| (Copyright 2022) by Levi W. Graham (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
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 Our Savior Jesus Christ says during His prayer to the Father in John 17:12, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” Christ’s words should encourage us, especially when we face dangers, knowing that once we are in His grasp, He works hard to keep us safe and on the right track. Jesus prayed this before His crucifixion, the greatest trial of His life. Although He was specifically speaking of the disciples that God had given Him, He expands this prayer in verse 20 to include all who believe in Him through His disciples’ word, which we find in Scripture. In this way, His promise of keeping His people in the Father’s name includes us. So, we are assured that God will keep us safe, a security that centers on spiritual safety and salvation but also includes physical deliverance according to God’s will. The idea that God will save our lives from tribulation—especially the Great Tribulation—has been prevalent in the greater church of God for several decades because of Revelation 3:10, where Jesus writes that He “will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world.” Many church members have wondered or asked, “Where is the Place of Safety?” Where will God protect us from this “hour of trial”? Have we identified it? Before anyone jumps to conclusions, I do not claim to know of any specific place, nor do I suggest that a physical Place of Safety does not exist. In scattered passages and verses, the Bible seems to support a literal location, though one must speculate and read between the lines when attempting to reach a conclusion. Matthew 24:40-41 is one of the more well-known passages: “Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.” Jesus also says in Luke 21:36, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Together, these two statements suggest that some believers living just before Christ’s return may be “counted worthy to escape” the calamitous close of the age. The church of God has taught this for many decades. However, we should take a deeper look at a few passages to get a clearer picture and to receive encouragement that God will guard us despite the dangers we may have to face. Running From Danger Jesus uses the word “escape” near the end of Luke 21:36. The word is ekpheugō (Strong’s #1628), which, along with “to escape,” means “to run out” or “to flee.” This definition raises a few questions. Is God saying we must watch and pray to be counted worthy to “run away” from the coming destruction? Running away sounds far different than being “delivered” from danger or harm. In the scenario of “one taken and the other left,” is the unworthy individual caught, perhaps even killed, rather than given a chance to flee? If so, God may require the faithful alive at that time to make concerted efforts to escape rather than whisking them away by angels, something He can easily do. Incidentally, Jesus uses the same root of this word in Luke 21:21, where He warns His disciple to “flee to the mountains” once they see Jerusalem encircled with armies. They are to make such haste that they should not take the time to get anything from inside the house. Jesus advises, “Run away!” Notice also that He says to flee “to the mountains.” He does not name a specific mountain or mountain range, not Mount Sinai, not Mount Hermon, not even Mount Everest. His instruction is merely to flee with all speed to the mountains, where a person can find safety more readily. Psalm 91 is about God’s people being safe under the watchful care of God: He who dwells 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 I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.” Moses may have written this treasure trove of hope, encouragement, instruction, and strength. It is certainly written by someone who experienced walking through the dangers of the wilderness. In verse 1, the psalmist speaks of dwelling “under the shadow of the Almighty,” a feature of the Israelites’ trek through the wilderness with God in the cloud that led them. In any event, the story of the exodus from Egypt is one of people escaping and fleeing danger. The psalmist speaks of trampling on lions and snakes (verse 13), used elsewhere as symbols of Satan as a deceiver, stalking predator, and evil ruler. The illustration may hint at who is behind the danger God’s people will face during the future Tribulation. Seven Promises But God assures us that we can overcome whatever the Devil sets against us. How? God provides the answer in verses 14-16: Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation. In these three short verses, God makes seven promises to the person who loves Him and knows His name: 1. I will deliver him. 2. I will set him on high. 3. I will answer him. 4. I will be with him in trouble. 5. I will deliver him and honor him. 6. I will satisfy him with long life. 7. I will show him My salvation. He declares twice that He will deliver such a person, as well as promising to be with him in trouble. Three of the seven promises assure His people that He will be alongside them amidst the dangers. The final two promises are truly moving: “With long life I will satisfy Him and show him My salvation.” The first of these can be understood either physically or spiritually, but alongside the second, which promises salvation, the emphasis seems to be on eternal life. So, even if one dies physically from the terrible circumstances of the time, eternal life is just ahead in the resurrection. In addition, the Hebrew word for “salvation” in verse 16 is none other than yeshua (Strong’s # 3444)! As a common noun, it means “salvation,” “deliverance,” “victory,” and “prosperity.” As a proper noun, it is the name God gave to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We can understand its usage in Psalm 91 either way: God is promising to provide deliverance and salvation and to show us the One who is our salvation (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:10 Hebrews 5:9; etc.). Notice how the author phrases it: “show him My salvation.” The salvation or deliverance is not ours but His. He is the One determining how salvation will occur. We may run to the mountains, but He leads and protects us. We may trample on cobras and lions, but He is the One who conquers them. And if He allows us to die, He still provides true life and salvation. Watch and Be Ready There may be a literal Place of Safety, but Scripture overwhelmingly shows that the faithful are often right in the firing line. Yet they are still saved. Consider Psalm 91:5-8 again: You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. Juxtapose what is said here with a few biblical examples of faithful servants of God during their times of severe trial: · Daniel did not avoid the lion’s den. He was thrown into it and made to stay in it overnight. · Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, did not avoid the fiery furnace. They were thrown into it and walked around in it while it raged. · Jesus Himself did not dodge the pain and terrors of His cross. He bore it and died upon it! Thousands falling at a person’s right and left hands is frighteningly close enough that the psalmist says in verse 8 that one’s eyes see it. The dangers are all around and seemingly closing in, which makes for a terrifying experience. At any moment, pain and death could reach out and strike us. The takeaway is that God will not always spirit His people away so that they never have to endure any pain or inconvenience. As God’s elect, we must arm ourselves with such a mind that we will have to stand fast in faith at some point and are prepared to go through such terrors and even death if God asks them of us. We need to take to heart Jesus’ own instructions about these times in Luke 12:35-40: Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Our Savior counsels us to watch and be ready. Many of God’s people have been watching for decades and have experienced waxing and waning expectations of Christ’s return. It is a challenging assignment to stay vigilant. The young among us are just beginning this lifelong vigil. How long are we willing to watch and keep our lamps burning? This difficulty in maintaining our awareness and faith is why He says in Matthew 24:13, “He who endures to the end shall be saved.” It is not enough just to show up and hear the messages each week; doing so must be accompanied by spiritual growth so we have the strength to persevere through whatever we must face. In the tumultuous time before He comes, He may take us, or we may have to flee to the hills. Regardless, we can know that He is with us, and He has not lost even one whom God has given Him! If we are truly in Christ, He is our most secure Place of Safety. ———————————————————————————- Reprinted with permission from: Church of the Great God https://www.cgg.org/ ———————————————————————————- |
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