The Bible prophesies that in the last days, the fourth beast, led by the Assyrian, will make “war with the saints” (ref. Daniel 7:21, Revelation 13:7), and furthermore, Mystery Babylon, led by the False Prophet, will be “drunken with the blood of the saints” (ref. Revelation 17:6). So, to understand what is about to unfold in these last days, it is important to examine the meaning of a “saint”.
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them
Daniel 7:21
And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus…
Revelation 17:5-6
A saint is a sanctified person, somebody set apart from the world. As Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Holy One of God, so a saint is one of the sons of God, one of the holy ones of God.
And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Revelation 2:26-27
Protestants today think that all Bible believing Christians are saints. By contrast, Catholics today insist that a saint is someone who has been beatified and then canonized by the Vatican, typically someone who has died and someone who had performed at least two miracles while he or she lived.
I am here to tell you that both sides are wrong.
First of all, it should be obvious that the position of the Catholic church must be wrong, because of the aforementioned prophecy that the enemy will wage war against the saints, and will spill the blood of the saints. If a saint were someone already in heaven, then spilling the blood of the saints would be impossible.
The next thing to understand is that, after the reaping on the day of the LORD, there will be two groups of born-again Christians. One group, numbering in the ten thousands, will return to earth alongside Jesus Christ (ref. Jude 1:14-15, Deuteronomy 33:2), and the other, which is everyone else, will remain in heaven to serve the throne of God there (ref. Revelation 7:9-17).
The group that returns with Lord Jesus Christ is described in Jude as “saints”. This essentially answers the question, what is a saint?
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all…
Jude 1:14-15
The Greek of “saints” in Jude 1:14-15 is “hagiais”, which is the feminine plural form of “holy”. It is feminine, because, by this time, the saints will be “the bride of Christ”.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Revelation 19:7-8
As Paul put it, on the day of Christ, the church will be “one flesh” with its head who is Jesus Christ (ref. Ephesians 5:30-32). In other words, the saints will be given the Holy Spirit, and so thereafter be one with Christ.
And I will give him the morning star.
Revelation 2:28
To be specific, a saint is a man, given wings as eagles (ref. Isaiah 40:31) and made equal unto the angels (ref. Luke 20:35-36), who returns to earth as a servant of Jesus to judge the world.
Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
1 Corinthians 6:1-3
A saint is also to be, in the world, a soldier of Christ.
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
2 Timothy 2:3-4
Because Jesus Christ is “the arm of the LORD” (ref. Isaiah 53:1), throughout the world, the saints, being one with Christ, will wield, as it were, the hand of God.
Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
Isaiah 40:10
So, the “King of the saints” (ref. Revelation 15:3) is Jesus Christ, and the saints are the soldiers of one of his armies (ref. Revelation 19:14) – the other being the angelic army led by the archangel Michael.
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
Psalms 89:7-8
Another way to look at things is to regard a saint as a kind of knight. During the Middle Ages, a knight was not only a warrior who had pledged allegiance to the king, but he was also a noble and a lord. This liege lord not only provided safety to those under his care through his castle and his men-at-arms, but he also judged any disputes. This idea of fiefdom explains the parable of the talents (ref. Matthew 25:14-30, Luke 19:12-26).
And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
Luke 19:17
His lord said unto him, Well done good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Matthew 25:21
The analogy of a knight, who is to have lordship over an area, also explains the other title of Jesus Christ, “Lord of lords”, which is beside “King of kings”.
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Revelation 19:16
On the day of Christ, the saints will even be upon white horses (ref. Revelation 19:14), wielding the two-edged sword that is the Word of God (ref. Psalms 149:6), like a cavalry of medieval knights.
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Revelation 19:14
There will be no women and children among the saints.
To be a saint is a “reward” (ref. Revelation 22:12) and an “honour” (ref. Psalms 149:9).
Everyone who is to be a saint has been “chosen” and “predestined” to be so (ref. Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:4-11).
He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
1 Samuel 2:9
Everyone who is to be a saint will have been named by God (ref. Isaiah 40:26).
… that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
Isaiah 40:26
Everyone who is to be a saint should, at some stage, understand the mystery of the will of God (ref. Ephesians 1:9, Colossians 1:26) – that is to say, understand Bible prophecy!
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself
Ephesians 1:9
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints
Colossians 1:26
I say, at some stage, because every saint must figure things out. No one is born with wisdom.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15
To this point, Paul who was himself a saint (ref. Ephesian 3:8) said on a number of occasions that he had to go to certain places to minister unto the saints who were there (ref. Romans 15:25).
But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.
Romans 15:25
This means, those who have been called to be saints must learn about what is going on: the saints must seek the truth and others must help the saints do so.
Ephesians 4:7-12 is clear that the saints must be perfected through apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ… And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ
Ephesians 4:7-12
At the time of the ministry of Paul, there were saints in churches all over, among the population of Christians (ref. 1 Corinthians 1:2, Philippians 1:1).
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints… Grace be unto you…
1 Corinthians 1:2
And at that time, Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, had to minister unto them, despite some of the saints back then being near bishops and deacons. The Holy Spirit through Paul had to minister because the canon of the Bible had not yet formed.
Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you…
Philippians 1:1
It is Bible prophecy that at the time of the end, the Antichrist will make war against the saints (ref. Revelation 13:7), and furthermore Mystery Babylon under the False Prophet will be drunk with the blood of the saints (ref. Revelation 17:6).
The Greek of “saints” in Revelation 13:7, the ones against whom the Antichrist will make war, is “hagion”, which is the masculine plural form of “hagios”, meaning “holy” or “sanctified”. It is masculine, because at this time, the saints will still be human beings.
The Greek of “saints” in Revelation 17:6, whose blood will make Mystery Babylon drunk, is also “hagion”, again the masculine plural form.
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus…
Revelation 17:6
The martyrs of Jesus are they who, along with the saints, will refuse to take the mark of the beast, and refuse to worship the beast (ref. Revelation 14:9-12). These are all who remain faithful to Jesus Christ, come what may.
Once the saints are born again and given the morning star, each and every saint will be able to destroy demons at will.
Never forget, the power of the saints comes from Jesus Christ, and the saints exist and are chosen for him.
A saint is simply someone who will have the honour of serving God the Father and the Son of God here on earth (ref. Psalms 149:6-9) during a momentous time in the history of the world.
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.
Psalms 149:6-9