The Church will be forced by persecution into "her place." There is an area in the wilderness that is her place. The Lord carefully prepares in advance, sometimes thousands or more years in advance, every move He makes. God is a Planner. Nothing surprises God. He plans precisely every move He makes.

No matter what action Antichrist takes, God long in advance has prepared a place of safety and provision for each saint who refuses to serve Antichrist.

The Christians who turn to Antichrist for safety and provision will face severe consequences.

And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: (Revelation 14:9,10)

This means if any person should turn away from the Lord and seek the protection offered by Antichrist, the world spirit, he or she will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur. This indeed is a terrible, fearful consequence of choosing to live in the world rather than to walk steadfastly in the Holy Spirit of God.

The individuals who turn to the Lord in the hour of tribulation will receive a glorious reward.

And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. (Revelation 7:14,15)

There will be great reward for those who turn to the Lord during the tribulation period. The saints who stand before the throne of God and before the Lamb have refused to accept the protection and provisions offered to the believers and to the peoples of the earth by the man of sin.

The punishments are exceedingly severe and the rewards are exceedingly glorious, depending on whether we choose to look to the world or to Jesus during the hour of temptation that will test all those who live on the earth.

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark on their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4)

The worship of the beast and his image, and the mark in the right hand or in the forehead, is speaking of the world system and its abominable ruler—Antichrist.

To be continued.