The Two Witnesses
Call to Hear
As we read through the pages of the book of Revelation, there are two major themes that play on repeat. One is the theme of the Lord’s sovereignty. No matter what we read in the Revelation, we can take comfort in knowing that the mighty hand of our God is actively at work on behalf of His people, that His Name might be glorified. This first theme makes the second theme more manageable. It is the theme of human suffering. I’m not only talking about the suffering of those who reject the sovereignty of God, but also those whose lives depend on it. I’m talking about the Church.In an interview for the podcast, Compelled (episode 08), Steve Cleary shared his struggle with Christian suffering and what he understood as being the true teachings of the Bible. Steve’s boss, at the time, had given him the book Tortured for Christ to read. The book is about Richard Wurmbrand, “a pastor who refused to bend to the atheist forces of communism. Through unspeakable torture, solitary confinement, and cruel brainwashing Richard Wurmbrand demonstrated an unshakeable commitment to Christ and the gospel. Upon his miraculous release from prison, after 14 years, Wurmbrand founded the Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry that still ministers to the persecuted church today.His story is the story of the brave men and women of the Underground Church who willingly suffered for the sake of Christ” (Book Review: Tortured For Christ - Joshua Bontrager).Well, nobody could convince Steve to read the book, not even his wife. In his mind, the book “did not glorify Christ”. Steve could not reconcile his faith in God with human suffering. It did not make sense to him that God could allow people who trusted in Him to be abused, oppressed, and even killed? Steve thought that if you were a Christian you would be protected from suffering. Life would be easy.Eventually, Steve did read the book. Once he read a few stories his eyes were opened. In response he committed to read one book a week about someone who had suffered for Christ. 6 months and 26 books later Steve said that he thought someone had switched his Bible, because what he saw on the pages of God’s word was verse after verse speaking about Christian suffering. This led Steve to eventually quit his job and go to work for VOM.Well, today, we are in the eleventh chapter of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. This is the second woe. What I hope that we all take away from this chapter is this:
As followers of Christ, we have been given supernatural power to testify about the God we know and love. We can see this all throughout the Bible. As men and women went out sharing stories about Jesus, God came behind them to confirm their testimonies with signs, wonders, and miracles (Heb. 2:4); that, as the Apostle Paul stated, the faith of those who believed would not be based on human wisdom and convincing arguments, but rather in the power of God (1 Cor. 2:4-5). We have this power at work within us as well.
As followers of Christ, we must expect rejection because of our testimony in Jesus. It should be a shock when someone believes the gospel, but it should be of no surprise when they reject it.
As followers of Christ, we are promised a resurrection from the dead. Even if our enemies overtake us in this life, we can rejoice knowing that our God has not abandoned us. He will promote us to eternal life.
Finally, God is always in control!
Philippians 1:29 NKJV
29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
Prepared (Rev. 11:1-3)
Revelation 11:1–3 NKJV
1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
In verses 1-3, John is given a reed like a measuring rod (yardstick) and he is told to measure the temple of God, the altar or God and the people of God. On the other hand, he is commanded not to measure the court outside of the temple because it is dedicated to the Gentiles who will trample it for 42 months (3.5 yrs).As an opener, we have to ask ourselves a couple of questions. First, what is the temple, altar and worshipers of God mentioned here? Second, why is John measuring them?At the time that John is recording these Words (95 AD) there is no physical temple. There had been two before this time, each located on the Temple Mount. The first temple was constructed by King Solomon and later destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar around 587-586 BC. The second temple was erected by Zerubbabel, Governor of Judah, and it was spruced up by Herod the Great. In 70 AD the Romans destroyed that temple. That’s 25 years before John is writing Revelation.So, is John looking backwards at events that have already taken place according to the preterist’s view? Or is he looking forward to something yet to come as in the futurist’s view? Is this a literal temple or something symbolic? Is it physical or spiritual? It can be quite confusing and actually hard to know for sure.Based on scriptures like Mt. 24:15 & 2 Thess. 2:4 some scholars expect there to be a physical temple rebuilt in the future at which time “the lawless one” will be revealed. This is the one,2 Thessalonians 2:4 NKJV
4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
At this very moment there are Jews working diligently to rebuild the temple to its original design so that they can once again offer sacrifices according to OT law.But other NT passages allude to a more spiritual temple. If you can remember the words of Jesus from John 2:19-21.John 2:19–21 NKJV
19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
This is on par with what we find in Revelation 21:22 regarding the New Jerusalem. “22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” G.K. Beale might be on the right track here. He says that in Revelation 11,
“…the focus is now on the whole covenant community dwelling in a spiritual temple in which God’s presence dwells (so also 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21-22; 1 Pt. 2:5)” (Beale, 217).
But then, the Bible also refers to the people of God as the temple of God.1 Corinthians 3:16–17 NKJV
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Again, Beale says that
“Without exception, ‘temple’ (Greek naos) elsewhere in Revelation refers not to a literal or historical temple, but either to the heavenly temple of the present (Rev. 7:15; 11:19; 14:15, 17; 15:5-6, 8; 16:1, 17) or to the temple of God’s presence dominating the new age of the future (Rev. 3:12; 21:22)” (p217).
But why does John have to measure it? The measuring of the temple here, follows the same structure as in Ezekiel 40-48 and it generally communicates the idea of ownership, protection, preservation (2 Sam. 8:2; Isa. 28:16-17; Jer. 31:38-40; Zech. 1:16) and judgement (2 Sam. 8:2; 2 Kgs. 21:13; Lam. 2:8; Amos 7:7-9). Make no mistake here
“measuring does not symbolize preservation from physical harm but the prophetic guarantee that none of the faithful worshipers of Jesus as the Messiah will perish even though they suffer physical destruction at the hand of the beast (17:37)” (Alan F. Johnson, 500).
What I believe we are witnessing in these first three verses is a preparation for what is about to come. The Lord is marking out those who belong to Him as well as those on whom His wrath will fall.And with that, the Lord gives power to two of His witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 days.
Protected (Rev. 11:4-6)
Revelation 11:4–6 NKJV
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
Here is good and solid Biblical reason for us to declare the promises of God with courage and conviction.John tells us that two unnamed witnesses, called olive trees and lampstands, are given power from God to prophesy for 1,260 days (42 mos; 3.5 yrs). This language of olive trees and lampstands is taken directly from Zechariah’s prophecy (Zech. 4:2–14) and is the reason why some believe that these prophets are Joshua (high priest) and Zerubbabel (governor of Judah). Because they have the power to stop rain from falling, the power to turn water into blood and the power to call down plagues, others think that these guys are Moses and Elijah. The list of speculation is long and varied, but no one can say who these prophets actually are with any degree of certainty. What we can know is this, for 3.5 yrs these witnesses will obediently, boldly, and powerfully speak the gospel, during the Great Tribulation, at a time when the world’s hatred for the things of God are reaching its highest point.In his second letter to Timothy, Paul said,2 Timothy 4:3–4 NKJV
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
Doesn’t that sound like the day we are living in? There is no shortage of sages these days, no shortage of wise folks teaching some new way of tapping into the god inside of each of us. The ears of those who have heaped up teachers to themselves have certainly turned aside from the truth. And still, the messenger of God is commanded to speak the truth of God without shrieking back.That’s why Dr. Robert E. Coleman said,
There can be no dillydallying around with the commands of Christ. We are engaged in warfare, the issues of which are life and death, and everyday that we are indifferent to our responsibilities is a day lost to the cause of Christ. (The Master Plan of Evangelism, p58).
For 3.5 years, these prophets shared the hope they have in Jesus with a hostile world, but not a single hair on their heads was touched. God had measured them out for Himself and He would protect them from all harm until they had finished the job He gave them to do. Now, this certainly isn’t the case for everyone who gives witness to Christ. Over 360 million Christians are living in places where they experience high levels of persecution and discrimination (opendoorsus.org). The number of people who have been persecuted for the Name of Jesus is unfathomable. However, don’t let fear and rejection keep you from obedience. Don’t allow yourself to get so distracted by the shiny things of this world that it keeps you from staring wholeheartedly into the face of Jesus and committing your ways to His fully. And don’t read Revelation 11 and view these prophets as superhuman. They’re not. They relied on the Holy Spirit for their ministry just like you and I have to rely on the Holy Spirit for the work God has called us to do.We must be faithful until the end.
Persecuted (Rev. 11:7-10)
Revelation 11:7–10 NKJV
7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
For 1,260 days, 42 months, 3.5 years, these prophets faithfully shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their commitment to God resulted in them being the target of a spiritual war that led to their physical death. Not only are they killed for preaching Christ, but they are humiliated and made a public spectacle as their bodies lay in the streets for 3.5 days. They’re refused a proper burial and then, to add insult to injury, it appears that a new holiday is born to celebrate the fact that the beast had put an end to their preaching.Did these prophets waste their time and energy preaching for those 3.5 years? I mean, after all that time, we don’t read that anybody gave their lives to Christ, no churches are planted, they didn’t have a thriving discipleship program where they were raising up new leaders, and then to top things off, they are killed for doing what God told them to do. If this was to happen today, it would be considered a failure? But it wasn’t a failure.Verse 10 tells us why they are killed. They tormented those who refused to yield to the sovereignty of God. How had they tormented these people? They preached Christ. I’m not talking about this soft and easy Gospel being peddled around in churches today. I’m talking about the Gospel that is the power of God unto salvation for those who believe. I’m talking about the Gospel that breaks you down by showing you just how sinful you are without God and then builds you up by revealing the saving power of Jesus Christ. I’m talking about the Gospel that takes a perfect God, wraps Him in filthy flesh, has Him killed in the most inhumane way at the time, leaves Him in a borrowed grave for 3 days and then lifts Himself up without any help so that He can show you just how much He loves you. He, who knew no sin, became sin for you so that you might become the righteousness of God through Jesus (2 Cor. 5:21). I’m talking about a Gospel that says, if you will die to yourself and even lay down your physical life for the Name of Jesus then God will invest your life and give it back with interest!I believe that Craig Keener is spot on when he says,
“Only when the church becomes prepared to challenge the idols of society with the claims of Christ, as the two witnesses do in our text, will we witness God’s power in biblical fullness” (Revelation, 302).
And in this next section, we will see the power of God fully displayed as the prophets are promoted for being faithful.
Promoted (Rev. 11:11-14)
Revelation 11:11–14 NKJV
11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
Just when the beast and those who dwell on the earth thought they had succeeded, as they are popping their bottles of champagne in celebration and checking the next item off of their gift registry, here the prophets come back to life! Leon Morris reminds us that,Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary (iv. The Two Witnesses (11:1–14))
History has often seen the church oppressed to the very verge of extinction, but it has always seen it rise again from that verge of death (Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, 147.).
As a reward for their faithfulness the prophets are promoted into the their eternal home where they receive the crown of life. A similar thing happened to the Church in Smyrna. In Rev. 2:10 Jesus told them,
“10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
Much credit has been given to Tertullian, one of our early church fathers, for saying that “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” (Tertullian). Everyday another follower of Jesus is killed or tortured because they will not deny Him (opendoorsus.org). Just last year,
5,621 Christians killed for their faith
2,110 churches and other Christian buildings attacked
4,542 believers were arrested, sentenced or imprisoned without trial.
Putting our lives on the line for the kingdom of God is no small thing and God will not abandon us when we do. The Psalmist reminds us, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” ( Ps. 116:15). “He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight” ( Ps. 72:14).
Call to Respond
We have had missionaries from all parts of the world under our roof at one time or another. In just a few short weeks Larry Dinkins, a missionary to Thailand, will be joining us and leading a group study called Walk Thru the Bible. We have heard countless stories about the mighty works that God is doing in other countries and we long for a testimony like they have. We long to see unbelievers come to a saving knowledge of Jesus like we’ve heard in other places across the globe. How often have we desired to be counted among the faithful, yet we are not willing to suffer for the glory of our King.Let’s make today a turning point in our walk with Christ where we aren’t just singing “I Surrender All” but actually living it out wherever we go. Tre Clark / GeneralRevelation / Two Witnesses / Re 11:1–14