Two Witnesses

I have watched movies where they will pan across a scene, truthfully there is often too much to take in as the shot continues to pan. As you begin to get the impact of the magnitude the lens begin to zoom in and focus on particular characters crucial to the overall plot. With the backdrop of the larger scene the events you observe take on greater meaning and depth.

Allow me as we begin this morning to set the scene our first audience would have been situated in as they hear these words of Revelation for the first time… they may have even paused to read it once more!

Over twenty years prior in 70 AD Jerusalem along with the temple would have been leveled to the ground by Rome

They along with us have been reading about the seals being peeled back

The Four Horsemen and the global impacts

The Trumpets heralding forth judgement and plagues upon the world

The scenes in Heaven have depicted Glory, Holiness, & Righteousness on a scale the mind cannot grasp

In our MIND’S EYE we see the world… THE ENTIRE EARTH:

Smoldering with SMOKE and FLAMES

Shorelines littered with DEBRIS with the putrid STENCH of death

People’s cries of AGONY in pain of soul and body

You hover over this global scene and as we turn the page to Revelation 11 we see a shift, the lens now zooms in…

The emphasis looks at individuals and groups

The two witnesses

The woman, child, and dragon

the anti-christ and false prophet

The harlot and Jesus returning with His Bride

John still has the sweet taste on his lips from the scroll as he is given something… Revelation 11:1-14

Revelation 11:1–14 NASB95

Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. “Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months. “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

The Temple

These opening verses must have both confused and excited some of John’s Hebrew readers!

The measuring rod was a reed used in building construction…

There will one day be another temple built in Jerusalem!

There have been two so far...

Solomon’s Temple… Destroyed by Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar)

The second was started by Zerubbabel and the work would be finished by Nehemiah… Later Herod would enlarge the temple so often the second Temple is referred to as Herod’s Temple…

John is instructed to measure certain areas [temple slide]

However we are given no measurements

We are informed however that the “NATIONS” will desecrate it “tread under foot”

The 42 months refer to a 3.5 year period… many scholars presume this to be the second half of the Seven Year Tribulation Period

Amir Tsarfati expresses this concept of the third temple we in his book “Revealing Revelation”

This third temple is not a new concept to Revelation. The prophet Daniel spoke of a time during the tribulation when temple sacrifices will be cut off (Daniel 9:26–27). Jesus taught of a future temple in the end times during His Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:15–26). Paul talked about the tribulation temple, writing, (2 Thessalonians 2:3–4). There will be a temple during the tribulation, and it will play out significantly in the exposure of the true character of the Antichrist.

Look quickly with me at these scriptures…

Daniel 9:26-27 says this:

Daniel 9:26–27 NASB95

“Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

Look at the words Christ says in Matthew 24:15

Matthew 24:15 NASB95

“Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

As you read 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 we get a better idea of the scene the two witnesses are ministering in

2 Thessalonians 2:3–4 NASB95

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

The world scene is set, the temple is present, and the man of lawlessness is working… and onto the scene comes the Lord’s Two Witnesses!

The Two Witnesses

We read about these two and we can taste the sweetness of the message. They are quite the site are they not!?

Our Hearts want to leap as we see their work and ministry… yet even as we read there are burning questions, the first of which is WHO ARE THEY?

WHO?

I hope by now you are learning that where scripture remains silent… your pastor will remain silent

Some have speculated it is Moses and Elijah (similar works, seen at the transfiguration with Jesus)

Some think it could be Elijah and Enoch (both men did not die but were taken up to heaven)

Or two totally unknown individuals… The who must not be important if God does not tell us… (so let’s look at the WHEN and the WHY...)

WHEN?

It says they will testify for 1260 days… the Hebrew calendar is a 360 day year. This would equate to 3.5 years.

Some think this is at the beginning of the seven years others hold that this is towards the middle spanning both halves

I personally tend to hold that it leans towards the beginning… yet we are only told that it last for 3.5 years

WHY?

NOTICE… the sackcloth… an outward demonstration of mourning or distress

They had a message and it was NOT popular… REPENT!!!

Repentance is a message that you are going in the WRONG DIRECTION, STOP, … TURN AROUND

We come to scripture, the message of sin, we see our hearts… and it cries out REPENT!

It is not a popular message, but oh soooo needed… in John’s day, in our day, and in the days these two men will preach.

Sackcloth is not comfortable to wear, neither is the message of repentance (for the one who hears it, and the ones who deliver the message)

Consider briefly with me the impact of their ministry…

Their Ministry

Powerful… these men are PROPHESYING… deliver the very word of God to the people!

They are compared to “the olive tree and lampstand” of Zechariah 4:3;11;14!

Zechariah 4:3 NASB95

also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.”

Zechariah 4:11 NASB95

Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?”

Zechariah 4:14 NASB95

Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.”

These two STAND with God… oh the power of a man or woman of God who STANDS with Him!

Their focus ministry is Israel / Jerusalem… but the message impacts the whole world (all nations, tongues, peoples, tribes!)

They “stop the rain” power over waters to bring plagues… look at this “as often as they DESIRE!”

I love what Psalm 37:4 states…

Psalm 37:4 NASB95

Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

These two men delight in God so much so intimately… that the very desires of God are their OWN DESIRES!

Protected… by the very one that NUMBERS our days (Psalm 139)

This brings so much comfort… 1260 days of prophecy, testimony, hated, despised, and ridiculed and NOT ONE can hurt them

ALLOW YOUR GOD to be BIG for just a moment…

Someone approaches to harm them and these two speak and the individual is consumed in fire

A sniper fire a shot at them, bullet disintegrates in the air and they are consumed by fire

Drone operator on another continent… ordered to take them out… drone falls out of the sky and they operator burns alive

Soon all the world constantly hears the message, fears the ONE who empowers them (some repent, others loath them, hatred stirs in their hearts)

Nothing and No-one can harm them, stop them, until… what God has for them to do is “FINISHED”…

Their Death

I absolutely love how these two men allow their death to Glorify God!

With all the power God gives to these two men when they finish… God’s hand is moved back

The description of the “Beast” coming from the Abyss is when the man of lawlessness will allow quite possibly Satan himself to indwell him. Powered by the satanic forces and powers this Beast wages war and kills these men

It is a GLOBAL CELEBRATION… zoom out and listen, observe as the world cheers, sends gifts, sing, and get drunk!

As their bodies lay in the streets of Jerusalem, denied burial, cameras from all over the world focus on them and the parties continue … UNTIL there is movement 3.5 days later. The men stand up… with the VERY BREATH OF GOD IN THEM!

Good feelings GONE… terror strikes every heart as the world watches…

The world stares in awe and fear, the two prophets stare at those present and then their stare is lifted up as they hear a voice… “Come up here”

Your work on earth is done, “come”

As they leave the earth shakes… 1/10 of Jerusalem crumbles, 7000 dead, and those who stand in Israel terrified give GLORY TO GOD… Oh, that as we are taken from this life may people give GLORY TO GOD!

Lessons From Two Prophets

This message and passage of scripture is so fitting for today… Reading voice of the Martyrs again this week, hearing testimony from some of our missionaries, talking with even some in our church this week…

It is difficult to STAND for the Lord

The truth is under attack like never before

I want to leave you with two encouragements as we leave today…

God’s Ability and His Desire are seen in these verses…

God is able to PROTECT YOU until you are finished with your testimony

There is nothing that can happen unless He allows it for some reason

John was exiled on Patmos, the churches were going through suffering…

God is there for you, He is BIG enough, to allow you to accomplish what He has for you

God has things He DESIRES you to accomplish, He has a purpose for you!

Allow God to use you

It may be uncomfortable, it will require you to stand

Oh but in the end, what an HONOR to bring GLORY to our Heavenly Father!