The Perseverance of the Saints
I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus (Rev.1:9)
I. THE BOOK OF REVELATION: AN END TIME MANUAL FOR OVERCOMERS
A. The Book of Revelation is a call for the church to overcome in the midst of the darkest hour of human history as the rage
of Satan, the wickedness of man and the temporal judgments of God are released on the earth in fullness during the final
3½ years of human history before Jesus returns.
B. Many people avoid reading the book of Revelation because they either do not understand it or they are offended
by the activity of Jesus as he releases judgments upon the earth at the end of the age. Rightly understood, however, this
prophecy is designed to fill us with great hope and confidence in the victory that the church will enjoy both in the midst
of the Great Tribulation and for 1000 years afterwards as we rule and reign with Christ.
C. The Book of Revelation does not picture the people of God escaping the great tribulation through secret rapture
as is commonly taught. Nor does it picture the church defeated by the devil or offended with the temporal judgments of
Christ that will be released at the end of the age. In contrast, Revelation paints a picture of a glorious bride, victorious
in the midst of great trouble and worshipping her heavenly Bridegroom.
D. During the final 7 years before Jesus returns, the church will undergo unparalleled tribulation, which will be cut short
by the return of Jesus himself (Matt.24:22). However, the picture is not of a Bride that is simply enduring this trouble while
she waits to be rescued by her Heavenly Bridegroom. To the contrary, this time of great trouble is the church’s most
glorious hour in which she shines in bright righteousness, and partners with the Lord in releasing His judgments
against unrighteousness (see e.g. Rev.5:8-10; 8:3-6; 15:2-8).
E. The Lord will use this time of trouble to purify his Bride and cause her to shine with His glory and righteousness.
The book of Revelation is the story of the ultimate triumph of the saints over all her enemies. At the end of the story,
Jesus does not come to deliver a defeated, bedraggled bride, but a people, which has made itself ready to meet its King.
7Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself
ready." 8And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts
of the saints (Rev.19:7-8)
F. Studying the book of Revelation is not an option for believers. It provides us with essential information to prepare
us to persevere through the greatest season of tribulation the church has ever known. A threefold blessing is promised
to those who read, hear and keep the things which are contained in this book.
3Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it;
for the time is near (Rev.1:3)
G. As we enter into understanding of the message of Revelation, we will be empowered to overcome in the midst of
tribulation as God brings us into agreement with His plan and His purpose. Those who overcome will be those who remain
faithful despite the fierce assault of the enemy in the end-time because they know their God
32Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be
strong, and carry out great exploits. 33And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days
they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering (Dan.11:32-33)
II. THE THREE FOLD ASSAULT OF THE ENEMY IN THE END TIMES
The book of Revelation describes three primary ways in which the devil is seeking to defeat the church in the end times
and three primary means by which the church overcomes this assault of darkness against the church. It is important that
we understand not only what our weapons are, but also the nature of the assault that is coming against us. The Bible
says that the enemy is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (openly) (1 Pet.5:8-9), but it also says that he
comes as a wolf in sheep’s clothing (Matt.7:15) (deceptively).
III. ASSAULT #1: SEDUCTION
1 .."Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2with whom the kings of the earth
committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication."(Rev.17:1-2)
10for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world (2 Tim.4:10)
A. Jesus told us that at the end of the age, the love of many would grow cold because of lawlessness and deception
(Matt 24:11-12). The book of Revelation describes the culmination of lawlessness in the description of Babylon the
Great – a wealthy city that will exercise global influence at the end of the age (Rev.17:15,18; 18:3,7,23; 19:2).
B. In contrast to the New Jerusalem which is pictured as a Bride (Rev.21-22), Babylon is described as a harlot who
seduces the nations of the earth to participate in the sinful luxury she offers, yet her ultimate destiny is permanent
destruction. She will exert her influence in three primary ways, seeking to seduce the nations with promises of wealth,
power and pleasure.
1. The Seduction of Wealth
3For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed
fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury (Rev.18:3)
The end time Babylonian system will create many opportunities for great wealth. The desire for wealth is closely linked
to the desire for power (independence from God) and control over our circumstances. It is described by Paul as a great
snare that results in the destruction of those who fall into it. Jesus said it was impossible to serve both God and money
(Matt.6:23-25).
9…those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men
in destruction and perdition. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the
faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Tim.6:9-10).
2. The Seduction of Power
For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived (Rev.18:23)
In the world’s eyes wealth is power. The most powerful men on the earth are also the richest men on the earth. Those with both
money and power become independent of God and feel able to act however they please free from constraint.
"Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we
be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." (Gen.11:4)
3. The Seduction of Pleasure
9 The kings of the earth…committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her (Rev.18:9)
14The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from
you (Rev.18:14)
Those with wealth and power will be able to live however they please. The City of Babylon will offer every conceivable
legitimate and illegitimate pleasure in abundance - and immediate satisfaction. In Babylon people will not experience
unsatisfied cravings. They will be able to enjoy the fruit that their souls long for. Gross immorality and sexual perversion
will be acceptable behavior.
C. In Babylon, the devil seeks to counterfeit the permanent, though as yet unseen, rewards of the age to come, with passing
pleasures of sin. As with Jesus in the wilderness temptations (Matt.4; Lk.4), he seeks to offer us shortcuts to what God has
already promised us (wealth, power, pleasure) – yet they are not shortcuts at all since the promise is an illusion that will
be cut short (Rev.18:7 cf. 18:10,14,19; 19:1-4).
D. The message of Revelation is designed to give us understanding of our permanent heavenly citizenship and the
greatness of rewards for those who endure and overcome, so that, unlike Esau, we might not surrender our birthright
for a pot of stew that will not last for more than a few moments (Gen.25:29-33). Understanding the true nature of earthly
wealth, power and pleasure and the ultimate destiny of the wicked will keep us from saying yes to this powerful seduction.
4And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you
receive of her plagues. 5For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities (Rev.18:4-5)
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For
all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the
world (1 John 1:15-16).
Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes
himself an enemy of God (James 4:4)
IV. ASSAULT #2: TRIBULATION
A. Those who are not seduced by the pleasures of this age, will suffer great tribulation at the hands of unbelievers,
culminating in a fierce attack by the Antichrist and his world empire during the final 3½ years before Jesus’ return (known
as the Great Tribulation). Many believers will die during the greatest tribulation the world has ever known (Matt.24:21).
17And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the
commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev.12:17)
7It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome (kill) them (Rev.13:7)
6I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus (Rev.17:6)
B. Many of those who are not prepared to endure tribulation will turn away from Christ out of offense because they
cannot make sense of why God would allow negative things to happen to them (even though both Jesus and the apostles
clearly taught that persecution and tribulation is the lot of all believers (Matt.5:10-12; 24:9; Lk.21:12-19; 2 Tim.3:12).
10Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into
prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the
crown of life (Rev.2:10)
C. The book of Revelation is a gift to the church to prepare us in advance:
1. To inform us that the Great Tribulation is part of God’s end-time plan to purify the church and bring her forth without
spot or wrinkle. (Rev.2:10;5:8-10; 6:9-11;7:9-14;12:11;13:9-12;14:12;19:6-9).
…We ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and
tribulations that you endure, 5which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted
worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer (1 Thess.1:4-5)
2. To encourage us that those who endure until the end will receive great rewards. (Rev.2:7,10,17,26-29;
3:5,11-12,21)
7He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son (Rev.21:7)
3. To give us confidence that God is in control in the midst of suffering and martyrdom. (Rev.1:8,10,17-19;2:8;4-5;
15:3-4;16:5-6,15;19-20; 22:20)
12 … behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13I am the
Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last (Rev.22:12-13)
V. ASSAULT # 3: ACCUSATION
…the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night (Rev.12:10)
1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand
to oppose him (Zech.3:1)
A. Satan is described as the accuser of the Brethren. One of his primary strategies against God’s people throughout
the history of mankind has been to plant lies (accusations) in the hearts of believers concerning God’s character and
the value of redeemed humanity to God. These lies are designed to infect our hearts with accusation and offense
against God so that we will draw away from God in anger and bitterness. Rev.12:10 reveals that the enemy’s
accusation is unrelenting (day and night)
B. Accusations about God’s Character
1. His Love and goodness
In the midst of suffering, the Devil wants us to believe that God is not a God of love. If He loved us, why would he allow
his people to suffer? Why would he allow righteous people to die? Why would he not want us to enjoy all the pleasures
that the world has to offer?
Has God indeed said, "You shall not eat of every tree of the garden' (Gen.3:1)
2. His Power and Sovereignty
If God is all-powerful, why does he allow bad things to happen to good people? Does He not have power to deliver
people from trouble? Perhaps he doesn’t have as much power as we think? Does the devil has as much power as
God? Perhaps world events are outside God’s control.
3. His Perfect leadership of human history
The Devil tries to convince us that God is not in control. He wants us to believe that there is no plan to establish God’s kingdom
on the earth, and, even if there is a plan, God does not have our best interests at heart. He has not thought through his
plan and is not able to bring it to pass. These accusations will increase as we see global leadership unified in the
person of the Antichrist who will even be given power to prevail against the saints (Dan.7:21; Rev.13:7)
C. Accusations about our value to God (Zech.3:1-10)
One of the primary ways in which the enemy seeks to accuse believers, is to plant lies in our hearts about our value
before God. He wants us to believe that we are not worthy to come before God and we will never inherit any of the
promises because of our sin. He wants us to cause our hearts to despair and give up by telling us that God does not
accept us and the blood of Jesus is insufficient to atone for our sin.
VI. THE THREE FOLD VICTORY OF THE SAINTS
11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their
lives to the death (Rev.12:11)
The book of Revelation provides the strategy by which we will not simply endure the great trouble of the end times
but by which we will also be victorious in the midst of it. Revelation gives picture after picture of the saints overcoming
in the end times to give us confidence that God’s threefold strategy for victory will work.
A. The Blood of the Lamb
1. The shed blood of Jesus is our greatest weapon to confront the accusation of the enemy that we have no value to God.
It is proof of His great love and commitment to humanity. It is through His shed blood that we come confidently into His
presence and are assured of our right standing before Him.
2. Because of His shed blood we have confidence that He is worthy to administrate God’s end time plan perfectly.
It is because of the value of His shed blood that we have confidence Jesus will return to claim His Bride, and that we will
reign with Him on the earth. It is because of His shed blood that we have confidence to endure suffering, patiently, as He
did, because of the joy set before us.
"You are worthy to take the scroll (rule the earth), and to open its seals (administrate God’s end time plan); for You were
slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,10And have
made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth." (Rev.5:9-10)
3. Those who overcome are those who are confident in the great love that Jesus has for them. They know that He
shed His blood for them and they are worthy and valued before Him. They have confidence in His faithfulness to perfectly
complete everything He has promised.
B. The Word of their Testimony
The Word of our Testimony is the declaration through our words and actions of the truth of who God is and what He has
said He will do. It is as we agree with the truth of God’s word that we overcome the seduction and lies of the enemy.
Agreement with what God says about His Power, His Plan and His Promises, demolish the lies of the enemy.
19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He
consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw
near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies
washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful
(Heb.10:19-23).
C. They did not love their lives to the Death
1. The saints will overcome because they willingly give their lives for the sake of something greater than this world.
They are not living for the present and have nothing to lose. The enemy’s strategy can only work if our home is in this
age.
2. The “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11 shows us a picture of a people who had set their hearts on pilgrimage (Ps.84).
This world was not their home and the coming Kingdom was a greater reality to them than the passing pleasures of this
life. Death was not the end, only the beginning thus, when suffering came, they did not draw back in fear and offense,
but embraced it in joy. They were a people who lived for eternity.
32But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33partly
while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those
who were so treated; 34for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods,
knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. 35Therefore do not cast away
your confidence, which has great reward. 36For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of
God, you may receive the promise: 37"For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 38Now
the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him."39But we are not of those who draw
back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.(Heb.10:39)
5Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. 6As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a spring; the rain also covers it with pools. 7They go from strength to strength; each one appears before
God in Zion (Ps.84:5-7)