Revelation 12:17

Verse 17 "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

Satan has been stymied, as far as being able to take out the rest of Israel, so he turns to the remnant of her seed that has the testimony of Christ. When it speaks of the remnant of the woman, it is not merely speaking of Messianic Jews. All Christians are of the seed of Abraham - the spiritual seed. We are all spiritual Jews in that respect. So the remnant spoken of are Christians. He could not go after Christians, if there were no Christians here, so it is clear that Christians will still be around. And Satan will be going after their heads, literally. It will be the Christians who will experience the greatest wrath of Satan during this time. Judgment begins with the house of the Lord and then comes on the rest of the world. 1 Peter 4:12-19. "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, (Second Coming) ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator." I believe God has clearly told us that we will suffer. Christendom is in great apostasy. People will scarcely be saved. I have heard some pastors say that some will show up in heaven with nothing but the smell of smoke on them, having gone through the refining fires. In other words, they have nothing to show for their Christian sojourn on earth, and escape by the skin of their teeth. If we are here when it all begins, (provided we do not die untimely or natural deaths before it does begin) we will suffer a fiery trial (tribulation) that will be at the end of times when His glory will be revealed (Second Coming), because judgment begins at the house of God. He is clearly telling us that when judgment begins (during the 70th week) it will begin with us, and that our suffering is part of His will. Why? "To try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end." Dan.11:35.

Years ago I heard a TV eschatology teacher say that Christ does not want a battered and bruised bride, therefore it has to be a pre-tribulation rapture, on that count alone. Since that time I have heard countless pastors say basically the same thing. Someone wrote the following to me in disagreement of my writing that Scripture teaches that we will be here during the tribulation. "Why do you even imagine that it would be the will of the Lord that most of His church lose their head?" This person appears to believe that there will not be Christians here, except maybe for those who miss a pre-trib rapture, either because they were not yet saved or were not looking for it to happen before the tribulation. (This latter idea is not scriptural at all. The doctrine of the timing of the rapture is not the criteria for salvation and being taken to be with the Lord, regardless of what its timing is. You cannot miss it when it happens, if you are saved, just because you disagree with the timing.) My response to that comment is...does not God say that we suffer "according to the will of God?" Why would any Christian think that they are immune from persecution and martyrdom that God has allowed on countless Christians, from Stephen on down to those in the Muslim and other countries today that kill people whose only "crime" is being a Christian? There are many people around the world every day being martyred for the sake of Christ. What makes a person (and there are hundreds and thousands of them in America) think that they do not "deserve" to lose their heads? That God does not want this? Especially when it is happening in other parts of the world? What makes them think that God would never make the Church (or more specifically them) suffer this? It says that it is His will that we suffer. The Church has and is suffering this on a daily basis. Just not here in America....... yet. Is this not exactly what a Laodicean says? I am rich, I have need of nothing, I am just fine. Americans sound very much like Laodiceans. In other words they say, "Why would God need to try, purge, or refine me to make me white? I have no need of that." Is that not exactly why they need refining? Their attitude? Just like the Laodiceans? This is not aimed exclusively at pre-tribulationists. I do not exclude from this need people who believe in a mid, post, pre-wrath or other timed rapture. Many (most specifically American Christians) have bad attitudes about their walk with God. I know I am not the Christian that I need to be. I have not achieved the ability to live a sin-free life. I shamefully and honestly admit it. It is not something of which to be proud, but it is something I honestly admit, which is the first step to being on the right path to repentance and holiness. I know I need purging and refining, and I am sure my friends would whole-heartedly concur. :-) (Love you gals). It is when you do not realize you are worthy of suffering, much less admit it, that you stand in the path of destruction. I am also sure that there are people in each of these "camps" who do have a life that is worthy of God's protection, and who will be protected because of their holy lives, even if they lack knowledge. Attitude and holiness are everything, but knowing God's truth and heeding it does come with an added blessing. Rev. 1:3.

We know from the fifth seal that people will be beheaded. This used to puzzle me as we had long ago given up that barbaric method of execution. However years ago I had no idea how the Muslim population was increasing around the world. There is a youtube video that is a must watch for you to see why people will be beheaded. It is a piece on the Muslim world demographics, which I believe is very pertinent to what is going to be studied in the next chapter, so I am strongly urging everyone to take the time to watch it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-3X5hIFXYU