It has been true from the days of the Lord Jesus until now that the Lord's people, and the unsaved as well, have suffered from wars, famine, sickness, and every other type of pain and distress. The unsaved have found little relief, while in a multitude of instances the Lord's saints have experienced miraculous healings, provisions, and every other form of deliverance and blessing.

We who are abiding in Jesus have the Thirty-fourth, the Thirty-seventh, and the Ninety-first Psalms to sustain us in our hour of distress, and a multitude of other promises and comforts found in the holy and unchanging Scriptures.

The future will bring the opening of the seals (Revelation, Chapter Six); the sounding of the trumpets (Revelation, Chapters Eight and Nine); the plagues and destructions wrought at the hands of God's witnesses (Revelation, Chapter 11); and the war of Antichrist against the saints (Revelation, Chapter 13).

Throughout all these tribulations the conquering saints will be kept by the power of God, just as Israel was secure in the land of Goshen. In fact there may be times when the saints will assist the peoples of the earth in their efforts to survive, just as God's wisdom in Joseph delivered Israel, Egypt, and the remainder of the nations of the earth.

Many of the saints will suffer imprisonment and death. But that is nothing new for such has been true throughout the history of the Christian Church. Though the victorious saint is slain for the Gospel's sake, yet not a hair of his or her head will perish in the Presence of Christ. All will be restored gloriously in the Day of Christ.

When God's Word speaks of escape from Antichrist, or from the hour of testing, it does not mean that the saint will not be exposed to evil. Christ did not pray we would be removed from the world but that we would be protected from the evil one (John 17:15).

To "escape" is to be delivered from harm, as in the case of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and also of Daniel. They "escaped" from the fire and from the lions.

God always makes a way for His elect to escape from every temptation.

Under the new covenant our "escape" is from sin and death, escape from spiritual harm, although sometimes in addition we are delivered from physical danger and harm.

Notice carefully:

And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brothers, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. (Luke 21:16-18)

Apparently Christ does not consider physical death to be a perishing of a hair on our head.

When Christ speaks of escaping the darkness of the last days He means escaping being harmed spiritually—escaping being overcome by the spirit of Antichrist.

In our day, numerous professing Christians already have been conquered by the Antichrist love of money. Indeed, they have been harmed mortally by the darkness. They have become lukewarm in their love for Christ and are in danger of being vomited from His mouth.

To heap confusion on confusion, the lukewarm believers are being taught they will disappear soon so Antichrist cannot harm them. The truth is, they already have been deceived and conquered by Antichrist. They are living in pleasure and already are dead spiritually!

To be continued.