The Martyrs
Throughout the history of the faithful, martyrdom was prevalent as “Foxes Book of Martyrs” accurately chronicles, for the Church of Jesus Christ has experienced an almost countless number of saints being put to death for their unwavering faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
As the end of the age draws near, martyrdom of God’s people is increasing. As Daniel 11:32-35 indicates, after the abomination of desolation (Matthew 24:15) when the Antichrist demands world worship (Revelation 13), there will be many who will not take the mark of the beast and will consequently be put to death for their faithfulness to the Lord:
“And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil many days.” (Daniel 11:33)
“And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.” (Revelation 6:9)
These specific martyrs are inquiring of the Lord:
“How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10)
They want to know how long it will be until the Lord judges those who are responsible for their deaths indicating that God’s Day of the Lord judgment of those responsible, who are still alive, had not yet begun.
That one of the seven seals is fully devoted to these end of the age martyrs, reveals the prominence of martyrdom during the close of this age when the Antichrist has his way in the world causing God’s
people to be slaughtered for their obedience to the Word of God, and
their Christian testimony.
The Lord’s response to these martyrs supplies additional information concerning end of the age martyrs:
“And white robes were given unto every one of 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.”
(Revelation 6:11)
According to this text, they are given a three-fold response:
1. They are given white robes like their brethren the raptured and resurrected saints who also appear in heaven
(Revelation 7:9, 13, 14).
2. They are told to rest yet for a little [brief] season.
3. They are told that there is a certain predetermined number of their "fellow servants" who will have the
high privilege of being martyred for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ, just as most of the apostles
and many prophets and saints of past ages have accomplished in their service for their Lord.
The book of the Revelation records the Holy Spirit-filled warfare principles of these end of the age martyrs:
“For the accuser of our brethren [Satan] is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:10b, 11)
There are three key elements to having victory over Satan:
1. The overcoming warrior will rely totally upon the atoning sacrificial Blood of the Lamb which supplies
The necessary cleansing power (I John 1:9) to give the saint the required personal holiness needed to stand blameless before the throne of God victorious over the accusations of Satan.
2. The word of their testimony is the result of personal holiness which provides the saint with access into
the very presence of the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
3. They loved not their lives unto the death describes their attitude of complete selflessness totally
giving themselves as "Sheep unto the slaughter" for the glory of their Lord as was the Apostle
Paul’s desire:
“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering being made conformable unto His death.” (Philippians 3:10)
The next incident of martyrdom in Scripture supplies much detail and is a most graphic incident of martyrdom as the “two witnesses” of (Revelation 11:3-13) are killed by the Antichrist after their ministry on earth is complete:
“The beast...shall make war with them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” (Revelation 11:7, 8)
Although they will have a powerful ministry of judgment in the earth during the last half of Daniel’s 70th Week, they will come to a violent end as they die at the hands of “the beast” being martyred and subsequently left lying in the streets of Jerusalem:
“And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.” (Revelation 11:9, 10)
At this point it appears that “the beast” has won the day. All the world is viewing the corpses of these mighty prophets of God as the electronic media beams around the globe the literal proof of this supposed victory of their ruthless leader, the Antichrist.
There is a worldwide party atmosphere including the almost unthinkable “sending of gifts” as though the most celebrated event of that time has taken place. But, as the Scripture records, God always has the last word and He is not finished with His two servants just yet:
“And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither, And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.”
(Revelation 11:11, 12)
The Lord miraculously resurrects His servants and “great fear fell upon them which saw them” indicating the world will also witness the climactic ending of this event with the natural response of fear. They in essence have shown their approval of the deaths of these two servants of God demonstrated by their worldwide celebration during the previous 3-1/2 days.
“And the same hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant [remainder] were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.” (Revelation 11:13)
The Lord concludes this most significant episode of martyrdom in Scripture by sending an earthquake that destroys a tenth of the city of Jerusalem resulting in the deaths of seven thousand people. The word translated “remnant” literally means remainder indicating that those who were not killed “were affrighted”, or terrified, which means thrown into a state of great fear.
Next, in Revelation 14:13 the second of seven Beatitudes appears in the book of the Revelation which deals with martyrs:
“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”
This verse is set in the midst of a series of verses dealing with six angels and an appearance of “one sat like unto the Son of man” (Revelation 14:14) which is the Lord Jesus Christ. The end of the 70th Week of Daniel is when this Beatitude is spoken for the Lord has appeared on Mt. Zion at the beginning of the chapter and He is about to bring about to tred the winepress.
This symbolizes the battle of Armageddon where the wicked will gather when the Lord comes to crush the “kings of the earth” which make up the armies of the Antichrist (Revelation 19:11-15) This blessing announced from heaven is extended to those who will be martyred during the time following the end of the 70th Week of Daniel up to and including the Battle of Armageddon when the Antichrist will be persecuting those faithful saints who have been redeemed after the Rapture will reject the mark of the beast.
Evidently this special blessing is given to those who continue to rely upon the Blood of Christ and the word of their testimony to supply them with the ability to withstand the continuing onslaught of Satan’s attack giving their lives for their Savior!
The next Scripture that refers to martyrs is found in Revelation 17:
“And I saw the woman [MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH] drunken with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her I wondered with great admiration.” (Revelation 17:6)
The woman in this passage many believe represents the false religious system of Romanism/Roman Catholicism, which has been responsible for martyring countless saints throughout the 1600 years of its existence. Notice, these are specifically called “the martyrs of Jesus” which refers to those saints who are part of His body, the Church.
The woman in Revelation 17 is introduced and described, along with her willing partner in crime “the beast”, upon which she is sitting who is the means of her transport. The beast represents those political kingdoms who were and are willing accomplices in the martyrdom of the faithful and the coming mega-beast kingdom, the Antichrist and his ten nation empire.
The woman’s destruction is prophesied and in the concluding verse of chapter eighteen this fitting summary is recorded:
“And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.”
This underscores and fully belies the justifiable cause for her violent destruction. But, the Lord is not finished condemning her murderous acts:
“After these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleleuia; Salvation, and glory and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God. FOR TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS ARE HIS JUDGMENTS: for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and HATH AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS SERVANTS AT HER HAND.” (Revelation 19:1, 2)
The multitudes in heaven, the glorified saints, now take part in the rejoicing after this number one enemy of God’s children has been judged. This heavenly celebration continues as all of heaven joins in proclaiming the now famous Alleluia chorus found in this passage (Revelation 19:1-4).
Not only are those men who take the identification of the beast responsible for the martyrdom of God’s end of the age servants, but the established world religious system, Romanism or Roman Catholicism, is justifiably destroyed for her part in the killing of God’s servants during the Church age.
The last time martyrs are seen in the Scripture is in Revelation 20:
“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.” (Revelation 20:4)
These martyrs are those saints who have been killed for their faith after the Rapture has occurred for all martyrs up to that time will have been resurrected as part of those who are called the “dead in Christ”
(I Thessalonians 4:16).
But, these martyrs are specifically “beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God”. The word beheaded literally means “to behead with an axe” which will be the method of execution of these saints in that day when martyrdom appears to be the rule rather than the exception.
It is significant to note the fact that even though they are young in the faith, having been redeemed after the Rapture, during the Day of the Lord, they will not recant their faith in the face of sure and certain death! The redemption of these faithful martyrs could well be the result of the Redemption Ministry of the 144 Thousand which is chronicled in the book of Daniel:
“And such as do wickedly against the [holy] covenant shall he [Antichrist] corrupt by flatteries; but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil many days. Now when they shall fall they shall be helped with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.” (Daniel 11:32-35)
“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament: and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever…Many shall be purified and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. (Daniel 12:3, 10)
Beheading, is presently [2009] being used by the avowed enemy of the Jews and Christians, the radical Muslims. This could well be the religious system in world control after Romanism is destroyed by God, through the agency of the “ten horns [kings]” which is indicated in Revelation 17:16.
Recent statistics reveal that the number of martyrs in the last century totaled more than all of the previous nineteen centuries combined during the Church’s history. This points to the fact that many faithful saints are living in “great tribulation” at this very moment in time. The word “tribulation” in the New Testament only appears three times with the adjective “great”.
Once the Lord describes the time after “the abomination of desolation” (Matthew 24:15) which occurs at the middle of the 70th Week of Daniel as “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21) which comes upon the elect/saints.
The second time it appears is in the Lord’s message to the church in Thyatira when he pronounces His warning to the adulterers:
“Behold I will cast her [Jezebel] into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.” (Revelation 2:22)
The last time it appears is when “the great multitude” appears before the throne in heaven and the elder tells John exactly when they came:
“And he said to me, These are they which came out of [the] great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14)
This is the only time “great tribulation” is found with the article “the” in the Greek text. The elder is looking back upon a completed period of time and now it becomes “the great tribulation”. Therefore the “great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time” (Mathew 24:21) described by the Lord is already in process for contrary to popular opinion the Word of God does not spell out exactly how long “the great tribulation” will be. However, it does specifically pinpoint the length of the last half of the 70th Week of Daniel as 3-1/2 years, but these two events are not one and the same.
And, even though Daniel 12:1 points to a “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time” this period of time is the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:4-9) not “the great tribulation”. Both of these passages indicate that this “time of trouble” comes upon the Jewish people. Jeremiah uses the phrases “woman in travail…in that day” which agrees with Isaiah 13:6-13 an indication that this time of trouble and judgment from God upon the Jews will occur during the Day of the Lord.
The Jews will suffer intense persecution at the hand of the Antichrist but his power on earth will be limited after the Lord appears in “power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30). The Day of the Lord judgment including “the time of Jacob’s trouble” when God will purge/purify His earthly people will begin “the same day”
(Luke 17:26-37) the saints are raptured. Therefore, the Jews total “time of trouble” will definitely be “a time, times, and an half” (Daniel 12:7) which is the last 3-1/2 years of the 70th Week of Daniel.
