The Holy Scriptures tell of two times in man’s history when the true people of God die in great numbers at the hands of God’s enemies. One mass martyrdom took place during the Middle Ages, the other is prophesied to take place in our lifetime. We will study both martyrdoms because, though they take place a thousand years apart, they involve the same enemy of God, the same people of God and the same reason for the martyrdoms. If I understand the Biblical signs that will usher in the final holocaust of God’s saints, the end of the age and the return of Jesus Christ correctly, the world as we know it could come to an end very soon. But before the prophesied 3 1/2 years of terror, destruction and death (The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord) sinks the world into the most horrible time known to man, the final sign must take place. As I have stated before, the only Biblical sign not yet manifested is found in Luke 21:20 where Jesus tells us that in the days before the Tribulation Period begins Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies. With the world-wide hatred being openly expressed toward the Jews of the Middle East it is easy to see how that sign could materialize at any time.

In order to place this series in its proper context, we will briefly examine the first martyrdom of millions of Christians that took place during the 18th century. During this time period, known as the middle ages, the Catholic Church, while exercising great influence over the Roman Empire, brought about the deaths of millions of God’s people. I have seen estimates ranging from 50 to 150 million people who willingly died rather than submit to the dictates of Satan’s church (a woman) and the beast (a government) that did her bidding. See Revelation 17:1-5 for a verbal description of this church/state union that has, since the days of the Prophet Daniel, caused much pain, suffering and death for so many people. The beast (government) and its religious guide (woman–religion) have slaughtered multiple masses of people. Read the Mark of the Beast. Key word–Mark for background information about a period of time when the church-state apparatus slaughtered millions of God’s people using the most terrible of means.

This series will focus on one aspect of the church/beast’s reign and the effect it had on the children of God who were killed because of a “mark” that enabled people to live. The “mark” involved in the first martyrdom was the “mark of the beast” that determined who lived and who died during the first martyrdom of saints, known officially as “The Inquisition.” The same mark will be used to determine who lives and who dies in the next martyrdom that will take place during the Great Tribulation soon to come upon the earth. What will take place in the future will mirror what took place during the 1000-year reign of the beast and its religious guide pictured in Revelation 17:1-5. Note that the “woman” (church) riding (controlling) the “beast” is “drunken on the blood of the saints.” That blood was shed during the reign of the church-state “beast” that ruled Europe from the early 800’s to early 1800’s. And there is prophesied another martyrdom of the saints which will take place during the final days of the era in which we are now living. This series involves both “beasts” and both “women” involved in each slaughter, as well as the subject of their hate–the saints of God. It will also identify the “mark” used to identify them. The coming slaughter will involve the modern day descendants of those ancient saints. It will also involve the modern day descendants of the ancient beast and its religious guide which, working together, killed so many during the Inquisition that took place during the Middle Ages.

To bring the reader up to date without venturing too far back in history, I will summarize the necessary background information. The “beast” of Revelation 13 and 17 is the final resurrection of the Roman Empire first mentioned by the Prophet Daniel in chapter 7. The “dragon” (serpent) mentioned in Revelation 12:9 is Satan the devil (enemy). Since the time of Daniel, “beast” governments have been used by Satan in a series of attempts (resurrections) to destroy the Lord’s church. These resurrections are pictured as animals in Daniel’s visions. The resurrection of the final beast, pictured in Revelation 13:1-4, is rising again as it has several times before in order to once again attempt to do what it failed to do during the previous resurrections–destroy the Church of God. God has always had a “remnant”–a tiny group of true believers who refuse to bow to the devil and his followers. The beast’s final resurrection is taking shape now in the form of a re-unification of the European Union which will involve the nations that made up the last form taken by the beast–Adolf Hitler’s Fourth Reich. In summary: The coming beast will be the final resurrection of the Roman Empire, this time in the form of the European Union. Satan will use this final manifestation in an attempt to destroy God’s tiny, Law-keeping church in the final days of this age.

Now let us look at the “mark” the beast (government) and its religious (church) guide will use to identify those who must be killed. The identifying sign is called “the mark of the beast”–the resurrected Roman Empire. In Revelation 17 the final resurrection of this same wild beast is pictured. “Riding” (controlling) the beast is a “woman” (church) with a history of spilling the blood of God’s saints. But the “mark” is the mark of the Roman Empire, not the Catholic Church that controls it. Keep that fact in mind as we continue.

In Revelation 13:11 we find that there has arisen another “beast” which is also pictured in chapter 17. This beast is the leader of the religious (Catholic) whore and her harlot (Protestant) daughters pictured in verses 1-5. In Revelation 13:16 we are told that the second beast (false prophet) will have power to “cause all … to receive a mark in their right hands or in their foreheads.” The second beast (“false prophet) will perform miracles that will cause people to worship the first beast (government) and its rider (the Catholic Church). The church is called the “image of the beast” because it will be patterned after the government of the Roman Empire.

This “woman” is the great false church which, under the direction of Satan, will have deceived the entire world. The Catholic Church has made inroads into the world’s nations, making it q popular religious organization which, in conjunction with her harlot (Protestant) daughter churches, makes it a powerful force in these end times. Notice that when religion is mentioned or written, the Catholic Church is almost always featured. Because Protestantism and Catholicism are so much alike, when religion is mentioned, its artwork always features Catholic themes. For example, all pictures of people will show halos surrounding their heads–a prominent feature found in the artwork of heathen religions. Also, religious leaders are pictured either as Catholic priests or the reigning pope. As the home page of this website points out, most of the church’s foundational beliefs and practices have been borrowed from the heathen world. The final day modern leader of the counterfeit (Catholic/Protestant) church (the “second beast”/ “false prophet”) will cause all who worship her and the government she controls to receive the “mark of the beast.” Note that the church causes the masses to receive the beast’s mark which will identify those who worship the church/state entity.

Having identified those who died in the first martyrdom of the Lord’s saints, let us now turn to the second martyrdom of the saints as prophesied in the Book of Revelation which will take place during the time in which we now live. This generation will be involved in the final 3 1/2 year Tribulation Period described in the Book of Revelation. Let us now determine the general time period when that martyrdom will take place.

“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the alter the souls (bodies) of them who 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, until you judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Rev. 6:9,10). These are those millions of martyrs that were killed at the request of the Catholic Church during the reign of the Roman Empire many years ago. Read Simon of Samaria, the Legacy (key word–Simon) for the history of the church/state slaughter of God’s people who were killed because they would not bow to the church’s dictates.

Notice that these martyrs will be given white robes and told that they would be avenged later, that there would be another holocaust of saints who would be killed as they had been (Rev. 6:11). Christ will not return to take vengeance on this great false church until she has caused yet another great martyrdom to take place among God’s people. The (first) resurrection of the saints will occur when Jesus returns to earth at which time He will pour out His judgments on this great false (Catholic) church and her harlot (Protestant) daughter churches. But before that happens there must come another persecution and martyrdom of His saints.

This coming mass martyrdom will take place during the 2 1/2 years known as the Great Tribulation (Mat. 24:9,21,22) which will be directed by Satan as he pours out his hatred on mankind (Rev. 12:12). This tribulation is not the wrath of God with which He will afflict sinners. That will come during the final year of the Tribulation Period, a time called “the great and terrible Day of the Lord” in Joel 2:11. The coming martyrdom will be inflicted against God’s people at the behest of Satan’s apostate, world-encompassing church. As happened before, the beast government she controls will do the actual killing. So who are these modern day martyrs?

These are those in “the church” who have become lukewarm spiritually, who have believed and obeyed their chosen leaders (“hirelings”–Jn. 10:12,13) instead of God’s apostles. These are the billions of “Christians” who, though they exhibit the outward traits of true discipleship, refuse to obey the One they claim to worship. These are the ones Jesus said worshiped Him in vain, who paid lip service to Him while turning from Him in their hearts, who called Him their Lord but refused to obey His Words, who refused to obey His Law, but rather nailed it to His cross. These will be those who today attend Satan’s church on his sabbath where they hear his false prophets put forth his counterfeit gospel while calling it the Word of God. Those who will be martyred for their stand for Jesus Christ are today members of the Catholic/Protestant Religious System called “the church.” So why will these false Christians who reject God’s Word and obey Satan’s word be slaughtered during the Great Tribulation by Satan’s church/state agents? We will find out in part 2. L.J.