We resume our discussion with Pastor Christopher Mantei, author of the book, Flee to The Mountains: The Church’s Responsibility to Israel in the Final 7 Years of The Age on how Israel will take the center stage during the End Times. In today’s post, Pastor Christopher shares with us the Church’s crucial role and its responsibility to Israel in the Last Days.
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How should Christians relate to Israel in the End Times?
This is what my book is about. It’s a call to action. That’s why I subtitled my book, The Church’s responsibility to Israel during the last 7 years.
WE HAVE A ROLE IN THE END TIMES.
We have a crucial responsibility in the End Times. We have a role.
The apostles themselves wrote it: “Let the reader understand” (Mark 13:14).
Apostles from the first century wrote it for the people who would come in the future—that’s putting us in that category.
Scripture talks about the time of trouble. God is going to do a specific work to a specific land and a specific people for a specific reason. And when you go over the Gospels, Jesus tells us what is going to occur.
“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.” (Mark 13:14-18, NIV)
He tells us, “When you see all these things happening, but especially when you see the desolation prophesied in Daniel (Dan. 8:11, 9:27, 11:31, 12:11), flee to the mountains. Don’t even look behind you. You’ve got to go right now.”
But where are the mountains? How does this process work? Because you’re potentially talking about millions of souls—millions of people, who must flee immediately. Where are they going? What are they going to do when they get there? Who is going to meet them?
A lot of believers might fall into the thinking of, “Well, this is not our job. God is going to take care of that.”
That might be good enough for others, but that’s not good enough for me. I don’t think the Lord is going to leave cracks in the whole story. He won’t write the climax of history and leave the Church out of it. I don’t see how that’s Scripturally doable.
THE CHURCH’S RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE END TIMES
As a Church, we have responsibilities in this unfolding drama, but first we must understand certain things:
1) We must understand that we will be here for the End Time events. Somebody will be—whether our generation or our children’s or our grandchildren’s. The Church will take part in it.
2) We must understand what is coming and why God would allow it.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY REGARDING ISRAEL
First of all, we should address Israel like any other people who do not know the Lord–with selfless love and commitment to proclaim the Gospel to them.
A hundred years ago, there was no Israel, politically speaking. They were scattered everywhere. Now more than half of all the Jews in the world live in Israel. It’s been the first time since 70 AD that the majority have lived there and have been recognized as a nation.
That is a fulfillment of the prophecies in Jeremiah 16:15 and Ezekiel 36:24. However, many Jews, even Messianic Jews, unfortunately believe that since they have already returned to their land, God will not allow any other attack against them to succeed.
As a Church, we must rightly divide the situation. The Word says that yes, there will be a return to their land. It’s happening now, but that’s not yet the final return.
ISRAEL WILL FLEE TO THE MOUNTAINS
The final return will only come after a period of trouble and chastisement for the Jews. An invasion and eventual defeat of Israel will ensue (Jeremiah 30:7, Daniel 12:1, Zechariah 14:2, Luke 21:20-24). A remnant will return after they’ve fled to the mountains (Isaiah 11:11-16, Hosea 2:14-15, Micah 2:12-13), calling on the Messiah, Yeshua. The Jews will be in a position to call upon Jesus, and when that happens, the second coming of Jesus will hasten.
For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Matthew 23:39).
It is the Jews who must do this. Those who will flee to the wilderness during their tribulation, those who will be saved and fed there, will come out of those mountains and be witnesses.
Now, if these things are going to take place, Jesus has already made a way for them. “Fleeing to the mountains” is for their benefit.
THE SIGN OF MT. SINAI
If you look at Daniel 11, the prophet declares that there is only one strip of land where the Anti-Christ can’t enter. These places are Edom, Moab, and Ammon.
These modern day places are the equivalent to the Mountains of Jordan and Arabia.
But when the Jews flee there, who will meet them?
You hear of the phrase “at the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses, every word will be established” (Deuteronomy 19:15, Matthew 18:16, 2 Corinthians 13:1).
In my book, I show not 2 or 3, but 34 witnesses of Scripture that talk about this period of “fleeing to the mountains.” There will truly be a people who will receive the Jews there. There will be people who will care for them, feed them, and show them the way.
Perhaps it’s not a coincidence, but when you look at the map, the Jews will end up at Mount Sinai as they head south through those mountains. That’s the path Elijah took after fleeing from Jezebel. That’s the path that the Apostle Paul took (Galatians 1). It follows an ancient road called, “The Kings Highway” –the name itself is prophetic.
Upon reaching the end of their own understanding, men in Scripture (like Elijah and Paul) went to Sinai to seek God. It’s possible that the Jews en masse will do this very same thing.
A couple of years ago, nobody knew where Mt. Sinai was. Now all of a sudden, Saudi Arabia is about to blow the lid off this thing. They know they have Mt. Sinai in their country, and they’re about to open up tourism.
Things are changing fast, and it’s all because of the Lord. God is orchestrating everything in His time.
A CALL TO THE CHRISTIANS
As Christians, we ought to prepare to meet the Israeli people there. Our role is to share the Gospel to them. It must be us. There is no other people.
It’s actually a basic call to minister to anyone in need of Christ. Yes, there will be a physical need that must be met, but Jesus also said, “I am the Manna that came down from heaven. I am the bread of life” (John 6:57-58).
We have a dual responsibility [when Israel flees to the mountains]: we must feed them physically and feed them the bread of life. Present the Gospel and many will come to faith, despite the coming hardship.
Personally, I know a lot of Christians who come to faith once they have hit the bottom, reaching the end of themselves. It’s when you’re completely broken that you won’t know where else to go, and you are at the end of yourself saying, ‘Alright God, What’s the truth?”
It’s possible that this is what will happen with the Israeli people. And when that happens, the Church must meet them. For “how would they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14)
BACK TO ISRAEL—THE HARVEST IS READY!
It will be like a final push, the final frontier. We’ll be making a “full 360” back to the beginning. The Gospel came out of Jerusalem, reaching the Gentile nations and spreading throughout the world. Now, we’re looping back to where it started. Back to Jerusalem. Back to Israel.
And the world is focusing there. The enemy is focusing there. And now the Church must also focus the Gospel there. Because throughout Israel and the Islamic nations, the harvest is ready! There are so many souls waiting.
And we should be excited. Because this is one of the greatest dramas unfolding in human history.
We must get on it. Let’s get on the train of Heaven’s stirring and go.
-Interview with Christopher Mantei by Nicole Gusto
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Continue with us next week as we further discuss with Pastor Christopher how we can understand Anti-Semitism—it’s supernatural origins and manifestations. We’ll also be taking a look at Israel’s challenges and victories in receiving the Gospel.
Editor’s Note: There is still much wisdom in searching truth out for ourselves. The reflections of Pastor Christopher Mantei in this interview are a result of his intense research; still, this does not excuse us from researching on the Bible ourselves! There are many things that have been written about the End Times— many books and articles agreeing and disagreeing on various points. To discern information properly, let us embrace the Bible as the only inerrant source that we have on prophecy, while asking God for His wisdom as we read supplementary material.
To purchase his book, Flee to The Mountains: The Church’s Responsibility to Israel in the Final 7 Years of The Age, check out his website at Wings of The Eagle
Pastor Christopher Mantei
Christopher Mantei is the Associate Pastor of Iron Faith Fellowship church, co-Pastor of the revolutionary Endtime Church, and President of Wings Of The Eagle. Christopher has been immersed in God's Word –particularly the prophetic scriptures– for the past 30 years. Experienced in the Catholic, Protestant, and non-denominational traditions, he has been teaching (and learning) Bible prophecy in online forums since 1995. He built his first website in 1999 and has preached to thousands in person and online. Christopher also loves hosting his own radio program. He lives in the Philadelphia area with his wife and two sons.
Nicole is part-nerd and part-artist. She’s a passionate speech pathologist, writer, dreamer, occasional ventriloquist, and a total geek for stories. She dances through words and writes to speak life to readers. She also regularly blogs at https://nicolegusto.com
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