serious Truth-seeker that the Truth will indeed set him/her free of Satan’s deadly teaching relative to God’s attitude toward those who knowingly commit sin. Ignorance of God’s Word will not save the church sinner from His wrath: “My people are DESTROYED for lack of knowledge” (Hos. 4:6). Note that these are “My (God’s) people” who have His Word–the source of all spiritual knowledge. They lack knowledge because they reject His Word. Because of this their end is to be destroyed. Those who call themselves His people will be destroyed for the same reason. Such will not be protected during the coming holocaust.

An example of how God will protect His people from the ravages of the coming tribulation can be seen in His warning to the saints in Jerusalem just prior to the Roman attack in 70 A.D. that took the lives of tens of thousands and resulted in the destruction of the city and the enslavement of the survivors. Those who experienced God’s protection at that time reported that He warned them to leave the city. Those who heeded His warning escaped to a place called Pella and suffered none of the death and destruction experienced by those who did not have “ears to hear” Him. The Lord is no respecter of persons; those who are in tune with Him in the last days will likewise hear His voice, allowing them to escape the forces of the Antichrist. No “rapture” took His people out of the world in 70 A.D. Nor will a rapture remove His people in the future. Just as Noah and his family, Moses, Lot and Baby Jesus were protected when death came calling, God’s saints will be protected during the times of tribulation ahead of us. That He will protect His end-time saints is brought out in John 15:15 where Jesus asks God to protect His people during the trying times ahead. Note that He did not ask that they be taken out of the world. Again in Revelation 3:10 Jesus promises to keep overcomers in His true church safe during the “hour of temptation”–the Great Tribulation. In verse 11 He warns His followers not to allow men (false prophets) to take their “crown” by believing their false gospel (Gal. 1:6-9). Those who do so will not be protected from the wrath to come and will not inherit eternal life (their promised “crown”).  Note that Paul is telling those in God’s true church that they must be obedient to God in order to receive their promised reward. The promise is sure, but one must qualify to receive it by believing and obeying God’s Word. That the Institutional Church fails on both counts and is proud of that fact is one of the main themes of this website.

God’s New Covenant Church is sometimes referred to as a “woman” in Scripture (2 Cor. 11:1,2/Eph. 5:23-32). God promises to take His church to a place of safety, called “her place,” just prior to the beginning of the Great Tribulation. There she will be protected from “the dragon” (Satan) as noted in Revelation 12:13,14. Notice that “her place” will be on earth, not in heaven. Notice also that “the earth” helps her escape the forces of Satan (14-16). From these verses it is obvious that God’s saints will be on earth during the tribulation period. To be continued. L.J.