It is commonly taught that the mountains Jesus was alluding to in this passage above are located in Southern Jordan in the rock fortresses of Petra. This is biblical Bozrah in the historic territory of ancient Edom. Isaiah 63:1-6 specifies that the Messiah will come to this area to redeem the faithful Jewish remnant that adheres to His instructions to seek refuge there in Matthew 24:15-16.
Observe, that this is a command, not a suggestion, from Jesus, that “whoever reads” this verse, especially the Jews residing in Judea at the time, must understand the significance of the event and the precise location of the mountains being referenced. This is extremely important information for the Jews because immediately after the Antichrist performs the Abomination of Desolation, he will begin a genocidal campaign against the Jews. Zechariah 13:8 predicts that two-thirds of the Jews in Israel will be killed.
Did Jesus Give the Jews Good or Bad Advice?
If Jesus is instructing Jews to flee to Jordan, is this good or bad advice considering the current geo-political situation between Israel and Jordan? Presently, Petra is under Jordanian Sovereignty and they are not necessarily welcoming to Israeli Jews entering into this Arab state. Cases in point are found in the articles below.
King Abdullah: Relations with Israel at their worst
(Jerusalem Post 11/23/19)
King Abdullah of Jordan said on Friday that relations with Israel are at its worst state, partly because of internal problems in Israel. The king said this at a meeting of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in New York. The king of Jordan added that unless the Palestinian issue can be solved, Israel could not really become a part of the Middle East. (Read More)
ANALYSIS: Why is Jordan's increasingly hostile to Israel?
(Arutz Sheva – 12/4/19)
A serious incident on the Jordanian Israeli border near Eilat on Tuesday once again showed how Jordan has become a hostile entity for Israel and information provided by two members of the Jordanian opposition in exile sheds new light on the behavior of King Abdullah II.
The incident at the Jordanian-Israeli border near Eilat involved a large group of Israeli deputy-mayors who wanted to travel to the ancient city of Petra in Jordan but were humiliated by Jordanian border guards.
The Jordanians ordered the group to remove their yarmulkes, Tzitzit (fringed religious garments) and other Jewish symbols after which they confiscated them. Most delegates refused to take the items off, however, after which the whole group decided to cancel the trip and to return to a hotel in Eilat.
This wasn’t the first time Jordanian border guards demanded Jews remove religious items but the timing of this incident indicated that relations with Jordan indeed hit an all-time low as King Abdullah II recently said during a visit to the United States.
Last week the Jordanian army conducted a large-scale drill involving F-16 warplanes and helicopters and the aim of the drill was simulating a war with Israel as became apparent from a report by the official Jordanian news agency Petra.
The aim of the exercise was “destroying the vanguard of the enemy and the bridges that can be used as crossing points,” according to Abdullah’s mouthpiece.
Over the past two months other incidents such as the arrest and trial of Konstatin Kotov, a Russian Israeli citizen, and the subsequent refusal to release the man after Israel made a concession and released two Jordanians who were held in custody for terrorist activity indicate something is changing in the relations between the two countries and not for the better.
Most observers say that the King’s behavior toward Israel should be understood as a sign of displeasure with Israel’s policies toward the Palestinian Arabs but members of the Jordanian opposition beg to differ.
Israeli analyst Amos Harel, for example, thinks the war simulating drill was a message of anger toward Israel over the plan to annex the Jordan Valley.
"Which mysterious, unnamed country is threatening Jordan from the west?" Harel wrote adding that “the exercise meshes with the clear anti-Israel rhetoric being heard recently in the Jordanian media."
It’s true that Abdullah expressed his anger over the Israeli plan to annex the Jordan Valley and warned it would have “major consequences” for Israeli Jordanian relations but Abed Almaala, the son of the late elder of elders of the large (1 million people) Bani Hassan tribe in Jordan and a member of the Jordanian opposition in exile says internal problems cause the King’s deliberate escalation of the hostilities against Israel.
Almaala said during an interview with Arutz 7 that respect for the King, who according to Jordanian law can’t be insulted (read criticized) because he’s a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed, has disappeared.
Jordan nears bankruptcy Amaala said and pointed to the fact that virtually every Jordanian knows the King and his family (100 persons) spent $2 billion annually on their lavish lifestyle while the average Jordanian is living close or below the poverty line.
“The regime is done” it may take a few months or maximal a year or two before Abdullah will be forced out of his palace according to Almaala. (Read More)
Jews and Jordanians Don’t Mingle Well
As these two articles point out, Jews are not warmly welcomed in Jordan. The thought of a large influx of Jews fleeing from Israel into Petra, sounds unlikely. Unless, the geo-political situation changes dramatically between now and the middle of the Tribulation Period, which is when the “Abomination of Desolation” occurs.
Jordan is supposedly a moderate Arab state and a friend of Israel’s, but with friends like Jordan, who, (in Israel), needs enemies? Some popular Bible prophecy teachers such as, J.D. Farag and Amir Tsarfati believe that the peace treaty that Jordan currently has with Israel, suggests that the war prophecy of Psalm 83 has already been fulfilled. However, the prophecies that I include in the article links below suggest otherwise.
Israel will Possess Jordan Prior to the Abomination of Desolation
Bible prophecies in, Jeremiah 49:1-6, Zephaniah 2:8-9, Psalm 83, Isaiah 11:14, Ezekiel 25:14, Amos 1:11-15 and elsewhere point out that Israel will have a future conflict with Jordan. These various predictions concern Ammon (Northern Jordan), Moab (Central Jordan) and Edom (Southern Jordan). As a result of this impending biblical battle, Israel will win and annex much of modern-day Jordan, which as my articles below point out, belongs to the Jews anyways. If this happens prior to the Abomination of Desolation, then the advice from Jesus for Jews to flee to Jordan is extremely wise! It evidences great prophetic foresight!
Read my articles about Jordan below for more information.
Jeremiah 49:1-6, The Future War between Israel and Jordan
Jeremiah 49: Jordan Will Tremble and Fall!
