The Dragon’s Rage Against the Remnant: Branded for Death in the Last Days of the Genuine Church
Posted by appolus on September 16, 2025
The final reproach of the saints, when truth itself is branded as hate.
From the earliest days of the church, the saints of God have endured the reproach of being called what they are not. To stand for truth has always been to invite slander, and to speak the Word of God faithfully has never been received without hostility. As Jesus Himself said, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake” (Matthew 5:11). History testifies that the righteous have consistently been accused of hatred, malice, and cruelty when, in reality, they were bearing witness to the love and holiness of God.
In our present age, particularly since the cultural shifts of the early twenty-first century, a new distortion has arisen. It is no longer permissible in much of society to disagree with the prevailing moral fashions without being branded a hater. A deliberate conflation has been made between disagreement and hatred, as if to question the legitimacy of homosexual practice or transgender ideology were to harbor malice against those who embrace it. But disagreement is not hatred. To call sin what Scripture calls sin is not to despise the sinner, but to speak truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), the truth that alone can set men free (John 8:32).
This inversion of meaning is no accident. It is the inevitable fruit of a culture that prefers sentimentality over truth, appearance over substance, and human approval over divine authority. The saints of God must see it for what it is: an attempt by the spirit of the age to silence the proclamation of the gospel by weaponizing false accusation. For if every Christian who holds to biblical teaching is deemed a “hater,” then every genuine believer is, by that definition, worthy of scorn and—according to some—even worthy of destruction.
And make no mistake, saint: the false accusers of the brethren have almost always come from within the ranks of what calls itself Christendom. Nearly all the martyrs of the last two thousand years were condemned at the insistence of religious institutions, who sought to preserve their own influence and protect their own power. Secular authorities and atheists may join in, but the fiercest opposition is often religious. Those who speak the truth boldly are always a danger to the religious establishment, because they expose its corruption, its hypocrisy, and its lifeless form. And so the institutions respond either by silencing themselves in cowardice or by attacking the voices of truth with fury—denouncing, separating, and historically, even putting to death those who dared to stand in the light of God’s Word.
This is the way of religion versus relationship. It has always been so, and it will always be so until the end of the age. Jesus reserved His harshest words not for pagans or atheists, but for the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes—the religious authorities of His day (Matthew 23). Though divided among themselves, Pharisees and Sadducees, Herodians and Zealots, even Rome itself, found common cause in their hatred of Christ. In an unholy alliance, they conspired to destroy Him because His very presence threatened every institution and every system of control. And kill Him they did.
That same religious spirit has not died. It has persisted through the centuries, raising its hand against prophets, apostles, reformers, and martyrs. And it remains strong today. As the end draws nearer, that spirit will only intensify, aligning with worldly powers to silence, discredit, and ultimately destroy those who walk in genuine relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. For “the time is coming when whoever kills you will think he offers God service” (John 16:2).
Therefore, the genuine saint must not shrink back. He or she must understand that as the darkness increases, so too will the accusations, the betrayals, and the persecutions. Yet none of this is strange, for our Lord told us beforehand: “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18). The darkness hates the light and will always seek to extinguish it (John 3:19–20).
But take heart. The slanders of men are but passing shadows. The record of heaven is clear, and the Judge of all the earth will vindicate His people. To be falsely accused is grievous, yes, but it is also glorious—it means we are walking in the footsteps of prophets, apostles, martyrs, and of Christ Himself, who “was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).
So let the saints stand firm. Let them embrace the reproach of Christ as greater riches than the treasures of Egypt (Hebrews 11:26). For though the world brands them as haters, heaven knows them as beloved, faithful witnesses of the Light. And as the night grows darker, their testimony will shine all the more brightly until the Day dawns and the Morning Star arises in their hearts (2 Peter 1:19).
A Call To The Remnant 
Anonymous said
Well said, brother! I feel as though we are currently on a historic crossroad, where in the near future there will be a severe time of testing. In this time, those who merely know about God will be separated from those who truly know Him intimately.
appolus said
Indeed, severe persecution, in fact, tribulation, will separate the few from the many…….bro Frank
BT said
“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear.”
Revelation 13:7-9
Few comprehend the magnitude of our day.
A good share.
Blessings
BT
appolus said
God bless you……bro Frank
The Dragon’s Rage Against the Remnant: Branded for Death in the Last Days of the Genuine Church – Online Answers said
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Anonymous said
These are the hard truths to be considered of us who say we are part of the Remnant. It reminds me of what our Lord said about reckoning up whether or not we have what it takes to run the course – build the house etc. Have we worked out how much we will need to be able to do what has to be done. Hard to know isn’t it when we are only starting out on our journey that will take us where we know not, and at times, don’t want to go? Nevertheless, it’s important to look into it and mull it over so we aren’t caught completely off guard.
Just one little thing: Did Rome also find common cause in their hatred of Christ? From reading the account of our Lord’s trial and crucifixion It always seems to me that only the Roman soldiers were cruel to Jesus, as they no doubt were to any others in like situation, though doubtless more so to him since he was not only a Jew, but said to be a ‘king’, which was what prompted them to mock him as they did.
Pilat went to great lengths to prevent the death of Jesus for he knew it was for envy that his detractors sought his death. Even Pilat’s wife advised him to “have nothing to do with that just Man….”.
Not to forget what the centurion said of Jesus when he cried out and breathed his last, “Truly this was the son of God”.
Thank you Frank for another good reminder, we need them.
Jen
appolus said
Yes, Pilate handed over Jesus because the Pharisees told him that Jesus called Himself a King. This frightened Pilate as he already had sonewhat strained relationship with Rome, so in order to solodify his position, it was easier to condemn Jesus by handing him over. He wanted to save his own neck, k owing that Rome would come down on him for not putting down any rebellion where its leader claimed to be the King……..bro Frank
Anonymous said
Fair point brother Frank – indeed.
Sister Jen