Escape to the wilderness!

[Doug]

In his second epistle, the apostle Peter described the saints as those who have "escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

2 Peter 1:1-4
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

In other scriptures, discussed below, the saints are warned to flee to the wilderness, which pictures their escape from the world, referred to by Peter above, as the world is to be judged by God.

Before God destroyed Sodom, Lot and his family were warned by angels to escape to the wilderness, and to flee to the mountains, and not to look back.

Genesis 19:15-17
15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.

Jesus referred to the story of Lot, and the fate of his wife, who looked back towards Sodom:

Luke 17:26-33
26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
32 Remember Lot's wife.
33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

Here, Jesus was not telling us to seek to save our own physical lives, but he was warning people to turn to God, and to seek the kingdom of God, and follow his teachings. Going back into our houses pictures hanging on to old, flawed opinions and interpretations. Jesus warned against it.

The ark of Noah was a symbol of salvation from the flood, and similarly, fleeing to the wilderness, and to the mountains, is symbolic of escaping the judgment that is coming upon the world.

Israel was delivered from affliction and hard bondage in Egypt, that they suffered under Pharaoh, and they escaped to the wilderness. Their affliction was symbolic of life in the world, as slaves to sin. Sodom and Egypt, both being places from which God's people escaped, are mentioned together in Revelation 11:8, as "spiritual" symbols, or figures of worldly society.

The bondage of Egypt is mentioned in the following scriptures:

Exodus 6:9
And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
   
Exodus 13:3
And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.

Deuteronomy 26:6
And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:

In the New Testament, Egypt is typical of the bondage of sin and the world, from which Christ delivers his saints, while in contrast, the wilderness represents our freedom from that bondage of sin and evil, and the pilgrimage of the saints, as we journey towards our promised "rest," pictured by the promised land.

Zechariah says flee from the land of the north, referring to Babylon, which, like Egypt, is also symbolic of the world.

Zechariah 2:6
Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.

Zechariah also warns the saints to flee, in chapter 14. "And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains." [Zechariah 14:5] In this prophecy, the Mount of Olives cleaves in the midst, and the two halves move in opposite directions, to the north and to the south, forming a great valley. I suggest, the two halves of the mountain being displaced pictures the two flawed interpretations of the Olivet Discourse of Jesus, preterism and dispensationalism. The way we should go is to the figurative valley between those interpretations, applying the warnings Jesus gave to ourselves, rather than to Jews in the first century, or to Jews in a future time of great tribulation.

Jesus may have alluded to Zechariah's prophecy when he said, "Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains." [Matthew 24:16]

The mountains Jesus meant are spiritual ones, which represent the promises of God. The kingdom of God is pictured by a mountain that fills the earth. [Isaiah 2:2; Daniel 2:35]

In Revelation, John represents false religious systems as a harlot, called Babylon the Great, who rides upon the beast, and God warns, "Come out of her, my people."

Revelation 18:4-5
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

In contrast to the harlot Babylon, the saints, and the true church, are represented by the woman in heaven, in Revelation 12, who is described fleeing to the wildernes twice in the chapter, and in both cases, that is where she is nourished with spiritual food.

Revelation 12:6
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.

Revelation 12:14
And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

I suggest the wings of eagles picture an understanding of prophecy. An eagle soars to a great height, and views the earth from above, and similarly, the divine viewpoint is provided in prophecy, and by its proper interpretation.

Paul said the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness happened for our examples.

1 Corinthians 10:11
Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

In summary, the warning to flee to the wilderness is given to warn Christians to escape from the bondage of sin, and the corruption of the world; to be in a covenant with God; to be fed with spiritual food, the "manna" or heavenly bread, which Jesus identified with himself; to drink waters from the rock, which also represents Christ; to follow Christ wherever he leads; to seek the promised land, our eternal "rest," and to become a "chosen generation," and a "peculiar people," "that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." [1 Peter 2:9-10] 

Doug

[Doug]

The metaphor of the church in the wilderness, in Revelation 12, implies that a promised land exists for the church, which is the promised "rest" that the saints aspire to enter, representing their future inheritance.

A return to their land by the people of Israel was foretold by the prophets, but it does not mean going to Palestine, or to the literal land of Canaan. The modern Jewish migration to Palestine, encouraged by Jewish groups, and the Jewish state, and by Christian Zionists in the USA, is not what the prophets meant; the 'land' spoken of in the prophecies signifies something other than the literal territory of ancient Israel. 'Jerusalem' is the name given to the church in the NT. It is a heavenly city, but its people are on earth, in all nations. In Revelation 20:8-9, John described the deceived people of the world coming against the beloved city, and the camp of the saints; Zechariah said all nations will come against it in a siege. In the prophecies, the return to the 'land' is also a return to God. The Jewish settlement of Palestine is secular, not a return to God.

Believers are scattered in all nations, but many of them, as much as half, are taken captive, Zechariah says. Other 'lands' where they are scattered, and where they are held captive, are different beliefs, sects, cults, and denominations. There are tens of thousands of them. Dwelling in the promised land requires faith. Dwelling in the promised land represents true worship. Dwelling in the promised land means understanding scripture. Dwelling in the promised land means knowing Christ has obtained all power in heaven and in earth. Dwelling in the promised land means believing all things work together for good to them that love God. Dwelling in the promised land means becoming 'circumcised in the heart.' To dwell in the promised land is to walk with God.

The return to the promised land that the prophets described is not dispossessing Palestinians of their homes. It is not threatening other nations; it is not accomplished by violence; the 'land' the saints are to return to is not of this world; the land is 'a land flowing with milk and honey.' Both milk and honey represent the scriptures. The return to the land is a return to the 'faith that was once delivered to the saints.'

The prophets say the return to land will be accompanied by weeping; the people loathe themselves for their abominations. Those who have taken possession of the land have made it a scorn and a derision; they are called heathen; they are not Jews in spirit; they deny the church is the true Israel. True worship, Jesus said, has to be done in spirit and in truth; it is not necessary to go to the earthly Jerusalem any more. Christ is the way to enter the promised land. He is the 'door' of the sheepfold. The invaders enter by some other way, like thieves. They come against the saints. The invaders misinterpret prophecy; they come against the prophets of Israel. The invaders seek to take a spoil; they want money. The invaders are the armies of Gog, and Magog.

The church is pictured as a temple, the Gentile invaders occupy the outer court. The invaders follow seducing spirits. They say, about the scriptures, avoid 'meat', stick to 'milk;' that is, they prefer the literal sense, and deny the true spiritual nourishment in the scriptures, that is understood by those capable of mental "chewing," who are spiritually mature. The invaders deny that the promises of God apply to the church, and instead, they try to apply them to spiritual children of Hagar, the Egyptian handmaid of Sarah. They are like a cloud; a dark cloud. Many of the saints are taken captive by them. The invaders rifle houses, and ravish women; the meaning is spiritual; they seduce them into following false teachings.

The invaders try to dominate the saints, by abuse, persecution, defamation, and they speak evil of them. They lack faith to enter the promised land themselves. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, who lacked the faith to enter the promised land, they view the inhabitants as 'giants' and see themselves as 'grasshoppers' in comparison. They make the land desolate; they hinder others from obtaining the promises; they are like a great locust plague. Ezekiel said the people of Israel will occupy their land; that is the true Israel, having the 'circumcision made without hands.' Every one of them is to be brought back, none are left behind. Their king is to be Christ, represented by David. Their restoration to the land is forever. The land is the promised "rest" of the saints.

In the promised land there are rivers of living water; Ezekiel showed these metaphorical rivers will become places for catching fish; Jesus referred to his disciples as "fishers of men." Desolate places where the river flows will flourish; the scriptures that were obscure will make sense. Trees will grow in the desert; the righteous are referred to as "trees." Prophecy has seemed like a dry desert; it will blossom as the rose. Isaiah said, no galley of oars will be found on the river at Jerusalem; it is not a literal river! When it reaches the sea, bitter, salty waters become fresh. Joel said, the valley of Shittim will be watered by the temple waters; that is where the Israelites committed whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

The saints, the true Israel, will be 'planted' on the mountains of Israel, which are symbolic of the promises of God. These mountains will shoot forth branches and fruit. The mountains represent promises, prophecies, and revelations; these metaphorical mountains are the foundation of the holy city.

John the Baptist said mountains will be made low, and valleys exulted; old theories of a literal land will be "made low;" valleys filled means missing knowledge will be supplied.

Doug

[marie glen]

I love how all of life is a metaphor, yet at the same time it all happens or occurs.. Along the same vein, in 70a.d. when Jerusalem was razed, the christians remembered how Jesus had said that when they see an abomination at the temple they were to run to the hills without delay, and when they saw the roman standards flying atop the corners of the temple they took that to be the abomination and during a pause which occurred for some unknown reason, they did indeed run to the hills and the christians were spared (and as we know from there christianity, the mantle of truth now worn by christianity (the woman rev 12) fled/migrated largely to Europe, first migration, there was war in heaven and satan was no longer allowed access to the heavens and he pursued the woman (truth) once again in great rage but she was given the two wings of an eagle that she might sail to a new place, 2nd migration, and for three and half modern divisions of time was kept safe from the FaCe of the dragon - 1620 is the date etched on Plymouth Rock, after 350 yrs a flood/proliferation like vomit from the serpent guise of the dragon, was released after the woman to try to wash her away from the earth.. (It seems to be working rather well too). But!! the earth will open its mouth and swallow the flood (surely Joel's dry and smoky day, and likely, what Jesus was referring to when He said to the weeping women as He was on his way to be crucified "weep not for me, but weep for children's children.. for if they will do this (crucify me) in a green leaf, wHat, will they do in a dry leaf?" [Aka, the 666 genocide. When we "see" the abomination of desolation set up (666) run to the hills. we will see it three years and six months after the place of daily prayer and thanksgiving in Jerusalem is removed-Dan 12:11,12+Mt 24:1,2] "Happy the one who waits and comes to the three years, six months and 45 days" Dan 12:12.

Note: after the earth swallows the flood/proliferation of smut, the dragon turns his attention back to the rest of the woman's children who have the commandments of God and (by now) the testimony of Jesus.. as we know Bible prophecy states Israel will become surrounded by armies, and Jesus said to Jerusalem "you will not see me again until you say "blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD" - Revelation 16:14,15 and 16 - "...the spirits of devils, going forth to the kings of the earth to gather them to the great day of God almighty, behold I come as a thief, blessed is he who watches and keeps his clothes on lest they have to run naked (paraphrased by me:) and he gathered them to a place called Armegeddon..