Scenes similar to this one are repeated all over the world at places devoted to the veneration of “saints.”

The book Our Orthodox Christian Faith states: “We commemorate [the “saints”], and ascribe glory and honour to their holy personages . . . , and we ask their prayers before God on our behalf and their supplications and aid in the many needs of our lives. . . .

The time had then passed for the trampling down of the “Jerusalem above,” which is free and which is the “mother” of God’s “saints” or holy ones.

In doing so it fulfilled the angelic prophecy: “He . . . shall wear out the saints of the Most High, . . . and they shall be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time.”—Dan. 7:25, RS.

Reverence for relics is believed to date from the fourth century of our Common Era, as does veneration of “saints.”

The Second Vatican Council reaffirmed that “according to its tradition, the Church venerates the saints and honors their authentic relics and their images.” (Constitution “Sacrosanctum Concilium” sulla sacra Liturgia, in I Documenti del Concilio Vaticano II, 1980, Edizioni Paoline)

At the end of a thousand years the saints will return to the earth and the wicked will be raised from the dead.

Then the wicked, under the direction of Satan and his demons, will come up against the saints, and “just as the final blow is to be struck by the attacking army, lo, fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them”.

Images and “Patron Saints”

For example, throughout Mexico one can observe the popular practice of praying to “patron saints.”

In the eighth century Pope Gregory III established November 1 as the date for a feast to honor all the saints, it being called All Saints’ Day.

In the eighth century C.E., John of Damascus, considered a “saint” by the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox churches, wrote: “As the holy Fathers overthrew the temples and shrines of the devils, and raised in their places shrines in the names of Saints and we worship them, so also they overthrew the images of the devils, and in their stead raised images of Christ, and God’s Mother, and the Saints.”

These are Jehovah’s “saints” or holy ones on earth; and the apostle Paul says to them: “He raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenly places in union with Christ Jesus.”—Eph. 2:6.

The angel Gabriel also explains: “And he shall destroy them that are mighty and the people of the saints.” (Dan. 8:10, 24, JP)

However, both these modern versions still use the word “saints” instead of “consecrated ones”.

Afflictions and troubles come upon the world as well as upon the Lord’s saints, but are not marks of sonship except to those who have fully consecrated to his service. . . .