By Jan Willem van der Hoeven

“And you will be hated by all nations” (Matthew 24:9)

Yesterday I watched a documentary about Vladimir Putin. It was made with the help of a few courageous Russians who were willing to risk their lives by speaking their mind, on camera, about this ruthless ex-KGB man who has not hesitated to bully his way into becoming virtually the sole dictator of Russia, threatening every person or nation that dares to stand in his way.

Twenty two courageous journalists who had the courage to speak out against Putin’s totally power-mad, corrupt and undemocratic ways, were mysteriously murdered. Today, via his self-selected right-hand man Dmitry Medvedev – who just became Russia’s new president in a staged and Putin-manipulated election – Putin has now been appointed the country’s Prime Minister. Medvedev, who is completely faithful to his former boss, has thus prepared the way for Putin to become Russia’s absolute ruler in the coming years.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, millions of Americans are voting in the ongoing primaries for Barak Hussein Obama to be their candidate for president, the man who says in his book, Audacity of Hope: “I will  stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.”

All Putin need do is link up with all the – world threatening – Islamic forces to conquer what is left of the free, democratic world. And one can be sure Obama – if made president – will have neither the strength nor the will to withstand this all-encompassing destructive onslaught!

Amazingly, this is exactly what seems to be implied by the prophetic words in Ezekiel 38 and 39: The Northern Prince of Rosh (Russia) will make among others an alliance with Persia (Iran!!) at a time when God prophesies: “And I will send fire on Magog AND ON THOSE WHO LIVE IN SECURITY in the COASTLANDS.”  (Ezekiel 39:6), so describing a war between the East and West.

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.  (Matthew 24:9-13)

“You will be hated by all nations” Jesus warned His followers. And thus it seems to be happening in our age and time: An increased abhorrence of the real believers in the God of Israel and His Messiah as they are hated more and more by nearly every one.

The Jews – especially those who have returned to their God-given biblical homeland, Israel – along with real, believing Christians, are increasingly the target of “everyone’s” hatred. This is prophesied to happen, not just by Jesus in the words already quoted, but in the book of Daniel and the Revelation we find these awesome words:

Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.  (Daniel 7:19-22)

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.  (Revelation 13:1-7)

This is also what our Lord implied when He said: “Work while it is still day, for the night comes in which no one can work.”

This all is so at variance with most of what is taught and preached from many a pulpit today. It will even anger many Christian believers to read or hear such words, as it must have angered many Jews when they heard Jeremiah say there was no hope for a victory over Nebuchadnezzar, and that it would be pointless to try to fight him when he came to invade Israel and Jerusalem. They were furious with such defeatist words and threw him down a well. We are much the same. While the enemy is closing in upon us – and the night descends – we still want to believe God will turn it around in time. But He won’t!

Even Jesus asked the very disturbing question: When the Son of Man will return, will He still find faith on the earth?

Paul writes clearly, in his second epistle to the Thessalonians, that towards the end many believers will fall away when the Beast or Man of sin shows up, even as happened toward the end of Jesus’ walk on earth, when it says: “Then many left Him and went no longer with Him” and He had to turn even to his last disciples and ask them: “Do you not also want to leave?”

This is the clear message of the Scriptures: It will become increasingly hard to persevere and hold out, especially during the end days. As it was towards the end of Jesus’ walk on earth, so it will be towards the end of this age. Many will have been called but few will be chosen. Jesus said:

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”  (Luke 13:24)

For the true disciple of Jesus, the emphasis in Scripture is therefore not to worry over much about all the wars and upheavals that will occur – they are only the beginning of the sorrows that await us. The emphasis in Scripture is – as it is exactly in these days – that the great falling away will occur among many believers, and that we need to take heed to ourselves that we will be found worthy and spotless at the time of His coming.

May it so be!

© Israel My Beloved