Commenting on the pattern of witness found in Revelation 11 – faithful testimony > death and seeming defeat > Spirit empowered resurrection, David Chilton helpfully quotes Herbert Schlossberg,

“We are not the lords of history and do not control its outcome, but we have assurance that there is a lord of history’ and he controls its outcome. We need a theological interpretation of disaster, one that recognizes that God acts in such events as captivities, defeats, and crucifixions. The Bible can be interpreted as a string of God’s triumphs disguised as disasters.”