There are three groups of people escaping what is to come. (Revelation 7:1-3.) "After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” (Revelation 12:1-6.) "A great sign appeared in Heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in Heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron sceptre.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his Throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days." (Revelation 14:1-5.) "Then I looked, and there before me was the LaAMB, standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His Name and His Father’s Name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from Heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the Throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the LAMB wherever He goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as first-fruits to God and the LAMB. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless." While they may all be the same group, e.g. the wise virgins of Matthew 25, it seems like they have different roles to play. What I am not too sure. All will be revealed in time, I'm sure.
There's another position to take up before this which I have mentioned in past blogs about separating ourselves. Two passages I'd like to use here. (Nehemiah 13:3.) On hearing the Torah, they separated from Israel everyone of mixed ancestry." (Luke 12:35-40.) (Watchfulness.) “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their Master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when He comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for Him. It will be good for those servants whose Master finds them watching when He comes. Truly I tell you, He will dress Himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose Master finds them ready, even if He comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the Thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect
Him.” (I've added capitals in this passage so that YESHUA can be easily spotted.)
We have also the story of Jacob and Esau. Jacob did things wickedly. He was called a supplanter but wanted the things of Yehweh (God). Esau, on the other hand couldn't care less about his birthright! His desire was to have wealth. The things of God and its rewards take time and patience. (Genesis 27:36-40.) (Complete Jewish Bible.) 'Esau said, "His name, Yaakov [he supplants], really suits him—because he has supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright, and here, now he has taken away my blessing!" Then he asked, "Haven't you saved a blessing for me?" Isaac answered 'Esau, "Look, I have made him your lord, I have given him all his kinsmen as servants, and I have given him grain and wine to sustain him. What else is there that I can do for you, my son?" 'Esau said to his father, "Have you only one blessing, my father? Father, bless me too!" 'Esau wept aloud, and Isaac his father answered him: "Here! Your home will be of the richness of the earth and of the dew of heaven from above. You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you break loose, you will shake his yoke off your neck." No Esau, you gave away your birthright. But they did shake them off their neck and became a nation also. Isaac somewhere around this point realised it was of Yehweh that the blessing should go to Jacob. That's why the Jews (Judah & Benjamin) and Israelites (Ten Tribes) wherever they went always rose to the top. Esau will serve Jacob. The world will serve the descendants of Jacob. Esau or Edom (the Edomites as they became) eventually arrived in Rome. Also later (in 1 John 2:19 we read: "They went out from us, but they weren't part of us; for had they been part of us, they would have remained with us." These also in time went to Rome from whence the system coming into effect (through the Vatican) will try to put their man in power in Jerusalem. Esau is still trying to obtain his birthright. Will receive 3 1/2 years but those who will take the Kingdom escape from this. AMaN (Amen).
One last thought. (Revelation 19.) "After these things, I heard what sounded like the roar of a huge crowd in Heaven, shouting, "Halleluyah! The Victory, the Glory, the Power of our God! For His judgments are True and Just. He has judged the great whore who corrupted the earth with her whoring. He has taken vengeance on her who has the blood of His servants on her hands."
"And a second time they said, "Halleluyah! Her smoke goes up forever and ever!" The twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshipped God, sitting on the Throne, and said, "Amen! Halleluyah!"
"A voice went out from the Throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, small and great!"
"Then I heard what sounded like the roar of a huge crowd, like the sound of rushing waters, like loud peals of thunder, saying, "Halleluyah! ADONAI, God of Heaven's armies, has begun His reign!
"Let us rejoice and be glad! Let us give Him the Glory! For the time has come for the Wedding of the LAMB, and His Bride has prepared herself— fine linen, bright and clean has been given her to wear." ("Fine linen" means the righteous deeds of God's people.)
"The angel said to me, "Write: 'How blessed are those who have been invited to the Wedding Feast of the LAMB!'" Then he added, "These are God's very words." I fell at his feet to worship him; but he said, "Don't do that! I'm only a fellow-servant with you and your brothers who have the testimony of YESHUA. Worship God! For the testimony of YESHUA is the Spirit of prophecy."
"Next I saw Heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called Faithful and True, and it is in righteousness that he passes judgment and goes to battle. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on His head were many royal crowns. And he had a name written which no one knew but Himself. He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which He is called is, "THE WORD OF GOD." The armies of Heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following Him on white horses. And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down nations—"He will rule them with a staff of iron."It is He who treads the winepress from which flows the wine of the furious rage of ADONAI, God of Heaven's armies.
"And on His robe and on His thigh he has a Name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
"Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds that fly about in mid-heaven, "Come, gather together for the great feast God is giving, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of important men, the flesh of horses and their riders and the flesh of all kinds of people, free and slave, small and great!" I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to do battle with the rider of the horse and his army. But the beast was taken captive, and with it the false prophet who, in its presence, had done the miracles which he had used to deceive those who had received the mark of the beast and those who had worshipped his image. The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur. The rest were killed with the sword that goes out of the mouth of The Rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh."
(Daniel 12:13.) "But you, go your way until the end comes. Then you will rest and rise for your
reward, at the end of days." AMaN and AMaN.
Look forward to meeting you in Petra!