Revelation 14:12 says, “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” This verse comes in the midst of Revelation’s descriptions of the end times, and highlights an important characteristic required of believers during this difficult period – patient endurance. Let’s explore the meaning and significance of this phrase.
Context of Revelation 14:12
To understand this verse well, we first need to understand the context in Revelation 14. This chapter comes right after Revelation 13, which depicts the rise of the satanic Antichrist and his False Prophet, who will terrorize the earth for a time. Revelation 14 serves as a contrast to the evil described in chapter 13. It portrays the ultimate victory of the righteous, the doom of the wicked, and the character that believers must display during the trials preceding Christ’s return.
Verses 1-5 describe the saints in glory, verses 6-11 warn of the coming judgment, and verses 12-13 feature a call for holy perseverance during persecution. The surrounding verses mention endurance multiple times, emphasizing its necessity. Revelation 14:12 then summarizes a key trait believers will need to rely on during the end times – persevering patience.
Meaning of “Here is the patience of the saints”
1. A call to patient endurance
The phrase “Here is the patience of the saints” is primarily a call for faithful endurance during a time of intense persecution. The Greek word for “patience” is hupomonē, meaning steadfastness, constancy, endurance in the face of trials. It comes from the root hupomenō, which means to endure, persevere under suffering.
So this verse highlights the need for resolute perseverance and brave endurance by the saints during a period of great tribulation soon to come. It urges constancy under distress, not giving up hope despite severe opposition. Just as Christ himself endured unjust suffering, so must his followers during the end times.
2. Maintaining obedience during persecution
This patient endurance is coupled with continued obedience – “those who keep the commandments of God.” During the intense pressure and persecution of the end times, believers must not forsake God’s commands, but tenaciously obey him despite opposition. Their persistence is demonstrated through steady obedience.
3. Remaining faithful to Jesus
Furthermore, the saints must couple endurance with “their faith in Jesus.” Only through ongoing faith and fidelity to Christ will God’s people be able to endure uncompromised obedience during persecution. Steadfast trust in Jesus gives strength to remain constant.
So this phrase emphasizes that patient endurance or perseverance, steady obedience to God’s laws, and persistent faith in Jesus are key requirements for believers living amid the end times tribulations before Christ’s return.
Why patience is needed during the end times
This verse highlights the importance of endurance during the end times for several key reasons:
1. Persecution will dramatically escalate
During the end times period, persecution of believers will intensify greatly. The Antichrist will wage war against believers, and they will face opposition like never before (Rev 13:7). Faith will be severely tested, and patient endurance will be absolutely necessary.
2. Obedience will be extremely difficult
Remaining faithful to God’s commands under such opposition will require incredible perseverance. Compromise will be tempting. Only through endurance in obedience, despite severe pressure to forsake God’s laws, will saints overcome.
3. Enduring faith will be essential
When evil appears to gain dominance, only resilient faith in Christ will enable believers to stand firm. Saturation of endurance and faith will be needed to remain constant till Christ’s return.
4. Endurance proves genuine faith
Perseverance through suffering demonstrates the genuineness of faith (James 1:2-4, 12). Pressure reveals true allegiance. Saints who endure with obedience and faith prove their loyalty to Christ.
5. Victory comes through perseverance
Just as Christ’s endurance through suffering led to victory (Heb 12:1-3), so too believers must overcome through the same perseverance that Christ exemplified. Through endurance to the end, they will share in his glory.
So Revelation highlights this important call to patient endurance. The intense pressures of the last days will demand unfailing perseverance, steadfast obedience, and enduring faith by the saints as they await their final redemption.
Examples of patience and endurance in the Bible
Numerous biblical examples reveal how God’s people have exemplified persevering patience and steadfast endurance during times of hardship and persecution. Here are a few key examples:
– The prophets endured persecution and hardship as they fulfilled their ministry (James 5:10).
– Job demonstrated remarkable endurance and patience through unimaginable trials and suffering (Job 1:20-22).
– The early church endured opposition and persecution by Jewish authorities with patience and rejoicing (Acts 5:40-42).
– Paul and Silas sang and rejoiced while imprisoned for preaching Christ, setting an example of endurance (Acts 16:22-25).
– Hebrew believers endured public shame and persecution steadfastly for the sake of Christ (Heb 10:32-36).
– Jesus himself endured the shame and pain of the cross with perseverance for the joy set before him (Heb 12:1-3).
So Scripture provides many inspirational models of endurance under affliction, which illustrate the type of perseverance Revelation calls the end-times saints to exercise.
How believers can cultivate endurance and patience
While awaiting the return of Christ, believers must proactively cultivate perseverance and steadfast endurance. Here are some key ways to do this:
– Purpose in your heart ahead of time to endure (Daniel 1:8). Determine with God’s help to be faithful no matter what comes.
– Meditate on examples of perseverance in Scripture (James 5:10-11). Let biblical models inspire your own endurance.
– Keep your focus on eternal reward (2 Cor 4:16-18). The trials of this life are momentary compared to eternal glory.
– Strengthen your faith through regular Bible study and prayer. Solid faith in Christ provides staying power to endure.
– Remain in close fellowship with other believers for mutual encouragement (Heb 10:23-25). Together you can stand stronger.
– When trials come, remember God’s promise to be with you (Isa 41:10). Rely on his presence and strength.
– Ask God for persevering grace when facing hardship (2 Thess 3:5). He promises to supply endurance.
As we meditate on Revelation 14:12, we can follow these steps with God’s help to be prepared to face intense end-time tribulation with persevering patience, uncompromised obedience, and enduring faith till Jesus returns.
Patience leads to blessing and reward
This call to patient endurance comes with a promise – “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on” (Rev 14:13). Despite intense persecution, those who remain faithful unto death will be blessed with final victory and reward. As James says, those who persevere under trial are blessed (James 1:12).
When the pressure intensifies, believers must recall God’s promise that patient endurance will culminate in great blessing and eternal joy. Steadfast persistence leads to ultimate triumph. So saints can endure in confident hope, despite present trials, knowing their perseverance ends in eternal victory and reward (Rom 8:18, 25).
Relying on God’s power to endure
How can believers possibly endure such end time tribulation as Revelation describes? While perseverance requires strenuous effort on our part, ultimately endurance depends on God’s power at work within us. As Paul explains in Colossians 1:11, it is God’s glorious might that “may have great endurance and patience.”
Philippians 4:13 also promises, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” God enables believers to bear up under pressure that would otherwise be humanly impossible. Relying on divine power within makes persevering through affliction possible when all our human resources fail.
So Revelation’s call to patient endurance is not merely a summons to muster our own inner fortitude. Rather, it is fundamentally a call to continual reliance on the Spirit’s power to equip us with supernatural perseverance beyond what we could generate ourselves. Divine enabling allows faithful saints to endure undefeated until final victory comes.
Conclusion
Revelation 14:12 highlights a key truth that believers must lay hold of as the end times approach – the absolute necessity of persevering patience and steadfast endurance amid escalating persecution and testing. Only through resolute persistence in obedience and faith, relying fully on God’s power, will God’s people overcome as Christ and biblical saints did.
This verse serves as a clarion call to tenaciously hold fast to uncompromised obedience and resilient trust in Jesus no matter how intense the opposition becomes. As believers prepare for end time testing, cultivating persevering patience now through prayer, God’s Word, and mutual encouragement is essential. Those who endure through all tribulations until the end will share fully in Christ’s final triumph. May this promise motivate all believers to steadfast patience till Jesus comes.
