The Place of Safety

When questioned by His disciples about the end of the age and His second coming, Jesus Christ included this prediction:

Mat. 24:21-22
"For there shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."

Where will Christ's followers, the elect of God, be during this time?
Some teach that they will be in Heaven, but the Bible declares that they will be caught up to meet Christ in the air as He returns, at the sound of the Last Trumpet, after the period of tribulation.

Some have taught that the elect will be taken to a place of safety and be protected while God pours out His wrath on this sinful world. Where then is the place of safety?
Is it a geographical position, or could it be something else?

A thorough reading of the Bible shows that God is able to protect His people, unless He chooses otherwise. Consider this example - Moses had led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt and they were camped near the edge of the Red Sea when they saw Pharaoh and his army pursuing them. They were trapped. Nothing they could do would save them.

Exod.14:13-14
"And Moses said unto the people, Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he shall show to you today: for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace."

That instruction is as true today as it always has been for God's people, and Christians should take great encouragement from it.

It has been said that an atheist is someone with no invisible means of support. The invisible support that God's servants enjoy was once made visible. The prophet, Elisha, was becoming an obstacle to the King of Syria who sent a large army to eliminate him. The account is found in 2 Kings 6:8-18.

2 Kings 6:14-17
"Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! How shall we do?
And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray you, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."

David wrote psalms of praise to God, acknowledging the total trust he had in God for his protection.

Psa.18:1-3
"I will love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies."

Psa.32:7
You are my hiding place; you shall preserve me from trouble; you shall compass me about with songs of deliverance.

Psa.119:114
"You are my hiding place and my shield: I hope in your word."

Christians are likened in Scripture to sheep. Jesus referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10.

John 10:14
"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep; and am known of mine."

He used the analogy of a shepherd putting his sheep into a sheepfold at night for protection and standing guard at the door to the fold.

John 10:7,9
"Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."

Jesus Christ, in all His risen glory, protects His people now as He did throughout the Old Testament times. He was the Rock that rescued Israel. He was David's Rock. He is our Rock too.

Christians are commanded to love their enemies. Sheep are not aggressive. They need protection. Our battle is not physical - it is spiritual.

Eph.6:12
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of the world, against wicked spirits in high places."

Be under no illusions - the moment a person is baptised with the Holy Spirit and becomes one of God's elect, that person goes onto Satan's "hit list". Christians are the light of the world - Satan wishes to extinguish that light; but be not afraid:

1 John 4:4
"You are of God, little children, greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."

Christians have chosen to be on the winning side. We are indwelt by God. God has made an enormous investment in us, namely the life of His Son. The very hairs of our heads are counted. We will be protected during the time of tribulation.

Rev. 7:2-3
"And I saw another angel ascending from the east having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."

Even during the time of tribulation, Christians will be doing their work of leading others to God by their light.

Dan.12:1,3
"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book of life.
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."

God is our place of safety. Jesus Christ is our Shepherd. What have we to fear?

Psa.23:4
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and staff comfort me."

Christians should go about serving God and their fellow man without any anxious thought for their safety - and if they are faced with danger, they should remember Moses' injunction:

"Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord."