Being a Christian is not for the faint hearted. Being a Christian will bring persecutions, tribulations and trials against you in this world because we are not of this world. Let’s begin this study in John 15 and verse 18 reads.
John 15:18] If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
[19] If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
We have established that the world will hate God’s Elect, because we have been chosen out of this world to give testimony against this world. Let’s go to Deuteronomy 4 and verse 30 reads.
Deu.4:30] When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
[31] (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
Notice though he is talking to Moses seventeen hundred years before Christ, thirty-seven hundred years before these Latter Days, he speaks of our tribulation. The LORD will never leave you or forsake you. Have courage, put that gospel armor on, and prepare to Stand against Satan in the last days. We are hated in this world for a very special reason. Let’s go to Isaiah 66 and verse 5 reads.
Isa.66:5] Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
Prophesied many years before Christ was born. Not only will they hate Christ, but those who call themselves after his namesake, Christians. As God’s Elect we will even be persecuted, hated, by our own brothers and sisters that call themselves Christians. Let’s go to Mark 13, here is the end times described by Jesus Christ. Mark 13 and verse 4 reads.
Mark 13:4] Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
In Matthew 24:3 it reads better.
Mat.24:3] And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Back to Mark 13 and verse 5 reads.
Mark 13:5] And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
The first thing Jesus says is; Don’t be deceived.
Mark 13:6] For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Satan loves the pulpit. The spirit of antichrist will, and has, polluted the churches. After all, the whole world is deceived.
Mark 13:7] And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
[8] For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
We learn in Amos 8:11, the famine of the end times is for hearing the Word of the LORD. Don’t overlook we begin with troubles, persecutions, in the beginnings of sorrows. These sorrows are the last three trumps. We are currently in the fifth trump.
Mark 13:9] But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
We will be delivered up and won’t be flying away in some rapture. The rapture is a lie. Testimony G3142 a presumed derivative of G3144 and means; 1. those who after his example have proved the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death.
Mark 13:10] And the gospel must first be published among all nations.
Today this prophecy has come to pass. All nations either have Christians already within their gates, or by internet.
Mark 13:11] But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
This is the unpardonable sin that only one of God’s Elect could commit. To deny the Holy Spirit from speaking through you. Don’t be afraid, he said, it would be given to you in the hour of temptation.
Mark 13:12] Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.
This death is Satan. Heb.2:14. Our own families will turn us in because they think Satan is Jesus, they believed the rapture doctrine. They are deceived and do this out of love for you, and help with our destiny of being delivered up to the antichrist.
Mark 13:13] And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Not all in the world are Christians, the Islamist and Communist (and we will see later even the Jews) will hate us for his namesake.
Mark 13:14] But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
Jesus just brought Daniel into the New Testament. Let’s go to Dan.9 and verse 27 reads.
Dan.9:27] And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Here is where we know that the tribulation is set for seven years. But that Satan comes in the middle of the week. Meaning the first tribulation, yes first,it begins in the fifth trump. Satan comes at the sixth trump. But what about fleeing Judaea above in Mark 13:14, it means get out of Judaea, Jerusalem, because when the true Christ comes, not one stone will lay upon another. Jesus will flatten Jerusalem. Back to Mark 13 and verse 15 reads.
Mark 13:15] And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:
The watchmen are on top of the house keeping watch. Does not need anything from inside because it is time.
Mark 13:16] And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.
Those in the field are working in this world. Spread the gospel to the world, turn not back, you won’t need a change of clothing.
Mark 13:17] But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
Those who have the mark of the beast in their foreheads and worship the antichrist thinking he was the true Christ. Give suck, means they are even doing his work. This would be the mark in the hand.
Mark 13:18] And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.
Pray you are not taken out of season. The harvest is taken in fall. Simply meaning taken by the antichrist.
Mark 13:19] For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.
Don’t let anyone tell you this happened in 70 AD. Read it carefully.
Mark 13:20] And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.
He shortens the days from seven years to five months. Rev.9:5,10. With Satan coming in the middle of the week, makes his appearance for only two and half months. It won’t last long. We can handle it.
Mark 13:21] And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:
[22] For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
If a man says we are going to rapture or fly away, believe him not. Also notice, it says If it were possible, even the Elect. It is not possible, we are watchmen, and have been waiting with much patience.
Mark 13:23] But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
It is written in this book, from Genesis through Revelation. Jesus is the Living Word.
Mark 13:24] But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
Remember I said first tribulation, here comes the second tribulation, it comes upon all the world. Jesus is that second tribulation, his second advent, and he comes with a rod of iron for discipline.
Mark 13:25] And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.
[26] And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
And then shall they see the Son of man coming. Meaning after Satan, the first tribulation. I haven’t heard any rapture yet, have you?
Mark 13:27] And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
And the millennium begins. He gathers his Elect because our work has just begun. We are priests for a thousand years with Christ. Let’s go to Revelation 20 and verse 4 reads.
Rev.20:4] And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
[5] But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
[6] Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
This is the blessing for God’s Elect, after they overcome, and are killed for the testimony of Jesus Christ will be priests with him during the millennium. Now, about our trials, let’s go to 2Corinthians 8 and verse 2 reads.
2Cor.8:2] How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
[3] For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
[4] Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
Giving the saints, or God’s Elect the same power as his prophets, we will suffer as they did. Let’s go to Hebrews 11 and verse 36 reads.
Heb.11:36] And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
[37] They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Isaiah was the one sawn asunder. Recorded in the books of Josiah he was tied to a tree and sawn asunder, cut in half.
Heb.11:38] (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
We see here that the Kenites killed all the prophets from righteous Abel to Zacharias who they killed between the porch and the altar. They would also kill John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let’s go to Revelation 2 and verse 7 reads.
Rev.2:7] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Ears to hear and eyes to see are said for God’s Elect. To them that overcometh the dragon, that old serpent called the devil, which is Satan, this is written to you.
Rev.2:8] And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
Jesus is speaking, he has opened the ears of God’s Elect to understand these verses.
Rev.2:9] I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
The Lord knows our tribulation, but because of our works and poverty, meaning we are rich in the Word of God. The Lord has opened our eyes.
Rev.2:10] Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Written here we would have not more than ten days of tribulation. Now we can handle that, can’t we? Our rewards are crowns of life, priests with him in the millennium.
Rev.2:11] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
We just learned of this second death in Revelation 20:6, that it will not affect us, because we have overcome the trials of Satan. Let’s finish this lesson with a word from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let’s go to John 16 and verse 33 reads.
John 16:33] These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Jesus defeated death, that is the devil in Hebrews 2:14, so Satan no longer has the power of death. Let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible