20 It helps us endure to the end when we adopt God's viewpoint.

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

The saints who bear the end-time anointing of power will be guarded carefully by the Lord Jesus. They will be assigned to their places "in the wilderness" until Christ is ready to appear and destroy Antichrist.

The saints will be protected and nourished in a prepared place as was Elijah (I Kings, Chapter 17). This is not to say, however, that many of the saints will not be persecuted and slain for the Gospel’s sake. This has been true throughout Church history. Such suffering will only increase their glory in the Presence of God.

And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (Revelation 12:14)

Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be over past. For, behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. (Isaiah 26:20,21)

An examination of the preceding passage will show that it takes place in the time of the resurrection from the dead, in the context of the return of Christ to the earth.

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (II Thessalonians 1:7,8)

After the outpouring of the latter rain, the prophetic anointing will be withdrawn for a season and the Divine testimony will be "killed" temporarily.

I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. (Daniel 7:21,22)

And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. (Daniel 8:24)

And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half [3-1\2 years]; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. (Daniel 12:7)

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. (Revelation 13:7)

Notice that the latter-rain prophecy was given concerning "many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings" (Revelation 10:11), and then authority over "all kindred's, and tongues, and nations" was given to Antichrist. This is the Lord’s way. First He gives us a true witness of His Person and will. Then He allows the decision which we have made on the basis of the witness to be tested severely.

Notice also the saints are overcome, not by force but by deception:

. . . and by peace [ease; security] shall destroy many: . . . . (Daniel 8:25)

It is difficult to destroy a Christian saint by the use of force. Force may succeed only in making him or her stronger. It is relatively easy to destroy a Christian saint by being kind to him. Satan is destroying the Church of our time, in many nations, by enabling the believers to prosper, by causing the world to be friendly toward them. The Christians are sheep, not soldiers. It is quite easy to deceive them.

In many instances Satan does not come against the saints with a sword, he comes against them with money, with material goods, with economic security, with advancement in secular employment. Secular success well may be the chief weapon against the saints in the present hour. The two witnesses are overcome not only by force but by their success. The world destroys them by making them comfortable.

Also, the ministers of the Gospel have ceased preaching the Word of God. The emphasis is on God’s love and how God wants the saints to be wealthy, to have an abundance of material comforts. The fear of God has been removed. The preaching of righteousness, the most important message of the Scriptures, has been abandoned in favour of an unscriptural "grace." Satan has been successful in polluting Christian doctrine.

Because of the rise of a self-cantered "Christianity" the Christian churches have become impotent, irrelevant, antiquated, corrupt, outdated agencies. New governmental leaders are coming to power. Financial and philosophical currents are exploring new courses. New expectations are arising in the hearts of the masses. The Lord Jesus has a whole new plan for bringing His will to pass today, and there will be many who hear the Lord and will move with Him into levels of fruitfulness and power that the world has not seen as yet.

It is not an hour of suffering of which we are to beware, it is the "hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth" (Revelation 3:10).

Many today are expecting an hour of suffering from which (it is imagined) the Lord Jesus will rescue them by an unscriptural, pre-tribulation "rapture." In actual fact, these same believers already have been overcome by Antichrist.

Antichrist has overcome them with ease and prosperity. They already have lost their willingness to endure hardness as good soldiers of Christ and will not listen to the scriptural demands of discipleship. They will not lay down their lives for the Kingdom of God but have found (so they believe in their deception) a more comfortable way to "serve the Lord."

Woe to them for they are worshipers of Antichrist even though they profess to be Christians! The latter-rain anointing will produce an earth-shaking witness of the Lord Jesus Christ—of His atoning death and triumphant resurrection and His imminent appearing in His Kingdom.

So many of earth’s peoples will turn to the Lord, because of the marvellous signs and wonders performed at the hands of the saints, that the saints then will stand in their greatest danger. They will find themselves in a world that appears to be ready to serve the Lord.

It is the writer’s opinion that it will be out from this climate of acceptability, perhaps similar in some respects to the time of Constantine, that a believer will emerge who will attempt to use the things of Christ in order to rule the world. This Christian will advance in deception until Satan has complete control of him.

In that hour the true saints, those who refuse to receive the world’s honours, as was true of Elisha, will be persecuted by this deceived Christian and his followers.

We can see the groundwork being laid for the creation of this monster. Some of the prominent "Christian" leaders of our day are known by those who are close to them to be self-willed robbers of widows. They are lacking in integrity. They cannot be trusted. They are prophesying and working miracles in the name of Christ but they are sinful and rebellious people. They believe they are serving the Lord and that they will receive a reward in the Day of the Lord. If they do not repent they will experience intense suffering when Jesus appears.

These "Christian" leaders along with their deceived followers will cast out the true Spirit-filled remnant. The deceivers are among us now and suppose themselves to be one with us. They soon will be persecuting us because they actually are lovers of the world.

Another aspect of the present deception is the current "reconstruction" movement. While this movement presently includes sincere Christians who believe they can govern the world and bring in the Kingdom by faith, it contains in itself the essence of Antichrist.

We know the reconstruction (dominion kingdom; kingdom now) movement is of the False Prophet because it does not recognize the role of the nation of Israel in God’s purpose. Some of the spokesmen of reconstructionism, teaching "replacement" theology, are viciously anti-Semitic and are to be shunned by all who love the Lord Jesus, unless they repent.

The only fear Satan has is that the Christians will come to an end of themselves and put their trust in the living Lord Jesus. As long as Satan can keep the believers busy with their gifts and their plans to get people "saved," or to rule the world, Satan’s kingdom is secure.

The danger to Satan (and he understands this clearly) is when Christ expresses His will and power through the churches. The only work of value and permanence in the Kingdom of God takes place when a believer yields to the death of the cross and the resurrection life of Jesus flows through him.

The members of the current reconstruction movement in some instances may not be crucified saints who are sources of the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus but self-directed religious people who are attempting to use the things of the Spirit according to their fleshly understanding and impulses. It is just such a self-willed "Christian," we believe, whom Satan will lead into the fullness of the manifestation of Antichrist.

And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. (Revelation 11:8)

Our belief is that Revelation 11:8 will be fulfilled as the churches of Christ merge with the deceitful world spirit of commerce, education, and entertainment. Antichrist himself, professing to be a believer in Christ, will encourage and support the construction of Christian church and school buildings and related edifices and institutions.

The groups of people worshiping and serving in these religious structures may be correct in their "doctrine" in some instances, but they will be spiritually dead because the Presence of the Holy Spirit will be withdrawn from them.

The saints must understand that belief in correct doctrine is not Christian discipleship. Christian discipleship is an energetic, continual interaction with the living Lord Jesus. Knowledge of spiritual facts, a correct theological position concerning the Godhead or the Divine redemption, saves no one. The Christian churches tend to emphasize doctrinal correctness out of all proportion to its worth in the Kingdom.

God is concerned about what kind of person we are as evidenced by what we do. What we believe is of significance only to the extent it brings us to Jesus and causes us to practice righteousness, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

Throughout Church history numerous proponents of "correct doctrine" have practiced unrighteousness, shown no mercy, walked in pride and haughtiness, and tortured and murdered the Jews as well as the Christian saints.

These Laodicean congregations will not recognize that the Holy Spirit has left their midst, just as the congregations of today do not recognize they are worshiping in the human spirit and talents and not in the Holy Spirit. Many of our largest Christian churches are addressed by Christ:

. . . I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. (Revelation 3:1)

The testimony of the saints, with Jesus’ express permission and always under His supervision, will be overcome. Although deception and material wealth will play a major role in the conquering of the Christian witness, it is true also many of the elect "will fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days" (Daniel 11:33).

Those who suffer in this manner may prove to be Divinely blessed because their suffering will purge them from sin and self-seeking and make them "white" in the sight of God. It is those who do not suffer, who are able to prosper in the world system, who are the cursed of the Lord.

Their "dead bodies" will lie "in the street of the city." It is in the centres of civilization that the battle between Antichrist and the saints will be fought, until Christ allows the Divine testimony to be driven from the cities. What "city" is spiritually termed "Sodom and Egypt"?

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