The Word of God and Testimony of Jesus

One of the themes of the book of Revelation is the importance of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. The book begins with these words: “The Revelation of John, a servant of God, which was given unto him of Jesus Christ, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass, that he sent and signified by his angel unto his servant John, Who bore record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed are they who read, and they who hear and understand the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time of the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Now this is the testimony of John to the seven servants who are over the seven churches in Asia” (JST Revelation 1:1-4). John bore record of the word of God and His testimony of the Savior and testified of the blessings that would come to those who would read the words of his prophecy. He explained where he was in writing this book in these words, “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:9). He was banished to the island because of his commitment to the word of God and because of his testimony of the Son of God. In vision he saw those who were killed because of their similar testimony: “I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held” (Revelation 6:9). A devotion to the word of God and a testimony of the Savior can come with a high price for those who are faithful. It was through the word and testimony that in the premortal existence we overcame the adversary, and those same things cause him to come after us in mortality: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death…. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:11, 17). There is a cost associated with our adherence to the word of God and our testimony of Jesus, but through them we know that we will always overcome the power of the adversary.   

                Other passages in the book of Revelation similarly emphasize the power and physical danger that comes with a devotion to the word of God. John recorded, “I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4). These people that he saw were killed because of their testimony of Jeus and their commitment to the word of God, and though they suffered in mortality, they were promised to live again and reign with the Savior in the Millennium. John also described one vision of the Savior in these words: “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God…. And out of his mouth proceedeth the word of God, and with it he will smite the nations; and he will rule them with the word of his mouth; and he treadeth the winepress in the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Revelation 19:13, 15). The Savior is the Word of God, and He will rule the nations through his words. And so likewise those words should rule over us and guide us against the wiles of the adversary in mortality as we find in them protection and testimony. Towards the end of the book, God said to John: “Write: for these words are true and faithful” (Revelation 21:5). The words of the Lord in holy writ are true and faithful; the Word of God, Jesus Christ, is true and faithful; and we can be true and faithful through our adherence to the Word and to His words. These passages in Revelation remind us that there is indeed great power in the word of God.