Bible News Prophecy with Dr Bob Thiel and Steve Dupuie

Petra, Bozrah, and the Prophetic Place of Safety
Steve Dupuie speaks with Dr. Bob Thiel about biblical clues concerning the end-time place of protection, examining Petra, Bozrah, Revelation 12, Philadelphian Christians, and why the place of safety may be near — but not necessarily inside — Petra.

The Question of Protection During the Great Tribulation

In this episode of the Bible News Prophecy Program, announcer Steve Dupuie introduces a discussion with Dr. Bob Thiel about Jesus’ promise to protect some of His followers from the Great Tribulation. The central question is where that place of safety might be, with Petra in Jordan serving as the most common speculation. Dr. Thiel says many have assumed Petra could be the location, but he raises an important question: if Petra is not the place, would most Christians be willing to flee somewhere else?

Petra, Sela, and Popular Prophetic Speculation

Dr. Thiel begins by discussing writings from Tim McHyde, who examines whether Petra is truly the prepared place of safety for Israel or for Christians. He notes that Petra was historically connected with Edom and the Nabateans, while some prophetic interpretations imagine Jews or Philadelphian Christians finding refuge there. Dr. Thiel explains that the Bible does not use the modern name Petra, but refers instead to terms such as Sela or Selah, meaning “rock.” He also considers questions about whether Petra could physically hold the number of people some prophecy watchers associate with Revelation’s 144,000.

Revelation 12 and the Identity of the Protected Woman

A major part of the discussion focuses on Revelation 12. Dr. Thiel agrees with the point that Revelation 12:17 refers to those who “keep God’s commandments and have the testimony of Jesus,” which he says eliminates the idea that the woman in that passage simply represents the modern nation of Israel. He interprets the protected group as Philadelphian Christians, while the “rest of her offspring” represent Christians who are not protected. In his view, Revelation 12 describes a wilderness place of protection on Earth, not a rapture to heaven.

Bozrah as an Alternative and Why Dr. Thiel Is Skeptical

Steve asks about Bozrah, another location some have suggested as a possible place of safety. Dr. Thiel acknowledges that Bozrah appears in prophetic passages from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah, and that some details sound interesting, especially language involving eagle’s wings and the “flock of Bozrah.” However, he ultimately rejects Bozrah as the likely place of protection because he connects Bozrah and Edom with judgment rather than refuge. He argues that the prophecies involving Edom describe punishment tied to Edom’s treatment of Israel, making Bozrah less likely as the protected location.

Biblical Clues Pointing Away From Some Locations

Dr. Thiel then lays out biblical clues about where the place of safety is not. He cites Jeremiah 4 and Luke 21 to argue that God’s people would not remain in Judea or Jerusalem and that they would need to flee when Jerusalem is surrounded. He also references Zechariah’s instruction to flee from the north and Revelation’s descriptions of island destruction, concluding that the place is not north of Jerusalem, not Babylon, not Judea, not Jerusalem, and not an island. This leads him toward a location generally southeast of Jerusalem.

Rocks, Wilderness, Gathering, and a Jordanian Direction

The episode continues by connecting Isaiah 33, Isaiah 45, Zephaniah 2, Psalm 27, and First Samuel 23 to the idea of a gathered group hidden in a rocky place. Dr. Thiel emphasizes that this is not merely individual protection wherever someone happens to be, but a gathering together at a specific place. He points to language about a fortress of rocks, being hidden during the day of the Lord’s anger, and David’s “rock of escape” as possible scriptural hints. For Dr. Thiel, these clues make a Jordanian wilderness location plausible, with Petra or an area near Petra remaining possible.

Philadelphian Christians and the Promise of Revelation 3

Dr. Thiel concludes by returning to Revelation 3 and the promise made to the Philadelphian church. He argues that Jesus promises protection from the hour of trial only to the Philadelphians, not to all Christians. He then links this to Revelation 12, where the woman is given two wings of a great eagle and taken into the wilderness for “a time, times, and half a time,” which he interprets as three and a half years. The program ends with Dr. Thiel saying Petra remains a place to consider, though the actual place of protection may be nearby or somewhere else in the wilderness, followed by Steve Dupuie directing listeners to biblenewsprophecy.net and the Continuing Church of God resources.