Blessed Are Those Persecuted for Righteousness' Sake

in
 

Our FINAL churchwide Bible study on Revelation will be THIS WEDNESDAY, 3/22, 6:30 PM. Bring a friend! I’d love to pack the joint and make it our biggest Bible study so far. Also, I’ll give an extended Q&A over the entire book, so come prepared. (Livestream available, and so is dinner beforehand.)

 
 

And on Friday morning I’m speaking at a special men’s breakfast. All interested men and boys welcome! It’s free, but please register.

 
 
 

REVELATION 20:4-6

4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

 
 

The message of Revelation to the church is, “Don’t give up, and don’t be afraid—stay faithful to the Truth no matter what.”

The reason this message is needed is because the beast often seems all-powerful, and even goes so far as to put the followers of Jesus to death. But, John’s vision reminds the church that appearances can be deceiving, and that the way they conquer is staying faithful even to the point of death.

At the end, John sees that it is the martyrs who will reign with Christ, and not the beast. In the end, they are vindicated such that John sees it as a special blessing to be used by God in this way.

I’m reminded of what Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount:

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. [Matthew 5:10-12]