By Mae Shurow

Many false witnesses or prophets will arise, opposing the Truth.

• Acts 13:10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

• Acts 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
• 2 Tim. 3:8-9  …so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men…
• 1 Tim. 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
• Matthew 24:4-5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
• Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
• 1 Tim. 4:1-2 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
• 2 Peter 2:1-2 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

And we will be persecuted because we are witnesses to the Truth. 

• Rev. 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

Persecute means to pursue, prosecute, pursue with repeated acts of enmity (Zodhiates  #1377). 

• Rev. 12:17 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. 20:8-9 And shall go out to deceive the nations…to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city…

• 2 Tim. 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
• 2 Tim. 1:11-12 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12For the which cause I also suffer these things…

But God equips us to proclaim His Kingdom. Therefore we are to have confidence and be bold to speak the truth. 

Confidence (#3954) means “boldness, courage” “do not lose your courage, which brings a great reward”(^[1] # 25.158). “…courage, confidence, boldness, fearlesssness.  Joyous confidence as the result of faith” (^[2]p. 630.)

Boldness  “is from the words ‘all’ and ‘the act of speaking.’  Freedom or frankness in speaking, confidence or boldness, especially in speaking, plainness or exactness of speech; openness speaking publicly.  The word denotes confidence which is experienced with such things as faith in communion with God, fulfilling the duties of the evangelist, holding fast our hope, and acts which entail a special exercise of faith” (Zodhiates  #3954).

• 2 Tim. 1: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
• 2 Tim. 2:1-2 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
• Isaiah 50:7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
• Philip. 1:14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
• Philip. 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
• Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
• 2 Tim. 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
• Acts 4:20, 29 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.  And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
• Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great… reward.
• Acts 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
• 2 Tim. 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
• Jude 1:3 …it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

When we believe, live and proclaim the truth, we will never be ashamed…

   Ashamed means "to fall into disgrace, normally through failure, either of self or of an object of trust.  Come to shame, and stresses the sense of horror over idolatry.  It’s primary reference is to the shame brought by the divine judgment. (Israel and the nations will be shamed by their idols when they fail them.) The result of defeat at the hands of an enemy, involving all  the nuances of confusion, disillusionment, humiliation, and brokenness which the word connotes.  If Israel seeks to insure her own glory by refusing to trust in God but  rather trusts in idols or in foreign nations, she will not get glory, but shame and disgrace.  On the other hand, if one will humbly submit to God, he will find his true glory, for God will not let that person come to shame”(^[3] #222)

• 2 Tim. 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

• 2 Tim. 1:12…nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 

• 1 Peter 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

• Isaiah 50:7 For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
• Romans 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
• 1 Peter 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
• 2 Tim. 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

…and we will have boldness in the day of judgment:

• 1 John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
• 1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
• Ephes. 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
• Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

But all who trust in vain things or idols will be put to shame.

• Isaiah 45:16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.

• Jeremiah 46:24 The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.
• Jeremiah 51:47 Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.
• Luke 13:17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
• Isaiah 42:17 They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.
• Jeremiah 22:22 The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.
• Hosea 10:6 …Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.
• Jeremiah 2:26 As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,
• Read Isaiah 28: 15-21

We can persevere because of our hope and surety that God will set things right. 

Those who have followed Satan in warring against and persecuting those upholding God’s truth will be punished.

• Isaiah 41:11 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.

• 2 Thes. 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
• Rev. 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
• Rev. 14:9-12  If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, …he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 12Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. [Reference Isa 33:1; Jer 15:2; 43:11]

The King is coming back to establish His Kingdom—His Truth, His divine order, His reality.  In the Kingdom, Truth shall be established, and all falsehoods and lies will be abolished!

• Rev. 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

• Rev. 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it [the heavenly city] any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
• Rev. 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

    Each of the catagories mentioned has to do with deception and lies!  The fearful are obviously so because they will not believe God’s truth; unbelievers are in total rebellion against the Truth; whoremongers are adulterers, meaning they are idolalters, those who love and trust in vain and empty lies; and sorcerers are workers of lying wonders.  The link to lies is a little tougher to see in the rest of the words used, but it is there!  “Abominations are linked with heathenism.  The reference may be to things which are unclean, repugnant, abhorrent, especially to certain pagan things particularly abominable in the sight of God.  The term ‘dogs’ is generally used for men who resist the will of God and entangle themselves in demonism and falsehood.  The final phrase in Rev 22:15 characterizes the whole verse.  The reference is neither to Jews or Gentiles as such, but to men who have fallen under the sphere of untruth” (3, TWOT).  And finally, murderer: because of deception, death entered the world!  Satan and those who war with him are murderers because they deceive people and cause them to lose life eternal! 

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance  on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel  of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his  power; 10When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.  
2 Thess. 1:7-10

KINGDOM ARTICLES

 HOME

*All emphasis  mine.

Copyright ©2005 by Mae Shurow 
Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution 
provided proper citation of authorship is included.

_______________________
Zodhiates, S. (2000, c1992, c1993). The complete word study dictionary : New Testament (electronic ed.).
         Chattanooga, TN:  AMG Publishers.