Video Study 3 “Suffering Witness”
Reading: Revelation 12-13

Background

The apostle John was safe in the Lord’s hands on the beautiful little island of Patmos, but he was acutely aware of the sufferings of those he loved. “I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” (Rev 1:9 ESV). John and the 7 churches share in the sufferings that come to the followers of the Lamb because of their faithfulness to the testimony of Jesus. As Jesus himself was faithful before the rulers who cruelly persecuted and crucified him so believers in all generations must practise “patient endurance” (Acts 4:27) [1]. Wars, plagues, famines, persecutions and various other apocalyptic terrors are never random events but “tribulations” to experienced by believers in our union with Jesus (1:9; 7:14 cf. Matt 24:9)[2]. (We are not meant to experience them apart from him).

John’s grief on Patmos became more acute when he heard from Jesus’ how deeply compromised were the majority of the churches he knew so well. The essential struggle of the church in every generation concerns the difference between true and false witness.

False Witness

When Donna and I were visiting ancient Smyrna, only one of the two churches not rebuked by Jesus in Revelation, a missionary took us to the hill top near where bishop Polycarp was martyred around 160 A.D, and she read the story of his execution.[3] Then she remarked, “Martyrdom always involves false witness.” This immediately struck me as true; false witness is prominent in the case of Jesus and of the first Christian martyr Stephen (Matt 26:60; Acts 6:13 cf. Rev 2:9). Revelation is dominated by the conflict between true and false witness.

Jesus commends the church in Ephesus, ““you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.”” (2:2). Alternately the congregation in Pergamum is rebuked for following the teachings of the false Old Testament prophet Balaam who, “put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality” (2:14). Thyatira has likewise succumbed to lying spirits, “I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.” (2:21). For Christians to eat at idol feasts and to commit sexual immorality was to compromise with the prevailing pagan culture. False prophets always lead the church into compromise with the powers of the day in order to avoid suffering (cf. Rev 16:13).

Jesus however speaks to the heart. To the seemingly healthy church in Sardis, “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”” (3:2), and to the Laodiceans, “you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (3:17). On the other hand hear his words to the Smyrneans and “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty… Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.””  (2:9-10), and to the Philadelphians, “I know that you have but little power…. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world,” (3:8, 10). The small, weak, poor and outwardly perishing churches were the ones that were truly alive. The essential difference between the two kinds of churches is witness through suffering. Where there is no living witness through suffering a church is dead.

One of the apostolic-prophetic heroes of a previous generation was David Wilkerson[4]. When he visited Perth in 2005 he gave a prophetic message titled, Resurrecting Dead Churches[5] . This word was about restoring the presence of Jesus to a comfortable Church that refuses to be stirred. As Wilkerson put it the presence of Jesus can only be maintained through constant prayer and submitting to God when he places you in a very narrow circle so that we may learn through suffering. A very narrow circle where we learn through suffering was the situation of the faithful witnessing Church in the first century.

True Witness

The theme of “the testimony of Jesus” holds together the entire book of Revelation (Rev 1:2, 9; 12:17; 19:10; 20:4). Revelation teaches more clearly than any other book that testimony is not simply something you say but involves the whole shape of our lives. There is something about how a person dies which reveals what was deepest inside of them. The faith to die for Christ leaves an indelible impression, firstly on God’s own conscience and then on ours.

Accordingly to Jesus the first prophet to die for his faith was Abel, ““I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog… and persecute… 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechariah….”” (Matt 23:34-35). Though he was martyred thousands of years ago Hebrews testifies concerning Abel, “through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” (11:4).

Those who have offered up their lives for Christ are a living memory in churches that live “in the Spirit” (Rev 1:10; 4:1 etc)[6]. The S/spirit that was in Polycarp can still be felt in Smyrna. Jesus speaks to the Church in Pergamum, “‘you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.””(Revelation 2:13 ESV). We know nothing for sure about this man historically[7] but that his name is acknowledged by Christ is enough. Nothing changes in this sphere. The most remarkable thing about the Turkish pastor of the small church where I preached was his costly witness for Jesus in the wake of police harassment. Visiting the museum of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Adelaide last summer we noticed their wall of martyrs. It starts with St. Mark in the first century and included a group of 21 that had recently been killed by a bomb outside a church in Alexandria (2011)[8].

Suffering to the point of death brings the totality of human existence into conformity with the testimony of Jesus Christ and is the ultimate prophetic witness and worship defying the power of this present world (Rom 8:28-30; 12:2; Rev 19:10). Anyone who has read accounts of the early martyrs dying in Roman arenas cannot but be deeply moved[9]; but the unconquerable courage of these witnesses came from their insight that the true arena for their sacrifice was all the company of heaven. Holy men and women understand that the sufferings of this present time are part of the wedding preparation of the Bride of the Lamb (cf. Rom 8:18).

“Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude… crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”” (Revelation 19:6-9 ESV)

The Witnessing Bride

The all encompassing insight of the book of Revelation is that the Lamb of God controls history for one great overriding purpose; the preparation of the Church as his Bride (Matt 28:18; 1 Cor 15:24-28; Rev 5:7, 12; 6:1, 16; 7:10 etc.). Since Jesus knows that he was made perfect for his Bride only through suffering (Heb 2:10; 5:9; 7:28) he is preparing his Bride for heaven in exactly the same way (Heb 2:10; 5:9; 7:28). The book of Revelation makes it sound like you need to literally shed your blood to be a real Christian, but the whole of life is about a painful surrender to Jesus.

Being with Donna in Turkey and the Greek islands was a wonderful experience but necessarily there were parts of our trip together which stirred up conflict.  I tend to take risks, Donna is safety conscious, this led to a lot of trauma on the road, especially on tracks winding around the side of cliffs. Such traumas submitted to God became occasions of marital growth. Embracing any suffering in a Christ like spirit is a small act of martyrdom leading to real spiritual transformation.

“the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready.” (Rev 19:7). How exactly do we prepare ourselves to marry Jesus?  By prayerfully submitting to God’s will when it hurts. The prayer focus of suffering Christians in the New Testament is not on their right for justice, something denied their Lord[10], but that Christ’s name be uplifted[11]. This is true godliness.

When we read in Revelation, “the beast was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them…. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.” (Rev 13:5, 7, 10), we should not be amazed.

Paul teaches “husbands… love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her… so that he might present the church to himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Eph 5:25-27).  Just as we know the reality of Jesus’ marital love for us through his suffering on the cross, so he “knows” i.e. deeply experiences the intimacy of our marital love towards him through our suffering on his behalf. This is how we shares his glory (cf. Eph 3:13). Christian people find these things so difficult to grasp whenever they do not understand the gospel.

Revelation begins with, “John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you….from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:4-6 ESV). John had been present near the cross at the moment of Christ’s death and saw for himself the blood which flowed from Jesus’ side (John 19:34). Seeing Jesus’ life blood poured out before his own eyes meant that John knew the full price for his sin had been paid. John could see into heaven with a clear conscience and without fear of judgement because he knew the power of the blood of the Lamb (cf. Heb 10:19-22). Washing in the blood of the cross prepares the Bride to experience her vital union with the Lamb. Let me put this slightly differently.

“it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” (Rev 19:9). In Revelation the righteous deeds of the saints preparing us for our heavenly marriage are faithfulness in testifying under persecution. It is exactly as Jesus said, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12 ESV).

Against a church with a clear conscience washed in the blood of the Lamb Satan is spiritually powerless[12]. “… they have conquered him (the accuser of the brothers, who accuses them day and night before our God) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Revelation 12:10-11 ESV cf. Heb 2:14-15). To suffer with Christ is a sign of your worthiness before God to enter the kingdom of heaven and to marry his Son. Suffering with Jesus is a sheer privilege that can never be earned, but it can be desired[13]. The saints and martyrs who remain faithful to Christ under trial know that their agonies are part of their wedding preparation in conformity with the passions of Christ crucified. This mysterious process of beautifying is the deepest spiritual experience on this earth. The more we suffer for Christ’s sake the more we can release the life giving power of forgiveness to the world (Matt 5:44-45; Luke 23:34; Rom 12:14). Revelation’s great theme that the Bride of the Lamb must suffer for her Husband has made this book the most hated, maligned, misunderstood, misused, and opposed book in the Bible.

The Witness of Revelation[14]

This is a book which takes no prisoners and admits of no compromises, it brings a total and absolute perspective to all of human existence with respect to our lives as witnesses who are either true or false. More than any other book it focuses on Jesus’ personal testimony, just as the Lord describes himself to the church in Laodicea, “‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.” (Revelation 3:14 ESV). Everything that has meaning in life is framed around the suffering, struggle, apparent defeat and resurrection of the Lamb of God. His story is our story[15].

This is the only book in the Bible which promises a blessing on those who read and keep its promises and a curse to those who alter its contents (Rev 1:3; 22:8-9).  You EITHER accept this prophecy and enter into Jesus’ inheritance with his Father (21:7) or are condemned to the lake of fire. The promises and warnings to the 7 Churches at the beginning of the book find their fulfilment of the perfection of the church at the end of Revelation (21:9-22:5). False witness has no permanent place in the Church of God; a compromised church no longer exists once the Lamb has returned for his Bride. The implications of all this for today are profound.

Over 40 years ago the man who was to become the closest thing in my life to a spiritual father started a series on Revelation with two statements, that you really needed to have read the book 100 times to understand it, and that given the size of the congregation listening someone in the crowd would likely end their life as a martyr[16]. Geoffrey Bingham had been in chronic pain from a war wound since 1942, was a prophet and mystic who had  seen two revivals in Pakistan, so no one in the audience dared question him. His foundational understanding of apocalyptic suffering unveiling the identity of God in Christ the Lamb remains true. However I doubt if his assertions would be unquestioned in the majority of Australian churches today.

Application

It is Jesus own testimony to his Bride that releases the most intense witness. Immediately after John receives his vision of the glorified Son of Man at the start of Revelation, we read; “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.””  (Revelation 1:17-18 ESV). The testimony of Jesus, ““I was dead but I am alive for evermore”” has unlimited authority. I am sure that when the nail pierced hand of the Son of God made contact with John a surge of power entered his innermost being. Jesus’ testimony of power made perfect through weakness is our testimony[17].

To share in the triumph of the Lamb (Rev 5:5) by overcoming the fear of death is to conquer anything which would stop you from worshipping God. Over this sort of faith Satan has no power (1 Cor 15:54-56; Heb 2:14-15; Rev 20:6 cf. Ps 89:48; Eccl 8:8). This is the unbridled authority of the martyr Bride. To the degree that the Church in Perth walks in this testimony to that degree our Saviour will open the scroll in his nail pierced hands and allow us to see his will for our own lives, for this nation and for this planet. A holy Bride who understands that the Lamb’s will is ultimately irresistible submits to him in all things[18].

Whilst “Babylon… is drunk with… the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” (Rev 17:5-6) the blood shed by the saints becomes by God’s power one with the blood of the cross and is the nuptial wine of the new creation. The mystery into which we have been initiated by Christ is that suffering love creates the final joy of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb to the glory of God the Father. Suffering love is the foundation of all that is eternally beautiful.

But how can a typical comfortable Western church like the one to which we belong enter into these realities? There are many ways. Firstly, by sending out those who will suffer as missionary witnesses. I remember being at a Pastors Prayer Summit and news came back that Diana Thomas and a group had been taken captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan; at another Summit we received news that James Goss and a group had been arrested in China. The effect of such news was dramatic! If this is too extraordinary then simply allow the Holy Spirit to draw you into the anguished witness of his prayers for the suffering saints on earth[19].

When Jesus appeared to Peter after his death and resurrection he issued a second call to discipleship with the familiar command ““Follow me”” (John 21:19 cf. Matt 4:19). This time the call was a harder one to obey because it meant embracing these words; ““Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.)” (John 21:19)[20]. Many of us need to take up the call to be a disciple for the second time and ask the Lord to teach us in what ways we need to be crucified for the glory of God (2 Cor 4:7-12). To be betrothed to the Lamb means to submit to his way (Luke 24:26).

Isn’t there another way rather than all this suffering? The answer is “No”, for incorruptible beauty can only be formed through suffering love. This is the topic of our final session.