Though Revelation was written primarily to first century Christians, its message is not limited to the first century. For example, the writer of Hebrews exhorted first century Christians to be faithful by reviewing great heroes of faith who lived during the Old Testament times. In a similar way, Revelation gives hope to Christians who are being persecuted by reminding them of God's victories over great kingdoms in the past. These victories also should encourage those that will suffer similar persecutions in the future.