Persecution
Psalm 11:2 “. . . the wicked . . . privily shoot at the upright in heart.”
37:32-40 “The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.”
Matthew 26:3-4 “Then assembled . . . the chief priests, and the scribes . . . that they . . . might . . . kill him.”
Luke 22:2 “And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him, for they feared the people.”
Of course, religious people always deny this is true:)
John 7:19-20 “Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?”
(Even though it’s public knowledge:)
7:25 “Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?”
(While the news media pretends the victim is mentally unstable and might kill himself:)
8:20-22 “Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself?”
(Religious hypocrites are experts at justifying themselves in a “holy” cause:)
11:47-53 “. . . it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people. . . .”
While, of course, they don’t care anything at all about “the people”!
Psalm 94:5 “They break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage.”
44:22 “. . . for thy sake . . . we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.”
119:95 “The wicked have waited for me to destroy me. . . .”
v. 110 “The wicked have laid a snare for me. . . .”
v. 157 “Many are my persecutors and mine enemies. . . .”
79:2 “The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.”
116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”
Proverbs 29:10 “The bloodthirsty hate the upright. . . .”
v. 27 “. . . he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.”
Isaiah 29:20-21 “. . .all that watch for iniquity are cut off: that . . . turn aside the just for a thing of nought.”
59:15 “. . . he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. . . .”
(Psalm 38:20 “They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries; because I follow the thing that good is.”)
Acts 9:20-23 “And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him. . . .”
(The phonies may be ignorant that there is a war going on, but the “soldiers” in it are not:)
v. 24 “But their laying await was known of Saul.” (Paul is not the slightest bit paranoid!)
See: John 6:64 “. . . Jesus knew from the beginning . . . who should betray him.”
Matthew 17:22-23 “The Son of man shall be betrayed . . . and they shall kill him. . . .” (Exactly true!)
Mark 10:34 (He even knew the details)
John 8:40-47 ( The hardest people to deal with were the “religious” people.)
(They are fanatic in their hatred:)
Acts 22:20-23 “Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.”
Luke 23:18 “And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man. . . .”
Acts 23:12-15 “certain of the Jews . . . bound themselves under a curse . . . till they had killed Paul.”
(The “justice” system doesn’t care about “law:”)
23:1-3 “. . .commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?”
See: John 18:22-23 (A question from the Lord)
(The answer:) Amos 5:10 “. . . they abhor him that speaketh uprightly.”
(The “justice” system doesn’t care about justice:)
Acts 23:25 — 24:9 & 24-27 “. . . and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.”
See: Luke 23:1-25 “I find no fault in this man . . . but he delivered Jesus to their will.”
Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. . . .”
10:16-18 “. . . for a testimony against them. . . .”
v. 21-25 “And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death. . . .”
v. 34-37 “. . . a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.”
13:20-21 (explanation of the parable of the sower)
24:8-10 “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted. . . .”
Luke 6:22,23 “. . . for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.”
21:8-12 “. . . they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you. . . .”
John 15:18-21 “. . . because ye are not of the world . . . the world hateth you.”
21:18-19 “. . . signifying by what death he should glorify God.”
Acts 5:14-33 “. . . they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.”
5:41-42 “. . . rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”
7:52 “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?”
8:3-4 “. . . Saul . . . committed them to prison. . . . they . . . went every where preaching”
1st Corinthians 4:9-14 “. . . being persecuted, we suffer it . . . I warn you.”
2nd Corinthians 4:8-11 “. . . we . . . are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake. . . .”
6:4-7 “But in all things . . . in much patience in afflictions . . . In stripes, in imprisonments. . . .”
11:23-27 “. . . stripes . . prisons . . .deaths . . . beaten . . stoned . . .[etc.]”
Galatians 4:28-29 “But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit. . . .”
Philippians 1:27-30 “. . . not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. . . .”
Romans 8:16-17 “. . . joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him. . . .”
1st Thessalonians 1:6 “. . . having received the word in much affliction. . . ”
2:2 “But even after that we had suffered . . . we were bold in our God. . . .”
vs. 14-15 “. . . ye also have suffered like things of your own. . . .”
2nd Thessalonians 1:4-12 “. . . we . . . glory in you . . . for your . . . tribulations that ye endure. . . . ”
2nd Timothy 1:8-12 “. . . but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. . . ”
2:9-12 “. . . if we suffer, we shall also reign with him. . . .”
3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
Hebrews 10:32-34 “. . . ye endured a great fight of afflictions. . . .”
11:24-27 “Choosing rather to suffer affliction . . . not fearing the wrath of the king [pharaoh]. . . .”
v. 35-38 “. . . others were tortured, not accepting deliverance. . . .”
12:3-4 “. . . consider him that endured . . . lest ye be wearied. . . .”
Matthew 24:13 “. . . he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (A warning)
Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb . . . and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
James 5:6-10 “Take . . . the prophets . . . for an example of suffering. . . .”
2nd Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in . . . persecutions . . . for Christ’s sake. . . ”
1st Peter 3:13-17 “. . . if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye. . . .”
4:1-4 “Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them. . . .”
v. 16 “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. . . .”
v. 19 “. . . let them that suffer . . . commit . . . as unto a faithful Creator.”
5:8-10 “. . . the devil . . . walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. . . . ”
1st John 3:1,13 “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”
Revelation 1:9 “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation. . . .”
2:13 “. . . Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you. . . .”
6:9-11 “. . . I saw . . . that were slain for the word of God . . . and . . . that should be killed as they were. . . .”
7:13-14 “These are they which came out of great tribulation. . . .”
12:17 “And the dragon . . . went to make war with the remnant. . . which keep the commandments of God. . . .”
(Psalm 119:86 “All thy commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help thou me.”)
20:4 “. . . I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God. . . .”
Daniel 11:32-33 “. . . they that understand . . . shall fall by the sword. . . .” (Falling down dead is OK.)
(Proverbs 25:26 “A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain. . . .”
(Falling down in fear to save your skin is not OK!)
Micah 7:2-10 “. . . they hunt every man his brother with a net. . . . I will wait for the God of my salvation. . . .”
Tribulation
Mark 13:24-27 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.”
Matthew 24:21-27 “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”
vs. 29-31 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Jeremiah 30:1-7 “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble. . . .”
Daniel 12:1 “. . . there shall be a time of trouble . . . and at that time thy people shall be delivered . . .”
This is Israel that will be delivered. What about you, if you are not included?
“. . . every one that shall be found written in the book.” (Is it a Gentile book?)
Exodus 32:31-32 Moses was in the book. (Is it a Jewish book?)
Luke 10:20 Are the names written in heaven also in a book?
How many “book(s) of life” are there of the Lamb? (Go on! Take a guess.)
Revelation 20:12 “. . . and another book (singular) was opened, which is the book (singular) of life. . . .”
Is there a Gentile book somewhere else, for the Gentile body? How many bodies are there? (Guess again.)
1st Corinthians 12:12-13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles. . . .”
Ephesians 3:6 “Gentiles” become “fellowheirs, and of the same body. . . .”
Romans 10:12 “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek . . .” if they have “the same Lord”
1st Corinthians 12:2 “Ye know that ye were Gentiles. . . .”
Ephesians 2:11-12 “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh . . . [were] aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise. . . .”
vs. 13-15 But NOT ANYMORE if you are “. . . in Christ Jesus . . . who hath made both one. . . .”
Romans 11:17 We did not start our own club. We got “graffed in among them. . . .”
Isaiah 49:6 & 60:3 Nothing surprising here: anybody who believed the old testament knew about it already.
Romans 5:1-5 “. . . we glory in tribulations . . . tribulation worketh patience. . . .”
(“No-tribbers” use v. 9 and ignore this.)
2nd Corinthians 7:4 “. . . I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.”
1st Peter 4:12-14 “. . . think it not strange concerning the fiery trial. . . .” (It matters how you think.)
[When Laodicean Christians hear the truth they DO think it is strange!]
1:3-7 “. . . that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. . . .”
Acts 14:19-22 “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”
Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution. . . ?”
(This doesn’t mean that you will NOT HAVE “tribulation, or distress, or persecution,” but it will not separate you!)
12:12 “patient in tribulation”
John 16:1,2,33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
17:14-15 “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world. . . .”
1st Thessalonians 3:1-5 “For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.”
Revelation 2:10 “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
Revelation 7:14 “And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
13:4-10 “Here is the patience . . . of the saints.” (in the tribulation) (This is when you will need patience!)
14:9-12 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
(Real Christians are still on earth, and still keeping the commandments. The phonies hate this verse!)
Luke 21:16-19 “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. . . .In your patience possess ye your souls.”
Micah 3:1-3 “Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.”