Revelation 14:12 –
This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.
This chapter divides up the 144,000 and the rest of the Christians. In researching this chapter one of the “concepts” that I have been taught my life is the “rapture” and how God will take all the Christians up in one big massive whole body ascension into heaven. The only thing I have found thus far to imply that anyone will be spared and lifted up is concerning the 144,000. Now I don’t mean to be judgmental, but how can anyone assume they have come close to earning that rank among believers! I can say with almost 100% certainty that I will “endure persecution” during the end times.
Now I mentioned the “rapture” and did a quick search for that word in the Bible. That is a word many have used so much people assume it is part of scripture. It did not appear in the search of the NLT, NIV, KJV or ESV Bibles. Many try to analyze these writings and try to paint a rosy picture where if you believe you will be living “fun in the sun” with God. Ask the 12 Disciples of Christ about their life on earth. I think they are the model of what we are to expect. The question is will you fold when faced with eating or suffering? Unless you “grow your own” you will be faced with taking the mark to survive.
Many Christians will take the mark to save their families and in the process do more harm than good. I don’t now want to endure an afterlife of “fire and burning sulfur” but could see myself easily justifying taking the mark. I would hope I would recognize the mark and not accept it. Some have claimed the “mark” is bio-metrics, or your thumb print and retina-scan. So would taking the mark mean that would be allowed to be kept on file with “the beast”?
The chapter ends with the “harvest”! You have to ask yourself are you the wheat or the grapes? The wheat is just harvested where the grapes are harvested and “pressed”. Don’t know about you but I don’t really want to be crushed in a wine press! As with this analogy, John uses eloquent descriptions of the final times in this chapter. We get an image of what’s to come if we don’t follow Jesus. This verse makes it clear things will not be easy, we will not be living a property Gospel, but what the 12 endured. But never fear, there will be peace on the “other side”!!