THE KINGDOM CANNOT BE STOPPED
Notes
Transcript
THE KINGDOM CANNOT BE STOPPED
THE KINGDOM CANNOT BE STOPPED
Revelation 11:1–19
Revelation 11:1–19
Anchor Movement
Anchor Movement
Claimed. Sent. Vindicated. Crowned. Fulfilled.
Claimed. Sent. Vindicated. Crowned. Fulfilled.
Governing Question
Governing Question
Can God's Plan Be Stopped?
Can God's Plan Be Stopped?
When evil appears to win...
When God's people suffer...
When truth is rejected...
When darkness seems to advance...
Can God's plan actually be stopped?
Revelation 11 answers with a resounding:
No.
No.
Big Idea
Big Idea
No amount of opposition, persecution, rebellion, or satanic resistance can stop God's plan from advancing exactly as He has ordained.
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
June 6, 1944.
Thousands of Allied soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy.
The battle was costly.
The casualties were staggering.
From a human perspective, it did not look like victory.
But historians often point to D-Day as the moment the outcome of World War II was effectively decided.
The war continued.
Battles still raged.
Lives were still lost.
Yet the outcome had already been secured.
Almost one year later, May 8, 1945, came V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day)
The victory that had been secured was finally revealed.
Revelation 11 feels very similar.
The Beast is still active.
The nations still rage.
God's witnesses are still opposed.
Judgment is still unfolding.
But Heaven already knows something the world does not:
The outcome has already been decided.
But the question Revealtion 11 asks is this:
Can God’s plan be stopped?
We know:
The Kingdom is coming.
The King is returning.
That God's plan is moving forward.
And nothing can stop it.
1. GOD CLAIMS WHAT BELONGS TO HIM Revelation 11:1–2
1. GOD CLAIMS WHAT BELONGS TO HIM 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.
"Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff..."
Before God discusses the witnesses.
Before God announces the Kingdom.
Before God reveals the Ark.
He begins with ownership.
God Marks What Is His (v.1)
God Marks What Is His (v.1)
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.
Occasionally in Revelation the apostle John plays an active role in his visions (cf. 1:17; 4:1; 5:4–5; 7:13–14; 10:8–10).
After his renewed commission to write the prophecies yet to come in Revelation (10:11), John again became involved in one of the very visions he was recording. He was … given a measuring rod like a staff, by either the same angel who spoke with him in 10:8 or the strong angel he spoke with in 10:9–11.
Kalamos (measuring rod) was similar to those used throughout Scripture when God makred something for His purposes
refers to a reedlike plant that grew in the Jordan Valley to a height of fifteen to twenty feet. It had a stalk that was hollow and lightweight, yet rigid enough to be used as a walking staff (cf. Ezek. 29:6) or to be shaved down into a pen (3 John 13). The stalks, because they were long and lightweight, were ideal for use as measuring rods. In Ezekiel’s vision, an angel used such a rod to measure the millennial temple (Ezek. 40:3–43:17).
John is commanded to measure:
the temple
the altar
the worshipers
Throughout Scripture, measuring is associated with:
ownership
preservation
protection
covenant claim
The message is simple:
"This belongs to Me."
This measuring signified something good, since what was not measured was evil (v. 2). It is best to see it as God’s measuring off Israel, symbolized by her temple, for salvation and for His special protection, preservation, and favor. The prophecies yet to be given to John will thus distinguish between God’s favor toward Israel and His wrath on the pagan world.
God begins Revelation 11 by reminding His people:
The world may look out of control.
But I still know what belongs to Me.
Preaching Moment
Preaching Moment
Christian, there may be moments when you feel forgotten.
You may feel overlooked.
You may feel insignificant.
But before God judges the nations, He counts His people.
Before He addresses the world, He remembers His own.
You are not lost in the crowd.
You belong to Him.
God Knows Who His Worshipers Are (v.1)
God Knows Who His Worshipers Are (v.1)
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.
Notice the emphasis.
John measures people.
Not merely buildings.
Not merely structures.
Worshipers.
This reminds us:
God never loses track of His people.
Not one name.
Not one prayer.
Not one tear.
God's Protection Does Not Mean Absence Of Suffering (v.2)
God's Protection Does Not Mean Absence Of Suffering (v.2)
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.
The outer court is excluded.
Gentiles trample the holy city for forty-two months.
This creates an important tension.
God protects.
Yet persecution remains.
God preserves.
Yet suffering continues.
Revelation never promises an easy road.
It promises a secure destination.
TRANSITION
TRANSITION
God claims His people.
Then He sends His final witnesses.
Because even in judgment...
Mercy keeps speaking.
2. GOD SENDS HIS WITNESSES Revelation 11:3–6
2. GOD SENDS HIS WITNESSES Revelation 11:3–6
"And I will grant authority to my two witnesses..."
The darkest period in human history is underway.
And God is still preaching.
God Raises Up Faithful Witnesses (v.3)
God Raises Up Faithful Witnesses (v.3)
And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
Notice what they are called:
Witnesses.
Not warriors.
Not politicians.
Not celebrities.
Witnesses.
Throughout Scripture God has always had a witness.
Noah
Moses
Elijah
Isaiah
Jeremiah
John the Baptist
The Apostles
And now the Two Witnesses.
The point:
God never leaves the world without truth.
The darker the word becomes, the brighter God’s witnesses shine
God Sends Them With A Broken Heart (v.3)
God Sends Them With A Broken Heart (v.3)
And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
They wear sackcloth.
That detail matters.
Sackcloth symbolized:
grief
mourning
repentance
sorrow
Sackcloth was rough, heavy, coarse cloth worn in ancient times as a symbol of mourning, distress, grief, and humility. Jacob put on sackcloth when he thought Joseph had been killed (Gen. 37:34). David ordered the people to wear sackcloth after the murder of Abner (2 Sam. 3:31) and wore it himself during the plague God sent in response to his sin of numbering the people (1 Chron. 21:16). King Jehoram wore sackcloth during the siege of Samaria (2 Kings 6:30), as did King Hezekiah when Jerusalem was attacked (2 Kings 19:1). Job (Job 16:15), Isaiah (Isa. 20:2), and Daniel (Dan. 9:3) also wore sackcloth.
The two witnesses will put on sackcloth as an object lesson to express their great sorrow for the wretched and unbelieving world, racked by God’s judgments, overrun by demon hordes, and populated by wicked, sinful people who refuse to repent. They will also mourn because of the desecration of the temple, the oppression of Jerusalem, and the ascendancy of Antichrist.
MacArthur's observation is powerful.
These men are not excited about judgment.
They are burdened by it.
Like Jeremiah weeping.
Like Jesus weeping over Jerusalem.
Like Paul grieving for Israel.
While it is impossible to be dogmatic about the specific identity of these two preachers, there are a number of reasons that suggest that they may be Moses and Elijah.
BECAUSE:
Their miracles mirror Moses and elijah
Both appeared with Jesus at the Transfiguration
Elijah was specifically connected to endtime expectation in Malachi
Preaching Moment
Preaching Moment
Church, if we preach truth without compassion, we are not preaching like Jesus.
If we talk about judgment without tears, we have missed the heart of God.
God's prophets were never merely angry.
They were heartbroken.
God Empowers Them By His Spirit (v.4–6)
God Empowers Them By His Spirit (v.4–6)
They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” 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.
John identifies them merely as the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. That enigmatic description is drawn from Zechariah 4:1-14
The olive trees and lampstands point directly back to Zechariah 4:1-14
The lesson:
Not by might.
Not by power.
But by My Spirit.
Every generation is tempted to trust:
Methods.
Programs.
Strategies.
Technology.
But God's work has always advanced through Spirit-empowered servants.
God Gives Them A Message Worth Dying For (v.5–6)
God Gives Them A Message Worth Dying For (v.5–6)
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.
Their miracles validate their message.
In both the Old and the New Testaments, God often used miracles to authenticate His messengers. In the Tribulation time when the world is overrun by supernatural demonic activity, false religion, murder, sexual perversion, and rampant wickedness, the supernatural signs performed by the two witnesses will mark them as true prophets of God.
The extent of their great power will be revealed when they demonstrate power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying. That will greatly intensify the torment people are experiencing. The third trumpet judgment resulted in the poisoning of one-third of the earth’s fresh water supply (8:10–11). Added to that, the three-and-one-half-year drought lasting throughout the 1,260 days of their preaching (v. 3; cf. Luke 4:25; James 5:17) brought by the two witnesses will cause widespread devastation of crops and loss of human and animal life through thirst and starvation.
Further, like Moses the two witnesses will have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. The havoc these two miracle-working preachers will wreak all over the earth will cause them to be hated and feared. People will no doubt search desperately for a way to destroy them, but to no avail. They will be invulnerable and unstoppable for the duration of their ministry
Their message remains primary.
Repent.
Believe.
Turn to God.
The world hates them because truth exposes darkness.
TRANSITION
TRANSITION
But eventually the world gets what it wants.
The witnesses die.
Or so it appears.
3. GOD VINDICATES HIS WITNESSES Revelation 11:7–14
3. GOD VINDICATES HIS WITNESSES Revelation 11:7–14
"When they have finished their testimony..."
This section answers an important question:
What happens when it looks like evil wins?
The Beast Cannot Stop God's Mission (v.7)
The Beast Cannot Stop God's Mission (v.7)
Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.
Notice the timing.
Not:
"When the Beast became stronger."
Not:
"When God lost control."
But:
"When they finished their testimony."
God determines the finish line.
Not Satan.
Not culture.
Not government.
Not persecution.
Preaching Moment
Preaching Moment
You are immortal until God is finished with you.
Not one moment sooner.
Not one moment later.
The World Celebrates The Death Of Truth (v.8–10)
The World Celebrates The Death Of Truth (v.8–10)
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.
The great city is Jerusalem, mystically (or better “spiritually”) called Sodom and Egypt due to its wickedness. Tragically, the city of Jerusalem that was once God’s city will be so overrun with evil that it will be like the wicked city of Sodom and the evil nation of Egypt. The description of Jerusalem as no better than Sodom and Egypt was to show that the once holy city had become no better than places which were known for their hatred of the true God and His Word. The footnote that the two witnesses will be killed in the city where also their Lord was crucified makes the identification of Jerusalem unmistakably clear. That the two witnesses will die in the same city as their Lord suggests that, as it was for Him, that city will be the focal point of their preaching. It also appears that Jerusalem will be the seat of Antichrist’s rule (cf. 2 Thess. 2:3–4).
The use of the all-inclusive phrase peoples and tribes and tongues and nations (cf. 5:9; 7:9; 10:11) indicates that people around the world will look at the dead bodies of the two witnesses (on satellite television or some other form of visual media). In a morbid, ghoulish display of contempt and hatred, for three and a half days the world will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. The unrepentant, sin-hardened masses will want to gloat along with their leader, the Antichrist, and glorify him for his victory over the two irritating preachers, who brought the drought and proclaimed the hated gospel.
The deaths of the two witnesses will touch off wild celebrations around the world. Incredibly, those who dwell on the earth (a technical term for unbelievers; cf. 6:10; 8:13; 13:8, 12, 14; 14:6; 17:2, 8) 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. Ironically, this is the only mention in Revelation of rejoicing. Sinners will be happy because those who declared to them God’s judgments, tormented them with miracle power and messages condemning their sin and proclaiming God’s impending judgment (vv. 5–7), and called for them to repent are dead. This emotional response graphically reflects the finality of their rejection.
The witnesses die.
The world rejoices.
People exchange gifts.
Imagine that.
Humanity creates a holiday because God's voice has been silenced.
This reveals the true condition of the human heart.
People do not naturally hate judgment.
They hate the God who judges.
God Publicly Vindicates His Servants (v.11–12)
God Publicly Vindicates His Servants (v.11–12)
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.
Their story intentionally echoes Jesus:
Rejected by the world
Killed by His enemies
Publicly humiliated
Vindicated by God
Exalted before all
The witnesses remind us that resurrection always has the final word
Three and a half days later:
The breath of life enters them.
Gen 2:7
They stand.
The world watches.
The witnesses ascend.
The same God who raised Jesus raises them.
The Beast gets the headline.
God gets the final word.
God Uses Their Faithfulness To Save Others (v.13)
God Uses Their Faithfulness To Save Others (v.13)
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.
Punctuating the resurrection of the two witnesses, in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake. The term people in the Greek text is literally “names of men.” That unusual phrase may indicate that the seven thousand who were killed were prominent people, perhaps leaders in Antichrist’s world government.
As a result of the violent earthquake, and the astonishing resurrection of the two witnesses, the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The rest must refer to inhabitants of Jerusalem, Jews who will come to faith in Christ. Supporting that interpretation is the fact that giving glory to the God of heaven is a mark of genuine repentance in Revelation and elsewhere in Scripture (cf. 4:9; 14:7; 16:9; 19:7; Luke 17:18–19; Rom. 4:20). This passage, then, describes the reality of the salvation of Jews in Jerusalem, as God fulfills His pledge of blessing for Israel (Rom. 11:4–5, 26).
On that positive, hopeful note, the interlude ends. For the unbelieving world, however, it ends with the sobering warning that the second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly. The seventh trumpet (the third woe; cf. 9:12) will soon sound, bringing with it the final, violent bowl judgments and the return of Christ in glory to set up His kingdom. Tachu (quickly) means “soon” (cf. Rev. 2:16; 3:11; 22:7, 12, 20) and expresses the imminency of the last woe, which is the seven bowl judgments ushered in by the sounding of the seventh trumpet.
MacArthur, John F., Jr. 1999. Revelation 1–11. MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press.
The earthquake strikes.
The survivors:
"gave glory to the God of Heaven."
The word doxa means:
honor
majesty
worship
glory
I believe the strongest reading is genuine repentance.
Even here.
Even now.
Even in judgment.
God is still saving people.
TRANSITION
TRANSITION
The witnesses are vindicated.
The remnant responds.
And suddenly Heaven erupts in worship.
4. GOD CROWNS THE RIGHTFUL KING Revelation 11:15–18
4. GOD CROWNS THE RIGHTFUL KING Revelation 11:15–18
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord..."
This is the climax of the chapter, and perhaps one of the greatest verses in Revelation.
The sounding of the seventh trumpet marks a significant milestone in the book of Revelation. It sets in motion the final events leading up to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the establishment of His earthly millennial kingdom. Revelation 10:7 expresses the finality of the seventh trumpet:
But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”
That mystery is the full revelation of the consummation of God’s plan. It was prophesied by the Old Testament preachers, but its fullness was never revealed until the book of Revelation. That the seven bowl judgments, which represent the final outpouring of God’s wrath, are included within the seventh trumpet is evident from 15:1
I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed.
Those “seven plagues” that finish God’s wrath are the seven bowl judgments: “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God’ ” (16:1). Since both the seventh trumpet and the seven bowls are said to finish God’s wrath, the bowls must be part of the seventh trumpet judgment.
The last three of the seven trumpet judgments are so horrific that they are referred to as woes. In 8:13 John “heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, ‘Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!’ ” After the sounding of the fifth trumpet John wrote, “The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things” (9:12). Before the sounding of the seventh trumpet he added, “The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly” (11:14).
The seventh trumpet sets in motion the final consummation of God’s redemptive plan for the present universe. During its tenure will come the final fury of the Day of the Lord judgments (16:1–21), the final harvest of judgment on earth (11:18; 16:19), and the Lamb’s defeat of the kings of the earth (17:12–18), culminating in the final, climactic triumph of Christ at Armageddon (19:11–21). The sounding of the seventh trumpet signals God’s answer to the prayer, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). That answer sweeps through chapters 12–22 as God finishes His mighty work of reclaiming creation from the usurper, Satan.
It should be noted that although the seventh trumpet is the last in the sequence of the seven trumpet judgments, it is not to be equated with the “last trumpet” to which Paul refers in 1 Corinthians 15:52: “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (cf. 1 Thess. 4:16). As indicated above, the seventh trumpet covers an extended period of time, thus distinguishing it from the instantaneous (“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”) event of the “last trumpet.”
Instead of calling for the moment of the Rapture of the church, as the “last trumpet” does, the seventh trumpet calls for prolonged waves of judgment on the ungodly. It does not parallel the trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15:52, but does parallel the trumpet of Joel 2:1–2: “Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; surely it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness.”
The seventh trumpet not only announces consuming judgment on unbelievers, but also the coronation of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament trumpets were frequently sounded at the coronation of a king. During his attempted coup against his father David, “Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, ‘As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, “Absalom is king in Hebron” ’ ” (2 Sam. 15:10). At the coronation of David’s true successor, Solomon, “Zadok the priest … took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ ” (1 Kings 1:39). Trumpets also sounded at the coronations of King Jehu (2 Kings 9:13) and King Joash (2 Kings 11:12, 14).
The sounding of the seventh trumpet also marks the end of the interlude that follows the sixth trumpet (10:1–11:14). As noted in previous chapters of this volume, each of the three series of judgments (the seals, trumpets, and bowls) contains an interlude between the sixth and seventh events. Between the sixth and seventh seals came the interlude of chapter 7; between the sixth and seventh bowls will come the brief interlude of 16:15. These respites serve to comfort and encourage believers amid the terrors of God’s judgments, reassuring them that He has not forgotten them (cf. Mal. 3:16–4:2).
Although the seventh trumpet sounds in 11:15, the judgments associated with it are not described until chapter 15. Chapters 12–14 are a digression, taking readers back through the Tribulation to the point of the seventh trumpet by a different path. They describe the Tribulation not from God’s perspective, but from Satan’s. Chapters 4–11 focused on Christ’s taking back what is rightfully His by means of the seal and trumpet judgments. Chapters 12–14 focus on the ultimate human usurper, the final Antichrist, whose career spans the same time period as the seal and trumpet judgments.
The scene as the seventh trumpet sounds unfolds in four stages: praise for sovereignty, paroxysms of rage, plan for judgment, and promise of communion.
MacArthur, John F., Jr. 1999. Revelation 1–11. MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press.
The Kingdom Is Certain (v.15)
The Kingdom Is Certain (v.15)
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.”
Notice:
"has become"
The tense of the verb translated has become is what Greek grammarians refer to as a proleptic aorist.
It describes a future event that is so certain that it can be spoken of as if it has already taken place. The perspective of the verb tense looks to a point after the action of the seventh trumpet will have run its course. Though this event is future from the point of chronological progress reached in the series, it is so certain that the verb form used views it as an already accomplished fact (cf. Luke 19:9). The timeless heaven rejoices as if the long-anticipated day when Christ will establish His kingdom had already arrived, although some time on earth must elapse before that actually happens
The Kingdom is spoken of as already accomplished.
Why?
Because Heaven sees God's promises as settled facts.
The victory is so certain that Heaven celebrates before the final battle even occurs.
This is V-E Day language.
The victory secured is now being revealed.
Heaven Rejoices Because The King Is Reigning (v.15–17)
Heaven Rejoices Because The King Is Reigning (v.15–17)
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.”
And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.
The phrase the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ emphasizes two realities. Kurios (Lord) usually refers to Jesus throughout the New Testament, while in Revelation it more often refers to God the Father, thus emphasizing their equality of nature. This phrase also describes the kingdom in its broadest sense, looking forward to divine rule over the creation and the new creation. No differentiation is made between the earthly millennial kingdom and the eternal kingdom, as, for example, Paul does in 1 Corinthians 15:24–28. At the end of the thousand years, the millennial kingdom will merge with the eternal kingdom, in which Christ will reign forever and ever. Once the reign of Christ begins, it will change form, but never end or be interrupted.
The glorious truth that the Lord Jesus Christ will one day rule the earth permeates the Scriptures. In Revelation 15:1-4, John
I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb:
“Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
That they sang the “song of Moses” (cf. Ex. 15:1–18) indicates that as far back as the Pentateuch Scripture anticipated the moment when the Lord Jesus Christ would become King of the world.
The prophets also looked forward to that time when the Messiah would establish His earthly reign. Of that glorious day Isaiah wrote, in Isaiah 2:2-3
In the last days
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.
Many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Daniel wrote concerning that same day, in Daniel 2:34-35 and Daniel 2:44-45
While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.
“The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
The vaunted empires of world history (the statue) will be shattered by the Messiah’s kingdom (the stone cut out without hands); they will crumble to dust and blow away, but His kingdom will last forever. In another vision, recorded in Daniel 7:13-14 (18, 22) (27)
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
But the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’
until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.
Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’
Looking forward to Messiah’s kingdom Micah wrote in Micah 4:1-3
In the last days
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and peoples will stream to it.
Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He will judge between many peoples
and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Summing up a lengthy discussion of the Day of the Lord and the coming of Christ’s earthly kingdom Zechariah wrote, Zech 14:9
The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.
When the angel Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to Mary he told her that He would someday be the great King over the earth, Lk 1:31-33
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
The monumental moment in redemptive history anticipated in the Old Testament prophecies, in the announcement of Christ’s birth, in the preview of Christ’s second coming glory at the Transfiguration, in Christ’s teaching and miracles, in the covenant promises to Israel, in the promise to believers that they will reign with Christ, in the promise to the twelve disciples that they would judge the twelve tribes of Israel, and in the promise of Jesus that He would return in glory will be imminent. And that will cause all heaven to praise God for the wonder of His sovereign plan that Christ should reign.
The twenty-four elders fall down.
The elders also praised God for His sovereignty, because He had taken His great power and … begun to reign. The perfect tense of the verb translated You have taken signifies the permanence of God’s sovereign rule. The words of Psalm 24:1
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
Worship erupts.
The prayer believers have prayed for centuries is finally being answered.
"Your Kingdom Come."
For generations they prayed this and Revelation 11 is heaven’s answer, saying, “It Is Here” because
The King is taking what rightfully belongs to Him.
Earth Rages Because Rebels Hate The King (v.18a)
Earth Rages Because Rebels Hate The King (v.18a)
The nations were angry,
and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name,
both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
Verse 18 says:
"The nations were enraged."
After all they have witnessed.
After all the judgments.
After all the warnings.
They still rage.
The issue has never been evidence.
The issue has always been rebellion.
God Settles Every Account (v.18)
God Settles Every Account (v.18)
The nations were angry,
and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name,
both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
The text gives three realities:
Wrath For The Wicked
Wrath For The Wicked
Reward For The Faithful
Reward For The Faithful
Judgment Upon Evil
Judgment Upon Evil
Every sacrifice remembered.
Every act of faithfulness rewarded.
Every injustice addressed.
Nothing escapes God's attention.
TRANSITION
TRANSITION
The chapter could end there.
The Kingdom has been announced.
But John sees one final image.
One final reminder.
One final proof that God's plan cannot be stopped.
5. GOD FULFILLS HIS PROMISES Revelation 11:19
5. GOD FULFILLS HIS PROMISES Revelation 11:19
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
"Then God's temple in heaven was opened..."
The chapter begins with a temple.
It ends with a temple.
That is not accidental.
The Open Temple Reveals God's Presence (v.19a)
The Open Temple Reveals God's Presence (v.19a)
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
What was hidden is now revealed.
The doors are opened.
Access is granted.
God's people are being brought home.
The Ark Reveals God's Faithfulness (v.19b)
The Ark Reveals God's Faithfulness (v.19b)
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
The Ark represented:
God's covenant
God's promises
God's mercy
God's presence
For generations the Ark had disappeared.
Yet here it stands.
Why?
Because Revelation 11 is ultimately about a God who keeps His promises.
Every promise to Abraham.
Every promise to David.
Every promise to Israel.
Every promise to the Church.
Every promise in Christ.
Not one has failed.
Some promises take generations
Some take centuries
But God has never broken one. Not one.
The Chapter Ends Where It Began (v.19)
The Chapter Ends Where It Began (v.19)
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
Verse 1: God marks His people.
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.
Verse 19: God welcomes His people.
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
Verse 1: Ownership.
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.
Verse 19: Fulfillment.
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
The entire chapter is wrapped in covenant faithfulness.
Judgment And Covenant Stand Together (v.19)
Judgment And Covenant Stand Together (v.19)
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
Lightning.
Thunder.
Earthquake.
Hail.
Judgment continues.
But covenant faithfulness remains.
The same God who judges His enemies welcomes His children.
The same holy God who pours out wrath extends mercy through Christ.
Christ Connection
Christ Connection
The Ark was where atonement was made.
Blood was sprinkled.
Sin was covered.
Mercy was given.
Every one of those realities points forward to Jesus.
He is the greater sacrifice.
He is the greater mercy seat.
He is the mediator of the New Covenant.
And because of Him, God's people can enter God's presence forever.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Can God's plan be stopped?
The temple says no.
The witnesses say no.
The Beast says no.
The resurrection says no.
The Kingdom says no.
The Ark says no.
Everything in Revelation 11 points to one truth:
God's plan moves forward.
History is not moving toward chaos.
History is moving toward a King.
And one day:
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever."
The culture may change
Your circumstances may change
Your feelings may change
But God’s plan has never changed
The Kingdom cannot be stopped.
So remain faithful.
Keep witnessing.
Keep trusting.
Keep obeying.
Because the King is coming.
