July 31, 2015 Brethren Letter
Dear Brethren,
Tonight, I’m re-sending an article written by Mr. Garfield Gregoire in 2013. Brethren, NOW is the time to prepare spiritually for the return of Jesus Christ! Waiting for “tomorrow” could be a very costly mistake!
Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
(Revelation 19:7)
…for He [Jesus Christ] is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful”. (Revelation 17:14)
Please have a good night’s rest.
Your Brother in Christ,
Gary Liebold
Just How Many Will be in the Place of Safety?
By Garfield Gregoire
During one of his recent sermons, our elder, Mr. Liebold, expressed that God chose only three hundred people out of ten thousand to go and fight against the Midianites (Judges, chapter 7). Mr. Liebold raised an interesting question. He merely asked or wondered if it was POSSIBLE that there could be only three hundred in the “place of Safety” within this end-time.
When Mr. Armstrong was alive, I don’t believe anyone would have even remotely considered or raised the question about such a small number of people being protected in the place of safety. However, due to the great falling away from the TRUTH of God, and with so many splinter groups compromising doctrines restored through Mr. Armstrong, it leaves one to wonder. How many members WILL actually be faithful and uncompromisingly loyal to the pure doctrines restored to the Church? It may be that a very small remnant will actually be taken to a place of safety.
Will HE Find Faith on the Earth?
In Luke 18:8, Jesus asked an interesting question. He asked, “…Nevertheless When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
Now, Jesus fully knew the TRUE Church of God would never be eradicated from this earth. It would continue to exist right up to His return. He himself said that the “…gates of hell [meaning, the grave] shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). We can see that Christ was speaking in the context of just how many of God’s called out ones would be found holding fast to the TRUTH and to the faith once delivered in this end-time.
Christ did foreknow that there would be a great falling away from TRUTH (II Thessalonians 2:3). He surely wondered just how many would actually be found faithful at His second coming. Obviously, no one can know exactly how many of God’s people will be taken to a place of safety until it happens. However, the prophesied falling way gives us a strong indication that only a small number of God’s people will be holding to the doctrinal TRUTHS, keeping the faith.
Speaking to His loyal Philadelphia remnant, Christ says, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10).
Today, we can see many of God’s people following men who have in one way or another compromised with God’s doctrinal TRUTHS. God will NEVER compromise with His TRUTH any more than He will compromise with sin. Would God really protect those who willfully sin or insist on compromising with the Truth?
When Jesus said that he would keep His Philadelphia remnant from the “…hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world”, HE offered protection to those who are LOYAL and UNWILLING to compromise with the TRUTH. If you recall, in Revelation 3, Jesus chided those who had become lukewarm (spiritually) by their fruits, their attitude and their service to God. As a result, they WILL be “tried” in the Great Tribulation. “I counsel thee to buy of me gold TRIED in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see” (Revelation 3:18).
Notice Revelation 12: 15: “And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.”
This woman is represented as God’s loyal, faithful Philadelphian remnant. God is going to take this remnant to a place of Safety and Satan will further launch an attack against them. The Bible shows us that Satan will cast out water as a flood against the faithful remnant. This word or expression “flood” can be used to refer to an army of people. Psalm 18: 4 gives an example. “… The floods of ungodly men made me afraid.” Also we see the example of Isaiah 59:19: “… When the enemy shall come in like a flood …”
This flood is an indication that Satan will likely inspire an army to come up against these Christians, but God is going to supernaturally intervene to protect and bring them to safety. “And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth” (Revelation 12:16).
We would have to wonder why Satan would inspire a human army to come after the loyal Philadelphian remnant. Of course we could reason that Satan is so intent on destroying this group because he does not want them protected, even physically.
However, could it also be possible that this remnant will be attacked because the world will know about them, and they will be persecuted for believing, upholding and proclaiming the truth of God? It may even be that the European army will have surrounded Jerusalem (just before the start of the tribulation), seeking after the remnant who have been led to the place of safety. We don’t know the details! Time will tell. But, there is no doubt Satan is going to lead some form of concentrated attack against this faithful remnant.
In verse 17, it tells us that Satan (the dragon) “…was wroth with the woman [the Church of God] and went to make war with the remnant of her seed.” This remnant consists of those who will not be taken to a place of safety, but will be plunged into the Great Tribulation. They have grown lukewarm spiritually and the “fire” of the Tribulation will be used to awaken them from their spiritual stupor – so as to test the measure of their faith and dedication to God.
Just How Many Will Be in the Place of Safety?
We come back again to the lingering question. How many people will be taken to a place of safety? We surely would like to know. The answer is that we DON’T know, but it could be a very small number. For example, there are those who believe that it could number to as much as 7000 people. This belief is based on Romans 11: 4 – where God says, “I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of BAAL.”
Please note however, the scripture does not say that 7000 Church members will be going to the place of safety, but rather it references the fact that there were 7000 men in the time of Elijah who did not bow to the false god called Ba-al. The overall purpose of this scripture shows a loyal people who are faithful to God. It presents no firm basis or grounds for us to assume that 7000 are going to be in the place of safety. In addition, this scripture refers specifically to 7000 men. If you include the women in the Church, the number would have to be even more than 7000.
What the scripture does reveal is that God has always worked with a small number of people. Often times the greater number are found going opposite to God’s way of life and God will use the small minority that seek to serve and obey him.
In history we see that God worked with and protected Noah and his family – while the rest of humanity was unprotected.
“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank … But the same day that lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven , and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the son of man is revealed” (Luke 17: 28- 30).
Also, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and spared only Lot and his family. Even Lot’s wife lost her life because of disobedience. Jesus said it would be the same in this end time. Could it be that only a very small remnant of God’s people will be led to the place of safety, and the GREATER majority of God’s people will have to endure the Great Tribulation? This could very well be the case.
A minister said many years ago that not everyone who wants to go to the place of safety will make it to the place of safety. In Luke 17: 34, Jesus showed a type of selection process when he said, “I tell you in that night, there shall be two women in one bed; the one shall be taken and the other shall be left.”
Mr. Armstrong said that he did not know how God was going to bring His people all together to the place of safety, but one thing we do know is that God is going to do what he has promised! The fact that Jesus said “one shall be taken and the other shall be left,” may be an indication God will supernaturally gather
His remnant, and take them to safety. One should not rule out such a possibility.
The point is that the BRIDE must be prepared by making herself ready, being accounted worthy to be spared from what is to shortly come upon this earth. Whatever the number is that will be in the Place of Safety we leave that in God’s hands. In due time, this mystery will become CRYSTAL CLEAR.