We are talking about supernatural protection during these times of sorrow and, ultimately, of
tribulation. But as we shall see from the word, since God does not change, it will be his will for
some to survive and for others to be martyred, but to go that way is not a lost cause. Maybe I
should point out the type of martyr I am referring to. You have those that do not make it into
the first fruits group, or simply those that do not ripen first, and because they would have not
seen transfiguration when they refuse the mark, they will be killed. Then you have those who
suffer physical pain, whether through torture or sickness, and they become seeds as they
leave. Believe it or not, some will come back as the Joel 2 army and will fight alongside those
who have been transfigured, but they will consist mostly of young people. It will all result in
God’s plan of salvation being accomplished. The word says, "Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend". Whether one dies to self and achieves maturity through transfiguration or whether one becomes a seed through the giving of one's life, our
Father will have his army.
Matthew 4:11
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him
Immediately after the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, Holy Spirit led Christ into the
wilderness, where he did not eat for forty days and nights. Satan came to him and tempted
him to give up his mission. It was not until after the time of testing that Angels came and
ministered to him. This is what you need to understand: it was the persecution and the
temptations that were an important part of his preparation for his ministry. If he had not gone
through this, his ministry would not have taken place.
Matthew 26:53
53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall not, presently, give me
more than twelve legions of angels?
When Christ's arrest began, one of the disciples began to defend him with a sword, but he stated, "If I wanted to be delivered, I could have called twelve legions of Angels," which is about 73,200, a legion being about 6,100. So, our Father permitted Christ to go through the
persecution of Martyrdom that Satan thought he had planned so that the sacrificial death of
Christ could bring the gift of salvation to the earth.
1 Corinthians 4:9
9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
In this verse, Holy Spirit states that there was and is the possibility of the persecution of martyrdom associated with an apostolic ministry. This includes all of us who are successors of
the apostolic ministries of New Testament times. The “world” refers to those opposed to the
Lord. They did and will not only watch the persecution but cheer when it happens. The “men”
refers to those of the church who watched it happen but could do nothing to stop it. And the
Angels watched it because they did not at that point receive any commands from the Lord to
stop it.
Hebrews 11:35
35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection
Now in Hebrews 11:32-40 Holy Spirit discusses some of the persecution that prophets and
judges of the Old Testament experienced. He gives an example of their dead being raised in
the case of Elijah and the widow woman’s son. But it goes on to say that others were tortured,
not accepting deliverance, which means that there were some who could have escaped
persecution by denying their faith in exchange for deliverance. But those who refused the
offer of freedom would receive a better resurrection than the widow’s son who Elijah prayed
back to life.
Hebrews 11:40
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect apart from us.
Some Old Testament saints who were not delivered are listed in what we call the hall of faith.
There is a spiritual principle here. The expression, “having provided some better things for
us”, refers to the new covenant that whoever becomes a born-again Christian by repenting
and confessing of sin and accepting Christ as one’s personal savior receives the gift of eternal
life. In other words, those in the Old Testament church who endured their times of
persecution had a part in providing this gift of salvation for us.
The point is it appears that there are still times when the Lord uses the suffering of persecution to give forth his gift of salvation. This is exactly why, in the book of Revelation, the lord tells those crying under the altar to wait until their brethren are killed because more seed is needed. When this is the case, it appears that the Lord will not command Angels to free us from persecution. Therefore, on the one hand, you should understand that you should rejoice when the Lord instructs Angels to deliver you from persecution, but on the other hand, you should be prepared for times when our Father will not instruct your Angels to deliver you from persecution. The sacrifice of your persecution will contribute in some way to our Father extending his gift of salvation to those who are still lost. This may also include the persecution of martyrdom.
Let’s look at some examples of people being delivered from their persecutions and those who
received persecution while trying to live their lives according to the teachings of the bible.
Genesis 19
1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.
Before the Lord destroyed Sodom, he sent two Angels to rescue Lot and his family; even
though Lot was disturbed and troubled about the wickedness of the city, he compromised his
faith to some extent and chose to live there, something that many will do in the last days. But
God still rescued him, I believe, because of Abraham's faith.
Daniel 3:12
12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
You know the story. The king had made a statue that he wanted all to bow to, and there were
at least four that we know of (I am sure there were more) that did not bow.
Daniel 3:18
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
These men decided to be faithful to the teaching of their faith and worship only the God of
Heaven. Even though they were receiving the king’s favor, they refused to bow, and instead,
they received his anger, and they were thrown into a furnace.
Daniel 3:19-28
19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then these men were bound intheir coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire
Listen. If it is not our fathers timing it does not matter how difficult the persecution. The
Lord would send Angels from heaven to protect you. Satan will always be using those who are
of the world to cause trouble for those who are not of the world. Even though at this time you
may be receiving favor from those who are of the world, they can turn on a dime.
Daniel 6:3-22
3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live forever.
7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counselors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever.
22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
This is what happened to Daniel because he was faithful in his prayer and worship. You need
to know that as we move from the season of many Antichrist to the season of the Antichrist, there may come a time when you are forced to worship in an underground church. If that is the case, when you do, you run the risk of being martyred if the Lord does not
choose to deliver you.
What do Angels do when they know that the Lord will allow one to go through persecution? Look at Stephen, for instance. He accused the chosen people of both persecuting and slaying many prophets. The people got so angry that they stoned him. There
are prophecies in the bible that state that born-again Christians will not go through the coming
judgments or wrath of our Father. The truth is that persecutions have been taking place for
hundreds of years and will continue to take place even during the coming of the Antichrist.
When the Angels watched Stephen die, they did not understand why our Father sometimes
allows one to go through persecution and even to die, but he always has a purpose for it. In
the case of Stephen, one purpose was to increase the sharing of the Gospel. It was through his life that Paul came in. if the Father allows you to go through persecution, the Angels will
strengthen you as much as they can, but they will let you journey through the time of
persecution, knowing that, in some way, it will promote the sharing of the Gospel.
The days are quickly approaching that the next phase of our Father's plan, which is
transfiguration. I’m not speaking of the rapture that will bring many sons to glory.
