by David Webber
Noah's
ark was a refuge and a hiding place from God's pristine judgment of the great
Flood. Eight souls were preserved from this universal judgment. Eight
is
the number of Christ and the number of new beginnings.
Since
Jesus Christ died on the cross to redeem Adam's race, He became our ark of
safety. May God speak to many hearts to enter in right now, believe the
gospel,
and be saved by faith in Him (I Cor. 15:1-4).
Israel
looked upon their God Jehovah as a Rock of refuge and the Cornerstone of their
salvation. "The Lord is my Rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
my
God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my
salvation, and my high tower" (Ps. 18:2). In the New Testament, the
symbolism
is
the same.
Moreover,
brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were
under the cloud, and all passed through the sea (I Cor. 10: 1).
And
were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea (I Cor. 10:2). And did
all eat the same spiritual meat (I Cor. 10:3). And did all drink the
same
spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and
that Rock was Christ (I Cor. 10:4).
In
Isaiah 26:4 we see the mighty rock of God's deliverance for the remnant of
Israel: "Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is
everlasting
strength."
The
footnote in my Pilgrim Bible is, "Everlasting strength in the Hebrew is
Rock of Ages." So it is altogether fitting that the rock city of Petra
(Petra
means
rock) should become a hiding place for the one-third of Israel - the Remnant of
Israel - during the time of Israel's greatest affliction, "the time
of
Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:7).
Petra
was possibly the land of the biblical Horites about the time of Abraham (2000
B.C.) Apparently, this was the area called Edom and the dwelling place
of
Esau after he lost his birthright to Jacob.
About
800 B.C., the Nabateans, possibly from North Africa, settled in Petra. With the
wealth they amassed from robbing passing caravans they built up Petra
with
temples, houses, and tombs, and it became a thriving, busy city. The Romans
later conquered Petra in A.D. 106 and also built temples, marketplaces,
and
an amphitheater that seated about 6,000 people.
The
interesting feature about this mysterious city (20 square miles) was that the
rose-red city was lost to the world for hundreds of years until it was
re-
discovered by John Burckhardt in 1812.
It
has been told that a well-known minister of the last century named Blackstone
hid thousands of New Testaments in the numerous caves that abound in this
natural
fortress. It is as though God has prepared this remote area for a remnant of
the covenant people in the last days as a rocky sanctuary.
Daniel
11:41 could indicate such a hiding place for the Jews. "He shall enter
also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these
shall
escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of
Ammon."
The
end of the prophetic picture seems to center around the remnant of Israel that
flees from the face of Antichrist when he stands in the Temple and declares
to
the world that he is god and takes away the daily sacrifice.
I
am convinced that the Lord has a prepared place to preserve His covenant
people, at least a remnant who call upon His Name; and that He will in some
manner
lead
them to the place of safety. When He returns at the Second Coming, He will
personally return to Petra and lead them on the King's Highway back to
the
Promised Land. The Scriptures also indicate that they will not be safe unless
they stay in their hiding place until the Lord returns. The Lord says
to
Israel: "I will go and return to My place till they acknowledge their
offense and seek my face; in their affliction they will seek me early"
(Hos. 5:15).
As
the believing remnant begin to cry out unto God in Psalm 60: 1: "0 God
thou has cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; Oh
turn
Thyself
to us again," we find God's answer and His salvation:
Thou
hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of
the truth. Selah (Ps. 60:4). That thy beloved may be delivered; save
with
thy right hand, and hear me (Ps. 60:5). Who will bring me into the strong city?
who will lead me into Edom? (Ps. 60:9). Wilt not thou, 0 God, which
hadst
cast us off? and thou, 0 God, which didst not go out with our armies? (Ps.
60:10). Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man (Ps. 60:11).
Through
God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies (Ps.
60:12).
God
further establishes the fact of His personal deliverance of the chosen of
Israel in Isaiah 63:1-4 and 8-9:
Who
is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is
glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I that
speak
in righteousness, mighty to save (Isa. 63: 1). Wherefore art thou red in thine
apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? (Isa.
63:2).
1
have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for
I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their
blood
shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment (Isa.
63:3). For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed
is
come (Isa. 63:4). For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will
not lie: so he was their Saviour (Isa. 63:8). In all their affliction he
was
afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his
pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days
of
old (Isa. 63:9).
Perhaps
God reveals in a different way His sanctuary and His salvation for His ancient
people in Isaiah 26:20-21:
Come,
my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide
thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast
(Isa.
26:20).
For,
behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth
for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall
no
more cover her slain (Isa. 26:21).
Surely
God's supernatural intervention is portrayed in Isaiah 16:1-5, as the ancient
name for Petra - Sela - is used:
Send
ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the
mount of the daughter of Zion (Isa. 16:1).
For
it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters
of Moab shall be at the fords of Amon (Isa. 16:2).
Take
counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the
noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth (Isa. 16:3).
Let
mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of
the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the
oppressors
are consumed out of the land (Isa. 16:4).
And
in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in
the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting
righteousness
(Isa.
16:5).
These
distinctive verses also show that these events are in the context of the Day of
the Lord, and the fulfillment of the angel's message to Mary concerning
Christ
sitting upon the throne of David.
He
shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God
shall give unto him the throne of his father David (Luke 1:32). And he shall
reign
over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end
(Luke 1:33).
These
verses in Isaiah 16 could also indicate that the sequence of events will be the
same as in ancient days. The tabernacle of David will be restored
as
promised in Amos 9:11: "On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of
David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins
and
rebuild it as in the days of old." (Also see Acts 15:16.) Christ,
returning in great power and glory, will build the third Temple.
And
speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man
whose name is the Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and
he
shall build the temple of the Lord (Zech. 6:12).
Even
he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall
sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne:
and
the counsel of peace shall be between them both (Zech. 6:13).
My
footnote in the Pilgrim edition of the KJV has this to say concerning "My
Servant the Branch": "Here is a definite prophecy more than five
hundred years
before
the coming of the Messiah. My Servant is often used in the Book of Isaiah for
our Lord Jesus Christ as Messiah. So in Zechariah; the Branch is also
His
name, as we read in 6:12: "Whose name is the branch." He is spoken of
six times in the Scriptures as the branch (Isa. 4:2; 11: 1; Zech. 3:8; 6:12;
Jer
23:5; 33:15), under four headings, and these four headings are set forth in the
four Gospels as they picture the Lord Jesus Christ:
1.
"A righteous branch ... a King" (Jer. 23:5; 33:15) the Gospel of
Matthew: "Behold, a King."
2.
"My Servant the branch" (Zech. 3:8) - the Gospel of Mark:
"Behold, My Servant."
3.
"The man whose name is the branch" (Zech. 6:12) the Gospel of Luke:
"Behold, the man."
4.
"The branch of Jehovah" (Isa. 4:2) - the Gospel of John: "Behold
your God."
Today,
there are more than five million inhabitants in contemporary Israel - about
four million are Jews who have returned to the land. Ancient prophecies
tell
us that two-thirds of the Jews in the land will die during the seven years of
terrible tribulation. But one-third will be divinely protected and delivered
from
the fiery trials of this time period.
And
it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein
shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein (Zech.
13:8).
And
I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is
refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name,
and
I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is
my God (Zech. 13:9).
We
interpret the one-third as believing Israel of Romans 11:26; and the godly
remnant that God supernaturally protects in a specially prepared hiding place
(Isa.
26:20-21). We have a symbolic picture of Israel, the sun-clad woman, who brings
forth the man child - Jesus Christ - who according to His humanity
is
of the seed of David and destined to rule all nations with a rod of iron.
And
there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the
moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars And she
being
with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered And there
appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having
seven
heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads And his tail drew the
third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and
the
dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour
her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who
was
to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God,
and to his throne. 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 (Rev. 12:1-6).
Notice
the devil in his pristine setting as the great red dragon is in deadly
opposition to Israel - the woman - and to her child, the incarnate Son of
God.
Between
verses 5 and 6, we span many centuries going right from the birth of the
promised seed into the seventieth week of Daniel, when the woman - Israel
-
flees for her life into the wilderness.
God's
chosen remnant - the believing Jews of Romans 11: 25-26 have a specially
prepared place for the last half of the Tribulation, three and one-half years.
And
when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman
which brought forth the man child (Rev. 12:13).
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 (Rev. 12:14).
And
the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he
might cause her to be carried away of the flood (Rev. 12:15).
And
the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up
the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth (Rev. 12:16).
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 (Rev. 12:17).
Apparently,
her escape will be by airplane (Rev. 12:14 and Isa. 40:3 1). Today at Mount
Sinai, there is a landing field right out in the desert. When the
believing
remnant arrives at the rock city of Petra, the devil tries to drown them in a
flood; but the earthquake prone area opens up and receives the
avalanche
of waters.
And
after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:
and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and
the
sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the
war desolations are determined (Dan. 9:26).
Since
the signing of a peace treaty between Jordan and Israel, Jews with a foreign
passport have been able to visit Petra. Some of the impressions of Haim
Shapiro
who writes for the Jerusalem Post are recorded in a recent article, "Don't
Sing the Petra Song in Petra."
"Don't
sing the Petra song in Petra" -- that was one of several guidelines for
Israelis visiting Jordan. I probably would not have thought of the song were
it
not for the rule, but as my horse plodded along the canyon leading to the famed
city, I could barely restrain myself from breaking out into song.
The
most amazing thing about the visit to Jordan was that I was there at all.
Perhaps this feeling of wonder made every sight even better than I had
imagined.
The
red rocks of Petra were more striking than the photographs, and the detailed
carving in the rock more impressive, the colors of the mosaic map at Madaba
were
clearer than in any picture, and the Roman theater at Jarash was more
impressive than on Jordan television.
The
Jordanians were admitting Israelis only if they had foreign passports, but
former restrictions which had decreed that no sign of Israel besmirch these
passports
have been forgotten. Israel's restrictions on its citizens traveling directly
into Jordan have also been lifted.
Galilee
Tours, which organized the tour, reports that thus far, "the demand has
been brisk. With the signing of a peace treaty, it can only be a matter
of
weeks before Israelis will be able to enter Jordan on Israeli passports."
Perhaps
this is a preview of Jews fleeing for their lives from the face and fury of the
Antichrist in their final holocaust. This time, they will sing the
Petra
song as they sang praises to God after the exodus from Egypt.
Israel
is God's earthly people and He has been pleased to make a covenant with them.
According to the prophecies, God will make a new covenant with Israel
in
the last days when He re-gathers them into the Holy Land.
Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house
of Israel, and with the house of Judah (Jer. 31:31).
Not
according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took
them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant
they
brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord (Jer. 31:32).
But
this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After
those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and
write
it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people (Jer.
31:33).
Also
God reveals His divine providence over Israel against curses and in the day of
battle. Balaam's four prophecies reveal many wonderful things about
God's
watch care over Israel.
And
he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from
Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob,
and
come, defy Israel (Num. 23:7).
How
shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord
hath not defied? (Num. 23:8).
For
from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the
people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations
(Num.
23:9).
Who
can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let
me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! (Num.
23:10).
This
passage shows Israel dwelling alone and possibly indicates that one- fourth of
Israel will be the remnant that God miraculously protects. The second
prophecy
reveals that ultimately Israel would have a king; and that no enchantment can
touch God's covenant people; and the blessing that God gave to Abraham
has
never been nullified (Num. 23:18-24).
Now
the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy
kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee (Gen.
12:
1).
And
I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name
great; and thou shalt be a blessing (Gen. 12:2).
And
I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee
shall all families of the earth be blessed (Gen. 12:3).
The
third prophecy of Balaam is a beautiful picture of Israel back in their own
land in the last days and how God's prosperity will rest upon them as He
prepares
to pour out His Spirit like water out of many buckets.
And
he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man
whose eyes are open hath said (Num. 24:3).
He
hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty,
falling into a trance, but having his eyes open (Num. 24:4). How goodly
are
thy tents, 0 Jacob, and thy tabernacles, 0 Israel! (Num. 24:5).
As
the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees
of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside
the
waters (Num. 24:6).
He
shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters,
and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted
(Num.
24:7).
God
brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn:
he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones,
and
pierce them through with his arrows (Num. 24:8). He couched, he lay down as a
lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that
blesseth
thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee (Num. 24:9).
This
is doubtless the same prophecy of Joel 2:28-29:
And
it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh;
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall
dream
dreams, your young men shall see visions (Joel 2:28). And also upon the
servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit (Joel
2:29).
This
is pre-determined by two parallel prophecies. Until the spirit be poured upon
us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful
field
be counted for a forest (Isa. 32:15). Neither will I hide my face any more from
them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith
the
Lord God (Ezek. 39:29).
God
also reaffirms His covenant blessing to Abraham in Numbers 24:9. The fourth
prophecy has to do with both the first and second comings of Christ. I shall
see
him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out
of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the
comers
of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth (Num. 24:17). And Edom shall be
a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and
Israel
shall do valiantly (Num. 24:18).
Out
of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that
remaineth of the city (Num. 24:19). This is a complete prophecy for the
last
days. The Star out of of Jacob is the sign of Christ's birth. The scepter that
shall rise out Israel signifies the coming kingdom or God from heaven
(Dan.
2:44). Verse 18 demonstrates that God has not forgotten the believing remnant
that He will hide in Edom or Petra. And Edom shall be a possession,
Seir
also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly (Num.
24:18).