Persecution Or Judgment?

It seems to me many people are confused, or at least are not clear, as to the difference between “persecution” and judgment”. I am speaking particularly of persecution by the Antichrist during the tribulation and God’s judgment on unbelievers during that same time. It appears this confusion existed in Thessalonian church and Paul corrected that confusion very well. What do you think?

Q. It seems to me many people are confused, or at least are not clear, as to the difference between “persecution” and judgment”. I am speaking particularly of persecution by the Antichrist during the tribulation and God’s judgment on unbelievers during that same time.

Believers are promised persecution and it has been so since the dawn of the Church age. It will be the same for the saints coming out of the tribulation. However, judgment (God’s Judgment) is only for unbelievers. It appears this confusion existed in Thessalonian church and Paul corrected that confusion very well.

What do you think?

A. You’ll have to give me more detail on your understanding of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians. If you’re thinking he told them to expect persecution from the anti-Christ during the Great Tribulation, I would have to disagree.

But you’re right, as Jesus told us in John 16:33 the Church will always face persecution of one form or another. Persecution has been the world’s response to any movement it fears and doesn’t understand and Christianity is no exception. (Of course the real force behind the persecution of the Church is Satan who understands it all too well and is preying on man’s fear.) And judgment is reserved for unbelievers.

In the west we mostly face unfair and restrictive legislation today. Maybe that’s because Satan no longer considers the western church a legitimate threat and so maintains only a harassment strategy here while turning his attention elsewhere. Most of what we call church growth here is really migration, as we move from building to building without really adding to our numbers.

But in the third world, it’s estimated that as many as 175,000 new believers are added to the heavenly roles every day, so the real persecution the Church is experiencing today is in countries like China, Africa and India.

That’s where Pastors are being imprisoned and tortured, buildings are being burned down, and believers are being attacked and raped in record numbers. Whole villages of African Christians have disappeared. In Jericho and Bethlehem, 4 out of the 5 Christians who used to live there have fled for their lives since they came under Palestinian control. Hindus broke into a Christian orphanage in India recently and terrorized 150 young girls living there. Similar things can be said about the Moslem response to Christianity in Indonesia with rapes, torture, and beheading. And China allows only state approved churches who agree not to preach about salvation or Heaven. Violation brings prison terms and torture. In the time it takes you to read this, about 60 seconds, two more believers will have died for their faith somewhere in the world.

What’s my point? We don’t have to wait for the Great Tribulation for the Church to experience persecution. Sign up for Worthy News Headlines (www.worthynews.com) and read about the daily persecution of the church around the world. It’s free. Just because we’re not experiencing persecution personally doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.