The Two Witnesses

This section of the book of revelation is perhaps the most debated and the most difficult to fully understand. I don’t intend to be a bit vague on the meaning of some of this. But the truth is some of it is just a bit vague. And this is the nature often times of what is called apocalyptic writing. The unfortunate part is that you have probably heard people state that this is clearly what is being stated. The problem is that very little in this passage is exactly clear. Some of the struggle is how to read the passage. Even those who take a very literal approach to the reading of the book of Revelation recognize in this passage that much of it is spiritualization. And that will always make a concrete understanding of something that has yet to occur difficult to understand.

This is the exact problem that the Jews often times had when attempting to understand much of the prophecies concerning the coming messiah.

This struggle is going to even make coming down to a good means of applying these verses to our lives difficult as well.

I’ve done it. But in the end I’ll be honest I took what I believe to be low hanging fruit in order to keep my conclusion both simple and safe.

So let’s look at Revelation chapter eleven.

It actually contains within it three different sections. The first two are related so we will be covering both of those. The first concerns the measuring off of the Temple in the first two verses and then we will be looking at what are called the two witnesses.

So let’s look at the first two verses concerning the measuring of the Temple.

They read.

Revelation 11:1–2 ESV

Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.

Ok, so almost all of this passage is debated. First, let’s address the why of the measuring of the temple. Biblically there can be two completely diametrically opposed reasons for measuring off the temple. That’s right God on multiple occasion tells Old Testament prophets to measure off an area. Whether that be the temple or Jerusalem. And here’s the difficulty. Sometimes he does this with the intent of protecting that which is measured. In other words everything contained within this area I will protect says the Lord. But, on other occasions he measures off and he does this again with both the temple and with Jerusalem biblically with the intent of showing the nation what it is that he intends to destroy because of their continued sin. As a result, you will find people making both arguments. Why? because God doesn’t explicitly state. I do believe he does state just not clearly. So here’s how I read this. God has John measure off the temple to include all of the courts except for the outer court which was the only area that gentiles could enter. And he says that this area will be trampled upon, or destroyed. That along with the two witnesses that are about to come upon the scene I believe show that God has marked off the temple for protection.

And this is the position that most people come to concerning this passage.

Now the more difficult part is the understanding of the temple. So I have used some terms in the past that I have not used in a while, but I am going to use them again because sometimes labels are helpful in keeping things spearated so as not to confuse them. So, with that. What does the temple that is being protected represent? There is no end to understandings concerning this. And most of it comes down to HOW one chooses to read the book of Revelation. I read it fairly literally. However, with the nature of the writing being apocalyptic even Dispensationalists who tend to be the most literal recognize you can not do this consistently. And particularly with this passage.

So, dispensationalists understanding the protection that God grants to the temple to be a literal rebuilt temple that is to occur at some point in our future. This is why they get super excited about certain political events surrounding the wailing wall, the dome on the rock, and that area of Jerusalem where the temple was originally built. So, this is one understanding. I actually don’t believe that this understanding makes a whole lot of sense if Jesus fulfilled perfectly the primary purpose of the temple. Which was the worship of God through sacrificial offerings.

So, there are two other groups that I want to look at as well. Both of them would be from what we might call the reformed understanding of the book of Revelation. But with two different understandings of the timing and event of the end times.

The first group that is popular today is what is called amillenialists. So, they do not believe that there will be a specific yet to occur millenial rule of Jesus Christ. They would typically state that we are currently within that period of time. If you have had a primarily dispensational view of the end times. Which is most of america. Because of the left behind series. This idea seems very strange. But, let me say this there are a lot of scholars out there. Men and women a whole lot smarter than any one in this room. Men and women whom I respect a whole lot that hold to this position. It was until perhaps the last 30-40 years to predominant view throughout the world. And throughout the world it still is. Dispensationalism is mostly a North American reality. Not entirely but predominantly. So, this group would typically state the it is spiritual Israel that is being measured off for protection which would actually fit best with the context of the rest of the book. And spiritual Israel is today called the church. And so God intends to protect the church and not Israel or better yet Jews.

The last group that I want to look at. Is a group that is primarily reformed in their theology but postmillenial in their understanding of the end times. And of course this is where I tend to land. So how do I see this passage. I actually end up closer to the dispensationalists on this one, but not exactly there. I do not believe that a rebuilt temple is in mind in this passage. This is a spiritualization of the temple in order for Jesus to present a truth. Paul in the book of Romans spends three chapters defending the fact that in the end the Jews will be brought back into the fold and as a result all of Israel will be saved through the blood and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And I believe that this chapter is the final application of those verses. And so God measures off all but the court of gentiles in order to show that God intends to protect only those who are ethnically Jewish in their heritage. The rest of the chapter explains why he does this. And that is that after he marks them for protection he is going to send two witnesses to Jerusalem in order to testify concerning the fact that Jesus is the Messiah. And through the two witnesses we will see every Jew alive come to Jesus during the end times. So let’s try to look as quickly as possible at these two witnesses.

In verses three and four we read.

Revelation 11:3–4 ESV

And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

So for three and a half years, or 1260 days, these modern day prophets will preach the gospel under the authority of God almighty. I am not going to get into all of the details concerning the olive tress and the lampstands and the sackcloth because of time. I will probably put something online later this week. What I want to spend time on this morning is more concerned with the identity of the two witnesses and more importantly their mission. We need to read a bit more though before we can begin to identify these two witnesses.

Verse five reads.

Revelation 11:5 ESV

And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.

So God has sent these two witnesses to testify concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ and they are going to complete their mission. No one will be able to harm them. And I do believe that there will be some who will attempt to harm them and those that do will be literally consumed by fire. Now will fire literally pour out of their mouths as it is pictured here. That I don’t necessarily believe to be the case. Something similar is seen in second kings chapter one verses eleven and twelve. Where the words of Elijah bring fire from heaven that consume a group of fifty military men sent to murder him. We could even state that this is all metaphor and that the testimony of Jesus rejected by those who attempt to stop the witnesses will one day when they stand before God be like fire as God brings judgment. You can believe either one of those or both of them and possibly be correct. This makes this passage particularly difficult.

In verse six we read.

Revelation 11:6 ESV

They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may 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 kind of plague, as often as they desire.

In the Old Testament Elijah was given the ability to shut the sky and stop the rain from falling. And similarly Moses was given the ability to turn water into blood and bring plagues. This is why many people come to the understanding that these two witnesses are literally Elijah and Moses who physically return to the earth. There are several reasons though that cause me to pause. Elijah never tastes death. He is bodily taken into the heavens by Jesus. So it might be possible for Elijah to return bodily to the earth. However Moses was dead and buried. This would require him to be resurrected from the dead and given a new boy. This has not yet occurred however. There is another individual that was taken bodily into the heavens by God and never tasted death. I believe that the struggle is that we want an identity. If God intends this to be Elijah and Moses want not just say so.

Instead he takes all of this time to describe these two witnesses as being like or similar to the greatest prophets of old. Why? Because I don’t believe that these two witnesses are specifically these two men. But rather are two men sent as great prophets similar to these men but different. I believe that God will call two, and most likely Messianic Jews, to the high office of Prophet of God. Who are they? Only God knows.

Some take the two witnesses to be the church. But, I believe that this takes way to much mental stretching of the words here to make sense.

Eventually the three and a half years will come to an end. And in verse seven we read.

Revelation 11:7 ESV

And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,

So, the beast is yet to be revealed in the book, but as a prelude to what is to be revealed. Essentially the beast should be recognized as an antichrist who is empowered by Satan himself. And this antichrist will eventually be given the ability to kill the two witnesses. And here is the most important thing to understand. God is the one that allows this to take place. Apart from God allowing their death at the hands of the antichrist it will not happen.

How this happens we don’t really know. I think that we need to be careful with the phrases make war and conquer them. I think that this goes more to the mindset and anger of the antichrist towards these two witnesses whom he will be powerless against until Jesus allows otherwise.

In our story though they are murdered by the beast.

And then in verse eight we read.

Revelation 11:8 ESV

and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.

So we know that the city that they prophesied in was Jerusalem from the first two verses and then here now. Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem. And Jerusalem now today is no different than either Sodom or Egypt. Both were given the opportunity to follow after God and both rejected God in order to embrace their sin. Jerusalem today is really no different.

Then in verses nine and ten we read.

Revelation 11:9–10 ESV

For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.

So, why three and a half days. So that some from all over the world will have the opportunity to look at their dead bodies. And also just like Lazarus who was in the tomb for three days. To have no doubt that death is very real.

And the craziest part is that this world will celebrate the willful murder of another human being. Can you imagine a world in which we celebrate the giving of gifts at the intentional murder of two men.

Two hundred years ago, A hundred years ago. But today, Satan is sowing those seeds. Today we have a group within our culture and that is growing throughout our world. That celebrates what we might call today the virtual death of others through what is called cancel culture. In fact today we have some who are intentionally targeting police officers for death. And I am certain behind closed doors there are many who celebrate these occurrences. So, believe full well we are on our way to the point culturally at least right here in America that such celebration is not so far fetched of an idea to be a reality.

But God...

And then in verse eleven we read.

Revelation 11:11 ESV

But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.

The beast and the world might have thought they had won the day. But God is always going to be the ultimate victor. And so just as God brought life into Adam that first time and placed the breath of life within him. Here again God Almighty through the power of the Holy Spirit breathes life into the witnesses lifeless bodies and they stand.

Can you imagine what it might have been like standing their taking a selfy and these two really dead rotting corpses all of a sudden stand up.

I would need to change my pants.

But God is not done with their story.

And in verse twelve we read.

Revelation 11:12 ESV

Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.

Now as people are standing around awash in fear. A booming voice from the sky speaks and says simply, “Come up here!” And they ascend into the heavens just as Jesus did in a cloud.

Now what are the people to do. Oh, but wait, this story is still not over.

In verse thirteen we read.

Revelation 11:13 ESV

And at 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.

There is an earthquake and a bunch of people die. It’s going to be a really bad earthquake. We don’t see thousand of people die today in earthquakes. It’s just not a thing anymore. But, the important part of this verse is that the rest of the city of Jerusalem that lived all that had been marked off for protection by God in the first two verses. Those Jews give glory to the God of heaven. This was the ultimate mission of the two prophets. And here we see that mission fulfilled as the rest of the city come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Throughout the New Testament this is what this phrase refers to. Only the true children of the father can bring glory to their God.

And it is in this manner I believe that we will see the fulfillment of Pauls’ prophetic words that all of Israel will be saved. All of the Jews that God has marked off in the first two verses of this passage will ultimately come to faith in Christ Jesus.

The all mighty, all powerful, creator of the heavens and the earth is the one that marks the line between faith and death.

So What?

I want to land on just two points this morning for us to take away from this passage. The first of these involves the two witnesses.

The Two Witnesses as Role Models

I know you might be saying Garey I can’t breathe fire from my mouth. Oh I know. And neither can I. But we can all speak Jesus. In fact no matter how you choose to identify these two witnesses the application of their lives to ours is really no different.

Each and every one of us has been called to be spirit-empowered witnesses to this word.

And just like these two witnesses. We must be ready to pay any price necessary and become completely dependent upon God Almighty to accomplish His purpose in this world. The salvation of all of those called by His name.

And look I do believe that there is also significance in the fact that God calls these prophets as two.

Jesus sends the disciples out in groups of two in order to spread the Gospel. And listen I believe that most today often times come to a knowledge of Gods saving grace through couples working together. And more specifically often times married couples that share the grace of God with this world. In Ephesians we are told that marriage is a picture of the relationship between the church and Jesus. And I believe that God loves to use that picture to preach the good news of Jesus to this world all the time.

And so just as the two witnesses were called to go and share Jesus with those who are right now running straight towards their own destruction. Today Jesus is calling each one of us to share Jesus in the same manner.

I was going to also speak about martyrdom. But I’ve brought that up several times already. So how about something I haven’t discussed yet in this series.

What about the signs and wonders that these two witnesses perform.

Signs and Wonders

In Acts chapter two God specifically empowers his church with a prophetic anointing. Now that anointing is very specific. It is the very power to witness. The fact that these two witnesses are able to perform miraculous sign and wonders fits right in with the early church in the early parts of the book of Acts. In the book of Acts the most frequent method used to draw unbelievers to the gospel of Jesus was trough signs and wonders. And yet in much of the western world we see very few if any signs and wonders today. Unfortunately much of what we hear about are unsubstantiated and typically appear to be used more to draw attention to the faith healer or “prophet of God” than they are to draw unbelievers to Jesus. However, if you go to areas of our world where there has been little preaching of the Gospel, but now that preaching is going forth in a mighty way for the first real time, guess what? In those areas signs and wonders are being seen. Wherever the Gospel of Jesus is going forth to the unbelieving world in a mighty way then, I believe, you will see modern day miracles. I will say this though. I am actually encouraged by so many who so honestly today say that they do not believe in Jesus. Over the past hundred years in America it was almost the thing you needed to say in order to feel included. That has changed we are now for perhaps the first time getting a real understanding of just how dire the situation here in America truly is.

People all across our area people we might even know are dying apart from Jesus. And this should scare each and every one of us deeply. For to die apart from Christ means to face eternal punishment under the righteous wrath of the Father.

Jesus isn’t some cool dude who taught some pretty neat stuff that might help me live my best life now.

That is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Each and every human being ever born into this world is born with a disease. That disease is the curse of sin. Ever single human being is born under the penalty of sin. There is not one that is born into this world as good and goes bad. We are born bad and we just get worse with time. And the part that should scare and motivate each one of us here today is the fact that there is a penalty and price that must be made for sin. One day all of mankind will stand before their make and be judged. And he will judge righteously and in fairness and in mercy and in grace. And in the end His judgements will be just and true. All of us are guilty. None of us deserve anything but punishment for sin against a perfect loving Father who created us. We are born into this world as eternal beings. We are not finite. We are meant to live forever. And in that end there will be a judgment as to where we get to spend our forever. The truth is our forever deserves punishment. But God....

God in His grace and in His mercy and in His great love for us sent His one and only son to be born of a virgin. He was born of the power of the Holy Spirit not a man and a woman. So as to not carry the stain of sin upon His person. He was born into this world as a human being and he lived a life of a human being. Perfectly sinless. And this was only possible because Jesus is both 100% man and 100% God. And as God he did not sin. Because of this He was able to go to the cross and offer himself once and for all as that perfect sinless sacrifice that God required of all of us in order to cover over or hide our sin from His sight. Jesus did this when upon the cross He took the full wrath and anger that God bears toward all of the sin of humanity. And God the father looked into the eyes of His sin and brought about his death and His sacrifice.

But God… God wasn’t done with the story because three days later through the power of the Holy Spirit God breathed life into His son. And the son of God stood and stepped forth from the grave and He overcame both sin and death eternally.

And now… God desires this same thing for all of mankind. And everyone who places all of their faith that in Christ Jesus their sin has been forgiven will one day stand before Jesus perfect. Without sin. We will finally be set apart from the stain the pervades all things here and now.

But until then this very truth should push us to proclaim to everyone Jesus and the life He lived for everyone who has ever walked this earth. We should feel compelled to preach Jesus so as to see the greatest miracle ever witness. To see those dead in their sin and trespasses made alive by the blood of Christ.

Amen.

Prayer and Benediction

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

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