The Bible mentions that there will come a time known as the "time of Jacob's trouble", and it is a very fierce and ominous period of human history. The word selah appears exactly 75 times in the King James Bible, and nearly every time it does it is in the context of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation.
Selah Petra is a real place that exists today, and more importantly the word ‘Selah’ in the Bible is actually a prophecy time clue
Like most people, I am sure that you have been taught that the word ‘selah’ in the bible meant that God wanted you to ‘pause and meditate’ at the sections in scripture where the word appears. Pausing and meditating on God’s word is always a good thing to do, but having said that, there is so much more to the word ‘selah’ than pausing and meditating.
“It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.” Psalm 89:37 (KJV)
The word selah appears exactly 75 times in the King James Bible, and nearly every time it does it is in the context of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Tribulation.
For starters, Selah is an actual, literal place that still exists to this day. We read about the geographic location of Selah in 2 Kings 14:
“He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day. “2 Kings 14:7 (KJV)
So the verse in 2 Kings 14 shows us first and foremost that Selah is a place that existed then and exists now. We call it today the rock walled city of Petra, located in Jordan. Selah (Sela) is also mentioned multiple times in the book of Isaiah:
“Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest,so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.” Isaiah 16:1,2 (KJV)
“Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.” Isaiah 42:11 (KJV)
What’s fascinating about the passage in Isaiah 42:11 is that it refers to the people of Selah as the “inhabitants of the rock”. Obadiah also mentions a civilization that lives in the rocks in the Land of Edom. Selah Petra was the capital of Edom:
“The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle. Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised. The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?” Obadiah 1:1-3 (KJV)
There are many, many more references I could give for showing that Selah (Sela) is an actual geographic location, but I will trust that these will be sufficient. Now that we have established that Selah is an actual place from history past, let’s look and see if the bible gives reference to the city of Selah Petra being inhabited and used in a future, prophetical way.
Take a look what is inside at the city of Selah Petra:
This very revealing video of what is inside of the amazing buildings in the ‘lost city’ of Selah Petra in Jordan will really make you think. This is where the Bible says that God will hide the Jews after they are forced to flee Antichrist as we see in Matthew 24 and in Revelation 12.
The Jews in the Time of Jacob’s Trouble – The Great Tribulation!
The Bible mentions that there will come a time known as the “time of Jacob’s trouble”, and it is a very fierce and ominous period of human history. In the 30th chapter of the book of Jeremiah, the Lord is giving prophecy about a time yet future when the Jews would be regathered into their land, Israel, but it would not be a time of peace. In fact, it would be just the opposite.
“The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Jeremiah 30:1-5,7 (KJV)
We know this ‘time of Jacob’s trouble’ to be what the New Testament refers to as the Great Tribulation. The time in which the Antichrist will visibly rule, and his main target will the people of Jacob who became Israel – the Jews.
God prepares a hiding place
God has promised that once the Jews were restored that they would never again be driven out. But the onslaught that the Antichrist whips up against them is so fierce and so terrible that God moves them out of the way, He hides them, in a place where Satan cannot get them. Jesus tells us to pay close attention to the prophet Daniel for a whoppingly important clue…and here it is:
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then 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.” Matthew 24:15-22 (KJV)
“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” Luke 21:20-23 (KJV)
We who take the bible literally can clearly see that during the Great Tribulation, the Jews of necessity will be forced to temporarily flee to 1) a place in the wilderness, that is also in 2). the mountains.
In the ancient world, the rock walled city of Petra was commonly referred to by it’s full name of Selah, Petra. This steel engraving of the Ruinen von Selah Petra (the Ruins of Selah Petra) 1850, by Laborde is a great example of that.
The book of Revelation sheds even more light on the ‘flight’ that God will cause the Jews to take to get away from the Antichrist:
“And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 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. 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. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:14-17 (KJV)
So we see that the believing Jews will be flown into a pre-prepared place in the wilderness for a ‘time, times and half a time’, or three and one-half years as foretold by the prophet Daniel. We believe that in this red rock city of Selah Petra is where God will hide the Jews while the Antichrist installs himself in the rebuilt Temple as if he was very God himself.
WARNING: THE NIV BIBLE REMOVES THE WORD COMPLETELY – In the KING JAMES 1611 Authorized Version HOLY BIBLE, The Word SELAH Appears exactly 75 Times, As we are showing you here it is a Phenomenal Prophecy clue as to the nature and character of the second coming of JESUS CHRIST. But the NIV Removes all 75 places in the Old Testament where the word appears, Replacing it with nothing. Just simply erased it! Now, Since the word SELAH reveals so much about the second coming of Jesus, Who do you think would want the word removed and hide all that information from you?
SELAH A CLUE TO THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST
We have thus far shown that instead of being a signal to “pause and meditate’, that the word Selah in the bible is 1). an actual, literal, historical place that still exists today, and 2). it is the likely hiding place of the Jews in the Tribulation due to the many descriptive clues given it from scripture. Now we will attempt to tie it all together with a little-taught insight as to the placement of the word Selah in the bible.
The placement of the word Selah in the bible brings to light precious new insight as to events that will be going on during the Great Tribulation, and offers a tantalizing connection between Selah Petra and the believing Jews when they flee to hide from Antichrist. It goes like this:
ANYWHERE YOU FIND THE WORD SELAH IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, YOU WILL FIND, NEARLY ALWAYS, EITHER IN THE FEW VERSES ABOVE IT OR BELOW IT, A REFERENCE TO THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION.
For example, in Psalm 24, we find the word Selah twice:
“This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.” Psalm 24:6 (KJV)
“Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” Psalm 24:10 (KJV)
And all through this passage we see direct references to the Second Coming:
“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.” Psalm 24:8,9 (KJV)
Moving on to Psalm 46, we see it again:
“The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” Psalm 46:11 (KJV)
“The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.” Psalm 46:6 (KJV)
It doesn’t matter where you look, the word Selah is almost always associated together and found with direct, overt references to the Second Coming of Jesus. And it is the opinion of this author that that is exactly why the Lord placed the word Selah where He placed it. So that as we, the generation of the last days, saw these things approaching, we would have renewed confidence that everything in God’s word could be trusted totally and completely.
THINK ABOUT THIS AS WE CONCLUDE:
Jesus is called the Rock, Selah Petra means rock in Hebrew (Selah), and Greek (Petra). The bible was first written in Hebrew (OT), and in Greek (NT).
Jesus shed blood, which pays for our sins and covers us, is red. Petra is a red, rock city of refuge. The Lord is both a rock AND a fortress – “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.” Psalm 18:2 (KJV) As you read the rest of Psalm 18, you find reference after reference to God being the ‘rock’, the ‘refuge’, setting His people on ‘high places’, ‘leaping over walls’, etc.
Petra is located next to the city of Wadi Musa, which means the ‘Valley of Moses’. The Jews fled by Moses out of Egypt in the Old Testament the same way that the Jews in the Tribulation will flee to Petra. And just as God supernaturally parted the Red Sea (there’s that word ‘red’ again!), God will supernaturally keep the Jews safe and protected in Petra.
Petra is at the entrance to the land of Edom. The prophet Daniel says that when the Antichrist appears, he will devour all the areas around Israel, except for Edom where Petra is. “He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.” Daniel 11:41 (KJV)
In Isaiah 16, we see the Lord’s ‘outcasts’ hiding in the land of Moab right before He returns at the end of the Tribulation to set up His 1,000 year reign. “Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest,so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon. Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.” Isaiah 16:1-5 (KJV)
“Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.” Zephaniah 2:3 (KJV)
“Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save..” Isaiah 63:1 (KJV)
COULD IT BE THAT WHEN JESUS RETURNS TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THE ANTICHRIST, THAT HE WILL STOP AT PETRA, WHICH IS BOZRAH, AND BRING HIS PEOPLE HOME?
Remember the Old Testament saints that where waiting in Abraham’s Bosom for Jesus to come and get them and bring them home? Jesus went down there and preached to those who were not getting out, sealing their doom, and then preached to the ones in Abraham’s Bosom and took them with Him to Glory. We believe that at His Second Coming, Jesus will stop at Selah Petra with us, His Church, on horseback, wipe out the rebellion, ‘dying His garments red’ in their blood, and then release those hiding in the rocks and take them with Him to Glory on earth for His 1,000 Year Reign of peace on this earth.
These verses from Revelation 19 show us the Day when we, the blood-washed, born again Church and Body of Jesus Christ, will return with Him on white horses to rescue His people the Jews and to fight the Battle of Armageddon:
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” Revelation 19:11-14 (KJV)
THE GREAT ESCAPE - PETRA, JORDAN
Evacuating to Safety during Jacob's Trouble
"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord,"He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Psalm 91:1-2
Beneath the High Place of Sacrifice you will find the theatre carved into the side of a mountain. It truly is an original! There is no other theatre in the world carved out of rock. The Romans even rebuilt the back of it as it became an integral part of their culture. It is a magnificent piece of art in itself and prophetically sets the stage for grandiose worship of the Messiah during the Great Tribulation. Worn over the centuries and now limited from its original capacity of 4,000 spectators, it has three rows of seats separated by passageways and seven stairways. It truly is a spectacle!
Prophetic word from the LORD Yeshua HaMashiach concerning the Theatre at Petra, Jordan:
They will gather here, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. Yes, My holy remnant will gather here and I as their Mighty Shepherd will make Divine Visitations to them in the night and lead them into My Paths of Righteousness during the day. Yes, dearest ones, this is the place of My Divine Goshen. They will sing praises to the God of their Salvation.
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Psalm 23: 3
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet will I be confident. 4 One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple. 5 For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock. 6 And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD. Psalm 27:1-6
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” 28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs... Romans 11:25-28
What Is the High Place of Sacrifice, PETRA
The place of high sacrifice is about 850-900 meters above sea level. The ancient people worshipped from the highest places to feel closer to their gods. Only the high priests/elite were permitted to climb to the high places and they had to be in top physical shape!
Across the valley from here is the remains of another high place which is much more difficult to reach. It is called the “eagles’ nest” by the locals and archeologists and is believed to be the place that Obadiah referenced:
The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? 4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord. Obadiah 1:3-4
Look how small the platform area is. It is believed that there were washing rituals and burnt rituals and then the obvious rituals of blood sacrifice.
Take a look at the altar area. There is a circle at the top with a drain that goes down through the steps and around the mountain. Some researchers speculate that there had to be enough blood to travel around the mountain in small channels and reach the top of the Lion’s Head monument below.
People worshiped many different gods for purposes of fertility, promotion of crops, and for their livestock to multiply. Most of the ancient cultures believed that if they didn’t make a sacrifice the rains wouldn’t come, then the crops wouldn’t grow, then the animals wouldn’t be fed, and if the animals weren’t fed, then they wouldn’t reproduce. They had the idea of economic prosperity by petitioning the gods for more animals, more crops, more children! The mentality of the ancient people were to appease the gods if they thought they were angry or to go to them for blessings. Their gods had specific roles. Monotheism was not a popular concept. There were many gods. One god for your livestock, one for the rivers, the thunder, and so on and so forth. The Egyptians had over 2,000 gods. If you didn’t worship the gods, then you were taking it into your own hands what would happen. If something bad did happen, I bet the temples and the altars would have been full. Exactly like what happened on 9-11 in the United States— the churches were full the next Sunday. It would have been hard to come into Petra in the ancient days because of the forests. They’d have difficulty navigating the terrain. The only logical way for an army to enter the valley would have been through the Siq. There were estimated 2,000 homes in ancient Petra, but not many archaeologists are currently focusing on them. Archaeologists still prefer excavating the monuments. Essau most likely lived in Petra...Also, it was not a great agricultural area. Survival was focused on raiding the caravans that passed through and that’s why they get such a bad wrap in the book of Obadiah.
How To Get from Beit Shean Border Crossing To Wadi Musa/Petra.
Crossing Jordan from Beit She’an, There are 4 different ways to travel from Israel to Wadi Musa (Petra).
Sheikh Hussein Border crossing (also known as the Jordan River crossing at Beit She’an)
Allenby/ King Hussein Bridge (ONLY if you have a Jordanian Visa in advance. Don’t dare come this route UNLESS YOU HAVE A VISA. You’ll just have to leave and go to Beit She’an or Eilat)
Yitzhak Rabin Terminal/Wadi Aruba Crossing (4.5 hours drive to Eilat, Israel from Jerusalem)
Fly directly into Amman from Tel Aviv and then take a 3 hour 15 minute cab ride to Wadi Musa/Petra
Documented blog on the 4 different ways to travel from Israel to Wadi Musa (Petra)
A one of a kind the city of Petra and it's adjacent city Wadi Musa for those considering it as a safe refuge during Jacob's Trouble.
Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. Jeremiah 30:7
"Send the Lamb to the ruler of the land, From Sela to the wilderness, To the mount of the daughter of Zion." Isaiah 16:1
“O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.”
Psalms 95:1 (KJV)
Discover The Safe Haven
Petra is an ancient city in southwestern Asia, in present-day Jordan. The city is accessible only through narrow gorges. Its extensive ruins include temples and tombs hewn from the rose-red sandstone cliffs. Does Petra have a place in the Bible?
Why Is PETRA Significant? - Why will people flee there during the Tribulation?
Secret Hiding Place In Goshen - The video will take you through the 30-square mile cave city of Esau--the most mysterious ghost town in the world. You will be shown from the Bible why Petra will be the secret hiding place of the Jewish remnant during the last half of the Tribulation.
Biblical Prophecy The Next Holocaust and the Refuge in Edom - by Chuck Missler
Comments