Revelation Part 16
Revelation 11:1-3
Introduction
This lesson is a teaching lesson …
Today, we return to the book of Revelation in Chapter 11 to see the example of two souls who are unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
These two souls are brought forth from God to preach the Word, showing John how he too must preach after being fed in Chapter 10 verses 10-11, and most importantly, showing us that we must continue to preach.
This message is a message for anyone who claims Jesus as their Savior, for it is our mission to help spread the message of salvation to this world.
Pray
John is now revealing to us the beginning of the turning point in the Tribulation years.
Point 1 – The Temple in Jerusalem (read v1-2)
The purpose of the rod given to John is to measure the Temple and Altar and those who worship there. The temple is being measured for our benefit, so that we may understand the size and most importantly, where the temple resides.
In 70 AD, the temple of God was destroyed by the ruler Titus, and today the Dome of the Rock now sits in its exact location. This sacred spot is considered most holy in Jerusalem, and hence why it is the center of so much controversy today. Jews, Muslims, and even Christians lay claim to this area as being sacred to them, and this world still fails to realize how important Jerusalem is to God’s plan.
In the New Testament the temple is talked about at great length. Matthew 24:15 says, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place.”
Many may wonder what The Abomination of Desolation is. In 167 B.C. a Greek ruler by the name of Antiochus Epiphanies set up an altar to Zeus over the altar of burnt offerings in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. He also sacrificed a pig on the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem – and this act is completely defiling to the Jews, and prophecy says that the anti-Christ will perform this very same act again, ordering that sacrifices are made to His image.
In 2nd Thessalonians 2:4 we are informed that the “man of lawlessness”, who is the Antichrist, will set himself up in God’s Temple and proclaim himself to be God.
Point 2 – The Timeline of Events (read v2 again)
The book of Revelation mentions time-periods and here is the explanation of those times:
12 months x 3.5 years= 42 months - considering a month has 30 days, 42 x 30 = 1,260 days.
This period of time is repeated time and again mainly in the Books of Daniel and Revelation. Allow me to give you several different descriptions of the dates here and back them up with scripture:
42 Months – Rev 11:2 and 13:5
1260 days – Rev 11:3; 12:6
3.5 years – Dan 9:27
Times, time & ½ time – Dan 7:25; Dan 12:7; Rev 12:4
All of these times refer to the Tribulation which is God’s judgment on this world; during this time God’s mercy continues to give mankind an opportunity to repent and ask forgiveness.
This brings us to God’s physical witnesses who proclaim the Gospel to all nations during this time. If you are a Christian today, these two witnesses ought to be heroes of yours.
They show God’s anointing (nothing can be done without the Lord’s anointing), they show God’s power (He can overcome anything), and they most importantly show total obedience to the Lord without fear of the world (God said He would make a footstool of your enemies in Psalm 110:1; Luke 20:43; Acts 2:35; Hebrews 1:13; and Hebrews 10:13.).
What God is seeking is these three things combined, and He is looking for that in all of us.
Point 3 – The Two Witnesses (read v3)
These witnesses receive power from God to preach the word!
If the book of Revelation is taken literally, these witnesses are two distinct individuals.
There are two because two witnesses are required to establish the truth of testimony!
Duet 17:6 “On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.”
John 8:17 “In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.”
The disciples were sent out by Jesus in two’s. Mark 6:7 says “Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.”
In understanding who these two witnesses are, we have confirmation of one of them. Malachi 4:5 declares, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”
The great and dreadful “Day of the Lord” is Daniel’s 70th week – this is the time of judgment upon the Earth that Daniel prophesied about, and Jesus confirmed in Matthew 24.
Elijah was taken up to heaven in 2 Kings 2:11 which says, “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”
Elijah did not suffer death!
So before the “Great and dreadful day of the Lord” -- Elijah would be sent back.
The following is taken directly from TruthNet.org …
Some facts to consider about Elijah:
1. Elijah, along with Moses, appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matt 17:3 which says, “Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.”
2. John the Baptist came in the “spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17) to prepare people for coming of Jesus Christ. “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
3. During the Jewish Passover, there are five cups of wine; one cup is left for the coming of Elijah who comes before the Messiah.
The other witness is either Moses or Enoch.
Some believe Moses for the following reasons:
1. Moses appeared along with Elijah when Jesus was transfigured.
2. The judgments on Earth during the tribulation period parallel the plagues on Egypt for which Moses was present and warned Pharaoh about.
Others believe Enoch was the other Witnesses for the following reasons:
1. Enoch, along with Elijah, was the only other person to not die prior to the rapture. Hebrews 11:5 says, “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.”
2. Enoch represented God’s judgment on the days before the flood.
These witnesses will proclaim God’s Word for 1260 days, or 3.5 years. While they go about spreading God’s Word, they are dressed in sackcloth.
Sackcloth was used to show mourning and was worn by the citizens of Nineveh after Jonah preached. The residents repented of their ways and to show they believed Jonah’s message they dressed themselves in sackcloth. Sackcloth is coarse clothing worn to show remorse or mourning – think of wearing a burlap bag as your clothes.
Conclusion
God gives us examples to follow – and we see here during this witnessing that repentance is extremely important to God. We will conclude with their specific ministry next time .
However, this same repentance that these two preached is something that we have to practice in our own lives. This morning, we have an opportunity to turn our lives, and our hearts back to the Lord. As we prepare to partake of the Lord’s Supper, I want you to examine your life, right where you are.
READ 1 Corinthians 11:27-29
This morning we are going to have a time of reflection, for each to consider your own life and what God needs you to do. With every head bowed and every eye closed, I want you to think about where you are, and ask God where He needs you to be.
(Music)
As we prepare for the Lord’s Supper, you need to be right with God.
I want you to know that there is no condemnation in Jesus Christ, and anyone who talks outside of this place about why someone went to the altar brings judgment from God upon themselves – so if you need to come and do business with God, you come without fear of anything but being right with God.
Take this time to examine yourself – to examine your life – and if you need to ask God for forgiveness, you do that. The wonderful thing about God’s forgiveness is that it is not too late to ask.
As long as you are alive you can ask for forgiveness – but once you die, that time is gone.
God’s Word says that we are not promised tomorrow – and if you died today – are you sure that God would not judge you harshly for your sins? Asking God for forgiveness is as simple as bowing your head, with humbleness and humility in your heart, and asking.
The only proper way to partake in the Lord’s Supper is with a clear conscious, free from sin and shame and open to hearing His voice speak to your heart.
Be obedient to the Lord this morning, we are in no rush to leave this place of worship. God is calling, won’t you answer?
Close in prayer – Lord’s Supper
* Research taken from TruthNet.org
