Other Passages from the Old Testament    117 

    Job was prosperous, as the Church will be. Job was blameless and 

upright, like the Church. Job's possessions, prosperity, and health were 

taken away from him in stages. First his possessions, then his family, later 

his health. So also, will the Church lose first its possessions, worldly goods, 

property, buildings, worldly power, and worldly prosperity. Next, just as 

many members of Job's family were killed, so too will many members of the 

Church be killed. Those who remain will, like Job, suffer in body and soul. 

These sufferings will come on the Church in stages, as described in the book 

of Revelation. The Forty Years (A.D. 2000 to 2039/2040) will see a similar, 

but less widespread and less intense, set of sufferings, like these sufferings of 

Job. And the sufferings leading up to and including the reign of the 

Antichrist will again see widespread and intense sufferings, like the 

sufferings of Job. 

    To those Christians who will suffer as Job suffered, I say, God's words to 

Job in his suffering are God's words to you in your suffering. And God's 

words to Job in his suffering are God's words to the Church during the 

Church's great suffering. 

     And the L

ORD

 restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his 

friends; and the L

ORD

 gave Job twice as much as he had before.   

(Job 42:10). 

     And the L

ORD

 blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; 

and he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke 

of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three 

daughters.  (Job 42:12 13). 

    After a period of suffering, Job's fortunes are restored to him. Just as Job's 

time of suffering ended, so will the Church's great suffering end. And God 

will bless the Church on earth much more than ever before, after the time of 

great suffering. 

    Job, in his latter days, had his wife still, plus seven new sons and three 

new daughters. Job's family again had 12 members. Therefore, the Church 

will also have 12 parts after the great suffering has ended and the Church is 

renewed and the Millennium of holiness begins. 

     And Job died, an old man, and full of days.  (Job 42:17). 

    Some people imagine that after the time of suffering described in 

Revelation the world will end this is not true! Job did not die in his 

suffering; he came through it and lived a long life. So also, will the Church 

emerge from the time of great suffering to enter into a time of peace and 

holiness. The Church will have great prosperity after those years of great 

suffering. Christianity will reign over all the earth. Great holiness will be 

common. God's kingdom will be firmly established on earth for many 

generations.