The Lamb’s Faithful Witnesses: Courage and Eternal Reward

The Lamb's Faithful Witnesses

Key Point

Followers of the Lamb must act as faithful witnesses, confronting evil by boldly sharing their testimony about Jesus. They might have to give up their lives for this cause. Yet, the greatest reward awaits us when He returns, and we’ll sing about victory in Jesus.

Focus Verse

Revelation 12:7-10

7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power
    and the kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over 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.

Persecution Of Christians in 2024


We might assume that persecution is something that only happened in the past. That is not true. Oppression, harassment, and abuse of Christians is happening all over the world today. Unfortunately, the latest information published by the Christian organization called Open Doors is that in 2024 the persecution of Christians is rapidly increasing.

The United Kingdom’s House of Commons Lists the following statistics for Global Christian Persecution in 2024:

  • Extent of Persecution:
    • Approximately 365 million Christians experience high levels of persecution and discrimination, an increase from 340 million in 2021.
  • Persecution Rates by Region:
    • Worldwide: 1 in 7 Christians are persecuted.
    • Africa: 1 in 5 Christians face persecution.
    • Nigeria: This country accounts for 82% of Christian martyrs globally, with 4,100 killed for their faith.
  • Top Persecuting Countries:
    • Open Doors’ Top 50: Every country on the list is at a “very high” level of persecution, with 13 nations now at “extreme” levels, including Syria and Saudi Arabia.
  • Countries with Highest Persecution:
    • North Korea, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Yemen, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Iran, and Afghanistan.
  • Casualties and Attacks:
    • Christians Killed: 4,998 Christians were killed for their faith in 2024, with Nigeria accounting for 82% of these deaths.
    • Church Attacks: 14,766 churches and Christian properties were attacked, with notable increases in Nigeria, China, India, Nicaragua, and Ethiopia.
  • Displacement:
    • Homeless Christians: About 295,000 Christians lost their homes due to their faith.

This data reflects the severe and ongoing challenges Christians face globally, with particular regions and countries experiencing extreme persecution.

Global Persecution Affects Us All

We are all members of the global Christian family. In heaven, we’ll join a vast crowd from every nation, including people we haven’t met yet but will know forever. These forever friends might be enduring persecution right now. We need to be praying for them today.

The Significance of Persecution

  • The Role of Martyrs: Revelation 6:9-11 indicates that the number of martyrs might play a role in Christ’s return. While we don’t know when that will happen, the suffering of these believers holds great importance.
  • Divine Attention to Suffering: Revelation 8:1-5 shows that God pays special attention to the prayers of those who suffer for their faith. Their cries are heard, suggesting a divine purpose or response to their plight.
Revelation 6:9-11
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

Revelation 8:1-5
8 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Be Strong and Courageous: God is With Us

Joshua’s Example

  • God encourages His followers to be strong and courageous. He instructed Joshua to show bravery not just for the sake of optimism, but because God promised His constant presence when the Israelites entered the promised land.

Following Jesus

  • Jesus, too, calls us to be brave and strong as we follow Him. He doesn’t guarantee an easy path; instead, He warns us of the troubles and trials we’ll face while spreading His message in a world that might not embrace it.

Our Sacrifice

  • These challenges are seen by Jesus as our sacrifice, which in turn brings glory to Him.

The Victory of the Lamb

  • Remember, Jesus the Lamb has already secured victory. Take heart from this assurance.

Pray for Courage

  • Pray for strength from God to be His faithful witness, just as Joshua was. The perseverance and courage will be rewarded in the end.
Revelation 14:1-5
Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

Praise God With The Song of Moses and the Lamb!

Celebration in Heaven

  • Think about being at a sports game where your team clinches the win, and the entire stadium bursts into cheers. Heaven will be like that, only far greater.

Overcoming Earthly Trials

  • The hardships we face for our faith here on earth won’t matter in heaven. They’ll be forgotten.

Eternal Praise

  • In heaven, we’ll shout and sing praises to the Lamb, glorifying God for all eternity.
Revelation 7:9-17
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 
“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
 and serve him day and night in his temple;
 and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
    the sun shall not strike them,
 nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
 and he will guide them to springs of living water,
 and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 15:2-4 
2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your deeds,
 Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
 King of the nations. 4  Who will not fear you, Lord,
 and bring glory to your name?
 For you alone are holy.
 All nations will come
 and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Here are some songs you may have heard before that are based on this section of Revelation

Salvation Belongs to Our God (Adrian Howard and Pat Turner, 1989)
Salvation belongs to our God
Who sits upon the throne
And unto the Lamb
Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks
Honor and power and strength
Victory in Jesus (Eugene Monroe Bartlett, 1939)
I heard about a mansion he has built for me in glory, 
And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea, 
About the angels singing and the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I’ll sing up there the song of victory. 
On Jordan’s Stormy Banks (Samuel Stennet, 1787)
On Jor­dan’s stor­my banks I stand,
And cast a wish­ful eye
To Ca­naan’s fair and hap­py land,
Where my pos­ses­sions lie.
We will rest in the fair and hap­py land, by and by, 
Just across on the ev­er­green shore,
Sing the song of Moses and the Lamb,
And dwell with Je­sus ev­er­more.

Key Point

Followers of the Lamb must act as faithful witnesses, confronting evil by boldly sharing their testimony about Jesus. They might have to give up their lives for this cause. Yet, the greatest reward awaits us when He returns, and we’ll sing about victory in Jesus.

Roots

  • Joshua 1:9
  • Daniel 11:33
  • John 15:18-21
  • Hebrews 12:1-2
  • 1 Peter 2:20-21
  • 1 Peter 4:12-16
  • Revelation 1:5
  • Revelation 2:13
  • Revelation 2:10-11
  • Revelation 2:26-29
  • Revelation 3:11-13
  • Revelation 6:9-11
  • Revelation 7:9-17
  • Revelation 11:7-12
  • Revelation 11:17-18
  • Revelation 12:10-11
  • Revelation 14:1-5
  • Revelation 15:2-4
  • Revelation 20:4-6

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