REVELATION 11:3-6 | THE TRIBULATION PART 2
Notes
Transcript
TEXT: REVELATION 11:3-6 | THE TRIBULATION PART 2
TEXT: REVELATION 11:3-6 | THE TRIBULATION PART 2
INTRO
INTRO
EXPLANATION: Last time, we began our dive into the time following the rapture of the church.
EXPLANATION: Last time, we began our dive into the time following the rapture of the church.
We walked through the tribulation period and saw the rise of the antichrist and the judgment of God poured out on the earth in the form of 7 Seal Judgments, 7 Trumpet Judgments, and 7 Bowl judgment.
We looked at things through the eyes of the person who was left behind.
Friend, I cannot overemphasize that if you do not know Christ as your Savior, you need to get it settled today.
Don’t put it off until tomorrow, because Jesus could come back before then!
I don’t want to you be left behind to have to endure the terrible events that will take place during that 7 year tribulation period.
And friend, I hope that maybe it will be the reality of this coming time that will turn you to faith in Christ!
(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Don’t wait for another opportunity!
How prideful it is to think that you deserve to hear the Gospel a second time when so much of the world has never heard a clear Gospel presentation once.
Friend, accept the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ today.
Last time we talked about the billions of people who will die in the judgments that are coming.
In just the numbers we can be certain of, over half of the worlds population will have died going into those final 7 Bowl Judgments.
If the rapture takes place tonight that could be a number well over 4 Billion people in less than 7 years.
The somberness and seriousness of these coming days cannot be overstated.
But even in the darkest days in the history of earth, God’s mercy and grace can still be seen.
As has been the case throughout time, anytime the persecution arises, there will be those who rise up and take a stand for Christ.
ILLUSTRATION: It was 1555 and Thomas Hawkes found himself imprisoned for refusing to have his child baptized by the Catholic church.
ILLUSTRATION: It was 1555 and Thomas Hawkes found himself imprisoned for refusing to have his child baptized by the Catholic church.
He awaited the day of his judgment and as he did he was permitted some of his friends to visit him.
Knowing his sentence was to be burned at the stake his friends asked if he could give them a sign that God’s grace was sufficient and that his stance was worth it.
Hawkes promised, “by the help of God, to show them that the most terrible torments could be endured in the glorious cause of Christ and his gospel, the comforts of which were able to lift the believing soul above all the injuries men could inflict.”
On April 10, 1555, Hawkes was tied to the stake and the wood stacked around his feet and the fire was lit.
As his body was consumed it seemed that he may have already perished, when suddenly there was movement.
But this point his finger had been burned off leaving nothing but nubs.
But he stretched his hands above his head and three times clapped them together.
Those watching knew… those watching knew God’s grace is sufficient and to stand for Christ is worth it.
APPLICATION: Friend, in the darkest days in all of history, some of the brightest stories of victory will be told!
APPLICATION: Friend, in the darkest days in all of history, some of the brightest stories of victory will be told!
The multitudes that will take a stand for Christ will be incredible.
And following the darkness of these days that we discussed last time, I want to take a look at the grace and mercy of God that will be seen during those dark days!
I. THE WITNESSES FOR CHRIST
I. THE WITNESSES FOR CHRIST
EXPLANATION: Sometime after the start of the 7 year tribulation period, it seems shortly after 2 men will come on the scene.
EXPLANATION: Sometime after the start of the 7 year tribulation period, it seems shortly after 2 men will come on the scene.
We find the Bible talking about them in Revelation 11:3-6
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore 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 devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain 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.
There is much debate about who these two men will be.
Some believe they will be two people who come to Christ following the rapture.
Many believe that they will be some of the OT prophets reincarnated.
Some believe that it will be Elijah and Enoch, the two men who didn’t taste of death in the OT.
Elijah was carried away in a chariot of fire, while Enoch walked with God in Genesis 5, and one day God took him
And still others believe that it could be Elijah and Moses and these are the two that were on the mount of transfiguration with Jesus.
This would be the direction that I would lean as we find in some of the works that they perform, some of the same miracles that were done during their earthly lives.
The Bible says in v.6 that they will have “the power to shut heaven, that is rain not in the days of their prophecy.”
You’ll remember it was Elijah who through the power of God prayed that it rain in Israel for a span of 3 1/2 years in 1 Kings 17
Then is says they will have the power over waters to turn them to blood and to smite the earth with all plagues.
I don’t have to remind you of the plagues that were rained down upon Egypt in at the great Exodus of the Israelites.
The Bible tells us that they will have the protection of God to prophecy for 1,260 days, 3 1/2 years of the Jewish calendar.
What is it that they will be preaching?
The most powerful and important message that has ever been preached.
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
They will be proclaiming the message of the Gospel.
They Truth that Jesus Christ is the One true God and they will warn of the man who is rising to power who will soon claim to be God.
It is clear that during their preaching people will try to stop their message, but when they do fire will come from their mouths and devour their enemies!
It will be an unbelievable scene that takes place!
They will continue their preaching until the end of that 3 1/2 year period, and God will remove His protecting hand form them and at that point Revelation 11:7-10
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and 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 shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
There will be rejoicing by those who follow the antichrist.
By the ones who follow him as a political leader
By the ones who follow him as their potential Messiah
There will also by rejoicing by those who don’t follow the antichrist but are tired of the plagues and the drought.
One important fact that is ofter overlooked is that the same false religions that exist today will still be in existence during the tribulation.
Those who follow Christ will not be the only ones who refuse to follow him or refuse to take the mark.
But we can almost be certain that they too will be happy to have these 2 trouble makers removed from off of the scene.
But after 3 1/2 days of their rejoicing at the death of these two faithful preachers of God’s Word, Revelation 11:11-12
And after three days and an half the Spirit 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.
What a sight it will be to watch as these two witnesses ascend to heaven… not necessarily the sight of them ascending
Yes that will be amazing
But the sight of the faces of the enemies that watch them resurrect and ascend!
God always gets the last laugh.
In addition to these two mouthpieces of God, there will be another 144,000 Jews who are saved and going around the world proclaiming the Gospel!
We are told about them in Revelation 7:2-4
And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
This incredible group of preachers will come from 12 tribes of Israel, each one with 12,000 coming from them.
Revelation 14 gives further details of these men who will make up this group of 144,000.
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
They are virgin men who, like the first fruits of the OT, will be set apart for this specific purpose of preaching the word of God!
We know that they will be protected from some of the judgments that are coming.
When the fifth trumpet sound and the scorpion locusts come out of the bottomless pit, Revelation 9:4
And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
And while they have the protection of God from some of the judgments, there is nothing that tells us they will be protected from the persecution of the antichrist and his people.
These proclaimers of the Gospel will be some of the many who will turn to Christ during the time of tribulation!
And through the preaching of the WITNESSES FOR CHRIST we see…
II. THE MULTITUDES OF SALVATIONS
II. THE MULTITUDES OF SALVATIONS
EXPLANATION: There is a belief by some that during the tribulation the Holy Spirit will be removed from off of the earth.
EXPLANATION: There is a belief by some that during the tribulation the Holy Spirit will be removed from off of the earth.
However this can’t be possible.
In fact the only passage that those that believe this can point to is in 2 Thessalonians 2:7
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
The problem is, the “he” that “letteth” or restrains isn’t clearly defined for us.
There are some that believe that it is referring to the church, because it is the Holy Spirit dwelling within the believer, or the church, that is standing against the progress of Satan today.
There are some that believe that is is Michael the Archangel that is restraining the destruction of Satan, as we find him on multiple occasions in the Scriptures battling against Satan.
There are some that believe that it is simply referring to the restraining work of God.
But one thing we can be certain of, it isn’t saying that the Holy Spirit is removed from off of the earth.
Why?
Well in the very text it doesn’t say that whoever is retraining is removed off of the earth… it says he is taken out of the way.
It has the idea of stepping aside.
The other reason is because no one can be saved without the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said this in John 6:44
No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
He says later in that same chapter John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
God is drawing all men to salvation through the Holy Spirit.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Friend, no one can get saved without the Holy Spirit.
And once a person get’s saved, they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
And during the tribulation period, there will be multitudes that come to Christ as Savior!
In addition to the 2 witnesses and the 144,000 Jews, the Bible tells us in Revelation 7:9
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
A multitude which no man can number will be saved during the tribulation, most of which will give their lives for the cause of Christ!
ILLUSTRATION: I can remember reading of great revivals of past generations.
ILLUSTRATION: I can remember reading of great revivals of past generations.
One of my favorites is that of the prayer revival the began in 1857.
In1857 the stock market was at a low, alcoholism was rampant, and the nation was divided by slavery. September 23, 1857, Jeremiah Lanphier held a noon time prayer meeting in an upstairs room in New York.
It began with just him but by the end there were 6 total
The next week there were 20, then 40.
Within a few weeks there were over 100 churches and building being used for the noon time prayer meetings
Revival began to spread and over the next 2 years over 1 million people were saved!
Incredible!
EXPLANATION: We could talk about the first and second great awakenings in which hundred of thousands of people came to Christ.
EXPLANATION: We could talk about the first and second great awakenings in which hundred of thousands of people came to Christ.
Some of us have even seen small pockets of revival in our own lives
But nothing will compare to the great revival that will take place in the most terrible time in all of history!
They truly will live up to the verse in Revelation 12:11
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
As the second half of the tribulation reaches it’s climax, the antichrist will prepare for a battle unlike any our world has ever seen.
And it will take place at the Second Coming of Christ!
III. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
III. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
EXPLANATION: Now according to Daniel 12:11
EXPLANATION: Now according to Daniel 12:11
And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
We find a 30 day extension of onto the initial 1260 days that were prophesied.
We can imagine that during those final 30 days the wrath of the antichrist against the followers of God will be at a level never seen before!
We know that Christ will not come back during that 30 day period because when Christ come back there will be no more abomination and worship of the Antichrist.
It is during this time that the Antichrist will be preparing for battle.
But it isn’t the battle that we think of… at least that’s not what it will seem like.
According to Daniel 11, there will be an uprising of the king of the south and the king of the north and a king of the east against the Antichrist.
And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
Because everything correlates to Israel it would seem that the “king of the north” is referring to Russia, while the “king of the south” is a reference to Egypt.
There will also be a “king of the east”, which could be Iraq or Iran or someone else, that will join forces against the Antichrist
And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
These countries will rise up against the 10 nation alliance that the antichrist had created.
And they will join for battle at a familiar location Revelation 16:14,16
For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
And then we come to that final 45 day period Daniel 12:12
Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
At some point during that final 45 day period, as the antichrist has assembled the armies of earth for what would seem to be the greatest world war in all of history, something takes place in heaven.
God the Father will look to His Son seated on the throne.
And I don’t know if they will say something or if there will be a smile and a wink.
Maybe they will just know… but Jesus will arise from off His throne and climb onto His white horse
As all of the armies of the earth are looking across the battlefield at their enemy, suddenly the clouds will part and their eyes will be trained to the skies!
The antichrist has assembled them, not for a battle between themselves, but as his final attempt to defeat God.
And what will take place will be the most lopsided battle in all of history.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
When that sky opens up, and Jesus descends on that white horse with eyes as a flame of fire, all the world will behold Him!
And this battle wont be much of a battle at all.
As the antichrist gathers all the armies of the earth to this great battle stage, and hundreds of millions, and probably billions turn their rockets to the skies, the Bible says in Revelation 19:15
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
You can mark it down, every word that He speaks will be the Word of God… because as John 1:14 says,
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
I don’t know what exactly He will says, but maybe as He descends from the clouds He will say,
“I was in the form of God, and I didn’t think it was robbery to be equal with God; but I made myself of no reputation and took on the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:6-7
“My Father, God, loved this world so much, that He sent Me, His only begotten Son. So that whosoever believes in me, should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
"Because I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and no many comes to the Father but by me” John 14:6
“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9
“I was fashioned as a man, and I humbled myself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”Philippians 2:8
“I was despised and rejected of men.” Isaiah 53:3
“I was wounded for your transgression, I was bruised for your iniquities. The chastisement of your peace was upon me, and by my strips you can be healed.” Isaiah 53:5
“I was oppressed and afflicted. I was brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before the shearers, and I didn’t open my mouth.”
“I hung on that cross and I cried out, ‘Eli Eli, lama sabachthani’, ‘My God My God, why hast thou forsaken me’. And for the first time in eternity, My Father turned His face away.”
“And I cried, It is finished, and I bowed my head and died.”
“They placed my body in a borrowed tomb, and on day 1 the devil thought he’d won. On day 2, he thought I was defeated. But on that 3rd day, that stone was rolled away and I arose!”
“The two Mary’s came to my grave and found an angel who said, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here for He is risen as He said.”
“O death, Where is thy sting? O grave, Where is thy victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55
“For 40 days I was seen by my disciples, by over 500 people at once, proving my bodily resurrection.”
“Then as the crowd looked upon me, I ascended into heaven, with the promise that I would come in the like manner as they saw me taken into heaven.”
“And now, God has highly exalted me, and given me a name above every name. And at my name, the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”
Every follower of the antichrist will bow
Every atheist will bow
Every Buddhist will bow
Every Muslim will bow
Every Catholic will bow
Every Mormon will bow
Every Baptist who just played a game but never got saved will bow!
I don’t know what exactly will proceed out of His mouth, but we know it will be said with power and glory, as Mark 13:26 says:
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
And the results of that battle are clear in Revelation 19:19-21
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
There will be no more question who is in control or who is God.
At the second coming of Christ, all the world will know and will confess that Jesus is God!
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Friend, it is worth it all to live for Jesus today!
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
That isn’t just a promise for someday, it’s a promise for today!
If you know Christ as your Savior, why don’t you stop living in defeat, because I’ve read the end of this book and we win!
And we aren’t finished yet, there’s more to see next week as we wrap up our look at the end times!
But tonight, wake up and get busy trying to win a few more to Christ so they can ride out on the horses from glory with Christ on that day!
Get busy telling people about Christ!
Get out of your rut and get busy for Jesus!
And Friend, we have said it in every service, but if you aren’t ready for the rapture, get ready!
If you don’t know Christ as your Savior, get it settled tonight!
