Revelation Study Series 16a - God’s Mysterious Plan Fulfilled (Chapter 11)
02.20.22
Message…
Revelation 11:1-2
1 Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers.
2 But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months.
The temple of God mentioned in this verse is referring to a specific temple that will be built.
The Jewish people will erect this temple in Jerusalem before the mid-way point of the Tribulation.
The word “temple” is derived from the Hebrew word, “hekal” which means “big house”...obviously, that would mean something different to us.
The Jewish people would like to build a temple now...but, there is something in its way. Another temple in fact. Another temple that was not built to worship God, but Mohammed.
It is called the Dome of the Rock. You’ve often seen it in the news. It is a temple with a big gold dome.
It is an Islamic temple. To those of Islam it is the second most holy temple with Mecca (located in Saudi Arabia) being number one.
There is a reason why the Jewish people want their temple there. It is considered holy ground.
This same area is believed to be the sacred spot (Mt. Moriah) where Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice, where God provided the ram caught in a thicket.
It is where King Solomon built the first temple which was later destroyed.
The temple was rebuilt and even remodeled and called Herod’s temple. It was then destroyed by the Romans.
Ever since it’s destruction then, the Jewish people have not had a temple in Jerusalem to worship God in.
For the Jew, the temple means everything!
They are still waiting for the Messiah to come. They do not accept Jesus as the Messiah. They want to reinstate the temple sacrifices to get back to their understanding of the OT covenant from God.
They don’t accept the new covenant, they don’t accept the New Testament.
In the book of Daniel, Gabriel came to Daniel and explained a vision he was given. Gabriel told him of future events that would take place…
Daniel 9:27
27 The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him.”
A ruler (the antiChrist) promising peace will come on the scene amidst all of the Tribulation chaos. (Midway during the Tribulation this ruler will set himself up to be worshiped as God.)
The antiChrist will initiate/broker a peace deal, and within that deal the rebuilding of the Jewish temple will happen.
Temple practices and sacrifices will once again occur.
A Temple will be built in the name of God, but this they will do in rejection of the Son of God!
Remember, that when Solomon built the first temple...it was at God’s direction and design. But, this is completely of man.
Jesus said…
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.
Man must approach and worship God His way, not man's way!
Life Application 1…
As we gather as a church to worship the Lord...we do so out of command and encouragement to do so…
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:25
While we worship God here in this place...we also worship God everyday with our lives!
(Our actions, talk, work ethic, attitude, dress, pleasure, friends, relationships...all the things we do...etc.)
The Jews want to build an OT temple. We are the NT temple!
1 Cor. 6:19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,
2 Corinthians 6:16
16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be My people.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
17 God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
You are God’s temple...He lives in you!
Wherever you go He goes!
Whatever you say He hears!
Whatever you do He sees!
Whatever you think He knows!
The Two Witnesses…
Revelation 11:3
3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.”
1,260 days (30 days in a month/1,260=42 months, or 3.5 years)
God will send two witnesses. They will proclaim His name.
You won’t find them on tv sandwiched between infomercials late at night.
They will be at the forefront of the news! What they have to say will be the news!
At the beginning of the Great Tribulation period all believers were raptured out. God will then bring judgments and signs to grab people's attention that He is God, and that they need to turn toward Him before it is too late.
God will not only bring these judgments and signs but He will bring these two witnesses to testify of Him, and His pending eternal, everlasting judgment.
Revelation 11:4
These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth.
Zechariah 4:11-14
11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on each side of the lampstand,
12 and what are the two olive branches that pour out golden oil through two gold tubes?”
13 “Don’t you know?” he asked. “No, my lord,” I replied.
14 Then he said to me, “They represent the two anointed ones who stand in the court of the Lord of all the earth.”
These two will be lights in a dark world. The world will be rejecting God and believe the lies of the antiChrist.
These two witnesses will preach and prophesy about Christ and His coming!
Who are these witnesses? What is their identity?
The book of Revelation does not say, however other scripture may shed light on the identity of at least one of them.
Malachi 4:5
“Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives.
That seems pretty clear that Elijah will be one of them.
Revelation 11:5
5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die.
These two witnesses will have the power to bring down fire from heaven...(Elijah has already been there and done that...with the false prophets of baal at Mt. Carmel.)
No one will be able to hurt them. They will be immortal while they fulfill God’s purpose during this specified time.
Revelation 11:6
6 They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.
The book of James tells us that Elijah prayed and it rained not for 3.5 years...(James 5:17).
Clearly, I would say that the identity of one of these two witnesses is Elijah.
The identity of the other one is not as clear.
It has been suggested that it is Enoch, because Enoch was taken to heaven and did not see death the same as Elijah.
Scripture tells us that it is “appointed unto man once to die” (Heb. 9:27)
But, those that are raptured will not taste of the physical death either.
It could be Enoch. It might be Moses. The authority to produce plagues was given to Moses as he stretched out his rod many times over Pharaoh in Egypt.
It may be that these plagues in vs. 6 are a clue that it is Moses.
At the transfiguration Jesus was standing with Elijah on one side and Moses on the other as they discussed the Lord’s approaching death on the cross. They represent the Law and the Prophets.
Whoever these two witnesses are, the world will know that they are from God!
The world will know that their message is to turn people to God!
And, many will turn to God! However, many will also reject their message, and reject God.
Revelation 11:7
7 When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them.
This beast is the antiChrist. We will talk more about this person of satan as we get into ch. 13.
He is against Christ and everything that has to do with God and the Son of God!
When the two witnesses have finished their purpose, when they have fulfilled their mission...the antiChrist will come up against them and prevail.
Life Application 2…
“When they completed their testimony...” – Tim Lahaye says they will be “immortal until their work is done...which can be said of all God’s servants who walk in obedience to His will.”
Believer, do not live life in fear rather live life in faith!
You are here for a purpose!
That purpose is to live out a life of faith/obedience that honors/reflects God’s glory. You are to bring as many people to Christ as He gives you opportunity!
You are here for that purpose and you will be here until you have completed His purpose through you!
Revelation 11:8-10
8 And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified.
9 And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them.
10 All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.
The two witnesses will be killed in Jerusalem. There, their bodies will lie in the street. Rather than being buried, they will remain there in the streets of the city of Jerusalem as verification to all the world that they have been killed.
It used to be wondered how the entire world would be able to witness this all together.
Yet, after television...and even now the internet/social media...not only is this possible but just shows you the accuracy of scripture.
(You may remember when Sadaam Hussein’s sons were killed and the U.S. military left them lying in view so that the world could see that they were truly dead.)
People will be happy, they will be cheering, they will exchange gifts with one another because of their deaths. It will be a holiday.
For 3.5 days the world of unbelievers during the Tribulation will celebrate the death of God’s witnesses!
(Esther 9 - the Jews celebrated with the destruction of those trying to kill them. This seems to be satan’s mimicking revenge.)
But, the world’s festive celebration will be short lived...
Revelation 11:11
11 But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them.
12 Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.
13 At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
The two witnesses, lying dead in the streets of Jerusalem on public display will be resurrected!
They will stand to their feet and the world will stop in wonder and fear. God will call them home, and the world will see them ascend to heaven!
Revelation 11:14
14 The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly.
Our text speaks of these two witnesses who will declare the Lord during the Tribulation time.
You are God’s witnesses today! What kind of witness are you?
Paul declared…
Romans 1:16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
You are God’s temple! Does your temple think, act and speak in a way that worships Him?
Does your witness (the way you live out your faith) reflect and project Jesus?
