QUESTION:

To what extent will America be persecuted? What about the mark of the beast and being forced to worship him? At the middle of the 70th week should Christians 'run for the hills' to avoid persecution (and even death) or stay around to be salt and light and witness? If the former, should we stock emergency supplies in anticipation of the middle of the week?

STEPHEN'S ANSWER:

There is no doubt that Christians in North America will be persecuted by Anti-Christ and his followers during the second-half of Daniel's 70th Week, when:

"3...the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast (Anti-Christ); 4they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?' 5There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. 6And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. 8All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain." (Revelation 13:3b-8, emphasis added)

Thus, as the text clearly states, true saints of Christ in "every tribe and people and tongue and nation" will be overcome, or persecuted, by the beast - Anti-Christ. The extent of the persecution is also described a few verses later in the same chapter:

"15And it was given to him (the other beast - the false prophet) to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name." (Revelation 13:15-17, emphasis added)

In Matthew 24:16 Jesus instructed "those who are in Judea" to "flee to the mountains", because they are the unsaved Jews, who will be protected by God through the second half of Daniel's 70th Week, at the end of which they shall all be saved (see Revelation 12:6, Daniel 9:24, Romains 11:25-27). We as the witnesses of Jesus, however, are not told in the Scripture to flee and hide, but instead to persevere and trust in our God to protect us and provide our needs.

Please take notice of these two obscure verses in Revelation 13, which I believe holds the key to the response/attitude a Christian should have in that time of great distress and persecution:

"9If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints. " (Revelation 13:9-10, emphasis added)

Does this passage teach the saints to escape to the hills or hide from the captivity or the sword? May it never be! Instead, it teaches that the saints of God should "persevere" and "have faith" in their God, who will "repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus" (2 Thess. 1:6-8). If our God could provide manna from heaven to the Israelites in the wilderness, He surely can and will protect and provide for His own children who truly trust in Him, even in the greatest time of distress and persecution.

On the other hand, I don't think you can survive the overwhelming persecution of Anti-Christ simply by hidding in the hills with
pre-stocked food for years without been discovered. You think you are saving yourself's life but in fact you are losing it. Consider this warning given by Christ in Matthew 16:25: "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it", when referring to the end of age, when "the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS." (v 27)

It is ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD that those "who endure to the end will be saved (delivered from the persection)" (Matthew 24:13).

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible.

Further questions or comments on this answer may be sent to Stephen at here.