REVELATION 11 THE TWO WITNESSES2010 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Revelation 11 The Two Witnesses

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2010. We're continuing this morning in Revelation chapter 11. We took a break last week. Mario shared the word and did a great job. Kim and I actually were able to attend a memorial service for our church.

My grandfather-in-law, it's Kim's stepdad's father. And so we went up with them. It was kind of an overnight trip. We went up to Cambria, did the memorial service and spent some time with the family and then came back the very next day. And then the Lord blessed Kim and I to be able to get away and stay in San Diego for a couple of nights. And so we got refreshed and prepared for this week, which has been very busy leading up to tonight, which has all kinds of

things in store for us and so I was blessed to be able to do those things last week thanks Mario and those who were able to fill in while we were gone

And so this morning we're back in Revelation chapter 11, continuing our study through the book of Revelation. And as we do, I think it's important once again to remind us of where we're at in the book of Revelation. We've been dividing it into three separate portions. According to what Jesus revealed to John back in chapter 1, he gave him the divine outline of the book of Revelation. There in verse 19 of Revelation chapter 1,

Jesus tells John to write down the things which he has seen, that is the past tense, the things that have already happened, and we find those things recorded in chapter 1 of the book of Revelation.

Then he tells John to write down the things which are, that is the present tense, that is the age of the church or the history of the church, which continues to this day and will extend until the rapture of the church. And so we find those things addressed in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, and God is addressing the church or Jesus is addressing those churches in seven letters to the seven churches of that day.

And then we have the third part of the book of Revelation, which is the things which will take place after this. And here John is to write down the things that are yet future. They've yet to happen, even as we study these things this morning, these have yet to happen. They've not taken place yet. And we find these things recorded in chapter 4 through the end of the book of Revelation. The things which will take place.

And what are those things that are going to happen? Well, we outlined it and we've been looking at it week after week to keep it fresh in our minds. These are the things that must take place.

Jesus tells us in the first chapter of Revelation, verse 1, that this revelation was given to Jesus through John to us so that we might know the things which must shortly take place. These are things that God wants us to know. He wants us to know the order, the outline, and what is in store for this earth.

Well, we find the first future thing, the thing that you and I as believers are looking forward to is the rapture of the church. We dealt with it in great detail back in chapter 4 of the book of Revelation where the church is caught up to be with the Lord and then from that point on we will always and forever be with Him.

Well, after the church is caught up and out of the way, this earth will continue on through seven years of great tribulation. Tribulation, difficulty, disease, turmoil, devastation like the world has never seen before. No time in history will compare to the tribulation that will take place during those seven years.

Those seven years come to an end with the return of Jesus Christ. As the armies are gathered together for the battle of Armageddon, Jesus returns and he establishes his kingdom. He sets up his throne and he rules and he reigns on the earth for 1,000 years.

During that time, the earth is renewed. It's a time of peace. It's a time of prosperity. It's a time of righteousness. It's a time of great blessing as Jesus rules and reigns on the earth. During that time also, the enemy, Satan, will be bound in the bottomless pit for that thousand years up until right before the end. At the end, he'll be released for a short time.

And he'll be allowed to lead one final rebellion against God. And those people who are there inhabiting, or they're living during the millennial kingdom, during the reign of Christ, will have an opportunity to rebel against God at the close of that thousand year reign.

And those who follow Satan will come up against Jerusalem with him, rebelling against God. But of course, they will not be successful. They will fail. And God will bring judgment upon them. In fact, God will bring judgment upon all at that time. It's known as the Great White Throne Judgment.

where all who are dead, small and great, will stand before God. At that time, Satan and his demons will be cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20.15 also tells us that whoever's name is not written in the book of life will also be cast into the lake of fire at that time. The final judgment for those who have rejected God.

Well then in chapters 21 and 22 of the book of Revelation, we'll learn about, we'll read about the new heavens and the new earth that God creates, a new Jerusalem that ascends out of heaven or descends out of heaven, and then the rest of eternity that stretches before us with things that we can't even begin to imagine or describe or begin to think about because they're so great and so wonderful what God has in store for us.

And so those are the things which must shortly take place. They're going to take place shortly in that they're going to begin suddenly, without notice, without warning. The rapture of the church at any moment will take place and then all of these things will fall into place. They will begin to unfold one after the other as God's prophecies are fulfilled.

They also must take place, which means it's going to happen. There's no escaping it. It doesn't matter what treaties are signed. It doesn't matter who's elected this week or next year or two years from now. It doesn't matter who rises to power or what nations get together. None of that matters. These things will take place just like God has declared that they will.

Well, as we're studying through the book of Revelation and we're in chapter 11 this morning, where we find ourselves in that timeline, in that sequence here in chapter 11 is the middle of the tribulation period.

If you remember, the tribulation period begins with the opening of the first seal of the seven-sealed scroll. We were introduced to that scroll back in Revelation chapter 5. And that scroll, as Jesus opens each seal, unleashes judgment upon the earth.

And so we looked at the seven seals as they were opened. The first seal, the Antichrist came forth upon the earth. The second seal was opened and war broke out upon the earth. The third seal was opened and famine hit the whole world. Then the fourth seal was opened and a quarter of the earth's population was killed.

The fifth seal was opened and we saw martyrs under the throne being comforted by God. The sixth seal is open and we saw some catastrophic events take place, some major earthquake, the sun and stars being darkened, stars falling from the sky, all kinds of things going on there as the sixth seal was open. And then the seventh seal was opened and there was silence in heaven for 30 minutes and

And seven angels came forth with their trumpets and they are going to be blasting the trumpets, sounding the trumpets. And as each angel sounds the trumpet, another seven judgments are going to be unleashed upon the earth. And we looked at the first six of those thus far. The first trumpet sounded and a third of the trees were burned. The second trumpet sounded and a third of the sea was turned to blood.

The third trumpet sounded and a third of the water was made bitter. Then the fourth trumpet sounded and a third of the stars were darkened. The fifth trumpet sounded and there was five months of torment by these demonic locust type creatures who were stinging mankind and tormenting them for five months.

The six trumpets sounded and four angels were released. They lead an army to kill one third of mankind. And those are the things that we've studied up to this point, which brings us right to the middle of the tribulation period. The tribulation again is seven years long, but it's divided into two parts.

You might remember this timeline. There's some on the back table if you don't have one. But what we have here is a brief look at the tribulation period. It begins with the Antichrist signing a covenant, making an agreement with the nation of Israel.

The middle of the tribulation is distinct as well. It's well marked because, well, that's when the abomination of desolation takes place. And that's describing the Antichrist going into the temple, setting up an image of himself, proclaiming himself to be God, and calling all of the world to worship him as God.

And so that's known as the abomination of desolation. That happens after three and a half years, right in the middle of the tribulation period. Well, then the last three and a half years are full of judgment and trouble, just like the first three and a half. Only things get more intense and the tribulation ends with the return of Jesus Christ. It's the battle of Armageddon and Jesus returns. He sets foot on the Mount of Olives and establishes his kingdom there for a thousand years.

And so that's the overview of the tribulation period. Here in chapter 11, we find ourselves really in a parenthetical thought. Chapters 10 through 14 are parenthetical in that we've taken a break from the sequence. Up to this point, we've been opening seal after seal after seal, trumpet after trumpet, and we've been following the order. We've been going through the time of the tribulation period. But here we have...

Well, I liken it to pressing pause in a movie. Have you ever done that? You press pause so that you can explain to the person next to you who is just not getting it what's really going on. You say, "Well, see this person over here was over there and he did that and this situation happened and that's why he said this." And you're bringing them up to speed, filling in some of the gaps that they're missing so that they can better understand as the timeline goes forward in the movie.

Well, in chapter 10, that's what we saw. God hit pause and he said, okay, I'm going to stop showing you the sequence of events. We're going to take a break from the chronology and we're going to step back and I'm going to show you some other things to help you better understand what's going on during the tribulation period.

And so we're in that pause, we're in that parenthetical thought here in chapter 11, where God's going back now to fill in some gaps and give us insight into the tribulation period before we pick it up again in chapter 15 with the next series of judgments that God is going to be bringing. And so the first seal begins the tribulation period.

The middle of the tribulation period, the abomination of desolation, that's where we are as far as the sequence of events and we'll be talking about that more as we study through chapter 11 together. And then there's three and a half more years to come before the return of Jesus as we follow this journey through the tribulation period here in the book of Revelation.

Well, here in chapter 11, there's five things I want to point out to you, five things I want to highlight as we go through the chapter together.

The first point I want to share with you this morning is the measuring of the temple. We find this in verses 1 and 2 of Revelation chapter 11. Again in verse 1 it says, 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.

So here in chapter 11, John becomes a participant of this vision that God is showing to him, this things that God is revealing to him. He now gives him a read, like a measuring line, and he says, go and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.

Now the command here to measure the temple is particularly interesting to us today because right now in Jerusalem there is no temple. And so here right in the middle of the tribulation period John is given a measuring rod to go and measure the temple. It does not exist today and so it's one of the reasons why we know that the temple will be built in Jerusalem once again.

The first temple was built by Solomon. You might remember that going back into the chronicles of the Old Testament there. David wanted to build the temple. God would not allow it. He said, your son Solomon will build it. And so David got the materials ready and laid the plans out and said, you know, here you go, Solomon. Here's everything you need. Now build the temple. And so Solomon builds the temple.

It was glorious, it was beautiful, it was elaborate, it was full of just gold and a very costly endeavor, the building of the temple that Solomon did. And that temple lasted for a while, but it was destroyed completely by the nation of Babylon. And that's something we've been talking about for quite a while on Wednesday evenings, looking at the book of Jeremiah as well as Ezekiel, how Babylon came.

Because the people of Jerusalem, the nation of Judah was rebellious against God. God allowed Babylon to come to conquer the nation and to lay Jerusalem flat. It was just completely demolished, completely conquered and the temple was destroyed at that time. Well, after 70 years of captivity, a second temple was built.

The people of God were allowed to return back to Jerusalem and Zerubbabel as well as Joshua led the people to build a new temple. They're on the same spot, the same location as the first temple. They built the second temple. And that temple lasted for a while. And then came along Herod, Herod the Great. A few decades before Jesus, he spent a great deal of money and time

or remodeling and expanding the temple. And so it's often referred to as the third temple. The second one was never actually destroyed, but Herod built it up and made it glorious, probably similar to what Solomon did in his day. And so it was greatly expanded, it was beautified, and that temple lasted for a while, but it was destroyed as well in 70 A.D.,

When the Romans took Jerusalem, the temple caught on fire and melted the gold. And so, just as Jesus prophesied, every stone was removed. The temple was completely dismantled and taken apart. And there's not been a temple there in Jerusalem since 70 AD. Almost 2,000 years now have passed and there's not been a temple there in the city of Jerusalem. But here...

In verse 1 of chapter 11, we find John given the instruction to take this reed and to go and measure the temple. And so there's going to be this fourth temple that is built, probably built during the tribulation period. And preparations are now being made, they've been preparing for a while now, to build this new temple, the fourth temple.

How long will it take them to rebuild it? Well, once they get the okay, the problem is not the materials, the problem, of course, is the politics. And we'll talk about that in a few more minutes. But once they get the okay, they estimate that it will take one to two years to build the temple, to get it standing, to get it set, and to get everything laid out.

Many of the furnishings are already completed. In fact, a couple of years ago when we were in Israel, we got to see the candlestick, the lampstand that will be there in the new temple when it's built. And many other furnishings are already made. Also, priests and Levites are being trained in preparation, teaching them how to, you know, the proper way to sacrifice animals and to perform the priestly duties.

And what I find really interesting is that the agreement is, and it's clear, that construction on that new temple will begin when the sacrifices resume.

So when they're allowed to begin offering sacrifices there at the temple location, that's when the construction of the temple will begin. And I think that's really important because in Daniel chapter 9, we have, as Daniel is prophesying about this seven-year tribulation period, he talks about this covenant that is made between the Antichrist and the nation of Israel, and it specifically relates to sacrifices being offered.

Because again, you remember the middle of the tribulation, the Antichrist breaks the covenant. It's called the abomination of desolation. He goes in, he sets up an image of himself, he calls all the world to worship him. Well, in Daniel chapter 9 verse 27, it tells us that when that happens, that the Antichrist will bring an end to sacrifice and offering.

And so the beginning of that treaty, the beginning of that agreement or that covenant has to do with sacrifices and offering. And he breaks that covenant right in the middle of the tribulation period. And so during the construction of the temple, they will be offering sacrifices and they will be worshiping God in that way. The Jewish people will be there in Jerusalem.

And so a temple is going to be built. And it might not be built already standing, you know, at the beginning of the tribulation period, but even if it begins with the beginning of the tribulation period, the sacrifices will already be offered or being offered and then the Antichrist will break his covenant right in the middle after three and a half years. Let's look at verse 2.

He says,

Now, if you're familiar with where the temple is located or will be located, the temple mount there in Jerusalem, already you're beginning to understand what it means when he says that the outside has been given to the Gentiles. Because right there on the temple mount where the temple once stood, there is...

a mosque. It's the Dome of the Rock Mosque, which is very important to the Islamic faith. And this Dome of the Rock Mosque that is there on the Temple Mount is really what prevents Israel from building their temple today.

Because if they were to try to build the temple, if they were to try to knock down the Dome of the Rock, or to do anything on the Temple Mount, there would be a great big war that would be unleashed upon them. And so it's the politics of negotiating and working with those of the Islamic faith that is preventing Israel from building the temple right now.

Now I have a picture here for you of the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives. And so I know it's a little bit hard to see. I'm sure you can look it up later and get a better picture of it. But if you look at this, what you see right there in the middle, that gold top is the top or the Dome of the Rock Mosque.

And that's right there on the Temple Mount. Now, this picture is shown here in such a way that from left to right, the whole distance there is as long or as wide as the Temple Mount is.

and you see the wall that goes along the face of it, that is basically a retaining wall that's holding up the dirt and keeping the temple mount flat and supporting the structures that are already there and also keeping it ready for the temple to be built on top of that temple mount. It's a pretty big area, pretty big surface that is there from left to right there, the temple mount.

Now I have it zoomed in here a little bit closer. And so you see again the Dome of the Rock there on the left, the gold top. And then to the right of that is, you see that gate that's right there in the wall. That's known as the Eastern Gate.

Well, that's important because as the outside is given to the Gentiles, that's what God said, so don't measure it. Well, it's very possible that the Jews will be able to build their temple not where the Dome of the Rock is, but actually north of the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount. For us, that would be to the right of the Dome of the Rock. And right in the middle of the Dome of the Rock

in line with that eastern gate is another location that is believed by many scholars to be the actual location of the original temple. Some believe, many believe that the original temple was where the Dome of the Rock is located. But there's good evidence that shows that it's probably not there at the Dome of the Rock, but actually a couple hundred feet north. And so the Jews possibly could rebuild their temple on that location

farther north location and not touch the Dome of the Rock if someone could come in and make an agreement and make a covenant between those of the Islamic faith and the Jews. And so the Antichrist, you can see kind of how it fits, could easily come in, maybe not easily, but he could come in, he could strike a deal, make an agreement, allow the Jews to

to the right of the Dome of the Rock or north of the Dome of the Rock, build their temple and offer their sacrifices right in front of the East Gate. It's believed that originally you could go from the East Gate, go through the East Gate and continue going straight right into the temple area. And so that's why it's believed that that's actually the more accurate location of the original temple.

And so they could build it right there, maybe have a partition or a wall between, you know, where the temple is and where the Dome of the Rock is, and have it separated and have this agreement, and it would continue for three and a half years until the Antichrist would break that agreement.

And so you can see here in verse 2, as he says, don't measure the outside of the temple, because that's the dome of the rock. That's been given to the Gentiles. That's not for the Jews, and that's not where the temple is, but that's used and occupied by those who are Gentiles or those who are not Jews. And so it's an interesting possibility. It doesn't have to happen exactly like that, but it seems to make sense that that's how these things could unfold.

Well then verse 2 ends by saying they will tread the holy city underfoot for 42 months. Now this reference to 42 months is the same as 1260 days, which we'll see in a minute. It's the same as three and a half years.

And so 42 months is three and a half years. And I believe that it's talking about and making reference to the last three and a half years of the tribulation when he says that they will tread the holy city underfoot for 42 months. So don't measure the outside. That's been given to the Gentiles. In addition to that, the Gentiles will tread down the holy city for the last three and a half years of the tribulation period.

Now, I believe that's the case because of what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24. In Matthew 24 verse 15, he says, when you see the abomination of desolation, again, that's the middle of the tribulation period, the Antichrist comes in and sets up an image of himself. He says, when you see this happen, he says, let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

And so Jesus says, listen, if you want to survive, if you want to have a chance in this tribulation period, when you see that event take place, leave your homes, abandon Jerusalem, and flee to the mountains. And so during that last three and a half years after the abomination of desolation, the Jews will realize he's not really our Messiah, and they will run.

They will leave Jerusalem and it will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles for 42 months. And so the first thing we see here is the measuring of the temple. It will be rebuilt. It will be established. The sacrifices will be resumed until the middle of the tribulation period. Well, next, as we go forward in chapter 11, verses 3 through 6, we find that there's two witnesses who prophesy.

The two witnesses prophesied. Verse 3 says, And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth. And so there's two witnesses now that are on the scene.

Now again, we're paused in the sequence of events and these two witnesses that are introduced here, I don't believe are introduced at this time in the timeline, but actually are introduced at the beginning of the tribulation period. And so their ministry extends through the tribulation period right to the middle. And at the middle of the tribulation, that's when, as we'll read about in the next few verses, that's when they're killed and then ascend into the

Well, they minister, they prophesy for 1,260 days. And again, that's the same as 42 months, and that's the same as three and a half years. And so it makes the most sense to me, I believe, that these prophecies

These two witnesses prophesy for the first three and a half years of the tribulation period. So if you think back to the seals as they're opened and the judgments that are going on, and then the trumpets that are blown and the judgments that are going on, these two witnesses all during that time are proclaiming the truth and calling people to repentance.

And some of the things that they are able to do and given power to do corresponds with some of the judgments that are unleashed upon the earth. And so they are running in parallel with those judgments that we've been reading about in the past few chapters. And so their death and resurrection happens in the middle of the tribulation.

He sees these two witnesses and they're clothed in sackcloth. Sackcloth was a sign of mourning. It was often worn by prophets as they came to Israel because they were in mourning. They were pronouncing judgment and they're calling people to repentance. And that's the job, that's the role of these two witnesses.

Now, looking at this passage has often led us to ask, who are these two witnesses? What is the identity of these two witnesses that prophesy for this time?

And there's a lot of discussion that goes on. But I think it kind of boils down to, you know, it must really not be that important for us because God doesn't make it clear. He didn't tell us who these two witnesses are. And so ultimately, it's not that important who they are. It's what they do that God records for us and wants us to pay attention to.

However, I will share with you the three most common candidates for these two witnesses. The first is believed to be Elijah. And that makes a lot of sense because Malachi chapter 4 verse 5, Malachi speaking on behalf of God says, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And so there's a promise, there's a prophecy that Elijah will come before the day of the Lord.

Now, if you remember back at the beginning of the New Testament, John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah. And when the disciples saw Jesus glorified on the Mount of Transfiguration, they were a little bit confused and they said, well, we thought Elijah was supposed to come. We saw you in your glory. We didn't see Elijah. Where was Elijah? And Jesus explains to them, John the Baptist, if you're able to receive it, John the Baptist was Elijah. He came in the spirit and power of Elijah.

But Jesus also explains that Elijah is still yet to come. And so Malachi chapter 4 verse 5 still hasn't been fulfilled. That's something that's going to happen. And so very possibly one of these two witnesses is the fulfillment of Malachi 4 verse 5 that Elijah comes as one of these two witnesses before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

Another reason to understand this as Elijah is because the ministry that they perform, as we'll see in the next few verses, is very similar to much of what Elijah did in his day. And so there's a lot of similarities there that point to Elijah as well. Well, another candidate for one of these two witnesses is it could be Enoch.

Enoch could be one of these two guys who come and prophesy. And the reason for this is because back in Genesis chapter 5, Enoch is unique and special because he doesn't have a regular death like we would think of or like we would expect. In Genesis chapter 5 verse 24, it tells us Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him.

And so what we see here is kind of a preliminary rapture, that he was just gone. God took him. He didn't die. He wasn't buried in the traditional fashion. God took him. Because he didn't die, perhaps he is one of these two witnesses who come back. Now you remember Elijah had a similar experience. He was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire.

And so these two, perhaps it could be Elijah and Enoch, who are these two witnesses, because both of them did not have that normal traditional death experience. They were taken up to heaven in a unique and special way. Well, there's a third candidate for the two positions here in these witnesses, and that is Moses. Now, it's thought that it could be Moses for a couple of reasons.

One of the reasons is as you look at the ministries of these two prophets, they also closely relate to the ministry of Moses. Specifically, when he was bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt.

One of the things that these two witnesses do is they turn water into blood. And that's something that God used Moses to do back in Egypt. Another thing that it says that these witnesses do is that they bring plagues upon the people. And that's definitely something that God used Moses to do. He brought plagues upon Egypt. And so it kind of points to perhaps it's Moses here who's one of the two witnesses.

Another reason for understanding this as Moses is because it's Moses and Elijah who appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew chapter 17. And so Moses represents the law, Elijah represents the prophets. They make a pretty good pair, a pretty good testimony of God to the people. And so it could be Moses and Elijah who are here, these two witnesses that are seen that will be on the scene during that tribulation period.

Again, ultimately, we can't know for sure, and it must not be that important who they are, because God didn't tell us. Instead, he wants us to focus on what they did. And so verse 4 says, these are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.

So again, he gives us a little bit of a hint about who they are, pointing back to Zechariah chapter 4. We don't have time to get into that passage this morning, but you can check that out on your own, where Zechariah has a vision of two olive trees and two lampstands, symbolic of the constant flow of the Holy Spirit.

as the anointing of God is upon his servants. And so these two are anointed by God. They have the constant flow of the Holy Spirit and they're empowered to do the ministry that God has called them to. Verse 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.

And so these two witnesses, as they're prophesying, as they're fulfilling their ministry, they have a special divine protection that God is keeping them safe. And fire comes out of their mouth to consume whoever might come against them. Now, as these two witnesses are prophesying,

The world wants to get rid of them. And we'll see that in just a couple of verses. The world is anxious and would love nothing more than to get rid of these two witnesses. But any enemies that come against them will be destroyed by the fire that comes out of their mouth. And so people will want to get rid of them but will be unable to because they have this supernatural power and divine protection. Verse 6 says,

Verse 1.

And so the fire coming out of the mouth and consuming enemies is similar to Elijah striking the earth with plagues and turning water to blood. That's similar to Moses. Again, that's one of the reasons to point to those two being the witnesses that come on the scene. They have power to shut heaven and so they're able to stop the rain during the times that they're prophesying. And so they have this great power, this supernatural power. Keep in mind,

The tribulation is going on. These seals are being opened. These trumpets are being sounded. Judgments are being unleashed. And these are able to do, as often as they desire, additional things upon the earth and bringing judgment upon the earth and calling people to repentance.

Now, one of the reasons for their power is to give authenticity or credibility to their message. Just like Jesus would proclaim the truth, but his miracles would be the evidence, the proof that what he said was true.

His resurrection from the dead proved that Jesus is who He claimed to be, the Son of God, the only Savior, the one that we must believe in in order to be saved. And so, as Jesus' miracles proved and authenticated His message, the power that these have also authenticate their message, prove that they're from God, so that the people will have an opportunity to hear the message, to believe, and to be saved.

Well, as we go forward in verses 7 through 10, now we find that the two witnesses are killed. They're ministering, they're working for 1,260 days, three and a half years, but as their ministry comes to an end, they're put to death. Verse 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. Notice it says, when they finish their testimony.

They're protected by God. They have his supernatural covering during their whole ministry. But once they've accomplished what God has set aside for them, then they're able to be put to death. And that is true of all the servants of God. You remember back in the book of Job is Satan wanted to destroy Job's life.

but he couldn't without God's permission. And so he comes to God and God gives him permission, but sets limits. You can only do this much.

And it was only for a season. God was in complete control. In the same way, these two witnesses are in God's control and as the Antichrist would love to get rid of them, as the rest of the world would love to wipe them off the face of the earth, they are not able to because they're in God's protection. And that's good to know for me and you, isn't it? Because we are in God's protection. We are God's children. And we will only die after we have accomplished the things that God has us here to accomplish.

We're under His protection. We're under His control. And when it's our time to go, it's because He's allowed it to be. He's allowed us to accomplish those things that He has set before us. When you finish your testimony, that's when you'll go to be with the Lord. It's only then that you are able to be killed and that these two are able to be killed.

Well, it tells us here that the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit is the one who comes against them, overcomes them, and kills them. This is the Antichrist, and we'll deal more with him in chapter 13 when we get there in a couple weeks. Verse 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.

And so these two witnesses are put to death and their bodies are just laying in the street. They just left them where they were defeated, where they were killed. They let him lay there in the street for three and a half days. We'll see in the next couple of verses. And so they're letting him lay there and it specifically tells us the location, kind of cryptically, but clearly. It says where our Lord was crucified. Now, where was Jesus crucified?

Well, he was crucified in Jerusalem, or actually right outside the gates of Jerusalem. And so these two prophets are killed and they lay in the streets of Jerusalem. Probably their ministry was there in Jerusalem. That's probably where they spend all of their time. But the end of their life for sure is there in Jerusalem. He says it's that great city and he says spiritually it's called Sodom and Egypt.

Now, the city is Jerusalem, but he's relating it, spiritually calling it Sodom, because Sodom was destroyed because of its sexual immorality. And so spiritually calling Jerusalem Sodom is saying that they are full of immorality, both physical immorality, that is sexual immorality, but also spiritual immorality, and that they are not faithful to God. They're spiritual adulterers. They're worshiping other gods.

And also Egypt, he calls them, he says spiritually, Jerusalem is Egypt. Egypt was full of idolatry. And so not only are they immoral, not only are they practicing things, sexual immorality that they should not be practicing, but also they're practicing idolatry and worshipping false gods, not being faithful and true to the one and living God.

And so their dead bodies are left there in the streets of Jerusalem. Verse 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. And those who dwell on earth will rejoice over them, make merry and send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

Their bodies are going to be on the news worldwide. Every channel you turn to, you're going to see those two witnesses. Hopefully you won't be there, but those who are there, they'll see those two witnesses on the 6 o'clock news. It'll be live coverage. And it's interesting because in John's day, of course, this wasn't possible for nations and tongues and peoples all over the world to see this event. But of course, it's commonplace for us today. We watch events that are happening around the world live all the time.

So these two bodies will have cameras upon them. The world will be rejoicing. People will be really excited. So much so that they'll be sending gifts to one another and celebrating and making merry because these two prophets are now killed. They've tormented the earth.

And the earth, all the inhabitants of the earth are so excited now that they've been put to death. They'll be watching it on the news. Perhaps they'll be on YouTube. Who knows? And they'll be just ecstatic. Finally, these guys who have given us so much trouble...

They're finally dead. Maybe you can liken it to the munchkins, right? In the Wizard of Oz when the wicked witch is killed and they're all excited, right? This one who gave it so much trouble is dead. Well, that's what the world's going to be like in that day. Just excited that these two witnesses have finally been killed.

The Antichrist is going to overcome them. And again, this, I believe, happens right in the middle of the tribulation period, which is part of the reason, I think, that the world will be willing to worship the Antichrist because he was able to finally get rid of these two that have given them so much trouble.

Well, in verses 11 through 13, we find now that the two witnesses ascend to heaven. The two witnesses are ascended into heaven. Verse 11 says, 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.

And so their bodies are laying there in Jerusalem for three and a half days. And then suddenly, surprisingly, all the cameras are on them. The world is watching and celebrating. And then all of a sudden these two stand to their feet. What a shock, right? How surprising this is. This is crazy. They're seeing a live resurrection right in front of their face. Then not only do they resurrect, but then the voice comes from heaven that says, come up here.

So the people hear God's voice call out from heaven and then they ascend into heaven and it says that their enemies saw them. Great fear falls on everyone who sees them stand up and ascend into heaven. It's something extraordinary. Verse 13, In the same hour there was a great earthquake and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake 7,000 people were killed and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.

So as they ascend up to heaven, there's a great earthquake. And a tenth of the city falls, is destroyed as a result of this earthquake. 7,000 people in Jerusalem are killed as a result of this earthquake. And the rest who survive it, they fear. They fear and they give glory to the God of heaven. They recognize, wow, something amazing has happened here. God is real. And they really did represent God. Unfortunately though,

The fact that they fear and give God glory for this event does not mean that they are saved. That's the sad news. That's the tragic news. To give God glory means to testify that God is the one who did it. But to make that testimony or proclamation isn't, well, it's not enough for salvation. Kind of like King Nebuchadnezzar. Remember when he threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace there in Daniel?

And he throws him in and then he sees a fourth one in the fiery furnace. They're walking around, they're fine. And the fourth one looks like the son of God. He says, whoa, what's going on? He calls him out. And they explain to King Nebuchadnezzar, God protected us. So King Nebuchadnezzar makes a proclamation. He says, man, there's no God who can deliver like their God. He gives glory to God. But at that time, King Nebuchadnezzar is not converted. Because in the very next chapter, chapter 4 of the book of Daniel,

We find God having to deal with him in his pride because he's not recognizing God as God or as Lord. And so God has to humble him and he makes him like an animal for seven years. He's eating the grass just like the cattle in the field.

And so to give God glory, to recognize that God exists and to recognize that God does certain things, that's not enough for salvation. To recognize or admit that God exists, that's not enough for salvation. And so these who see, who fear and who give God glory, hopefully, prayerfully, some of them do turn to God and repent of their sins and receive the forgiveness that's offered in Jesus Christ.

But most of them will just fear and give God glory and not experience salvation. So these two witnesses, now their time has come to an end. They've fulfilled their ministry, they've been put to death, and now they ascend as one final powerful witness and testimony to the whole world that God indeed is real. And then we find the fifth point in verses 14 through 19 that the temple is opened in heaven.

The temple is opened in heaven. Verse 14, the second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly. Now, I think these verses here at the end of chapter 11 are very important to understanding the timing of where we're at in the book of Revelation and the events we've just been studying.

He says, now the second woe is past. This is a reference point for the timing of these things. At the end of these two witnesses and their ministry and their ascension into heaven, that concludes the second woe.

And what is that second woe? Well, it points us back to Revelation 8, verse 13, where an angel proclaims, Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound.

At that time, as that proclamation was made, four trumpets had already been sounded. There was three left remaining. And he says, woe, woe, woe. One woe for each trumpet that was yet to sound. So trumpet five, trumpet six, and trumpet seven. These three woes are connected to the final three trumpet blasts of judgment that God is pouring out.

And so the first woe was the fifth trumpet, which was the five months of torment by these demonic creatures, these demonic locusts that were unleashed. Then the second woe, well, that began with the sixth trumpet. And that was when the four angels were released. They lead an army and a third of mankind is killed.

And according to understanding here in chapter 11, also that second woe that is being referred to here includes the two witnesses being killed, resurrected and the earthquake that happens as a result. And then now we're heading into the third woe, which is the seventh trumpet, the final trumpet.

And this trumpet we read about in verse 15. It says, And so here's the seventh trumpet sounds. There's an announcement. There's an announcement and then there's a great celebration.

In verse 16 through 18, we see it says, The 24 elders who sat before God on their thrones fell down on their faces and worshipped 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 power, your great power, and reigned.

Verse 1.

And so there's this great celebration in heaven as this announcement is made and the seventh trumpet is blown. It's an announcement that the Lord is taking control. He's taking his rightful position as Lord of the earth. The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.

Right now, the kingdoms of this world belong to Satan. He is the God of this age. He's the God of this world. You remember when Satan took Jesus on the high mountain and says, look, all of this I'll give to you if you bow down and worship me. That was a valid offer. Those were his to give. But this process, the tribulation period, the revelation that we're studying is the process of Jesus taking back what is rightfully his.

And establishing himself as Lord of this earth. Lord of this world. And he will reign forever and ever. And so this announcement is made at the beginning of the seventh trumpet. Now there's things yet to unfold. We have the seven vile judgments that we'll get to in chapter 15 and 16.

And so it's not fully completed yet, but the announcement is made right here. It's kind of like what we'll experience this week as the elections take place. You know, after the elections and the count is made and there's a great celebration by those who are victorious. But there's a time that happens...

before the office is actually taken. Right? And so there's the celebration, there's the announcement right away, and then there's a series of things that happens before they actually take the office that they were elected into. In a similar fashion, the announcement is made here. The trumpet is blown. He is, you know, the nations or the kingdoms of the world belong to Jesus Christ. And

And he is preparing now to establish his kingdom and reign forever and ever as the final judgments of the tribulation period are unleashed. What's interesting to me, and I've brought it up several times and I'll probably continue to bring it up because I think it's really important. What's interesting to me is that God allows the time to go on.

Why doesn't he just take back control right now? Why doesn't he just come and set up his kingdom? He doesn't have to wait. He's God. It's rightfully his. He can do whatever he wants. Why does he wait? Well, as I consider this, I always point us back to 2 Peter 3, verse 9, where Peter clearly tells us, "...the Lord is not slack or slow concerning his promise, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Peter says, look, the delay, the reason why it's taking so long is because God doesn't want anyone to perish. He wants all to come to repentance. I liken it to this, and maybe it's a silly example, but perhaps you can relate. I liken it to cooking popcorn in the microwave. You ever do that?

You know, you take the bag, you put it in, and you know, the new microwaves, they have the button and you can just push it. But for me, it's never quite right. You know, it always leaves a big pile of unpopped kernels. And so I usually just, I set my own time, and then I watch, and I wait, and I'm listening, and I pop, pop, and I'm waiting for, okay, is that the right amount of space between the pops? Is that, you know, I'm looking for that ideal, you know, maximum amount of popped kernels without burning the rest that have already popped, right? Right?

It's that fine balance I'm trying to find. In the same way, God is waiting for that exact moment where as many people as possible will repent and get saved without burning the rest that have already turned to Him, right? And that's what this is about. That's why He's waiting. That's what the tribulation period is about. Things are heating up. Bringing people to repentance so that as many as possible will turn to Him and find eternal life in Him.

And so here the 24 elders, it tells us there, they rejoice, they worship God. Now, we don't have time to get into these 24 elders. We dealt with them back in chapters 4 and 5. This is representing the church. The church is there and here we are. We've been caught up. We've been raptured. This announcement is made. The kingdoms of this world belong to the Lord. And we rejoice. We bow down and worship God once again. Every time we see these 24 elders, they're bowing down to worship God.

will be overcome time and time again with His glory, with His majesty, with His goodness, and will be brought to our knees in awe of our amazing God and worshiping Him. Verse 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.

Here's the seven trumpet sounds. And the seven trumpet, by the way, continues on for a period of time, probably that last final three and a half years of the tribulation period. As it begins to sound, heaven is opened somehow supernaturally. It says the ark of his covenant was seen in his temple. So something amazing happens here in that

Now also as a result of the seventh trumpet being blown, seven angels are going to come forth and pour out vials of wrath upon the earth. And we'll get to that in Revelation chapter 15 and 16.

Where there we see the same thing in verse 5 of Revelation 15, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven is opened. It's the same event that we're reading about in Revelation 15 is what's happening here. So God gives it to us here as a reference, a point of reference for the timeline to understand where we are in the tribulation period. Now as we look at these things, there's a lot going on, the measuring of the temple, these two witnesses, the seventh trumpet and the temple being opened.

There's a lot going on. And as we consider these things, I'd like to just close with the idea that we talked about on Wednesday evening from Ezekiel chapter 33. In Ezekiel chapter 33, God calls Ezekiel and he says, I've set you up as a watchman for my people. And as a watchman, your job is to see what's coming and to warn the people. And you know, I believe that's one of the main reasons why God has given us the book of Revelation.

For those who are believers, we're not going to be here to endure these things upon the earth. But He's told us in advance what's coming, that we could be good watchmen and watchwomen. That we could see what's coming and warn the people. And God has set you up as a watchman in your family, and in your workplace, and among your friends, and within our community. God has set you up as a watchman to sound the warning, to sound the alarm,

This is what is coming. This is what is going to take place to give people that opportunity to turn and to repent and to get right with God. That's why God is not returned yet. That's why He's not established His kingdom yet so that you and I as believers might share the good news and sound the warning with those who need salvation in Him. And if you're here this morning, if you're listening to this and you've not received...

The salvation that is offered to us in Jesus Christ. Listen, Jesus has not yet returned. He will return. It will take place. But He's not yet returned because He wants you to have the opportunity to be forgiven of your sin. We are sinful. And our sin has separated us from God. It keeps us from being able to have a relationship with God. And it keeps us from the hope of eternity with God.

But God has taken care of the sin by sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die upon the cross for our sin, receiving the judgment and the penalty that is due to us for our sin. So that by believing in Him, by receiving His offer of life, we can be forgiven. We are given new life, the scripture teaches, and we're given the hope of eternity. But we must turn from sin

and receive the salvation that's offered in Jesus Christ. And so I want to encourage you this morning. Those of you who are believers, share that message. Sound the alarm. These things must shortly take place. And if you need to get right with God, don't delay. Because these things can happen any moment, any instant. We're going to be caught up to be with the Lord. And then this earth is going to go through tribulation like it's never seen before. Now is the time to get right with God, to make a firm decision.

to follow him. Let's pray. God, I pray for us as believers. I pray, Lord, that you would give us boldness, that you would fill us with your Holy Spirit. Help us to sound clearly and loudly the alarm, to give the warning, Lord, that your return is near. Lord, help us to share your message, the gospel message, the offer of hope and life that you have provided for us. Help us, Lord, to share it with the world around us.

by the power of your Holy Spirit. And Lord, for any who do not know you, Lord, I pray that you would remove the blinders that have been set there by the enemy. Lord, that they would see clearly their need for you, your love for them, and God, how you have provided for them to have a real relationship with God Almighty through Jesus Christ. Lord, reveal yourself to the hearts of those who need you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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