TribulationTimeline

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Light and darkness, good and evil, heaven and hell, life and death. The Lord has drawn clear red lines for us to choose.

In our pursuit of Christlikeness, experiencing persecution in some form is the greatest endorsement we can ever get.

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"51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law." Luke 12:51-53
"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. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for My Name's sake, because they know not Him that sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. 23 He that hateth Me hateth My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated Me without a cause." John 15:18-25
"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Isaiah 5:20

Description

"BECAUSE YE ARE NOT OF THE WORLD … THEREFORE THE WORLD HATETH YOU." JOHN 15:18-19

In some parts of the world, there is open hatred and persecution of Christians. In many parts of the world, non-believers want Christians to be silent about sin and repentance, heaven and hell and not to talk about these soul-saving matters in the public domain. The undercurrents of public opposition to Christianity exist. Sadly, many Christians have bought into the lie, at the expense of the Great Commission, that sharing the Truth of the Gospel causes offense, is insensitive and is imposing on other people’s beliefs. If that were true, consider the Lord's commission to us.

"15 And He said unto them, Go ye into ALL the world, and preach the gospel to EVERY creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Mark 16:15-16 (capitals added).
"And the gospel must first be preached to ALL the nations." Mark 13:10 (capitals added).
"FOR SO HATH THE LORD COMMANDED US, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth." Acts 13:47
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Romans 1:16

Sadly, the fear to deliver the Gospel has crept in. We urge you to carefully ponder this verse.

"He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:4

KEY REASON FOR PERSECUTION AS A PROPHETIC SIGNPOST

When Paul said "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Tim 3:12) there was much physical persecution taking place. The dynamics of persecution are much broader today and have taken various forms as society has evolved. For example, online persecution is rampant today as technology has become the main mode of communications and engagement, and people can hide behind their keyboard.

Just before Jesus returns, it will be characterized by an obvious deterioration of morality, conscience and sensibility. Good will be called evil and evil will be called good. The perilous behavior that 2 Tim 3:1-13 lists is dangerous and threatening to believers so much so that we need to be prepared to navigate this dangerous journey that will impact us.

PERSECUTION OF BIBLE-OBEDIENT CHRISTIANS CAN TAKE MANY FORMS

Persecution was ruthlessly carried out during the Roman Empire when Christians were routinely killed.
Persecution will once more be cruel and intense in the coming Time of Jacob's Trouble during which Jews and those who reject the Antichrist and turn to Christ, will be the Tribulation martyrs of the day.
Persecution today can be mild. It can take the form of disapproving looks and snide remarks when we uphold a Christian perspective contrary to what the world wants to hear.
Persecution today can be progressively isolating. It can begin with people unfriending us from social media. Invitations to social events start to dry up. We can be blocked. An uncompromising form of such persecution has manifested as the Cancel Culture.
Persecution today can be aggressive. It can take the form of hateful comments, vulgarities and everyday things such as water bottles and coffee cups thrown at us.
Persecution today can be life threatening. It can take the form of threats to our life or those of our loved ones.
Persecution today can be violent. It can result in bodily hurt and murder.

PERSECUTION OF GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE THE JEWS

Much of this Topic has focussed on Christians but it is incomplete if we do not cover the plight of the Jews. Why were the Jews singled out by Hitler? Why did God allow this to happen to a people He has a historial covenant with? Why is it that israel has not known true peace ever since the nation was formed in 1948? But let us be clear that we do not condone or justify Israel's every unjustified act towards innocent Palestinians who have meant them no harm.

We often think of God's wrath as reserved for a sinful and rebellious world. This is of course already taking place on a daily basis as thousands pass away unsaved. In Old Testament times, God chose Israel to be His people and established a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the father of the twelve Jewish tribes that became Israel. As a people, they had it good ever since they were set free from the bondage of Egypt but they were and have been stiffnecked ever since. The Jews angered God with their continuous idolatry and pagan worship. Zec 7:11-14 says that "there came a great wrath from the Lord" directed towards the Jews and God "would not hear" the cry of the Jews. The overall plight of the Jews ever since they were scattered throughout the world and the atrocities they have endured as a people especially in World War 2 are still in place because they are an apostate people.

The Jews' relationship with God is mystifying. When Jesus was sent as Israel's Mashiach Messiah, they rejected Him and had Him crucified. When Pilate said, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.", "Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children." Matt 27:25. By their own words and their apostasy, Israel and the Jews remain apostate and blind to the Jesus who can save them. Their plight began at the trial and subsequent crucifixion of Jesus. However, God's covenant with His chosen people has not changed and that is why He preserves a remnant throughout history and went on to fulfill His promise in 1948 to re-gather the Jews and form Israel as a nation in a day.

God will hear the final cry of the Jews in the Great Tribulation when the mother of all persecutions against them by the Antichrist will see Jesus come to their rescue and redemption. Blindness will be removed and a remnant will see the salvation of God in Jesus. They will finally acknowledge their true Messiah.

HOW DO WE PREPARE FOR PERSECUTION?

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Matt 26:41
"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor 12:9

Our spirit desires to please God but our flesh will often fail us. Paul struggled with this (Romans 7:14-15). Humble prayer will get God's attention (James 4:10). Admit that we are weak and helpless in our sins and need to depend on the Lord to get us through a difficult situation. Invite the Lord to grant us the strength to resist the temptation to submit to the world's bidding. The Lord knows the pressure we are subjected to and is our ever-present help.

So are we in the End Times? Are the various forms of persecution already a signpost that we are in the End Times? Do we need to come face to face with ancient Roman-type persecution before we will say that we are in the End Times?

How we ponder these questions will determine how we will calibrate our lives to live for Christ and our response to the urgency to deliver the Gospel of Jesus to our unsaved loved ones and anyone in our circle of influence.

Version 23.1.1

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Sno	Verses regarding Persecution of Christians	Remarks
1	"51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law." Luke 12:51-53	Persecution was something that had to happen just as it is unavoidable today. The moment Jesus came and started to teach and correct the people with the Truth, the red line was drawn by the Lord, separating God's Truth from damning untruths such as those from the Jewish scribes and Pharisees, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! ... Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" Matt 23:29,33. The red line that Jesus drew will remain in force until the earth expires and is replaced by the new heaven and new earth. "division" was introduced by Jesus the moment He proclaimed to be equal to God. "divided" and "against" is the common theme in Luke 12:51-53. The Lord explains that with His crucifixion and the emergence of His true church, a division would separate sin-hating believers in Christ from sin-loving non-believers, and true Christians from cultural Christians who are not truly born again and do not have the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit indwelling in them. Given that there is a spiritual battle between light and darkness, the battle will be played out on earth and believers should expect a strong push back from non-believers and even within our own families.
2	"12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." 2 Tim 3:12-13	It cannot get any clearer than that. Persecution will happen when we "live godly" and it is "in Christ Jesus". We will know that we are headed in the right direction when we try to do both and begin to experience the reaction of people around us, other professing Christians included.
3	"9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My Name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another." Matt 24:9-10	In Jesus' Olivet Discourse, this signpost speaks of the hatred as well as the betrayal that could even come from family members and people we supposedly trust.
4	"10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." Matt 5:10-12 "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets." Luke 6:22	Persecution is the litmus test for how far we have come and are sanctified and set apart in Christ, so far apart from the world that we have become a stench to it just as the world's ways should become a stench to us as we grow in Christ. Consider this. When two objects are 180 degrees apart, they are on totally opposite positions on a straight line. The gap between the two is at its widest. Christ-likeness is completely opposite to worldliness. Here is another analogy. The 'whitest' white and the 'blackest' black are the two most contrasting colors that can be achieved. Christ is the 'whitest' white and that is where He wants to bring us to. Even the most Christ-like Christians are far from where Christ is and will only be like Him when we receive our glorious bodies and see Him as He is (1 John 3:2)
5	"12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified." 1 Peter 4:12-14 "20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended." Matt 13:20-21	Some Christians will undergo fiery trial for their faithfulness to Christ. The Lord knows this will happen and He is not going to prevent this from taking place. A true follower of Jesus can only be found to be true in the refinement process. Otherwise, it is easy to profess Christ and like Peter once did, proclaim that we will never deny Christ.
6	"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. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for My Name's sake, because they know not Him that sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. 23 He that hateth Me hateth My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated Me without a cause." John 15:18-25	In this passage, Jesus emphasizes the "hate" that we cannot stop the antichrist spirit in the world from doing but to be fully aware of it, to be well equipped to boldly navigate our time in this world by walking closely with the Lord and His Word. In the bigger picture: 1. God the Father - hated by the world 2. Jesus - hated by the world 3. Born again Christians - hated for keeping the statutes against sin, persecuted for it 4. The world - the antichrist spirit in lovers and purveyors of sin Things to look out for in this prophetic signpost: 1. "know that it hated Me before it hated you." v18 2. "If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you;" v20 3. "they know not Him that sent Me" v21 4. "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin." v22 5. "they ... hated both Me and My Father." v24
7	"36 And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." 37 He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." Matt 13:36-42	Without going overboard and getting suspicious of everyone, there are tares in the community amongst us that are "sons of the wicked one", cultivated by Satan to try to lead us astray, just as there are false teachers and false prophets that have infiltrated the church to do the same. Their actions are a form of persecution by deception as their objective is to call into question the Truths in the Bible. When we follow the Lord's teachings, we can be labelled as legalists, bigots, hateful and intolerant by 'tares' passing off as fellow Christians. These are just some of the more 'polite' words that the true follower of Jesus' teachings are labelled these days. When such schemes of the enemy fail, the minions of darkness resort to more aggresive persecution to try and coerce believers into making compromises or be so fearful as to betray our brethen and in the process, betray the Lord. God allows these tares to exist side by side with the good seed for His purposes which we will not discuss here.
8	"11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. 12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. 13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. 14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men." Prov 30:11-14	The first to be persecuted was Jesus after which, everyone who followed Him faced persecution. This has been the case since then and will be until Christ returns in His Second Coming. For persecution to occur, there has to be a persecutor. The more a person detests God's laws, the more likely he will become a persecutor of Christians who uphold Biblical standards. Given that there is coming a generation of 'super' sinners that is worse than all previous generations, believers that encounter this generation will face the harshest of persecution. This signpost signals the last days are near. Doesn't the description of this wicked generation described in Prov 30:11-14 sound frighteningly similar to the generation in the days of Noah just before the flood?
9	"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Isaiah 5:20	Are we in the generation that calls evil good, and good evil, longing for darkness over light and replacing bitter for sweet? Is this Last Days signpost already evident?
10	"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Gen 6:5	God's decision to re-set the earth was when it reached a point of no return.
		Version 22.1.0
Sno	Verses regarding Persecution of the Jews	Remarks
1	"23 And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. 24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them." Eze 39:23-24	We need to understand that the Jews have been facing persecution for centuries but it is not the same type of persecution faced by Christians. Firstly, Jews are not believers in Christ and are not being persecuted for their faith. Secondly, Jews do not proselytize the Gospel of Salvation as Christians do. There is however, a divine reason for why Jews are being persecuted. They corrupted the worship of God by intermingling with pagan idolatry in Old Testament times. They then rejected God's redemption plan offered to them when Christ arrived. Their rejection of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus as the Lamb of God, started them on a journey of pain and troubles. It can be said that they brought this upon themselves.
2	"11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. 12 Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in His spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. 13 Therefore it is come to pass, that as He cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts: 14 But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate." Zec 7:11-14	The Jews' relationship with God is mystifying. They had it good since being set free from the bondage of Egypt but they were and have been stiffnecked ever since, right up to when Jesus was rejected as Israel's Messiah at His first coming. We often think of God's wrath as reserved for a sinful and rebellious world but here, the Bible says that "there came a great wrath from the Lord" being directed at His very own people. God "would not hear" the cry of the Jews and this can explain the plight of the Jews ever since they were scattered throughout the world and the atrocities they endure as a people especially in World War 2. The final cry of Israel will be heard in the Last Days when the mother of all wars against the Jews by the Antichrist will see the Lord come to their rescue and redeem a remnant.
3	"Fear thou not, O Jacob My servant, saith the Lord: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished." Jer 46:28	God's relationship with Israel can be mystifying to many people. Israel has been corrected and disciplined multiple times when it turned away from God to pagan idolatry. This last days prophecy in Jer 46:28 is at a time when the nations and Israel will be dealt with severely but for different reasons. Through it all, Israel will be corrected one final time in a measured way and fully redeemed.
4	"8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried:" Zec 13:8-9	There will be a massacre of the Jews led by the Antichrist in the second half of the Triibulation but one third shall be both physically saved and spared by the Lord to be redeemed and saved in Christ.
5	"8 In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; ... 9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem." Zec 12:8-9	In the day of the Lord during the Great tribulation, the Lamb's wrath will be unleashed upon the nations that are hell-bent on destroying Israel.
6	"2 For the indignation of the Lord is against all nations, And His fury against all their armies; ... 8 For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, The year of recompense for the cause of Zion." Isa 34:2 and 8	"the day of the Lord's vengeance" will be "recompense for the cause of Zion". Israel is at the centre of God's plan for the End Times where that particular time will be when Israel loves God in return through His mercy revealed in Christ Jesus.
		Version 23.1.0

The Day of the Lord

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Gospel Part II

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Gospel Part I

New Earth

The Tribulation

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Millennial Kingdom

SP6. Persecution

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