Each time I sit to write I do it with the realization I could be wrong. It's not because of the many emails I get telling me I'm wrong. And it's not because I don't believe what I have to say. It's just because I'm human and, like so many other students of Bible prophecy before me, I too could end up being wrong.

I have two books I treasure. One is  titled, The Great Trek. It's about a band of about 600 Russian Mennonites attempting to find a place of refuge from the Great Tribulation they believed was about to begin in 1880. The reason I treasure the book is because, one of their leaders was Abraham Peters -- my great-great grandfather.

After Abraham's death, his son -- my great grandfather -- immigrated to America. Upon arrival, he purchased a new family Bible and wrote our family history in it. Then he instructed the Bible be handed down to the oldest son. This old Bible is the second book I treasure. You see, it was handed down to me.

You might think I should be ashamed of my great great grandfather. After all, he really blew it in a big way. The Great Tribulation wasn't about to occur in 1880. But the more I've studied Bible prophecy, the more I feel the opposite. I'm proud of Abraham Peters. 

Although the kingdom of the Antichrist didn't appear in the West as Abraham thought, Communism did later appear in Russia. And those Mennonite farmers who followed Abraham actually did end up in a place of refuge from what was to come on those who stayed behind. In fact, their descendants remain to this day.

One more interesting point: Here we have an early example of a group of Christians who believed in end-times prophecy. They believed Jesus was going to return as promised and set up His thousand-year kingdom. But, they didn't know anything about a pre-tribulation rapture. Instead, they went on a thousand mile trek seeking refuge from the Great Tribulation.

Now here we are at FulfilledProphecy -- over a hundred years later -- and you could say we're doing much the same thing as those Russian Mennonites. 

Right or wrong, we too may have begun a great trek.