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The Revelation of Jesus Christ
THE NEED OF PATIENCE-THE BLESSED DEAD OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD 14: 12, 13 "Here Is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Rev. 14:12). It will take a great deal of patience and steadfastness for a man to be true to God in those days when the Anticqrist is reigning. It takes a great deal of patience today, but the trials that we go through now are only child's play, when compared with what will confront the godly in that time of trouble. We talk today of persecution. We should be ashamed to use the word. How little of persecution we know! Yet it is true that those who live godly lives shall suffer persecution in this world. But the verse just quoted refers to the great patience that will be required to live for God in that coming day. It is only in connection with the terrible description of the tribulation period that we can understand the following words: "And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them" (Rev. 14: 13). While it is true that these words describe the state of bliss of those of all ages who die "in the Lord," yet the martyred saints of the tribulation period will be particularly "blessed." Those who escape alive out of the hands of the Antichrist will enter into the millennial kingdom, and share the earthly bless ings. But those who die during the tribulation period will have an added blessing, in that they will depart to be in the heavenly kingdom. Therefore, in that day, as in no other, it will be a blessing for the one who is true to God to die. Of course, we know that Paul wrote to the Philippian Christians, saying that "to depart, and to be with Christ ... is far better" than to live on earth ( Phil. 1:23). This is ever true of the born-again soul. But in a special sense the saints of the tribulation period will rejoice to "die in the Lord." Not only will they be with Him, but they will also escape the Eury of the Antichrist that will descend upon believers as the seven tieth week of Daniel draws to a close.
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