While God has promised many things in scripture, there are many who did not receive those promises. They suffered persecution, went out hungry and slaughtered. Is the Bible and God to be trusted? This document will look into the mind of God and how to understand what God has said in various places. It will guide those who have questioned scripture and its author.
A perfect definition of faith
The book of Hebrews in the Bible chapter 11 is a well-known chapter as a chapter of faith. It starts with Paul’s definition of faith as a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The chapter has given heroes of faith in a balanced fashion. The balance here is that many because of their faith received what they were promised yet on the other hand some even when they had unquestionable faith, did not receive what they were promised. They died begging God to take away the crucibles put on them but somehow God was silent to their dire request. This latter side of the faithful is mostly ignored and sees little attention yet it is the most crucial. The reason for this is obvious; we do not want to be associated with suffering and death. Such mentality is the lack of faith in itself. Someone said faith is trusting in God and that whatever he decides is best for us. We accept whether it be trials and tribulation on one side or receiving the dead back to life on the other. That is the story of Job on one side and Abraham receiving the promised son Isaac on the other.
What do we learn in Job’s story about unfulfilled promises?
Job lost everything because of faith. He was not protected. It is written, And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand, but save his life. (Job 2:6). Only his life was protected. The whole book of Job shows that he wished his life was not protected. He cursed the day he was born and all his friends including his wife wished he just died. But he could not die because God had set it that he should feel the whole wroth of the devil.
More who suffered when hoping for God’s rescuing hand
The ignored and somewhat pressed downside of chapter 11 of Hebrews is a tale of every initial disciple of Jesus and others whose record is given below:
Matthew in Ethiopia, died a martyr’s death due to a sword wound. Mark, on the night of his death, was dragged through the streets of Alexandria, Egypt, by a horse. Luke was hanged in Greece for preaching to the lost. John, a wave of persecution in Rome led to his martyrdom when he was boiled in a large pot of boiling oil. He was miraculously saved from death, however. Afterwards, John was sentenced to the mines on the prison island of Patmos. On Patmos, he wrote the prophetic Book of Revelation. The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve as Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully. Peter was crucified upside down on an X-shaped cross. According to church tradition, it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died. James, the leader of the church in Jerusalem was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller’s club. This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation. James, son of Zebedee was beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian. Bartholomew was also known as Nathaniel. He was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed our Lord in present-day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip. Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words, “I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it”. He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired. Thomas was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church. Jude was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. Matthias who was chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot was stoned and then beheaded. Paul was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero in Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire.
Where was God when Israel was in turmoil?
Together with Job, this is a short list of the ones who suffered, and for sure some died while asking God to rescue and protect them. Yet it was like the burden of Habakkuk….. “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save.” (Hab. 1:2). What do you do when God seem to be silent is a true indication of your faith not when all is rosy.
More of unfulfilled promises
Before verse 36 of chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews, and going down the chapter, Paul mentioned another group who were not necessarily tortured or persecuted but God did not fulfil the promise in their lives too. They were time to time asking him to fulfil his promise until they died. In verse 13, he says, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth…
Can God fail in his promises?
The last portion of verse 13 above has a lot to say. This verse perfectly concludes the mindset of the faithful. Things of this world matter less to the faithful. Their focus is on eternal things… things “afar off.” They have the mind of Jesus who, looking down the lane of life, for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:2). God and his servants have the same mind flame and thus they are his people and He is their God; the core of the new covenant. They see suffering in this world as stepping stones to sitting with Christ in high places (Eph. 2:6-9). So even when they receive not the promise in this life, they know that God has seen necessary and prepared something better and greater than the minor promises in this life and world.
Promises and Patient Endurance
Patient endurance is a concept that is mentioned in several passages of the Bible. In Revelation 3:10, Jesus speaks of the church in Philadelphia and their patience in trying times which the church went through and encourages them to persevere in their faith, promising to protect them from the hour of trial that is coming upon the earth. Similarly, Revelation 14:12 speaks of those who keep God’s commandments and have faith of Jesus, and notes that they will need to endure patiently to receive the blessings of eternal life.
In Romans 12:12, the apostle Paul urges believers to be patient in tribulation, to be constant in prayer, and to rejoice in hope. This is a call to remain steadfast in the face of difficulties and to trust in God’s faithfulness. Furthermore, in Galatians 5:22-23, Paul lists patience as one part of the fruit of the Spirit, which is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of a believer.
James 1:2-4 provides additional insight into the importance of patient endurance. James writes that when we face trials of various kinds, we should count it all joy, knowing that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness. And when steadfastness has its full effect, we will be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. In other words, patient endurance is necessary for our spiritual growth and maturity in Christian character.
In summary, patient endurance is a vital aspect of the Christian life and is necessary for persevering in faith, growing in spiritual maturity, and receiving the blessings of God. We are called to remain steadfast in the face of difficulties, trusting in God’s faithfulness and relying on the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Patience of the author of our faith and His Baptism
In Mark 10:38, Jesus is speaking to his disciples about the sacrifices they will have to make as his followers. He tells them, “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” He was already baptized by John so what did he imply? This is a reference to the suffering and death that Jesus knew he would face, and that his disciples would also endure if they chose to follow him.
Baptism is mentioned in this passage as a metaphor for the kind of death that Jesus is calling his disciples to embrace. Just as baptism involves being fully immersed in water as a type, The antitype is a true and literal death and being buried in the grave that Jesus went through. Starting with the 12 disciples, his followers have faced this baptism in many ages past. The disciples who went through this baptism were those who were willing to give up everything for the sake of following Jesus even to the grave. They were willing to suffer persecution and rejection for the sake of the Gospel. This required patience and endurance God is expecting from his servants.
Our Crosses
In Matthew 10:38, Jesus tells his disciples that whoever does not take up their cross and follow him is not worthy of him. This statement is often interpreted as a call to discipleship and a willingness to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus goes on to say that whoever finds their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for his sake will find it.
Today, we can still learn from this call to discipleship. As followers of Jesus, we are called to take up our cross and follow him. This means that we are willing to surrender our lives to him, even if it means suffering persecution or rejection. We are called to be willing to lose our lives for the sake of the Gospel, trusting that in doing so we will find true life in him.
Patience of God during the Dark Ages and Servants of God
Following the suffering of many just after Jesus ascended to heaven and the outpouring of the holy spirit on his church, during the Dark Ages people endured immense hardships and persecution too, especially during the Inquisition. However, the saints of that time exhibited remarkable patience and perseverance in the face of adversity. One of the most significant examples of this was the Great Persecution, which lasted from 303 to 312/313 (Rev. 2:10). During this time, governors were given direct edicts from the emperor to persecute Christians, and many were martyred for their faith.
Despite the danger, many Christians continued to practice their faith in secret, and some even openly defied the authorities. The Waldenses in France were one such group, who refused to conform to the corrupt practices of the church and instead, followed their interpretation of the Bible. They were persecuted for their beliefs, but they remained steadfast in their faith and continued to spread the Gospel.
The patience and endurance of these saints during the Dark Ages serve as a reminder to us today that we too can endure difficult times and remain faithful to our beliefs. We can draw strength from their example and trust in God’s providence, knowing that He will sustain us through any trial.
The Master’s Collection of Precious Jewels
The Bible teaches us that those who remain faithful to God in times of difficulty and testing are like jewels to Him. These precious gems are treasured by God and will be a source of pride and joy for Him forever. Amid the storms of life, it can be easy to lose sight of this truth, but it is important to remember that our steadfastness in the face of trials is not in vain.
When we endure hardship with faith and trust in God, we become part of a beautiful and powerful testimony. Our lives become a living example of God’s grace and love, and our perseverance through trials serves as an inspiration to others who may be struggling. In this way, we become part of a trophy of God’s power and faithfulness, reflecting His glory and His strength to those around us.
So let us hold fast to our faith, even amid the storms of life. Let us remember that we are precious jewels in the sight of God and that our perseverance through trials will be an eternal source of joy and pride for Him. And let us always strive to reflect His glory and His love to those around us, so that they too may be inspired to trust in Him and persevere through their trials and difficulties.
God is collecting the elements of his trophy
Precious jewels Christ is collecting are elements of God’s trophy at the end of time. Paul has something again on this matter in verse 40; “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. God has a day when He will bring all the faithful together as a trophy of his saving power. Not Job alone, not Paul alone, not the Waldensians alone; the saved who have gone through tribulation and have conquered through the power of the cross in many ages together making a trophy! That will be a perfect and marvelous day. The perfection on that day will include those who are metaphorically known as “souls under the alter” in Revelation 6:9:11 which states, “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Rest for a little season until…. This is the message to those in the narration of Paul we find in the book of Hebrews. “And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented (of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and dens and caves of the earth.” (Heb 11:36-38). The faithful will wait for the promise even if they do not receive it in this life because they know this is not the end. The see the promise “afar off”.
Perfection is being achieved in the whole story of the faithful; some being perfected in faith as they see the perfection of their heroes that passed through the earth before them. They are encouraged by the words of Paul; “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Heb. 12:1). All together will be a trophy for Jesus the perfector of our faith.
A trophy is never given in bits and pieces. Just as Hebrews 11 is a collection of the faithful, wholistically it gives a total picture of the faithful and it is beautiful to behold. That is why; ‘until their fellow servants are also tried and tested and killed’. That is why “without us in the last days, to suffer the same fate of those in the dark ages and beyond must suffer too to make the trophy complete. That is why the message to the Philadelphia church is vivid that a testing time is coming to the world (Rev. 3:10). When all the faithful will stand at the glassy sea as redeemed it will be a perfect trophy indeed.
The Singing at the Glassy Sea
The article has shown that in all ages God has had his jewels on earth that have not allowed themselves to bend to the devil’s side. The faithful have accepted the plan by the Almighty in character building and thus they are willing to suffer like their Master looking down into the future when they will receive a better promise. They steadfastly endure the suffering in this world knowing it will be okay looking at Christ the author and finisher of their faith. Such will be the people who will gather at the sea of glass. They will sing a song of Moses and a song of the Lamb which no single angel will be able to sing.
The Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb, as mentioned in Revelation 15:3-4, is a beautiful hymn of praise and triumph. It is a song of celebration, sung by those who have overcome the trials and tribulations of life and have emerged victorious through their faith in God.
The Song of Moses, which is found in Exodus 15, is a song of triumph over the enemies of God’s people. It celebrates the deliverance of the Israelites from their oppressors and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea. It is a song of triumph and inspiration, reminding us that God is always faithful to His promises and will deliver us from our enemies.
The song of Moses will be mixed with the Song of the Lamb to produce a medley of all ages. It is a medley of redemption, sung by those who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. It will celebrate the victory of Christ over sin and death and the beginning of another chapter in eternity where sin and suffering will not rise again. It will be a song of joy and thanksgiving, a reminder of the love and grace of God that has been poured out upon us and all creatures through Christ. The song will remind and inspire unfallen worlds not to engage in sin again as did Lucifer.
This medley, the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb form a powerful testimony to the faithfulness and goodness of God and all questions about the love of God will be erased. Let us learn to suffer patiently. Let us work our salvation with fear and trembling to be there and sing at the glassy sea.
