Revelation - What It Means for You Today - BE WILLING TO ENDURE PERSECUTION

 Let us now consider Jesus' messages to the congregationsb in Smyrna and Philadelphia.  He told Christians there not to be afraid to suffer persecution, since their faithfulness would be rewarded.  (Read Revelation 2:10; 3:10) What is the lesson for us today?  We must expect persecution and be willing to endure it.  (Matthew 24:09, 13; 2 Corinthians 12:10)  Why is this reminder important? 

The book of Revelation informs us that God's people would be persecuted in our day - "the  Lord's day."  Revelation chapter 12 mentions that war breaks out in heaven immediately following the birth of God'd Kingdom, Michael-the glorified Jesus Christ-and his armies fight against Satan and the demons.  (Revelations 12:7, 8) As  a result, those enemies of God are defeated and cast down to the vicinity of the earth, bringoing untold suffering to the earth and its inhabitants.  (Revelaton 12:9, 12)  But how does this development affect God's people?

Revelation next tells us how Satan reacts. He no longer has access to the heavenly realm, so he focuses his anger on the remnant of anointed ones, who are the earthly representatioves of God's Kingdom and who "have the work of bearing witness concerning Jesus." (Revelaton 12:17; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Ephesians 6:19, 20)  How has this prophecy been fulfilled?

Satan instigated an attack on the anointed brothers who were taking the lead in the Kingdom-preaching work. Prominent ones among them were the figurative "two witnesses" spoken of as being killed.  (Revelation 11:3, 7-11)  In 1918, eight of the responsible brothers were convicted on false charges,a nd each was sentenced to a long term of imprisonment.  From a human standpoint, it appeared as if the work of these anointed ones had been "killed." 

The prophecy in Revelation chapter 11 also stated that the "two witnesses" would be brough back to life after a short period of time.  In the fulfillment, something surprising happened in the very next year of their imprisonment. Early in 1919 those anointed brothers were released from prison, and later the charges were dropped.  The brother immediately got back to work-Kingdom work. But that did not stop Satan's attacks on God's people.  Sinec that time, Satan has directed "a river" of persecution  against all of God's people.  (Revelation 12:15) Truly, "this is where it calls for endurance and faith on the parrt of each one of us. - REVELATION 13:10.

Next time: Revelation -What It Means for You Today - BE FULLY INVOLVED IN THE WORK JEHOVAH HAS GIVEN US

From the jw.org publications