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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Survival and Fruitfulness in the Last Days, #8
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. (Revelation 14:11-13)
Dying in the Lord. After describing the torments that will come upon any individual that worships the Beast or his image or receives the mark of his name, the Scripture speaks of the blessing on the believer who dies in the Lord.
The key to the interpretation of the above passage is "from henceforth." From henceforth means it will be especially important to die in the Lord during the days of Antichrist. Many statements of the Book of Revelation must be interpreted symbolically and we think this is one of them.
Babylon, the great religious institution of the last day will have fallen. Now there will be an enormous temptation for the believer to become part of the world economic system. The only believer who will be able to survive and bear the fruit of Christ will be the one who dies in the Lord, that is, who lays down his own life that the life and fruitfulness of Christ might come forth through him.
Whatever else may be signified by worshiping the Beast and his image and receiving the mark of his name, we know it means participation in the world order. Paul warns us about this, telling us we must lay down our life at the altar of God.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1,2)
Can you see in the above passage that we must not be conformed to the spirit of the world but must present our body a living sacrifice? By dying in the Lord we escape the lure of the world, of Antichrist. To worship the Beast and his image and to take the mark of his name is the same as being conformed to this world.
This is why those who die in the Lord are blessed. Their works follow them just as God's works follow Him. In actuality, when we die in the Lord it is the works of God that follow and that cannot be overcome by Antichrist or the great tribulation.
Notice also:
And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. (Revelation 9:6)
We also tend to view this verse symbolically, presenting it as meaning that when people are being tormented by the plagues sent by the Lord, they would take refuge in Christ if they could but no longer are able to do so. The filthy are forced to remain filthy. Let us keep in mind that the desire to repent and live righteously is a gift of God and it will be withdrawn at some point during the days of Antichrist's power.
To be continued.