WAKE-UP CALL: Part 3 – Come out of Babylon! Get GROUNDED (rooted, firmly established) in the TRUTH and OVERCOME the FEAR of PERSECUTION

24 October 2025

We are proceeding today with studying the second reason Yeshua our Messiah provides us with why we can find ourselves being STUCK in Babylon, namely:  HEARING the WORD and ACCEPTING it with JOY but not being GROUNDED in it.

In the PARABLE of the SOWER told by Yeshua in Matthew 13:5-6 some SEEDS fell on the rocky patches where there was not much soil. It sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow; but when the sun has risen, the young plants were scorched; and sins their ROOTS WERE NOT DEEP, they dried up.  He then explained in verses 20-21 this means: “The SEED SOWN on ROCKY GROUND is like a person who HEARS the MESSAGE and ACCEPTS it with JOY AT ONCE, but HAS NO ROOT in himself. So he stays on for a while; but as soon as some TROUBLE (worry, distress, suffering) or PERSECUTION (harassment, oppression, mistreatment, discrimination, torture, suffering) arises on ACCOUNT of the MESSAGE, he IMMEDIATELY FALLS AWAY (be becomes faithless, unfaithful to YHVH, rejecting His rule/ His laws, instructions, regulations in their life, deliberately turning away from the TRUTH/ the WORD and willfully rejecting Yeshua the Messiah).

We are therefore today focusing on OVERCOMING the FEAR PERSECUTION.

We read in the WORD, especially in the New Testament that PERSECUTION will be experienced by believers in Yeshua our Messiah. He Himself said in Matthew 5:10-12 “How BLESSED are those who are PERSECUTED because they PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. How BLESSED you are when people INSULT you and PERSECUTE you and tell all kinds of vicious (spiteful, vindictive, malicious, hateful, nasty) lies about you because you FOLLOW ME! REJOICE, BE GLAD, because your REWARD in heaven is great – they PERSECUTED the prophets before you in the same way.” (Also read Luke 6:22)

In Luke 21 Yeshua our Messiah talks about the signs of the end times and in verses 16-19 He says: “You will be BETRAYED even by PARENTS, BROTHERS, RELATIVES and FRIENDS; some of you they will have put to death; and everyone will HATE you because of ME. But not a hair of your head will be lost. By STANDING FIRM you will SAVE your lives.” In Acts 13:50 it is clear that unbelievers are able to stir up PERSECUTION, even organized PERSECUTION among BELIEVERS against other BELIEVERS!

And in Matthew 5:43-45 Yeshua our Messiah takes LOVE your neighbor a step further instructing us to:  “…LOVE your enemies! PRAY for those who persecute (oppress, dominate, harass, maltreat, torture) you! Then you will become children of your Father in heaven. For He makes His sun shine on good and bad people alike, and He sends rain to the righteous and the unrighteous alike. What reward do you get if you only LOVE those who LOVE you? Why, even the tax-collectors do that! And if you are FRIENDLY only to your friends, are you doing anything out of the ordinary? Even the pagans (people who do not know God) do that! THEREFORE, BE PERFECT, just as your FATHER in HEAVEN is PERFECT.”

We read in John 15:17-20 “This is what I command you: KEEP LOVING EACH OTHER! If the WORLD HATES you, UNDERSTAND that it HATED ME FIRST. If you belonged to the world, the world would have loved its own. But because you DO NOT BELONG to the world – on the contrary, I have picked you out of the world – THEREFORE THE WORLD HATES you. REMEMBER what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ IF they PERSECUTED ME, they WILL PERSECUTE you too;…” In line with this, John later said in 1 John 3:13-15 “Don’t be amazed, brothers, if the world hates you. We, for our part, know that we have passed from death to life because we keep loving the brothers (John here refers to dying to the self, the sinful nature).”

In John 16:1-4 Yeshua explains: “I have told you these things so that you won’t be caught by surprise. They will ban you from the synagogue; in fact, the TIME WILL COME when anyone who KILLS you WILL THINK he is SERVING God! They will do these things because they have understood neither the Father nor me.” And in verse 33 He says: “I have said these things to you so that, UNITED WITH ME, you may have SHALOM (peace). In the world, you have tsuris (a Hebrew word for difficulty, trouble, suffering, struggle). But BE BRAVE! I HAVE CONQUERED THE WORLD!

And in Yeshua’s prayer for His disciples and all future disciples (including us), he said to Abba Father in John 17:14-17 “I have given them YOUR WORD, and the WORLD HATED THEM, because they do not belong to the world – just as I MYSELF do not belong to the world. I don’t ask you to take them out of the world, but to PROTECT them from the evil one…Set them APPART for HOLINESS by means of THE TRUTH – YOUR WORD IS TRUTH.”

Paul confirmed this in Romans 8:7 saying: For the MIND controlled by the OLD NATURE is HOSTILE to GOD, because it does NOT submit itself to GOD’s TORAH (that is God’s WORD in Genesis to Deuteronomy summed up in the TEN COMMANDMENTS).” And the prophet Amos said in Amos 5:10 “They (the Northern Kingdom, the ten tribes under Ephraim, who went astray) HATE anyone promoting JUSTICE at the city gate, they DETEST (hate, despise, dislike) anyone WHO SPEAKS THE TRUTH.”  We must therefore UNDERSTAND, there will come a time when some believers will apostatize (reject of Abba Father’s rule meaning His laws, instructions and regulations and deliberately turn away from the TRUTH of the WORD and willfully rejecting Yeshua the Messiah) and hate those believers who still obey THE WORD OF YHVH, CALLED THE TRUTH and still keep the testimony of Yeshua the Messiah!

In Acts chapters 6 and 7 Stephen convicts (brings awareness of sin, righteousness and judgement) to the Sanhedrin (a Jewish religious council or court)  saying to them in Acts 7:51-53 “Stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You continually oppose the Ruach HaKodesh! (the Holy Spirit) You do the same things your fathers did! Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who told in advance about the coming of the Tzaddik (the Righteous One, the Messiah), and now you have become His betrayers (traitors) and murderers – you! – who receive the Torah (Genesis to Deuteronomy) as having been delivered by angels – but do not keep it!” And it made them mad (angry, furious, wrathful), we read in verse 54: “On hearing these things, they were CUT TO THEIR HEARTS (because remember the TRUTH, the WORD of GOD is like a DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD cutting through to where soul meets spirit and it judges the inner reflections and attitudes of the HEART as written in Hebrews 4:12). And this TRUTH cutting to the HEART is meant to let people TESHUVAH (to repent and turn back to God), but unfortunately, it did not convince them to repent and turn back to God because their HEARTS were HARDENED and we read they “ground (gnashed, gritted) their teeth” at Stephen. But God was with Stephen.

We read in Acts 6:55-60 “But he (Stephen), full of the Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit), looked up to heaven and saw God’s (the Father’s) Sh’kinah (Divine Presence, the manifest glory of God), with Yeshua standing at the right hand of God (the Father). Look! He exclaimed, I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God (the Father)! At this, they began yelling at the top of their voices, so that they wouldn’t have to hear him; and with one accord, they rushed at him, threw him outside the city, and began stoning him. And the witnesses laid down their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul (later to be called Paul). As they were stoning him, Stephen called out to God, Master Yeshua! Receive my spirit! Then he kneeled down and shouted out, Master! Don’t hold this sin against them! With that, he died.”  And we read in Acts 8:1 “Starting with that day, there arose INTENSE PERSECUTION against the Messianic Community (the believers and followers of Yeshua) in Jerusalem; all but the apostles were scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria.

And maybe one can ask WHY did God not protect Stephen from suffering and dying? And then resulting in such extreme persecution! We find the REASON for it in Acts 11:19-21 saying: “Now those who had been scattered because of the PERSECUTION which had arisen over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch; they spoke God’s WORD, but only to the Jews, However, some of these men from Cyprus and Cyrene, when they arrived at Antioch began speaking to the Greeks too, PROCLAIMING the GOOD NEWS of Master Yeshua. The hand of the Master (Yeshua) was with them, and a GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE TRUSTED (believed) and TURNED to the Master (Yeshua).”

We must therefore UNDERSTAND a believer’s death may have an important PURPOSE! And that is SPREADING the WORD for LOST SOULS to be SAVED. REMEMBER, Stephen was SAVED and Yeshua our Messiah received him in heaven. But many people who did not receive the GOOD NEWS yet, were still in danger of being LOST. Yeshua our Messiah explains this concept to us in Mark 8:34-38, saying: for whoever wants to be His disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Him. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Him and for the GOSPEL will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? If anyone is ashamed of Him and His WORDS in this sinful and adulterous (unlawful, false) generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He come in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.  Stephen therefore lost his physical body on earth, but his SOUL, who will live eternally is safe with God. Stephen was willing to be used by God to bring HIS WORD to the people, in this case, the Sadducees in the SANHEDRIN to give them the opportunity to CHANGE THEIR MINDS and be SAVED and that is how far God will go, because He does not want anyone to perish, BUT He cannot make our decisions for us. He promises to be with ALL BELIEVERS willing to give up their physical lives in the SPREADING of HIS GOOD NEWS, with the possibility of LOST SOULS to be saved.

REMEMBER: Believers are clay jars with God’s LIGHT and KNWOLEDGE (His WORD) and Holy Spirit as power within us (read 2 Corinthians 4:6-12). Paul also explains this while he was in prison in Rome saying in Philippians 1:12-14 “Now brothers, I want you to know that what has happened to me has HELPED IN ADVANCING the GOOD NEWS. It has become clear to the whole palace and to everyone else that it is because of the Messiah that I am in chains. Also my BEING in PRISON has given most of the brothers in the Master (Yeshua) CONFICENCE, so that they have become MUCH MORE BOLD in SPEAKING the WORD of GOD FEARLESSLY (courageously, bravely).” And then Paul also says something else which is important. Sometimes we spend too much of our energy worrying about the motives of other people instead of surrendering it to God our Father. Paul teaches us this lesson in verses 15-26 saying: “True, some are proclaiming the Messiah out of jealousy and rivalry (competition, opposition), but others are DOING IT IN GOODWILL (kindness, friendliness, helpfulness, usefulness, effectiveness, concern). The latter act from LOVE, aware that I am put where I am (meaning in prison), for DEFENDING (protecting, guarding, preserving) the GOOD NEWS; while the former announce the Messiah out of selfish (self-centered, self-seeking) ambition (motivation, drive), with impure motives, supposing (assuming) they can stir up trouble for me in prison. But so what? ALL THAT MATTERS is that in EVERY WAY, whether honestly or in pretense, the Messiah is being proclaimed; and in that I REJOICE (celebrate, delight). Yes, and I will continue to REJOICE, for I know that this will work out for my deliverance (release, freedom), because of your PRAYERS and THE SUPPORT I get from the (capital letter) SPIRIT of YESHUA the MESSIAH. It ALL accords (agrees) with my earnest expectation and hope (confidence) that I will have nothing to be ashamed of; but rather, now, as always, the Messiah will be honored by my body, whether alive or dead.  For to me LIFE IS THE MESSIAH, and DEATH IS GAIN (to my advantage). But if by living on in the body I can do fruitful work, then I don’t know what to choose. I am caught in a dilemma: my DESIRE is to go off and be with the Messiah – that is better by far – but because of you, the greatest need is to stay on in the body. Yes, I am convinced of this; so I know I will stay on with you in order to help you progress in the FAITH and have JOY in it. Then, through my being with you again, you will have even greater reason for boasting about the Messiah Yeshua.”

And in Philippians 1 Paul ends his letter by encouraging the believers in verses 27-30 to: “Only conduct your lives in a WAY WORTHY (commendable, praiseworthy) of the GOOD NEWS of the MESSIAH so that…you STAND FIRM (steady, strong), UNITED in spirit, FIGHTING with one accord (in agreement) for the FAITH (confidence, trust, conviction) of the GOOD NEWS, not frightened (scared, terrified) by anything the opposition does. This will be for them an indication (a warning) that they are headed for destruction and you for deliverance (release, rescue, freedom).    And this is from God (the Father); because for Messiah’s sake it has been granted to you not only to TRUST (have faith, believe, hope) in HIM but also to suffer on His behalf, to fight the same battles you once saw me (Paul) fight and now hear that I am still fighting it (referring to Paul’s time in prison).”

We know of the PERSECUTION the disciples had to deal with and Paul himself saying in 2 Corinthians 4:8-11 We have ALL KINDS OF TROUBLES, but we are NOT crushed; we are PERPLEXED (stunned, baffled), yet not in despair (misery, hopelessness); PERSECUTED, yet not abandoned (deserted, forsaken, rejected); knocked down, yet not destroyed.” And in 2 Corinthians 12:10 Paul said: “…I am WELL PLEASED with WEAKNESSESS, INSULTS, HARDSHIPS, PERSECUTIONS and DIFFICULTIES ENDURED on behalf of THE MESSIAH; for it is when I am weak that I am strong.”

And in Romans 5:3 Paul says: “…let us also boast in our TROUBLES (difficulties, distresses); because we know that trouble produces ENDURANCE (strength, ability to persevere, persist, continue), endurance produces CHARACTER and character produces HOPE (confidence, faith, courage); and this hope does not let us down, because GOD’s LOVE FOR US has already poured out in our HEARTS through the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) who has been given to us.” 

And in Romans 12:14-19 Paul teaches the believers in line with what Yeshua our Messiah said in Matthew 5:43-45: “BLESS those who PERSECUTE you – BLESS THEM, don’t curse them! REJOICE with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be sensitive (thoughtful, considerate, caring) to each other’s needs – don’t think yourselves better than others, but make HUMBLE people your friends. Don’t be conceited (self-important, proud, arrogant). REPAY no one evil for evil, but try to do what everyone regards as GOOD. If possible, and to the extent that it depends on you, LIFE IN PEACE WITH ALL PEOPLE. NEVER SEEK REVENGE (retaliation, vengeance, payback, retribution), my friends; instead, LEAVE THAT TO GOD’s ANGER; for in the Tanakh (the Old Testament) it is written. ‘YHVH says, Vengeance is MY RESPONSIBILITY; I WILL REPAY (read Deuteronomy 32:41).” And this is because ONLY GOD the Father knows the WHOLE STORY of EVERY PERSON’s LIFE and therefore ONLY HE CAN JUDGE JUSTLY and give to everyone what we deserve. And if we PRAY for our enemies, the chance (the possibility, opportunity, option) is there that they may decide to REPENT and TURN back to Abba Father and be SAVED by Him! Paul then proceeds in Romans 12:20-21: On the contrary, ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For by doing this, you will heap fiery coals (of shame) on his head.’ (Paul is quoting here Proverbs 25:21-22). Do NOT be conquered by evil, but CONQUER evil with GOOD.”

So we must understand as God’s children, HE IS our avenger. We also read in Revelation 8:4 when the Lamb broke the seventh seal a large amount of incense was added to the PRAYERS of God the Father’s people and the smoke of the incense went up with the prayers to God and then the angel filled the bowl with FIRE from the altar and threw it down as part of God’s wrath that poured out on the EARTH and the WICKED along with the SEVEN TRUMPET judgements. And we know Yeshua our Messiah is coming to make war against the enemies of God and His people. So what we are required to do is to BLESS our ENEMIES and PRAY for them for God’s GRACE and MECY, and we can then be sure that HE will ACT IN JUSTNESS (fairness, impartiality in according to every person’s choices resulting in their words and deeds). (Also read Jeremiah 20:11, Psalm 31:15, Romans 12:14 and 1 Corinthians 15:22-28 & 50-56 and Revelation 20:14)

In 2 Timothy 3:10-11 Paul talks about him being persecuted and Master Yeshua rescuing him from all of it (as David also tells us in Psalm 34:19). Paul also tells us as believers in 2 Tim 3:12-13 “And indeed, ALL who want to live a godly life UNITED WITH THE MESSIAH YESHUA, WILL BE PERSECUTED, while evil people and imposters will go from bad to worse, DECEIVING OTHERS and BEING DECEIVED THEMSELVES.” And then Paul encourages believers with the following words in verses 14-17: “But you, CONTINUE in what you have learned and have become convinced of, recalling the people from whom you learned it; recalling too how from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures (remember children in Jewish families are taught the Torah, Genesis to Deuteronomy and by the age of 5 years old they already have a good understanding and by the age of 13 they go through bar-mitsvah, taking responsibility for their own actions), which can give you the WISDOM that leads to DELIVERANCE through TRUSTING (believing, having hope and faith) in Yeshua the Messiah. We get confirmation in various parts of Scripture that the Torah of Moses and the Prophets were written about Yeshua, like in Luke 24:27 & 44, John 1:45, Romans 3:21 and 2 Peter 3:2. ALL Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for TEACHING THE TRUTH, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living; thus anyone who BELONGS TO GOD may be FULLY EQUIPED for every good work.”

Hebrews 12:3 REMINDS us that Yeshua our Messiah had to endure such hostility (aggression, anger, unfriendliness) against Himself from sinners, so that we won’t get tired or become despondent (hopeless, downhearted, despairing, sad, unhappy, depressed). And in verse 4 the writer says: “You have not yet resisted (fought, battled) to the point of shedding blood in the contest (challenge, fight) against sin (wickedness, depravity, immorality, evil).”

Peter similarly reminds believers in 1st Peter 4:1-2 “Therefore, since the Messiah suffered physically, you too are to arm yourselves with the same attitude (mental and emotional outlook). For whoever suffers physically is finished with sin, with the result that that he lives the rest of his earthly life no longer controlled by human desires, but by God’s will.” And he further explains in verses 12-19: “Dear friends, don’t regard it as strange the fiery ordeal occurring among you to TEST you, as if something extraordinary were happening to you. Rather, to the extent that you share the fellowship of the Messiah’s sufferings, REJOICE; so that you will rejoice even more when His Sh’kinah (Divine Presence, the manifest glory of God) is revealed. If you are being insulted because you bear the NAME of the Messiah, HOW BLESSED YOU ARE! For the Spirit of the Sh’kinah (Divine Presence, the manifest glory of God present with people), that is the Spirit of God (the Father), is RESTING on you! Let none of you suffer for being a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or a meddler (troublemaker, stirrer, gossiper) in other people’s affairs. But if anyone suffers for being Messianic (a follower of the Messiah); let him not be ashamed; but let him bring glory to God (the Father) by the WAY he bears this NAME. For the time has come for the JUDGEMENT to begin. It begins with the HOUSEHOLD of GOD; and if it starts with us, what will the outcome be for those who are DISOBEYING the GOOD NEWS? – If the righteous is barely delivered, where will the ungodly and sinful end up?” (Here Peter is quoting Proverbs 11:31). So let those who are suffering according to God’s will ENTRUST themselves to a FAITHFUL CREATOR by CONTINUING to DO what is GOOD (decent, respectable, moral, virtuous, honest, noble, upright).”   

James encourages the believers in James 5:7-11 saying: “So bothers, be patient until the Master (Yeshua the Messiah) returns. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth – he is patient over it until it receives the fall and spring rains. You too, be patient; keep up your courage (be brave, fearless, unafraid); for the Master’s return is near. Don’t grumble (complain, criticize, moan, protest) against one another, brothers, so that you won’t come under condemnation (declared guilty and deserving punishment) – look! The JUDGE is standing at the door! As an example of SUFFERING mistreatment and being patient (enduring, tolerant), brothers. Take the PROPHETS who spoke in the NAME of YHVH. Look, we regard those who PERSERVERED as BLESSED. ”

In Psalm 34:19 David tells us: “The righteous person (those living in obedience to Abba Father and Yeshua the Messiah with the help of the Holy Spirit) SUFFERS many evils (troubles, problems, tribulations), but YHVH rescues (saves, frees) him out of them all.” God therefore protects believers. We are also assured in the well-known Psalm 91:1-16 that if we live in the SHELTER and shadow of God Almighty and we declare Him as our REFUGE (safe haven) and FORTRESS, the God in whom we trust (have faith, believe and hope), He will rescue (save) us and protect (defend, guard, shield) us against all types of evil. Also read Revelation 12:12-17 wherein we are told about believers being persecuted by the dragon (Satan) and Abba Father’s supernatural protection.

In Revelation 1:9 John introduces himself to the SEVEN MESSIANIC COMMUNITIES to whom the letters of Yeshua the Messiah were addressed as: a brother and fellow sharer in the SUFFERING, kingship and PERSERVERANCE that comes from being UNITED with YESHUA. And he confirms he had been exiled to the Island Patmos for having PROCLAIMED THE MESSAGE OF GOD and BORNE WITNESS to YESHUA. The same thing we read in Revelation chapter 12 :11 referring to believers defeating Satan (the deceiver and accuser) with the LAMB’s BLOOD and the MESSAGE of their WITNESS, even when facing death and in verse 17 we see that Satan (here called the dragon), fight against those who OBEY GOD’s COMMANDMENTS and BEAR WITNESS TO YESHUA. And in Revelation 14:12 a request is made for PERSERVERANCE (persistence, endurance) for God’s people who OBSERVE HIS COMMANDMENTS and EXERCISE YESHUA’s FAITHFULNESS.

We also read in Revelation 2:10 Yeshua the Messiah saying to the Congregation of Smyrna: “Don’t be afraid of what you are about to SUFFER. Look, the Adversary (Satan) is going to have some of you thrown into prison, IN ORDER TO PUT YOU TO THE TEST; and you will face an ordeal (trial, suffering, tribulation) for ten days. REMAIN FAITHFUL, even to the point of DEATH; and I WILL GIVE YOU LIFE as your crown.”

In Revelation 6:9-11 we read about the Lamb (Yeshua) breaking the FIFTH SEAL and John seeing underneath the altar the SOULS of those who had been PUT TO DEATH for PROCLAIMING THE WORD OF GOD, that is, FOR BEARING WITNESS. And they asked the SOVEREIGN RULER, HA KADOSH (the Holy One, a euphemism for YHVH), the TRUE ONE, how long it will be before He JUDGE the people living on the earth to AVENGE their blood. And we read in verse 11: “Each of them was given a WHITE ROBE; and they were told to wait a little longer, until the FULL NUMBER of their FELLOW SERVANTS should be reached, of their brothers WHO WOULD BE KILLED, just as they had been.

And in Revelation 7:14 John saw the people (in all probability these same people we read about in Revelation 6:9-11 in heaven dressed in WHITE ROBES) and in verses 15-17, one of the elders explained to John: “These are the people WHO CAME OUT OF THE GREAT PERSECUTION (the NIV says: the GREAT TRIBULATION). They have WASHED their ROBES and made them WHITE with the BLOOD of the LAMB. That is why they are before God’s throne. ‘Day and night they serve Him in His Temple; and the One who sits on the throne will put His Sh’khinah (Divine Presence, the manifest glory of God) on them. They will never again be HUNGRY, they will never again be THRISTY, he sun will not beat down on them, nor will any burning heat scorch them (referring to Isaiah 49:10). For the LAMB, at the center of the throne, will SHEPHERD them, will LEAD them to springs of LIVING WATER, and GOD (the Father) will wipe every tear from their eyes.’” (As prophesied in Isaiah 25:8 and 49:10, Ezekiel 34:23 and Psalm 23:1-2).

In Revelation 13:7-10 we read the beast (the antichrist/ antimessiah) coming up out of the sea (the nations), will be allowed to make war on God’s holy (set-apart) people and DEFEAT them – and anyone meant for CAPTIVITY will go into CAPTIVITY and anyone to be KILLED with the SWORD will be KILLED (read the prophecy in Jeremiah 15:2 and 43:11). And then we read in Revelation 13:10b “This is when God’s holy (set-apart) people MUST PERSERVERE (persist, endure) AND TRUST (have faith, believe and hope)!

And in Revelation 17 we read about the great whore (a prostitute, a woman who has many casual sexual encounters or relationships) sitting by many waters. The kings of the earth went whoring with her, and the people living on the earth have become drunk from the wine of her whoring (idolatry, pursuit of false small letter gods). John saw this woman sitting on the beast with seven heads and ten horns, in her hand was a cup filled with obscene (offensive, indecent) and filthy things produced by her whoring and on her forehead was a name with hidden meaning, Babylon the Great, mother of whores and of the earth’s obscenities (vulgarities, indecencies). And we read in verse 6 John saying: ‘I saw the woman drunk from the blood of God’s people that is from the BLOOD of the PEOPLE WHO TESTIFY ABOUT YESHUA.   

And in Revelation 20:4-6 we read about the believers who will reign with Yeshua the Messiah during the thousand years of peace and in verse 4 we see that it involves two groups of believers, those who had been BEHEADED for TESTIFYING about YESHUA and PROCLAIMING the WORD of GOD, and those who HAD NOT worshipped the beast or its image and HAD NOT received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands. They CAME TO LIFE and are therefore part of the FIRST RESURECTION. And we read in verse 6: “BLESSED and HOLY is anyone who HAS PART IN THE FIRST RESURECTION; over him the SECOND DEATH has NO power (the second death we read in verses 14-15 is the lake of fire).