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Blessed
are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when
men . . . persecute you . . . on account of Me. Rejoice,
and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they
persecuted the prophets who were before you. (NASB) Matt.
5:10-12 |
Then why did God spare Israel from suffering and pain in Egypt and
why will He rescue all Christians before the start of the Tribulation but
only some during the last half of the Tribulation? The answer is found in the word “bond-servants” used
for these men.
It is easy for Christians to forget that if we
really want to serve God, we will suffer for Him. If we are serious about serving
Him, Jesus told His disciples to expect suffering to come.
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Remember
the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater
than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will
also persecute you . . . (NASB) John 15:20 |
All
Christians will suffer for Him in some way, and some will die for
Him. Whether we die or live for Him, His love always shines on us
in the darkness as some are rescued from eternal darkness. This is
our calling.
The 144,000. The
144,000, who are to be sealed, will come from the twelve tribes of Israel. These 144,000 have seals
on their foreheads according to verse 3.
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Then
I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from
all the tribes of Israel. From the tribe of Judah 12,000
were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe
of Gad 12,000, from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe
of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, from
the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, from the tribe of Zebulun
12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of
Benjamin 12,000. (NASB) Rev. 7:4-8 |
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