Persecution in the End Times

Opportunity to Bear Witness

How to Face Persecution

Flee, Hide, or Stay

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed."
1 Peter 4:12-13

"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 5:11-12

Persecution is coming.
And when it comes, how are we to face it and deal with it?

It takes courage to face persecution and scripture repeated tells us to be courageous. We cannot and must not let fear be our guide.

Abiding in Christ will equip the believer to make good decisions in times of persecution. It is only by the leading of the Holy Spirit with discernment and wisdom that we will be able to navigate these difficult times.

Christian persecution is to be expected: the apostle Paul warned that "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12).

Jesus said
"Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours."
--- John 15:20

Jesus made it clear that those of the world will hate Christians because the world hates Christ. The Bible also indicates that trials are a necessary part of following Jesus.
"strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." --- Acts 14:22 NASB

Persecution Opens Doors of Opportunity
Most Christians, especially in the West, have a wrong world view of persecution. Most see it as abnormal or unusual. But this perspective is all wrong. Persecution is normal and natural in the broken world we live in.

First-century Christians, on the other hand, saw persecution as a normal part of life and a door of opportunity to witness to others about Jesus Christ.

Early Christians in the book of Acts faced fierce opposition, but instead of trembling in fear, they saw persecution as what it was -- an opportunity to exhibit their faith.

Most in the first century endured persecution, no matter the cost, rather than denounce their faith.
Early believers felt compelled to lift up Jesus Christ:
"for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard." --- Acts 4:20

And to unbelievers who witnessed their unwavering courage in the face of persecution, this became a powerful testimony, drawing others to the message of Christ.

Our unwavering faith and end time testimony will draw the lost to Christ Jesus.

Most believers today are very different than those in the early church.
Christians today often seek comfort and safety, while the early church perspective reminds us that hardship can be a catalyst for increased faith. When end-time persecution comes, I believe true Christians will rise to the occasion and demonstrate conduct and zeal like the first-century Church.

However, many casual Christians will discover that they have become soft, self-indulgent, and unwilling to sacrifice their reputations, worldly goods, lifestyles, possibly even their lives, in order to be faithful to Jesus.
When persecution comes, many will fall away from the faith instead of bearing witness of Christ.
None the less, in the end times, we will have opportunity cast upon us.
"and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles." --- Matthew 10:18

"But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness." --- Luke 21:12-13

How Should We Face the Coming Persecution?
Should We Flee, Hide, or Stay?
As you would expect, the Bible gives us the answers we need.
After the birth of Jesus, Joseph was instructed by God thru an angel to flee to Egypt. (Matthew 2:13)

To avoid persecution, God hid Elijah at Cherith, using ravens to feed him. (1 Kings 19:1-18)

Jesus himself "escaped" arrest (John 10:39) and "withdrew" (Matthew 4:12, Matthew 12:14-15) from where He was to avoid the Pharisees.
Jesus also hid himself. John 8:59

The Jerusalem church, after the martydom of Stephen, fled though the Apostles stayed in Jerusalem. (Acts 8:1, Acts 11:19)

The Apostle Paul would also flee persecution while on his missionary trips. (Acts 9:25, Acts 14:5-6)

Perhaps the best scripture for dealing with end time persecution can be found in Matthew 10 when Jesus sends out his 12 disciples.

Matthew 10 is full of end time instructions and should be studied and understood.
• And like John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2), this should also be our cry:
"And proclaim as you go, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 10:7)

• When we flee, will we have this annointing as in Joel 2?
"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons." (Matthew 10:8)

• I believe our Lord, refering to the end times, has changed this for us and we should take a money belt and a bag.
see: Luke 22:35-36
"Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food." (Matthew 10:9-10)

• This will require discernment which I believe our Lord will give us.
"And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you." (Matthew 10:11-13)

• Not everyone will receive the gospel.
"And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town." (Matthew 10:14)

• To face persecution, we will need wisdom and humility from God.
Persecution Will Come "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16)

• Our Lord is preparing us for likely persecution and possible imprisonment.
"Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles." (Matthew 10:17-18)

• Our Lord is reminding us not to be afraid of persecution but to trust in Him.
"When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." (Matthew 10:19-20)

• In the end times, we will be betrayed and hated.
"Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. (Matthew 10:21-22)

• We know that patient endurance is a needed attribute for navigating the end times persecution.
"But the one who endures to the end will be saved." (Matthew 10:22)

• Our Lord instructs us about fleeing persecution.
"When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes." (Matthew 10:23)

• Our Lord is reassuring us to have no fear of man but to fear Him and Him alone.
"So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:26-28)

• No matter the cost, we are told to not deny our Lord.
"So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33)

• Many will be against us, even those of our household.
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household." (Matthew 10:34-36)

• We must love the Lord our God with all our heart, taking up our cross and following Him.
"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:37-39)

This video explains:

Adapted from
Nelson Walters YouTube channel
"God's Plan for End Times Persecution"
To watch complete video: Click Here
copyright: Nelson Walters

Fleeing or hiding from persecution is scriptural but only in light of our obedience to God's commandments and Christ's commission and without jeopardizing our love for others.
Moreover, resisting is permissible unless it hinders the furtherance of the kingdom of God.

In essense, we should avoid confrontation and persecution when possible but without compromising our faith.
While understanding that there may be times we have to endure persecution with patience and love. But whatever the cost, we should never deny Jesus.

God does have a plan.
Our job during the end times is to patiently trust and obey our Lord Him completely:
"Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful."
--- Revelation 13:10 NLT

And let's be clear about hiding from persecution:
We must understand that the Lord does NOT want us to hide in isolation in a bunker until Jesus comes. We might hide for a while, but not for the duration of the tribulation. We have a testimony to give. Remember the parable of the five foolish virgins who let the light of their testimony go out. We must be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit when to hide.
Remember Matthew 10:16.

Furthermore, we must remember that... "We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work." --- John 9:4

For some of us, the Lord himself will hide us:
"For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock." --- Psalms 27:5

You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues. --- Psalms 31:20 NASB
More Scipture About Persecution:
"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,"
--- 2 Timothy 3:12

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours."
--- John 15:18-20

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"
--- Matthew 5:44

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."
--- 1 Peter 4:12-14

"For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
--- 2 Corinthians 12:10

"Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!"
--- Luke 6:22

"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

"For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil."
--- 1 Peter 3:17

"But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled,"
--- 1 Peter 3:14

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them."
--- Romans 12:14

"Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you."
--- 1 John 3:13

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
--- John 16:33

"Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name."
--- 1 Peter 4:16

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
--- Psalm 23:4

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you."
--- 2 Corinthians 4:8-12

"Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."
--- Revelation 2:10

"Jesus said, Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life."
--- Mark 10:29-30

"And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away."
--- Mark 4:17

"They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God."
--- John 16:2

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
--- Romans 8:35-39

"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,"
--- Philippians 1:29

"Who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life."
--- Mark 10:30

"I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."
--- Philippians 1:12-14

God does not cause persecution but God allows it to accomphlish His Purpose in the end times.
see webpage: "God's Plan and Purpose" for more on this.