Persecution: The Fifth Seal in the Book of Revelation.
Believers will endure severe persecution during the fast-approaching time of tribulation. But will those believers deserve what they get? Perhaps those are just half-hearted believers. Maybe they’re like the ill-prepared virgins we read about in the Parable of the ten virgins.
Many Christian pastors and teachers put forth an unbiblical interpretation regarding the persecuted believers we find in the Book of Revelation. Without question, we read about the persecution of believers in the last book of the Bible. But: (a poor interpretation suggests) the persecuted believers missed the rapture. They missed the date of departure. And, they could have gotten out early if they had only listened to the Pre-tribulation teachers. Well, that’s how a sadly false teaching is presented in many pulpits and on numerous YouTube channels.
They didn’t listen so they deserve what they get. Those are just the “tribulation saints.” The real Christians leave in the rapture. Wrong answer!
There are no second-rate Christians. You’re either a blood-bought believer, sanctified by the work of Christ on the cross, or you’re not. The believers we read about in the Book of Revelation have the enduring faith that only resides in true believers. Faith that endures through trials.
And without trials, severe ones, we won’t know how true our faith is. Testing begins soon.
The Book of Revelation lays out several passages that make this truth clear.
Let’s look at just a few verses that describe the persecution of Christians during the tribulation.
Rev. 6:9
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
In the above verse, the tribulation years have already begun. The famous four horsemen of the apocalypse have begun to ride. One of the obvious results of those famous horsemen is the persecution of Christianity. The fifth seal describes Christians who endure persecution because of their faith. The words, ‘slain for the word of God, make a clear statement about persecution.
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.
This verse is not the least bit encouraging. It comes at the end of the seven years of worldwide destruction. The carnage is unspeakable. It includes those who have ‘the witness of Jesus.’ Those are none other than Christians. The message is clear, Christians will face persecution and it will be severe. It’s not a pretty sight, certainly nothing to look forward to. It serves as a warning to all of us.
Rev. 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.
This last verse is right in the middle of the Tribulation. In the chronological order of the book, this takes place just before the Antichrist is revealed to the world. His true identity will be known to all. What follows after his unveiling will be more of the same persecution we read about in the earlier chapters of Revelation. But the intensity will reach unheard-of levels. At that time, the devil will know that his time is short. The last half of the tribulation is when the real fireworks begin. And Christians will face Satanic wrath. The rapture, written about by the Apostle Paul, takes place later than many Christians were taught.
Is the pre-tribulation rapture a correct biblical doctrine? No, I don’t think it is, and most scholars in the last two-thousand years have come to the same conclusion. But it sure would be easier to go to heaven before the trouble begins.
It is a position I once held. Until I did something all Bible students should do. After listening to your pastor or teacher, spend some time in the Bible to see if what is taught is correct. If you don’t know how to do that, it’s time to learn.
Below is a link to a trusted Bible scholar who noticed the same thing as I have. Click through and see for yourself.
https://thewritelife.tech/2020/07/02/what-time-is-it-how-early-is-too-early-to-talk-about-the-end/
Follow this link. The pre-tribulation contradiction
Revelation 2:10
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.
Revelation 7:14
I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Mark 4:17
But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
A disciple of Christ
This book presents to you the teachings of a very old disciple of Christ. The old disciple’s name is Hippolytus. He was an ardent defender of the teachings of the early disciples. He was an early disciple himself, but he was very well aware of the many false teachings that were creeping into the church and affecting the truth of scripture. One of his more renowned writings was called, ‘Against Heresies.’ In it, he defended the word of God and the word of the first Apostles.
Hippolytus lived from around A.D. 170 to A.D. 236. He was a contemporary of a more famous Irenaeus and learned under the teaching of Polycarp and Justin Martyr. He was born only seventy years after the death of the last original disciples of Christ, the Apostle John.
The words and first manuscripts of the early church were readily available to a young eager student like Hippolytus. Reminds me of myself.
He was eager to learn and a staunch supporter of the Bible as the only important document when considering God’s truth.
What I have presented to you are his own words, originally in Greek, translated into English. The subject is the Antichrist, but I can assure you there is nothing about spinning heads or spewing vomit. He uses the scriptures only in drawing conclusions and leaves wild conjecture for us to get into.
Let me know what you think.