There is a book in the Bible dedicated to the proclamation of victory for the people of God. It is the book of Revelation. In the midst of horrific persecution when disciples of Jesus were being tortured and killed because of their loyalty to Christ as Lord, Jesus Himself inspired the Apostle John to write a message of hope and deliver it to seven churches in Asia Minor. "Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." Revelation 1:11. John was likely the last apostle still alive when he was visited by Jesus on the prison island of Patmos. During the bloody reign of Nero a fierce and undeserved hatred for Christians had led to the martyrdom of anyone who refused or acknowledge Caesar as their lord. Jesus applauded the church in Pergamum saying, “you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” Revelation 2:13. The pressure they endured to renounce their faith is hard for us to fathom in the comfortable world we live in today. Chapter 12 apocalyptically describes the first century church as a helpless pregnant woman facing and enormous dragon, so large that when he swung his tail he knocked a third of the stars out of the sky. The odds against the church surviving were next to none but read the book. The woman was protected. The church not only survived but it grew and spread across the earth and is still in existence today, nearly 2,000 later. Kingdoms rise and fall. Religions come and go, but the church will prevail. Hell’s gates will not defeat her. (We studied Revelation May-October, 2025. By going to YouTube and searching “Lake Road Church of Christ” you’ll find all 26 lessons under Visit Channel/Podcasts.)