(Part 6)
Scott Bayles, pastor
Blooming Grove Christian Church: 11/5/2017
If you’ve been with us the last few weeks, you know we are working our way through the exciting, yet enigmatic book of Revelation. Of the sixty-six books of the Bible, none are more imposing or intimidating as the book of Revelation. The setting, style and symbolism of Revelation, often feels like a foreign language to us. And yet, reading Revelation blesses us in so many ways: it helps us approach Jesus more humbly, love the church more honestly, endure suffering more confidently, see evil more clearly, and long for Christ’s return more deeply. So, as we delve ever deeper into Revelation, I hope you’ll continue to be blessed by it.
Last week, in Revelation 6-7, John’s vision centered around three specific groups. First, John saw four stampeding steeds—better known as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—sent to take peace from the land through conquest, war, famine, and disease. Next, he saw the slain souls of the martyrs crying out for God to avenge their blood. Finally, he saw the 144,000 sealed servants representative of all the saved of every epoch of time, safe in the Shepherd’s arms.
The opening of the seven seals led right into the sounding of seven trumpets, which, in turn, will lead to the pouring of seven bowls of incense. Rather than a chronological account of 21 different events, these three sets of seven are repetitive—representing the seven-fold judgement of God with slightly different symbolism and specifics. As we reach chapter 11, there is a lull in activity between the sixth and seventh trumpet (just as there was between the sixth and seventh seal).
Here we come to one of the most difficult and debated chapters of Revelation. If you have a Bible, open it Revelation 11. In spite of the confusion that abounds, this chapter contains powerful lessons—centered on four visions—that remain relevant even for today’s church. The first symbol is the temple.
• THE TEMPLE
As chapter 11 begins, John steps into his vision, no longer a spectator, but a participant. He writes:
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. 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.” (Revelation 11:1-2 NLT)
When John says the nations will trample the holy city, he echoes the words of Jesus, who predicted, “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near… They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles” (Luke 21:20-24 NIV). Jesus and John are certainly describing the same events, which places this part of John’s vision squarely in the real world. His vision involves the actual Temple in Jerusalem, the holy city.
However, that doesn’t mean John is literally expected to measure the Temple, the altar and those who worship in it. Rather, this imagery comes, once again, from the Old Testament. After the destruction of the first Temple in 586 BC, two prophets of old, Ezekiel and Zechariah, experienced apocalyptic visions that involved measuring the Temple or Jerusalem itself.
Zechariah writes, “When I looked again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. ‘Where are you going?’ I asked. He replied, ‘I am going to measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is’” (Zechariah 2:1-2 NLT).
Similarly, Ezekiel writes, “In a vision from God he took me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain… I saw a man whose face shone like bronze standing beside a gateway entrance. He was holding in his hand a linen measuring cord and a measuring rod” (Ezekiel 40:2-3 NLT). Ezekiel and the angel then spend the next four chapters laying out and marking off all the details and dimensions of the Temple, including the altar and the outer courtyards.
Both of these visions are set in the actual land of Israel, the city of Jerusalem following the destruction of the first Temple. But while the setting is actual, the activity is symbolic. The man with the measuring line symbolizes the hope of a rebuilt Jerusalem and restored Temple. God is letting Ezekiel and Zechariah know that, even though the city has been destroyed and the Temple demolished, he already has plans to build a new Temple, more grand and glorious than the original.
John’ vision carries the same meaning. With the demolition of the second Temple looming on the horizon, God urges John to take measurements, symbolizing God’s plan to rebuild. However, unlike the first two temples, this newest temple is not a physical temple, but a spiritual one. And construction is already underway.
Elsewhere in the New Testament, Paul announced, “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NLT).
Peter agreed. He writes, “You also are like living stones, so let yourselves be used to build a spiritual temple—to be holy priests who offer spiritual sacrifices to God” (1 Peter 2:5 NCV).
God planned the destruction of the physical Temple, in part, to make way for a greater, more glorious Temple—a temple not made with human hands. You and I have the great privilege of being a part of that temple. And even today, construction never stops. God continues to add to his ever-expanding temple those who are being saved.
But the measuring of the Temple is just the first part of this vision. Furthermore, John sees—or rather hears—the testimony of the two witnesses.
• THE TESTIMONY
As John’s vision continues, he sees what will be the most debated duo in Revelation. God announces:
And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. (Revelation 11:4-6 NIV).
Suggestions for the identity of these two witnesses range from a symbolic representation of the Law and the Prophets to two literal miracle-workers who can apparently breath fire from their mouths. Thankfully, the context provides us with several clues.
First, the imagery of two witnesses comes from the Old Testament law, which says, “One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15 NIV). So, two witnesses were required when accusing someone of a crime. In this case, the two witnesses accuse Israel of apostacy.
Further, the reference to the two olive trees that stand before the Lord is a direct quote from Zechariah, who saw an apocalyptic vision of two olives. When he asked his angelic guide about the trees, the angel replied, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth” (Zechariah 4:14 NIV). The two anointed ones refers to Zerubbabel and Jeshua, who are essentially the main focus of the book of Zechariah. These two men were chosen and anointed by God to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem after the first one had been destroyed. So, the witnesses in Revelation must be similarly commissioned to build God’s new temple—the church.
Furthermore, these witnesses bear an unmistakable resemblance to Moses and Elijah, both of whom were spokesmen for God who stood up to powerful evil kings. Like Elijah, they prophesy and have the power to prevent rain from falling. Like Moses, they can turn water to blood and call forth plagues. This imagery drives home the point that these witnesses were empowered by God to proclaim his Word.
However, no one in church history, even the apostles themselves, ever performed miracles like these. And they certainly never breathed fire on anyone. So, it should be obvious at this point that the two witnesses are figurative, not literal.
But, who are the two witnesses?
They are a composite picture of “those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus” (Revelation 12:17 NIV). Like the two witnesses, all Christians were called to be Christ’s witnesses. And outspoken Christians, like Peter and James, often testified against Jerusalem, holding the Jews accountable for Christ’s murder. Peter and Paul even stood before the emperor in defense of Christianity. Like the two witnesses, all Christians are called to continue construction on the Temple of God. And like the two witnesses, all Christians are empowered by the God of Moses and Elijah to proclaim his Word.
As invulnerable as these witnesses appear, however, something terrible is about to befall them. John writes, “Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them” (Revelation 11:7 NIV). He goes on to say that people from all around will stare at their bodies and gloat over them. “But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up!” (Revelation 11:11 NIV).
You’ll notice that the two witnesses were dead for 3 ½ days. By contrast, we’re told the nations will trample the holy city for 42 months, or 3 ½ years. Similarly, the witnesses would testify in the face of persecution for 1260 days, or 3 ½ years. This number, 3 ½, occurs frequently throughout Revelation and it’s always associated with trials, troubles and testing. Remarkably, 3 ½ years happens to be the exact length of time the Roman-Jewish war lasted and the exact length of time Nero’s persecution of Christians lasted. But while the trampling and testimony lasted 3 ½ years, the death of God’s witnesses was measured only in days.
The message of this dynamic drama is that even though first-century Christians experienced persecution and many “had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained” (Revelation 6:9 NIV), Christianity would live on. Their testimony would live on. No matter how much blood soaked the cobblestone streets of Jerusalem, neither the Jews nor Romans could ever destroy God’s church. Any victories Satan experiences will be short lived. No force on earth will ever be able to defeat or derail God’s plans or God’s people!
That’s as true for us today as it was for John original readers. But, of course, there is more to John’s vision. Following his vision of the Temple and the testimony, John sees the tremor.
• THE TREMOR
As John’s vision continues to unfold, he writes, “At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven” (Revelation 11:13 NIV).
I won’t spend long on this point, but earthquakes are a recurring theme throughout Revelation. While the death-toll and destruction always varies, the breaking of the sixth seal, the sounding of the sixth trumpet, and the pouring of the seventh bowl are each followed by an earthquake. And it seems that whenever a major earthquake strikes a metropolitan area, people see it as a sign of the ends times.
These earthquakes, however, are not literal, but symbolic. The Old Testament frequently used earthquakes as symbols of God’ judgement (Ezekiel 38:19, Joel 2:10, Amos 8:8, Haggai 2:6, etc.). The shaking of the earth represented the shaking of that which people considered unshakable. We sometimes refer to the ground as terra firma, the solid earth, but panic sets in when the “solid” earth trembles underfoot. Apocalyptic writes used earthquakes to symbolize an act of God that shook people to their very core. The term “earth-shaking” is still used to refer to momentous events and experiences. More importantly, earthquakes in Scripture always picture God’s presence. When God visits, the earth trembles.
God wants Revelation’s readers to understand that the reckoning and retribution envisioned throughout the book is God’s doing, not man’s. God is coming to Jerusalem and it will be an earth-shattering experience.
Finally, following the temple, testimony and tremor, John sees the triumph.
• THE TRIUMPH
Chapter 11 reaches its climax when John writes: “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever’” (Revelation 11:15 ESV).
It’s hard for me to read this verse with the background music of the Halleluiah Chorus playing through my mind. This verse declares the fulfillment of Daniel’s vision six centuries earlier: “During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed or conquered. It will crush all these kingdoms into nothingness, and it will stand forever” (Daniel 2:44 NLT).
This isn’t some distant kingdom in our far future. Daniel’s prophecy referred to the days of the Roman Empire. It was during those days, that Christ established his kingdom on earth. John said it in the very beginning: “He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen” (Revelation 1:6 NLT).
This Kingdom, which started with a handful of fishermen in a remote village on the other side of the world, has spread to nearly every corner of the globe. Within three hundred years, the great Roman Empire that once persecuted Christians would declare Christianity its sole authorized religion. From there, Christianity would spread all over eastern Europe and eventually become the foundation upon which the United States was built. Today, Christianity continues to spread and flourish in even the most hostile lands—Africa the Middle East and China. Today, nearly one third of our planet’s population claim to follow Jesus Christ. And we’re not through yet.
The greatest kingdom in the history of the world is not the Roman Empire or the United States of America. It is the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ! The Lord wanted his people to know the battle might be hard fought, but triumph was certain. The Kingdom of Christ—his church—will march triumphantly across the globe until at last our King plants the flag of victory upon the hill of eternity, and he shall reign forever and ever. Amen.
So what does this mean for us? The Bible answers that question, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28 ESV). Let’s praise God for granting us citizenship in his everlasting Kingdom!
Conclusion:
As I said, this is one of the most difficult and debated chapters of Revelation. Yet, the message of this chapter remains as relevant for us as it was in the first century.
Even though the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed, God continues building a spiritual temple that you and I have the privilege to not only be part of, but help construct. Just as the two witnesses shared the testimony of Jesus in the face of violent opposition, each of us is called to stand up and speak out for Jesus no matter the cost. The tremor announced to John’s readers that God is afoot. He still is. God still rocks our world sometimes just to get our attention. And just like the occupants of heaven’s throne room, you and I get to join in the celebration of Christ’s greatest triumph—establishing a kingdom that will stand forever and ever.
Next week, we’ll continue our adventure through Revelation.
Invitation:
In the meantime, if you aren’t yet a stone in God’s temple or citizen in Christ’s kingdom, you can become one today! If you’re not sure how to do that, then come talk with me after church, call me at home, or come forward now while we stand and sing. Let’s sing together church!
