The Great Escape / July 2009

The Great Escape

Contents

• The Great Escape

Yeshua of Nazareth spoke of difficult times coming in the future. He warned His disciples that they would be hated because of their testimony of Him.

And brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. But whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you shall not finish going through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man comes.

Matthew 10:21-23

Not only did Yeshua warn of a dangerous time when we would be personally threatened by former friends and members of our physical family, He spoke of enduring trauma toward the end and escaping from great danger. Enduring to the end refers to Messiah’s return to establish His kingdom from Jerusalem. Escaping has to do with the Great Tribulation and Yeshua’s reference to the cities of Israel is a specific clue that end-time believers absolutely must understand in order to make it through the Tribulation.

Let me explain. When Moses gave the Torah to the children of Israel, he specified that there were to be 42 cities with 6 cities of refuge in Israel. Yeshua’s exhortation to flee to the next city refers to these 42 cities; however, in the Great Tribulation there will be no cities of refuge. The number 42 is very significant in that it relates to the Tribulation. Israel camped in the wilderness 42 times and the antimessiah’s rule during the Great Tribulation is prophesied to be 42 months. Therefore, when you see the number 42 it always relates to the time of the Great Tribulation.

When the disciples asked Yeshua about the end of the age, and specifically of His return, He answered with Daniel’s prophecies about the “abomination of desolation.” These prophecies speak of the antimessiah coming to power, forcing the altar in Jerusalem to be shut down, and setting up of an image of the antimessiah. This is what Yeshua warned of the Great Escape:

Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall.

Matthew 24:15-21

When the abomination of desolation occurs, it will happen in the winter very near the springtime. We know this because Yeshua warned that those fleeing in Judea would need to avoid the winter. He would not have said this unless it was a real factor in the timing. Additionally, the return of the Lord three and a half years later comes at the end of summer during the fall feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. They all occur in the month of Tishri (September - October). The winter of one year is the beginning of the Great Tribulation, followed three and a half years later by the end of the Great Tribulation, and the return of the Lord in the days immediately after the tribulation in a summer/fall time frame.

Consider this: If the tribulation begins in late winter near the springtime, then it follows that the spring feast of Passover comes into play. Passover is on the 14th day of Nisan (Aviv).

How does this follow the pattern of the ancient exodus? When did the children of Israel escape from Egypt? It was at Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Concerning the end of the ages and our Great Escape, Moses and the other prophets spoke of another exodus that will occur, one much greater than from Egypt.

Moses said it this way:

So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the Lord your God has banished you, and you return to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons, then the Lord your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. And the Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, in order that you may live.

Deuteronomy 30:1-6

The prophet Jeremiah was even more direct about the future exodus.

“Therefore behold, days are coming,”declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.”

Jeremiah 16:14-15

“Therefore behold, the days are coming.” declares the Lord, “when they will no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will live on their own soil.”

Jeremiah 23:7-8

If the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (the first events of spring) were the beginning of the ancient exodus, what part would they play in the Greater Exodus that comes at the end of the ages? They indicate the start of the Greater Exodus. In fact, you could easily—and rightly—conclude that the events of the past are prophetic for the future. This is an excellent example showing how God has planned our deliverance just as He did for our ancestors.

While Yeshua addressed the escape of those in Judea, His warning has a worldwide implication. When the abomination of desolation occurs all believers will need to escape. What does the Scripture and the Messiah say about the rest of us scattered in the world (who are not in Judea)?

Before we go any further, let me assure you of one very amazing fact: the Great Tribulation is planned by God. It is the outpouring of His judgments at the end of the age and the battle to take back the Earth from His enemy. In the midst of the trauma, God pledges to save and deliver us. God’s pledge to deliver us at the end of the ages is presented to us in the ancient exodus story from Egypt. In fact, the specific events of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are prophetic elements of the Great Escape at the end of the ages!

The fact that God has planned the events of the Great Tribulation and our deliverance should increase our confidence in Him. That is to say that I have some fears, not of future events, but in the awesomeness of God and His incredible plan. My questions now deal with how I can be a part of God’s Great Escape plan of the Greater Exodus. I am in the middle of the United States, not in Judea. What does God have to say about all of us scattered in the nations?

The Scriptures say that we will be gathered from the remotest parts of the world and flee into the wilderness of the peoples. We will leave the cities and join camps of like-minded brethren.

And I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out; and I shall bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I shall enter into judgment with you face to face. As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you," declares the Lord God.

Ezekiel 20:34-36

The Great Escape from the nations will be much larger than the ancient exodus from Egypt. Several miraculous events happened in the ancient exodus:

1. The pillar that led Israel day and night
2. The crossing of the Red Sea
3. The destruction of Pharaoh’s chariots
4. The manna in the wilderness
5. The water from the Rock
6. God’s descent to the mountain and speaking to the people
7. The construction of the Tabernacle in the wilderness with God’s presence

Let us compare what has been prophesied to occur at the end of the ages with to the ancient exodus.

1. God will appoint and seal 144,000 sons of Israel to act as the pillar(s), directing when and where to camp in our “wilderness” journey for 3 ½ years.
2. God will perform a tremendous miracle (the Red Sea in reverse) when those in Judea flee. We will most likely see this miracle via video to the world.
3. God’s judgments will be upon all of His enemies; in particular, we will see His judgments upon the antimessiah and his forces.
4. Three and a half years is long time without food. God has promised us “hidden manna.”
5. Clean water is essential to life. God knows we must have it and will lead us to “springs of living water.”
6. God shook the whole mountain when He spoke to Israel from Mt. Sinai, but this time God will shake the very heavens and the whole earth when He speaks the Seven Thunders.
7. God is coming this time to tabernacle with us. We will meet Him in Jerusalem (in the Promised Land).

The Great Escape from the nations has been prophesied through the exodus story, but we need specific instructions and details to have any chance of being prepared. For example, when specifically do we flee? There are many warnings, but which warning should we heed specifically? Where do we go? What should we take with us? What will happen to us? How will we know we are doing the right thing?

Let us answer these questions. I know that doing this will beg more questions but let’s begin the process of thinking through what God’s plan for the Great Escape entails. Here are more than two dozen questions and answers to get started.

1. When do we escape? We will leave at a future Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread following the Abomination of Desolation event.
2. What is the Abomination of Desolation? Daniel prophesies two events: an altar will be set up by Israel in Jerusalem on the temple mount operating the daily sacrifice (a morning and evening lamb). The altar will be shut down by the antimessiah and sacrificial offerings will be stopped. Later, a statue of the antimessiah will be set up on the temple mount. There may be as many as 30 days separating these two events. When the image is set up that is the specific sign of the end cited by Yeshua. (See question 23)
3. What time of the year will this be? It will be late winter, bordering springtime.
4. What will happen next? The antimessiah will come to power and begin to rule for 42 months (1260 days). God will begin to pour out the Revelation judgments.
5. What about those in Judea? Where will they go as they flee? They will flee to the Judean wilderness—the same place the scapegoat was taken on Yom Kippur. God will protect them in the wilderness for 1260 days. I believe they will go to Mt. Sinai and wait.
6. How will God save them? Satan will chase them by causing a flood of water to follow after those fleeing into the wilderness. God will then open the earth and swallow the flood – the miracle of the Red Sea in reverse. This event is described in Revelation chapter 12.
7. When do we (those scattered in the nations) flee? Passover will follow very quickly after the abomination of desolation. We will attend that Passover eating the “bread of haste” (unleavened bread), and immediately thereafter leave our homes and the cities.
8. Where do we go? We will gather with our brethren in the last place we observed the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). We will be led to other places by one of the 144,000 who is with us.
9. Why do we go to Sukkot? This is where we join the camp of the righteous, our fellow brethren. This is the first camping place of the Great Escape following the prophetic pattern of the Scripture. Jacob journeyed to the Promised Land with his children and camped first at Sukkot. The children of Israel left Egypt on their way to the Promised Land and camped at Sukkot first. The first feast that we will observe with the Messiah upon his return is Sukkot. Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) teaches each generation how God delivered us from Egypt and sustained us in the wilderness to bring us to the Promised Land. It is the first camping place of the Greater Exodus.
10. How do I prepare and get ready for the Great Escape? Keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). It will teach us all the practical matters of how to live and escape.
11. I don’t know anything about Passover or Sukkot. What do I do? As I see it you are in trouble. You probably will be part of the other two destinies for the tribulation saints. There are three destinies (possible outcomes) for the saints in the Great Tribulation: Sword, Captivity, or Survival. Let me explain each.
    • Sword: Some of the tribulation saints will attempt to defend themselves with weapons. If they kill with the sword, they will be killed with the sword; they will not escape. Possibly some brethren will willfully do this in an effort to protect others. Yeshua was very specific about this destiny. There is no ground to hold, Yeshua is coming back to take it all.
    • Captivity: Many saints simply do not know what the Great Escape is, the prophecies, or what to do. Many of them will look for the rapture. Some will simply refuse to go, just like our ancestors refused to go into the Promised Land once the spies reported back. They will go into captivity and die very soon thereafter. Those who try to escape late will be caught.
    • Survival: These are saints who pay attention to the appointed times of the Lord and observe Sukkot by joining a camp of other like-minded brethren.

    I recommend that you start keeping the appointed times of the Lord and learn everything you can about the Greater Exodus and the Great Escape.

12. What should I bring with me? What should I pack? The same things that you bring to Sukkot: You will bring your Sukkah (tent - tabernacle), your clothes, and other things to set up a camp and join with other brethren. See the recommendations for assembling your go-bags at the end of the article.
13. Why must we flee our homes and cities? The prophecy says that God will judge those places with war, famine, animals, and disease and many people will die. We must go where the judgment of God is not going to happen.
14. What about guns and weapons? Bring them. We won’t be fighting the government but we will need to defend against bandits and raiders at the edge of the camp. Israel did not fight the Egyptians but they did fight Amalek in the wilderness. Animals will also be dangerous due to the judgment of “wild beasts.”
15. What about money? Should I bring my gold and silver? This is one place where your credit card will not work, nor will your money. What are you going buy? If you try to purchase anything outside the camp you will probably die trying. Besides, your money will only tempt you to leave the camp, and going back to Egypt is sure death. The prophecy says that everyone will throw their gold and silver away just before the Messiah returns. But, if you want to lug the stuff around for three and a half years, go ahead.
16. What about food? Can we bring food? Sure, but it will run out quickly. Quite honestly, if God does not provide, then none of us have a chance.
17. What will we eat? God will provide as He has promised. Have you ever wondered what manna would taste like?
18. What about water? God will provide as He has promised.
19. What about medicine? I have a disease that requires medicine and treatment. What will happen to me? In the ancient exodus God healed all of the people as they left Egypt. There were no infirmities on the journey. I believe that God will heal us at the start of the Great Escape and we will be healthy enough to journey.
20. How long will we stay at Sukkot? I don’t know, but I don’t think it will be very long. Members of the 144,000 in the camp will tell us when to leave, where to go, and when to camp again.
21. When will we see and find the 144,000? The prophecy says that they will be sealed with the seal of God prior to any judgments coming upon trees and grass. This occurs early in the Great Tribulation, probably while we are camped at Sukkot. The pillar of fire appeared to the children of Israel at that camping location.
22. How do we know who is one of the 144,000? According to the Revelation, they will be sealed with God’s name in their forehead. There will be twelve days to seal all them; one tribe each day will be sealed by the angel Gabriel.
23. How long will we be in the Great Tribulation in the camps? From the shutting down of the altar there will be 1290 days to the end of the Tribulation (Daniel 12:11). Then there will be the days immediately after the tribulation that will last 45 days. In those 45 days, I anticipate we will see the sign of His coming, the resurrection and rapture, the Day of the Lord, and be waiting to see the Messiah return to the Mount of Olives.
24. How will we know what is happening in the world while we are in camp during the Great Tribulation? The book of Revelation will tell us what is happening, one judgment after another leading to the return of the Lord.
25. Is there anything unusual we should be prepared for that will happen while we are in the camp during the Great Tribulation? Yes, the judgment of darkness comes in the last 5 months of the Tribulation. It is imperative that you be with one of the 144,000 at this time.
26. What is the biggest threat to us while going through the Great Tribulation in the camp of the brethren? Our own brethren who lose heart and want to leave the camp will present the most danger. There will be rebels and those who do not want to follow the leadership. If not dealt with correctly, these brethren will cause others to die.
27. What will be the scariest and most difficult part of the Great Tribulation? It comes after the 1290th day of the Tribulation when we see the brightness of the Son of Man coming directly at us through the heavens, knocking stars out of their places. The fear of the Lord is far greater than anything else we have to fear; however, we are exhorted to lift our heads and watch our King returning. If you see this, then you have escaped, survived, and endured to the end. You will not die. In the twinkling of an eye you will be changed and join the saints who will be resurrected to be with the Messiah in His kingdom.

You will cry a lot, but they will be tears of joy! You will have been part of the Great Escape!

I trust that you will use the time we have now to prepare your heart to trust the Lord and for the Great Escape.

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There are excellent resources on the internet to guide you in preparing a “go-bag” and gathering your stuff together to be ready. They are generally designed as a 72 hour minimum to a one-week emergency kit. They are a good start, but I recommend the following resources for the Great Escape:

First, a word about bags: One large travel bag, such as a military sea bag, will carry all of your personal items but may be too big for you to handle. Choose bags that work for you. A back pack may be your best choice. You may have to carry them for some distance. You will want a shoulder strap besides a handle. Multiple bags can work together as well. Here is a breakout for different types of bags.

Clothing Bag:
• Clothing for eight days, including long pants and long sleeve shirts. Extra pockets are preferable. You should have layered clothes that will support fair and foul weather. Wool garments are preferable to cotton for cold and wet. There are some modern fabrics that work better than cotton only. I do not recommend white or bright colored clothing. Green or dark is preferable. This includes underwear.
• Garments to sleep in, such as sweat pants and tops or athletic shorts
• Covered shoes and well fitting boots
• Extra socks (there is no such thing as too many clean dry socks)
• A stocking cap, a ball cap, and work gloves
• You will lose weight, so your belt should be a web belt
• A poncho for rain is essential. An outer vest with multiple pockets is very helpful Special tip: Seal all of your clothing items in plastic bags such as 1 gal or 2 gal Ziploc-type bags. You will use those bags later for a host of things. If your go-bag gets wet, your clothes won’t.
• A towel with your minimum personal hygiene elements: Comb, brush, toothbrush, scissors that cut hair, soap, etc.
• A large open net drawstring laundry bag

Personal Equipment Bag:
• A small LED flashlight with batteries that last more than three years
• A good knife (fixed blade in a sheath)
• A wind proof lighter and extra fuel (matches get wet and won’t work later)
• A personal compass (pioneers survived knowing their NSEW directions)
• A thermometer (hypothermia is the greatest threat in the elements which occurs between 30 and 50 degrees)
• Zip ties are one of life’s small last days miracles that come in assorted sizes (they replace string and twine)
• Small two-way FRS radios for each immediate family member is a real plus (but they won’t last long)
• A refillable water bottle or canteen for each person
• Sun glasses and glasses to replace contact lenses
• A small fishing kit with hooks and line
• Ten dollars in quarters (vending machines) and approximately 100 dollars in ones and fives

Medical kit or first aid pack:
• Band aids and bandages
• Ace bandages (large and small)
• Antibiotic creams or salves
• Anti itch creams
• Aspirin and other over the counter pain relievers
• Blister repair items
• Prescription medicines
• Tweezers and medical scissors
• Homeopathic items if you understand what they are

Tactical Bag:
• A sling shot (effective against animals without the bang of a gun)
• A pistol with extra ammunition
• A shotgun or rifle with extra ammunition
• Air horn for sounding alarm (compressed air in a can)
• Rope 50 ft or more, 250 lbs test
• A saw for small limbs
• A shovel to dig holes
• Binoculars
• Big zip ties
• A machete
• Wire cutters and pliers
• Camo netting
• Signal reflector
• Topographical maps of the region you will escape to (your Sukkot campground)
• A small reference book of outdoor survival
• A small personal Bible

Camping equipment:
• Sleeping bags for each family member
• Extra Wool blankets
• Plastic tarps
• Clothes line rope
• A plastic ground cloth
• Tent (even if you have a travel trailer, you need these items)
• Cooking pots and pans, eating utensils
• A game cart that can carry your personal bags or another person will be extremely helpful if the need arises.

A final note: Think about how you can be a blessing to others. If you have specific expertise, then bring extra materials that will enable you to help others. For example, medical personal should bring other items they know about. If you are a barber, bring your tools. If you are a construction person, bring your tools. Each one of us has some particular skill; come prepared to be a blessing to others.

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Editor - Monte Judah
Electronic Editor - Ephraim Judah

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