In The Kingdom of the BEAST: Part 4: How Will We Stand Against the Coming Persecutions?

"…Do not fear those who kill the body and after that can do nothing more" (Luke, 12:4 NRSV).

^{— Jesus to His disciples}

Figure 1: Christ was crucified, c 30 AD, at Golgotha, between two thieves, by the Roman occupiers of Judaea, under the order of Procurator Pontus Pilate at the behest of Jewish authorities (Sadducees and Pharisees), for claiming to be the Son of God, which could be seen as a conflict with Roman religion. Crucifixion is extremely painful and was considered the most brutal form of punishment. (Wallpapertag.com.) Jesus faced his passion with calm determination and inspired His Followers to do likewise. Scripture teaches He ascended three days later.

^{….And in Matthew, Jesus says:}
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12)

^{— Jesus Christ to His disciples and followers during his Sermon on the Mount near Capernaum}

Figure 2: Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, given about 27 AD, early in his Ministry, as contained in Matthew 5 - 7. Painting by Anton Alkomos Binyamen;

It is relevant to note that many early Christians believed that after death, a Christian would normally have to wait until the judgment before going to heaven, but if he or she were martyred, they’d go to heaven immediately. Many Christians accepted Rome’s persecutions stoically or even gladly.

But how will today’s faithful and today’s more conservative citizens deal with the coming persecutions? This is an important issue because Christians and Conservatives so far have done almost nothing to resist the censorship, monitoring, and even select persecutions from the US federal government and, in the EU, from its federal authorities thus far. But Americans alone own over 77 million firearms. So, things could change. But should they? (Source: Marineapproved.com.)

Discussion Point: Persecutions and Genocides: Why?

Figure 3: Noah’s Flood; the event begins before recorded history. It is arguably the greatest Mass Genocide ever carried out on planet Earth. And God ordained it. Why? (Source: Blogspot.com.)

Figure 4: Persecution of the Early Christians in the Ancient Roman Empire: Martyrdom. Was this the only strategy Christians could use? (Source: christian-apologist.com.) But had Roman authorities overstepped their power in torturing Christians? Despite repeated efforts to destroy the “Christian Sect,” it grew and represented about 10% of the empire’s population by 300 AD.

Figure 5: Video on Persecution of the Early Christians. Source: Youtube.com.

Persecutions in the late Modern Era:

Consider this quote from the Holocaust Encyclopedia Pogroms | Holocaust Encyclopedia (ushmm.org):

“Pogrom is a Russian word meaning “to wreak havoc, to demolish violently.” Historically, the term refers to violent attacks by local non-Jewish populations on Jews in the Russian Empire and in other countries. The first such incident to be labeled a pogrom View This Term in the Glossary is believed to be anti-Jewish rioting in Odessa in 1821. As a descriptive term, “pogrom” came into common usage with extensive anti-Jewish riots that swept the southern and western provinces of the Russian Empire in 1881–1884, following the assassination of Tsar Alexander II.”

… The Holocaust Encyclopedia continues with:

Pogroms World War II

During World War II, Einsatzgruppen (popularly known as mobile killing units) received orders from Security Police Chief Reinhard Heydrich to tolerate and even encourage the indigenous populations living in newly conquered Soviet territory in launching pogroms.

Aftermath of a pogrom in Iasi

During the deportation of survivors of a pogrom in Iasi to Calarasi or Podul Iloaei, Romanians halt a train to throw off the bodies of those who had died on the way. Romania, July 1941.

• Historisches Archiv der Stadt Koln

• View Archival Details

The pogroms (with varying degrees of spontaneity) in towns such as Bialystok, Kovno,Lvov, and Riga complemented the German policy of systematically eliminating entire Jewish communities in the Soviet Union. On June 29, 1941, as Nazi Germany and itsAxispartner,Romania,invaded the Soviet Union, Romanian officials and military units, assisted at times by German soldiers, killed at least 8,000 Jews during a pogromView This Term in the Glossaryin Iasi, in the Romanian province of Moldavia. On July 10, 1941, Polish residents of Jedwabne, a small town located in Bialystok District of first Soviet-occupied and then German-occupied Poland, participated in the murder of hundreds of their Jewish neighbors. Although responsibility for instigating this “pogrom” has not been fully established, scholars have documented at least a German police presence in the town at the time of the killings. — Holocaust Encyclopedia.

**NOTE: Andrew Michael Carrington, author of “Synagogue of Satan,” a book and film with a distinctly Anti-Jewish view, suggests the Rothschilds wanted Jewish pogroms in Russia to force Jewish emigration from Russia into Palestine (to help create a Jewish State) and to the United States (to strengthen the Democratic Party, which was already tied to the globalist movement to some extent). I do NOT subscribe to this theory and mention it here only as a point for discussion.

…And persecution of Christians continues, and is even increasing, today; read the excerpt from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) from 2022:

“Persecuted & Forgotten? – A Report On Christians Oppressed For Their Faith 2020-2022

JIHADISTS AND NATIONALISTS ARE DRIVING INCREASED PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD – according to a report unveiled Nov. 16, 2022.

In various countries around the world, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has launched “Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians oppressed for their Faith. ..

Source: Report on Persecution - Aid to the Church in Need

Figure 6: Could this be true regarding the coming One World Government as A “Kingdom of the Beast,” a final, global tyranny before the return of Christ? The BEAST is discussed as a power that will trample the other beasts and crush the world in Daniel 7. It is also discussed in Revelation 17. https://www.hebrewisraeliteresearchcenter.org/images-the-beast-rev-17/

The Wikipedia article discussing Revelation 17 says, in part:

Verse 7[edit]

Then the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the ten horns, that carries her.^[17]

…and then, adds:

Verse 8[edit]

The beast, which you saw, was, and is not, and is to ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to destruction. Those who dwell on the earth whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and is to come.^[18]

Whereas one of Revelation's key designations for God is the term 'the one who was and who is and who is to come' (1:4, 8), in this verse the beast is twice described in a similar term, but with the significant different in the middle which is negative: 'is not', because unlike God, the beast is not eternal and his second coming "will prove a fraud" and "go to destruction".^[7]

The BEAST is often seen by biblical scholars as the Power of Rome (or more properly Ancient Rome). Its modern equivalent is the United States. See: BBC - History - Ancient History in depth: Empires of Absent Mind: Rome and the USA.

But the US is not a power in isolation. It is the key military partner for NATO and a number of other organizations. It has numerous allies and a global reach far greater than the Ancient Roman Empire. It is probably more accurate to consider the US as the key nation within the Globalists’ One World Government, which, through tyranny and suppression of rights, is becoming a BEAST of prophecy - whether they accept that description or not.

The question remains: How should Christians and conservatives respond to the already encroaching prosecution?

Every Christian, every conservative, every veteran, and every man and woman of good conscience must make that individual decision. And there is scripture in support of numerous positions. Consider this excerpt, from Erik Raymond for The Gospel Coalition Blogs (2016) (TGC.com.), on the subject, which holds Christians may flee persecution and in some instances, even fight back:

“Should Christians defend themselves?

When we hear this question our minds are immediately drawn to the use of guns or other weapons. However, before considering the implications of the answer, a fundamental consideration must be given to the general question of self-defense. Is it permissible for Christians to defend themselves?

We might consider Jesus’s words in Matthew’s Gospel, where followers of Christ are taught not to resist the one who is evil, but, “if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn and give him the other also” (5:39). Most Bible commentators see this slapping as personal insult rather than an act of physical violence. (Notice the right cheek is emphasized, demonstrating that a backhanded slap is most likely in view.) Instead of returning an insult or another blow, the believer is to be content to endure the stinging slap.

On the other hand we do see examples of believers offering self-defense. In fact, Jesus foretold that his disciples would need to defend themselves against accusations, even noting that the Holy Spirit would aid them in their defense (Lk. 12:11-12). And the apostle Paul found himself regularly defending himself (Acts 22:1; 24:10).

The more controversial question has to do with whether or not Christians may defend themselves with use of force (even lethal force) when in danger. In particular, can a Christian carry (and use a gun), use force, or otherwise act to stop an attack upon themselves or others?

Some Christians say “no” because we should embrace persecution from those who are ardently opposed to the faith. It is true that Christians are to pray for those who persecute them (Mt. 5:44) and patiently endure persecution (1 Pet. 2:19). However, not all violence is persecution. And the Bible does not forbid us from fleeing from violent persecution (cf. Lk. 4:29-30; Jn. 8:59, 10:39; 2 Cor. 11:32-33).

Others may claim that while the government has the power to use the sword to protect its citizens (Rom. 13:1-7), we as ordinary citizens do not. Most people who would hold this view would support the police and military’s right to use force (even lethal force) as an application of a passage like Romans 13. However, the Bible does not specify police or military; it simply refers to the government. The state has given the police and military the right to defend its citizens by use of force. In the case of the United States, the government has also given its citizens the right to arm and protect themselves and others in the face of imminent danger. If Christians have no biblical issue with the police and military defending its citizens against attack, then there would not seem to be a biblical case to oppose individual citizens doing the same…”

Bottom line: You decide. You pay the price. You reap the reward. And ask yourself this: Why do nations have a military? Why do peoples form security units? Does a tyrannical power have the right to take your life or the lives of your loved ones?

Figure 7: Many active duty and reserve military personnel in all branches are Christian. And many of them believe they are already under persecution. Source: Dr. Rich Swier.

Life is precious. It deserves protection.