As we prepare to witness the opening of the fifth seal Jesus warns us about what will happen just prior to the revealing of what lies beneath it–PERSECUTION. In Matthew 24:9 He warns: “Then they shall deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations (people) for My name’s sake.” “They” refers to anyone who is not a member of His “tiny flock” (Lk. 12:32). These are the “few” who “find” (Mat. 7:13,14) and “walk” His Way of eternal life (1 Jn. 2:6/3 Jn. 4) during this age. Jesus continues His warning in Matthew 24:10-13,21,24: “And then shall many be offended (hated because of Him), and shall betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise and shall deceive many. And because iniquity (Lawlessness) shall abound, the love of many (for Him and His saints) shall wax (become) cold. But he that shall endure unto the end (with his righteousness intact) shall be saved (at that time) …. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be …. For there shall arise false christs and false prophets and shall shew great wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they (false christs and prophets) shall deceive the very elect (God’s saints/tiny flock).” Note that the words “it were” are in italics, meaning that even those in God’s true church are not immune to Satan’s religious lures. See Persecution. This passage perfectly describes the Law-hating/saint-rejecting Counterfeit Church in existence today. In the above reference Jesus said that rejection of His Law showed a lack of love for Him. False prophets and New Age false christs are deceiving the church masses, causing them to reject God’s Law. Even some of God’s true saints have fallen by the wayside. Due to Satan’s power over Catholicism/Protestantism there are at most 10,000 true believers world-wide. This tiny number will diminish as the Great Tribulation spreads devastation and death throughout the world. Only those who have counted the cost, put their hand to the plow and held on will make the cut.

Secular history reveals the fact that since the four horsemen began their ride mankind has been ravaged by ever more devastating wars, famines and diseases with the passage of time. Each generation has seen the scourge of grinding hunger, disease epidemics and ever more deadly warfare raise their ugly heads in ever more disasterous ways. But remember Jesus’ Words of Matthew 24:8: THESE TERRORS ARE  MERELY THE INTRODUCTION TO THE TRIBULATION TO COME. Now let us see what God reveals to us concerning the fifth seal.

“And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?’ And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled” (Rev. 6:9-11). Here we find the millions who have been martyred in the past asking Jesus when He would avenge them. He replies that there is to be yet another season of martyrdom for His people before His return to earth. As we will see, these will die during the Great Tribulation when, having seen the error of their ways, they will embrace Jesus Christ and pay the ultimate price for doing so–beheading. Many, if not most of these Tribulation martyrs will be church people who, during their lifetimes, had rejected God’s Word as well as those He sent to them. To be continued. L.J.