From the Gospel of John    49 

    When the time of the Church's Crucifixion draws near, some religious 

leaders and some worldly leaders will plot the destruction of the Church. 

The Church will respond as Jesus did, by moving into a wilderness (a 

remote area). 

    This event is also mentioned in Revelation.  But the woman was given 

the two wings of the great eagle that she might fly from the serpent into the 

wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times 

and half a time.  (Rev 12:14). The woman represents the Church. Some 

portion of the Church will be hidden by God in a remote location, safe from 

those who would destroy the Church. The time lasts about 3  years, the last 

half of Antichrist's reign of nearly seven years. 

    Of course, most members of the Church will not be able to hide in a 

remote location. The Church must suffer much during this time, for the 

Church shall be made in the image of Jesus Christ, the Crucified One. 

John and Peter at the Tomb (John 20:1 10) 

     Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the 

tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the 

tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but 

he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the 

tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his 

head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then 

the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and 

believed....  (John 20:3 8). 

    After the Resurrection, when John and Peter ran towards the tomb of our 

Lord Jesus Christ, John outran Peter and reached the tomb first. Peter was 

the leader of the new Church, but John outran him; this has a symbolic 

meaning. Some members of the Church make greater gains in holiness than 

some leaders of the Church. They arrive at a deeper understanding of the 

faith first, and the leaders follow later. 

    Upon arriving at the tomb, John saw the linen cloths with which Jesus' 

body had been wrapped. He saw a sign of the Resurrection the cloths with 

no body in them and an empty tomb. But John did not go in the tomb; he 

waited for Peter. This symbolic event means that members of the Church 

must sometimes wait for the leaders of the Church to arrive at the same 

depth of understanding that they have reached first. John did not go in to the 

tomb, because Peter is first in authority. John was first in understanding, but 

not first in authority, so John had to wait. 

    Peter saw the cloth which covered Jesus' head rolled up in a place by 

itself. The word  head  is sometimes used to signify leadership or authority. 

Thus does Jesus describe Himself in these words: