Does the Bible promise that a specific group of believers will be "taken to a place of safety," while those in other groups are "left behind" to suffer the Great Tribulation? Must you be a member of the "Philadelphian" church in order to escape?

Thousands of former members of the Worldwide Church of God have left that organization and are now affiliated with a number of other groups. As a result of decades of teaching, many still believe in the concept of "church eras." Naturally, since they believed for many years that their former church, the WCG, was the "Philadelphia" church, and since they have now rejected that church because of its abandonment of so many of the truths they had studied and painstakingly learned, they began to wonder, Where is the Philadelphian era of the church? A major question in the minds of the same people is: Where is the Laodicean church?

Many believe that the WCG is now "Laodicea." Since it appears that the church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-12) is promised protection from the Great Tribulation, it is quite natural that most would like to believe they are the "Philadelphian era" of the church.

Many thousands still believe they will be taken to a "place of safety." Some still insist this place will be in Petra, in the Jordanian Desert. Is this true? Revealed here, for the first time, is where that concept originated.

Each of us wants to avoid pain, injury, and death. Instinctively, we shrink from danger which would threaten us physically; would damage or destroy our homes and possessions. No one wants to contemplate torture. Self-preservation is instinctive among human beings. That's why the promise of escape is so attractive.

Does the Bible promise the church, or only a part of the church, will be "taken to a place of safety"? Does prophecy portray a great escape for God's people?

It's time you knew the true origin of the concept of Petra being the "place of safety." It's time you saw the truth, from your own Bible, about "church eras."

The concept of going to a special place of safety carries with it the connotation that only those who are qualified or worthy to escape will be taken. Those who are neither qualified nor worthy will not escape, but will suffer the terrible horrors of the prophesied Great Tribulation. Obviously, this is an "us-them" idea. It is, by its very nature, judgmental.

Decades ago, my father, Herbert W. Armstrong, supported by many of the pioneer students of Ambassador College who became leaders in the church, espoused the idea that the church he had founded (the Radio Church of God from the 1930s until the early 1960s) was the Philadelphian era of the church.

Hundreds of sermons were preached, and countless member and co-worker letters written, to reinforce this concept.

For many decades, being "left behind" was the most fearsome prospect one could imagine. Being left meant horrible privation and hardship, becoming a refugee in one's own country. It meant arrest and interrogation of one's religious beliefs. It meant, probably, torture and eventual death under unimaginable circumstances.

All this would occur because of disloyalty, or disagreement, or dissidence, or simple inattention—sloth. This would occur because you were not one of "us," or that you were guilty of sin. It would occur because you had become a "lukewarm Laodicean" and had not remained a zealous "Philadelphian."

Serious problems with such beliefs immediately become obvious. The hoped—for "great escape" of God's people is like a temporary physical forerunner of true spiritual salvation! In a sense, it is like a mini-rapture, a whisking away of a large number of special people to a special place for their physical protection from the unimaginable horrors of the Great Tribulation.

While millions of nominal Christians in the large mainstream churches believe in the "immortality of the soul," and would have difficulty reconciling this belief with the many scriptures about the resurrection, many, nevertheless, believe fervently in being "caught up" to be with the returning Christ in the air.

Large, multi-million member mainstream churches believe in the rapture. The "blessed hope," as it is called, supposes that Christ is first coming for His saints, to spiritually "snatch them up" into heaven so they will escape the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. Later, since His Second Corning, they say, is in "two phases," He will return with His saints, who have been with Him in heaven for either three and one-half years or one thousand years.

The problem is that many seem unaware that the Bible says Christ will stand in the same day on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4).

The word rapture is mentioned nowhere in the Bible. Instead, Christs return is described by Jesus Christ Himself as coming at the end of all the horrors of the Tribulation, Heavenly Signs, and Day of the Lord—that He will intervene in human affairs in the nick of time, or there would not be a man, woman, or child left alive on the earth!

It is true that God's Word says a time is coming when the saints will be "caught up." But that time comes at the one and only Second Coming of Jesus Christ—His return to this earth in the power and glory of Almighty God, as King of kings and Lord of lords!

The apostle Paul wrote of this great prophesied event:

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [margin: "precede"] them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

And where will the Lord BE when He rents the heavens, and comes down to this earth? Zechariah 14:4 says, "His feet shall stand in that day on the Mount of Olives!"

Read Isaiah 2; Micah 4; Isaiah 11; Revelation 2:26; 5:10; and Revelation 19,20. All describe Jesus Christ coming back to this earth to establish His kingdom.

Of course we shall "ever be with the Lord"—because He is coming HERE to rule this world with a rod of iron for one thousand years!

Today, many thousands of individuals believe they are members of God's true church. They believe they are in a saved condition—that they will be among those who, if they die prior to Christ's return, will be resurrected; will be among the "dead in Christ," to rise to meet Christ in the air. They believe that if they are alive at that time they will be "caught up together with them" (the dead in Christ), and be instantaneously changed (I Corinthians 15:50-52).

Think of it! All these many people, now totally separated; affiliated with this or that group; alienated, estranged—finally being together! Will we recognize one another? Will those who have been bitterly divided, those who have never written, called, or spoken to formerly beloved brothers and sisters, be joyously reunited?

Will they say, as they are being transported in the air, flying above the terrain in the clouds, "Oh, look! There is so-and-so," and happily wave to them, when they had shunned them for years? Will they see and happily greet former brethren, loved ones or associates, whom they are just then seeing for the first time in five, or ten, or twenty, or thirty years?

As all the saints come down with Jesus Christ upon the Mount of Olives, will there be a joyous reunion? Or will they spend the first several hours sorting themselves out, looking for those who are members of "their" group, avoiding contact of any sort with those who are a part of some "other" group? Will bitter arguments break out? Will people haughtily turn away from one another? Why not then? They do now, don't they?

A puzzling concept, isn't it? Yet, it is one which must be answered in the private minds and hearts of many thousands of people. Christ Himself will ultimately want to know—up close, and in Person! What will our answer be?

Today, thousands of those who used to be members of the Worldwide Church of God are deeply divided. Splits have begotten splits, which have resulted in more splits. Now, there are offshoots of offshoots of offshoots—and never the twain shall meet!

As one leading minister used to say, borrowing from the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, "It is as if a GREAT GULF is fixed" between people who should be close together, loving one another, forgiving one another—doing God's work together! Instead, they are completely estranged. Totally apart. How tragic. What a pity. And how unnecessary!

Time and time again, I have heard some of God's people who say, "It is not the people who wish to be apart—but the leaders who can't seem to work together!"

Perhaps some have adopted a cynical point of view. Some may well have consigned former brothers and sisters to Gehenna fire; believe they have lost out on salvation; believe there is no way they will be among the "elect," who will be taken to a place of safety or caught up to meet Christ in the air. Maybe they have convinced themselves that "seeing is believing." When they see so-and-so there with Christ, and they can become convinced Christ has forgiven them—THEN they will accept them, too. Is this what some think? Are they better than Christ? Will they wait to see if HE takes the first step toward reconciliation, and only then begrudgingly do the same?

But for now, they cannot bring themselves to do so, and have therefore decided to "leave it all in Christ's hands." Is this according to the Bible? Does this concept sound correct? Believe it or not, it may well be the inward thoughts of many, who will have absolutely nothing to do with each other today, even though they may believe very nearly alike and wanting to accomplish God's work in much the same way—through radio, television, the printed page, and personal evangelism.

The concept of a place of safety is like a microcosm of the time of Christ's return, the resurrection, and the "catching up" of the saints. It assumes, by its very definition, that certain ones will be "qualified" to go to a place of safety, and certain ones will NOT be qualified. Naturally, if they go to a place of safety, they will be together there. Surviving together. Praying together. Worshiping together. Helping one another. Loving one another. Perhaps, as some may believe, they will actually go out and gather manna together!

Herein is the same problem we just discussed. If it is ONLY the members of this or that group, under this or that human leader, who will be going to a place of safety, then this means such a group has consigned all other groups as "outsiders," those who will be "left." It is essential to any such body of believers, for the sake of their own identity, to believe those in other groups simply will not be taken with them to a place of safety!

What would occur if God decided two, three, or more of these groups were "counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass," and all ended up in Petra together?

Would their leaders reconcile then? Or would various ones be busily engaged in expelling from this place of safety those who had not submitted to their human leader, or had not been part of their group? Would the angrily spoken phrase "What are you doing here?" be frequently heard?

A puzzle, isn't it? One thing is sure. Thousands are deeply divided today. What a tragedy. What a waste! What completely unnecessary duplication of effort! Maybe we can all explain it to Jesus Christ later. On the other hand, perhaps He really is waiting for an explanation now, and maybe our answer will have to do with whether we will meet Jesus Christ in Person at His coming.

For my first several years in God's church, I believed we would all be taken to a place of safety. My father, Herbert W. Armstrong, preached many sermons on this subject. So did I, from about 1955, and so did all the other ministers of the Worldwide Church of God, nee Radio Church of God. However, for over thirty-one years now, I have believed differently.

In the 1950s an elaborate scheme of prophetic fulfillment was gradually adopted by the church. Church history, chronology, a belief in "nineteen-year time cycles," and a belief that various personal events (such as my father's baptism, ordination, and the very first broadcast over radio) were prophetically significant all contributed to the scenario.

It was believed there were two nineteen-year time cycles allotted to the early church to preach the gospel—first in Palestine and Asia, and then in Europe.

Dozens of sermons, dozens of Bible studies, dozens of articles and booklets were produced which reinforced all aspects of this belief. Allegedly, the first nineteen-year time cycle began in June, A.D. 31, on the Day of Pentecost—when Christ built His church. Then, in A.D. 50, it was alleged, the apostle Paul "went to Europe" (he did nothing of the sort, unless one considers the Peloponnesus of Greece, and the region around Thessalonika, to be Europe). So it was, the belief went, that the early church was allotted nineteen years to "preach the gospel in Asia," and a second nineteen years to "preach the gospel to Europe."

By A.D. 69, at the end of the second nineteen-year time cycle, vast persecutions were underway, all "organized preaching of the gospel was stopped," and the Roman army advanced on Palestine, sacking and burning Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

It was preached that all the planets and stars came into exact conjunction every nineteen years—that each heavenly body orbited or moved about in the universe in various ways, but that every nineteen years they were all exactly as they had been nineteen years before.

This wholly erroneous theory was based on a misinterpretation of the Metonic cycle in chronology. It is now known that the universe is gradually expanding, and that no such nineteen-year time cycle applies to either our own galaxy or the universe.

The Metonic cycle (named after the man who proposed it, Meton) is only off by about two hours in nineteen years, however. It states there are 235 lunations during that period of time. Modern calculations state there are 235 lunations, which is 6,930 days and 16.5 hours, while during nineteen solar years there are 6,939 days and 14.5 hours. Since nineteen Julian years consists of 6,939 days and 18 hours, Meton's observations are only 1.5 hours off if the Julian year is used. Meton lived in Athens, in 432 B.C.

As one can immediately see, the cycle relates only to the number of lunations during nineteen solar years, and has nothing to do whatsoever with the planets, let alone the stars.

My father believed that one hundred nineteen-year time cycles had passed from A.D. 31 until A.D. 1931, when he came upon the scene. He believed there had been no organized preaching of the gospel for many centuries. Indeed he believed the gospel had not been preached at all, but had been "lost" for all that time. He believed a modern nineteen-year time cycle for preaching the gospel had begun on the first Sunday in 1934, when he first began on radio. God then allowed, from 1934 until 1953, he believed, a nineteen year time cycle to preach the gospel to America (although the radio programs were being heard in Canada and Mexico as well), and then a new nineteen-year time cycle to preach the gospel to Europe beginning in 1953.

If memory serves, this was not predicted in advance, but was a conclusion drawn later. As my father said, "On the first Sunday in 1953 the gospel began to be preached in Europe for the first time in 1,900 years" over Radio Luxembourg.

Obviously, the next "time cycle" would allegedly end in 1972. For many years, from 1953 into the early 1960s, my father continually stressed how the work must be accomplished by January, 1972. By interpreting all prophetic events depicted in the book of Revelation, Daniel, and all the other prophets, and Christ's Olivet Prophecy from the matrix of these nineteen-year time cycles, an elaborate end-time prophetic scenario was developed.

I know, for I was very much a "true believer" in these detailed and elaborate prophetic scenarios from the early 1950s until the early 1960s. I confidently expected everything to work out exactly on time. I taught classes about them, preached about them, wrote about them. I drew up graphs on the blackboard for students, complete with all the hoped-for dates. How ludicrous those graphs would look today, with dates like 1972 and 1975 plain to see.

Here are the essentials, the way it was believed then:

My father believed that he had been used to raise up the Philadelphian era of God's church. This assumption was based on the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. My father began to write and preach that the "Sardis" church (believing in the concept of "church eras," as opposed to the contemporaneous nature of the seven churches in Asia in A.D. 92) was the Church of God (Seventh Day), with which he had been affiliated. He later stated that he had "cooperated" with that church, and likened his calling to that of the apostle Paul. However, it was the Church of God (Seventh Day), Oregon Conference, which had ordained him, and issued him ministerial credentials. He is listed in the Dugger-Dodd book, A History of the True Church.

He said they were "spiritually dead" (Revelation 3:1), even though he acknowledged that the Bible said, "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments: and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy."

But because of the description of the Philadelphia church, which was obviously anything but "dead," and which was certainly not "lukewarm," as the dreaded "Laodicean church" was to become, he believed he was used to raise up the Philadelphian era of the true Church of God.

To him, the "open door" said to be set before the Philadelphian church was the "door" of radio, television, and the printed page. The angelic message to the Philadelphian church is as follows: "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Revelation 3:7-13).

Every facet of this entire passage became the subject of many, many sermons and articles. Nothing was left unexplained. The "synagogue of Satan" was variably explained as any and all who were not members of the Worldwide Church; who did not recognize that it was the "only true church," and that all others were "satanic counterfeits." That they would "come and worship before thy feet" was explained in an equally bizarre fashion: Since most worship money as their god, and since thousands who were not members of the church nevertheless sent financial support for the work, this was, in effect "worshiping" before the feet of the true church, the Philadelphian era.

The promise that the Philadelphian era would be "kept from the hour of temptation" [margin: "trial," meaning the Great Tribulation] was viewed as the future promised fulfillment of Revelation 12:14-17. The passage states: "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. 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. 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. 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."

Over the years, various interpretations of this passage were espoused: Obviously, the woman refers to the church. The "wings of a great eagle" were asserted to be airplanes like the 747 and DC-10. Following a terrible, fatal crash of a DC-10 shortly after takeoff from Chicago's O'Hare airport many years ago one enthusiastic "evangelist" in the WCG assured his audience that God would supply an angel to replace any missing or weakened wing bolts in a DC-10 which might fly them to a place of safety! That there are no landing strips anywhere near Petra in the Jordanian desert could easily be explained away by either the assurance they would be constructed in time, or miraculously provided. It is positively amazing that audiences did not simply walk out in disgust at hearing such nonsense, but they didn't.

The "wilderness" and "her place" were interpreted as the PLACE of safety, which was Petra. On the other hand, the "woman in the wilderness" was also interpreted as being the craggy mountains of France, Switzerland, and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages, when some of the Waldenses, Albigenses, and others had escaped being killed for their beliefs.

The "flood" the serpent cast out was either false doctrine, or actual armies of the Beast power which would attempt to murder the fleeing refugees. The earth "opening her mouth" and helping the woman (the fleeing church) was the famous Siq, the narrow crack in the rocks that leads into Petra, and the first, spectacular view of Ed Deir, one of the most impressive of its red sandstone facades.

The projected scenario was like that of Israel, walking dry shod through the Red Sea. As the fleeing members of the church made it through the Siq, the armies of the Beast would enter it from the other end. Just as the members devolved onto the valley floor, the Siq would clap shut behind them, exterminating the "flood" that Satan had sent, in the form of the armies of the Beast. All would be instantly killed.

But. why Petra? Why not Yellowstone, or Rocky Mountain National Park, or Mauritius Island, or Manihi, in French Polynesia? Since a major war would be raging in the region, why would people who lived in Tasmania, or in Alaska, struggle to reach Palestine, and somehow cross the very lands where the largest military forces in all history would be assembled, and find their way to the desolate country east of the Dead Sea? Somehow, these difficulties were not really addressed. It was simply assumed miracles would occur those who would be taken to a place of safety would be conducted there miraculously. Perhaps angels would take them, like a mini version of the catching up of the saints at the Second Coming of Christ.

The belief that Petra, the ancient city in the Jordanian wilderness east of the Dead Sea would be the place of safety came about quite innocently, when I was but a boy of five. My mother was a Godfearing, Bible-believing woman. She was very aware of the developing storms in Europe, the Balkans, Ethiopia, and the Mideast. She was also very much aware of the prophecies of the book of Revelation, and the scriptures just referred to, which seemed to promise an "en masse" way of escape for God's people just before the Great Tribulation.

Hitler had come to power in Germany. Mussolini was the dictator of Italy; possessed a huge and powerful fleet, a large airforce and army. Mussolini sent his forces into Ethiopia in 1935. With this invasion, both my father and mother believed they were seeing a move by an Italian army from Catholic dominated Italy into the Mideast. They believed Mussolini would eventually invade Egypt, closing the Suez Canal to Britain, and would then march into Palestine.

My father believed for decades that a typical fulfillment of Daniel 11:40-44 was Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia / Eritrea. He assumed Mussolini was the biblically-prophesied Beast (Revelation 13:1-9; 17:12-14). It was not until Hitler became more powerful than Mussolini, invaded the lowlands and France, that he changed his mind, and assumed Hitler was the final, end-time Beast of the Bible. He thought this from about 1939 until 1943 or 1944.

While it is very easy to scoff at such beliefs from the vantage point of sixty years and more later, one has only to remember the ominous developments in Germany and Japan; the growing apprehension in the world over the strident demands of Adolf Hitler, and the threat of World War II. World events at that time provided ample reason for Christian people to wonder if, indeed, the GREAT TRIBULATION was near. My father and mother believed the Tribulation would come primarily upon the British Empire, the nations of Northwestern Europe and Scandinavia, and the United States.

When Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France were overrun; when Norway and Denmark fell; when the "Battle of Britain" began, my parents believed they were seeing the beginning of the Tribulation. When Japan attacked the U.S., and when it appeared Japan was advancing toward India, while Rommel's "Afrika Korps" was within a few miles of Alexandria, Egypt, and menacing the Suez Canal, they believed the prophesied invasion of Palestine was at the very doors. They believed the battle of Armageddon was not very distant in the future.

These events tended to support my mother's assumption that the "Rose Red City of Rock" she saw graphically depicted in that 1935 issue of National Geographic was the prophesied place of safety. Here was, as the article seemed to indicate, a virtual "city," yet uninhabited. Hundreds of caves, some quite large, were in evidence. Some had fabulously carved columns and friezes as exterior facades. A spring of water flowed into Petra. Of course, the church in which my parents were active in those years was very, very small—perhaps one hundred at best.

My father began to believe Petra was indeed the place. My parents visited the site in the mid 1950s with my brother, Richard David (who died following a fatal automobile crash in 1958). At that time, it was an arduous trip, and one had to ride on horseback or on a camel through the Siq.

By the time I was a junior in Ambassador College, in 1955, the concept that the church would go to Petra was deeply ingrained. We all believed it. We hoped for it, expected it—wrote and preached about it.

When the tide of battle turned against Germany and Japan, my father began to realize that Germany and her Axis partners would not invade Palestine; that the prophecies of Christ (Matthew 24:15-22; Luke 21:20) concerning an "Abomination of Desolation standing in the holy place," and "Jerusalem surrounded with armies," would NOT occur in the immediate future.

He had read a number of books about Hitler and the Third Reich. He had been keenly aware of all the developments around the world during World War II, for it was the hourly, daily news. He began saying by about 1943 that Germany would lose the war, that the Nazis would "go underground," and that Germany would eventually rise from the ashes of total defeat, and once again dominate Europe. While one may take issue with some of his beliefs (and they were sincere; he was in earnest, not attempting to write or preach things he did not, himself, believe) at that distant time, one has only to look at Europe today, at the history of post-war Germany, to see whether he knew Germany would rise again.

My father realized he had been in error about when the end-time Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21,22) would begin. He began saying there would come a "World War III," that Europe would unite under a dominant Germany, and that a European power would eventually occupy Palestine.

During the ensuing years, there were many who agreed with him about Germany. A number of authors wrote on the subject. Books like Fire In the Ashes, by Theodore White; Germany Plots With the Kremlin, by T. H. Tetens; The New Germany and the Old Nazis, by the same author; Watcher On the Rhine, by Brian Connells, for twenty years a Reuters correspondent—these and a number of other books warned about Nazis in Argentina and Spain; about ultranationalists in Germany who had gone underground following the war.

From the early 1950s, once my father had begun to believe in the concept of church eras and nineteen-year time cycles, an elaborate prophetic scenario developed. All the pioneer students, most of whom became leading ministers in the church in succeeding years, believed this scenario completely. So did I. It was not until the early 1960s that I began having very serious doubts; not until 1966 that I ran heedlessly headlong into my fathers wrath involving the place of safety. More about that a little later.

Since it was assumed the second nineteen-year time cycle began in 1953, it was obvious this "cycle" for organized preaching of the gospel would lapse by 1972. For many years the church believed the following scenarios:

(1) We would have only until January, 1972, to finish the work of preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world as a witness.

(2) The Great Tribulation would begin in January, 1972. Bombs would be falling on New York, Los Angeles—all the great American cities.

(3) However, prior to this time, the United States and Britain would be chastised and punished by God for four periods of seven years each. This was based upon the false idea (it is not necessary to identify the originator of the idea here) that the punishment "seven times more for your sins" listed in Leviticus 26:18,21,24,28 were literal spans of time. Since the "military phase" of the Great Tribulation was to break out in 1972, one had only to extrapolate backward to establish when the four times of "seven-year punishments" would begin. I have no recollection whatsoever what events may have been pointed to that allegedly occurred in 1951 and 1958. Space does not permit the reprinting of the entire chapter of Leviticus 26 here. Be sure to read it carefully, and note the fearsome punishments God promised would befall Israel for Sabbath breaking and idolatry.

In various ways, such punishments do occur from time to time, and some of them are occurring now, as they have for many decades. Disease, drought and famine, failed or destroyed crops, and ultimate destruction of the nation and captivity are described. Never forget that Jesus Christ Himself foretold droughts, famines, disease, and "natural" calamities such as earthquakes and wars.

However, to assume a chronological sequence of events is indicated on the "day for a year" principle (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:5,6) was erroneous. The entire scheme of things—nineteen-year cycles and how they allegedly applied to the church; the four separate seven-year punishments; the Tribulation commencing in 1972 (and therefore the Second Coming of Christ to occur sometime near the Feast of Trumpets in 1975)—all proved to be error as the years passed.

According to the theory, perhaps one third of the population of the United States would have died from disease by 1965. The bodies would be piled high in city streets, so that bulldozers would be required to remove them. The United States was not a pleasant place to live in 1965, to be sure. Many cities were in flames. The Watts riot broke out. Anti-war demonstrations were rife. John Kennedy had been dead for two years, and Lyndon Johnson had America deeply enmeshed in the jungles of Vietnam.

But the horrifying prophecies of Leviticus 26 were not in evidence.

I had begun to become skeptical. While events in Europe seemed to indicate the creation of a "United States of Europe" would eventually take place (it is not yet completed as I write—though very much on track), and I believed absolutely in Christ's prophecies concerning the Abomination of Desolation and "Jerusalem surrounded with armies," I began to have serious doubts about the chronological schedule of events we had adopted.

When 1965 came and went, there was nothing remotely resembling the terrible punishments depicted in Leviticus 26. Wild beasts were not robbing us of our children. Our highways were not desolate. We had not become few in number.

The elaborate prophetic scenario said we had only seven years until the end of the next time cycle. The Tribulation would begin in January, 1972! However, it also had predicted that "bodies would be piled so high in the streets that it would take a D-8 Caterpillar to remove them!" One simply cannot ignore such horrifying predictions, and say nothing about them; pretend they were never made. Though I began to preach and teach contrary to these false scenarios, the church itself never truly made an official apology; never wrote a major corrective booklet or article.

In the mid-1960s, I began expressing doubts to fellow ministers and friends. I began saying publicly, from the pulpit, that the church should not depend upon dates. But it was not until 1966 that I unintentionally caused a major rift with my father over the concept of a place of safety. I have mentioned this in sermons, and to friends in the past. Now, I will relate it here in print for the first time.

My wife and I had been to the Mideast on an extensive trip with a number of others. We had gone to Petra. At the time, I was producing "on the spot" radio programs whenever I traveled to places deemed important. We rode on horseback through the famed Siq, and finally came within sight of the magnificent facade of an ancient temple carved out of solid rock, called Ed Dier. When we entered the narrow valley, we immediately became aware of other tourists in various groups, listening to their guides.

Little Arab boys were selling soft drinks and artifacts. I remember buying two ancient Roman coins from one of them (which I later made into a set of cuff links). I was somewhat surprised to find that there are different routes into Petra; that the novelty of riding on a horse or camel through the narrow Siq was a matter of choice. There must have been two or three hundred people scattered about in groups, walking here, climbing there, peering into caves, or standing with backs bowed, hands shielding their eyes, as they stared up at some of the massive facades, listening to their tour guides.

At length, we came to a wider part of the valley, where there was an ancient Roman amphitheater. A friend and aide at the time was Mr. Lyle Christopherson, who was helping me with recorders, cameras, and the like. We climbed to the top of the semi-circular amphitheater, where I would have a sweeping view of the large valley, and the Jordanian desert beyond.

We investigated some of the caves to the left of the topmost rows of carved stone benches, and recoiled quickly. It seemed either tourists or guides or both, not having other facilities, had been using the caves.

Back out in the sunshine, I turned on my "Uher" reel-to-reel tape recorder, and began speaking into the microphone, describing what I was seeing. As I was warming to my subject, the distant "whap, whap, whap" sounds we had been hearing became louder and louder. Suddenly, two huge Jordanian Army helicopters—one of them a twin-rotor Sikorsky, from the look of it—the large, troop-carrying kind, came roaring over the valley, circled about, coming lower and lower.

I surmised, from the look of the craft and the crest on the side of one of them, that King Hussein himself may well have been at the controls, probably showing some VIPs around one of the favorite tourist attractions in Jordan.

In the ensuing days, as we traveled to the Old City of Jerusalem, and then crossed over into the Jewish side (this was approximately one year before the 1967 Six-Day War broke out), I had plenty of time to reflect on our experience in Petra.

As I reminded myself of things like helicopter gunships, guided missiles, mortars, and even nuclear weapons, the concept of a large armed force, chasing a group of refugees down the Siq, then being crushed by an earthquake, seemed totally ridiculous. Besides, there was not just one entry into Petra, but any number. Helicopters were not limited to narrow corridors between the rocks. Neither are laser-guided bombs or cruise missiles. The illusion of a deserted, rockbound "city" of caves in a wilderness was shattered. Here was a major tourist site.

By the time we arrived back in England, I had once again researched the subject in my Bible. I had come to some definite conclusions. It was all so obvious now. Was God actually going to spirit away thousands of His people—perhaps one hundred and forty-four thousand (another conjecture which some suggested)—to Petra?

Was He going to accomplish this by January, 1972? I simply didn't believe it anymore. I was already completely convinced that four succeeding seven-year periods of punishment on the United States and Great Britain—twenty-eight long years of plagues—was totally untrue. For one thing, it is obvious that the entire period of the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord lasts for only three and one-half years. I was now very disillusioned about nineteen-year time cycles. Now, I knew that the people in the church needed to be disabused of these false ideas, and I felt a great sense of responsibility to do just that.

For several years, I had become more and more uneasy with the fixation on "going to Petra." Some people, terrified of the specter of being "left behind" to suffer the tortures of the Great Tribulation, were actually saving seeds they hoped to plant when they arrived there!

This was nonsense! This was a cultic concept—a completely false hope. I remember ridiculing this idea when I had heard of a family in the Los Angeles area who lived in a mobile home, and who were saving seeds and honey which they intended taking to Petra. The story may have been exaggerated, but as it was told to me, the floor was sagging under the weight of all that honey!

How ludicrous it was for people to be saving seeds and food to "go to Petra," when they couldn’t have staggered across the street with a fraction of those heavy cans! Yet, whose fault was it that people were driven to paranoia by insistent teaching and preaching which dwelt on the horrors of the Tribulation, and the terror of "being left behind" when the rest of the church departed for Petra? ALL of the leadership shared in the responsibility. I don't honestly recall a single one of them beside myself ever taking issue with it speaking openly against it. Perhaps one or two did, but I was not personally aware of it.

I shall never forget the day when I delivered a sermon on the subject of our "Place of Safety" in the gymnasium/auditorium on the Ambassador College campus at Bricket Wood, St. Albans, England. We were having all-day services, with a potluck lunch. It was a beautiful summer day. We had barely returned from our trip to the Mideast, and I was very enthusiastic about the sermon. I had spent much time in preparation; had made careful notes.

My father and mother were seated on the front row, with my wife and children. A large group was present—perhaps six or seven hundred people, if memory serves.

I spoke of our experiences in Petra, then proceeded to go through the scriptures about whether the "Philadelphia church" would be taken to a place of safety. I will go through these and other scriptures a little later on.

I was to speak in the morning, at the 10:00 a.m. services, and my father was to speak that afternoon, at 2:30.

As I progressed through the message, I realized my father was beginning to scowl; that he turned, and whispered to my mother now and then behind his hand. When I had finished, I descended from the stage to stand with my family for the final song and closing prayer. As I did so, my father said to me, his face livid with anger, "Young man, you have just made the worst mistake of your life!" I was stunned. I had been so sure—so absolutely positive of the inescapable logic of the scriptures I had quoted, and our eye opening experiences in Petra, that I assumed everyone, including my father, would accept it with alacrity.

My mother tried to calm him down. I have rarely seen him so angry. He stalked out immediately. My parents stayed in "The Lodge" when they were visiting the campus in Bricket Wood—a former gatekeeper's cottage that had been refurbished. My wife and I always stayed with them. We had stayed and visited with a number of people as services concluded. Finally, we made our way down the drive to the Lodge.

My mother was stricken. She knew my father was terribly angry. I asked about it, and felt I needed to go to him, and try to explain. He was typing his message for that afternoon in his study. My attempt to talk to him was to no avail. It was an emotional, embarrassing scene that afternoon. He would not be dissuaded from his decision to preach a sermon that same day that, he thought, would utterly demolish my sermon of the morning!

To me, such an occurrence would be very embarrassing and confusing for the church. It was a long time before I truly came to realize that I should have carefully checked with him first; that I should have told him of all that I had seen in Petra; of my deep misgivings over the prophetic scenarios the church had espoused for so long. It would require several chapters of a large book to explain all the emotional and psychological reasons why this did not occur to me at the time. I was absolutely correct in my rejection of the concept of nineteen-year time cycles, and my misgivings over the various dates that had come to be accepted teaching. As over thirty years have passed, I have realized over and over again that my abrupt and enthusiastic sermon, which demolished a teaching of my father and the church, was not the correct method. However, with 20-20 hindsight, I doubt that he would have accepted any other approach.

Would he have accepted the facts about the time cycles, Petra, and the concept of church eras if I had asked that he read a lengthy study paper, or asked for a conference and an opportunity to present my findings to our top scholars? I know he would not have. The entire concept, after all, revolved around him, personally; the date of his baptism; the date of his first radio program; the date of the first radio program over Radio Luxembourg; his labeling of the Church of God (Seventh Day) as "Sardis"; his insistence that the Worldwide Church was the "Philadelphia era"; the booklet, 1975 In Prophecy, authored by my father—all revolved around him, personally.

That afternoon, the audience was stunned when my father preached an angry, loud, insistent sermon about the "woman," the church (Revelation 12:14), being taken to a place of safety. He shouted out that she was to be given two wings of a great eagle that she might "FLY" into the wilderness, declaring in the loudest voice that this inferred the use of airplanes to take the people of the church to Petra! Without making reference to the scriptures I had used to prove the exact opposite, he went through the same time-honored explanation he had used for many years to reinforce the whole prophetic scenario.

It was a troublesome day, to have that many people witness the two topmost leaders in their church preaching two sermons which were diametrically opposed. It is amazing there was not more of an uproar than there was. I recall only some embarrassment; some comments from other ministers and friends, and my own humiliation at being so publicly chastised. But I do not recall anyone leaving the church, or even so much as a letter of protest. Remarkable.

As the years passed, my father continued to emphasize the same points. The nineteen-year time cycles seemed to dominate his mind. He rarely spoke or wrote without mentioning them in the context of how much time we had remaining to finish the work.

When 1972 arrived, I was astonished to read a letter my father wrote to the mailing list about the "significance" of the lapsing of the "second nineteen-year time cycle." For some time, he had been trying to place a large, full-page ad in Reader's Digest, which had a circulation well up into the millions. Where the church had insisted (so had I, in those early years!) that the GREAT TRIBULATION would be well underway by then, that bombs would be falling on our major cities, and that our peoples would be taken into captivity by that time, now he wrote a letter saying that the actual fulfillment of the "second nineteen-year time cycle" was the "opening of the GREATEST DOOR" to the work in its history—the placing of an ad for our literature in Reader's Digest!

When I read the letter, I found tears of frustration and shock in my eyes. I hurled the letter across my living room and paced the floor—ashamed, embarrassed (for him, and the church!), and apprehensive. What would enemies and critics say?

This was a leap of incredible fantasy. How could he have said nothing about thirty-six years of writing and preaching about the tribulation commencing on this date, and then claim the real fulfillment was placing an ad in a magazine? From bombs, and millions dying, and the nation going into captivity, and the people on their way to Petra, to an ad in a magazine? I was aghast, dumbfounded. Would any of the members remain? Would not tens of thousands of people demand an explanation for all the failed prophecies?

No. It simply never happened. What I perceived to be a major disaster—one that would send the media scurrying to our door to demand an explanation—turned out to be a nonevent. For years after that, I reminded God's people that we were "not in Petra!" I reminded people how I had begun to warn against "depending on dates" many years earlier.

Had I possessed the authority to do so, I would have commissioned the writing of a major booklet which would have gone completely through all the false teachings and fanciful hopes of the '50s and '60s. I would have explained the truth about the Melonic cycle; about failed chronologies; about Petra; about the error of attempting to find one's own personal life described in the Bible. Many in the church had begun to believe (as a result of a suggestion made by one of the pioneer students at Ambassador College who had later become an "evangelist") that my father was the "Elijah which was to come."

But my father died in 1986 at the age of 93 and a half.

He was most certainly not the "Elijah" who "was to come," and there was nothing of prophetic or chronological significance concerning the dates of his baptism, or the first radio program in 1934. No one went to Petra (except some curious church members who went as tourists in the ensuing years). The Tribulation (thank God!) did not occur then.

Now, here is the real truth from your Bible about the concept of a place of safety.

John, having been projected forward in time through visions, saw many great events of the time of the end—the time of the Tribulation, the Heavenly Signs, and the Day of the Lord. The twelfth chapter of Revelation is an inset chapter in the chronological sequence of events. It deals with the church.

John wrote, "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and His angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 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" (Revelation 12:7-14).

Remember, God's Word uses symbols which stand for real things. The church is obviously not one woman, any more than Satan is a real dragon, or a serpent, such as a rattlesnake.

This passage is written in the language of what John saw, in vision. God intends that His servants understand it.

The beginning of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21,22) is at the moment of the "war in heaven" spoken of here—the moment Satan's second attempt to overthrow God is thwarted. Satan is said to come down then, "having great wrath," because he knows he has but a short time.

The scripture obviously refers to God's church. Remember, the true church is a spiritual organism, made up of the "called-out ones," in whom God has placed His Spirit. It is not any one exclusive man-made organization. Notice that the members of the true church "loved not their lives unto the death." Obviously, some of them are going to suffer martyrdom for their faith. Satan will use the instrumentality of the state to persecute God's people.

One of the truly sinister aspects of the teaching that the "righteous" people will be taken to a place of safety, while the lukewarm or unrighteous will be left, is the concept that human, physical torture is a method God will use to punish the unrighteous. For many years it was believed that, if people could not gain true spirituality and righteousness by praying, studying, meditating, and living perfectly, they would have to be tortured, as a punishment for being lackadaisical "Laodiceans."

Does God's Word uphold this terrible conclusion?

Who were the greatest martyrs of all time? Certainly, Jesus Christ Himself is the greatest of all! Paul was martyred; perhaps died in the Roman coliseum, torn by wild animals. Was this because Paul harbored "secret sins" that God needed to somehow expunge by torture? Peter was crucified upside down, as tradition has it. James, John's brother, was beheaded. Polycarp, the disciple of John the apostle, was martyred. Tens of thousands were killed for their beliefs! Many were burnt alive!

Study Hebrews 11, where God's Word tells us, "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:32-40).

What a list! Here were some of the greatest men and women of all time! Does one dare to surmise that they suffered such horrible deaths because God wanted to expunge sin from their lives?

Yet, as macabre and ghastly as such a concept appears, it became firmly fixed in the minds of thousands of God's people in past decades. It was assumed that the woman, the church, would be taken to a place of safety en masse, and those who were left behind were only left because they were not worthy to escape physical torment. It would require many, many pages to explain how this concept became so deeply entrenched, and to list all the scriptures which were used to support it.

In brief, however, those who were to be left to suffer the horrors of the Great Tribulation comprised the 50 percent of the "virgins" (Matthew 25) who were "foolish." They comprised 50 percent of the "building materials" described in I Corinthians 3. They were the "Laodiceans," rather than the "Philadelphians." They were "lukewarm," and not on fire with zeal and enthusiasm, and therefore would be left behind when the more righteous in the church were whisked away—perhaps on DC-10s with angels for wing bolts.

But notice what Jesus Christ said to His disciples: "But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish" (Luke 21:9-18).

Notice carefully Jesus said "some of you" will be put to death! Then, He said to others, that "not an hair of their heads" would perish!

What is the difference between these two classes of people?

God's Word makes it clear that those who were chosen to be martyrs for their faith—those chosen to give a last witness before their tormentors—were the very strongest, spiritually! Remember, and never forget, that Jesus Christ was martyred! This prophecy of Christ does not promise a place of safety to a special group, or an era of the church. Quite the contrary, it promises a last witness before authorities. It promises betrayal and possible martyrdom for some special individuals, and protection for other individuals. It does not promise either to the entire group, as a whole.

Who will be the two greatest of all prophets? Turn to and read Revelation 11:3-13: "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven."

After all organized preaching of the gospel has been put down and out, these two great men—two human beings who are very probably alive right now—will be empowered by God to perform the final witness from God Almighty against this sinning world, and against the Beast and the False Prophet!

Obviously, to have such power, chosen for such a high calling, these two men will be deeply converted, knowledgeable of God's Word, and completely filled with faith in God's limitless power! They will be used to perform greater miracles than all the other prophets put together!

Are they worthy? Of course! Are they "counted worthy to escape" and be whisked away from their enemies? NO! Why? Because whether one is granted merciful protection, or whether one is selected to be a martyr for the name of Jesus Christ, has nothing to do with the measure of "spirituality" of the individual, or the quality of His or her character. It has to do, instead, with the calling of God.

A major point, which is covered elsewhere: Remember, the two witnesses are the last two human beings who will be engaged in doing God's work. They represent the last work of the church! Are they "in the church"? Well, of course! God tells us, "By one spirit are ye all baptized into one body" (I Corinthians 12:13). These two men will be filled with the Spirit of God!

And who, according to those who cling to the notion of church eras, do these two powerful witnesses represent? Since they are the final witnesses against the Beast and Babylon the Great, those who believe in the concept of eras could only admit that, according to such a theory, these two must be members of the Laodicean church!

Obviously, those clinging to the "era" theory cannot consign the two witnesses to the Philadelphia church, or they must explain WHY it is that the two most powerful members of God's church, perhaps in all time, are left behind to give a final witness, and are then murdered in the streets of Jerusalem!

Now, back to the metaphorical chapter of Revelation 12, and the church: Notice that God says the woman, which is a symbol for the entire church, is given "two wings of a great eagle," that she might "fly" into the wilderness.

This does not mean we should imagine a woman with two wings sprouting out of her back, flying away somewhere. The woman is merely a symbol which represents all of God's people in His church, not an actual woman. The two wings of an eagle are symbols of God's protection. The wilderness is a symbol, not a specific desert region, or designated wilderness area, such as the Selway Wilderness in Idaho, as an example.

God said, "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine" (Exodus 19:4,5).

God was referring to the exodus out of Egypt. He protected the Israelites by a series of great miracles, including drowning the Egyptian army in the Red Sea. But the Israelites walked every step of the way. The symbol of eagles' wings stands for God's protection, not the form of transportation.

There are many who believe the symbols of the woman in the wilderness apply to the Middle Ages; to the protracted period of persecutions against the Quartodecimans, the Waldenses, and others. Jesus Christ had promised, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you," and had said, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell [margin: "the grave," from the Greek word hades] shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).

Christ promised His true church would never be destroyed. During the reign of Innocent III, from 1198 to 1216, the infamous Inquisition was commenced against so-called "heretics," including those who insisted upon observing the Passover on the fourteenth of Nisan, and who were called Quartodecimans. Tens of thousands died. The Albigenses, who believed and practiced many of the doctrines and customs of the early church, were mercilessly persecuted. During the Middle Ages, between 1540 and 1570, in the papacy's efforts to crush the reformation, almost one million people were put to death; many of them Waldenses, or the followers of Peter Waldo.

Does this mean there is no protection; no way of escape for Gods people in the coming Great Tribulation?

Not according to what Jesus said! But Christ did not predict a "great escape" of the church as a whole.

Notice what He said: "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows [Great Tribulation, cf. Matthew 24:21,22; Daniel 12:1]. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold" (Matthew 24:6-12).

When will the saints of God, the members of God's true church, be "delivered up to be afflicted"? When will some of them be martyred for the name of Christ? Right during the Great Tribulation! And WHO are these people? Are they stated by Jesus Christ to be "lukewarm," who need to be tortured so they will repent? No, Jesus Christ showed His own beloved disciples what would happen to some of them in the future, and prophesied what would occur to those who are alive during the Great Tribulation!

We know that James and Peter—both of whom heard Jesus Christ speak these words in person—were martyred. But Christ was speaking here of the future primarily—the time of the Great Tribulation.

We have already read Luke's account of these same things. Notice how Mark recorded Christ's predictions: "But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Mark 13:9-13).

WHO will be delivered up to death? WHO will be brought before authorities to deliver a witness? The saints! The converted, begotten members of the church Jesus Christ built! Jesus Christ was speaking to His own disciples, and prophesying what would occur in the "time of the end," during the Great Tribulation!

How did God choose which ones were qualified to be His witnesses in the past? Stephen was stoned to death. James was beheaded, as was John the Baptist. Christ was nailed to a "tree" (Acts 5:30; 10:39). Paul may have been thrown to the lions. Peter may have been crucified upside down. We know what Stephen said to His tormentors, and we know many of the details of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. However, we have no information of what Paul or Peter may have said to those who put them to death; we know nothing of James' final moments, or those of John, the Baptist.

What we do know is that Jesus Christ was the Son of God; that He never sinned in thought, word, or deed. We know that the other martyrs of God were great men in many ways, even though they had their human failings, and were not without sin.

We also know that each one of them will be in the Kingdom of God!

Therefore, the concept that torture and death would be used of God to punish for sin is utterly blasphemous!

Who will be chosen to become martyrs for the sake of the gospel, for the name of Christ? The two witnesses are outstanding examples! Even though they are eventually killed, they are chosen for the great honor of being martyrs for the sake of Jesus Christ and His witness and warning message to the Beast and the False Prophet.

Also, never forget that God promises no one will be allowed to be tried beyond their ability to endure! God says, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (I Corinthians 10: 13).

It is very important that we understand the fatal flaws in the theory of church eras, as they are plainly revealed in Revelation 2 and 3.

Some of the most vital questions are:

(1) When did the so-called "Laodicean condition" first afflict God's church?

(2) When did all the apostles and membership at large who lived in the first century come to know they were supposedly "in the Ephesian era" of the church?

(3) When did these same people come to know they had "lost their first love," and were about to have their candlestick removed out of its place?

(4) When did the "spiritually dead" condition of Sardis first occur?

(5) When did the "Philadelphian church" exist?

(6) Was the church in Philadelphia the "church of brotherly love"?

(7) When did the people who lived in the Middle Ages become aware they were a part of the "Thyatiran era"?

If one answers these questions honestly, the entire concept of eras begins to become clear.

The first time the Laodicean condition of being "lukewarm," and "neither hot nor cold," afflicted any of God's people was in the first century--in Laodicea! All the seven churches were contemporary,!

Therefore, IF one assumes any ONE of the local churches mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3 represented an era, then this is what you have:

"Laodicea was PHILADELPHIA!" Right, or wrong? Right! That is, IF one assumes church eras are implied by the letters to the churches. Since the New Testament was still being written; since John probably wrote his visions in the book of Revelation in about A.D. 92, near the end of the first century, and IF the church as a whole was in the so-called "Ephesian era," then Laodicea was a part of Philadelphia! The same thing applies to ALL of them!

The answers to questions two and three are equally important. Since John did not write until after many, if not all, the other apostles were dead; since he did not receive the vision from Christ about the letters to the seven churches until long after even Paul was dead, WHEN did the apostles and all the membership receive a WARNING from God that they had LOST THEIR FIRST LOVE?

The answer is none of them did, EVER, with the single exception of the one congregation in Ephesus! For you see, IF the entire era was supposed to be Ephesian, then the condition of the Ephesian era applied to all of them!

However, John was "that disciple whom Jesus loved." John was used to write about love in His three epistles. He recorded the words of the true "Lord's prayer" in his Gospel, which contains much about love! He was the disciple to whom Jesus said, "Son, behold thy mother," when He indicated from the stake as He was dying that Mary should be taken in by John.

John was the sole surviving leader of the church—the "bishop" of Ephesus. Had John "lost His first love"? John was not in Ephesus when the visions recorded in the book of Revelation came to him, but on the Isle of Patmos, in the Aegean Sea. Obviously, the congregation in Ephesus had lost its first love. But had the entire church done so?

It is also obvious that the description of the condition of the local congregation in Ephesus did not apply to any of the others!

Each is addressed separately. Each has its own unique problems, although many of them are similar, as was the case with Smyrna (the synagogue of Satan), Pergamos (Satan's seat; the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes), and Thyatira (Jezebel, and the depths of Satan).

The answer to question four is: The spiritually dead condition of the Sardis church was extant at the same time as conditions affecting all the other churches. It was extant in the end of the first century—contemporaneous with Ephesus, Smyrna, Laodicea, and all the others!

None of these conditions affecting the seven churches were placed in chronological order. To assume, since the cities were allegedly on an "ancient Roman mail route" (which is not stated in the Bible), that they experienced their trials in sequential order is ridiculous. We see, then, that each one of the seven churches in Asia Minor, the province of "Asia," during the latter part of the first century, were experiencing the trials described at the same time.

This also answers question five. The Philadelphia congregation existed at the same time as all the others. It was not prophesied to be the next to last of a series of church eras at all!

Question six is ridiculous on its face. However, for decades, many thousands of people were told that the WCG was the "Philadelphian church," which was supposedly the "church of brotherly love," which is the meaning of the word Philadelphia. But did God intend us to understand that the name of the ancient city in Asia in the late A.D. 90s connoted the nature and character of the church?

Like all Greek cities of the day, Philadelphia had its pagan temples. It was no more a city of "brotherly love" than Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is today! Laodice was the mother of Antiochus Ephiphanes, who named no less than eight cities after her. Laodicea was only one of them. The name does not have the meaning of lukewarm, any more than Ephesus means lost first love! Any attempt to characterize the WCG or any other church as the "church of brother love" because they are allegedly the "Philadelphian church" (a claim the WCG has long since abandoned) is utterly ludicrous.

The answer to question seven above is, "Never!"

Consider the implications of the false concept of church eras. For one thing, it presupposes predestination. That is, no matter your own personal spiritual condition, if you were unfortunate enough to be born and live in a given period of time, perhaps in the Middle Ages, and to be a member of God's church, you were automatically a member of Thyatira! That this is nonsense is evident merely from stating it.

God did not then, and does not now, predetermine that one so called era of His true church will "dwell where Satan's seat is," while another will be "lukewarm," while another will have "lost its first love"!

God's Word emphasizes personal responsibility. He places a choice before each individual, and demands we choose between life and blessing, or cursing and death. He says to us, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live" (Deuteronomy 30:19).

God intends that each of us choose how we shall live, on a daily basis. To assume that hundreds of thousands of people never had a choice during the centuries (they were either "Ephesian," or "Thyatiran," or "Sardis") is ridiculous.

There are other major errors in the church eras theory. For one thing, my father maintained for decades that the Church of God (Seventh Day) was the Sardis era, while he was the human head of the Philadelphia era. However, he knew full well of the humble, converted attitude of so many of the Oregon farmer folk with whom he had worked in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Since the Bible said, "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy" (Revelation 3:4), and since he knew from personal experience that many of them were far from dead, spiritually, he maintained that both Philadelphia and Sardis existed contemporaneously.

During the 1950s and early 1960s, "Laodicea paranoia" set in. Hundreds of sermons were preached against the "Laodiceans" and their "lukewarm" spiritual attitude. It began to be assumed that Laodicea represented fully one half of the ranks of the WCG.

Therefore, though no one thought to draw up a bar graph to illustrate the point, the "official" doctrine of the church was that three out of seven of the churches addressed in Revelation 2 and 3 were to be contemporaneous during the last half-century prior to the tribulation!

The official teaching during those years was that a separation process would eventually take place. In this teaching the seeds were planted which have resulted in dozens of different labels, name-calling, and blame-placing today. Many of the breakaway groups believe they have identified the Laodicean church at last! "It is THEM," they say, "for it cannot be us!"

I have received a number of lengthy manuscripts from those claiming to have identified the Laodicean church. Many believe it is the WCG, which they say has become completely apostate, having abandoned most, if not all, of my father's teachings. Some have accused the Church of God, International as well as the Intercontinental Church of God of being the Laodicean church.

At least one group—there may be many more, I have no idea one way or the other—believes it is the Philadelphian era of the church. This may prove somewhat confusing to outsiders who assume the headquarters of the group is located in Pennsylvania, for the average person has heard little, if anything, about the so-called church eras.

If "Sardis" still exists, and if "Philadelphia" and "Laodicea" also exist, that makes three out of seven which are allegedly contemporaries! If three, why not four, or five, or six?

Actually, all seven were in fact contemporaries—but in the first century, and at no time since!

Now, ask yourself some logical questions. IF it is assumed the apostolic age of the church represented the Ephesian era, then which local church in Asia characterized it? Did Smyrna? Did Thyatira? Did Laodicea? For, if the first century was an ERA, then they ALL characterized that era! In other words, Laodicea characterized the Ephesian era. Thyatira characterized the Ephesian era. Pergamos characterized the Ephesian era. Philadelphia characterized the Ephesian era, and so on.

When did all these seven churches exist? In the first century. Therefore, the Laodicean congregation characterized one-seventh of all the congregations mentioned. Obviously, IF AN ERA WAS IMPLIED, then Ephesus represented only one-seventh of the whole church!

This is simple logic. It is the truth about so-called eras, and it is inescapable.

There are marked similarities between all the seven churches of the book of Revelation. The most important of all is repeated seven times, as follows: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (to the church at Ephesus, Revelation 2:7). "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (to the church at Smyrna, Revelation 2: 11). "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (to the church at Pergamos, Revelation 2:17). "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (to the church at Thyatira, Revelation 2:29). "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (to the church at Sardis, Revelation 3:6). "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (to the church at Philadelphia, Revelation 3:13). "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (to the church at Laodicea, Revelation 3:22).

Who exactly was Christ addressing?

The pagan world?

No, the book of Revelation opens with the statement that the Revelation of Jesus Christ was given "to shew unto His servants those things which must shortly come to pass" (Revelation 1:1). These warnings are issued to the servants of Christ, not to the world. What is the common theme? Each of Christ's servants was to hear what the Spirit said to the CHURCHES! ALL of them! Plural!

And where did many of these servants of Christ dwell when these revelations were given to John? Why, in Rome, Carthage, Antioch, Iconium, Alexandria, Jerusalem, Thessalonika, Lystra, Corinth, Derbe, and many, many other cities!

Do those who believe in eras assume all these many, many cities received a letter warning them they were living in the Ephesian era of the church, that their "first love" had died out, and that their "candlestick would soon be removed from its place"?

Of course not!

Remember, IF eras are implied, then the entire New Testament of your Bible represents "Ephesian era" literature! WHEN did any of the saints of God receive a warning message from Christ that they had "lost their first love"? NOT ONE of them did with the sole exception of the church in Ephesus!

But if they were living in an era why did not ALL of them receive the warning specifically applying to the Ephesian era? In other words, why did not Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea ALL receive a warning message that they were living in the Ephesian era, that they had lost their first love, and that their "candlestick would be removed" from its place?

Can you find ONE WORD about such a warning anywhere in the entire New Testament except as it applied to only one congregation of God's people who lived in the ancient city of Ephesus? No, you cannot.

Therefore, eras were simply not implied!

What we are reading in Revelation 2 and 3 is a description of the manifold troubles, temptations, trials, and tribulations that afflicted seven specific churches in only one province of Asia minor. That they represented the entire church is a given. Christ is depicted as a whole Person, standing in the midst of seven golden candlesticks. The number seven means completion, perfection. Therefore, since the warning message was given to all seven, which were to hear what the Spirit said to all the others, it becomes obvious the letters were a warning to all of God's church, everywhere.

Today, it is a witness and a warning to all of God's church, everywhere, all the time!

Ridiculously, the promises made to various of the churches in Asia concerning eternal life were assumed to be specific, particular rewards guaranteed to just one "era" of the church!

For example, Christ promised to the ancient church in Philadelphia, "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Revelation 3:10-13).

We have no historical evidence, so far as I know, which enlightens us about the fulfillment of that marvelous promise to those living people who heard of Christ's warning. That terrible persecutions came upon the church is certainly known. How Jesus Christ saved the faithful people in the city of Philadelphia from an impending persecution is not known.

Polycarp was the student and successor of John. He became known as the bishop of Smyrna, where was a "synagogue of Satan." The letter to Smyrna encouraged these people concerning the terrible things which were to happen. "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Revelation 2: 10).

Terrible persecutions had been implemented by Domitian in A.D. 95. The very reason John was on Patmos when the visions which formed the book of Revelation came was that Domitian had banished him there. In a brief but extremely violent massacre of Christians, thousands died all over Italy and in Rome. Trajan came to the throne by A.D. 98, but it was probably Antortius Pius (138161) who had Polycarp put to death.

Polycarp was arrested and brought before the governor. Given the choice to either curse Christ or die, and being promised His freedom if he cursed his Savior, Polycarp said, "Eighty and six years have I served Christ and He has done me nothing but good: how then could I curse Him, my Lord and Savior?" Polycarp was then burnt alive!

Why? Were all these people "Laodiceans"? Was there something so lacking in Polycarp that he could only "repent" while burning to death? What an obscene and satanic concept!

The "hour of temptation," or trial, which came upon the people who lived in Philadelphia in the close of the first century had nothing whatsoever to do with the impending Great Tribulation of the future.

Ludicrously, it was assumed the promise of becoming "a pillar in the temple of my God" was taken to mean the members of the Philadelphian era of the church would be given great responsibilities AT HEADQUARTERS in Christ's kingdom, in the Temple with Christ Himself. Church government was emphasized.

Almost no one took exception to the wondrous promises made to the so-called Laodicean era. Christ said, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne" (Revelation 3:19-21).

It should have been obvious to the leadership in the church that sitting with Christ in His throne is a much more exalted position than being a "pillar in the temple"!

The flaw in all this is not realizing that Christ was using metaphor. He did not intend to indicate a "throne" so wide and capacious that several thousand, or hundreds of thousands, of people could sit in it at the same time any more than He intended to indicate that people would be turned into stone pillars supporting the roof of a building.

Beware of misunderstanding biblical metaphor as literal.

The following promises were made to each of the seven churches:

(1) Ephesus: "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent: ... To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:5-7).

(2) Smyrna: "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death" (verses 10, 11).

(3) Pergamos: "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them [those who held the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes] with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it" (verses 16,17).

(4) Thyatira: "But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father" (verses 25-27).

(5) Sardis: "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before His angels" (Revelation 3:4,5).

(6) Philadelphia: "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name" (verses 11,12).

(7) Laodicea: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne" (verses 19-21).

Notice that all seven, if they overcome, are promised eternal life! However, Christ expresses His promise of eternal inheritance in many different ways: white raiment, a new name, a white stone, becoming a pillar in the Temple, having rulership over the nations, sitting with Christ in His throne. All are intended to indicate salvation and inheritance of the Kingdom of God.

Not a one of these congregations was perfect. All had strengths and weaknesses. All were encouraged to overcome through the power of God's Holy Spirit. Christ loved them all, just as He loves all His people today.

Your Creator does not intend that you live your life in fear of the Tribulation! Notice what Jesus Christ plainly said: "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13). Obviously, Christ meant either the end of all these events described in the Olivet prophecy or the end of one's life, no matter in what fashion that occurs.

Remember that the Olivet Prophecy is dual. It has an end-time application, and is applicable to our day, now! Christ warns, "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 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. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:19-28).

He does not say to cringe in terror, or look down in fear! He says when these things begin to happen in the world, to the nations of this world, then His servants should look up, because they know the moment of their salvation is very near!

Continual emphasis on privation, hardship, pain and torture, and the threat of a horrible death can cause fear and paranoia! Such fears grip the hearts of many people today. Some would attempt to continue the same old tactics of fear that were used back in the 1950s, causing people to live in a continual state of doubt and apprehension.

But God's Word tells us, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk [live] not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" (Romans 8: 1). John wrote, "There is NO FEAR in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love Him, because He first loved us" (I John 4:18,19).

Jesus' warnings about the coming Great Tribulation are not intended to induce fear. They are intended to do the exact opposite—to create FAITH!

He warns His people not to become enmeshed in this world. He said, "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. WATCH ye therefore, and pray always [never ceasing from prayer], that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:34- 36). IF WE ARE WATCHING, and if we are PRAYING as we watch, we need have no fear of the ultimate outcome!

Christ said, "Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over His household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing" (Matthew 24:44-46).

Christ pronounced His blessing on those who are "so doing "continuing as if they had a large number of years ahead of them, but always ready, spiritually!

If we know we have salvation; if we know we are saved (I John 5:11-13), we can say, with the apostle Paul, that we know our lives are "hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3), and we will have no fear of what the future brings!

When John was given the great visions that became the book of Revelation, he fell at the feet of the heavenly Messenger Who spoke to him. "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear NOT; I Am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell [Greek: hades, or the grave] and of death" (Revelation 1: 17,1 8).

The letters to the seven churches reveal to us the influences, persecutions, character, and weaknesses of many hundreds of God's people in the first century. No one is suffering from the doctrines of the Nicolaitanes today. No one congregation could be said to be dwelling "where Satan's seat is," as did the people in Pergamos. No congregation is being influenced by a false prophetess called Jezebel who is teaching licentiousness and worse.

What we are to learn is that each one of the churches experienced the same kind of temptations and trials that are commonly experienced today. In any group of approximately two hundred people, there will be a few who are new converts, and who have been newly baptized. They will be in the flush of their "first love"! Others will have become "lukewarm," while still others will be sorely tried by their environment; by persecution, and by false teachers and false doctrine.

Christ's warning to His people today is for all the church, everywhere, to "hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," plural!

Finally, here is a summary of what is wrong with the concept of church eras and a place of safety for one select group:

(1) It encourages labeling. To this day, many of God's people are eagerly looking here and there, wondering who is what; which group represents this or that era.

(2) It encourages feelings of exclusivity and superiority. Those who can preen themselves in the false concept that only they are going to a place of safety will inevitably have to experience feelings of condescension and self-righteous "pity" toward others.

(3) It encourages blame-placing and name-calling.

(4) It causes feelings of apprehension and fear.

(5) It erodes faith, keeping people in a condition of doubt.

(6) It focuses ones attention on physical, material things, exactly

the opposite of what Jesus Christ commands us to do. He said, "Whosoever shall seek to save his life [focus all his attention on physical survival for a short term] shall lose it, and whomsoever shall lose His life [for the sake of Christ] shall preserve it" (Luke 17:33).

(7) It encourages false interpretations of prophetic events. Everything is viewed from a personal perspective; how will one be taken to a place of safety (ships, airplanes, or whisked through the sky by an angel?), and, most importantly, WHEN?

(8) It entirely misses the point concerning the purpose for martyrdom. God-fearing, righteous men and women were not martyred in horrible fashion because God wanted to expunge some secret sin or other from their lives. They were martyred because they were chosen as powerful witnesses for Christ!

(9) It is a false doctrine which can be manipulated by religious leaders in order to maintain power over their followers.

(10) It encourages irresponsible, short-sighted decisions. Believing the end is near, people do not make the long-range decisions necessary for appropriate financial security; for their children and grandchildren.

(11) It is cultic. Believers are encouraged to stay in the good graces of their religious leader, pinning their hopes of escape on him. If he goes, they want to go along. One of the most bizarre and sickening of all such cultic "escapes" was the mass suicide of 911 followers of Jim Jones in Guyana in November of 1978. After "fleeing" to avoid alleged "persecution" (after former followers complained of mistreatment), Jones and some henchmen murdered U.S. Representative Leo J. Ryan and others near Port Kaituma, then drank poison in a frenzied death pact.

(12) It is dangerous. When long-awaited scenarios do not develop, believers can become discouraged, disillusioned; deeply depressed. "Great disappointments" are well known in religious history. Any number of religious leaders have predicted the "rapture" by this or that date. Many are now claiming the year 2000 will have special prophetic significance. There is no scripture which remotely indicates this.

If God Almighty decides to protect any or all of His people, He is perfectly capable of doing so. The original Passover and the Exodus are prime examples. The Israelites were supernaturally protected in their own homes because of the symbolic blood of the lamb on their doors and windows.

God promises, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling" (Psalm 91:1-10).

The concept of fleeing to a place of safety encourages fear! People fear things like persecution, famine, and the horrors of the prophesied Great Tribulation. But God's people are told not to fear these things.

Paul was inspired to write, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35-39).

Paul did not write to the brethren in Rome about any alleged place of safety. Nor did he write of church eras. Anyone who truly believes what Jesus Christ said, and who believes what Paul was inspired to write, such as the beautiful, moving, reassuring passage just quoted, will not place false hopes on a fanciful journey to the Jordanian desert.

The Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association
P.O. Box 747
Flint, TX 75762
Phone: (903) 561-7070 • Fax: (903) 561-4141

E-Mail: info@gtaea.org

More FREE literature is available at our Internet Web Site:

http://www.gtaea.org

The activities of the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association are paid for by tithes, offerings and donations
freely given by Christians and co-workers who are dedicated to preaching the gospel according to Jesus Christ.