The theme of testimony and witness is very important to those who are persecuted now because it shows them that someone else has faced the very same things they are facing now. It empowers them, and encourages them to keep up the fight that has been passed down to them by the many who came before them with the same trials.
Jesus willingly put himself in our place so that we may inherit the kingdom of God by his blood sacrifice, his suffering, his torment. He allowed man to crucify him on the cross, yet he still forgave us. There can be no more of a faithful witness than that. This inspires us to try and achieve all that he wnated for us.
Though we aren't truly persecuted for the most part in this country, we are free to worship as we please, we are still labeled by our friends and peers. It is hard sometimes because we are forced in many cases to "draw lines" between ourselves and some of our loved ones, this affects our decisions to be witnesses.
Q1. Revelation is written to encourage and strengthen a church facing intense persecution. Why is the theme of testimony and witness so important to that purpose? How is Jesus as the "faithful witness" (1:5) supposed to encourage us? Why are we afraid to be clear witnesses in a culture where we aren't persecuted?