The Future of the World -- Last Generation
Of the 27 books of the New Testament, Revelation outshines them all regarding the importance of testifying about Jesus. The Biblical evidence shows that our Jesus testimony is clearly a key element in being an overcomer. We must faithfully testify of Jesus and maintain that testimony to the end to enter God's Kingdom.
I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. (Rev 1:9)
John's vision, which became the book of Revelation, was partly seeing the souls of Christian martyrs of the last generation—those who faced the antichrist. He wrote about those overcomers:
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. (Rev 6:9)
Notice, they maintained their Jesus testimony and were slain for their godly tenacity. To die is gain for those living for Christ (Phil. 1:21). Such faithfulness leading to an early death is needed to overcome Satan, as he viciously wars against Christians:
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. (Rev 12:11)
Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (Rev 12:17)
The last phrase of Rev. 12:11 says, they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. That is also significant. We must hold to our Christian testimony of the Lord Jesus even if we have to die because of it. It is insightful to notice the various ways Christians are described in the New Testament. One of those ways is described here:
I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. (Rev 17:6)
Christians are described there as those who bore testimony to Jesus. In the following Scripture they are described as those who hold to the testimony of Jesus just like in 12:17:
At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev 19:10)
The great pressure then will be to give our allegiance to the antichrist and commit idolatry by worshiping him or his image (statue). Hence, the Christians who overcome remain faithful to God verbally with their Jesus testimony and their worship of God alone, that is, by refusing to worship the antichrist and/or his image. As with John, who was persecuted 2,000 years ago for such, this will certainly be the case again:
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. (Rev 20:4-6)
The form of execution will be decapitation, which is quick and fast. For the overcomer, it will be like blinking your eyes and waking up in God's holy presence. Those are the basic facts of a real Christian, especially one at the very end of this age. Again, they:
● maintained their Jesus testimony till death
● wouldn't worship the beast or his image
● wouldn't take the mark of the beast
● are both blessed and holy.
They alone are the ones who are victorious over the beast and his image at that time:
And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God. (Rev 15:2)
The spiritual battle for souls continues to rage. May God help us all to glorify the Lord Jesus always.
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34-38)
Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. (Mat 10:32,33)
Remember these salvation truths about your Jesus testimony.
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