I believe this is the most important lesson in this series. Since my conception into Christianity, I have never heard teachings that made the Church understand terminology such as the Word of His Patience and the Patience of the Saints. I feel we have neglected to reveal the true disposition of the Father, as it relates to the spiritual condition of the saints. However, He will not be denied faithfulness. It is a wondrous thing to examine the mind of the Father. In it, we shall discover what should be the perfect mind of the children of God.
Revelation 3:10-11
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
The word patience means: to righteously endure persecution, trials and tribulations inside of circumstances, situations and relationships without murmuring; and with a joyful expectation of prevailing faith in Jesus Christ. This is a very important and most necessary virtue for the Church to obtain. It is essential in waiting for the return of our Lord.
The patience of the saints is a virtue that is needed to bring forth glory and honor to our Lord. The development of patience is a systematic process that is done by the operation of the Holy Ghost in our lives. This operation is channeled to tear down walls of resistance, walls that stop the fruit of perfection from coming forth. God's intention is to show forth the power of a risen Christ through the sons of God unto all powers in heavenly places.
The development of patience causes you to be able to stand in righteousness inside any situation until God delivers you. Patience is manifested when one can stand in righteousness amid situations, circumstances and relationships without complaint.
Romans 5:3-4
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
Tribulation produces experiential knowledge in waiting on the Lord. When the heart is fixed to wait steadfastly on the Lord in righteousness, it invokes the keeping power of our God. It is in waiting on the Lord that we experience His ability to walk us through every trial and hardship; even death.
Romans 5:5
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
The inference here is that at some point our hope will sound vain and even ludicrous to the world. But we must not be ashamed of whom we have believed in. It is at that point of testing that our true faith in Christ is revealed. For this Church, and this generation, that faith will be severely put to the test.
We are living in the age of Antichrist; where there will be much persecution of the Church of Jesus Christ. We have come to the final days of testing and trying of the saints. For now, we can preach the gospel throughout the world. But night is coming, and the darkness of evil will cover the earth as a blanket. Therefore, we must work while it is day; for when night comes, no man can see how to work.
Let us be very clear on this issue of the saints being able to glory in tribulation. These may just seem to be noble and mighty words, but they are also the standard for every son of God. It seems that from the beginning, Jesus was preparing the church for persecution. In one of His conversations with the apostles He stated; Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake (Matthew 24:9).
I need you to open your eyes to the truth about the suffering of the saints. It is the heart and mind of the Father that the sons suffer and some to even die as a testimony of the Christ in them. On the road to Damascus, Jesus asked; … “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” (Acts 9:4-5). Christ suffered with the saints, and the saints suffered with Him. He lives in us. We are one.
Paul came to understand that the sons of God must fellowship with Christ in his sufferings. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable (like), unto his death (Philippians 3:10).
Keep in mind, Jesus said we would be persecuted, afflicted and killed for His sake. This was the fellowship the early church had with Christ’s suffering, and it is the fellowship the latter church will have. But we have been in such comforts and luxuries here in America, until we do not regard the possibility of suffering to that degree; especially for the sake of the gospel of Christ.
Paul wrote to Timothy of this inheritance of the saints. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us (2 Timothy 2:12). I need you to see that this passage takes us all the way to the end of this age. The saints will reign with Christ here on earth during the time of the rest. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years (Revelation 20:6).
It is crucial that we connect the dots here. The scripture cites the reign of the saints on the earth with Christ for a thousand years. We must know and understand some of the things that are going to happen before the saints rule and reign with Christ here on the earth. The challenge now is to pinpoint in scripture, the beginning of that thousand years; and then work our way back to discover the events which lead up to it.
Revelation 20:1-8
1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
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.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Now the Scriptures above help us to pinpoint the thousand-year reign of the saints. We discovered that during that thousand years, satan will be bound in the bottomless pit. But notice something else that is very interesting here; John says he saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God; and those who had not worshiped the beast nor his image and neither had they received his mark. They were brought to life in that first resurrection. Now this is very significant because it confirms the fact that they were here during the time and mark of the beast.
Revelation 13:4-10
4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
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.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
The reign of the Antichrist is a time of testing, purging and proving of the saints of God. The Antichrist will be given power to persecute and kill the people of God. It is a time when the Lord will know if we will wait upon Him; and remain steadfast in His Word.
It does not get any clearer than that. This should be considered a conclusion of the matter as relates to whether the saints will be here for the mark of the beast. Indeed, we will. We also must remember that God has a specific purpose in mind for the saints being here. If we go back to the teachings of Christ; No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light (Luke 8:14).
We are the light of this world. In fact, during a time of Antichrist we will be the only light in the world. This will not be a time when the church will be hidden; but it will be completely exposed so that those who are looking for salvation will be able to see the light and enter the Kingdom of God. Our faith must be strong enough to endure persecution, afflictions, threats and even death. It will be a time when men must see our good works and begin to glorify the Father in Heaven.
Our faith will bring forth hope; not only hope for us but for those who look upon us. We will know that our redemption is in waiting on Christ. The first ten verses of the sixth chapter of II Corinthians, informs the sons of God of the things they must suffer before the coming of the Lord to rapture the church. Read each verse very carefully and judge your own heart.
2 Corinthians 6:1-10
1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
God’s ultimate goal is to produce a church for the fulfillment of Bible Prophecy in the end time. This is where the fruit of patience will be put on display. Don’t allow the devil, or your own mind for that matter, to allow you to turn a deaf ear to what the Spirit is saying to the Church. Time is winding up; and we don’t have much longer to preach this Gospel of the Kingdom; or to demonstrate to the world the power of our Christ.
