155 The Revelation of Jesus Christ you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself" {Ex. 19:4). "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, bareth them on her wings: so the Lord alone did lead him (Jacob, or Israel)" {Deut. 32: 11, 12). Just as God bore Israel of old "on eagles' wings," so also in the days of her deep sorrow and affliction He will support her with His "everlasting arms" of love and protection. Continuing the description of God's provision for His peo ple in that day, John writes further, saying that the woman is given wings to fly into a place "where she is nourished for a time {one year), and times {two years), and half a time {one half year), from the face of the serpent" {verse 14). In other words, this period of three and one-half years of Israel's most bitter sorrow is identical with the forty-two months, or twelve hundred and sixty days, already referred to several times in the book. It is identical with the latter half of the "seventieth week" of Daniel's prophecy, which is a period of seven years. The words of the verses just quoted, concerning the flight of the woman into the wilderness, correspond exactly with what Jesus said on the Mount of Olives, when His disciples asked Him, "What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age?" {Matt. 24: 3). In answer to this question, the Lord Jesus spoke very plainly. Referring to the time, yet fu ture, when Israel will return to the land of Palestine, when their temple will be erected, and the Antichrist will set up his image to be worshipped-referring to these things, Christ said to His disciples, "When ye ... shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place .•. then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains ... For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" {Matt. 24: 15-21 ). ISRAEL'S REFUGE The Lord has promised a way of escape for His people in that time of trouble, "a place prepared of God" {verse 6). Where is that place to be? There is~ very striking passage in Isaiah 16:4, 5, "Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the
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