Petra

The rose-red city of Petra, an ancient Edomite city, and later Nabatean
capitol, may be the place God will protect the fleeing remnant of Israel during
the Great Tribulation.

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Excerpts From the book
Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done

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Revelation
12:14-16

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Matthew
24:15-22

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Luke
21:20-24

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Daniel 11:41

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Isaiah
26:20-21

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Petra Links

Petra - Chapter 11
of Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be
Done -by Ron Graff and Lambert Dolphin

Petra:
A Brief History - from Encyclopedia Britannica

Petra
Pictures - from BugBog

Petra
Pictures - US Embassy - Amman

Excerpts from Thy Kingdom
Come, Thy Will Be Done
Chapter 11

The Flight of the Remnant from Jerusalem at Mid-Tribulation

Earlier it was pointed out that Revelation 12 is a symbolic overview of all
of Israel's history. In Revelation 12:6 we read, "The woman fled into the desert
to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260
days." The woman is symbolic of Israel. 1260 days is exactly three and one half
years--the standard lunar (prophetic) years of the Bible, with 360 days each.

Later in the same chapter, this event is described this way:

The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly
to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of
for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. Then from his
mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her
away with the torrent.

But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the
river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. (Revelation 12:14-16)

This also corresponds to Jesus' warning in His Olivet Discourse, a sermon by
Jesus to his disciples known as the "Olivet Discourse"--so-called because Jesus
was seated with his disciples on the Mt. of Olives opposite the Second Temple
when he gave this sweeping outline of the future.

So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes
desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader
understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on
the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in
the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for
pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in
winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from
the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. If those
days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect
those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:15-22)

Jerusalem Surrounded by Armies

The parallel passage in Luke 21 adds what Matthew does not tell us, that
Jerusalem will be surrounded by hostile armies at the time of the end.

When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its
desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let
those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For
this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.

How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing
mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.
They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations.
Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles
are fulfilled. (Luke 21:20-24)

This same scene is depicted by the Old Testament prophet Zechariah,

Behold, a day of the LORD is coming, when the spoil taken from you will be
divided in the midst of you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem
to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women
ravished; half of the city shall go into exile, but the rest of the people shall
not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go forth and fight against
those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. (Zechariah 14:1-3)

Jerusalem, "trodden down by the Gentiles" again and again since the time of
the Babylonian captivity is yet to suffer one last final, terrible invasion by
the Gentiles.

Flight of Jews from Judea

The prophet Joel foresaw this calamity.

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who
live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at
hand--a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn
spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was
of old nor ever will be in ages to come. Before them fire devours, behind them a
flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a
desert waste--nothing escapes them. They have the appearance of horses; they
gallop along like cavalry. With a noise like that of chariots they leap over the
mountain tops, like a crackling fire consuming stubble, like a mighty army drawn
up for battle.

At the sight of them, nations are in anguish; every face turns pale. They
charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line,
not swerving from their course. They do not jostle each other; each marches
straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks. They rush
upon the city; they run along the wall. They climb into the houses; like thieves
they enter through the windows. Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles,
the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. (Joel 2:1-10)

The size of this believing remnant at the mid-tribulation point is open to
discussion, but for the sake of argument it would seem to be some thousands or
perhaps tens of thousands of believing Jews who are warned to flee from
Jerusalem.

The words and teachings of Jesus to His people Israel were not heeded when He
was with them during His First Advent. We can not expect the entire nation to
take this warning to leave Jerusalem seriously even though it will no doubt be
heralded again by a new generation of prophets in the end time. Those Jews in
Israel who have come to know Yeshua personally during the first half of the
tribulation will be responsive and it is to this believing remnant that Jesus
makes His appeal.

Petra - The Prepared Place

Historical Background of Petra

The ancient capital of Edom was the city of Bozrah---the Hebrew bosra means
sheepfold. It lies 30 miles southeast of the Dead Sea in present-day Jordan. The
present Jordanian city of Buseirah is not on any modern road but is a remote
mountain village of difficult access. Ancient Bozrah at the same location,
however, was on the main North West trade route known as the King's Highway
(Numbers 20:17). The city was noted for its weaving industry and export of dyed
garments.

Edom, as the territory allotted to Jacob's brother Esau, is documented in
Genesis 36. A man named Bozrah was a descendant of Seir the Horite, who
inhabited the land "before there were any kings in Israel." The historical
record in Deuteronomy includes this parenthetical note:

(The Emites used to live there--a people strong and numerous, and as tall
as the Anakites. Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites, but the
Moabites called them Emites. Horites used to live in Seir, but the descendants
of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled
in their place, just as Israel did in the land the LORD gave them as their
possession.) (Deuteronomy:2:10-12)

Edom's long-standing enmity against Israel ultimately brought God's judgment
on Edom. Obadiah the prophet devotes his short but potent message to the
judgment of Edom, telling us of her pride and arrogance and the reasons for
God's final judgment on these people. Amos, the shepherd of Tekoa, wrote of
impending judgment on Edom:

This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will
not turn back. Because he pursued his brother with a sword, stifling all
compassion, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked, I
will send fire upon Teman that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah." (Amos
1:11-12)

Several writers have written fine descriptions of Petra and the history of
that region of ancient Edom. The Nabateans displaced the descendants of Esau
probably in the 6th Century BC. They controlled the entire region as far North
as Damascus until the First Century. The Greeks and Romans built extensively in
Jordan and the area around Bozrah and Petra was well populated as late as Roman
times. Today the area is desolate and sparsely populated because of the very low
rainfall and scarcity of natural resources there.

South of Bozrah, 20 some miles on the King's Highway, is Petra, the capital
city of the Nabateans. Tourists to this vast mountain-enclosed ancient city in
the Wadi Musa generally enter from the east on foot or on horseback through El
Siq, an 6000 feet long narrow cleft (width: 12-30 feet) with 100-500 foot high
cliff walls. Tombs and houses carved into the bed rock over a vast area at Petra
would be suitable for temporarily housing many thousands of people. Mt. Hor is
nearby, where Aaron died after Moses passed the high priestly garments of Aaron
on to Eliezer in the sight of the congregation (Numbers 20:23-29). An Islamic
shrine marks the probable tomb site.

Not to be conquered by Antichrist

The route of escape for the Jewish believing remnant from Antichrist's
military pursuit as he seeks to annihilate them, has been made ready by the
Lord:

He [the last king of the North] will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many
countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered
from his hand. (Daniel 11:41)

A hiding place

Evidently Jordan is given special protection during the last great invasion
of Israel which will in fact devastate the Land. Isaiah the Prophet instructs
the believing remnant of Israel to find a safe hiding place during the time of
Jacob's trouble when God's judgment will fall on the whole earth,

Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide
yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See, the LORD is
coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The
earth will disclose the blood shed upon her; she will conceal her slain no
longer. (Isaiah 26:20-21)

During the second half of the tribulation period there will be no safe place
to hide anywhere on the earth--except in the refuge God has provided, probably
at Petra. We gain glimpses of how terrible life will become for non-believers in
those days from many passages in the Book of the Revelation. For example at the
opening of the Sixth Seal of judgment John notes:

I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun
turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,
and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when
shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every
mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the
princes,the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man
hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains
and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the
throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has
come, and who can stand?" (Revelation 6:12-17)

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Last Updated: 1/23/2002
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