You’ve kept my command to remain strong in the faith no matter what happens, so I’m going to keep you from the time of suffering that the rest of the world is going to experience. That suffering will test those who live on the earth.
As you know, we consider people blessed who don’t give up. You’ve heard that Job was patient, and you’ve seen what the Lord finally did for him. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Melchizedek didn’t trace his family line from Levi, but he still collected a tenth from Abraham. Melchizedek blessed the one who had received the promises.
All of these people were still living by faith when they died. They didn’t receive the things God had promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a long way off. They admitted that they were outsiders and strangers on earth.