The Two Witnesses Emerge Revelation 11:1-9

Transcription

1 The Two Witnesses Emerge Revelation 11:1-9 NKJV Notes by Pastor Mike Sasso Review We have seen that as the seven seals of the great scroll in heaven were being broken in Revelation chapter six, there was a parenthesis between the opening of the sixth and seventh seal. The parenthesis was contained within Revelation chapter seven. Then the opening of the seventh seal in Revelation chapter eight triggered the beginning of the sounding of the seven trumpets. Now once more there is a parenthesis, or interlude, between the sounding of the sixth and seventh trumpets. This parenthesis is contained within Revelation chapters This parenthesis will contain what is known as the seven bowl judgments starting at 15:7. Introduction Again the student of Revelation must be reminded that these middle chapters of revelation record events that much of the Christian church is divided over. Even scholars within the same theological camps have numerous disagreements concerning the specific interpretations of the events and characters recorded here. Therefore we must be very graceful with one another as we share our thoughts and opinions. The book of Revelation is one of the few books of the Bible wherein true, sincere, born again believers may have sharp disagreements. Let love rule your small groups. Be open and accepting of one another. And above all, let Jesus Christ be glorified as you seek God s truth together. Chapters repeatedly speak of periods of time such as forty-two months, Twelve hundred sixty days, or a time, and times, and half a time. These are all ways of saying three and a half years. Most Futurists consider these three and a half years to be half of the seven-year tribulation contained within Revelation 4:1-19:21. The last three and a half years of the tribulation is known as The Great Tribulation. It is interesting to note that there is some debate even among futurists about which half of the seven-year tribulation these three and a half years cover. 1. Share your general impressions of what you have learned from the study of Revelation to this point. 2. What has been confusing or frustrating to you?

2 3. What has been encouraging to you and why? 4. Have you become more open and accepting of Christians with views that differ from yours? Discuss this thought. 5. Has there been any rearranging of your own convictions or theology as a result of our study so far? Share and discuss your thoughts. Before beginning these notes read through Revelation chapter 10 together as a group. STUDY NOTES: verses 1-4 v. 1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. Then is a reminder that there really were no chapter and verse divisions when this book was written. John is continuing the narration of his vision from chapter ten. John was given a measuring rod to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. The act of measuring signifies that this area belongs to God. This wasn t the first time God commissioned one of His servants to measure the temple (see Ezekiel 40:3, 5 in context of chapters 40 through 48). Because, at the time of John s revelation here, the temple in Jerusalem had already been destroyed, the Temple of God that John is commanded to measure is the temple that will be rebuilt and will be in existence during the future Tribulation period. This is the end times temple written about throughout the scriptures that will be eventually be violated and defiled by the antichrist. See Dan. 9:27, 12:11; 2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:14,15. Because of the coming defilement, many consider this measuring of the temple to be a preamble to judgment. In Revelation, the rod seems to be an instrument of chastisement (2:27, 12:5, 19:15). Jesus said to look for an abomination standing in the holy place, which would be the pivotal sign that the season of God s wrath was upon the earth (Matthew 24:15-16 and 24:21). In Ezekiel 40:2ff and Zechariah 2:1-2, measurement is in preparation of the Lord s coming to dwell upon the earth. David Guzik, in his free online commentary, gives some interesting insights here:

3 In point of fact, today there are Jews who are very interested in rebuilding the temple and resuming sacrifice, and are making preparations to do that exact thing even now. i. Today you can visit the Temple Institute in the Jewish Quarter of the old city in Jerusalem. There, a group of Jews absolutely dedicated to rebuilding the temple attempt to educate the public and raise awareness for a new temple. They are trying to replicate everything they can for a new temple, down to the specific pots and pans used for sacrifice. ii. Israel is a nation again, and efforts to rebuild the temple are for real. The main Jewish group leading the charge to rebuild the temple is an organization called Faithful of the Temple Mount, who say they will continue their efforts to re-establish the Jewish temple on the Mount. One leader in the group said, We shall continue our struggle until the Israeli flag is flying from the Dome of the Rock. In Israel, there are students being trained for the priesthood, learning how to conduct animal sacrifices in the rebuilt temple. iii. It is important to understand that most Jews religious or secular do not care one bit about building a temple. And if there were one rebuilt, sacrifice would be difficult in a day of aggressive animal rights activists! Yet, there is a small, strong, highly dedicated group who live to see a rebuilt temple a temple which will fulfill prophecy. iv. Rightly, Christians get excited when they see efforts to rebuild the temple. At the same time, we should understand that the basic impulse behind rebuilding the temple is not of God at all the desire to have a place to sacrifice for sin. Christians believe that all sacrifice for sin was finished at the cross, and any further sacrifice for sin is an offense to God, because it denies the finished work of Jesus on the cross. v. Orthodox Jews consider that the Messiah will rebuild the temple; however, the man they may initially embrace as their Messiah may in fact be the Antichrist: I have come in My Father s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. (John 5:43) v. 2 "But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. The plot of ground where Solomon s historic temple originally stood now shares space with a present-day mosque. This is the third holiest site for Muslims. Some believe that the building of this Muslim Mosque of Omar has defiled the outer court of the original Solomon s temple. The current futurist theory is that the Antichrist will help solve this problem of the Jews and Muslims struggle over this plot of ground. Perhaps with modern technology they will do an archeological survey of this holy spot and find a way to build the future temple over Solomon s original temple, all except for the outer court. For forty-two months, or one half of the seven-year tribulation, the holy city of Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentile nations. Along these lines, David Guzik explains, When the city of Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans, they destroyed the city so completely that the foundations of the old temple are not easily found. Most have long assumed that the Dome of the Rock shrine stands on the place

4 of the old temple. But new research gives some evidence that the temple may have stood to the north where the Dome of the Rock shrine is today, and that if the temple were to be rebuilt at its old place, the Dome of the Rock shrine would be in its outer courts. If this is the case (and the research is by no means settled), then it would explain why the angel told John leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. v. 3-4 "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. Now we are introduced to two witnesses who will prophesy for three and a half years of the great tribulation. Sackcloth is a sign of morning and sorrow. It seems that these witnesses will be prophesying against the unrepentant world and the injustice and defilement of the antichrist. The two olive trees is an allusion to Zechariah 4:14. This is equivalent to saying The Lord s anointed. See also Jeremiah 11: We will discuss the possible identities of these two witnesses in verse six. v. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These two witnesses obviously have great power and protection given them from God. It seems that no one can harm them until their mission is fulfilled. (See v. 7) v. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. Because of the specific types of miracles these two witnesses are able to perform, many believe that they are Moses and Elijah. Compare these verses with the works of Elijah in 1 Kings 17, James 5:17 and Malachi 4:5; and the works of Moses in Exodus The idea of these men being Moses and Elijah is also popular because these two men appeared with Jesus in His transfiguration (Matt. 17:3). Some believe these two witnesses to be Elijah and Enoch because these are the only two men in scripture to have never tasted death. This view argues that these men will return to keep their appointment with death. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment (Heb. 9:27, NKJV). 1. Who do you believe the two witnesses mentioned here to be and why? 2. Why do you think they will have such powers of protection? 3. What do you think these two witnesses message will be?

5 4. Do you think there will be a future Jewish temple rebuilt in Jerusalem? Explain your answer. 5. Do you think we are reading about the first half of the tribulation or the second? Discuss your answer STUDY NOTES: verses 7-14 v. 7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. The beast here is the first mention of thirty-six times in the book of Revelation. The argument is made here that a child of God cannot die before God is finished with him. But along with that reasoning we must also note that it is both possible and probable for a child of God to be martyred when an individual comes into power who is anti-christ in nature. v. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. - This is a description of the city of Jerusalem in a backslidden state. In scripture, when Israel has been in rebellion against God it has been called Sodom (Is. 1:9,10; 3:8,9; Jer. 23:14; Deut. 32:30-33), as well as Egypt (Ezek. 23:3,4,8,19). v. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. Seventy-five years ago people were laughing at this verse. How could peoples from tribes, tongues, and nations all see these dead bodies? Only with modern television is live worldwide broadcast now possible. Leaving the dead bodies in the street for an extended period of time would be for the purpose of bringing great shame and disgrace upon the dead. This would be a way for the Antichrist to gloat in his victory over these two witnesses. v. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. This event has been described as a sort of Satanic Christmas party. It will be the only celebration on earth during the tribulation period. What a contrast to the children of light! The wicked rejoice over the evil event of the slaying of the two witnesses of God. But the righteous rejoice in Christ. v Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. God s chosen always ultimately have the victory. And these two witnesses experience their own private rapture as the news cameras roll! With

6 technology as it is today, it is not far fetched to imagine this event captured by CNN and other worldwide news media for the entire world to see. v. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven. Once more, as God s anointed are removed from the scene, judgment falls upon the wicked. But here also we see a strange break in the normal pattern in Revelation. We actually see people fearing God and giving Him glory as a result of the earthquake. Could this giving glory to God actually be a sign of true repentance and saving faith in the hearts of the survivors of this earthquake? Compare Joshua 2:9-11. v. 14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly. See 8:13, which marks the beginning of the three woes. The second woe seems to include the sixth trumpet and the earthquake 9: And the third woe would then be the seventh trumpet 11: Look up the verses recorded in the notes for verse 14. Identify and discuss the three woes. 2. What do we learn here about the world s attitude toward those who stand for God s truth? 3. What do we learn from verses seven through fourteen about satanic forces and what they can and can t do to a man or woman of God? STUDY NOTES: verse 15 v. 15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" All futurists agree that as this seventh angel sounds his trumpet it is the trigger point of the second coming of Christ. This is that grand event which all Christians anxiously await. Once the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, then all wars, troubles, and problems will end. How can this be the second coming when there are more judgments yet to come recorded in this book? Keep in mind that some see John s visions of the seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls as three different visions depicting different aspects of the same time period much like Daniel s three visions in Daniel 7.

7 1. Look up the following scriptures and discus their relationship with the text we are now considering: Dan. 2:44, 45; 7:14, 18, 22, 27; Is. 9:7, 1 Cor. 15: How can verse fifteen be a recording of the second coming of Christ when there are so many more events yet recorded in this book? STUDY NOTES: verses v And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. This is truly an occasion of rejoicing. Never again will the earth be under the control of sinful man. God has always possessed absolute power. But now He has exerted His great power and set all things right! Now He reigns forever and ever. v. 18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth." The nations were angry because they did not want to be ruled by God. But now the judgment of the godless has come. Many see in this verse a resurrection of the dead and a judgment day. There are several theories formulated in an attempt to explain this resurrection and judgment. Walvoord teaches that this is the resurrection of the righteous dead but not the wicked and that the wicked will not be raised to judgment until after the millennium. Hal Lindsey believes that this is the resurrection of the believers of the Old Testament and of the Tribulation period. Ironside writes that this eighteenth verse covers the entire millennium right on up to the judgment of the wicked dead. In other words, he teaches that this Day of Judgment will last for one thousand years. 1. What is your understanding of verse eighteen? How many resurrections and judgments of the dead will there be according to scripture?

8 STUDY NOTES: verse 19 v. 19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. The Temple of God in the Old Testament was a place of the very presence of God. The Ark of His covenant was always a reminder of God s covenant with man and His faithfulness. This verse is reminiscent of Exodus 19: What impressions are left upon your heart from the imagery found in this chapter? 3. How should what you have just studied effect the way you live? CONCLUSION: It is comforting to know that in spite of all our trials and tribulations God will someday exert His great power and take full dominion. Oh how I look forward to the day when He shall reign forever and ever. Mike Sasso