eddhildreth

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?

It tells us that Jesus is the risen Christ from the dead, who is now alive forever, and has always been. The Father also states the very same things as the Son... the Alpha and Omega....the beginning and the end. This shows us their equality.

Persecution is a world wide thing. But in some parts of the world it is far worse than in others. In our country for example I believe it more like a feeling of discomfort that we must learn to live with in certain situations. Our lives aren't really being threatened as they are in some other countries. The book of Revelations is comforting to the persecuted in the sense that it tells us it will all end someday and that all of the pain and suffering in our mortal world will pay off big in our immortal world where we will live in peace and harmony forever and ever in the light of the Father with the loving Son as our King!

I think as the carpenter he showed us that he was one of us. Willingly living the in the same flesh that we do, willingly sharing the same experiences of life as us. The vision of him among the lampstands shows that he is our caretaker, our leader, our King. It shows him as the Son Of God and not the Son Of Man.

It is significant in the fact that it tells us he is among us and that he has charge over us.