Revelation 11:3-12

The book of Revelation, chapter 11, I want to read the first 12 verses of this chapter. And there was given me a read like under a rod, and the angel stood saying, rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and them that worship therein. But the court, which is without the temple, leave out and measure it not. where it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy city shall be shall they tread underfoot 40 and two months and I will give power under my two witnesses and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score days clothed in sackcloth these are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devireth their enemies. If any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven that it reign not in the days of their prophecy, and have power over waters to turn them to blood and to smite the earth with all plagues. as often as they will. And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, shall overcome them and kill them. Their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half. Shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. They that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and make Mary and shall send gifts one to another because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt. on the earth. And after three days and a half, the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet, great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they 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. God bless to us His sacred and holy word this morning. Now, up to this point, Jesus Christ has proceeded to open the seven-sealed book that he took from the right hand of God the Father in Chapter 5. The seven seal opened a Pandor’s box of a whole new series of judgments, the seven trumpet judgments. which we saw in chapter 8. And now we’ve reached a place where the seventh trumpet should sound, but there’s this dramatic pause. And we have two visions inserted here before the seventh trumpet sounds in chapter 11, verse 15. We have that of the mighty angel and the little book in chapter 10 that we looked at last week. in the measuring of the temple and the two witnesses, which we have here in the first part of chapter 11. In our last study, when we looked at chapter 10, we said that Christ was the mighty angel. We talked about the appearance of Christ there and how it relates to chapter one of the book of Revelation. We talked about the seven thunders. We’re not told what they are. They appear to be some type of judgment, but we are not. informed about them. And then we have the promise no more delay, which we indicated would be with regard to revenging the people of God that had been martyr and are crying out for judgment. There’s going to be no longer delay. We talked about the bittersweet book that John takes from the hand of the mighty angel. It’s the seven-sealed book. He’s supposed to eat it. it’s sweet in his mouth because it is the answer to the people of God’s prayers, but it’s also bitter in the belly because it involves his nation, it involves the temple, and so forth. Then we considered the measuring of the temple. In chapter 11, verses 1 and 2, we talked about that it speaks about the impending judgment of and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. We compared it with, Luke 21 verses 20 to 24. The Gentiles shall tread underfoot the Holy City for 42 months for 1260 days, as verse 3 indicates. Three and a half years. The war on Jerusalem, the capital, by the Romans, began in February, AD 67, and the city fell August, AD 70, which we believe accounts for the three and a half years. The North and the North. Naos here, the temple is the word naos is used for the inner temple. The holy place, the holy of holies, is measured, evidently to be spared. The spiritual essence of the temple would live on while the physical structure itself would be totally destroyed. The earthly temple was just a copy of the pattern. Moses was shown of the heavenly temple above. and that always remains. And now we come to the two witnesses. Versus three to 14. When I was younger, I always liked games and I like mystery games, I find out who done it, stuff like Clue or something like that. Well, I had a game by Alfred Hitchcock. It was called Why. In fact, I still have the game. And in this game, you were supposed to find out who the killer was. and what weapon they used and so forth. But there was an interesting part about this game. If you could get the six cards that gave Alfred Hitchcock’s profile, you could play another card. It’s called It’s a mystery to me, and you could win the game. Just play those, and you didn’t have to solve the puzzle. Well, a lot of people come to the two witnesses and say, it’s a mystery to me. If I could say, well, it’s been a difficult study for me as well, and I can’t play the card. It’s a mystery to me this morning. But we’re going to look at this, and I’m going to do my best to explain things as I understand them. The difficulty of the interpretation, Russell and his parisia, I don’t recommend his book. He’s a full preterist, and he denies the actual Second Coming of Christ, so I cannot recommend his book. But when he summarizes all the people that he read on it, I think it’s interesting how he put this. He says, now enter upon the investigation of one of the most difficult problems contained in scripture, and one which has exercised, we may even say, baffled the research and ingenuity of critics and commentators up to the present hour. Who are the two witnesses? Are they mythical or historical persons? Are they symbols or actual realities? Do they represent principles or individuals? The conjectures, for they are not. nothing more, which have been propounded on this subject, form one of the most curious chapters in the history of biblical interpretation. So complete is the bewilderment, so unsatisfactory the explanation, that many consider the problem insolvable, or conclude that the witnesses have never yet appeared but belong to the unknown future. Us, it’s a mystery to me. That’s like I said. It is bewildering to read the many ways in which this passage has been interpreted. But it really boils down to this, in my opinion. Are these two actual individuals, or are these two witnesses’ symbolic representations of something else? They sort of resemble Elijah and Elijah. and Moses in their plagues. So some say, well, it refers to the law and the prophets. I’m inclined to understand this as two individuals, two actual persons. As Dr. Elford says, the whole description is most difficult to apply on an allegorical interpretation. And I think he’s right. What favors the individual interpretation is this? You notice in verse three, they’re clothed in sackcloth. It’s hard to apply that to the law and the prophets. They are called the two olive trees and the two candlesticks in verse four. And the idea is taken from Zacharias’s prophecy, where we find that it refers to two specific individuals. Joshua the high priest and Zerubbable, who is the prince, or governor, if you would. the royal prince. The two witnesses are capable of being killed and having their dead bodies lie in the street, unburied. Versus seven and nine. It’s hard to apply that to symbolic representations. The wicked celebrate their deaths, verse 10. The restoration to life and ascension to heaven of the two witnesses in verse 11. It’s similar when you think about it to John being called up to heaven in chapter four. And you can further narrow the field when we consider individuals. Since I think it is individuals, if we want to narrow the field, the two witnesses die in Jerusalem, as verse 8 indicates to us. That’s where their bodies lie. They are killed by the beast, according to verse 7. They are living during the last days of the Jews. Jewish Commonwealth, because verses 13 and 14, seems to indicate the complete destruction of the city. And this is all prior to the sounding of the seventh trumpet that is going to be mentioned in verse 15. So, whoever these two witnesses are, we can’t throw them into the future. If they’re killed by the beast, and the beast is Nero or the Roman Empire, depending on whether you want to look at specifically as the head of the Roman Empire, or the the Roman Empire. And they die in Jerusalem before its destruction. Because the temple is still standing according to the first two verses. And therefore, it has to be related to that period of the last days before 70 AD occurs, right? It seems to be that period of time. And it’s called the three and a half years that they prophesy, which elsewhere in the Book of Revitable, revelations seems to be connected with the Jewish war with Rome. Now, there is no definitive solution to the identity of the two witnesses. I can’t tell you, well, here they are. So there is a difficulty of interpretation. Since I can’t play, you know, it’s a mystery to me card for you, I’m just going to come out and talk about the description of the two witnesses and tell you what I think. And the first is this. I believe they are apostles of Jesus Christ. You’ll notice verse three. He says here, and I will give power under my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand, two hundred, three-score days clothed in saclop. Who is the one who is speaking here? My two witnesses. This is, I believe, the mighty angel in chapter 10 that was introduced to us, who we believe is Jesus Christ, who is saying that these are my mighty angels. my two witnesses, I’ve commissioned them, I have sent them to be witnesses. You notice the words witnesses and power. Now, it’s true that the word power is italicized here. It is implied, though, as verse 6 indicates to us, these shall have power to shut heaven and so forth. And I think that’s why the King James has the word power in there. The power, the ability to do miracles. These two words seem to me to be drawn from the book of Acts, chapter 1 and verse 8. You know, when you read the book of Revelation, one of the things that you need to sort of always have your mind working on is, where is this language used elsewhere in Scripture? That’s my mind clicked on this particular thought. If you would, look at Acts. chapter 1 in verse 8 he says here but you shall receive power he says it’s just disciples here the apostles after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and all Judea and in Samaria and under the uttermost part of the earth and so he specifically calls them witnesses unto me, or my witnesses, if you would. Look at the book of Luke in chapter 24, verse 46. Here we have the great commission. Let me read 46 to 49. Thus it is written, thus it behooed Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead to third day, and that repentance and remission of sin should be preached. in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things, and behold, I send the promise of my father upon you, but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from one high. The assurance of power can certainly be associated with Christ’s promise to the apostles that when they witnessed that God would give them at that time what they needed to say. If you look at Mark chapter 13, verses 10 to 12, we have this teaching. You can find it in the other Gospels, but Mark is the one I selected, verses 10 to 12 here. It says here, in the gospel must first be published. among all nations. But when they shall lead you and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate, but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour. That speak ye, for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son, and children shall rise up against their parents and cause them. to be put to death. So he’s warning them of the hatred and even the persecution and even death may be associated with their witness. It seems they prophesied during the final 1,200 days of Israel’s national existence. They are clothed in sackcloth. Now, being clothed in sackcloth is an indication of mourning on your part for the state of the nation. And also, I think, it is a sense, I called a repentance for the nation that they should be wearing sackcloth and repenting. You’ll notice verse four, they seem to be the spiritual leaders of the church. These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. Now, the two olive trees, oil in order to provide light. The light to candlesticks. The candlesticks, as we have seen in chapter one is certainly our emblems of the church. And the apostles are the olive trees which provide spiritual light to the people of God. Now this particular language and this expression is taken from the book of Zechariah. Chapter 4, verse 14, where we read, you read chapter 411 to 14, you see the story there. These are my two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. These are my two anointed ones, he says. And Zachariah 3 speaks of Joshua, the high priest. Zachariah 4 brings in also Zerubbable the royal prince. He’s the offspring of the kingly lot. So you have portrayed for you the royal and the priestly leaders during the time when the temple is going to be rebuilt after the Babylonian captivity. Now the apostles who according to Revelation 1 and verse 6 in chapter 5 verse 10 are kings and priests, are they not? along with all the rest of us, are the leaders in the building of God’s spiritual temple, the church. In Ephesians chapter 2, verses 20 to 22, is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. Right? For this reason, Jesus tells the apostles, ye shall also sit upon 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Matthew 1928, the Israel of God in particular. So they seem to be the spiritual leaders of the church. The pronouncement of judgment comes upon their enemies in verse 5. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devirate their enemies. And if any man will hurt them, he must be in this manner killed. Some are going to act in a hostile man. toward these witnesses and try to do them harm. Now a lot of people look at this, say, well, I don’t ever recall reading anything about fire breathing. Well, the truth of the matter is, if you know your Old Testament prophets, you will find this kind of language used with regard to Jeremiah. And I think we should look at this. Look at Jeremiah chapter 5, verse 14. What I’m saying is that it doesn’t necessarily have to be such literal interpretation of the words here. Look at Isaiah chapter 5, or Jeremiah’s giving chapter 5 verse 14. Therefore thus say it the Lord God of host, because ye speak this word, Behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people would, and it shall devire them. Now, you think that was literal? Do you think that literally happened? I think it’s symbolic. And I think what he’s saying here is that Jeremiah’s words will be like a curse. God’s curse is going to fall on these people. God’s judgment is going to fall upon them. And it’ll be like they got burnt with fire. And I suggest this is a type of language that Revelation is using also with regard to these plagues and judgments that are poured from the mouth of these prophets is going to bring curses upon the nation. Look. it chapter one of Jeremiah also. Versus nine and ten. Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth. The Lord said unto me, behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms to root out, to pull down and to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant. He would be doing that by the words that God put in his mouth, pronouncing judgment against them. And interestingly enough, in Jeremiah 2329, God says, is not my word like a fire? To burn people up. And so I suggest you this is the language that is being used. This is the idea that we find. The apostles certainly did pronounce judgments against people. It’s interesting. interesting, they did it from God’s word, all their enemies. Alimus in Acts chapter 13, Paul curses him, and he receives blindness. Anonias and Sapphire and Sapphire for lying to the church. Peter, Peter has them struck down, really. He tells them, you shouldn’t have lied. And there’s, and there, God puts them to death. on the spot. So I suggest you that the pronouncement of judgment upon their enemies is certainly part of what we find here. They bring miraculous judgments, according now to Revelation 11 and verse 6. These have power to shut heaven, that it reign not in the days of their prophecy, have power over waters to turn them the blood and to smite the earth with all, flags as often as they will. So I said this brings to mind the prophet Elijah, the idea of shutting the heavens, calling down fire from heaven. Remember when he was up on the mountain and the king sent some soldiers to get him in 50s, and the first two 50s, the captain and their men got burned up. And finally, he went with the third group. And then, of course, it reminds us also. of Moses. It talks about the plagues here. And the plagues upon Egypt come to mine. Just as the ministries of Joshua and Zerubabal were involved in the construction of the temple, so the ministries of Elijah and Moses involved the destruction of their evil kingdoms. These apostles would fulfill both roles. They would build. up God’s spiritual temple and they would pronounce destruction upon apostate national Israel. Under the law, the death penalty required how many witnesses? Two. So how many witnesses does God send? Two. Two witnesses against apostate Israel. From Elijah and Moses, you learn that opposing God’s messengers is futile. Whether you are King Ahab or whether you are Pharaoh, king of Egypt, it leads to inevitable destruction. The same is true regarding the two witnesses. Those who will not repent and join them in sackcloth will be destroyed. destroyed in parish. So my summary is this. The two witnesses appear to be apostles. I can’t tell you exactly who they are. Definitely appear to be individuals, though, and not symbolic representation. Let me stop a moment here before we get to their deaths. Any questions about this? Any further thoughts? Maybe you have a further thought on this subject. haven’t thought of. Anything that you want to add to this. Then we’ll look on with the death to the death of the two witnesses in verses 7 to 10. And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, shall overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations, so seeing their dead bodies, three days and a half, shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. They that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and make Mary, shall send gifts one to another because these two, the prophets, tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and a half, the spirit of the life of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them which saw them, and they 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. No power. on heaven and earth is able to prevail against the witnesses until they finished their testimony. People want to harm them, they get judged. And that’s the way it will be until they’re finished. But this text tells us that when they are finished with their ministry, although they are endued with supernatural power to aid them in their work, once it’s finished, they will be vulnerable and die the death of martyrs. Their deaths come at the hands of the beast. This is his first mention in the book of Revelation. He will be identified more clearly when we get to chapter 13. The beast ascends from the bottomless pit, the abyss. Who’s the king over the bottomless pit? what did we read earlier in this book? Satan is the king of the bottomless pit. And so this beast, who ascends out of the bottom of his pit, who in general will find in chapter 13, verse 7, makes war with the saints, is going to be involved in the death of these two witnesses. At first, Israel uses the beast, the Roman Empire, to kill Christians, on the beast as chapter 17 talks about. In Rome, however, eventually, turns against Israel and devires her, destroys her, burns up the city. Somewhere along the line, perhaps even during the early part of the siege, we don’t know. I can’t, I don’t know. Somewhere along the line, God’s two witnesses are put to death by the beast. They remain unburied in this. streets of Jerusalem, which is not uncommon. It wasn’t uncommon in that particular time, but it was certainly a shameful treatment of these two men of God. This is the first mention here in verse 8 of the great city, which is identified very clearly for us as Jerusalem, where our Lord was crucified. This is a key verse, as we’ve already looked at, because it identifies the great city we will study later on in the book. It’s called Sodom in Egypt as well, and we’ll have to look at that, because like them, Jerusalem is doomed to destruction. Sodom was burned with fire, so Jerusalem will be burned with fire. Chapter 7. verse 16 indicates that to us. Matthew 22.7 also. Egypt was destroyed by divine plagues as the house of bondage. And it’s interesting in the New Testament that Galatians 5, 425 speaks about Jerusalem as the place of bondage, that it’s in bondage with her children. And that phraseology is used. so they are, there’s spiritual bondage connected with Jerusalem. The inhabitants of the land rejoice because of the plagues poured out. These two witnesses poured out have come to an end. Finally, we got rid of these two guys. And the beast accomplished what they could not do. The enemies of God are always merry and rejoicing when they think they’ve gained a victory. and they celebrate the deaths of the two witnesses. I think I’m going to stop here before I go any further here at this point. I’m going to stop here and we’ll be look, pick up with verses 11 to 14 in our next study because I can’t, I can’t, I don’t want to get in the middle of this and not be able to finish. comments or questions here with regard to the two witnesses or their deaths. Yes. Well, they could conquer portions of the city in which the witnesses were present, and they would have, that could be how that happened. It could be that they were killed just prior. I don’t know, maybe they didn’t, it seems like they’re killed and they’re laying in the streets of Jerusalem, So I take it there in the city, and I don’t know how the Romans would get in the city unless they conquered, you know, started conquering it. And as we look at the portions of the city, there’s eight sections. The larger section, there’s a large section of new city that’s smaller, like lower, the walls weren’t as big as the other walls were. I mean, they were huge walls anyhow, but that was the first part that got conquered. And during that, it’s certainly, you know, something could have happened right then, early, earlier. gone at that point. But somewhere along the line during their siege, it seems, that they put the witnesses of death, which the people inside the city weren’t able to do. But when their testimony was done, it was time for the Romans to invade. And evidently, that’s what happened. That’s how the best I can understand it. Any other questions or thoughts on this? Well, let’s close what we’re working.