The Saints Will Be Sealed for Protection in the Last Days
It is good to remember that the frightening plagues of the end times will not harm the saints. They are sealed by God for protection. Those that do not worship the beast and his image are safe. The rest of the world is in danger.
Revelation 7:2-3, “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.’” (NKJV)
God will protect those so sealed. Even before those trying times, God promises not to let anyone be tried by any trial, internal or external, beyond our ability to cope with it through His help.
1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
God is with us and He knows our every weakness and Jesus is helping us learn to trust Him. Ask for extra help when life gets difficult.
Ask God for the Power to Trust In Him
One reason Jesus came in the flesh was to be able to fully understand what it is like to be human and weak. Thereby He can help us even more so when we need it. Our savior is our back up. He helped an unconverted man with his lack of faith and trust. Note:
Mark 9:23-25, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!’”
During the crucial moment, Jesus gave the man the EXTRA faith to make it work, and the very stubborn, evil demon was cast out. Even the Apostle Paul had trouble with his human nature at times. What did he do? He relied on and trusted that Jesus would get him through. Note Paul’s battle with his own weaknesses and with human nature in general:
Romans 7:22-25, “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God –– through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Paul answers his own question for us. It is Christ who will rescue us. We need to do our part by trying to overcome and Jesus will get us through to the end. We must learn not to doubt God, no matter how tricky our human nature may be.
Romans 8 verse 1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
V. 5, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
When we sin we need to repent and focus our minds on the things of God. Never get discouraged and give up the fight –– Jesus is with us all the way. The adversary, and possibly some aspects of human nature, want us to feel guilty and give up. God will never leave us. We can trust him.
1 John 3:19-20, “And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.”
The Apostle John warns us about too much guilt-type thinking. God is greater than our consciences. Never give up resisting sin. That is what the adversary wants. One must learn to accept Christ’s forgiveness. Jesus’ love for us is stronger than any negative feelings we might harbor. Learn to block negative thinking and the idea that we are unworthy. No one is worthy. Only then can our trust in God grow stronger.
God Has Places of Safety for His People
During the Great Tribulation, which is a short period of time, the Church of God will be in various places of safety. True believers would have long since rejected the Mark of the Beast and other worldly symbols. Jesus told believers to flee to the mountains for safety (see Matthew 24:16). God will protect us from Satan’s clutches.
Revelation 12:13-14, “Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.”
The church members are the spiritual Israelites. We are the number one target of evil. God will protect us. Many believers will be alive and doing fairly well at the return of Christ. How do we know that to be true? The New Testament tells us this fact:
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
Philippians 3:20-2 “We also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body…”
Paul wrote to the Thessalonians because they feared that those who had passed away had lost their salvation. Paul explained that we should not mourn for them as the world does, because they also will be raised to glory like all of us who are alive and well and awaiting Jesus’ second coming. Paul clearly did not know the timing of when this would happen. We also do not know the timing but we do know that God will take care of us at the end of this age.
Do not fear the end times –– we win in the end! Probably, many converted during the short tribulation period will face persecution but will come out of it as heroic martyrs. It is wrong to think that weak brethren will be persecuted. The strong, mostly converted inside the tribulation, will be heroes for Christ.
Be Like David, Who Truly Loved God
Psalms 9:10, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”
Psalms 13:5-6, “But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.”
Psalms 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
Psalms 27:1, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 31:24, “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”
David loved God with a passion. As time goes along we can also learn to love God increasingly. We can more and more appreciate Jesus and His righteousness. Love casts out fear. Remember, if God is for us who can be against us? No one!
Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present, nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
