Scripture says that many believers will be delivered up to the anti-Christ and/or his forces. There is also an admonition that when the moment arrives, the believer should not prepare or rehearse any speech, but should allow the Holy Spirit to speak to the evil forces instead (Mark 13:9-11). Assuming that the anti-Christ will expect a believer to RENOUNCE Christ and instead worship him and HIS religion, what do YOU think that The Holy Spirit, through the Tribulation believer, will have to say?
Daniel 3, the story of the fiery furnace, is thought by many to be a model of the Great Tribulation. When Nebuchadnezzar, in the role of the anti-Christ, confronted Daniel’s friends over their failure to worship the statue, their reply was,
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)
I would suspect the Holy Spirit would give the accused tribulation believers a very similar response. Of course, Biblical models are of necessity incomplete and partly because of the courage displayed by these young men, Nebuchadnezzar’s heart began to soften toward the God of Israel. No such thing will happen to the anti-Christ. Neither is there any indication that Tribulation believers will be delivered from his judgment (Rev. 20:4). Nonetheless, I believe the Holy Spirit will empower God’s people to be equally courageous in the face of death.