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The Only Guaranteed Way to Escape End-Time Catastrophes

CHAPTER 7

PHILADELPHIANS “HAVE NOT DENIED GOD’S NAME”

Jesus Christ’s third commendation of the Philadelphians in Revelation 3:8 is that they have not denied His name. What does this mean?

This simply means that we are to never deny that God the Father and Jesus Christ exist and are alive today; that we are members of God’s Church and that above all we obey God the Father and Jesus Christ and keep their commandments, statutes and judgments in the letter and the spirit as described in the pages of the Bible.

Before the Great Tribulation actually comes on the world, the faith of all members of God’s Church will be tried. Conditions will be terrible and there will be tremendous pressure to deny that we are members of God’s Church in order to remain hidden. That is why there will be a need to flee to the place of safety. But we are required to never deny God’s name and that we belong to Him, which we demonstrate by admitting that we are members of His true Church and by keeping God’s identifying sign the Sabbath as well as all of God’s annual holy days, and not worshipping any idols or images and bowing down to them. Keeping the Sabbath and not worshipping idols or images are the two test commandments among the Ten Commandments.

Peter the apostle warned all members of God’s Church in 1 Peter 4:12: “12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you…”

Paul the apostle in his travels is described in Acts 14:22 as: “22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”

Jesus Christ Himself warned the disciples in John 16:33: “33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

Thus tribulation and fiery trial is sure to come on all members of God’s Church in the end time, including both Philadelphians as well as Laodiceans. But the Philadelphians are commended for not denying the name of God the Father and Jesus Christ no matter when they are called upon to answer for their faith. That is why they are GUARANTEED protection in a place of safety.

In contrast to the Philadelphians, the Laodiceans are not commended for doing so. Perhaps some of them do deny that they are members of God’s Church to try to remain hidden in order to escape the Great Tribulation. As a result, instead of being taken to the place of safety they are left in the world to face the horrors of the Great Tribulation. Then when they are called on to answer for their faith, as the parable of the ten virgins shows (Matthew 25:1-12), half of them wake up to the reality that this is their last chance to repent and still qualify to receive eternal life as God’s literal sons and daughters and finally admit that they are genuine members of God’s Church. They will be martyred for it, but will receive eternal life. And when they are resurrected in a few months to eternal life at the return of Jesus Christ they will see their revenge on those who murdered them by seeing them all die horrible deaths in the last one year of the Great Tribulation. They will be with Jesus Christ when God’s wrath is poured out on all their murderers, and when the German dictator called the beast and the pope are caught alive and thrown in the Lake of Fire in Jerusalem most likely by their former American, British and Jewish slaves.

The other half of the Laodiceans under threats of torture and murder by the Beast and the False prophet or their representatives will end up denying God and Jesus Christ by denying that they are members of God’s true Church and denying that they keep God’s commandments as stated in the Bible. Some of them may also admit they were members of God’s Church in the past but had given up their faith. They will then betray their brethren in God’s Church to the authorities and have them murdered, or become their torturers and murderers themselves when they might be asked to do so to prove that they are not members of God’s Church any longer. They may survive the first two and half years of the Great Tribulation, but then God guarantees that they will without exception die in the last one year of the Great Tribulation when Jesus Christ’s wrath is poured out on all nations for their evil.

One Vision of End Time Scenario

God’s Church has an understanding of end time prophesied events. Here is one vision of a scenario that could play out in the world affecting all members of God’s Church.

The sequence of end-time events as laid out in the messages of the seven seals in the book of Revelation tells us that the first catastrophic event will be a true world war when nations will rise against nations and kingdoms against kingdoms along with civil and ethnic wars within nations. These wars and their aftermath of famines and diseases and wild animals attacking human beings will kill one fourth of mankind.

After the war the pope will begin performing miracles and in league with the German dictator or the beast demand that the entire world worship the image of the beast. A literal image possibly like the one King Nebuchadnezzar of ancient Babylon set up may be set up. The world will also be required to take on the mark of the beast on their right hand or their foreheads as prophesied in Revelation 13:11-18 (NKJV).“11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. [we understand that this is talking about the pope of the Roman Church] 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast [this is talking about the German dictator] in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed [deadly wound is a reference to the ancient Roman Empire which was destroyed, but that deadly wound was healed when it has been resurrected through the ages]. 13 He [meaning the pope] performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast [the German dictator], telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived [this obviously is talking about an image of the Holy Roman Empire]. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak [probably refers to an actual idol or image of the German dictator] and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”

We understand this is talking about the seventh and last resurrection of the so-called ‘Holy Roman Empire’. The mark of the Beast could be a literal mark of some sort. But since the mark could be received on the right hand [with which we work] or on the forehead [which is the seat of the intellect], it could very well refer merely to accepting the religion of the false Roman Church refraining from work and worshipping on Sunday, the day of sun worship and not on Saturday which is God’s Sabbath day. Instead the false Church will demand that all work on Saturday.

This is when the faith of all members of God’s Church, the Philadelphians and Laodiceans will be tried. The beast will have demonstrated that he has deadly weapons to enforce his will on the world. Under these circumstances only God can offer guaranteed protection. But some members will not have the faith to believe that. They believe they have to do what they think would work out best for them. They may deny that they are members of God’s Church in order to remain hidden, thinking God would surely understand their situation and take them to the place of safety when the time comes.

They may also look to human leaders of their own nations of America, British Commonwealth countries nation and Jewish leaders in the state of Israel for guidance, who will counsel them to just remain hidden and keep their faith privately. But that in the eyes of God the Father and Jesus Christ is denying their name and not qualifying for being taken to the place of safety.

The pope and the beast will demand that the nations give up members of God’s true Church who live among them. The national leaders will tell members of God’s Church that they have the option of admitting that they are members of God’s Church and then be handed over to the Beast and the False Prophet; or they can deny that they are members of God’s Church and be allowed to live in the nation. This is one way the Philadelphians and Laodiceans could be separated.

Either the nations will expel the Philadelphians among them, who admit that they are members of God’s Church, or God will supernaturally take them to the place of safety when the nations decide to hand them over to the Beast and the False prophet. The meaning of the 1260, 1290 and 1335 days of Daniel 12 seems to indicate that the nations will expel the Philadelphians, who will be accepted by the state of Israel because they are Sabbath keepers. So they will choose to depart to Jerusalem with God helping them get there. And then when the signal comes, they will flee to the place of safety. But God could also supernaturally take them to Jerusalem and then they flee to the place of safety.

In contrast, some of the Laodiceans would have chosen to remain hidden by outwardly denying that they are members. But then the beast and the false prophet demand that all peoples worship the image of the beast and take on the mark of the beast. Then the Laodiceans remember there is no escape for them if they succumb to these demands because in Revelation 14:9-11 God guarantees that those who do so will not survive His wrath to be poured out by Jesus Christ. They will not physically survive, and they will also lose their one and only chance for eternal life.

Revelation 14:9-11 states: “9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."

The beast and the false prophet will demand that the Laodiceans who remain in the world violate God’s laws to prove that they are not members of God’s Church or have given up their faith and accepted the satanic religion of the beast and the false prophet. Half of the Laodiceans will wake up to the truth and then not deny God’s name by refusing to worship the image of the beast or accepting his mark and choosing instead to accept martyrdom. The remaining half of the Laodiceans will compromise and lose their physical as well as eternal lives. They will turn on their loyal brethren, betray them by exposing them as genuine members of God’s Church, and then most likely be asked to torture and murder them to prove their loyalty to the religion of the beast and the false prophet.

Matthew 24:9-13 describes this betrayal: “9 Then they [meaning nations as well as Laodicean members who choose to compromise] will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you [meaning compromising Laodicean members likely participating in these murders], and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

This is a likely scenario that could play out and the consequences of the choices the individual members make. Those who have determined in their minds that they will never deny God’s name, no matter what the pressures or circumstances will be supernaturally guided to make it to the place of safety. They will have to rely totally on God for protection during the entire three and a half years of the Great Tribulation. Only they are GUARANTEED such protection (Revelation 3:10: “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.) But they will have gone through tremendous pressure or circumstances that visibly seem hopeless but still resisted denying God’s name. They will be the Philadelphians and will receive God’s protection. Others will seek to hide their faith or possibly outwardly deny that they are members of God’s Church in order to protect themselves. But they will be found out when they are required to worship the image of the beast and take on the mark of the beast. Those among these Laodiceans who do so will have denied God’s name. Those who refuse to worship the image of the beast and take on the mark of the beast will have exposed themselves as members of God’s Church and will be martyred, but will be resurrected as glorious immortal sons and daughters of God only a few months later, to then see with their own eyes vengeance being poured out on their murderers.

How Would you Choose?

When faced with these choices, what would you as a member of God’s Church choose? Perhaps we can answer the great conundrum of how the teenager should have answered Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the two high school seniors at Columbine High School, Colorado, USA who massacred 13 and injured 24 students at their high school, when asked “Do you believe in God?” knowing that she would be shot dead if she said “yes” and probably let go free if she said “no.” The one who answered ‘yes’ was actually shot dead.

This question has physical and eternal life and death significance for members of God’s Church. Jesus Christ actually warns that those who deny His name and God the Father will not be counted as Philadelphians but as Laodiceans and will have to go through the Great Tribulation. So the answer for members of God’s Church is that if they are ever faced with a situation like Columbine High School teenagers were faced with when confronted by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, there should be no other thought in their minds than the requirement to “never deny God’s name’, no matter what the circumstances. They should have a fixed determination in their minds, with no other thought than that they will never deny the name of God the Father and Jesus Christ, that they are members of God’s true Church and worship God in truth and believe and follow all the fundamental doctrines and beliefs God restored to His Church through His end-time apostle Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong and that they will never worship any image of the beast or take on his mark, and will keep the Sabbath and God’s seven annual holy days.

We do not compromise with God’s way of life, no matter what the circumstances. We trust God for our protection and do not try to hide our true faith and beliefs by denying them outwardly in order to escape persecution. So when confronted by Eric Harrises and Dylan Klebolds of the world, we never deny God’s name even if our heads are blown off. We have the faith to believe that we will be resurrected to eternal life as God’s literal sons and daughters. Eric Harrises and Dylan Klebolds will also be resurrected to physical life and then given their one and only chance for eternal life. If they do not repent of their wickedness with tears and choose God’s way of life, they will finally wind up burnt alive in the Lake of Fire and their lives permanently extinguished. The world will learn that they did not have an immortal soul.

Examples Of How God’s People Chose

When confronted by Eric Harrises and Dylan Klebolds of the world, if we do not deny God’s name, God could actually intervene to protect us physically as well. We would not know unless we leave matters entirely in God’s hands and demonstrate unwavering determination to never deny His name.

Now consider examples of God’s people who never denied God’s name and some who did.

First Paul the apostle writes in 2 Timothy 4:16: “16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.” This should tell us that forsaking God’s people in order to protect oneself is not looked at kindly by God. Paul had to pray for forgiveness for the brethren who forsook him.

Then we have the example of John Mark in Acts 16:36-39 who departed from Paul and Barnabas for fear of persecution and went not with them to preach the gospel. But later he found forgiveness from Paul and God when he lost his fear of persecution and started preaching the gospel again as Paul states in 2 Timothy 4:11: “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.”

Next consider the example of the 12 apostles when Jesus was crucified. Eleven had fled and only John witnessed the entire crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. The consequences from history tell us that all the eleven apostles were martyred and only John the apostle died a natural death. John escaped attempts to kill him by God supernaturally intervening on his behalf. For example, when thrown alive into a boiling cauldron of oil he simply climbed out of it unhurt.

Next consider the example of Daniel (Daniel 6) when King Darius signed a decree that for 30 days if any man should ask a petition of any God or man except King Darius he would be thrown in the den of lions. Daniel could have let the 30 days pass without praying to God and then resumed his worship of God. But he did not deny God’s due worship and thanks for even a single day and was thrown into the den of lions. He was rescued and those who persecuted him because of jealousy perished at the mouths of those very lions.

Then we also have the example of Daniel’s 3 friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. When people were asked to worship the image King Nebuchadnezzar had made, all fell down and worshipped except those three. They could have compromised thinking what does it matter? They could have reasoned, “By falling down to a dumb idol we are not really worshipping the idol for truly in our hearts we worship the true God of our fathers.” But they chose not to deny the true God by refusing to fall down to the image. When threatened by King Nebuchadnezzar and given another chance to fall down and worship the image, they flatly refused and told the king “we won’t.” If they had not left their protection in God’s hands, they and we would not have found out that God does intervene to protect those who don’t deny His name. But now their deed is a sterling example for all of humanity to emulate.

Next consider the example of Noah!

In Noah’s days before the Flood there really was a family that ruled almost the entire world; that of Lamech. The activities of Lamech and the material progress and accomplishments of a small part of his family are described in Genesis 4:19-24: 19 Then Lamech took for himself two wives [probably the first polygamist in the world]: the name of one was Adah [who was racially white], and the name of the second was Zillah [who was a negro, making Lamech possibly the first also to marry interracially]. 20 And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock [huge herds of cattle]. 21 His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute [the greatest musician and inventor of musical instruments of his day]. 22 And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron [inventor and developer of the science of metallurgy, extracting metals and developing alloys, and inventor of deadly weapons such as metal tipped arrows and spears]. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah [inventor of textiles]. 23 Then Lamech said to his wives: "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech! For I have killed a man for wounding me, even a young man for hurting me [Lamech was also the leading man of violence in the world who murdered people who offended him or got in his way.] 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold [indicating Lamech murdered Cain], then Lamech seventy-sevenfold."

Before the Flood, Lamech and his family had deified themselves, following the example of their ancestor Cain. Lamech was worshipped as the god Zeus, Jabal was the ancient Hercules, Jubal was worshipped as Apollo, Tubal-cain as Vulcan or the Greek god Hephaestus, and Naamah as the goddess Athena. Because of the incredible material progress of the family all of humanity looked up to them, and because no one dared oppose them as they had superior weapons, the family had built temples to themselves and set up their own idols for the people to worship. They stamped out any opposition to their religion and worship. This means they were persecuting and seeking to murder those who worshipped the true God. That is how Noah, the worshipper of the one and only true God was their target.

Because of their ungodly deeds God had sent a prophet, Enoch (Genesis 5:18-24; Jude 1:14-16) to warn them to repent. Lamech was the leading man of violence at that time, and probably killed Enoch because of the message of warning he preached. That may partly be the reason for Lamech’s boast in Genesis 4:23 quoted above.

By the time Noah was 450 years old and Lamech approximately 830 years old, due to the activities of Lamech’s descendants who held sway over the entire world, the earth was beginning to become saturated with violence. The activities of Lamech and his descendants and God’s reaction to them are summarized in Genesis 6:1-13:

1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth [meaning the world population began to explode], and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God [the correct translation here should be ‘sons of gods,’ the gods mentioned here being Lamech and his descendants who had deified themselves and demanded that all the world worship them as gods] saw the daughters of men that they were fair [these being daughters of the line of Seth the son of Adam who were racially white, whereas Lamech and his descendants were non-white, mainly of dark color]; and they took them wives of all which they chose [they married these white women either through consent because of the material progress of Lamech and his family, or forcibly married white women which was one of the leading causes of violence in the world]. 3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years [meaning God shortened man’s life span from above 900 years to 120 years which in the days of Moses onwards was further reduced to 70 years (Psalm 90:10)].

4 There were giants in the earth in those days; [this was another race of men who were giants in strength because of their built, being 50% heavier in weight than other men of the same height, who did not survive the Flood] and also after that, when the sons of God [‘sons of gods’] came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repents me that I have made them. 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations [meaning pure white in his genealogy from Adam], and Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”

The lawless deeds of Lamech and his descendants included:

1) Rampant polygamy.
2) Forced interracial marriages.
3) Building temples and setting up their own idols in the temples and demanding that all the common people worship them as gods.
4) Threatening or murdering those who worshipped the true God instead of worshipping them.
5) Forcing everyone to pay them tribute.
6) Warring with those who refused to submit to them to bring them under their rule; and
7) Killing people on whim with no threat of being brought to justice or any other consequences. Might was really right in those days.

Noah is the only one who resisted all the pressure brought on him and refused to submit to Lamech and his descendants. He refused to marry interracially, or worship Lamech and his family as gods but worshipped only the true God.

After Enoch God sent another prophet, Noah, to warn men to repent and change their ways. He preached to the world that the deeds of Lamech and his descendants were evil and against God’s Law. Then just as Lamech had killed Enoch, he tried to kill Noah because of his preaching. Noah fled to Egypt and began to warn the world to repent or God would drown everyone in a worldwide Flood. Then Lamech died of old age of around 920 years. Noah then returned to the Mesopotamia area and began building the ark.

Lamech had truly ruled the world. But after his death many of his descendants then vied with each other as well as many others in wars or challenging one another in individual combat to the death in order to rule the world as Lamech did. This was another major contributor to the world becoming saturated with violence.

When humanity did not repent after about 100 years of warning by Noah, God carried out His threat and drowned that entire world, saving only Noah and a small part of his family in the ark Noah built. Noah most probably had many other children than Shem, Ham and Japheth. But the three youngest ones (Shem, Ham and Japheth) were born and grew up when Noah started preaching his warning message to the world and lived with him and worked with him on building the ark till the Flood came and drowned that world. Other children caved in to the threats of Lamech and his descendants, worshipped their idols, married interracially and gave up the worship of the true God in order to avoid persecution from Lamech and his descendants and ‘save’ themselves alive. Only Noah resisted. We know the result. Those who tried to save themselves by departing from the true God died, and those who did not deny the true God were miraculously preserved through the Flood.

Jesus Christ has issued a prophecy and a warning to the world of our time in Matthew 24:35-42 (NKJV): “35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be [meaning the return of Jesus Christ to earth to establish God’s kingdom]. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”

Luke 17:26-30, 33 (NKJV): “26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 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. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed…33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.”

Jesus Christ has warned that the end time is going to be like the days of Noah. The Beast and the false prophet of the ‘Holy Roman Empire’ based in Europe are going to impose their religion on the world as described earlier. Those who refuse to worship the image of the beast, or take his mark on their right hands or on their foreheads will be threatened with death, and some in the world will be put to death for resisting. Most of the world will cave in and give in to the threats in order to avoid persecution and save themselves alive as the world in Noah’s day did. The result will be the same as in Noah’s day. Those who try to save themselves by giving in to the threats of the beast and the false prophet are guaranteed to die as prophesied in Revelation 14: 9-10.Those who resist all the threats of the beast and the false prophet, refuse to follow their religion, never deny God’s name and continue to worship Him, maintain an attitude of fiery zeal in doing God’s work and overcoming sin just as Noah did, put their faith in Him like Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and John the apostle did are GUARANTEED supernatural protection throughout the entire three and a half years of the Great Tribulation. They will be taken to a place of safety.

Those members of God’s Church who do not these things will be counted as Laodiceans and will have to prove their loyalty to God by being martyred in the Great Tribulation.

Prophecies concerning the Philadelphians being taken to the place of safety include:

Revelation 3:10, “10 Because you hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world…”

Psalm 83:3 (NJKV), “3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones.” Here the Islamic alliance in league with the Germans seeks to destroy physical and spiritual Israel. ‘Your people’ here refers to physical Israelites - the Americans, British and the Jews, and ‘Your sheltered ones’ refers to spiritual Israel or God’s true Church sheltered in a place of safety.

Revelation 12:14 (NKJV), “14 But the woman [woman in prophecy refers to a Church] was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place [referring to the place of safety where it is sheltered or protected], where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time [1260 days of the Great Tribulation], from the presence of the serpent [another name for the devil].”

Isaiah 16:1-4 (NKJV), “1 Send the lamb to the ruler of the land, from Sela to the wilderness, to the mount of the daughter of Zion. 2 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. 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. 4 Let My outcasts dwell with you, O Moab; be a shelter to them from the face of the spoiler.”

Zion in prophecy refers to God’s true Church. Isaiah 16 actually seems to identify the place of safety as being either ruled by a descendant of Moab or in the land of Moab. Sela refers to Petra in Jordan.

Jesus in Matthew 24:15 (and Luke 21:21) indicated that the Church will flee to the place of safety from Jerusalem: “15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place [which is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem], (whoso reads, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.” This means that the place of safety will be near Jerusalem to which the Church can flee in 30 days.

These examples should make it absolutely clear that God wants members of His Church to make a firm determination in their minds to never deny His name to try to escape persecution or martyrdom, no matter what the circumstances. If they do so, they will find ourselves in the very situation that they were hoping to escape: being left in the world to face the Great Tribulation to prove their loyalty to God by martyrdom.

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