Revelation—A Simple Book With A Simple MessageSample

Martyrs are Blessed

Revelation begins with a promise of makarios (blessing, or happiness) if we read, understand, then do the words of this book. The bottom line admonition of Revelation is for His servants to be a courageous and faithful witness, no matter how crazy circumstances around us might be. When things are dark, and circumstances are difficult, God is still on His throne. Nothing happens that He does not authorize. His plans will not be thwarted. 

One of the main things this book wants us to do is to make being a witness, a martus, a primary goal of our lives. Martus and martyria are Greek nouns translated variously as ‘witness,’ ‘testimony,’ or ‘martyr.’ We tend to think of a martyr as someone who has their physical life terminated as a result of their witness for Jesus. And in three instances, martus refers to such a witness. But a faithful witness for Jesus can experience many different forms of death. “Death” just means a separation. We say a car battery “dies” when the electrical circuit breaks. Faithful obedience can cost His servants the death of relationships. It can cost the death of opportunities, or position. It can cost the death of status when we are rejected for our witness. 

The life of a martyr is any life lived in faithfulness to the witness of Jesus. This is the key to true happiness. Being a martyr is not determined by how we physically die. We’re either good or poor witnesses based on the way we live our lives. If we live the life of a faithful witness, we set up a life completely at odds with the world system. There is a price to pay; it could cost us our life or position, and most of the time it costs acceptance by the world. 

The Apostle John bore witness. He was persecuted by the Roman government. He wasn’t killed, but he was exiled to the island of Patmos. He penned Revelation with words Jesus gave to show His servants how to be great witnesses.  John, the apostle, is the only Apostle of Jesus who was not murdered, but an exile is a form of death; it is separation from our homes. Exile is the same form of death Adam and Eve experienced when they were banished the Garden of Eden. The Greek word martureo is translated ‘witness’ in Revelation 1:1, which says John, “bore witness to the word of God.” John was a martyreo, a faithful witness.

Jesus instructs the churches: Things are going to happen; it is going to be pretty tough, but hang in there. If you do, you’re going to have amazing blessings. The world is going to hate you, and that might hurt, but if you just hang in there, it will be worth it. Jesus promises to make all our obedience worthwhile.