Below we have provided a letter to the saints at the time of the Great Tribulation, giving them guidance and encouragement from Scripture about living during this special, prophesied time.
We, your fellow saints, who have been gathered to Jesus at the command of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), having been ordained to avoid the wrath of God (Romans 5:9, 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9, Isaiah 26:20-21 and John 14:1-2) because of our faith in things unseen (Hebrews 11:1), knew this time would come, because Jesus said, speaking about the time in which you are living,
“[f]or then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again” (Matthew 24:21).
During this time, the Bible makes clear, such as in Isaiah 24:1-13 & 19-20, and later detailed in Revelation 6, 8, 9, 11 & 16, that God’s plan is to judge and desolate the earth, and you can see from these passages of Scripture that it is indeed a time of great tribulation. The good news is that God has a plan for you. Know this first, that God loves you, and He sent His One and Only Son, Jesus, to offer the sacrifice of His own life so that you could live. Jesus said,
“God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not judged, but anyone who does not believe is already judged, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God” (John 3:16-18).
Jesus also said,
“I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b).
It is also written that
“if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
We, your fellow saints, accordingly encourage you to place your faith in Jesus Christ.
In relation to Jesus Christ, the Bible states among many other things that Jesus (1) is God (John 1:1) and the One and Only Son of God (John 3:16), (2) is the expression of God the Father to all of humanity, and called “the Word” (John 1:1-14), (3) became a man, having been born of the virgin, Mary (Luke 2:1-7), (4) is a lineal descendant of Israel’s King David (Matthew 1:1-16), (5) lived a sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21), (6) died on a cross, shedding His blood as a sacrifice to atone for the sins of mankind (John 19), and (7) now sits at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 1:1-4), waiting to return to the earth in glory as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords at the time determined by the Father (Matthew 24, Revelation 19).
Speaking specifically about the time in which you are living, Jesus said,
“[b]ut the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:13-14).
Jesus’ admonition to you to “endure” is imperative for you, and it is your Gospel. You are warned in Scripture that, at the time of the great tribulation, an antichrist government will come into power and will cause
“all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, and he decrees that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six” (Revelation 13:16-18; see also Revelation 14:9-11, 15:2, 16:2, 20:4; Revelation 9:4).
About this “mark,” please know that in the prophetic book of Revelation, John writes,
“[t]hen another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb’” (Revelation 14:9-10).
From this passage in Revelation, we know that during this time of the great tribulation, a person must, in addition to faith in Jesus, refuse to worship the antichrist beast or his image, and also reject the mark of the antichrist government (that we, your fellow saints, know as the “mark of the beast”) that is mandated by the antichrist government to be affixed to the right hand or forehead of all persons. The mark of the beast is a form of identification with the religious, economic, government and/or social system promoted by the antichrist or with the antichrist himself.
We know that life will be extremely difficult for you if you reject the mark and refuse to worship the antichrist or his government. In fact, it is difficult for us to imagine what it is like for you to not be able to buy food, housing or transportation--the very essential elements of living. Moreover, we know that you will be hunted down by the antichrist for what he declares to be your insolence against his government, because of your refusal to accept the "mark of the beast" or to worship him or his kingdom, and many of you will be imprisoned and martyred as a consequence. As John writes about the antichrist “beast” in this regard:
“It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority was given to him over every tribe, people, language, and nation. All who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written since the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slaughtered. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints” (Revelation 13:7-10).
Even worse, Jesus warns in another end times discussion that
"[b]rother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved" (Matthew 10:21-22).
In view of Jesus' warning, it will be difficult for you to trust anyone during the great tribulation, because the inability to participate in commerce and the threat of persecution will cause people to do the unthinkable. Family members and close friends who may have hidden you, or supplied food, water and other needs to you (because you haven't taken the mark and cannot participate in commerce) will suddenly and without warning turn on you--disclosing you to the antichrist government. Indeed, they may be compelled to do so under the threat of death. The pressure on all will be great, which is why Jesus' counsel is to run (Matthew 10:23, 24:16). Other Scriptures encourage you to hide (Isaiah 26:20, Proverbs 22:3, Proverbs 27:12, Proverbs 28:12, Psalm 27:5, Psalm 31:20, Psalm 64:2, Exodus 2:3, 1 Samuel 19:2) to escape the devouring bite of the beast. However, in spite of everything, as Jesus said, you must “endure to the end.”
For those of you whose endurance “to the end,” as Jesus describes, culminates in your martyrdom, Scripture indicates that a very special reward is promised; as John writes in Revelation,
“Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4-6).
Thus, you who become martyrs will return to rule over the very people who tormented you, if they survive the Day of the Lord (Isaiah 24:5, Isaiah 30:27-28&30-32, Isaiah 35:4, Psalm 110:5-6, Joel 3:2&12, Obadiah 16, Zephaniah 3:8, Ezekiel 39:2,1 Zechariah 14:1-5, Zechariah 12:9, Revelation 19:19-21). So be encouraged that your suffering, though severe, is temporary compared to the eternal kingdom that you will have the privilege to enjoy, serving the very Author of Life (John 1:3-4).
However, for those who fail to endure “to the end,” as Jesus describes, that is to say, those who, perhaps because the threat of death is too frightening, succumb to the heavy hand of the antichrist by worshipping him or his kingdom or by getting his "mark of the beast," Scripture indicates, as mentioned above, in Revelation 14:9-10, that a very devastating consequence, far worse than death is promised--drinking "of the wine of the wrath of God."
And it is extremely important when you face these moments of trial, wherein you are tempted to submit to the demands of the antichrist, that you consider the duration of the trial in relation to eternity, and persevere, because, as John warns in Revelation,
"[a]nd the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus" (Revelation 14:11-12).
Therefore, considering the immense significance of the reward for endurance relative to the punishment for failing to endure, we encourage all saints during the time of the great tribulation to embrace the following Gospel of the Tribulation:
Believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God and that, as God and Lord, Jesus Christ died on a cross for your sins, rose from the grave, lives forever, and will one day return as the Messiah, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Reject the application of any mark (necessary for you to buy or sell) required by any government, kingdom, world leader or religion to be affixed in any form to your person, particularly on your right hand or forehead. If you have to do so, as the Word of God instructs, run and hide.
Refuse to worship any person or thing other than God as described in the Bible.
Hold fast to these commitments, persevere, and endure until the first to occur of the end of your life or the end of the great tribulation period, which will be marked by the arrival of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, as described in Revelation 19:11-16.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
SPECIAL NOTE TO WEBSITE VISITORS: We believe that during the Great Tribulation, the Internet may no longer be available (See Revelation 6, 8, 9, 11 & 16), and even if it survives, internet materials that discuss Jesus Christ or provide access to the Bible will be removed by the antichrist kingdom. Accordingly, we suggest that you print a copy of this letter, fold it, and place it inside the front cover of a Bible that you place in your home in a prominent location so that in the event of the Rapture or other traumatic event associated with the Great Tribulation, people will find the Bible and the letter--giving the readers guidance regarding the Gospel as it applies to them at such time. A draft of the letter is provided below:
NOTA ESPECIAL PARA LOS VISITANTES DEL SITIO WEB: Creemos que durante la Gran Tribulación, es posible que Internet ya no esté disponible (ver Apocalipsis 6, 8, 9, 11 y 16), e incluso si sobrevive, los materiales de Internet que hablan de Jesucristo o brindan acceso a la Biblia serán removidos por el reino del anticristo. En consecuencia, le sugerimos que imprima una copia de esta carta, la doble y la coloque dentro de la portada de una Biblia que coloque en su hogar en un lugar destacado para que en caso del Rapto u otro evento traumático asociado con la Gran Tribulación, las personas encontrarán la Biblia y la carta, brindando a los lectores una guía con respecto al Evangelio que se aplica a ellos en ese momento. Un borrador de la carta se proporciona a continuación:
对网站访问者的特别说明：我们相信在大灾难期间，互联网可能不再可用（见启示录 6、8、9、11 和 16），即使它幸存下来，讨论耶稣基督或提供访问的互联网材料圣经将被敌基督国删除。因此，我们建议您打印这封信的副本，将其折叠起来，然后将其放在您家中显眼位置的圣经封面内，以便在发生被提或其他相关的创伤事件时大灾难时，因为它在那个时候适用, 人们会找到圣经和书信——为读者提供有关福音的指导，。该信的草稿如下：
ОСОБОЕ ПРИМЕЧАНИЕ ДЛЯ ПОСЕТИТЕЛЕЙ САЙТА: Мы верим, что во время великой скорби Интернета может больше не быть (см. Откровение 6, 8, 9, 11 и 16), и даже если он сохранится, интернет-материалы, обсуждающие Иисуса Христа или предоставляющие доступ к Библии, будут удалены царством антихриста. Поэтому мы предлагаем вам распечатать копию этого письма, сложить его и поместить в обложку Библии, которую вы положите в своем доме на видном месте, чтобы в случае Вознесения или другого травмирующего события, связанного с Великим трибуналом, люди нашли Библию и письмо, давая читателям руководство относительно Евангелия, применимого к ним в это время. Черновик письма приведен ниже:
NOTE SPÉCIALE AUX VISITEURS DU SITE WEB : Nous croyons que pendant la Grande Tribulation, l'Internet pourrait ne plus être disponible (voir Apocalypse 6, 8, 9, 11 & 16), et même s'il survit, les documents Internet qui parlent de Jésus-Christ ou donnent accès à la Bible seront supprimés par le royaume de l'antéchrist. En conséquence, nous vous suggérons d'imprimer une copie de cette lettre, de la plier et de la placer à l'intérieur de la couverture d'une Bible que vous placerez chez vous à un endroit bien visible, de sorte qu'en cas d'Enlèvement ou d'un autre événement traumatisant associé à la Grande Tribulation, les gens trouveront la Bible et la lettre - donnant aux lecteurs des conseils concernant l'Évangile tel qu'il s'applique à eux à ce moment. Une ébauche de la lettre est fournie ci-dessous :
वेबसाइट विज़िटर्स के लिए विशेष नोट: हम मानते हैं कि महान क्लेश के दौरान, इंटरनेट अब उपलब्ध नहीं हो सकता है (प्रकाशितवाक्य 6, 8, 9, 11 और 16 देखें), और यहां तक कि अगर यह जीवित रहता है, तो इंटरनेट सामग्री जो यीशु मसीह पर चर्चा करती है या पहुंच प्रदान करती है बाइबिल को मसीह विरोधी राज्य द्वारा हटा दिया जाएगा। तदनुसार, हमारा सुझाव है कि आप इस पत्र की एक प्रति प्रिंट करें, इसे मोड़ें, और इसे एक बाइबिल के सामने के कवर के अंदर रखें जिसे आप अपने घर में एक प्रमुख स्थान पर रखते हैं ताकि उत्साह या अन्य दर्दनाक घटना से जुड़ी हो। महान क्लेश, लोगों को बाइबिल और पत्र मिलेगा - पाठकों को सुसमाचार के बारे में मार्गदर्शन देना क्योंकि यह ऐसे समय पर उन पर लागू होता है। पत्र का मसौदा नीचे दिया गया है:
ملاحظة خاصة لزوار الموقع: نعتقد أنه خلال الضيقة العظيمة ، قد لا يكون الإنترنت متاحًا (انظر رؤيا 6 و 8 و 9 و 11 و 16) ، وحتى إذا نجت ، مواد الإنترنت التي تناقش يسوع المسيح أو توفر الوصول إلى الكتاب المقدس سيتم إزالته من قبل ملكوت المسيح الدجال. وفقًا لذلك ، نقترح عليك طباعة نسخة من هذه الرسالة ، وطيها ، ووضعها داخل الغلاف الأمامي للكتاب المقدس الذي تضعه في منزلك في مكان بارز بحيث يكون في حالة نشوة الطرب أو أي حدث صادم آخر مرتبط به. الضيقة العظيمة ، سيجد الناس الكتاب المقدس والرسالة - لإرشاد القراء فيما يتعلق بالإنجيل كما ينطبق عليهم في ذلك الوقت. يتم توفير مسودة الرسالة أدناه:
הערה מיוחדת למבקרי אתרים: אנו מאמינים כי במהלך הצרה הגדולה, ייתכן שהאינטרנט כבר לא יהיה זמין ( ראה התגלות 6, 8, 9, 11 ו- 16 ), וגם אם הוא ישרוד, חומרי אינטרנט הדנים בישוע המשיח או מספקים גישה לתנ"ך יוסרו על ידי הממלכה האנטיכריסטית. בהתאם, אנו מציעים לך להדפיס עותק של מכתב זה, לקפל אותו, והניח אותו בתוך הכריכה הקדמית של תנ"ך שאתה מציב בבית שלך במקום בולט כך שבמקרה של ההשתלה או אירוע טראומטי אחר הקשור ל צרה גדולה, אנשים ימצאו את התנ"ך ואת המכתב - ויעניקו לקוראים הדרכה בנוגע לבשורה כפי שהיא חלה עליהם בזמן כזה. להלן טיוטת המכתב: