34. Before The Final Judgment pt2

THE FUTURE FOR THE SAVED

Revelation 14:12–13 KJV

12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

INTRODUCTION

Last Sunday night, as we studied verses 6–11, we heard angels announce God’s judgment against this world system and those who reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

We considered the terrible future awaiting those who live and die without the Lord. There is a real place called Hell, and there is nothing more tragic than a soul entering eternity without Jesus.

If you are not saved tonight, I urge you to consider where you are headed. Do you really want to spend eternity separated from God and the joys of Heaven?

You do not have to! Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again. You can come to Him in repentance and faith and be saved.

But when we come to verse 12, the scene changes. After the solemn warnings of judgment, we hear words of comfort for the people of God.

Having shown us the future of the wicked, God now turns our attention to the future of His children. It is as though He says, “You have seen what awaits those who reject Me. Now look at what awaits those who belong to Me.”

These believers will face terrible suffering during the Tribulation. Their faithfulness may cost them their possessions, their freedom, and even their lives. Yet their suffering will never have the final word.

Their future is secure because they belong to Jesus.

As we consider THE FUTURE FOR THE SAVED, notice three truths about these faithful saints.

I. WE SEE THE FAITHFUL ARE PATIENT

Revelation 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints…”

The word “patience” carries the idea of steadfast endurance.

It describes someone who remains faithful under pressure—someone who refuses to turn away from the Lord when following Him becomes difficult.

These saints will endure because their confidence rests in God.

A. They endure the pressure of opposition.

In spite of the horrors of the Tribulation and the threats of the Antichrist, these believers remain faithful to Jesus.

They refuse to bow to the world. They refuse to worship the beast. They refuse to surrender their allegiance to the Lord.

Their faithfulness does not mean they escape suffering. It means they continue trusting God in the midst of it.

They know that God is carrying out His eternal plan. Even when they cannot understand everything happening around them, they can trust the One who rules over it all.

B. They endure with confidence in God’s victory.

These saints may appear defeated in the eyes of the world, but they belong to the victorious Savior.

The Antichrist may take their lives, but he cannot take their salvation.

He may threaten their earthly future, but he cannot change their eternal destination.

That is a lesson we need today.

The world and the devil continually pressure us to compromise. We are tempted to soften our convictions, neglect God’s Word, and choose acceptance over obedience.

Compromise may ease the pressure for a while, but no amount of approval from the world can replace fellowship with God.

We must never trade faithfulness to Christ for acceptance from the world.

C. They endure by remaining steadfast in their calling.

1 Corinthians 15:58 says:

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

Our responsibility is to stay faithful.

Keep praying. Keep serving. Keep witnessing. Keep standing on the Word of God.

We may not control the response of others, but we can remain obedient to the Lord.

D. They endure knowing God sees their service.

The world may overlook your faithfulness, but God never does.

He sees the sacrifice nobody mentions. He hears the prayer nobody else hears. He knows about the kindness that never receives public recognition.

Jesus said that even a cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple would not lose its reward.

Matthew 10:42:

“And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

You may feel forgotten by people, but you are never forgotten by God.

Transition: These saints do more than endure hardship. Their endurance reveals the reality of their faith. That brings us to the second truth.

II. WE SEE THE FAITHFUL ARE PROVEN

Revelation 14:12 “…here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

These believers demonstrate their faithfulness in two ways: they obey God’s Word, and they hold fast to Jesus.

Their obedience does not purchase their salvation. It gives evidence that they belong to the Savior.

A. Their faith is demonstrated by their obedience.

They “keep the commandments of God.”

Even when obedience is costly, they choose to do what God says.

Jesus said in John 14:15:

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

Love for the Lord should be visible in the way we live.

It should shape our decisions, govern our conduct, and guide our relationships.

1 John 2:3 says:

“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.”

This does not mean believers live without ever failing. It means that those who know the Lord desire to obey Him, and when they sin, they turn back to Him in repentance.

The question is more than, “Do I say I love Jesus?”

The question is, “Does my life give evidence that I love Jesus?”

B. Their faith is demonstrated by their loyalty.

These saints also keep “the faith of Jesus.”

They refuse to abandon their allegiance to Him.

During the Tribulation, that loyalty will carry a terrible price.

Those who refuse to worship the beast and receive his mark will be unable to buy or sell. Many will face persecution and death.

Yet they will remain faithful.

They will not deny the Lord simply to make life easier. They will not surrender their testimony to gain the world’s approval.

Their example challenges us.

If they can remain faithful under the threat of death, surely we ought to remain faithful when we face criticism, inconvenience, or rejection.

We must resist the temptation to adjust the message of Scripture merely to make it more acceptable.

A church can draw a crowd and still fail to proclaim the truth. Numbers, money, and popularity cannot take the place of obedience to God.

We ought to welcome people warmly, love them sincerely, and proclaim the Gospel clearly.

That includes telling the truth about sin, repentance, salvation, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The message that saves souls is the message God has given us. We have no authority to change it.

III. WE SEE THE FAITHFUL ARE PROFITING

Revelation 14:13 “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth….”

From an earthly viewpoint, these believers will give up a great deal.

They will suffer deprivation, persecution, and hardship. Some will lose everything they own. Some will give their lives.

Someone might ask, “What did they gain by remaining faithful?”

God answers that question in verse 13.

A. They receive the blessing of being with the Lord.

“Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord…”

The word “blessed” describes their favored and happy condition before God.

Notice carefully who is called blessed: those who “die in the Lord.”

Death itself does not make a person blessed. The blessing belongs to those who belong to Jesus.

Their circumstances on earth may have been painful, but their future in His presence is glorious.

When a believer dies, we often say, “They are better off.” For the one who dies in the Lord, that is wonderfully true.

We still grieve because we miss them. Their absence hurts. But alongside our sorrow, we have the comfort of knowing they are with Christ.

Paul described it as “to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better” in Philippians 1:23

Their suffering has ended, and they are home with the Savior.

B. They receive rest from their labors.

“…Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours…”

The word “labours” speaks of toil—work that brings weariness and exhaustion.

These saints have served the Lord under tremendous pressure. They have carried burdens, endured opposition, and suffered for His name.

Now the struggle is over.

Think of a weary soldier coming home after battle, or a sailor reaching the harbor after a terrible storm.

That is the comfort of this promise: God’s weary servants will finally rest.

There is weariness in serving the Lord. Faithful people grow tired. Bodies weaken. Hearts become burdened.

Perhaps you know what it is to keep serving while carrying a sorrow nobody else can see.

The Lord knows.

There is coming a day when His children will lay down every burden. There will be no more persecution, no more pain, and no more exhaustion from living in a fallen world.

We will still have the joy of serving Him, but the weariness and suffering that accompany our service here will be gone.

C. They receive the fruit of their faithful service.

“…and their works do follow them.”

Their labor for the Lord was never wasted.

They leave their earthly possessions behind, but the fruit of their faithfulness follows them.

God remembers what was done for His glory.

1 Corinthians 3:14 says:

“If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.”

We are saved by grace through faith, and even our ability to serve comes from the Lord. Yet in His goodness, He promises to reward faithful service.

He gives us the strength to serve, and then He rewards what His grace enabled us to do!

What a gracious Savior!

One day, when we stand in His presence, we will understand how much we owe Him. Like the elders who cast their crowns before His throne in Revelation 4, we will give Him all the glory.

Every reward will remind us of His goodness. Every victory will testify to His grace.

We sing, “What a day that will be,” and what a glorious day it will be when we finally see Jesus!

CONCLUSION

These verses place two very different futures before us.

In verses 6–11, we saw the judgment awaiting those who reject Jesus Christ. In verses 12–13, we see the blessed future of those who belong to Him.

For the saved, suffering will end. Faith will give way to sight. Weary servants will rest, and faithful service will never be forgotten.

If you are saved tonight, keep going.

Keep trusting the Lord. Keep obeying His Word. Keep serving Him where He has placed you.

Your burden is not hidden from Him. Your faithfulness is not forgotten. Your labor is not in vain.

If you are not saved, come to Jesus.

The promise is for those who “die in the Lord.” Before you can die in the Lord, you must come to Him in faith.

Turn from your sin and trust the Savior who died for you and rose again.

When the end comes, the question that matters most will be this:

Do you belong to Jesus?