There are many millions of people professing to believe in Christianity in this world. Those of the Orthodox faith are 225 million, according to Wikipedia. The Catholics are 1 billion and 200 million people. And the Protestants are over 700 million people.
There is a statement that estimates the rapid growth of Christianity in the 20th century. We read:
“In the last century, the number of Christians in the world has increased more than three times – from 600 million people in 1910 to 2,18 billion people today” (Dnes.bg).
What is the method that is going to be used in determining who is in the truth, and who is going to be a part of this special group that will live up to the Second Coming of Jesus, to meet Him when He descends in glory? Is it because they are waiting for the Coming of Christ? Almost the whole world believes in it.
Then what is the distinguishing feature of the saints in the last days?
Two qualifications are needed to make up this number, and they are listed in Revelation 14:12, in the Third Angel’s Message which is the last message of mercy to a dying world. We read:
“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14:12.
In Revelation 12 we read about the enmity of the devil against the true Church of Christ, and we see some very interesting details:
“And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Rev. 12:17.
How do the Ten Commandments start? The First Commandment points us to one God. And to be clear who this one God is, we need to go to the most reliable source of knowledge – Christ Himself. He tells us who God is and He informs us what we need, to have eternal life.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3.
Why did Christ say that eternal life is to know the only true God and His Son whom He has sent? Because it is the Father and Christ that alone can give us life. We cannot find it in any other source, in anything that we can accomplish or gain in this world. Of ourselves, we can do nothing. Jesus says:
“For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself…” John 5:26.
And not only that, but Jesus gives us a commission, saying:
“Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” John 20:21.
Just as the Father sent Him, so the Son of God sends His disciples to do the work of God.
Every law and constitution begins with pointing out who their author is. The same is true of the Ten Commandments of God. The first commandment orders that men should have no other gods, except for the Author of the heavenly Constitution. Today the world believes in different gods. People are divided into different religions and denominations, and every one of them claims that it is fulfilling the First Commandment.
Who is Satan to war against? Against all who keep all the commandments of God, and those who have the testimony of Jesus. Where does this testimony come from?
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.” Rev. 1:1, 2.
The testimony was given by God to Christ. Therefore, if we do not acknowledge the only true God, the Father, we do not acknowledge also His Son, and we cannot know them.
There is one more thing, relating to another commandment that has been neglected. The Fourth Commandment states:
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God…”
What are we told there? First, that the Sabbath is a day of rest – that it is not our own, nor is it a day of labor. But it also says that the seventh day is “of the Lord”. You can see that in the verse the word “Lord” is written in capital letters, signifying the name of God. Therefore, it is His day – the day of our God. Let us continue reading:
“…in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates…”
From this part of the verse, we understand that our everyday work is not only undesirable but forbidden. By whom? By our Lord, God. And this involves not only the believer who knows the commandments, but also his household, and his guests, as well as the cattle that he owns. We read further:
“For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Ex. 20:8-10.
What is the reason why we are enjoined to keep the Sabbath? Because God made the world and man in it. And in reverence to Him who created all things that we see and are sustained of, we are to keep the day that he blessed and set apart for holy use.
There is a message that is to be proclaimed amid the solemn scenes just before the Second Coming of Jesus, which references this very text, saying:
“Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Rev. 14:7.
This message is a direct reference to the Fourth Commandment and the reason why the seventh day must be kept holy. There is a Judgment in heaven that is now going on, and we are to give glory to God. This is a requirement of all those who want to be found faithful when Jesus comes a second time. We are to worship Him who has made the heaven and the earth, and mankind, and because of this, in thanksgiving and gratitude, we are to set apart his holy day of rest.
What would the 144,000 believe in, that would distinguish them from those billions of people who profess to be Christians? John is clear:
“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” 1 John 5:12.
Those who have the name of the Father written on their foreheads, having the seal of God, because they do not choose to swerve from their allegiance to all of God’s requirements, are those who are going to be persecuted for their faith. As the apostle Paul writes:
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Tim. 3:12.
Why is it so? Because the god of this world would persecute those who do not accept him as their ruler. It is ludicrous to think that more than 2 billion people (the main denominations and there are many more that could swell the number even more) are going to be persecuted by a handful of people who are faithful to their God and their Savior.
The question is: Who will realize the great deception, and reject the insinuations of the great deceiver, and turn to the one true God and His son, Jesus, whom He has sent, and have eternal life?
We hope that more people will allow the light to come to them because God has been giving it, but few people desire to accept it. Just as what happened two thousand years ago.
“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” John 1:11.
What was it that they did not accept? That Jesus was the Son of God. And of the others, who were a small part, we are told:
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name…” John 1:12.