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Two hundred and forty human torches cast a horrifying light across the palace gardens. From his balcony emperor scene of death. The agonizing screams of the Christmas tore the air as they burned to death. There only crime: to believe in Jesus and obey His word.
Two years earlier (A.D. 303) Diocletian had come to power. At first he ordered every copy of scripture burned and churches torn down. Those who refused to renounce their faith where to be killed and their houses burnt. History records that the emperor ordered a monument built with inscription: "In honor of the extermination of the Christian superstition". It was one of the cruelest persecutions of history.
The events of the first centuries of the Christian era are sad fragments of a story that no one enjoys recalling. But they never be repeated, right? No, wrong! Persecution appeared again in the Middle Ages. This time the Christian Church itself persecuted groups of believers who insisted on studying and obeying the Bible as they only rule of faith and doctrine. Labeled as heretics, they faced judgement and death for their obedience to the Word of God.
That was hundred of years ago. Today it seems highly unlikely that someone would be persecuted for his or her religious convictions. Nevertheless, Jesus categorically declared that shortly before His return to earth a group of Christians would once again endure persecution because of their insistence on obeying the Bible and the Bible only.
When we looked at natural catastrophes, we saw that Jesus announced that extra ordinary signs would appear in the sun, moon, and the stars. "But in those days, after the tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken". The Master stated that such thing would happen "after the tribulation". He Himself explained: "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name".
Does it mean that before the coming of Christ the world will experience a renewal of persecution? What type of persecution will it be? And what will cause it? No one who loves the truth can remain indifferent on this matter. It is something that has to do with the eternal destiny of every human being.
Before we go on on this subject, we need to remember that throughout history God has always had an enemy who specialized in deception. He attempted to gain control of the human race through his lies. The book of Revelation identifies him as devil and Satan. John depicts him under the symbol of a dragon. The dragon uses seduction to achieve his ends. Through his lies he manages to deceived many, including, if it were possible, "the chosen ones", according to the words of Lord Jesus Himself. But although seduction and deceit give him good results, there remains a group of people who study the Bible and don't fall for his deceptions. What can the enemy do with them? Overcome with rage, he persecutes them. What he doesn't achieve one way, he will attempt to do by another.
The book of Revelation speaks of that persecution and Jesus mentions it as one of the last signs of His return to earth. John says that he saw in vision: "So the dragon was enraged with a woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus". Who is this woman persecuted by the dragon? Whom that she represent? In the Bible a woman often serves a symbol of a church. A pure woman, clothed in white, depicts the church of God. An impure woman, clothed with scarlet, stands for that part of the church that has become God's enemy.
The persecuted woman is the symbol of those in the church who remain loyal to God. John himself described her in this way: "A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars".
This woman [church] has endured persecution from the dragon [Satan] throughout history. He attacked her with better hatred because she refused to fall for his lies. She held fast to the Word of God. John himself, exiled to the island of Patmos is one example. It was there that he wrote the book of Revelation: "I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus".
Notice two reasons for John's exile: The Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. In reality, we could summarize both causes as one: his love of Jesus. If you love the Lord, it is logical that you will be faithful to His Word. And if you respect His Word, there is no way that you will accept the deceptions and lies that the dragon may invent. This makes the enemy furious. It is why he persecutes those who insist on obeying the teachings of the Bible.
Such persecution is not against those who merely carry the name of Christians. If I am a Christian but I am ignorant of truth, and follow the false teachings of the enemy, he has no reason to trouble me. He leaves me alone. persecution is only for those who reject deception and insist on obeying what the Bible teaches.
The majority at the time will choose the path of least resistance. Meanwhile, those who cling to the teachings of the Bible will begin to be seen as radicals, stubborn, and politically incorrect. Could there be in our time anyone more worthy of rejection than a politically incorrect person? And whom could you call more politically incorrect than those who refuse to lower their values, who will not negotiate principles, who do not believe what the majority believes and refuse to accept what they accept?
The stubbornness of these persecuted people has do mainly with a matter that the great majority considers a foolish detail. In Revelation 12:17 the dragon persecutes the woman and also the "remnant of her seed", that is the last-day church, because they insist on obeying God according to His Word. Notice that the church at the time of the end has two characteristics: it keeps the commandments of God and has the testimony of Jesus. They are the same reasons that led to John's exile on the island of Patmos---loyalty and obedience to God and His Word.
Today many consider God's commandments to be of no use to Christians. Many assume that the law was nailed to the cross of Calvary and therefore the Christian should no longer be concerned about keeping it. Nevertheless, the remnant stands out from the crowd precisely because they insist on being faithful to Jesus and obeying the commandments. It may seem like a trivial detail, but obedience to the eternal principles of the Word of God is not negotiable.
In Revelation 13 the dragon appears once again. Here he hands over hi power to a strange new beast. In prophecy a "beast" symbolizes a kingdom or power. John says of this new beast: "It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him".
The new power begins to persecute God's people. Since people worship it, it is obviously a religious power. "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written...in the book of life of the Lamb".
According to the book of Revelation, during the last days a special religious power will acquire great authority. It will be loved and respected by multitudes, followed and praised by kings and princes. But at the same time will persecute those who do not accept its authority and submit themselves to it. Who will reject the authority of the beast? Those who insist on being faithful to Jesus and His Word.
But notice more: The prophecy also states that in the last days of our world there will arise a political power that will support the false religious one. It is the second beast of revelation 13, the one that received its authority from the dragon. The apostle John describe it: "Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth.... and he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name".
People will not even be able to buy or sell unless they have "the mark of the beast". To understand this it is necessary to know first the identity of the "mark of God". If it is true that the dragon marks his followers, it is also true that God does the same with His faithful and obedient children, the ones that He calls "saints".
Earlier, John had declared: "After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree". This refers to the final destruction of the earth at the second coming of Christ. Four angels hold back the winds of destruction. Why? The next verse give us the answer: "And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, 'Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads'''. Notice that the angel tells the first four to "hold back the destruction until God's servants are sealed".
Today, as you read this, we are standing at one of the most important moments in the history of the world, a fact that sadly few realize. Those who receive the seal of God will escape the final destruction, whereas John says that "if anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God".
The book of Revelation depicts two great commanders. Both have their followers. And both identify their people. The dragon places the mark of the beast on his people. Jesus mark His with seal of God.
But what is the seal of God? If we discover that we can know the nature of the mark of the beast. A seal is an identifying mark. It carries the name or position of responsibility of the person and the extent of his or her authority.
Behind the seal of God lies His authority--- His law and the eternal principles of His divine government. Behind the mark of the beast you can also find a supposed authority---the decrees and deceitful principles of the enemy. Behind the seal of God is His desire to save. And behind the mark of the beast lurks the intention to destroy. Behind the seal of God are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, while behind the mark of the beast are the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. The seal of God is placed in the life of those who "have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb". The mark of the beast gets placed in the life of those who worship of the deceiving power that claims to have divine authority without any right to do so.
The Bible contains a number of verses that explain the nature of the seal of God. One of them declares: "Sanctify my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God". According to this passage, the Sabbath is a sign of obedience for the Christian church. God did not give the Sabbath to Israel alone. He instituted it at Creation, and God's people observed it even before the Lord presented the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Jesus kept it. The apostles honored it both before the cross and then after Jesus was resurrected and returned to heaven. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews says "For he has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: 'And God rested on the seventh day from all His works',... there remains before a Sabbath rest for the people of God".
The enemy knows the Bible. He recognizes what the Word of God says. But he is a liar from the beginning, the enemy of the truth. So what does he do? Camouflaging the truth, he mixes it with a lie and then presents it using his method, which is seduction. The result: multitudes follow him, obeying and believing what he teaches. But another group of people love Jesus and obey His commandments. They are not deceived.
The price of obedience to the Word of God and faithfulness to Jesus will be a very high one. The dragon will vent all his anger against them. Using religious and political coercion he will initiate the greatest religious persecution of all time. Because it has been prophesied, there is no way to avoid it. It will be yet another evidence of the nearness of Christ's return. The prophet Daniel said: "There will be a time distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time".
According to Jesus Himself, this persecution will take place before great natural phenomena that will be manifested in the sun, moon, and the stars. Luke tells it this way: "There will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you,... bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake.... But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put you some of you to death, and you will be hated by all because of My name". Notice the extent and cruelty of such persecution. Brothers and sisters will betray one another, as will parents and children, and friends will turn against friends.
It is true that, originally, Jesus was speaking of the persecution of Christians who would suffer under the Romans during the first century of the Christian era, but it is also true that the persecution will repeat itself in the last days of the world's history. Remember that the Master was responding to the questions that the disciples had asked with regard to the destruction of the Temple and the end of the world.
This last persecution will be worst and cruelest of all time. Innocent people will be humiliated and made victims because they refuse to obey the dominant religious power. Political authority will enforce the campaign. And behind both of them will be the dragon.
Let's again consider the seal of God. As we have seen, the Bibles says that it is the Sabbath, the day commonly called Saturday, the seventh day of the week. This brings us to the vital questions of the nature of the mark of the beast. To understand it we return to Revelation 13. Remember that it speaks here both religious power and political power that "deceives those who dwell on earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on earth to make an image to the beast".
Please notice that another symbolic figure now appears on the stage: an image of the beast. An image is a representation or symbols that stand for something else. When you think the colors of your country's flag, it reminds you of what country you belong to, because behind the flag there exist a country. In the same way, if the authority of God expresses itself in a seal and the seal of God is the Sabbath seal---another worship day.
First of all, we must keep in mind that the Bible does not contain a single text that says the seventh day is no longer the true day of rest. At some point in history something appeared that pretended to have divine authority and changed the observance of Sabbath for that of a different day---Sunday. Many people sincerely believe that they honor Sunday because Jesus rose on that day. It is true that Resurrection did take place on Sunday, But the Bible never says that because of that reason the Sabbath is no longer sacred and that now Sunday is the current day rest and worship.
A day of worship does not necessarily mean that particular days i better than any other. It is not simply a matter of days. What really at stake is what those days represent. The seventh day belong to Christ. It is a sign of His power and His authority. He Himself declared: "So the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath". Through the prophet Ezekiel He also said: "Sanctify My sabbaths;... that you may know that I am the Lord your God".
To honor the first day of the week as a day of rest is a human invention. It is an attack on the authority of Jesus. But to keep the seventh day is a sign of loyalty to Christ. Observing the first day of the week ultimately means disloyalty. If we will respect the Sabbath we must walk in the way that Jesus did. Whenever anyone substitutes Sunday for the day that God ordained they turn aside from the teaching of the Bible. The prophet Hosea reminds us: "Whoever is wise, let him understand these things. Who is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right. And the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them".
As you look at the world you may feel that persecution as a sign of the return of Christ will never be fulfilled. Who would dare persecute someone today for their faith. We live in a time of much religious freedom. The human race has never had greater respect for human rights. In much of the world countless social movements defend the rights of minorities. How would it be possible for someone to be persecuted only because they keep the Sabbath? From a human viewpoint it may seem impossible. Nevertheless, the Bibles says that such persecution will be almost the last sign that will happen just before the glorious return of Jesus. It will be something surprising and unexpected. But it will be real.
Are you fearful of the persecution the Scripture predicts? You don't need to be. The Lord Jesus will take care of His faithful children. read the marvelous promise regarding His infinite care for you: "Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary".
Do you know what God will do for you beside taking care of you and giving you strength? Read what He Himself says: "For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, God personally promises you that He will shorten the time of suffering in the last days for the sake of His people.
All the signs of the return of Christ that we have studied so far have been in the process of being fulfilled. So will this one also, even though to many it may seem at first glance incredible. When the persecution comes, where will you be? To which of the two groups will you belong? Will you be with the persecutors or the persecuted?
The answer is yours alone.
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