At the midpoint of the Tribulation, the Jews will suddenly recognize the Antichrist as their enemy, and a remnant will flee from Jerusalem to the mountains, where God will supernaturally protect and provide for them for the final three and a half years.
Jesus warned in Matthew 24 that when the abomination of desolation stands in the holy place, those in Judea must flee immediately without going back for belongings. Les Feldick teaches that at the midpoint the Antichrist defiles the Temple and turns on the Jews, and a cross-section of Israeli society flees to the mountains to the southeast of Jerusalem. Their urgent departure parallels Israel's escape from Egypt, and God providentially guards them through the final three and a half years, even though they go out in unbelief concerning the Messiah.
Matthew 24:16 — Jesus directly commands the Jews in Judea to flee to the mountains — the specific midpoint command Les teaches from.
Revelation 12:6 — Pictures the woman (Israel) fleeing into the wilderness, where God has prepared a place to feed her for 1,260 days.
Jesus answers this question directly in the Olivet Discourse. When the abomination of desolation stands in the holy place, those in Judea are to flee to the mountains immediately. The one on the housetop must not come down to take anything out of his house, and the one in the field must not return back to get his clothes. Jesus pronounces woe on expectant mothers and those who are nursing, and He tells His hearers to pray that their flight is not in the winter or on the Sabbath day. He says that the tribulation which follows will be so great that nothing like it has happened since the beginning of the world, nor ever will be again. In Revelation 12 the same flight is pictured with different imagery. A woman flees into the wilderness, where God has prepared a place for her and feeds her for a thousand two hundred and threescore days — the final three and a half years. There she is nourished for a time, times, and half a time, protected from the face of the serpent.
Les Feldick teaches that the midpoint of the seven-year Tribulation is a sudden, hours-long sequence. The Antichrist — the one who signed the treaty with Israel and the Middle Eastern nations at the start of the seven years — will come into the Temple, defile it, and turn on the Jewish people, who until then had enjoyed a semblance of religious freedom, though the world had still experienced war, famine, pestilence, and turmoil. Along with a tremendous earthquake, this triggers the flight of what Les calls the 'escaping remnant.' Drawing on Matthew 24, Les describes this group as a cross-section of Israeli society: older people on housetops, working-age people in the fields, expectant mothers, nursing mothers, men, women, boys, and girls. Jesus' commands are urgent — leave immediately, take nothing — and Les notes the parallel to Israel's escape from Egypt. They go out in unbelief concerning the Messiah. The remnant flees to the mountains to the southeast (and at one point Les says predominantly southwest) of Jerusalem; Petra is a possibility, though Les doubts it is large enough. What is certain is that God will supernaturally escort and protect them for the entire final three and a half years, just as He protected and provided for Israel in the wilderness. Les is careful to say that this escaping remnant is not the whole nation and not the 144,000. The final half of the Tribulation, triggered at this midpoint, is beyond human description — the wrath and vexation of God referred to in Psalm 2.
According to Les Feldick, the trigger is the Antichrist. At the midpoint of the seven years, he comes into the Temple and defiles it, then turns on the Jewish people who had enjoyed a semblance of religious freedom during the first three and a half years — although the world had already experienced war, famine, pestilence, and turmoil. This midpoint action triggers the last half of the Tribulation, which Les says is beyond human description and is what Psalm 2 calls the wrath and vexation of God. The flight itself is sudden; Les says it all takes place probably in a matter of hours, accompanied by a tremendous earthquake.
Les emphasizes that this is not the whole nation and not the 144,000. It is a remnant of Jews from every category of life — a cross-section of Israeli society. In Matthew 24, Jesus describes the various groups: retired people on housetops, working people in the field, and mothers who are either expecting or nursing. Les adds that the remnant includes older people, middle-aged people, working people, young people, men and women, boys and girls. All are told to leave without going back for anything because time is of the essence.
Les teaches that the escaping remnant flees to the mountains — he thinks predominantly southeast of Jerusalem, and at one point he says southwest. Petra is a possibility, but Les personally doubts it would be big enough; the direction, he says, is probably appropriate. What is certain is that God will providentially watch over them for the remaining three and a half years, escorting and protecting them so that nothing or anyone can touch or harm them — a direct parallel to Israel coming out of Egypt when God destroyed the pursuing Egyptians. In Revelation 12, the woman (Israel) is pictured in the wilderness where she is fed and nourished.
No. Les points out that the escaping remnant goes out in unbelief concerning the Messiah. He illustrates this by noting that even today the chief rabbis of Israel are religious and speak of God's glory, but they still reject Christ. Their flight is a physical escape, not yet a spiritual turning.
The midpoint events — the defiling of the Temple and the sudden flight of the remnant — mark the triggering of the last half. Les describes the final three and a half years as beyond human description, the most terrible period in human history, and as the wrath and vexation of God mentioned in Psalm 2. The elect remnant is preserved through it, but Les notes that even they would not be able to survive if God did not end it right on schedule.
The Different Groups Jesus Warns to Flee
Les walks through Matthew 24 and shows that Jesus is speaking to every segment of Jewish society — retired people on housetops, workers in the field, and expectant or nursing mothers — telling each to leave immediately without retrieving belongings.
The Midpoint Flight, Earthquake, and Unbelief
Les says the entire sequence happens in a matter of hours at the midpoint of the seven years, with a tremendous earthquake, as a remnant of older, middle-aged, working, younger, male, and female Jews flees Jerusalem — still in unbelief about the Messiah.
A Cross-Section of Society, Not the 144,000
Les connects Matthew 24:16 directly to the midpoint of the Tribulation, describes the escape as an analogy to the Exodus, and says God will protect and provide for these fleeing Jews just as He did in the wilderness — clarifying that this group is not the 144,000.
Fleeing to the Mountains Southeast of Jerusalem
Les says the Jewish remnant flees to the mountains southeast of Jerusalem, with Petra suggested as a possibility that he personally doubts is big enough; he also points to Revelation 12 where Israel is pictured as the woman and Satan as the great red dragon.
Supernatural Escort Like the Exodus
Les identifies the escaping remnant as the elect of God who will be supernaturally escorted — just as God intervened for Israel when Pharaoh's army pursued — and he says once the seven-year treaty is signed, the supernatural will become commonplace.
The Antichrist Defiles the Temple and Turns on the Jews
Les describes the midpoint as the moment the Antichrist defiles the Temple and turns on the Jewish people, ending their semblance of religious freedom and triggering a final half that is beyond human description — the wrath and vexation of God.
Providential Protection for the Remaining Three and a Half Years
Les teaches that the escaping remnant is providentially escorted and protected so nothing or anyone can harm them for the next three and a half years, paralleling God's destruction of the Egyptians who pursued Israel, and they remain in the mountains south and east of Jerusalem until the end.
The Escaping Remnant Triggered and Protected
Les calls the fleeing group the 'escaping remnant' — a remnant of Jews from every category of life who leave the Jerusalem area for the mountains, likely southwest of Jerusalem, and are watched over and protected by God for the entire three and a half years.
Matthew 24:16: Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Jesus gives the direct command for the Jews in Judea to flee to the mountains when the abomination of desolation appears — the midpoint event of the Tribulation.
Matthew 24:19: And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
Jesus singles out expectant and nursing mothers among those fleeing, showing the urgency and hardship of the departure.
Matthew 24:20: But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
Jesus tells the fleeing remnant to pray that their flight is not in winter or on the Sabbath day — practical difficulties that make the escape harder.
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 final half of the Tribulation that begins with this flight — the most severe period in all of human history.
Revelation 12:6: And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Pictures the woman (Israel) in the wilderness, supernaturally fed for 1,260 days — the final three and a half years.
Revelation 12:14: 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.
Confirms the three and a half years of wilderness protection from the serpent (Satan).
Because the Antichrist — the one who signed a treaty with Israel and the Middle Eastern nations at the beginning of the seven years — comes into the Temple, defiles it, and turns on the Jewish people. Jesus had warned in Matthew 24 that at this sign those in Judea should flee to the mountains immediately without gathering belongings.
No. Les Feldick calls it the 'escaping remnant' — a remnant of Jews from every category of life, not the whole nation and not the 144,000. It is a cross-section of Israeli society: older people, working people, young people, and expectant or nursing mothers.
They flee to the mountains to the southeast of Jerusalem (Les at one point says southwest); Petra is a possibility, though Les doubts it is large enough. God supernaturally protects and provides for them for the final three and a half years, just as He did for Israel in the wilderness.
No. Les says the escaping remnant goes out in unbelief concerning the Messiah. They are religious and speak of God's glory, but they still reject Christ — their flight is a physical escape, not yet a spiritual turning.
Watch the Teaching: The Abomination of Desolation: Why Israel Must Flee (Matthew 24)