In light of the Day of the Lord being near (cf. Rom. 13:12; Phil. 4:5; Heb. 10:25; Jam. 5:8; 1 Pe. 4:7; 2 Pe. 3:3ff) patient enduring faith in God, his Messiah, and the restoration of all things is the foundation of the Church’s mission in this age (cf. 1 Cor. 1:7; Phil. 3:20; 1 Thess. 1:10; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 9:28; Jam. 5:8; 2 Pe. 3:12; Jude 1:21). However, in context to the Day of the Lord the church is also called to faithfully witness to Jesus and the judgment to come. This witness is essentially amnestic in nature, representing the kindness and longsuffering of the Lord toward the wicked. This amnestic witness is most perfectly expressed in martyrdom, which the church must embrace wholeheartedly at the end of the age as wickedness finds full expression. The Scriptures clearly declare that global martyrdom is the glorious destiny of the end-time church.
This teaching was taught in context to the course Biblical Praxis of Mission and can be found here: Messianic Allegiance of the Church Unto Martyrdom Part 1.

John Harrigan

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Crisis

<ol>
<li>In light of the Day of the Lord being near (cf. Rom. 13:12; Phil. 4:5; Heb. 10:25; Jam. 5:8; 1 Pe. 4:7; 2 Pe. 3:3ff) patient enduring faith in God, his Messiah, and the restoration of all things is the foundation of the church’s mission in this age (cf. 1 Cor. 1:7; Phil. 3:20; 1 Thess. 1:10; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 9:28; Jam. 5:8; 2 Pe. 3:12; Jude 1:21).</li>
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But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (ESV Jude 1:20-21)
Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth&#8211; to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, &#8220;Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come…&#8221; 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God&#8217;s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. (NIV Revelation 14:6-12)
<ol>
<li>However, in context to the Day of the Lord the church is also called to faithfully witness to Jesus and the judgment to come. This witness is essentially amnestic in nature, representing the kindness and longsuffering of the Lord toward the wicked.</li>
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The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. (NIV Luke 24:46-48)
He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify (cf. Acts 1:8) that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. (NIV Acts 10:42-43)
<ol>
<li>This amnestic witness is most perfectly expressed in martyrdom, which the church must embrace wholeheartedly at the end of the age as wickedness finds full expression. The Scriptures clearly declare that global martyrdom is the glorious destiny of the end-time church.</li>
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As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. (NIV Daniel 7:21-22)
He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast… (NIV Revelation 13:7-8)
I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb… 13 Then one of the elders asked me, &#8220;These in white robes&#8211; who are they, and where did they come from?&#8221; 14 I answered, &#8220;Sir, you know.&#8221; And he said, &#8220;These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (NIV Revelation 7:9-14)
<ol>
<li>The loss of focus and theology concerning martyrdom after the Constantinian Shift is in direct relation to assimilation of Platonism into the Christian worldview. As such the essential amnestic witness of the Church was lost, and likewise the essential meaning of martyrdom itself was lost.</li>
<li>Within a Platonic worldview, the mission of God, and therefore of the church, is either dominionistic (if sovereignty is emphasized) or escapist (if salvation is emphasized). Therefore martyrdom is either seen as: 1) a failure (cf. dominionism), since God/church has failed in establishing sovereignty over injustice, or 2) a waste (cf. escapism), since God/church has lost another worker unto saving souls.</li>
<li>Within a Biblical worldview, the mission of God, and therefore of the church, is amnestic which supplies inherent meaning to the event of martyrdom (if the intentions are actually motivated by the same loving intentions as God).</li>
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Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. 12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge. 13 For the Lord&#8217;s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme… 15 For it is God&#8217;s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish… 18 Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. 19 For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. 20 If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God&#8217;s approval. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. (NRSV 1 Peter 2:11-21)
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal… 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. (NIV 1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

INTRODUCTION

THE FAITHFUL WITNESS

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<li>A false witness will also arise at the end of the age, which will pervert the witness of the gospel. This false witness will ultimately be designed to avoid the embracing of suffering and martyrdom.</li>
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Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. (NIV Matthew 24:9-11)
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<li>The False Witness will be founded upon false ideologies that undermine love unto death. Moreover, it will be a history of small denials of the Cross that will culminate in the final denial of Jesus in context to the Antichrist.
<ol>
<li>This False Witness is exemplified in Peter’s confession and subsequent denial. Peter’s “stumbling block”, like many in Israel at that time (cf. 1 Cor. 1:23; 1 Pe. 2:8; Rom. 9:32; Gal. 5:11), was the rejection of suffering before glory (cf. Lk. 24:26; Acts 3:18; 17:3; 1 Pe. 1:11; Heb. 2:10ff).</li>
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</li>
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Simon Peter answered, &#8220;You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.&#8221; 17 Jesus replied, &#8220;Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah…&#8221; 21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. &#8220;Never, Lord!&#8221; he said. &#8220;This shall never happen to you!&#8221; 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, &#8220;Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.&#8221; 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, &#8220;If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (NIV Matthew 16:16-24)
<ul>
<li>Then Jesus said to them, &#8220;You will all fall away because of me this night…&#8221; 33 Peter answered him, &#8220;Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.&#8221; 34 Jesus said to him, &#8220;Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.&#8221; (ESV Matthew 26:31)</li>
<li>When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, &#8220;Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?&#8221; He said to him, &#8220;Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.&#8221; He said to him, &#8220;Feed my lambs (cf. v.16, 17)… 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.&#8221; 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, &#8220;Follow me.&#8221; (ESV John 21:15-19)</li>
<li>Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute… and has avenged on her the blood of his servants… 6 Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory (cf. resurrection), for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure&#8221;- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. (ESV Revelation 19:1-8)</li>
</ul>
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<li>Paul warns believers to avoid those whose lifestyles deny the reality of the Cross.</li>
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But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. (ESV 2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. (ESV Philippians 3:17-19)
<ol>
<li>Ultimately, the False Witness will abandon the Cross and everything it communicates. It will seek “riches, honor and long-life” for self, rather than embracing suffering and martyrdom as faithful witnesses of God’s longsuffering. The measure of the Church is its production of loving martyrs.</li>
</ol>
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage&#8212; with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist (concerning “his appearing and his kingdom”), discharge all the duties of your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering… 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness… and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. (NIV 2 Timothy 4:1-10)
<ol>
<li>This is the ultimate danger of ideologies that equate the Kingdom of God with the Church. If the Kingdom is now in the Church, then there is no real impetus for denial of the flesh, seeking a greater inheritance in the age to come. If the Kingdom is now, then the inheritance (i.e. prosperity for the righteous) is now, which is the driving force behind the modern Church’s insatiable desire for more wealth and power. This false theology results in a false witness concerning Jesus and the Day of the Lord, and it will ultimately result in a great falling away at the end of the age.</li>
</ol>
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life (in this age) will lose it (at the Day of the Lord), but whoever loses his life for my sake (exemplified in martyrdom) will find it (in the resurrection). 26 For what will it profit a man (in the judgment) if he gains the whole world (in this age) and forfeits his life (cf. eternal life)? … 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done (i.e. in accordance with the will of God as a longsuffering witness). (NIV Matthew 16:24-27)
The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. (NIV John 12:24-26)
<ol>
<li>The false prophetic witness in the OT exemplifies the False Witness at the end of the age.</li>
</ol>
I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds. (NIV Jeremiah 23:21-22)
Then the LORD said to me, &#8220;The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds… 15 I did not send them, yet they are saying, &#8216;No sword or famine will touch this land.&#8217; Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine.&#8221; (NIV Jeremiah 14:14-15)
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders… 7 The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. 8 The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel… 12 Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. 13 But the people have not returned to him who struck them, nor have they sought the LORD Almighty. 14 So the LORD will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day; 15 the elders and prominent men are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail. 16 Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray. (NIV Isaiah 9:6-16)
For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough… 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. (NIV 2 Corinthians 11:4-15)

THE FALSE WITNESS

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The Scriptures clearly declare that global martyrdom is the glorious destiny of the end-time church.

Martyrdom: The Glorious Destiny of the Church