The Two Witnesses
Notes
Transcript
If you have your Bibles we are going to turn to Revelation 11:1-2
I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.
We come to one of my favorite parts of Revelation and that is of the two witnesses. In terms of the timeline we now re-enter in the story in chronological order. We are still between the 6th and 7th trumpet.
We look at the first part of the chapter 11. What John is talking about is the temple of God. A temple that does not currently exist because Rome destroyed the last temple in 70 AD. And here we have in Revelation that there will be a temple again. This is why it is so important to always go back to the Bible. So for example in terms of the tribulation. It is not possible for us to be in the tribulation right now because there is no temple. There is no construction of a temple happening right now. We live in a world of deception and lies. Again we go back to the enemy and the means in which satan operates from the sermon a few weeks ago. His goal is to get you as far away from God as possible. The easiest way to begin that process is to alter Biblical Christianity. When you live in a time of deception we must go to the only place of true knowledge and wisdom. So in terms of the doom day people, we aren’t there yet and the start of this chapter is another indication.
Now we have another amazing thing happening during this time period. We have the prophecies of Daniel coming into the world now and converging with the age of the Gentiles. This will happen when the anti christ comes to power and ceases the worship
“From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.
Everything that has happened in the Bible and that is happening in the world is all heading to one place. A place where God is the victor of everything. But first there is more
And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”
There is much debate about who the two witnesses are that go out and preach. We are going to cover their message in a moment. Here is what we know, these two people both die and are resurrected. So for sure we know that they are both human. Now it can be fun to debate exactly who. Again we have to trust in God especially when it comes to the parts where we do not have a gaurnteed answer. Most people believe that it will be Elijah, and then there is debate about the other person. Many think it will be Moses. The problem with that theological argument is that Moses as already died once. So that would leave Enoch as the only two people in the Bible along with Elijah that did not die. They were both taken up to heaven.
Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
What I want us all to understand though is that even in this great time of turmoil and distress God is still working through people.
Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”He replied, “Do you not know what these are?” “No, my lord,” I said. So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.”
This verse was written between 520 and 518 BC. The Bible stands the test of time again and again. When we look at the scriptures we cannot just think of it as some ancient text like many of the world do. We need to show people of the world that the Bible is very much alive and has much to say about our own world and what is to come as we will see here.
If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
Many people point to Elijah because of these two verses. These two witnesses are a return to the prophets of the Old Testament. Everything they are doing are incredibly similar to those of prophets of the Old Testament. And they are told to prophesy and like the Old Testament prophets of old. They have a tough task to preach the Word of God during the great tribulation. They are to preach to the world for 1,260 days. They are protected by God for 1,260.
These next parts of the scripture are difficult.
Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
We will be discussing the antichrist very soon , but here he comes up and kills them. Notice here that it is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt. That is because of the apostasy and rejection of God. For three and half days the whole world gloats. This is of course very possible. through TV , social media , youtube or whatever platforms there will be , you can send this worldwide in no time at all. As I have pointed out before the groundwork is being laid and for the scriptures to be true, the ability to send the death of these two men is already there.
Here is some other groundwork that is already been laid. That the people of earth will gloat and send each other gifts. The enemy has already laid that groundwork successfully. The attitude that has been unleashed on this world that someone can be killed for their beliefs and others will rejoice is completely unbelievable to me. I am just going to be honest with you, it is not something that I will accept as ok. It starts with out leaders and people that are running to be part of the government. We should not accept that kind of attitude. We wouldn’t accept in this building , the house of God. I do not want my kid or any in the next generation to have that handed down to them as the standard of acceptability.
I do not know where we are in the timeline of history. The Father God knows that information and I trust him that we have time. You and I have time to fix some of this. We have time to get out of there and help people find Jesus. The world is going to keep going in one direction but the direction of people’s lives can be changed. This congregation has seen people’s lives be changed. We don’t keep track of baptism numbers but we are baptizing people every few weeks now. Two more people today are giving their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way to transform someone’s life. Because the other alternative is sin. The other alternative is sin continues to corrupt society to the point where people cheer death. I have said it before but until the Good Lord calls me home, I will do everything I possible can to help stem that tide.
But God is not done, the world and the enemy never gets the last word.
But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
Now here is where you need to use your imagination that God has gifted us with. For three and half days these two people were left in the streets. And it turns out that God was not done yet. They are resurrected and God himself speaks from Heaven. All of this happens as the enemies of God looked on. We will not be the two witnesses but we will here God speak. We must not be afraid but we must be bold. This is what I take from the two witnesses. In a time of great wickedness and turmoil they went. And we are going to get the judgement next but think about how many people changed their lives because of what they saw?
At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.
There is a judgment from God but unlike the last judgement that happened look at the response. In the last judgment, there was not one person that repented. Now look what happens. The survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God in Heaven.
This will bring us up to the 7th trumpet. and even in the midst of all the distress and turmoil, the Gospel is proclaimed and people give glory to God.
I want to close on a teaching that changed how I looked at everything, and how I approach being a follower of Christ especially in times like we live in.
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer , The Cost of Discipleship
Grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer , The Cost of Discipleship
Do not accept cheap grace in your life. Do not accept cheap grace from the church. Do not accept it for yourself, your friends and family. Grace is costly, It cost God way before it cost us. I gladly pay the price over and over not because I can work my way to heaven but because God paid it first.
Let us pray.
