Heavenly Homeland

Seven Martyrs of Ancyra, female victims of Diocletian’s persecution,

They were unmarried, about 70 years old, and notable for piety and good works. When the persecution was determined upon, Theotecnus, a magician, a philosopher and pervert from Christianity, was dispatched as governor to Galatia to root out Christianity. Among the earliest victims were the seven virgins, Tecusa, Alexandra, Faina, Claudia, Euphrasia, Matrona, Julitta. Theotecnus called upon them to offer incense, and upon their refusal condemned them to the public brothel, from which they escaped scatheless on account of their age, and by the ingenuity of Tecusa their leader.

He then ordered them to officiate as priestesses of Diana and Minerva in washing their statues according to the annual custom of Ancyra. They were accordingly carried naked through the streets to a neighbouring lake, where garlands and white garments were offered them in which to fulfil his commands. Upon their refusal Theotecnus ordered them to be drowned in the lake, with heavy stones tied round their necks lest their bodies should be recovered and buried by their fellow Christians.

Theodotus, martyr at Ancyra in Galatia in Diocletian’s persecution.

The narrative of his martyrdom is intermingled with that of the Seven Virgins of Ancyra. Theodotus was a devout dealer in provisions. THEOTECNUS, the apostate from Christianity, was sent with ample power to enforce conformity to the imperial edicts, and began by ordering all provisions sold in the market to be first presented to the gods. This would render them unfit for use in the Holy Communion. Theodotus supplied the Christians with bread and wine free from pollution. The persecution waxing hot, he was compelled to fly from Ancyra to a place, distant some 40 miles, where a cave, through which the Halys flowed, was a refuge for some fugitive Christians. The narrative shews us how quietly Christians in country districts pursued their occupations and enjoyed daily worship, while those in the cities were suffering tortures and death, and is most valuable as illustrating the general condition of the Christians in Asia Minor during the earlier years of Diocletian’s persecution.

In the cave Theodotus found certain brethren who had overturned the altar of Diana, and were being carried by their relations for judgment to the prefect when Theodotus had bribed the accusers to let them off. They were delighted to see their deliverer, and invited him to a meal

He then returned to Ancyra, which he found greatly disturbed by a violent persecution. Theodotus, having rescued the bodies of the nuns from the lake into which Theotecnus had cast them, prepared to suffer.

Then he went to the tribunal, where the priests of Minerva were demanding his arrest as the leader of the Christian opposition. Roman criminal procedure often made an offer to the martyrs of high promotion and imperial favour if they recanted. Theodotus was offered the high-priesthood of Apollo, now esteemed the greatest of all the gods, but in vain, till at last the president ordered him to be beheaded and his body burned. He was executed and his body placed on a pyre, when suddenly a bright light shone around it, so that no one dared approach.

Stratonice, martyr at Cyzicum in Mysia with Seleucus her husband

at the quinquennalia of Galerius during Diocletian’s persecution. The wife of a leading magistrate of the town, she came to see a large number of Christians tortured. Their patience converted her and she converted her husband. Her father, Apollonius, after every effort to win her back to paganism had failed, became her most bitter accuser. Husband and wife were beheaded, and buried in one tomb over which Constantine built a church

Jim Elliot and Four Missionary Friends

Jim Elliot, along with four of his missionary colleagues was killed on January 8, 1956 while trying to establish contact with the Auca Indians in Ecuador (now known as the Waodani people). Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Pete Flemming and Roger Youderian had been working to make friendly contact with the Auca tribe which they had seen from the air. Though they had only met one tribesman face to face, they had participated in trades with the Auca from a plane to ground system. When Elliot and his friends landed on a river beach on that fateful January day they were slaughtered by the waiting men.

Their deaths were not in vain though. The widows continued to try and make peaceful contact and eventually won the hearts of the tribe. God has used this recent missionary martyr story to inspire new generations of missionaries willing to give their lives for what they believe.

His journal entry for October 28, 1949, expresses his belief that work dedicated to Jesus was more important than his life. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” This is the quote that is most often attributed to Elliot, which is very close to a saying of the English nonconformist preacher Philip Henry (1631–1696) who said “He is no fool who parts with that which he cannot keep, when he is sure to be recompensed with that which he cannot lose”

• Hebrews 11:13-16 (NKJV) ¹³  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴  For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. ¹⁵  And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶  But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
  
• Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV) ¹⁹  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
  

Love their Lives to the death

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

they did not love their lives to the death = “they carried their not-love of their life even unto death.”

Eternal or Temporal Life?

Jesus himself had been “obedient unto death” (Phil. 2:8).

• Philippians 2:8 (NKJV)  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
  
• John 12:25 (NKJV)  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
  
• Mark 8:35 (NKJV)  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
  
• Matthew 10:39 (NKJV)  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
  
• Matthew 16:25 (NKJV)  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
  
• Luke 9:24 (NKJV)  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
  
• Luke 17:33 (NKJV)  Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
  

Sometimes what looks like defeat is victory, as when brethren die for their faith. Satan has killed them, but they have actually conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.

• Matthew 10:33 (NKJV)  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
  
• Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
  
• Romans 8:35-39 (NKJV) ³⁵  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶  As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long;
  We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
  ³⁷  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ³⁸  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  

Martyrdom

Is death endured for the word of God, and testimony of Christ

• Revelation 6:9 (NKJV)  When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.
  
• Revelation 20:4 (NKJV)  And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
  

Saints Forewarned of

• Matthew 10:21 (NKJV)  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
  
• Matthew 24:9 (NKJV)  Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
  
• John 16:2 (NKJV)  They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
  

Should not fear

• Matthew 10:28 (NKJV)  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
  
• Revelation 2:10 (NKJV)  Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
  

Should be prepared for

• Matthew 16:24-25 (NKJV)  Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
  
• Acts 21:13 (NKJV)  Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
  

Should resist sin to

• Hebrews 12:4 (NKJV)  You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
  

Reward of

• Revelation 2:10 (NKJV)  Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
  
• Revelation 6:11 (NKJV)  Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.
  

Inflicted at the instigation of the devil

• Revelation 2:10 (NKJV)  Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
  
• Revelation 2:13 (NKJV)  I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
  

The Apostasy guilty of inflicting

• Revelation 17:6 (NKJV)  I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
  
• Revelation 18:24 (NKJV)  And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.”
  

Of saints, shall be avenged

• Luke 11:50-51 (NKJV)  that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,  from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.
  
• Revelation 18:20-24 (NKJV)  Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”  Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.  The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore.  The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.  And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.”