THE OFFENSE OF CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION: A SIGN OF THE END OF DAYS by Jeff Wingo

The Denial of Saint Peter by Caravaggio, 1610.

There are many signs of the end of days in the Bible. Jesus and the prophets and apostles gave numerous signs that we can see today revealing the truth that we are indeed living near the time of the return of Christ. Wars and rumors of war, pestilence and disease, economic chaos, earthquakes, strange weather, signs in the heavens, etc.

But have you ever considered the sign of the offense of Christian persecution?

Jesus told us that Christian persecution will increase in the last days, and as we have seen over the past year, it seems that in the Muslim world it is open season on Christians. Jesus said because of persecution many in the church will be offended; in other words, because of persecution many Christians may fall away because the sight of persecution has placed a stumbling block or impediment in their way, and the sight of persecution causes them to stumble in their faith. To quote Thayer’s comments regarding the word offend (Greek skandalizō), he says, that it means “to cause a person to begin to distrust or desert one whom he ought to trust and obey; to cause to fall away.”

Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me” (John 16:1-3).

Could worldwide persecution cause millions of 21st century Christians to become offended at Christ and abandon the faith?

What if the time came for the persecutors to put you out of your church because you believe the Bible, and you hold to Christ alone by faith? Would you be offended at Christ because of that?

Paul told us that “all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12), and Jesus said, “and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake, and then shall many be offended, and shall betray on another, and shall hate one another” (Matt. 24: 9-10). Jesus also added, “the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).

And we all know how the spirit of antichrist persecuted Jesus.

Jesus said there are some people whose heart is like a stony place. When the Word of God is sown in their heart they receive it with joy. But, that person has no root in himself, but has a superficial experience with Divine truth and does not permit it to make its way to the innermost recesses of his soul. (Thayer).

Right before Jesus was crucified he said that His death would be an offense–to His followers.

Don’t allow the offense of Christian persecution to cast a stumbling block in your heart.  It is easy to walk away from Christian persecution in the United States because we have so many other things to occupy our minds with. We don’t have to pay any attention to it–and a great part of the church in America does ignore Christian persecution overseas–BECAUSE THEY ARE OFFENDED BY IT.

But never forget: those who are dying right now are martyrs for the faith of Jesus. They are in the line of fire by a powerful manifestation of the spirit of  antichrist. And it is not going to end anytime soon. As a matter of fact it will probably get much worse before the return of Jesus.

Revelation 12:11:  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation 13:7:  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Daniel 7:21:  I beheld, and the same horn (Little Horn–the Antichrist) made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Revelation 17:6: And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus…

Revelation 20:4:  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Please don’t ever be offended by Christian persecution. Pray for Christians to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and pray for grace and strength for their moment of trial. This life is so fleeting when compared to eternity and the Glories of life in the New Jerusalem where God Himself will wipe away every tear shed by His persecuted saints.

Thanks for visiting.

Jeff Wingo

“Christ on the Cross”, by Carl Heinrich Bloch, 1869.

The Christian Martyrs’ Last Prayer, by Jean-Léon Gerome (1883).