Revelation 11doc1

#A Gracious Pause

 Revelation 11:1-14

Finish from last time:

Last time we began to look at the pause between the 6th and 7th trumpet judgment that will take place in the coming Tribulation period

1.  A messenger came from heaven which I believe will be Jesus Christ

Ÿ         Clothed with a cloud

Ÿ         Crowned with a rainbow

Ÿ         Face shining as the sun

Ÿ         Feet as pillars of fire

Ÿ         Holding an opened book

Ÿ         Standing with one foot on the land and one on the sea

Ÿ         Crying out with a loud voice as a lions roar

2.  A message from heaven

John was told not to write it down

Part of the message is:  “This is it!” v. 6

After that John is given a mandate from heaven vv. 5-10

1st time John has been asked to take part:  vv. 8-11 kind of weird

Ezekiel 2:8-3:9 Asked to take the scroll and eat it and then pass it on to the world

Eat = to assimilate – take into your person (we study, know, learn Word)

Revelation (Bible) is the way this book is described

            Sweet:  encouraging, exciting, etc.

            Bitter:  Just like in Ezekiel’s day can be hard to hear, etc.

            Jesus is described that way in 1 Peter 2:4-8

“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”  Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,  “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” and  “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.”  They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

Often it is too easy to preach the sweet stuff from Word and not the bitter stuff:  We must preach the whole counsel of God

Introduction to Revelation 11:

            This can be a difficult passage of Scripture to understand

                        *there may be different ways to understand what is being taught

            Essentially talking to Jews in this chapter:  Temple, furniture, Holy City

                        *good time to remember that the Jews are the center of God’s plan

                        *We do not replace the Jews

                        *Right now God’s plan is centered on the Church, in Rev. it will  be on

                          Israel again.

            This is a prophetic chapter:  Not historical.

            Again I believe that as much as possible we must understand it literally

                        Great city = Jerusalem

                        Time given = actual months, weeks, and days

                        2 witnesses = two people

                        When it mentions that 7000 die, 7000 people will die

I.        The setting of this chapter

1.   The word “and” or “then” ties with chapter 10

Appears to be a parenthetical passage

2.   Temple v. 11

5 different biblical temples

1) Solomon’s temple:  destroyed in 587 BC by Nebuchadnezzar

2) Zerubbalbal’s temple in Daniel’s time

            destroyed in 168BC after desecrated with a pig

3) Herod’s temple:  Built in 70 AD, also destroyed

4) Tribulation temple

5) Millennial temple

We also know that the anti-christ will set himself up as god in this temple

2 Thess. 2:3-4

3.   John’s Part

1)   Take a reed like a rod and measure the temple

2)   Purpose?  Not for God to know the size

Must be a sign of judgment

In Exodus rod was a instrument of judgment

3)   Also measure the altar and those that worship thereon

II.       The Witnesses sent by God 3+

1.   They are real people

Not the NT and the OT

Not the law and prophets

Not representative of 144,000

1)   Their clothing:  sackcloth

Sign of mourning:  know that the time of the end is near

                              Know that the time of salvation is short

                  Certainly know that their message will not be well received

Kind of like Jeremiah (weeping Prophet) who will preach and not be well received.

2)   Their time

1260 days = 3 ½ years

3)   Their description:  Two olive trees and 2 candlesticks

Same description given in Zech. 4:11-14

Olive tree:  produced oil to keep fire burning

                  These witnesses kept the fire of the gospel burning

Candlesticks: shone brightly

                  These witnesses will shine brightly:  whole world will see

2.   The are prophets v. 3

They will prophesy:  They are preachers

They will be a pair:  God often used pairs:

                        2 angels testified to resurrection

                        2 men in white at ascension

                        Jesus sent out 12 and 70 in pairs

                        There is strength in pairs today

Who are they?

            Possibly Elijah:  Malachi 4:5-6

“Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.  And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

                        Jews looked for Elijah:  Passover put a cup for

                                                               Thought John was

                        Did not experience death

                        Used the same sign:  stopped rain v. 6

                        Period of drought 3 ½ years

                        Appeared on Mt. of Transfiguration in Matt. 17

Possibly Moses

            They were together at Mt. of Transfiguration

            No one knows where he was buried

                        Deut. 34:5-6  Jude 9

                        Some believe body set aside for this task

3.   They are powerful

1)   Powerful preaching:  Speaking to a hostile crowd

Jesus is Lord of the earth

How did they respond when Elijah told no rain?

Human wickedness will be great

Point at judgment and fact it will get worse

Against the beast:  ruler, leader

Your religion is paganism

2)   Powerful plagues v. 5

From their mouths 5

From the drought 6

From disease 6

You would think that people would have to take their message seriously, yet we must remember the hardness of people’s heart, even today we see same thing.  “I don’t care what the Word of God says, I don’t care what science says, I am going to believe what I am going to believe!”   Tied that with the “strong delusion” that will be sent in 2 Thessalonians 2.  People will not believe the truth!!

4.   They are persecuted

1)   Death of the two v. 7

Came when they were finished:  “God’s man, in the center of God’s will, is immortal until God is finished with Him.”

Beast will kill:  instant popularity

2)   Display of the two

This would have been obscene in Jewish culture: Even criminals were buried the same day they died

v. 9 People laughed at for years as an impossibility

3)   Delight of the enemies v. 10

5.   They are Preserved vv. 11-12

1)   Imagine the media covering this event

2)   3 ½ days proves that they are dead

3)   Great fear as a result:  again you would think people would listen

4)   Ascension into the cloud at voice of God

5)   Great earthquake v. 13

6)   Gave glory to God v. 13

This doesn’t mean that they were saved:  difference between fear and faith

Many turn to God in trouble and fear today, but they are far from truly coming to Lord for salvation