Wilderness: The Place Of Safety During The Great Tribulation

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Millions of Christians all over the globe are caught up in the false doctrine of pre-tribulation rapture—the doctrine of Jesus coming to secretly rapture the Church away to Heaven to escape the great tribulation. One of the strong selling points of this false doctrine is the fact that it offers “protection for believers”; and the majority of Christians believe in protection that will never come.  God has promised protection for believers but it is not the rapture. God has an unwavering commitment to protecting His true children and this commitment never stops—it never changes. God has provided a place of safety during the great tribulation—the WILDERNESS. Because of the rampant doctrine of the false pre-tribulation (or mid-tribulation) rapture, this topic is strange to many Christian leaders and their congregations. The instruction from Jesus Christ is to flee to the wilderness for safety when the great tribulation begins.

The questions on the minds of many: Where is the wilderness? How do I get to the wilderness? When do I flee to the wilderness? How is God going to take care of me in the wilderness?

The focus of this booklet is on answering these questions and much more. This topic is not popular among the preachers of the false pre-tribulation (or the mid-tribulation) rapture doctrine. In this exhaustive booklet, we will build precepts from different parts of the Bible, and at the end of this article, it will be difficult for you not to understand this important subject and how to apply it to your life when the time comes.

We have already written extensively on the fact that there is no pre-tribulation rapture, and Christ’s second coming will be after the great tribulation. The false pre-tribulation rapture doctrine was given birth as a result of “other parts of the Scriptures neglected”; after assembling all the key Scriptures, we see that all the so-called rapture verses are talking about the second coming of Christ. The table below (Table 1) summarises all the key passages talking about the second coming of Christ.

Further, Matthew 24:27-29 and Revelation 6:12-17 overlap on several points; the celestial events described in Matthew 24:27-29 are the same as the celestial events described in Revelation 6:12-17; thus, strengthening the fact that the second coming of Jesus is not in phases and will occur after the great tribulation (Matthew 24:30-31). THE LORD IS COMING BACK AFTER THE GREAT TRIBULATION.

The Lord will not come until after the seventh trumpet has been sounded (Revelation 8:1-6). The seventh trumpet will come after the great tribulation.

Furthermore, 1 Corinthians 15:21-23,49-52 state that Christ is the firstfruits (first to rise from the dead with a glorified body) and others will be raised at His second coming—not during a secret pre-tribulation rapture. Verse 23:

“But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming”

The 15^th chapter of 1 Corinthians deals largely with the second coming of Christ and resurrection of the righteous dead; notice verses 49-52: this talks about the righteous dead resurrected with glorified bodies at the second coming of Christ. The resurrection of the dead will happen at Christ’s second coming, and Christ’s second coming will occur after the great tribulation—after the seventh trumpet is sounded. Read also 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; this passage talks about the event in 1 Corinthians 15:47-52—the resurrection of the righteous dead and translation of righteous believers that are still alive; all these will happen at Christ’s second coming—after the great tribulation.

Although the instruction is to flee to the wilderness for safety, not all will make it to the wilderness—the place of safety—some will pass through the great tribulation (Revelation 7:1-4; 9-14).

From the table above (Table 1), there is no such thing as the rapture of the saints before the great tribulation; the saints will be around during the great tribulation. If the saints will be around during the period of the great tribulation, how are the saints going to be protected? This is the crux of this article: The Wilderness—The place where the Church (Israel and all who have accepted and served the God of Israel faithfully) will be protected.

In addition, several events are leading to the coming of the Lord and the event we are looking at is one of the events leading to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, to gain a better understanding, it would be proper to construct a visual timeline of events leading to the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to establish His Kingdom on this Earth. The Church will be in the wilderness during the great tribulation and will be there until the Lord returns.

GENERAL OUTLINE OF EVENTS LEADING TO THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST

Just as so many today are curious when it comes to understanding correctly the events that will happen before the second coming of Jesus Christ, the disciples of Jesus were in those days. While Jesus sat on Mount Olives (Mount Olivet—Hebrew), the disciples approached and asked Him to tell them the signs of His coming and end of the world. Jesus gave them a general outline in Matthew 24; finer details of the outline in Matthew 24 are given in other Scriptures.

One of the key things that should be noted in the question that the disciples asked Jesus is, what shall be the sign of thy coming? Signs are there to point to something—the final event. Jesus will not come until all signs leading to His second coming are fulfilled. So many preachers preach that Jesus can come randomly at any time. This statement is wrong. Although the exact time and day of the second of Christ are not known, His second coming will happen at a specified period: and after the tribulation of those days… Jesus will come back after the great tribulation. What day and time after the great tribulation? –this is not known. This is not to say that people should live carelessly; although the second coming of Christ will happen in the specified time window (Matthew 24:29-31), people can die at any time; And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrew 9:27).

We are currently living in the very last days, how do we know this? Watch this:

Now, the signs spoken of by Jesus in Mathew 24 are all around us—the last days are here, and our redemption draws near. What are these signs? Let us see a few of them:

Let us break them into bullets:

• For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
• Wars and rumours of wars.
• Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
• Famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places.

The above, does it sound familiar? It should! All these signs are around us. Let us read further to understand what Jesus said specifically concerning the time of the great tribulation and when it will come:

Verses 15 & 16 outlined key events and actions, what are these?

• When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place.
• Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains (or flee to the wilderness).

In the general outline of events, Jesus outlined when the great tribulation will commence and what the church should do:

• When the abomination of desolation stands in the holy place: this commences the great tribulation.
• Then let them which be in Judaea (or elsewhere) flee into the mountains: Flee to the wilderness for safety.

So, we can see Jesus states the general outline of events and even refer people to the book of Daniel but sadly, so many Christians have ignored this instruction and are instead preaching false protection of rapture—protection that will never come.

Furthermore, there are burning questions surrounding this subject: What is the abomination of desolation and how can one know when it starts? Where is the wilderness? This booklet is geared towards answering all these questions and much more; continue reading and these will be answered.

Similarly, the outline given in Matthew 24 is also given in Luke 21; let us see:

The above passage is the account narrated by Luke—it talks about the second coming of Christ and the signs leading to it. As mentioned earlier, all these signs must be fulfilled before the Lord can come the second time. Let us read further:

In the above passage, Jesus further outlined the events leading to His second coming. Everything will be fulfilled according to what is written in the Scriptures and not according to man’s understanding. If the instruction was to “flee to the mountains (the wilderness)”, it will come to pass as stated. One of the key things that should be noted is that the past is, in most cases, a preview for the future. When Jerusalem and the temple were going to be destroyed in 70AD, Jesus mentioned it to the disciples and instructed them what to do:

And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains

When they see a sign (Jerusalem encompassed with armies) they need to act: flee to the mountains. The event mentioned in Luke 21:20 has come and gone; in 70AD, the Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus, with Tiberius Julius Alexander, encompassed Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed. It happened exactly as prophesied.

Currently, Jerusalem is trodden by the gentiles and it will continue to be trodden until the time of the gentiles is fulfilled. The true Israelites have been led away captive and are scattered among the nations since 70AD, and they will be gathered at the second coming of Christ.

Likewise, when you see the abomination that causes desolation standing in the holy place, flee into the mountains (the wilderness). The past is a preview for the future: when they see Jerusalem encompassed with armies, they should flee to the mountains (the wilderness). The future is no different: when you see the abomination that causes desolation standing in the holy place, flee into the mountains (the wilderness).

When you see all these things coming to pass, know that your salvation draws near. We are the generation witnessing these events, and this generation will not pass until all be fulfilled. The second coming of Christ will only happen when all events that are a precursor to His coming have been fulfilled. We are enjoined to watch and pray so that the day does not come upon us unaware.

THE EVOLUTION OF GENTILE KINGDOMS

One of the things that should be realised is that the topic we are looking at is part of a bigger picture—series of events that will happen before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Daniel chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream in which God showed him world-ruling kingdoms: a kingdom that currently was, and kingdoms to come. Nebuchadnezzar saw a giant statue composed of several sections, and each of these sections represents a world dynasty—a world-ruling kingdom. One of the kingdoms (empires) will be the last empire that will rule before Jesus come and set up the Kingdom of God—the kingdom which will last forever.

Prophet Daniel in Daniel chapter 7 saw these kingdoms, each represented by a beast (animal).

The kingdoms that King Nebuchadnezzar saw, Daniel saw the same kingdoms (Daniel 7:1-3) but each represented by a beast; and they are different from each other.

In verses 7-8, Daniel records the description of these kingdoms, each likened to a ferocious animal. The fourth beast (verse 7) was dreadful; this is the Roman empire. This is the empire that will be around (the resurrected Roman empire) at the time of the second coming of Christ. Verse 8 mentions that a little horn emerged, and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. This is characteristic of one of the key rulers of the Roman Empire—the empire that will be around during the coming of Jesus Christ.

The above passage gives a further description of the dream that Daniel had; the dream had to do with kings that will rule the earth—each of these kings came at a different time. There will be series of empires, one after another; all these kingdoms will be climaxed by the kingdom of God (Daniel 7:14, 22).  The key events that will precede the second coming of Christ will be within the period of the fourth kingdom (empire).  Notice verses 21-22: I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High;

The Roman Empire (the religious horn) has made war with the saints in the past and will do so again in the future during the time of the great tribulation.

Figure 1 illustrates the succession of kingdoms and the final kingdom that will be set up at the second coming of Christ; this final kingdom will not be destroyed and will last forever.

Contrary to the false belief that the saints will be raptured away to escape the great tribulation, the saints will be around during the great tribulation and will be protected in the WILDERNESS.

THE MAN OF SIN

Further, the above passage gives further descriptions of the kingdoms. Notice verse 9: a little horn came forth; this horn made war with the saints. Verses 11-12 describe “the fierce king”; this king will be part of the Roman empire. The king being talked about is the Antichrist; let us break verses 11-12 into bullets:

• He magnified himself even to the prince of the host (verse 11).
• And by him, the daily sacrifice was taken away (verse 11).
• And the place of the sanctuary was cast down (verse 11).
• And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression (verse 12).
• And it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered (verse 12).

All the above are qualities of the fierce king that will emerge out of the Roman empire. This fierce king is the Antichrist (the Son of Perdition, the Man of Sin, the Self-willed king).  Let us see chapter 8 to further understand more about this king.

The above passage adds further light to the qualities of the fierce king; verse 23 states: a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. This is talkingabout the Antichrist, a king of fierce countenance and understanding of dark sentences. This king shall be mighty but not by his power—his power comes from the dragon—the devil. The Antichrist shall exalt himself in his heart; he shall come with false peace and will destroy many (verse 25); he shall destroy the wonderful and mighty people—the saints (verse 24); he shall stand up against the Prince of princes (Jesus Christ) but will be destroyed by Jesus at His second coming.

Remember, the king of fierce countenance will be part of the last ruling empire before Christ come and set up His kingdom. What Daniel saw in Daniel chapter 8, John saw the same in Revelation 13.

As we have already seen, there will be a succession of kingdoms, and the king of fierce countenance will be part of the last ruling empire before Jesus setting up His kingdom on this earth. The above passage adds more description to the last empire that will rule before the coming of Jesus Christ. Apostle John saw the same thing that Daniel saw: compare Daniel 8:24-25 and Revelation 13:5-7; both of these passages talk about the Antichrist (the son of perdition, the king of fierce countenance, the self-willed king, the man of sin). Notice verse 7: and power was given him; the power of the Antichrist will be given to him by the dragon—the devil.

In the succession of gentile kingdoms, the Antichrist will be part of one of the empires—the Roman empire—the last empire that will rule before the second coming of Christ. People will have to deal with the Antichrist and there will be no rapture to escape the Antichrist. When the Antichrist is revealed, the great tribulation will begin. When the man of Sin is revealed (the abomination that causes desolation), the great tribulation will begin and at that time the saints will need to flee to the WILDERNESS.

Don’t lose track of what we are trying to do; the wilderness—where the saints will be protected, is part of a bigger picture and we are building that picture; please refer to the timeline of events. When do I flee to the wilderness?  The time to flee to the wilderness is when you see the abomination that causes desolation standing in the holy place (Matthew 24:15-16; Daniel 11:31). Then, what is the Abomination of Desolation? Continue reading.

THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION AND THE THIRD TEMPLE

You will remember the first temple was built by King Solomon but was destroyed by king Nebuchadnezzar; the temple was rebuilt by Nehemiah and others and was then destroyed by the Roman army, led by the then-future Emperor Titus, with Tiberius Julius Alexander in 70AD. Since then, the temple has not been rebuilt. It should be realised that Jerusalem will be trodden by the gentiles and will continue to be trodden until the time of the gentiles is fulfilled.  

LUKE 21:24 “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

The true Israelites have been led away captives into all nations and will be gathered at the second coming of Christ. The majority of people living in the land of Israel today did not descend from Jacob and thus are not the true children of Jacob. People are posing as Jews but are not (Revelation 2:9).

The majority of the people living in the land of Israel supposedly claiming to be Jews don’t believe in Jesus and are still waiting for the Messiah.

Currently, the plan to rebuild the temple destroyed in 70AD is underway—this will be the third temple. The temple will be rebuilt by Edom—the people falsely claiming to be Jews, and they will restart the daily sacrifices in the temple. When the temple is rebuilt and the daily sacrifices restarted, a time will come when the man of sin (the Antichrist) will move into the temple and occupy it. He will declare himself to be God. The Antichrist will come from the highest office of the Church of the Roman empire. When the highest religious leader of the Roman empire occupies the temple declaring himself to be God, then, the man of sin is revealed; in other words, the abomination that causes desolation has taken place.  How do we know the above? Let us see the Bible:

DANIEL 11:31

“31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.”

The above passage is talking about when the fierce king shall occupy the temple (the sanctuary) in Jerusalem and cause desolation by the abomination. Jesus Christ instructed His followers to flee when they see this happening:

MATTHEW 24:15-16

“15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:”

The Antichrist will, very soon, move to Jerusalem and occupy the temple that will be rebuilt. When the religious leader of the Roman Church moves to Jerusalem and occupies the temple (the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place), at that time, you are to flee to the wilderness.

The king of fierce countenance that will occupy the temple will speak blasphemous things, how do we know?

The Antichrist shall do according to his will and shall regard no one; he shall exalt himself above God of gods.  This king shall reign in terror and shall make war with the saints (Revelation 13:7).  The Antichrist shall reign for a stipulated time after which Jesus will come and put an end to this king, and establish His kingdom—the Kngdom of God.

DANIEL 11:45 “And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.”

The Antichrist shall establish himself in the glorious holy mountain (Jerusalem), yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. Jesus will eliminate this king at His second coming. The period for which the Antichrist will unleash terror on this Earth is known as the great tribulation (the period when the saints are required to flee to the wilderness to be protected there). Then, what is the Great Tribulation?

Apostle Paul also talks about the abomination that makes desolate; let us see:

According to Apostle Paul, the second coming of Christ will not occur until the Man of Sin (Son of Perdition) is revealed. The Antichrist will exalt himself above all that is called God. He will sit in the temple of God and declare himself to be God.

Verses 7-8:

“7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:”

This wicked king shall be consumed at the coming of the Lord. Apostle Paul is on the same page as Daniel, Jesus, and other parts of the Bible. The abomination that maketh desolate is the same as what Apostle Paul stated in verse 4 so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. When this happens, believers are to flee to the wilderness. The abomination of desolation = the Man of Sin/vicar of Christ/false prophet /Pope of Rome.

THE GREAT TRIBULATION—TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE—THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION

The period known as the great tribulation is the period when the Antichrist (the Man of Sin/vicar of Christ/false prophet/Pope of Rome) will rule the earth fiercely. This period is also known as the time of Jacob’s trouble. Let us see:

From the above passage, God says a time will come when He will bring back His people (both Israel and Judah) from captivity to the land that He gave to their fathers. The above passage further strengthens the fact that the true Israelites are still scattered among the nations and will be gathered at Christ’s return after the great tribulation (the time of Jacob’s trouble).

Verse 7: the time of Jacob’s trouble is the same thing as the great tribulation. Time of Jacob’s trouble because it is during this period that beast and the false prophet will make war with the saints (children of Jacob). Jacob will be saved in the wilderness.

Verse 7 says: Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it. It is a terrible time but God will save Israel out of it; it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.

How will God save Jacob out of it? It is through the wilderness; flee to the wilderness for safety.

Prophet Daniel stated the same thing in Daniel 12:1-2:

In the above passage, prophet Daniel is saying the same thing that Jeremiah prophesied; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time (verse 1).  There shall be a time of great trouble that cannot be likened to any but thy people (Jacob, the saints) shall be delivered.

Verse 2 states the first resurrection: And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

The resurrection of the righteous dead will happen after the great tribulation and not before. There is no such thing as rapture before the great tribulation.

 How long will these things (the troubles) last? Let us see:

According to the above passage, it is for 3 ½ years. He (the Antichrist) shall scatter the power of the holy people (sons of Jacob).

Many shall be purified and made white; many shall be made saints. The wicked shall do wickedly and shall not understand all the words of the Most High God concerning the end times. Verse 11 mentions the abomination that causes desolation:

And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days

The religious leader of the Roman Church will move into the temple at Jerusalem (the temple that will be rebuilt by Edom) and declare himself to be God; he shall cause the daily sacrifices to be taken away.

In the above passage, Jesus is reiterating what the prophets have already written—he was not stating something new.

When the abomination that makes desolate is set up, flee to the wilderness:

Revelation 8:1-18 gives further description of the great tribulation and things that will characterise this dreadful period; the period of the great tribulation is also mentioned in this passage; the two witnesses of God—who will operate during the great tribulation are also accounted here. Verses 15-18 talk about the seventh angel sounding the seventh trumpet (the great trumpet), and the second coming of Christ to set up His kingdom on this earth. Again, the second coming of Christ will not be in phases and will take place after the great tribulation—after the seventh angel has sounded the seventh trumpet (the great trumpet).

The period of the great tribulation is also referred to as the HOUR OF TEMPTATION

Why is it called the hour of temptation? Because it is a great temptation—temptation to leave the Most High God altogether and worship the devil.

How long is the great tribulation?

HOW LONG IS THE GREAT TRIBULATION? 3 ½ YEARS AND NOT 7 YEARS

The great tribulation is also known as the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7 “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”); Jesus also mentioned it in Matthew 24:21. This was also revealed to John and recorded in Revelation 7:14. Prophet Daniel also prophesied the same thing:

The question that people ask is, how long is the great tribulation? Let us see:

All the above passages talk about the same thing but are expressed differently. Let us summarise them:

1. REVELATION 12:2: forty and two months: 3 ½ Years
2. REVELATION 13:5: forty and two months: 3 ½ Years
3. REVELATION 11:3: a thousand two hundred and threescore days—1260 days: 3 ½ Years
4. DANIEL 12:7: a time, times, and half a time: 3 ½ Years
5. REVELATION 12:14: a time, and times, and half a time: 3 ½ Years

From the above passages, we can see that the period for the great tribulation is 3 ½ years expressed differently in different parts of the Bible. So, where did people get the idea of seven-year great tribulation from? The false idea of seven-year great tribulation comes from Daniel 9:27. People have massively misinterpreted this verse thinking that it is referring to the Antichrist—it is not. What does the verse say?

The above passage, contrary to the popular belief that it is referring to the antichrist, is referring to the Messiah (Jesus Christ)—Vs 26. Jesus will confirm a covenant with many and bring an end to animal sacrifice in the middle of the week.  The one week referred to in the above passage has dual prophecy meaning: One week means seven-week years but it also means a literal week:

1. Christ’s ministry was intended to last for seven years but in the middle of His ministry (3 and half years), He shall be offered as a sacrifice for the sins of many.
2. Also, in the middle of the week is taking about when Jesus will die; He will die in the middle of a literal week.

So, according to Prophet Daniel Christ will die in the middle of the week; what Daniel wrote agrees with other parts of the Bible. Verse 26 clearly states “Messiah” and the Messiah referred to in Vs 26 is Jesus Christ and not the Antichrist. We can see that the Bible overwhelmingly states the period of the tribulation will be 3 ½ years. The idea of a seven-year tribulation just shows another wrong understanding of the Bible.

THE CHURCH (ISRAEL AND ALL WHO HAVE ACCEPTED THE GOD OF ISRAEL FAITHFULLY) WILL BE PROTECTED IN THE WILDERNESS

If you are a good student of the Bible, you will remember one of the great rules of Bible study: Isaiah 28:10 “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” If you are dealing with a subject, you would assemble all related precepts to build what the bigger picture is. In this respect, the question that should be asked is, who is the church? The answer is not far-fetched; the CHURCH is Israel (and of course it extends to all who have accepted and served/serving the God of Israel faithfully). Contrary to the belief that the church started in the Acts of the Apostles period and it is separate and different from Israel, this belief is false. The Church is ISRAEL and it started in the wilderness; how do we know this? Let us see:

ACTS 7:38 “This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:”

The word church was derived from the Greek word ekklesia and it means “the called-out ones”; Israel is the called-out ones (and of course all who have identified with the God of Israel). The disciples in the Acts of the Apostles did not start the church but are rather the descendants of the church that was in the wilderness. Therefore, the church is Israel and it started in the wilderness; don’t be deceived to think that the gentiles have now replaced Israel—this is not true.

With the above said, let us see Revelation 12:1-6:

From the above passage, you will notice that Israel is referred to symbolically as the woman, how do we know this?  Verse 1 says: a woman clothed with sun and moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. The woman being referred to here is Israel; the crown with twelve stars are the 12 tribes of Israel. How do we know that the crown with 12 stars is the twelve tribes of Israel? Let us see:

From the above passage, we can see the twelve tribes of Israel in the dream that God showed Joseph; they are referred to as stars. The dream that Joseph had was ordained by God and it was not random.

Revelation 12:5 says the woman brought forth a child who will rule all nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:27); this is referring to Jesus Christ coming through the woman—through Israel. The woman delivered a child who was to rule all nations: Israel delivered Jesus Christ who was to rule all nations.

Notice verse 3 (Revelation 12:3): a great dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. The dragon here is referring to the devil represented by the Roman empire. The Devil (the dragon) wanted to devour the child as soon as the child was born i.e., the devil wanted to kill Jesus Christ as soon as He was born (verse 4); this is when king Herod (a Roman and part of the then ruling Roman empire) wanted to kill Jesus when He was born. See below:

The Bible has repeatedly referred to the Devil as the dragon or the serpent; and referred to Israel as the woman. How do we know this? Let us see:

GENESIS 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

The above verse talks about the enmity that was created between Israel (the woman and her seed) and the serpent (the Devil). Since then, there has been a great enmity between Israel (the woman) and the Devil (the serpent, the dragon).

Remember the topic we are dealing with: protection for the children of God during the great tribulation; notice something very striking in verse 6:

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days

The above passage says the woman (referring to Israel) fled to the wilderness where she had a place prepared for her and will be nourished there for 1260 days—that is the period of the great tribulation, 3 ½ years. So, we can see that the place of safety prepared for Israel (and of course all who have accepted the God of Israel faithfully) is in the wilderness.

Verses 14-17 complete the picture:

Please notice verse 14: the woman (Israel and all who have accepted the God of Israel faithfully) was given wings that she might fly into the wilderness where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. We can see here the place of protection during the great tribulation is the wilderness. The serpent referred to here is still the devil but operating in the capacity of the Antichrist—the false prophet and the beast—the Roman empire.

Verse 15 is talking about the great persecution that the Antichrist will bring upon the woman (Israel); verse 17 mentions something very striking, what is it? Let us see:

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The above passage talks about the dragon being wroth with the woman (Israel) and the remnant of her seed. There are two key qualities of the remnant of the seed of the woman, what are they? Let us see:

• Keep the commandments of God.
• Have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

This verse destroys the false idea of pre-tribulation rapture theory. So many people believe that the greater part of Israel will be left behind because they don’t believe in Jesus Christ, and it is during the great tribulation that they will come to know Jesus. This idea is wrong. We can see according to verse 17 that the dragon (the devil operating in form of the Antichrist) is wroth with the remnant of the seed of the woman; those that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. This destroys the idea of the false pre-tribulation rapture that people will be left behind—those who don’t keep the commandments of God and don’t have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The saints will not be raptured but will be around during the great tribulation.

Now, let’s summarise what we have learned so far in bullets:

• We have seen what the great tribulation is and how dreadful it is going to be.
• we have seen that when the abomination that causes desolation happens, it is the beginning of the great tribulation.
• When the abomination that causes desolation happens, the instruction is to flee to the wilderness.
• We have seen that the place of safety prepared for the children of God is in the wilderness.
• Israel is referred to as the woman; Israel is also the church.

Further, we have seen that God will surely protect His children; some passages specifically mention the wilderness as the place of safety:

God will protect His children, let us see:

Beyond any shadow of a doubt, we can see that there is protection and the protection is in the wilderness, here are the questions that should be asked: Where is the wilderness? Is it a random wilderness near you? It is literal or metaphorical?

Let us dig further to answer these questions.

Before we delve into answering these questions—where the wilderness is & more, it should be realised that the past is a preview for the future. How God delivered His children out of bondage in Egypt, led, protected, and guided them through the wilderness—the future will be similar. With that said, let us see how God guided, protected, and nourished his children in the past so that we can have a preview for the future.

EXODUS 3:1-12

The account narrated in the above reference is when God appeared to Moses when he was looking after the sheep of Jethro, his father-in-law. God saw the affliction of the children of Israel and has drawn a plan to save them.  Verse 12 mentions:

EXODUS 3:12 “And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.”

The instruction was for Moses to bring the children of Israel back to the wilderness—mount Horeb—that they should serve God upon this mountain. Mount Horeb is Mount Sinai and is in present-day Saudi Arabia. The wilderness is comprised of several places, and Mount Horeb is one of the places in the wilderness. As in the past, the future will not be different; God will bring His children back into the wilderness for protection.

Let us further explore the Scriptures to understand more about the wilderness the Bible is referring to:

EXODUS 13:20 “And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.”

The above passage is talking about the journey of the children of Israel and how they encamped on edge of the wilderness; the wilderness here is also the wilderness of the future. The journey of the children of Israel through the wilderness—the wilderness where they spent 40 years before moving into the promised land—this is wilderness!

In the past, the Lord guided the children of Israel by signs: clouds and fire throughout their journey in the wilderness. Let us see:

From the above passage, we can see that God guided the children of Israel using a sign of cloud by day and a sign of fire by night. If the cloud stands still, they stop their journey, and if the cloud is taken away, they continue their Journey. In the night, God guided them by fire.

As already mentioned, the past is a preview of the future. The future will be similar to the past; God will guide His people in the wilderness during the great tribulation.

God has promised protection for His people but He wants obedience; He wants people to keep his covenant and obey His voice. Let us see:

When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, they were taken to the wilderness of Sinai (see Figure 2). God said to them through His servant Moses, just as I delivered you from the Egyptians with a mighty arm, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, I will do much more: you will be peculiar people unto me (verse 6).

The present is no different from the past; God wants people to obey His voice and keep His covenants; God does not want rebellious people. God will not tolerate any form of rebellion just as He did not in the past.

How will God take care of His children in the wilderness? Look at how He did in the past; He has not changed and He will protect, guide, and provide for His people just as He did in the past.

In the wilderness, God will not tolerate murmuring, grumbling, and evil speaking; just as He did in the past, He will purge all rebels in the wilderness—rebellious people will not stand in His presence.

Let us see:

God delivered them from their enemies and never left them alone but yet they murmured and spoke evil against Moses and God. God sent a fiery serpent among them to bite them and many people died. The wilderness during the period of great tribulation will be no different; God will purge rebels out.  

They murmured against Moses and Aaron and this act displeased the Lord. During the great tribulation in the wilderness, the Lord will not tolerate murmuring just as He did not in the past. People should not murmur but give thanks to God in all things.

Hear what God says:

NUMBERS 14:11 “And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?”

The children of Israel demonstrated fear and lack of faith in the power of God. God is looking for people who will have faith in His word and power. Without Faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

All these things are written for our learning; all the mistakes exhibited by the children of Israel in the wilderness in the past, people should avoid them now and in the future. God is looking for people who will have faith in His word.  God made the rebellious children of Israel wander in the wilderness for fourty years and they were denied entering the land; only Joshua and Caleb and those below 20 years were permitted to enter the land. See Numbers 14:28-38.

The Lord has not changed and He is looking for people who will have faith in His word and power. In all things give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

What happened in the past will repeat itself. How will God provide for His people in the wilderness? Let us see:

The above passage is the answer: just as God guided, provided for, and protected His people in the past, He will do the same again in the future during the time of the great tribulation. The only thing that can limit the hand of God is your lack of faith in His word. Allow your heart to be filled with faith; it will require faith to move to the wilderness when the time comes.

God, as in the past, does not want people to forget His wondrous works: how He poured plagues on Egypt and brought the children of Israel out, and led them in the wilderness; how He destroyed the Egyptians in the red sea (see Psalms 78:40-54). How God did in the past, He will do the same in the future during the great tribulation; only have faith in word and power. If you don’t show faith in the word and power of God, you limit what God can do for you. He will keep Israel (and all who have accepted and served the God of Israel faithfully) and none will touch Israel— Psalm 121:4; God will be a refuge to Israel, let us see:

From the above passage, God will be a refuge to His people and protect them from all pestilences and all arrows of the enemy. Only have faith in God!

God will not let His people down; He will take care of Israel and those who are willing to be protected in the wilderness, how? Let us see:

According to the above two passages, this is what God says concerning Israel:

• And the woman fled into the wilderness (verse 6).
• And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness (verse 14).

And the woman (Israel and all who have identified with the God of Israel faithfully) fled to the wilderness; how did the woman (Israel) flee to the wilderness? Verse 14 answers: And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness. Power was given to Israel (the woman), from who did the power come from? From God! God will make His word come true; only have faith in His word. The only thing that will prevent you from feeling into the wilderness to experience the protection of God is the lack of faith. All that is required is faith—God will provide means of transport to the wilderness—plane—boat, vehicle, etc.

Let us see further examples:

Currently, the true children of Israel are scattered among the nations and God, according to the above passage, will gather them with a mighty hand from all the nations where they are scattered. The Lord has power and will do what His word has spoken (Joshua 21:45). God will purge rebels from the people.

The wilderness will be a place of protection, abundance, and comfort; people will lack nothing (see Isaiah 35:1-10). The Lord will bring Israel into the wilderness and take care of her in the wilderness (Hosea 2:14-21, 23). God will have mercy on Israel and protect them in the wilderness (Isaiah 60:8-10).

The Lord will gather and deliver Israel from all the nations where they have been scattered. Let us see:

The Lord will gather the remnant of Israel and make them dwell safely; they will fear no one. The wilderness is the beginning of the redemption of Israel and all who have accepted and served the God of Israel faithfully. God will settle Israel in their land permanently. God will provide all the resources required; only have faith in Him:

The church (Israel) shall be in the wilderness and shall be nourished and protected there until the Lord comes. The Lord will protect the poor; He will protect and provide for His people.

SUMMARY

The place of protection during the great tribulation is the wilderness, and the time to flee to the wilderness is when the abomination that causes desolation stands in the holy place. The wilderness is the same wilderness where the children of Israel spent 40 years. God will provide means of reaching the wilderness and will protect and nourish His children there. The rapture is not the protection God has promised.

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