What did Enoch and Early Christians Say

End Times: Great Tribulation

Chapter 4. What Did Enoch Say?

What Did Early Christians Say?

What Did Daniel Say?

What Jesus Says

What Did the Apostles Say?

What Did Enoch Say about Tribulation?

Abstract

What Did Enoch Say about Tribulation?

Enoch walked 300 years in an intimate relationship with God and pleased God in every way possible.
This man of God in Enoch 1 states, “The words of the blessing of Enoch, wherewith he blessed the elect and righteous, who will be living in the days of tribulation, when all the wicked and godless are to be removed.”
Enoch clearly declares that the Elect and Righteous will be going through the time of the Great Tribulation, as he adds that this will happen when the rebellious will be removed from earth and that is undoubtedly at the end of times when King Jesus comes with His holy ones to judge the ungodly sinners.
Can we trust what the Book of Enoch states? Even though this Book is not included in all Canonical Books of the Bible, the short book of Jude, does quote from this Book, while other passages in the New Testament also seem to be paraphrased from the Book of Enoch, while Enoch must have also received certain wisdom from our Everlasting Father God.
The Biblical Canon are the Books of the Old and New Testament of the Holy Scriptures recognized as Divinely inspired. The Protestant and Catholic Canon have respectively 66 and 74 Books, while the Ethiopian Orthodox Canon has 81 Books, which include the Hebrew and Septuagint books together with -among others- the Book of Enoch. The additional books are called Deuterocanonical or Apocrypha, that is "second canon". It is thought that not all are fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, but they do have some wise lessons. Notwithstanding, the Ethiopian Church did and does have full respect of Enoch's teachings.

Genesis 5:21-24

“Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah.

After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.

And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."

It seems that after Enoch got to experience the miracle of having him see the birth of his child, in this case his first-born son, he had a deeper fellowship with his heavenly Father.
Enoch must have thought and expressed himself just like king David, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” [Psalm 139:13-14]
When we contemplate the innumerable and wise details of each organ in our body, each cell, the breath that we are granted, we can only say, 'How Great Thou Art'!

Hebrews 11:5

"By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, and was not found, because God had taken him; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God."

Enoch is not just anyone, he was and is very special in God's sight, as he walked 300 years in close and intimate fellowship with and obedience to God. Our heavenly Father also longs and desires to have this fellowship with each one of us.
Enoch pleased God in every way possible so much that God Himself took him up (raptured him) to be in His Presence.
Wouldn't it be important to listen to what Enoch has to say?

Jude 1:14-15

"Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

God revealed to Enoch many mysteries; even though his Book is not included in all Canonical Books* of the Bible, the short book of Jude, right before the book of Revelation, quotes from the Book of Enoch, while other passages in the New Testament also seem to be paraphrased from the Book of Enoch.
*The Biblical Canon are the Books of the Old and New Testament of the Holy Scriptures recognized as Divinely inspired. The Protestant and Catholic Canon have respectively 66 and 74 Books, while the Ethiopian Orthodox Canon has 81 Books, which include the Hebrew and Septuagint books together with -among others- the Book of Enoch. The additional books are called Deuterocanonical or Apocrypha, that is "second canon". It is thought that not all are fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, but do have some wise lessons. Notwithstanding, the Ethiopian Church did and does have full respect of Enoch's teachings.
The Book of Enoch is quite extensive and has a lot of deep spiritual events and prophecies; explaining for instance the fall of the so-called "Watchers", which are the disobedient, fallen Angels that had taken women on earth and had procreated the Nephilim (giants), as can be read in Genesis 6:1-4.
Also, do you remember how an angel of the Lord told Philip who was one of the 7 who had an "honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom" that were appointed as deacons, to go to the desert where he met an eunuch of great authority under the queen of the Ethiopians? Now, after having been explained the book of Isaiah, this eunuch believed in Jesus Christ and was baptized in water, and returned to Ethiopia "rejoicing". Out of his sharing of the beautiful message of Yeshua's sacrifice at the Cross undoubtedly the strong church in Ethiopia was born that faithfully kept the Scriptures. [Acts 6:1-7; 8:26-39]
In any case, all quoted Scriptures used here from the Book of Enoch perfectly align with the New Testament Scriptures.

Enoch 1:1-4,9

"The words of the blessing of Enoch, wherewith he blessed the elect and righteous, who will be living in the days of tribulation, when all the wicked and godless are to be removed.

And Enoch, a righteous man whose eyes were opened by God took up his parable and said, "I saw the vision of the Holy One in the heavens, which the angels showed me, and from them I heard everything, and from them I understood as I saw, but not for this generation, but for a remote one which is for to come.

Concerning the elect, I said, and took up my parable concerning them: The Holy Great One will come forth from His dwelling, and the eternal God will tread upon the earth, even on Mount Sinai and will appear in the strength of His might from the heaven of heavens.

And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones to execute judgement upon all, and to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict all flesh of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

"The Book of Enoch contains unique material on the origins of demons and Nephilim, why some angels fell from heaven, an explanation of why the Genesis flood was morally necessary, and a prophetic exposition of the thousand-year reign of the Messiah ... Three books are traditionally attributed to Enoch, including the distinct works 2 Enoch and 3 Enoch. The older sections of 1 Enoch are estimated to date to c. 300–200 BCE, and the latest part (Book of Parables) is probably from c. 100 BCE.", quotation taken from Wikipedia.org.
Enoch clearly states that the "elect and righteous" will be going through the Great Tribulation, as he adds that this will happen when the rebellious will be removed from earth and that is definitely at the end of times when King Jesus comes with His holy ones to judge the ungodly sinners.
Enoch also informs that what he shared was not for those living during that time, but for a "remote" generation in the far future. This generation is now clearly ours as Jesus indicated that when the Israelites -including the Jews from the tribes of Benjamin and Levi- would have returned to the promised land of Israel and when it would have become a nation, that generation would not pass away without all the End Times prophecies being fulfilled. "So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." [Matthew 24:33-34] "‘Thus says the Lord God: “When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob." and "“Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again." [Ezekiel 28:25; 37:21-22]
On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel, while U.S. President Harry S. Truman immediately recognized the new nation. Later on May 11, 1949, the United Nations General Assembly confirmed Israel as a Nation, as the 59th member state.
We also see that Jude (see above quotation from the Holy Bible) quotes and paraphrases Enoch's message, "He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones to execute judgement upon all, and to destroy all the ungodly: ..., and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” In other words, Enoch's statement in this regard is trustworthy.
As we continue studying this topic in the Holy Bible we will see that Enoch's statement about the Great Tribulation corresponds and aligns with what the other Apostles have stated and what Jesus Himself says on this topic. Therefore we can trust that Enoch had received this knowledge from the Eternal God.
The latter is an important criterion to test whether Enoch's message is aligned with the Truth revealed in the Scriptures.
Let us now continue with what the Early Christians taught and to see, if they believed in an easy road for the born-again Christians.

What Did Early Christians Say about Tribulation?

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What Did the Early Christians Say about Tribulation?

“But you that suffer for the Name's sake ought to glorify God, because God deemed you worthy that you should bear this name”, a quotation from martyr Hermas (A.D. 150) from the EarlyChristianDictionary.com website.
When the martyrs -just like Stephen in Acts 7:55, "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God"- were to be stoned or beheaded or burnt, “… those holy martyrs of Christ, at the very time when they suffered such torments, were absent from the body, or rather, that the Lord then stood by them, and communed with them.”, according to martyr Polycarp (A.D. 156).
“In love to the Lord, he/she will most gladly depart from this life”, said martyr Clement of Alexandria (A.D. 195).

Quotations from the EarlyChristianDictionary.com website

Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans (A.D. 35-105), Chapter 4 quotations from:

“And why then have I delivered myself over to death, unto fire, unto sword, unto wild beasts? But near to the sword, near to God; in company with wild beasts, in company with God. Only let it be in the name of Jesus Christ, so that we may suffer together with Him.”

Ignatius to the Romans (A.D. 35-105), Chapter 5:

“May naught of things visible and things invisible envy me; that I may attain unto Jesus Christ. Come fire and cross and grappling with wild beasts, [cuttings and mangling,] wrenching of bones, hacking of limbs, crushing of my whole body, come cruel tortures of the devil to assail me. Only be it mine to attain unto Jesus Christ.”

Barnabas (A.D. 70-130), Chapter 4:

“The final stumbling-block (or source of danger) approaches, concerning which it is written, as Enoch says, "For this end the Lord has cut short the times and the days, that His Beloved may hasten; and He will come to the inheritance."

And the prophet also speaks thus: "Ten kingdoms shall reign upon the earth, and a little king shall rise up after them, who shall subdue under one three of the kings.

In like manner Daniel says concerning the same, "And I beheld the fourth beast, wicked and powerful, and more savage than all the beasts of the earth, and how from it sprang up ten horns, and out of them a little budding horn, and how it subdued under one three of the great horns."

Again this Early Christian father quotes from Enoch's Book and is consistent with the Scriptures, as Jesus Himself states that God would shorten the days.
Wow, our Lord Jesus in Matthew 24:21-22 uses similar wordings as Enoch about the shortening of days, "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.", while Enoch states, "For this end the Lord has cut short the times and the days, that His Beloved may hasten; and He will come to the inheritance." Actually it is the other way around, Enoch more than 2,200 years ago already got this revelation from the "I AM WHO I AM", Yeshua HaMashiach. In John 8:58, "Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” see also Exodus 3:14.
Furthermore, both Enoch (10 kings) and Daniel (10 horns) speak about the 10 kingdoms in the end, and how one would get rid of 3 of them.

Hermas (A.D. 150), Ante-Nicene Fathers vol.2, page 52:

“But you that suffer for the Name's sake ought to glorify God, because God deemed you worthy that you should bear this name, and that all your sins should be healed. Reckon yourselves blessed therefore; yea, rather think that you have done a great work, if any of you shall suffer for God's sake. The Lord bestows life upon you, and you perceived it not; for your sins weighed you down, and if you had not suffered for the Name [of the Lord], you had died unto God by reason of your sins."

Hermas (A.D. 150), Chapter 13:

“What did they suffer?" say I. "Listen," said she. "Stripes, imprisonments, great tribulations, crosses, wild beasts, for the Name's sake. Therefore, to them belongs the right side of the Holiness - to them, and to all who shall suffer for the Name.

But for the rest is the left side. Howbeit, to both, to them that sit on the right, and to them that sit on the left, are the same gifts, and the same promises, only they sit on the right and have a certain glory.”

Martyrdom of Polycarp (A.D. 156), Chapter 2:

“But they reached such a pitch of magnanimity [big soul, elevated in character and spirit], that not one of them let a sigh or a groan escape them; thus, proving to us all that those holy martyrs of Christ, at the very time when they suffered such torments, were absent from the body, or rather, that the Lord then stood by them, and communed with them. And, looking to the grace of Christ, they despised all the torments of this world, redeeming themselves from eternal punishment by [the suffering of] a single hour.

For this reason, the fire of their savage executioners appeared cool to them. For they kept before their view escape from that fire which is eternal and never shall be quenched, and looked forward with the eyes of their heart to those good things which are laid up for such as endure; things "which ear has not heard, nor eye seen, neither have entered into the heart of man," but were revealed by the Lord to them, inasmuch as they were no longer men, but had already become angels."

This is so awesome and certainly in line with God's loving character ... when the martyrs -just like Stephen in Acts 7:55, "But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God"- were to be stoned or beheaded or burnt, these Saints "at the very time when they suffered such torments, were absent from the body, or rather, that the Lord then stood by them, and communed with them". Hallelujah!

Ante-Nicene Fathers (A.D. 180), Volume 1, page 557:

“Let no one imagine that he performs these wonders by divine power, but by the working of magic. And we must not be surprised if, since the demons and apostate spirits are at his service, he through their means performs wonders, by which he leads the inhabitants of the earth astray.

John says further: "And he shall order an image of the beast to be made, and he shall give breath to the image, so that the image shall speak; and he shall cause those to be slain who will not adore it."

He says also: "And he will cause a mark [to be put] in the forehead and in the right hand, that no one may be able to buy or sell, unless he who has the mark of the name of the beast or the number of his name; and the number is six hundred and sixty-six," that is, six times a hundred, six times ten, and six units.

[He gives this] as a summing up of the whole of that apostasy which has taken place during six thousand years."

Ante-Nicene fathers back in the year 180 -at this moment in 2,026, this is about 1,846 years ago- knew that in conformity with the 7 days of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 we will be approaching the 6,000 years (6 days) after which we have the 7th Day of rest, which is the 1,000-Year Millennium with Christ Jesus as THE KING of kings.

Commodianus (A.D. 200), Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 4, page 215:

“Even now, if you have conquered by good deeds, you are a martyr in Him. You, therefore, who seek to extol martyrdom with your word, in peace clothe yourself with good deeds, and be secure."

The Early Christians were clear in their message: there is nothing to add.

Our Prayer

Precious Heavenly Father God, thank You for granting us Your grace and mercy to be faithful to You all the days of our lives, in whatever trial or tribulation that comes our way, by the power of Your Holy Spirit in Jesus’ Almighty Name.

Holy Are You Lord - Terry MacAlmon

What Did Daniel Say?

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What Did Daniel Say about Tribulation?

Daniel foresaw a horrible time of hardship typical of the Great Tribulation as this will be for "a time and times and half a time", which is the 3½ years of the Great Tribulation.
During that period the "horn" -that is the Antichrist- will make war against God's children persecuting them and even killing many, but the Saints that persevere will be saved.
At the appointed time, the Ancient of Days will come and the Righteous Judge will destroy the enemies of His elect; some will enter in God's Presence and others will be eternally separated from God.

Daniel 7:19-27

“Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; and the ten horns that were on its head,

and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

“I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

“Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces. The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom.

And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.

'But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’"

The "horn" that is the Antichrist will be speaking blasphemous words against the Most High God and make war against the Saints, these are both born-again Jews and non-Jews; even "prevailing against them", in other words, many will be killed.
Wow, Daniel mentions the Saints will be persecuted for "a time and times and half a time", which is a total of 3½ years; this undoubtedly refers to the period of the Great Tribulation.
But, the Ancient of Days will come to set the record straight and Yeshua, the Righteous and Just Judge, will destroy the enemies of His elect.

Daniel 12:1-3

“At that [end, AMP] time Michael shall stand up, the great [angelic, AMP] prince who stands watch [guard, AMP] over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the Book [of Life, AMP].

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake [resurrect, AMP], some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness [will shine, AMP] like the stars forever and ever."

Daniel sees a horrible time of hardship since the history of humankind, in which God's children (both Jews and non-Jews) must persevere to the end; by the way, do you also notice Daniel's phrases similar to that of Enoch?
The names of God's elect are written in the Book of Life and they will be saved whether it is by preservation in God's Secret Place or by going through a brief period -compared to eternity- of suffering and martyrdom; they will certainly enter into God's Kingdom of everlasting love.
Daniel adds that those who led many to Christ Jesus through their exemplary life and testimony shall shine like the stars.

What Jesus Says

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What Jesus Says about Tribulation

“For then there will be great tribulation ... Immediately after the tribulation of those days … Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven … and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other”, see Matthew 24:21,29-31.
Our Lord Jesus makes no mention of a Pre-Tribulation or Mid-Tribulation Rapture; instead, Jesus clearly states "after the Tribulation" the elect will be gathered, and, to the contrary, Jesus warns, “... they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”, see Matthew 24:9.
Jesus gives a wise instruction in this context, “... do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”, see Matthew 10:28.

Matthew 24:4,9-13

"And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.

Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.
But he who endures to the end shall be saved."

Our Lord Jesus first warns that we need discernment not to be deceived; this has become increasingly important; as there are many false teachings and Satan, the angel of light and his army of deceivers, are furious as time is running out for them.
Moreover, Jesus states that they would betray us, and that we will have tribulation and even be killed. Just like in the days of Jesus when Judas Iscariot betrayed our Lord with a kiss, so also we might be betrayed by fellow-believers and former friends because of the pressure and heat of all the afflictions during the Great Tribulation.
Others might take offence because they were taught that Christ would pull them out of the world before the Great Tribulation; even though Jesus' message cannot be misunderstood, "you will be hated", "they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you".
Remember, even your so-called ‘friend’ can turn against you and turn you in, just like Paul -formerly Saul- did with the Christians thinking that he served God.

John 15:18-20

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’

If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me."

In the Gospel of John, our Lord Jesus again declares that His children will be hated by the world, and even persecuted by those that cannot yet see the Truth.

Matthew 24:21,22,29-31

"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

In the previous verses, Jesus clearly states, "For then there will be great tribulation" and in that context our Lord continues with, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days … Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven … and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other”. Undoubtedly Jesus is talking about the Rapture. When? AFTER the tribulation.
No mention is made of a secret Pre-Tribulation or Mid-Tribulation Rapture; instead, Jesus warns in Matthew 24:9, “... they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.”
To sum up, Jesus reminds us about the persecution, but that He will return for His faithful children that have persevered.

Revelation 2:7,11,17, 21-23,25-26

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.
And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.

And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed, I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.
I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations."

Revelation 3:5,10-12,18-21

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.

I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

Here in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, our Lord continuously repeats "He who overcomes", in other words, we must persevere in the strength and power of the Holy Ghost.
There are wonderful promises for those that will walk in faith and ultimately prevail through all the persecutions and become as "gold refined in the fire". This requires us to walk in holiness by repenting and rejecting any sin in our life. In that process we will be dressed in "white garments" washed by the precious holy Blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. God grants us the righteousness of Christ Jesus through our faith in Him, what a wonderful Gift.

Revelation 12:11

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."

Our Lord Yeshua Hamashiach continuously emphasizes to persevere and overcome; when the going gets rough and tough, He will most certainly pull us through, if we call on Him.
The Book of Revelation shows us we will overcome by the Blood of Jesus, and by our spoken word, realizing "to live is Christ, and to die is gain." [Philippians 1:21]

Matthew 13:21; Mark 4:17

"yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles [KJV: he is offended].”
“and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.”

Top priority is watering (nurturing) our roots (our relationship) with our Lord Jesus during our Quiet Time, read more on the web page "In Silence with Jesus (2)".

Matthew 10:28

"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Luke 12:4-5

“And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him."

Jesus foresees that there will be hatred against His followers and that they will even be killed.
One thing is certain that only God is on the eternal throne and only God has the last word, so it is better to fear Him than humankind.

John 16:33

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Christ Jesus guarantees that once we have decided to follow Him, we will have opposition and tribulation in the world, as we are not of the world, and the world does not understand us, as we are spiritual.
We are focused on the invisible and eternal, not on the temporary things.
And, just like Jesus overcame we will also overcome as long as we trust and obey Him.

What Did the Apostles Say?

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What Did the Apostles Say about Tribulation?

Paul often had to endure stripes, "in prisons more frequently, in deaths often", as he declared in 2 Corinthians 11:23, and in Acts 14:22 he teaches, “... We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
Peter in 1 Peter 2:21 states that Christ Jesus suffered and set an example for us to follow in His foot steps not retaliating in any hostile manner and forgiving even our enemies.
The author of Hebrews states, “Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection”, while he also recommends to look "unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross”, Hebrews 11:35; 12:2.
One conclusion derived from the message of the Apostles, Paul, Peter and the author of Hebrews is that we must persevere to the end despite adversities in life, trusting and looking unto Jesus knowing that His grace is sufficient for us.

Acts 4:29-31

“Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."

The Apostles knew how to pray ... they knew they needed the Holy Spirit, the Only One who could give them boldness and courage; without Him they -including us- can do nothing.
Once they were filled with the Holy Ghost all things were possible, and once we are filled till overflowing with the Presence of the Holy Ghost all things are possible.

About Paul in Acts 14:19-22 [A.D. 63-64]

"Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.
However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

Paul as a follower of Christ Jesus suffered many tribulations such as being stoned, he therefore also states that to enter the Kingdom of God one will need to go through many tribulations.

Paul states in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 [A.D. 56]

"Are they ministers of Christ? - I speak as a fool - I am more:

in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often,
in hunger and thirst, in fasting often,

in cold and nakedness - besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches."

Paul knows all about being persecuted and going through tough and painful trials, and proving His real and authentic love for Christ Jesus.
He had to overcome compulsory hunger and thirst, but he also voluntarily fasted often to strengthen his faith, as well as for the brethren and that the Gospel might reach the whole world.

Peter states in 1 Peter 2:21-25 [A.D. 62-64]

"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return;

when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness - by whose stripes you were healed.
For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

Peter in 1 Peter 2 states that Christ Jesus suffered and set an example for us to follow in His foot steps not retaliating in any hostile manner and forgiving even our enemies. Jesus was and is the ultimate sinless Lamb of God.

Hebrews 11:35-38, [A.D. 66-70]

"Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mocking's and scourging's, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword.

They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented -of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.”

Hebrews 12:2
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

The author of Hebrews mentions, “Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection”, while he gives an important recommendation to always look "unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross”.
One conclusion derived from the message of the Apostles is that we must persevere to the end despite adversities in life, trusting and looking unto Jesus knowing that His grace is sufficient for us.