END TIMES PLACE OF SAFETY - The hour of trial that will come on the whole world is the Great Tribulation - Christians will be protected because they kept Christ’s “command to persevere” and they also kept the commandments of God. Christians must seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, then they will be watching and praying and Jesus will be with them always, “even to the end of the age” - The popular teaching today is that Christians will be raptured to heaven before the Great Tribulation begins and return with Christ at His second coming to end the Great Tribulation and to put Satan away. In Jesus’ prophecy to the seven churches, which was given to John for him to write in the book of Revelation, Jesus said, “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.” The hour of trial that will come on the whole world is the Great Tribulation. In the book of Revelation John writes of a war in heaven between Satan and the archangel Michael. But Satan will lose and be cast back down to the earth. Satan will then have great wrath because he knows he has but a short time left. He will bring about great tribulation (war) and persecute the woman, which is symbolic of Christ’s Church. The woman, here meaning the Church, will “fly into the wilderness to her place.” Some have speculated where a place of safety would be, such as Petra in Jordan. There is one location that will be prepared at which the Church will be protected, but Scripture does not clearly identify that place.

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Place of 
Safety

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The hour of trial that will come on the whole world is the Great Tribulation - Christians will be protected because they kept Christ’s “command to persevere” and they also kept the commandments of God. The place of safety is not what Jesus wanted Christians to be constantly dwelling on - they must seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, then they will be watching and praying and Jesus will be with them always, “even to the end of the age”

by Jim Haeffele

Does the Bible speak of a special “place of safety” for Christians during the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? If so, where is it?

In what is called the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus said, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved [meaning, alive]; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).

What will happen to Christians during the Great Tribulation?

The popular teaching today is that they will be raptured to heaven before the Great Tribulation begins and return with Christ at His second coming to end the Great Tribulation and to put Satan away.

What is the correct biblical teaching on what will happen to Christians during the Tribulation?

In Jesus’ prophecy to the seven churches, which was given to John for him to write in the book of Revelation, Jesus said, “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” (Revelation 3:10).

The hour of trial that will come on the whole world is the Great Tribulation.

These Christians will be protected from the Great Tribulation because they kept Christ’s “command to persevere” and they also kept the commandments of God (Revelation 14:12).

But how and where will they be kept from that “hour of trial”?

A woman flies into the wilderness

In chapter 12 of the book of Revelation John writes of a war in heaven between Satan and the archangel Michael.

But Satan will lose and be cast back down to the earth. Satan will then have great wrath because he knows he has but a short time left.

He will bring about great tribulation (war) and persecute the woman, which at the end of the chapter is symbolic of Christ’s Church (verses 12-13).

Verse 14 says, “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 [Satan].”

Notice that the woman, here meaning the Church, will “fly into the wilderness to her place.”

The word “place” is singular. This verse also says the Church is nourished for 3½ years (time = 1 year, times = 2 years, half a time = half a year) in the wilderness (see also Revelation 13:5).

Does the Bible indicate any possible location for this wilderness or “place of safety”?

Some have speculated about where a place of safety would be, such as Petra in Jordan, but the Bible does not clearly indicate a specific location.

We do know that part of the Church will be taken into a “wilderness to her place” (Revelation 12:14) where it will be “nourished” — protected and cared for.

The wording implies there is one location that will be prepared at which the Church will be protected, but Scripture does not clearly identify that place.

Are all protected in a place of safety?

But will all Christians be included?

Although some Christians will be nourished and protected, it seems others will suffer persecution and martyrdom during the time of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 12:17).

Speaking of the time of His second coming, Jesus said, “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven [atmosphere] to the other” (Matthew 24:31).

When Christ returns, He will resurrect faithful saints from their graves and the saints who are alive will be changed.

The saints who are alive will have lived through the Great Tribulation. Will they have been protected in a particular location or “place of safety”?

Revelation 7 describes a group of people numbering 144,000 (verses 3-4) and also “a great multitude which no one could number” (verse 9) that is said to have “come out of the great tribulation” (verse 14).

The Bible does not say whether these people will be in a wilderness location during the last part of the Great Tribulation or whether they will be taken to such a location after they are “sealed” for protection.

Exactly how and where they are protected is not revealed.

God protects His people

The book of Psalms contains numerous scriptures that speak of God protecting His faithful people.

In these passages, the focus is on trusting God, as opposed to being in a specific location in order to be protected.

·     Psalm 18:2: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

·     Psalm 27:5: “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.”

·     Psalm 31:20: “You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion [“shelter,” Revised Standard Version] from the strife of tongues.”

·     Psalm 32:7: “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble.”

·     Psalm 91:7, 9-10: “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. … 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.”

·     Psalm 121:7: “The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.”

These promises of protection will be fulfilled for the “woman who flies into the wilderness,”

for those who “come out of Great Tribulation,” and

for those gathered alive at Christ’s return from “the four winds” of the earth.

The one common thread in all of these Scripture examples is that God will protect those who faithfully seek to serve, obey and trust in Him.

Place of safety summary

What can we conclude from these scriptures in reference to a “place of safety”?

·     The Bible says some Christians will go into the wilderness to be protected from Satan and his wrath (Revelation 12:14).

·     The Bible also says some Christians will not go into this wilderness “place of safety” and Satan will go to make war with them (Revelation 12:17).

·     The Bible also shows that many other servants of God will be “sealed” for protection (Revelation 7:3-8).

·     Several Psalms speak of the Lord’s protection of His faithful saints.

Jesus’ instructions to Christians today

The place of safety may be an intriguing subject to study, but it is not what Jesus wanted Christians to be constantly dwelling on.

It is true He instructed us to “watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).

But worrying about one’s personal safety to the exclusion of other important spiritual responsibilities is not what Christ had in mind.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus instructed us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

If Christians are seeking first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, then they will be watching and praying and Jesus will be with them always, “even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Jim Haeffele is a church pastor in the Church of God, a Worldwide Association. He currently pastors congregations in Fort Myers, Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida. He has served in the ministry of the Church of God for over 46 years. During those years he and his wife, Lois, have served congregations from Portland, Oregon, where he grew up, to Utah, Ohio, North Carolina, and now Florida.

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/revelation/place-of-safety/

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WORLD WAR III - Will There Be a World War III? - Man’s capacity to wage world war today exceeds anything previous generations could imagine. The world has seen many regional wars during these 70 years, and there are many wars going on at the present time. The Bible speaks of major world events to take place at “the time of the end” the time before the second coming of Jesus Christ. The Bible doesn’t use the phrase World War III. While the Bible uses different terminology, from man’s perspective there are several prophesied events that may come to be known as World War III. We can’t rule out the possibility of another war involving the majority of the world even before these prophesied events occur. This Great Tribulation will be far worse than anything the world has ever experienced. This means the loss of life will be greater than that of World War II, in which more than 50 million people died.

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World War III

Will There Be a World War III?

by Jim Haeffele

Many wars have been fought since World War II. Has man learned how to avoid world war or are we living on borrowed time?

Does the Bible predict World War III?

Will There Be a World War III

In the 20th century two world wars were fought just a little over 20 years apart.

As I write, it has now been 70 years since the end of World War II.

Man’s capacity to wage world war today exceeds anything previous generations could imagine.

The world has seen many regional wars during these 70 years, and there are many wars going on at the present time.

What would it take for one of today’s wars to escalate into World War III?

Will there be another world war? The definitive answer to such a question can only be found in the Word of God.

We believe we are living in the biblical age that many call the end times.

The Bible speaks of major world events to take place at “the time of the end” (Daniel 11:35, 40; 12:4, 9) — the time before the second coming of Jesus Christ.

These prophecies of the Bible provide the answer to the question: Will there be a World War III?

As we begin, we acknowledge that the Bible doesn’t use the phrase World War III.

While the Bible uses different terminology, from man’s perspective there are several prophesied events that may come to be known as World War III.

Of course, humans have always had wars, and we can’t rule out the possibility of another war involving the majority of the world even before these prophesied events occur.

With this disclaimer, let’s now consider biblically prophesied wars that are going to have dire consequences for mankind.

Prophecies of war

Jesus Christ spoke of major world events to come before His return in what is called His Olivet Prophecy. His disciples began by asking Him, “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3).

Christ’s reply included this warning of an unprecedented time of trouble: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (verses 21-22).

What does this mean for us today?

Jesus was saying this Great Tribulation will be far worse than anything the world has ever experienced.

This means the loss of life will be greater than that of World War II, in which more than 50 million people died.

He also said the days of this “great tribulation” will be “shortened for the elect’s sake” or no one would be left alive.

While Jesus indicates that the crisis of this tribulation will involve other factors (including natural disasters, famine and religious persecution), the description in these two verses strongly indicates there will be at least one more world-encompassing conflict in the end times before the return of Jesus Christ.

Great Tribulation

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What does the Bible say about events Jesus described as “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21) that will result in massive loss of life?

A careful study shows that this future time of intense suffering includes the impact of the second seal (widespread war, described in Revelation 6:3-4) and the fifth seal (verses 9-11, religious persecution).

In Daniel 11:40-43 there is an amazing prophecy of a war between the king of the South and the king of the North.

The setting is the time of the end (verse 40) when the king of the South (likely based in either North Africa or the Middle East) will attack the king of the North (a leader based in Europe).

The king of the North will at some point counterattack with an enormous army and naval force crossing the Mediterranean, invading North Africa and entering the “Glorious Land,” which today is Israel (verses 40-43).

At that time an unusual event will be occurring in Jerusalem. It is explained by Jesus Christ in the Olivet Prophecy.

Religion’s role in the Great Tribulation

In Matthew 24:15 Jesus warns, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand).”

This event will take place at a time when the evening and morning sacrifices have been reinstituted at a location that is holy to the Jews.

The sacrifices will be stopped by this invasion and an “abomination of desolation” will be set up in their place.

Jesus goes on to explain that, beginning with this invasion and the setting up of this abomination, the world enters into a time of “great tribulation.”

Due to the scope of this impending struggle and the number of men involved in the fighting, “World War III” may indeed be the human description of this conflict (verses 17-21; Luke 21:20-24).

The abomination of desolation was spoken of by the prophet Daniel in several chapters (Daniel 8; 9:27; 11:31; 12:11).

It would have two fulfillments, and the first one historically occurred in the 160s B.C. (Daniel 11:31).

Almost 200 years later Jesus prophesied that the second abomination would occur before His second coming.

Unlike the first two world wars of the 20th century, this world-encompassing conflict will see religion playing a major role.

In Revelation 13:13-14 Jesus tells John through His angel about an end-time religious figure who deceives the masses: “He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast” (emphasis added throughout).

Many people will be willing to fight and die because they will be deceived by these signs.

This religious figure and his deceptive religion have a name in the book of Revelation: “Mystery, Babylon the Great” (Revelation 17:5).

Religious deception did not play as big of a role in World War I and II, but that will not be the case in the time of the prophesied world war.

True believers will need to be patient, keep the commandments of God and have the “faith of Jesus” to survive and avoid being deceived (Revelation 14:12).

The length of the prophesied tribulation

The Great Tribulation will last for 3½ years (Daniel 7:25; 12:7; Revelation 12:14; 13:5).

In the time leading up to these biblically prophesied events, Jesus said man’s overall mind-set would become quite complacent to what is unfolding around him.

The book of Revelation reveals that seven trumpet plagues will follow the seals and bring great suffering upon all who will choose to follow a leader referred to as “the beast.”

The majority of the earth’s inhabitants will give allegiance to this leader and, as a result, suffer the consequences of this misguided decision.

The last three of the seven trumpets are called woes because of their severity.

The second woe (the sixth trumpet) will result in the deaths of a third of mankind (Revelation 9:15-18).

Armageddon

If humans do not designate the Great Tribulation or events preceding it as a world war or world wars, another biblically prophesied end-time event most surely will be recognized as such.

This war was spoken of by God through the Old Testament prophets.

The prophet Joel was inspired to write in the eighth century B.C., “Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat [many authorities feel this refers to the Kidron Valley bordering Jerusalem on the east]. … Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision” (Joel 3:12, 14).

This battle of mankind’s remaining armies against Christ is also prophesied in the book of Zechariah: “Behold the day of the LORD is coming. … For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 14:1-2).

The final outcome is decided when Jesus Christ sets His feet on the Mount of Olives (verse 4) to become king over all the earth (verse 9).

While many refer to this battle by the armies of all nations against Jesus Christ as Armageddon, this term is simply the name of the area northwest of Jerusalem where the armies will gather before advancing to Jerusalem to fight Christ.

As the sixth of the final plagues of the book of Revelation explains, the name of this final war of this present age is “the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (Revelation 16:14).

A description of Jesus returning to earth to fight these armies and their utter destruction is found in Revelation 19:11-21 and Zechariah 14:3-4, 12.

Are we complacent to what is coming?

While it remains to be seen which future conflict might be called World War III, there is an even more sobering and important concept for us to consider.

In the end times leading up to these biblically prophesied events, Jesus said man’s overall mind-set would become quite complacent to what is unfolding around him.

Jesus said, “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, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37-39).

This complacency will include many religious people who will mistakenly believe they are doing what God desires.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:22-23).

Jim Haeffele is a church pastor in the Church of God, a Worldwide Association. He currently pastors congregations in Fort Myers, Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida. He has served in the ministry of the Church of God for over 46 years. During those years he and his wife, Lois, have served congregations from Portland, Oregon, where he grew up, to Utah, Ohio, North Carolina, and now Florida.

https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/end-times/world-war-iii/