The Persecution of the Peace Makers
That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other. Luke 23:12 NKJV
Jesus was the common foe uniting political enemies. So it will be in the last days.
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Political enemies will be united as commandment-keeping Christians become the common foe of all nations.
you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. Matthew 24:9 NKJV
Some people challenge the Adventist interpretation of Revelation 13, because they can’t imagine the Unites States persecuting Christians, yet even Jesus says God’s people will be hated by all nations, and that includes the United States.
Jesus knew that in a sinful world commandment keeping would not be accepted. This may be why He said,
Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. Matthew 10:34 NKJV
Many think this statement is out of character for Jesus. After all He is the Prince of Peace, and didn’t the angels sing, “peace on earth” at His birth? May I suggest that it is the actual peacefulness of Christians that will stir up the ire of the world in the last days?
The beatitudes are building blocks to a complete conversion. As the conversion process comes to completion Jesus says,
Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 NKJV
But look what happens next to the peacemakers!
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12 NKJV
Like Ahab persecuted Elijah for being faithful to God, accusing him of being the trouble maker (See 1 Kings 18:17), so the leaders accused Jesus of stirring up dissension. (See Luke 23:5) This will be repeated right before Jesus comes. Many Christians will deny Christ and the commandments, thinking it better to be at peace with the world. When Hitler rose up in Europe, many of his neighbors wanted peace at any cost, but it turned out that the only thing uglier than war was cowardice! This is why John said,
But the cowardly….shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8 NKJV
Peter said,
For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:17 NKJV
In the last days we are to be peacemakers, but that does not mean being cowards in keeping God’s law. Let it be said of us, what was said of Daniel,
“We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.” Daniel 6:5 NKJV
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