Rev. # 37~11:11-19 THE TWO WITNESSES RAISED 1-9-10
Here in Rev.11: we’ve been reading about how Moses and Elijah tormented the earth dwellers for the 1st three and ½ years of the 7 year tribulation through the power of God, in that the rain was with held and different kinds of plagues was directed on the earth dwellers as it so pleased the two witnesses, they were unstoppable so long as it pleased the Lord.—{remember, earth dwellers are the lost people that were left behind on earth after the rapture of the True Church}.
Because these two witnesses testify for God, they will be hated by the ungodly. But they will be invincible and immortal until their ministry is completed.
Then finally when they had finished their testimony God allowed the beast, “that is the antichrist” who ascends out of the bottomless pit to kill them, and the earth dwellers were so glad and happy about their death that the world over begin to have big parties, making merry, sending gifts to one another in celebration, their calloused hearts and worldly minds were so corrupted and hardened that they didn’t even allow their dead bodies to be buried. {I told you, and read scripture why we believe the beast, “antichrist” will be Judas Iscariot as he hung himself and went to his own place.}
Lets keep in mind that the entire world is seeing their dead bodies as they lay in the street of Jerusalem as it is beamed all around the world by satellite as people are viewing it on their Televisions.
Ø Think about this; John was writing about televisions and had no idea what it meant, but being Gods prophet he pinned it down just like it was given to him. –“Revelation” is the only book of prophecy in the N.T.
There are many prophetic statements but there’s only one complete book of prophecy in the N.T.
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With satanic cunning and deception, the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit has won over the masses to himself.
Ø The three days and a half of verse 9 are obviously intended to be literal days.
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Listen as I read verse 11 of chapter 11: here in our Revelation study.
11And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
I want to point something out about these “3 ½ days”, whether it has any great significants or not I’m not sure, but the thought come to me that these 3 ½ days would be according to the Jewish days, John was a Jew, and the Jewish day begins at sun set and starts a new day the next sunset, the reason their calendar is not like ours is because the Jews look at the day beginning at “evening” because God does.
In each of the new days of creation God said,
Genesis 1:5--And the evening and the morning were the first day. And He does so with each new day of creation.—unlike ours starting at mid night each night.
We’re told in verse 7 that the beast shall over come the two witnesses and kill them, and then in verse 9 we’re told that people the world over shall see their dead bodies for 3 ½ days lying in the street.
So we read here in verse 11- And after three days and an half –
So they will have to lie in the street for 3 ½ complete days, not 3 days, not 3 ¼ days, the scripture says 3 1/2 days.
This seems to me that the “two witnesses” are killed about sunset and are raised from the dead after 3 sunsets and about 12 hours later at sunrise. —3 ½ days. –Jewish time scale--
Israels clock is 7 hours ahead of us here on the east coast, so when they are killed there in Jerusalem it will be about 6:o clock in the evening there, and about 11: A.M. here.
If they are raised from the dead at about 6:A.M. there, {the ½ day} it will be 11:P.M. here on the east coast.
It reminds us of the fact that Jesus had to be in the tomb for 3 days and 3 nights, not 2 ½ days, as a lot of people count it to be. They try and place His crucifixion on what is known as “good Friday”. –There’s no way to get 3 days and 3 nights from Friday to Sunday morning.
Jesus had to be in the tomb for 3 complete days and 3 complete nights in order to fulfill prophecy about His burial and Resurrection.
Jesus said in
Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Jesus was crucified on Wednesday and place in the tomb before sunset and some time before sun rise Sunday morning He arose.==3 days and 3 nights==
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So we believe that the two witnesses will be laying in the street of Jerusalem 3 1/2 days just like it says, we’re Bible believers and we must not try and change what it says to suit our thoughts and standards, Gods standards will never change.
Ø Let me say again, that all of that is food to think on.
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12And they {the earth dwellers} heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, “Come up hither”. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
This Great Voice of coarse is God.
The merrymaking of those who rejoiced in the death of the two witnesses is cut short after three and one-half days by the witnesses’ restoration to life.
As they stand on their feet before the startled and shocked gaze of those who watch, we’re told that great fear falls upon those who see them. This will include the Television audience.
And to add to their horror they hear a Great Voice from heaven commanding the witnesses to, “Come up hither.” as they watch, the T.V. audience will also hear these WORDS as it travels over the air waves, all that are watching will hear and see as they ascended up to heaven in a cloud.
Their resurrection is probely the greatest moment of their ministry since they reveal the power and promise of God: which is; the power to overcome death, and the promise to raise believers from the grave. This is their greatest and last testimony.
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13And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
a great earthquake
There are many earthquakes during the Tribulation. A previous great earthquake was when the sixth seal was opened back in Rev.6:12.
As great as that earthquake is, a still greater earthquake—the greatest of all recorded history—is yet to follow at the pouring out of the seventh bowl judgment in Rev.16:17.
a tenth of the city fell
In the earthquake in Rev.16:17 that’s to do with the seventh bowl, Jerusalem is said to be “divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell”.
In this lesser great earthquake here in our text today, only one tenth of the city of Jerusalem falls. Only a portion falls resulting in a relatively lesser death toll in order to provide opportunity for those remaining to respond in repentance and turn to God.
-- 13-b-and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
There are many people that say these are not truly repentant, that they are only uttering words out of fear, and perhaps some are, but because the antichrist is still keeping his covenant with the Jews and has not yet declared him self to be God, although very soon he will, the Jews feel free to worship the God of heaven.
It is likely that the majority of the population of Jerusalem is still Jewish up to the point that the two witnesses are killed and resurrected, as the Gentiles are to trample Jerusalem under foot in the last 3 ½ years.
Although the ministry of the two witnesses obviously affects the entire world, it is still uniquely Jewish as we see the dress of the two witnesses, their in sack cloth as some of the Jewish Prophets of old were, and seemingly designed to have the greatest impact upon those who are Jews and who have not yet accepted Jesus as Messiah.
When a tenth of the city falls and 7ooo are killed, the remaining population is said to give glory to the God of heaven.
The Jews response to the final ministry of the two witnesses—as they see their resurrection—and the earthquake, is different than that of the earth dwellers in general. Because a hugh number of these Jews apparently repent.
The text says they fear and give glory to God, apparently repenting.
Along with the 144,000 sealed Jewish Missionarys that we read about in chapter 7:4-8, this would appear to be further evidence of the ongoing spiritual regeneration of the Jews.
The two witnesses are special servants of the of the Lord Jesus, the Deliverer, and through their ministry ungodliness was turned away from a portion of Israel.
In the middle of the time of Jacob’s trouble,the tribulation, we believe the” New Covenant” as it relates to the Jewish nation is being fulfilled in preparation for the Millennial Kingdom to follow.
Jer.31:33-34 33But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
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14The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
This ends the second woe. The third woe begins shortly, though not immediately. The third woe is not the blowing of the seventh trumpet, which will come next, the 3 rd and final “woe” is found in chapter 12:12 to do with the devil.
The parenthetical section of chapter 10:-11:13, which fills in some of the details of the Tribulation, is now completed.
We’re told in 8:13 that there would be 3 “woes” to come upon the earth dwellers.
And in 9:12 the 1st “woe “ is passed, and then here in 11:14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly- and then in 12:12 we read about the 3rd “woe” and we’ll see it is connected to the devil.
12:12- Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
So the second woe, concluded in chapter 9, is now mentioned as an introduction to the third and final woe.
Thus John says, “behold, the third woe is coming quickly.” In 8:13 John was informed that the last three trumpet judgments, are called woes, they would be more intense upon the earth dwellers.
In 11:14 we are told the third woe is quickly coming.
Ø This is the seventh trumpet that will take us up to the return of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom
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15And the seventh angel sounded; {7th trumpet of judgment} and there were great voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever”.
The seventh trumpet does not bring in the kingdom; it only shows its proximity.
Verse 15 speaks of the kingdom as a preview; the actual realization is to be seen in chapters 19–20.
The sounding of the seventh trumpet “proclaims the coming coronation of earth’s rightful king, the answer to the prayer of the ages, ‘thy kingdom come’
The coming of the kingdom of God is connected with the overthrow of Satan and involves the reclamation of the earth as the Lord’s, but right now, Satan is “god* of this age” 2 nd cor.4:4
The sounding of the seventh trumpet signals God’s answer to the prayer, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” that we read about in Matt.6:10.
And that answer carrys through chapters 12-22 as God finishes His mighty work of reclaiming creation from the usurper, Satan.
The blowing of the seventh trumpet brings us chronologically to the entrance of eternity where the mystery of God is finally unraveled. It brings us in God’s program as far as chapter 21 where eternity begins.
This section is a summary of events right up to the door of eternity you could say..
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16And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
These 24 Elders represent the church, we notice, their {seats} their thrones, are mentioned. The Church will rule and reign with Christ.
The elders are repeatedly found prostrate before the throne in worship (Rev. 4:10+; 5:8+, 14+; 7:11+; 19:4+). The redeemed will gladly fall on their unashamed knees and worship God as they have no doubt that He is worthy.
Through this trumpet and woe, Satan’s kingdom will be totally destroyed and the world will come under the lordship of Christ.
The effects of the seventh trumpet, namely, the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth is made known here.
At this point the seven bowl judgments have yet to be poured out, but they make up the seventh trumpet and will now fall in rapid succession.
That they make up the seventh trumpet is clear from the fact that it is the last trumpet that establishes the rule of Christ on earth. “And He will reign forever …” The millennial reign of Christ will last for only 1,000 years, but the reign of Christ will continue on throughout all eternity in the new heavens and the new earth.
So here we have the fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies that look forward to the eternal rule of God when God’s will, will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
The 24 Elders fall on their faces in deep respect and adoration of God. While they reign with Him they recognize that this is all because of WHO and what God is and what He has accomplished through the Lord Jesus.
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17Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
18And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
We have in this verse, the White Throne judgment of the lost in chapter 20:11, also we have in this verse the resurrection of the O.T. saints as well as the Tribulation martyrs, 20:4 and their rewarded.
The Church received her rewards back in chapter 4: just after she was raptured.
The people that destroy this earth through intentional works, He will judge.
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19And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
What John saw was not the earthly ark, its appearance in the vision suggests that God would resume dealing with Israel and would soon fulfill His covenant promises to that nation.
---- lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. Is pointing to the horrors of the 7 bowls that are yet to come.
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Chapters 12–14 contain a number of miscellaneous prophecies that are inserted between the trumpet and bowl judgments to give further background on the Time of Tribulation.
