STUDY IN REVELATION 19
The Final Triumph Over Evil [part III]
The Two Witnesses & Israel Turns To God
Rev. 11: 3-13
[Part IV] A Preview of the Third Woe
Rev. 11: 14-19
vs. 3-4: The two witnesses are sent by, ƒ The UN ƒCNN ƒGod.
1. They are sent for a set time, which is 3 ½ years.
2. We know they are true prophets because of their message, which will be condemnation of sin and salvation, only through Jesus Christ.
3. We can also see that they are true prophets by their dress. They are wearing,
„$5000 suits „gold rings on ever finger and $600 socks „sackcloth
Too often today we judge the success of the minister [prophet] by how well he does, not by the message he brings.
I personally believe that we have had enough of the get rich quick preacher. America is dying for some real old fashioned gospel preaching. It is time to stop making God some spiritual slot machine…
4. The “two olive trees” mentioned in verse four are described in Zechariah chapters four and five and portray Zerubbabel and Joshua, the governor and high priest who were anointed by the Holy Spirit to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple after the Babylonian captivity. Clarence Larkin comments: “Zerubbabel and Joshua are types of the ‘TWO WITNESSES’ whose work it will be to proclaim that the time has come to rebuild Jerusalem and re-establish the Temple worship, for the ‘KINGDOM OF HEAVEN’ is at hand” (87).
These two olive trees are described quite clearly as two people who stand beside the Lord. These two people are obviously very special to the Lord, and to witnessing for Him, and their mission here in Revelation is to witness to the testimony of Jesus Christ. They have come for one reason, to preach Jesus and Him crucified.
vs. 5-6 The witnesses possess unusual power.
If you notice, these men will have the same protection from the Father that was granted unto Moses when he stood before Pharaoh. Surely, Pharaoh could have had Moses killed for his demands, but he was spared.
It was no accident that Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s house – God placed him there to be a step-brother to the man who would eventually become Pharaoh – and we need to see that. This same protection that Moses had will be the same super-natural protection that the witnesses have.
2 Kings 1:10-12 talks about Elijah having the power to call fire down from heaven so that he would not be captured. The two witnesses will have the same power.
2 Kings Chapter 1, 10-12 says, “Elijah answered the captain, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men. At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, "Man of God, this is what the king says, ’Come down at once!’ "If I am a man of God," Elijah replied, "may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.
So what?
Very important application: God gives you power and authority – and if you use it, you shall ALWAYS have it! It is when it is not used that God removes it (Parable of the Talents – Matthew 25). If we do not continue to work for the Lord, He will remove His gifts to us and we will become as lazy as the world.
God needs willingness!
Who are the “two witnesses?” Some say that the passage is simply an allegory symbolizing the law and the prophets.
Some say they are a symbol of the law and the gospel, or to put it another way the Old and New Testaments.
Still others say the 144,000 Jews, others the church and on and on…
It is hard to believe anything other than these are two real men. Some identify them as
Enoch and Elijah or Elijah and Moses. Scripture doesn’t tell us the names of these two men but their ministry is much like that of Moses and Elijah. To say that these are actually Moses and Elijah is pure speculation but we know for certain that the same spirit that dwelt in these two prophets of old will be with these two “end time” witnesses.
When Jesus said in Mt. 11: 13-14 that John the Baptist was Elijah, He didn’t mean that Elijah had reincarnated. He was stating that the same spirit that drove Elijah was now present in John. The same can be said of the two witnesses of the end time. The same spirit that drove Moses and Elijah is now present in these two men.
vs. 7-10 The two witnesses are killed by the beast from the bottomless pit.
This is the first time that antichrist’s name is used in the book of Revelation. Just who is the antichrist?
Scripture never actually uses the term antichrist to refer to the great “man of sin” who appears at the end time. Passages such as 1John 2:22 use the word antichrist to refer to the false teachers. Down through the centuries, believers have referred to the coming of “the man of sin” as the antichrist. The reason being that he is to stand opposed to Christ and persecute believers. He will be so much against Christ that he can be called the antichrist.
What scripture tells us about the one we call antichrist is very interesting yet extremely horrifying.
Think about some of the most evil men we know of from history.
a. Nero was the Emperor of Rome who was known for hating Christians. He hated most people, having his own mother clubbed to death after several attempts to have her killed failed. He kicked one wife to death for complaining about his coming home late from the races.
He tried to shift the blame for the fire that burned Rome on to the Christians.
Christians were arrested and thrown to the wild beasts in the circus, or they were crucified. Many of them were also burned to death at night, serving as ’lighting’ in Nero’s gardens, while Nero mingled among the watching crowds.
b. Men like Hitler who persecuted Jews and others.
The number of victims depends on which definition of "the Holocaust" is used. Donald Niewyk and Francis Nicosia write in The Columbia Guide to the Holocaust that the term is commonly defined as the mass murder, an attempt to wipe out, European Jewry, which would bring the total number of victims to just under six million — around 78 percent of the 7.3 million Jews in occupied Europe at the time.
Broader definitions include the 220,000 Roma and Sinti, and the 200,000 disabled and mentally ill who were killed, because these groups were also targeted for eradication. A broader definition still includes political and religious dissenters, two to three million Soviet POWs, and 5,000 to 15,000 gay men, bringing the death toll to nine million. This rises to 11 million if the deaths of 1.8 to 2 million ethnic Poles are included. The broadest definition would include Soviet civilians, raising the death toll to 17 million. See chart for the Jewish death toll
What if these men or even Saddam Hussein had control of the entire world? The numbers that they are known for having killed would soar into the tens and tens of millions.
Are any of these men the “antichrist”? Well none of them brought peace to the entire world for 3 ½ days much less 3 ½ years.
The name “the beast” gives us a horrifying picture of the nature of the antichrist. Let’s look at how scripture describes him.
1. In Mt. 24: 15 Jesus called him the abomination of desolation that will stand in the holy place.
2. Paul called him the man of sin in 2Th. 2: 3-4 [KJV]
3. In Daniel 7:25 he is called the little horn
4. In Daniel 7: 20-21, 25 as well as in Rev. 7: 9, 13-14 he is described as the world ruler who will make war against God’s people and slaughter them.
5. In Daniel 7: 23 and Rev. 17: 12-13 we see him conquering the whole world.
vs. 11-12 The two witnesses stand to their feet and ascend to heaven.
First of all it is hard to imagine two bodies lying in the street and no one caring about them. This reveals the evil that will be in the last days. People are walking by and staring at the two men but human compassion is gone.
Can you imagine what it will be like to be standing there looking at these two men, thinking, “Boy am I glad they are dead. I was sure getting tired of listening to their preaching. We’ve got enough to worry about without having some Bible thumper telling us that we better get right with God…” And while you’re flapping your gums these two men stand up and look as if nothing happened.
Verse 11 says that the crowd wept with joy there was dancing in the street people were praising God for the miracle.
“Great fear fell upon them which saw them”.
In verse 12 God calls the two witnesses to come home. All this was done right before the enemies eyes.
vs. 13 another earthquake. Two things happen during the earthquake.
1. 7,000 people get saved get a pay raise get killed. You would think that people are getting scarce until you understand that right now there are nearly 7 billion people in the world today.
2. The remnant [Jewish people] were affrighted [KJV] and give glory to;
the antichrist mayor of Jerusalem God
The word affrighted means “greatly frightened.” George Ladd points out that when this phrase is used in Revelation and other scriptures, it suggests true repentance.
This verse is either describing the salvation of Israel or one of the great movements toward the Evangelizing the nation of Israel.
[Part IV] A Preview of the Third Woe
Rev. 11: 14-19
Can you imagine what John must be feeling at this moment? He has witnessed scene after scene of absolute horror. Remember that Jesus has given John a glimpse of the hope and the glory that is to come and here He gives John a look at the glory that is connected to the horror.
vs. 14-15 we see the 3rd and final woe.
Do you remember what the first two woes were? 1. Demonic locust that tormented people for 5 months.
2. Demonic horse soldiers that killed 1/3 of the ungodly people around the world.
Now we hear the final trumpet blast and we wait in anticipation for the final woe and nothing jumps out, why? God wants John as well as you and me to see a few things before the judgments take place. There are four scenes in this chapter that we need to look at before going on to the final curtain.
v.15 The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of The Lord and His Christ.
In the Greek this is past tense and describes a time in the future, when all the kingdoms of this world are done away and God reigns over the new earth.
vs.16-17 As soon as the trumpet blast the 24 elders fall
out of their chairs down the stairs on their face in worship of the one true God.
Three reasons are given here for why the 24 elders praise God.
1. He is both Lord and God and He is almighty. As Lord, He rules over all. As God, He is the creator of all that is. As the almighty one He is omnipotent, which means that He is all-powerful and He can do anything.
2. They praised God because He was and is and is to come. This tells us that God always has been, He is right now and He will always be. Friends, family, jobs and anything you can think of in this world come and go, they’re here today and gone tomorrow. God is the only stable force in the life of the believer. When God says that He will NEVER leave you or forsake you He meant just that, NEVER.
3. They praised Him for taking back His power from the world and taking His rightful place on the throne.
v.18 The nations of the world rebel one last time against God and face the final judgment of God.
Notice 5 things in this verse.
1. At the end of the millennial reign of Christ, there will be a final rebellion of the nations of this world.
Scripture proof: Rev. 20: 7-10
2. The wrath of God will fall on the devil and his followers.
Scripture: Eph. 5: 6
3. The dead will be judged. Scripture: Mt 25: 31-32 * Heb. 9: 27
4. The godly will be rewarded. Scripture: Mt. 5: 11-12 * Mt. 25: 23
5. Those that destroyed human life will, in the end be destroyed. Scripture: 2Th. 1: 7-9
v.19 God’s temple will be opened. this is a picture of eternity. God dwells with His own in His temple forever.
William Barclay states: “When the New Jerusalem comes down from Heaven, it is called
‘The Holy City’ [Rev21: 2], and John states expressly, ‘I saw no temple there’ [21:22]. When the scenes in chapter 21 are fulfilled there will be no need for a temple as a place of worship. If all were holy on earth now, there would be no need for a place of worship. Jesus said, ‘God is Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth’ [John 4:24] True worship is a matter of the heart” (The Book of the Revelation,p.225)
STUDY IN REVELATION 19
The Final Triumph Over Evil [part III]
The Two Witnesses & Israel Turns To God
Rev. 11: 3-13
[part IV] A Preview of the Third Woe
Rev. 11: 14-19
vs. 3-4: The two witnesses are sent by, ƒ The UN ƒCNN ƒGod.
1.They are sent for a set time, which is years.
2. We know they are true prophets because of their message, which will be condemnation of sin and salvation, only through Jesus Christ.
3. We can also see that they are true prophets by their dress. They are wearing,
„$5000 suits „gold rings on ever finger and $600 socks „sackcloth
Too often today we judge the success of the minister [prophet] by how well he does, not by the message he brings.
I personally believe that we have had enough of the get rich quick preacher. America is dying for some real old fashioned gospel preaching. It is time to stop making God some spiritual slot machine…
4. The “two olive trees” mentioned in verse four are described in Zechariah chapters four and five and portray Zerubbabel and , the governor and high priest who were anointed by the Holy Spirit to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple after the Babylonian captivity. Clarence Larkin comments: “Zerubbabel and Joshua are types of the ‘TWO WITNESSES’ whose work it will be to proclaim that the time has come to rebuild Jerusalem and re-establish the Temple worship, for the ‘KINGDOM OF HEAVEN’ is at hand” (87).
These two olive trees are described quite clearly as two people who stand beside the Lord. These two people are obviously very special to the Lord, and to witnessing for Him, and their mission here in Revelation is to witness to the testimony of Jesus Christ. They have come for one reason, to preach Jesus and Him crucified.
vs. 5-6 The witnesses possess unusual .
If you notice, these men will have the same protection from the Father that was granted unto Moses when he stood before Pharaoh. Surely, Pharaoh could have had Moses killed for his demands, but he was spared.
It was no accident that Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s house – God placed him there to be a step-brother to the man who would eventually become Pharaoh – and we need to see that. This same protection that Moses had will be the same super-natural protection that the witnesses have.
2 Kings 1:10-12 talks about Elijah having the power to call fire down from heaven so that he would not be captured. The two witnesses will have the same power.
2 Kings Chapter 1, 10-12 says, “Elijah answered the captain, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men. At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, "Man of God, this is what the king says, ’Come down at once!’ "If I am a man of God," Elijah replied, "may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.
Who are the “two witnesses?” Some say that the passage is simply an allegory symbolizing the law and the prophets.
Some say they are a symbol of the law and the gospel, or to put it another way the Old and New Testaments.
Still others say the 144,000 Jews, others the church and on and on…
It is hard to believe anything other than these are two real men.
Some identify them as and Elijah or Elijah and . Scripture doesn’t tell us the names of these two men but their ministry is much like that of Moses and Elijah. To say that these are actually Moses and Elijah is pure speculation but we know for certain that the same spirit that dwelt in these two prophets of old will be with these two “end time” witnesses.
When Jesus said in Mt. 11: 13-14 that John the Baptist was Elijah, He didn’t mean that Elijah had reincarnated. He was stating that the same spirit that drove Elijah was now present in John. The same can be said of the two witnesses of the end time. The same spirit that drove Moses and Elijah is now present in these two men.
vs. 7-10 The two witnesses are by the from the bottomless .
This is the first time that antichrist’s name is used in the book of Revelation. Just who is the antichrist?
Scripture never actually uses the term antichrist to refer to the great “man of sin” who appears at the end time. Passages such as 1John 2:22 use the word antichrist to refer to the false teachers. Down through the centuries, believers have referred to the coming of “the man of sin” as the antichrist. The reason being that he is to stand opposed to Christ and persecute believers. He will be so much against Christ that he can be called the antichrist.
What scripture tells us about the one we call is very interesting yet extremely horrifying.
Think about some of the most evil men we know of from history.
a. was the Emperor of Rome who was known for hating Christians. He hated most people, having his own mother clubbed to death after several attempts to have her killed failed. He kicked one wife to death for complaining about his coming home late from the races.
He tried to shift the blame for the fire that burned Rome on to the Christians.
Christians were arrested and thrown to the wild beasts in the circus, or they were crucified. Many of them were also burned to death at night, serving as ’lighting’ in Nero’s gardens, while Nero mingled among the watching crowds.
b. Men like who persecuted Jews and others.
The number of victims depends on which definition of "the Holocaust" is used. Donald Niewyk and Francis Nicosia write in The Columbia Guide to the Holocaust that the term is commonly defined as the mass murder, an attempt to wipe out, European Jewry, which would bring the total number of victims to just under six million — around 78 percent of the 7.3 million Jews in occupied Europe at the time.
Broader definitions include the 220,000 Roma and Sinti, and the 200,000 disabled and mentally ill who were killed, because these groups were also targeted for eradication. A broader definition still includes political and religious dissenters, two to three million Soviet POWs, and 5,000 to 15,000 gay men, bringing the death toll to nine million. This rises to 11 million if the deaths of 1.8 to 2 million ethnic Poles are included. The broadest definition would include Soviet civilians, raising the death toll to 17 million. See chart for the Jewish death toll
What if these men or even Saddam Hussein had control of the entire world? The numbers that they are known for having killed would soar into the tens and tens of millions.
Are any of these men the “antichrist”? Well none of them brought peace to the entire world for 3 ½ days much less 3 ½ years.
The name “the beast” gives us a horrifying picture of the nature of the antichrist. Let’s look at how scripture describes him.
1. In Mt. 24: 15 Jesus called him the of desolation that will stand in the holy place.
2. Paul called him the man of in 2Th. 2: 3-4 [KJV]
3. In Daniel 7:25 he is called the little _________.
4. In Daniel 7: 20-21, 25 as well as in Rev. 7: 9, 13-14 he is described as the ruler who will make war against God’s people and slaughter them.
5. In Daniel 7: 23 and Rev. 17: 12-13 we see him conquering the whole .
vs. 11-12 The two witnesses to their feet and ascend to .
First of all it is hard to imagine two bodies lying in the street and no one caring about them. This reveals the evil that will be in the last days. People are walking by and staring at the two men but human compassion is gone.
Can you imagine what it will be like to be standing there looking at these two men, thinking, “Boy am I glad they are dead. I was sure getting tired of listening to their preaching. We’ve got enough to worry about without having some Bible thumper telling us that we better get right with God…” And while you’re flapping your gums these two men stand up and look as if nothing happened.
Verse 11 says that the crowd wept with joy there was dancing in the street people were praising God for the miracle.
“ ”.
In verse 12 God calls the two witnesses to come home. All this was done right before the enemies eyes.
vs. 13 another . Two things happen during the earthquake.
1. 7,000 people get saved get a pay raise get killed. You would think that people are getting scarce until you understand that right now there are nearly 7 billion people in the world today.
2. The remnant [Jewish people] were affrighted [KJV] and give glory to;
the antichrist mayor of Jerusalem God
The word affrighted means “greatly frightened.” George Ladd points out that when this phrase is used in Revelation and other scriptures, it suggests true repentance.
This verse is either describing the salvation of Israel or one of the great movements toward the Evangelizing the nation of Israel.
[Part IV] A Preview of the Third Woe
Rev. 11: 14-19
Can you imagine what John must be feeling at this moment? He has witnessed scene after scene of absolute horror. Remember that Jesus has given John a glimpse of the hope and the glory that is to come and here He gives John a look at the glory that is connected to the horror.
vs. 14-15 we see the 3rd and final .
Do you remember what the first two woes were? 1. that tormented people for 5 months.
2. Demonic s that killed 1/3 of the ungodly people around the world.
Now we hear the final trumpet blast and we wait in anticipation for the final woe and nothing jumps out, why? God wants John as well as you and me to see a few things before the judgments take place. There are four scenes in this chapter that we need to look at before going on to the final curtain.
v.15 The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of and .
In the Greek this is past tense and describes a time in the future, when all the kingdoms of this world are done away and God reigns over the new earth.
vs.16-17 As soon as the trumpet blast the elders fall
out of their chairs down the stairs on their face in worship of the one true God.
Three reasons are given here for why the 24 elders praise God.
1. He is both and and He is almighty. As Lord, He rules over all. As God, He is the creator of all that is. As the almighty one He is omnipotent, which means that He is - and He can do anything.
2. They praised God because He and and is to . This tells us that God always has been, He is right now and He will always be. Friends, family, jobs and anything you can think of in this world come and go, they’re here today and gone tomorrow. God is the only stable force in the life of the believer. When God says that He will NEVER leave you or forsake you He meant just that, NEVER.
3. They praised Him for taking back His from the world and taking His rightful place on the throne.
v.18 The nations of the world one last time against God and face the judgment of God.
Notice 5 things in this verse.
1. At the end of the millennial reign of Christ, there will be a final rebellion of the nations of this world.
Scripture proof: Rev. 20: 7-10
2. The of God will fall on the devil and his followers.
Scripture: Eph. 5: 6
3. The will be judged. Scripture: Mt 25: 31-32 * Heb. 9: 27
4. The godly will be . Scripture: Mt. 5: 11-12 * Mt. 25: 23
5. Those that destroyed human life will, in the end be . Scripture: 2Th. 1: 7-9
v.19 God’s will be opened. this is a picture of eternity. God dwells with His own in His temple forever.
William Barclay states: “When the New Jerusalem comes down from Heaven, it is called
‘The Holy City’ [Rev21: 2], and John states expressly, ‘I saw no temple there’ [21:22]. When the scenes in chapter 21 are fulfilled there will be no need for a temple as a place of worship. If all were holy on earth now, there would be no need for a place of worship. Jesus said, ‘God is Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth’ [John 4:24] True worship is a matter of the heart” (The Book of the Revelation,p.225)
