The following is my brief adaptation of a tribulation training manual. I’m not talking about physical preparedness. My focus is on the spiritual. The basics presented here aren’t mine, either – fortunately! They’re a collection from Scripture and some wise voices from the past and present.
First: The mockers, Antichrist, and some ax grinding:
When we see the word tribulation, we prophecy enthusiasts immediately think of End times. Pretribbers get criticized for living in beds of ease. One fellow declared that pastors not preparing their flocks to face the Antichrist are failing in their roles as shepherds.
Modern church pastors have graver issues than getting rapture timing right. Many churches have abandoned God’s Word and are embracing worldly sins – e.g., abortion and homosexuality etc.
One writer links pretribulationism with deception. He says it’s possible many won’t recognize Antichrist sitting in the Temple because they think the rapture occurs first. Others claim pretribbers will inadvertently take the Mark of the Beast and worship him. Yes, some really believe that!
Another critic correctly notes that persecution is already present, but then associates negative consequences to the easy-believism of the pretrib doctrine. This common attitude is presumptuous, self-righteous and judgmental. These people generally fail to provide any practical advice on the issue of spiritual preparedness.
Secondly: Tribulation and martyrdom have always been part of the church (Rev 1:9). It may come to the West long before the “Great Tribulation.”
Countless Christians throughout the centuries faithfully went to their deaths. Most of us are familiar with Fox’s Book of Martyrs. In a sobering and emotional five minute video with Todd Friel, Dr. Steve Lawson talks about William Tyndale, John Rogers and others who died for their faith. Incidentally, Dr. Lawson is a pretribulationist.
In a 2000 Ligonier Conference, Sinclair Ferguson spoke about the great multitude of martyrs in the 20th century. See The Blood of the Martyrs. Did these faithful people have an Antichrist Preparedness Manual?
More recently Paul Washer of HeartCry Missionary Society released three videos covering the persecuted church in Asia and imprisoned pastors in Myanmar. If you watch only one of Paul Washer’s videos, watch This One. Watch it to the end!
Thirdly: How did past saints prepare for suffering and martyrdom?
The book, “O Death Where is Thy Sting“, is a collection of John Murray’s sermons. In chapter 11, Murray discusses the meaning of the term “take up your cross.” Murray then sorts through different ideas, one of them being that personal trials of believers are their cross. He writes:
…it is perfectly true that if we have taken up our cross and followed Christ, we shall prove that fact by our patient and submissive endurance of any particular trial that God has suddenly pleased to call into our lot.
I don’t know about you but I have difficulties in this area. Yet what he says later on is even tougher. Murray cites Matt 16:24-25.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
He then concludes:
The cross is the symbol of death, and so if we are to follow Christ, we must be prepared to suffer death itself for His sake.
In Matthew Henry’s Method for Prayer, in the section on praying for faith, he offers the following prayers:
Lord, gives us so to be crucified with Christ, as that the life we now live in the flesh we may live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us, and gave himself for us; And to bear about with us continually the dying of the Lord Jesus, as that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal bodies…And grant that none of us may live to ourselves, or die to ourselves, but whether we live or die we may be the Lord’s, and my live and die to Him. [Romans 14:7, 8]
In High King of Heaven (pp 292-293) Paul Washer offers practical advice for spiritual preparedness. He notes that past saints who saw persecution and faced death regarded God, Christ, heaven and its reward far more than anything in this world. Washer further says we must tarry in prayer.
Using the Apostle Peter as an example of change, he points to the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives. Only when the Spirit transforms us, gives us a hunger for God’s Word and leads us to unceasing prayer, will God and heaven be more real to us than anything in this world. “Only then will we persevere in the face of persecution.”
In summary, past saints were able to suffer persecution and martyrdom because they cultivated a daily commitment to Christ, and they longed for heaven. How I wish I was more like them!
Finally, a paradox: It’s not ultimately up to us. Praise God!
This part greatly comforts me, weak Christian that I am. God does it all for us. He doesn’t leave us to cope alone. If it was up to me and you, we’d perish. I mentioned Steve Lawson earlier. He providentially visited Parkside Church and preached a sermon on Phil 1:6. See God Finishes What He Starts
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
The Apostle also Paul tells us he is able to do all things – live under any circumstance – through Christ who strengthens him (Phil 4:12-13). And if that isn’t enough…
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Rom 8:35
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8:38-39
So let’s take those prideful badges off our unworthy chests and give all the credit to Christ our Lord. It’s safer that way.
Always praying He comes soon!
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