Revelation - Part 2 - Lecture 2

Index to Revelation Lectures
Kay Arthur

Click Here for other "Futuristic" Resources on Revelation
Click here for Kay Arthur's Older Lecture Series on Daniel

Index to Revelation Lectures
Kay Arthur

Click Here for other "Futuristic" Resources on Revelation
Click here for Kay Arthur's Older Lecture Series on Daniel

THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS:
IS IT WORTH DYING FOR?
Revelation Pt 2, Lecture 2
by Kay Arthur

Click following for literal chapter by chapter chart summary of:
Revelation 4-10
Revelation 11-16
Revelation 17-19
Revelation 20-22

This is a question we need to consider very carefully, because of the times and because of the things that will shortly come to pass that will shake the heavens and the earth. Rev 1:1-6 (Refer also to lecture 1, Rev Pt 2)

Testimony is the Greek word marturia (although it looks like the English word ''martyr'' it does not necessarily mean someone who lays down their life). In Revelation however we do see those who are willing to be martyred, to lay down their life for the Testimony of Jesus Christ. Marturia is derived from the verb martureo which means to testify or to witness.

1). A testimony is a witness of a person.

2). A witness has information or knowledge concerning something.

a). A witness gives information regarding what he has seen.

b). He sheds light on what he has seen.

c). He confirms something.

In summary, a witness gives information, explanation and confirmation. A witness testifies to what he has seen, what he has heard and what he knows. And this is what we see happening in the Revelation of Jesus Christ. John

bore witness (martureo) to the word of God and to the testimony (marturia) of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw." (see note Revelation 1:2)

WHAT IS THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST?
IS IT A VALID TESTIMONY?
IS IT WORTH LOSING YOUR LIFE FOR?

Let's look at how Scripture answers these questions...

Jn 8:12 "Again therefore Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."

So if you follow Jesus, you are not going to be ''stumbling'' through life, but instead you are going to be able to see where you are going and what this life is all about and what things will shortly come to pass.

Jn 8:13 "The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You are bearing witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."

That is they were saying that Jesus needed someone else to confirm what He was saying.

Jn 8:14 "Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness (martureo) of Myself, My witness (marturia) is true; for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from, or where I am going."

Isaiah 11:3 says ''...He will not judge by what His eyes see...''

But He will judge justly because He knows everything that is occurring. He will judge fairly because He has the whole picture.

Jn 8:16 "But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and He who sent Me."

So in these passages in John 8, we see God the Father and Jesus the Son bearing witness. Jesus says that they don't know Him bc they don't know His Father.

Jn 8:19b "You know neither Me, nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also."

Jn 8:42 "Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me."

They could not understand Jesus because they did not have ears to hear. It didn't make 'sense' to them. If it makes no sense to you to lose all for Christ's sake, it is because you don't understand the full testimony of Jesus Christ or because God is not your Father. IF He is not your Father than Jn 8:44 tells who is your father.

Jn 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies."

There are only two "fathers" - God Who is the True Father and Satan who is a liar, a murderer from the beginning and who wants to destroy you. So there are two ''fathers'', two choices and Jesus is in the middle. He left His Father in heaven and came to the domain of earth where He is among men and women who are "dead in...trespasses and sins" (see note Ephesians 2:1), "sons of disobedience...and...children of wrath" (see notes Ephesians 2:2; 2:3). Jesus has come to give witness to Who the Father is and where He is from:

Jn 8:23 Jesus "was saying to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am [He], you shall die in your sins."

Note that the 'He' is not found in the original Greek sentence. 'I Am' is the 'ego eimi' (Ed note: Greek for "I am") found in Exodus 3:14:

"And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

"I Am" is God's memorial name, the Self-Existent One, Yahweh or Jehovah. God by this name is saying ''I AM everything and anything you will ever need, and I am totally and completely sufficient by Himself''. So Jesus is saying in Jn 8:23 that the Jews will die in their sins if they fail to believe that He is God and is "from above". Do you believe the testimony that Jesus Christ is God? You must believe or for all eternity you will cry out "'Why didn't I believe?' You shall die in your sins."

Jn 8:28 Jesus therefore said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, (referring to the crucifixion) then you will know that I AM [He,] and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. "

The question then is "I Jesus' witness true?" Yes, because He never acts or speaks independently of the Father.

Jn 5:19,21 "Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner....For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes."

Why? Because the Father and the Son are ONE (compare Jn 10:30). So the Son can also raise the dead, but He does so because He sees what His Father is doing.

What do we see in Revelation?

Revelation 4: God on His throne.

Revelation 5: The Seven Sealed Scroll is in God's hand and the angel is crying out 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seal? None was found worthy, so John begins to weep. Why? Because the scroll contains the judgments that are about to come upon all the earth. And then John sees the Lion from the tribe of Judah Who alone is worthy to open the scroll. What happens when the 6th seal is broken? "The wrath of the Lamb", Who was slain for your sins and mine is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and He begins His judgment (Revelation 6:16; 6:17).

Jn 5:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, (if I believe Him, I believe in His witness) has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."

Jn 5:25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming (the time is near) and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live."

The hour is coming - the time is near: This is what the Revelation is about, the events leading up to the Coming of Jesus Christ and the raising of the dead, some to eternal life and some to judgment (we'll study this in Revelation).

Jn 5:30 "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me."

Oh, that we would learn to walk as Jesus Christ walked. Oh, that we would learn not to move on our own initiative but only to move on the initiative of the Father.. To say '"Father what is your will", that we would learn to walk as Jesus Christ walked. Oh, that we would learn not to move on our initiative, but only to move on the initiative of the Father...to say "Father, what is Your will? Father, what do you want to me say? Father, how do you want me to respond? Father, what is your work for me to do today? Lord, I'm here and I want to walk as Your Son walked. Jesus said ''I can do nothing on My Own initiative.'' Yet, He could have done anything He wanted to do because He is God, He is omnipotent. But Jesus came as the Son of Man to show us how man is to live and be in right relationship with the Father, and so He never acted independently of the Father. They were ONE in everything they did. God wants for us to be ONE with Him even as the Father and the Son were ONE.

Jn 5:31-34 If I alone bear witness of Myself, My testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the testimony which He bears of Me is true. You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. But the witness which I receive is not from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.

What is the testimony of Jesus Christ? One that talks about salvation from the penalty, power and presence of sin.

So Jesus' Testimony is a True Testimony validated by a second witness, God the Father.

THE NINE OCCURRENCES OF THE WORD "TESTIMONY"
IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION

(Ed note: Click for the nine Scriptural uses of "Testimony" in the Revelation)

Revelation 1:2 (note) His bond-servant John "who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw."

Some say it could be read that John is "bearing witness to the Word of God, even the testimony of Jesus" Who is the Word of God because He spoke the Father's words.

Revelation 1:9 (note) " I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus."

John was on the barren Isle of Patmos in the Aegean Sea (Ed note: click to enlarge Dore woodcut of John on Patmos) because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. John had been banished to exile on Patmos because of the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ. He had lost his freedom. The Roman government did not want him propagating another God beside Caesar. Tradition says John was "baptized" (Ed note: dipped) into boiling oil, but despite the pain he must have experienced, John refused to recant what he knew to be true -- the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. John had walked with Jesus, he had talked with Jesus (cf 1Jn 1:1, 1:5, 4:14, 5:11), he had seen Jesus perform miracles, and he had seen Jesus transfigured and heard God the Father testify that Jesus was His beloved Son in Whom He was well-pleased (Mt 17:5). John knew that Jesus was a true Witness! So John was willing to lose his freedom and his life for what he knew was the Truth.

The day may be near when we lose many of our freedoms because we bear the name 'Christian', because you believe the Testimony of Jesus Christ, because you hold fast the Word of God, because you will not let it go! The question before each of us then is: "Is it worth it?" The rest of the story is the REVELATION, which shows us clearly that it is more than worth it. (cf note Romans 8:18)

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

In Revelation 12 we see a Woman persecuted by "the great dragon...the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan" (Revelation 12:9) who is thrown out of heaven. The Testimony of Jesus Christ is not something that you lightly say that you believe, but something that you embrace, something that you hold to, even if you are persecuted.

Revelation 19:10 (John is so overwhelmed, he falls down to worship an angel who was giving him the testimony of Jesus. So the angel tells John) "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

Do you see what this verse is saying? It is not just knowing the testimony of Jesus, but it is holding to the testimony of Jesus. Is it a true testimony? Yes, it is a true testimony, because Jesus only speaks what the Father speaks. He only does what the Father does. It is a true testimony. These people ("your brethren") have held to the the testimony of Jesus. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit (pneuma = the breath or life) of prophecy. Thus the spirit of prophecy is the life or the breath of prophecy. So all the prophecy from Genesis 3:15 to Revelation has life and the well-spring, the root of that prophecy is Jesus! It all points to Jesus, the Son of God, Who is One with the Father. He is God.

Revelation 20:4 "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

Is the Testimony of Jesus worth losing your life for?
Is this testimony worth losing things?

As you read (Ed note: referring to lesson 2 in Revelation - Part 2) you marked ''mark'' and ''mark of the beast'' and you know that there is a day coming when in order to buy or sell anything, one will have to have a mark on their right hand or their forehead. So for those who don't have the mark, there will be hunger and famine. The question is this "Is it worth it?" Even if it might mean your own life or the hunger of your children or the welfare of your family?

The Queen of England became a believer and was sentenced to die, and was offered reprieve if only she would deny the Word of God and her belief that one must have a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ which comes only by faith, not by works. She refused the offer of clemency, holding fast to the testimony of Jesus Christ. Her husband came in to visit her and they embrace and the persecutors relate to her '

Your husband has denied Him. You deny Him and you will live together.''

Her husband stood there looking at her because he is forbidden to speak and she says

'I will never, ever, ever, deny the Lord Who washed me with His blood, Who saved me from my sins and made me to be a kingdom of priests unto God. I cannot deny Him.'' As she was taken out to be beheaded, her husband turns to her and says 'I did not deny Him. I too held to the testimony of Jesus Christ. And in a few minutes I'll see you in heaven!'

Beheaded for the testimony of Jesus Christ. The day is coming. You've got to know Him! They also held to the word of God. These Words are Words of Life.

In John 6 where the multitudes turned away: John 6:66-69 records that

As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore." Jesus said therefore to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God."

Indeed, Jesus Alone has the Words of Life because He Alone is the way, the truth and the life. This is the testimony of Jesus

I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. (John 14:6)

In Revelation 20:4 John mentions ''a thousand years.'' Why? Because, fame and fortune and family and friends were not worth the testimony of Jesus Christ. Freedom is not worth the testimony of Jesus Christ. Health is not worth the testimony of Jesus Christ. Houses and lands are not worth the testimony of Jesus Christ. Their own life is not worth the testimony of Jesus Christ! Why? Who is He? He is the One Who is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25-26). He is the One to Whom has been given all judgment (John 5:22). He is the One that raises people from the dead (Jairus' daughter in Lu 8:49-55, widow's son in Lu 7:12-15, Lazarus in Jn 11:43-44) . That day of resurrection is coming. Hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 6:9ff

And when He broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar (the altar described in Rev 4) the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained.10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, wilt Thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, should be completed also."

What testimony is John referring to here? ''I belong to Jesus Christ'' and as Martin Luther said 'I cannot, I will not recant.' They held to their testimony but it cost them their life "

Revelation 11:7-12 describes two other martyrs, the two witnesses (Revelation 11:2ff). John records that

when they (the two witnesses) have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 And those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11 And after the three and a half days the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were beholding them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them.

These two witnesses gave an accurate testimony to the world of Jesus, even calling down fire from heaven. The earth rejoiced over their death and made merry but in taking them up into heaven in the cloud in front of their enemies, God was showing the world that He is the Giver of life.

Is the testimony of Jesus Christ. worth losing your life over? Yes, because though we are dead yet shall we live. (John 11:25-26).

And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death. (Revelation 12:11)

Here we find a group of brethren persecuted by Satan. Why? Because of the word of their testimony. And yet they did not love their life even to death.

Compare to Revelation 1:5 (note) where John records that

Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth...who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood"

So how did these overcome the enemy, who is a liar, a murderer, and who desires to destroy us? By the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. The blood of the Lamb takes care of all my sins. Satan's power is gone when my sins are taken care of. They are going to hold to the word of the testimony of Jesus Christ. They say that it is worth it even to death.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST?

What do you know about the testimony? That's what this course (Precept Upon Precept Revelation - Part 2) is all about -- the revelation, the unveiling of the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ, to show you things that must shortly come to pass. What are you going to do with it? Are you going to hold onto it? Hold on because - The tabernacle of the testimony is about to be opened.

After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened (Revelation 15:5)

So He is saying that ''I am about to open the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony". What is the testimony? The testimony is that Jesus Christ is the Firstborn. He is a Faithful Witness. He is the Firstborn of all creation and He is the Ruler of the kings of the earth. So when this tabernacle of the testimony is about to be opened, we are seeing what shall shortly come to pass - The rule of God upon the earth. What was given to Jesus? All judgment (John 5:22) is given to Him. So the tabernacle in heaven is about to be opened and the wrath of the Lamb is about to come.

THE QUESTION FOR YOU AND I TO ANSWER IS: ARE YOU PREPARED? Have you fled from the WRATH which is to come and run into the arms of Jesus Christ? Those arms are nail pierced (Ps 22:16).

Kay relates the story of a woman whose husband died despite her plea bargaining. And she is full of anger. Kay reminded her that there is no 'bargaining' with God. God is God. You must believe what you know about Jesus Christ. Kay prayed that God would wrap His nailed-pierced arms around her and not let her go.

Embrace the testimony of Jesus Christ. How do you embrace it? By listening for as Jesus said

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says" let him hear (click the 7 uses in Revelation).

So you hold the testimony of Jesus Christ by listening to it, by knowing it, by understanding it. You must hear it with faith so that you do not let go. If you do not let go you will receive the blessing.

Kay ends with the story of man being tortured in Eastern bloc communist country, who almost despaired unto death until he began to hear a song, a new song that God had put in his heart, so that he began singing out loud. The guard accused him of losing his mind, but he replied that he had found his mind that it was the guard who was lost because he had not believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. He held to the testimony, with the result that the guard fell to his knees and believed the word of God and the Testimony of Jesus.

Blessed are those who hear the Testimony of Jesus Christ and who embrace it. It is worth everything, even worth losing your life because he who loses his life shall gain it and even more in the life to come.

Behold, He is coming and His reward is with Him to give to every man according to his deeds (Revelation 22:12 [note]). Your deeds will be based upon what you believe of the Testimony of Jesus Christ.