The Jewish remnant will flee from Jerusalem to the mountains at the midpoint of the tribulation, where God will supernaturally protect and provide for them for the final three and a half years.
When the abomination of desolation appears, Jesus instructs those in Judea to flee immediately, leaving everything behind. Les Feldick identifies this fleeing group as the 'escaping remnant'—a mixed group of Jews, not the whole nation. God will escort and protect them as He did Israel in the wilderness, and they will be kept safe and fed until the tribulation's end.
Matthew 24:15-21 — Jesus commands the Jews in Judea to flee to the mountains when the abomination of desolation appears, and He warns of the great tribulation that follows.
Matthew 24 records Jesus' instructions to the Jewish people living in Judea when the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet stands in the holy place: 'Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.' Jesus adds that the one on the housetop should not come down to take anything out of his house, and the one in the field should not return to take his clothes. The urgency is total. Jesus then pronounces woe on pregnant and nursing mothers in those days, and tells them to pray that their flight does not come in winter or on the Sabbath. He goes on to say, 'For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.'
Les Feldick calls this fleeing group the 'escaping remnant.' It is not the whole nation of Israel, but a remnant of Jews from every category of life—older men, working-age men, young mothers, and pregnant women—who flee the Jerusalem area at the midpoint of the tribulation. They go to the mountains south and east of Jerusalem, and Les says it may be Petra, though he does not know. God will supernaturally protect and provide for them for the entire last three and a half years, just as He protected Israel in the wilderness. Les also compares the escape to the Exodus, saying God will providentially escort the remnant just as He destroyed the Egyptians who pursued Israel. This remnant is distinct from the 144,000.
Les Feldick describes the escaping remnant as a mixed group, a cross-section of Jewish society. It includes older men, working-age men, young mothers, and pregnant women. It is not the whole nation, but a percentage of Israel, and it is not the 144,000.
The remnant flees to the mountains south of Jerusalem. Les says the exact location may be Petra but he does not know. Once there, God protects and provides for them for the final three and a half years of the tribulation.
Les draws a direct parallel between the remnant's escape and Israel's departure from Egypt. Just as God destroyed the pursuing Egyptians, He will providentially escort and protect the escaping remnant. He also compares the protection to Israel's forty years in the wilderness, noting that God will feed and insulate them.
In Matthew 24:20, Jesus instructs the remnant to pray that their flight is not in winter or on the Sabbath. Les reminds his listeners of this instruction, showing the urgency of the escape and the practical hardships that could make it even more difficult.
Urgent Flight and Woe to Mothers
Les emphasizes that Jesus told the people not to take anything out of their houses and that pregnant women and nursing mothers would face woe in those days.
The Escaping Remnant Defined
Les introduces the 'escaping remnant'—a remnant of Jews from every category of life who flee Jerusalem to the mountains, where God will protect them for the final three and a half years.
Fleeing to the Mountains at the Abomination
Les teaches that when the abomination of desolation appears, the remnant in Judea flees to the mountains, and God will supernaturally insulate and protect them for the last three and a half years, just as He did Israel in the wilderness.
A Mixed Group Leaves at the Midpoint
Les describes the escaping remnant as a mixed group—workers, young mothers, and pregnant women—who leave the Jerusalem area at the midpoint of the tribulation.
God Will Feed and Protect Them
Les teaches that once the remnant reaches the mountains, God will feed and protect them just as He did Israel in the wilderness under Moses.
Providential Protection Like the Exodus
Les parallels the remnant's escape with Israel's exodus from Egypt: as God destroyed the Egyptians, so He will providentially escort and protect the escaping remnant in the mountains.
Distinct From the 144,000
Les clarifies that the escaping remnant is a cross-section of society, not the 144,000, and that God will protect and provide for them even as He did for Israel coming out of Egypt.
Pray Not in Winter or on the Sabbath
Les highlights Jesus' instruction for the remnant to pray that their flight not be in winter or on the Sabbath, connecting this to the beginning of the great tribulation.
Matthew 24:16: Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Jesus directly commands the Jews in Judea to flee to the mountains.
Matthew 24:19: And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
Jesus pronounces woe on pregnant women and nursing mothers during the flight.
Matthew 24:20: But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
Jesus instructs the remnant to pray that their escape does not occur in winter or on the Sabbath.
Matthew 24:21: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Jesus describes the unprecedented tribulation that begins with this flight.
No. Les Feldick explicitly says the escaping remnant is a cross-section of Jewish society, not the 144,000.
God will protect the remnant for the last three and a half years of the tribulation, from the midpoint until the end.
The remnant flees to the mountains south of Jerusalem. Les notes it may be Petra, but he does not know.
When the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel appears, Jesus commands those in Judea to flee to the mountains immediately.
Watch the Teaching: All Israel Shall Be Saved — What Romans 11:26 Really Means