Friday, July 27, 2018
God said “By the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established” (Deut. 19:15); and then repeated it for Christians, saying, “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established” (2 Cor. 13:1). Thus, regarding His truths the first witness is God Himself, followed by one or more of His prophets. But don’t confuse the many false, self-appointed prophets today with the true prophets of God who actually gave us the Word of the Lord.
The prophet Daniel said of the end-times, “I was watching; and the same horn [Antichrist] was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them” (Dan. 7:21). Then the prophet John also said, “It was granted to him [Antichrist] to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation” (Rev. 13:7).
Herein, God, His prophets Daniel and John all agree on the temporal authority of Satan’s man Antichrist prevailing against the saints. That’s not a comforting picture. But God desires a bride, who “has made herself ready” (Rev. 19:7) in word and deed. While the tribulation will do that, none of us looks forward to persecution, but we must prepare in the truth. None of us want to be overcome by Antichrist, yet we must abide in the truths of Jesus our Lord and Savior.
Even now the Christian faith is rapidly losing cultural ground; in fact, it’s increasingly being banned. And though many preachers and teachers have compromised the gospel to appease the culture, the world is against the true Christian, and the spirit of Antichrist is in full destruction mode against the saints, and ultimately “unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s [saint’s] sake those days will be shortened” (Matt. 24:22).
And in the midst of saints losing cultural ground, the compromised church is now entertained with Hollywood-style lights, smokescreens and showmanship that neglects truths of promised tribulation and persecution, exchanging God’s end-time truths to glorify man. Note this highly relevant article: http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2413
Another of Satan’s end-time tools is mass illegal immigration enforced by globalists. They create irreconcilable multiculturalism. Christianity and Islam are not compatible. Radical Muslims are committed to the slaughter of Christians. Hatred, violence, protests and murder punctuate open borders. It’s tearing countries apart. Citizens are losing their national security, culture, identity and productivity. U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to reverse illegal immigration and the results are viciously dividing our nation. But much, much worse is on the near horizon.
No nation is immune to Antichrist’s New World Order. In fact God said “authority was given him [Antichrist] over every tribe, tongue, and nation” (Rev. 13:7). And that includes America. Persecution is coming and American Christians will not escape it. At this point Christians are only tolerated, but the day is fast approaching when we will be openly marked for death.
God said of the end: “Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand” (Dan. 12:10). The tribulation will do all of that. Who are the purified, white and refined but they who believe Christ. Who are the wise who understand but they who believe the testimony of our Lord Jesus.
God said of Christ, “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Heb. 5:8). How much more, then, is suffering required for our own obedience! But preparing for suffering and persecution is rarely taught; in fact, many Christians, due to false teachers, flatly reject the prospect of such things, but therein reject patient endurance.
With that in mind “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” (James 1:3). End-time persecution will indeed test the lukewarm church. The difficult path of faith to eternal life will prove or disprove one’s faith.
Remember: from the beginning of Jesus ministry He said the gate of true faith is narrow and its path difficult, “and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13–14). But many false prophets, teachers and preachers have made that gate appear wide and its path easy. And quite naturally, if one sets before the people an easy path, they’ll take it. But as for tribulation, persecution, being overcome by Antichrist? False teachers say, “Fear not, you’ll be raptured before those end-time events even begin.” But don’t you believe their lying words! Be bold in the testimony of Jesus Christ!
In this, silence is not golden! True Christians teach and defend the Word of the Lord Jesus to prepare all who have an ear to hear. True Christians who love Christ do not allow doctrines and traditions of men from proclaiming God’s end-time truths. God commanded that “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). People who truly love the Lord Jesus love His truths, hold fast to them, teach and preach them, and prepare people to endure steadfastly to the end.
Jesus Christ taught that He gathers His elect saints “Immediately after the [7-year] tribulation” (Matt. 24:29–31); at “the first resurrection” (Rev. 20:4–6); “at the last day” (John 6:40, 44, 54); “at the last trumpet” (1 Cor. 15:51–52); when “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thess.4:16); because “He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets” (Acts 3:21 NIV).
End-time persecution of Christians has begun in earnest. In America, true Christians are now discriminated against, excluded from employment, and are being sued just because they hold to Christian values, left to suffer devastating legal fees. Transhuman and transgender issues have taken center-stage while Biblical values are publically mocked. Satan’s grand finale end-time persecution of saints unto their destruction is now ramping up. Have you prepared?
Let’s abide in the truth. God said that Antichrist wages war against the saints and prevails during the last 3 1/2 years of great tribulation. Let’s prepare now for that reality. There is an escape, but it’s not the rapture. “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass” (Luke 21:36). Here’s the mid-tribulation escape: “Then the woman [the true Church] fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days” (Rev. 12:6, 14).
Marlin J. Yoder
