(upbeat guitar music) ♪ I love growing in your grace ♪ ♪ You are your end on me ♪ ♪ And all that I do wrong ♪ ♪ Love will keep me strong ♪ ♪ I love growing in your grace ♪ - All right, Revelation chapter 11 verse three, let's get at it. We've been discussing for many weeks now this last book in your Bibles, the one that the Lord gave to us to finish everything that you read before. God's promises, the proclamations of the prophets, his relationship with Israel, and as we've told you early on in chapter four, verse one, the church has removed from the earth, delivered before God's wrath is poured out. And God then turns to Israel again. Everything is about Israel. You'll find a lot of Old Testament similes and metaphors and illustrations and quotes in this book, because again, it is Israel's going back to their sacrificial system. They will unfortunately follow the Antichrist for a time until he exposes himself halfway through those seven years. But really keep that in mind as you read through this book. The judgments of God are poured out in three different waves, if you will. And in chapter eight and nine, we went through the trumpet judgments, the second of three waves that fall upon the earth from the Lord's hand. With the sixth trumpet there in chapter nine, verse 13, there is a pause. And it seems that the Lord does a lot of pausing in the chronology, because A, it's overwhelming. Number two, he wants to show us the fruit that is coming even in the midst of judgment. And thirdly, I think it gives those who are under the gun time to repent. So there's all of these pauses. But when we get to these last seven judgments, there will not be that pause. And it will just kind of run itself out forward, beginning in chapter 16. And it'll go very quickly. The last seven called the vile or bold judgments. So in chapter eight and nine, we saw the judgments of the trumpet judgments, if you will. And then we got to chapter 10. And we mentioned to you that for the next five chapters, 10 through 14, the chronology doesn't roll forward. It is, they're called parenthetical chapters because it doesn't move as far as, but it makes you look around. We've told you that we believe that most all that happens in this book after chapter six, verse two, the revelation of the coming of the Antichrist of power happens in the last three and a half years of the great tribulation. And so much of this book, in fact, most all of it is chronological when it moves forward. And then it kind of stops and look around. And it doesn't tell us at which point in that three and a half years we find these things, but what we place them all there together. In chapter 10, John is given a vision by the Lord of an angel setting his feet upon the earth and upon the sea. Has a little book in his hand, it seems to represent what is left of the judgments of God because they've been horrific. And yet, John is told it'll all soon be over after the seventh trumpet sounds. The will of God will be accomplished, his judgments will be complete. And so we're led to believe, time and again, that these last seven judgment go very quickly, not a matter of months, but of weeks and days, if you will. And the Lord has told us that over and over again, especially there in chapter 10. Last week in chapter 11, the first couple of verses, we looked at the temple. Big deal, the temple, it was a big deal in the Old Testament. A lot to learn, it's a big deal in the tribulation time because this is the third temple that will be built. The Antichrist will facilitate it, it appears. He will certainly come to be worshiped there at the three and a half year mark or the 42 month mark, if you will, or day 1260. We're told that in a bunch of different ways. And then Israel will recognize their mistake and they will cry out to the Lord. And this horror will have begun. Tonight we wanna start in verse three, we're gonna stop at verse 13, you might read verse 13, but we'll kind of include that next week. As tonight we continue, remember parenthetical chapters, which means you can't place this anywhere in between those three and a half year marks, or we're gonna look at the study or at the revelation, if you will, of two witnesses, the Lord will raise up for these three and a half years to be very special witnesses for him, just like the 144,000, just like the angels that we're gonna see here in a couple of weeks flying through the heavens. These are supernatural works of God to make sure the world gets every opportunity possible to turn from their wicked ways and say yes to Jesus and to his grace. So verse three says this, and I will give, now the angel is speaking, I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will proclaim 1,260 days while they are clothed in sackcloth. Those who believe that the angel in chapter 10 is Jesus. And we went over that in chapter 10, and I only go over it, not because it's worth debating, but because it's an issue and you'll read it if you're studying on your own. It is my persuasion that it is not him, that the Lord is still in heaven, opening the seals and all from that title deed of the earth. But those who claim that this angel that is speaking is Jesus, attach obviously this angel that is speaking to the angel from chapter 10, and they will say, well look, he just said, I will give power to my two witnesses. So that must be the Lord. And yet if you go down to verse eight, it is also the angel that is still speaking that says where our Lord was crucified. And certainly the Lord wouldn't have spoken that about himself in that matter. Bit unclear, I'll give you that. And when the Bible is unclear, I try to stay unclear. That makes no sense at all. But if I'm not gonna take a stand on that, I'm just telling you how my persuasion, I don't think it matters at all. What your conclusion is for those things. I don't have a good argument for you in either direction, except for the ones that I presented to you back then. But needless to say, this angel speaks with great authority. And if he says, I'm giving power to my two witnesses, it could certainly be the declaration of the angel who is bringing forth God's word, just like he did in verse one and in verse two. As far as when these two witnesses come upon the scene, the other big to do in Bible commentary land is there are some people that would like to place these two witnesses either in the first part of the tribulation or somehow straddling the middle on one side or the other. And there are some good arguments for both. And then there are some poor arguments for both. If you put them in the first three and a half years when there is peace and the Antichrist is really wooing his way to the hearts of men, then they become prophets who warn the nation of Israel with tremendous power. And I think we'd almost negate the fact of the fact that the Lord wants this to go forward and allow this man of sin to establish himself. This is what God has said would take place. I have a hard time placing them there. If they are in the first three and a half years, then at the time the Antichrist is revealed, then they are killed as we will read here. And the Jewish nation will run for cover as we will see in the weeks to come to the place that the Lord has prepared for them, Revelation chapter 12, and upon their deaths then these 144,000 Jewish witnesses take over. Just a big argument, it's a hard argument for me because everything is chronological and needs to be placed, I think, as the Lord gives it to us. The other thing, just to have you thinking it through, back in chapter nine verse 12, we read one woe is past, we hold two more woes are coming after these things, and that was after the fifth trumpet. Then, later on in chapter 11 verse 14, tonight we'll end with the second woe is past, behold the third woe is coming quickly, and it does seem like those statements of woe maintain the chronology, it maintains definite time references, one that follows another. It is less vital obviously to know which 1250 days they are ministering than to see that during this time of tremendous judgment, God has done everything He can to be sure that no one misses who He is, right? In other words, there's tremendous judgment, God is righteous to judge. There is a point where just grace is over. In fact, by the time we get to chapter 14 or chapter 15, heaven is closed, and the salvation of many is done. The judgment is now severe. There's no more hope, hope stops, judgment falls. Even the Lord will close heaven and set He doesn't want anyone around Him at all until these judgments are finished. It's almost that the Lord's heart is so grieved, and what He has to do is horrible, that's not what He wants, but it's what men have cried out for. So, in the sense of how do I place these things I'm still more comfortable placing all of this in the second half of the tribulation where the Antichrist is now demanding, and the judgment of God is now lived out in the eyes of the people by these very powerful witnesses that He raises up, in particular, these two Jewish men who have certainly a history and a relationship to Israel, history as the 144,000 from the 12 tribes do. We read in verse three, and I don't want to confuse you. I'm just, I don't want you to not tell you what is out there as well, so don't be confused. If you are, sorry. Verse three, I will give power to these two, my witnesses to prophesy for three and a half years, and notice they are closed in sackcloth. They are closed in sackcloth. Remember what we said when we started. This is Israel, the nation through whom God is now working again. He goes back to finish through them and with them the things that He has promised to them. Sackcloth wasn't a good thing to wear. It was made from camel's hair and camel skin worn inside out so that really the prickly, sticky, rubbing against your skin is not comfortable. It's like, you know, that's just hurts. But it was really the Old Testament method or the most used Old Testament method for outwardly showing remorse for sin. It's almost like beating yourself, you know, I'm gonna put one of these cantaloupe hair pants on backwards. And I'm gonna just, you know, suffer in my repentance. It's a symbol of the affliction of the flesh, I think. You know, it just mortified that what you have done. It was also the common garb, oftentimes the Old Testament, for the prophet, when he came to demand of the people, faith and obedience and called them to a covenant relationship with the Lord. But here, the covenant relationship with the nation is being made with an antichrist, right? They're devoted to Him. He's our Savior, He's our deliverer, He's building our temple, we're gonna, He's gonna lead us and He's gonna guide us. And so while the world applause the peace that He seems to be bringing, these two will say otherwise and they will be a force to be reckoned with, and they will bear eternal fruit. But I think the big picture is God puts Himself on display, not even very often in the New Testament as He'd make this kind of proclamation. You'll see Him raise the dead a couple of times. Okay, that's a big proclamation. But more often than not, it's the individuals that He minishes you. And these very overt miracles of God are more often than not used to declare who He is. It's more often that for the people who know Him, but not always so. So to send these two guys breathing fire and calling down plagues and stopping the rain and these guys are just nothing but an irritant if you don't want to walk with God. And yet they can't be ignored. I'm sure they're on the cover of Time Magazine, Men of the Year, if there is still a Men of the Year. So there's no way to avoid these guys. And they're here to say God's ways are right and death too, just awaits those who put Him aside. Important to see that we read in verse four. These are the two olive trees and the two lamb stands that are standing before the God of the earth. Now if you read that just on your own and you haven't read through some of the prophets, this might sound more than a little cryptic. You read it and you go, what in the world is He talking about? But it is actually a direct quote, clear reference to an Old Testament passage that I wanted to have you flip to for a few minutes with me if you could. It should be in your notes, so maybe some of you have looked there already, but we want to go to Zachariah chapter four. If you're not comfortable with Old Testament books yet, go to Matthew and then just back up two books, right? Matthew, Malachi, Zachariah. So it's not that far away from your New Testament if you will. Zachariah chapter four. While you're finding that Zachariah was a prophet that God sent to the returned captives from the Babylonian captivity who had gone home to rebuild of all things, the temple that had been destroyed 70 years earlier. We are told in several places in the scripture that 50,000 or so Jewish exiles went home. It was 536 BC. They quickly laid the foundation for the temple. It was an important issue, and I think we talked about it last week. It was the only place man that is sinful could meet with God who was holy. It was the instrument and the apparatus and the method by which your sin could be covered. It all spoke of what Jesus would come to do, but until he came to do it, this kofar, this covering, would take place through the sacrifices of animals and the blood that they shed. So they quickly got to that. They hadn't been able to approach the Lord like that in 70 years. The problem was by the time that the foundation was laid, the people got, well, there's a little pressure politically from the people around them to not continue. There was a tremendous lustful demand in their own hearts for their own house. Gosh, we're still living in an attempt. How about we build my house? Then we'll build his house. And exactly that's what they did. And for the next 16 years, that poor foundation just sat there. It was then that the Lord in 520 cent Haggai and Zacharai, I had to say, really? Really? I brought you back here to do this and you put me second. And so they're prophesying, a prophesying, prophesying, they're prophesying, a sighing. Got them on the ball. And within four years, this temple was finished. So that's the book that you're at. Zacharai is given by the Lord a series of visions, and you can read Haggai as well, from the Lord to speak of the various needs of the people and to assure them that God would enable them to build this temple and to establish themselves as his people again. The message in chapter four here in Zacharai is directed to Zerubbabel. His name is mentioned in verse six and seven and nine and 11 Zerubbabel was the governor at the time. Joshua, not the one you're thinking of in the Old Testament, but Joshua was the high priest and they were responsible for moving the children of Israel in the ways of the Lord, both the spiritual leader and the political leader, if you will. So this was written to Zerubbabel. And I want to read it, since it's only 14 verses, read it through with you one time and then kind of, we'll go back and look at it real quickly so we were not lost here in Revelation. It says this in verse four, "Now the angel who spoke "or talked with me came back, woke me up, "as a man who'd been waking out of his sleep, "and he said to me, 'What do you see?'" So I said, "I am looking." There's a lamp stand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it. And on the stand, there are seven lamps with seven pipes to those seven lamps. And there are two olive trees beside it, one on the right, one on the left. And he answered and he said to me, as he talked, the angel who talked to me, and he said, "What are these, my Lord?" And the angel who talked with me told me and said, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my Lord." And he said to me, "This is the word "that the Lord has given to Zerubbabel, "that it isn't by might nor by power "of or by his spirit, sayeth, the Lord of hosts. "Who are you, O great mountain? "Before Zerubbabel, you shall become a plain. "And he shall bring forth the capstone "with your shouts of grace, grace to it." Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me and said, "The hand of Zerubbabel "has laid the foundation of this temple. "His hands also must finish it. "Then you will know that the Lord of hosts "has sent me to you for who has despised "the days of small things for these seven rejoiced to see. "The plum line in the hands of Zerubbabel "and the eyes of the Lord would scan through "and fro throughout the whole earth." And so I said to him, "Then what are these two olive trees, "one to the right of the lamb stand, one to the left?" And I further answered, and I further answered, and said to him, "What are these two olive trees "that drift into the receptacles of these two golden pipes "from which the gold oil drains?" And he says, "Do you not know what these are?" And he says, "No, my Lord." He said, "These are the two anointed ones "who will stand before the Lord of the whole earth." So I think these last two verses would draw it home for you as well. So Zachariah is given this vision. And the vision is very Jewish. It's of a menorah, if you are, of a candelabra. They were kept in the holy place in the temple. They were tended to by the priests every day. There were seven little cups in which were poured oil, and then a wick was placed in them, and it was designed to speak about the light of the Lord and the light of God's presence in being with and enabling, if you will, his people. The tasks for the priest was tedious. It required constant diligence. But here's a solution. And as he begins to think about the vision, as the angel begins to describe it to him here, this particular candlestick holder had some very strange kind of peculiarities. Number one, it was made of solid gold with a large bowl over the top. There were seven pipes, if you will, running to these seven little cups to provide the oil that needed to be refilled all the time, where the wicks were and all. And attached to this big bowl, ran these arms, if you will, from two olive trees. So the olive trees to fly the oil, which wins to the bowls or the cups, which continue to light. And literally, he explained a fully automated candlestick, if you will. The application for Zerubbabel and the people of this vision is given by the angel in verses four, five, and six. That here, as elsewhere in the scriptures, the oil, which is representative of the work of the Holy Spirit, God tells the prophet that the Holy Spirit would enable this work to go forward. That though there were challenges and difficulties, that God would accomplish the work. It's not by your strength or power, it's by God's spirit. And it is this beautiful picture of what they would have to do on their own daily to keep it going, that the Lord would do that work for them. He draws this very beautiful kind of picture. So they shouldn't be overwhelmed by the impossibility of the task or they're overwhelmed by the challenge that was before them, just trust the Lord to do the work. He could work and he will work. And so, in verse seven, we are told that the work would be accomplished by the hand of God, that he would level mountains and produce cheers of grace when all was said and done. People would stand back and say, "Oh, the Lord has done it, he's amazing." And people would begin to worship. Today, the church is called to reach the lost, that's quite a task. In our generation, quite a challenge. To make disciples in the midst of opposition and great difficulty, an overwhelming challenge, and yet the church isn't built by man's wisdom, it's built by the work of God's spirit through his word. We need less planning, more praying, to be honest with you. We need more of his strength, not our own. We need inspiration, not perspiration. We need God to work. And so, during this time of great tribulation, God will choose two men empowered by the spirit to do this work of representing the Lord at a very trying time. And when they are finished, and that'll be the words we'll read here in a minute in Revelation 11, when they had finished, the Lord will call them home. But it isn't their work, it's his work in them. It isn't our work to reach the lost, it's his work in us. You walk with the Lord, you keep his word in your mouth, God'll do the rest. You pray and rest. It isn't dependent of God, doesn't need your help. But he's looking for available hearts, always the case. So, unless you get in your head, I gotta do this for Jesus. All he wants from you is availability. The ability he'll provide. But if you're looking at your ability, man, you're always gonna be frustrated 'cause it's bigger than us, isn't it? And more challenging for sure. But through these two men, God will powerfully move in his spirit to save even as the mountains will become planes before them and the obstacles will be removed by his grace. So, here in one verse, or in one chapter, I should say, written 12, maybe 18, 5, 19, BC. God makes reference to something that we're still looking forward to. But you're noticing here in verse 13 and 14, the reference to these two who will stand anointed upon the Lord, by the Lord, on the earth. And so, let's go back to Revelation now. So, we kind of keep that in mind. You can write that in your notes, if you will. But notice what we read in verse three. I will give power to these two witnesses that they would prophesy three and a half years. They would be clothed in sackcloths as prophets. They are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. Exactly what we just read in chapter four, verse 13 and 14 of Zechariah. Verse five, and if anyone wants to harm them, fire will proceed from their mouth and devour their enemies. This is a cool gift. (congregation laughing) And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. Oh man, they shall have power to shut up heaven so that no rain will fall in the days of their prophecy. And they have power over the waters to turn them to blood and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. These dudes are bad dudes, aren't they? I mean, imagine the myths of all that we read, these two guys hanging around, right? And the power and the protection that the Lord gives them in no uncertain terms, they have tremendous authority. But as we just read in Zechariah, if you have that kind of power, you really do want the Lord to guide you. You don't want to get mad at something and say, I think I'll toast that guy, you know? Just breathe on him. So fire from their mouths that kill oppressors, no rain from the clouds and the sky, all the plagues as often as they desire. No more is said about this issue. I wish we got a whole chapter on what they were doing, but it would be fun to think about. You don't get told anything else. This is it, right? Except that God keeps them until their work is finished and their power may indicate to some extent who these two witnesses are. So the question then becomes, well, who are these two witnesses? Well, let me just say this to you first. It doesn't matter who they are because they're coming and who are it's going to use them. And when they breathe fire and toast somebody, that'll be one of the two witnesses right there. Well, you'll be sure. But barring the fact that you won't be here, and I don't think you'll be watching from heaven, you'll be too busy having Sunday, Thursday night worship, you know, with the Lord, let's take a look and see what we think may be taking place. I think that the first witness without doubt is Elijah. We only know that because the Bible says so. It's always easy when the Lord gives you insight. Malachi chapter four, verse five says, "Behold, I will send you Elijah "before that great and dreadful day of the Lord. "He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, "the hearts of the children to their fathers, "lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." But behold, I send you Elijah before that great and awful day of the Lord, that same reference is always to the great tribulation. When Zachariah the priest was intending to the candelabra, when he was working in the temple his week of commitment, Zachariah's was the future father to John the Baptist. The angel Gabriel came to him in chapter one of Luke and he told him he was gonna have a son. They were beyond bearing years, certainly in his wife Elizabeth had given up, I think, having a child that just didn't seem to be something the Lord had for them. But he is told he's gonna have the son. And then the angel says to him, in verse 17 of Luke 1, he will go before him, speaking of the Messiah Jesus, in the spirit and in the power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, he might prepare a people for the Lord. So when John the Baptist, before he was born, the angel already kind of associates the ministry of John, which was the forerunner of Jesus for his first coming to Elijah and this prophecy that we just read, there in Malachi chapter four. Years later, when John the Baptist came to ministry, when he came and people began to be drawn to him, the scribes and Pharisees came to him and said, are you Elijah? And he said, no, I'm not Elijah. I'm just the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the ways of the Lord. Just as the prophet Isaiah said, I would do. At the death of John the Baptist, as Jesus withdrew from ministry for a time to mourn, I think more than anything else, Paul's disciples kind of close to him. They were out in ministry in the Galilee, or actually in the Northern area. Jesus pointed out that John the Baptist had prefigured, if you will, Elijah's ministry and would yet continue to be that example of the fact that this is how Elijah will come, I'm sure for the second coming as he ran before the Lord. At the amount of transfiguration, Jesus appeared before three of the disciples, along with Moses and Elijah, and they were discussing Jesus as soon Exodus. That's what the year, what did you, his soon coming death. As they got ready to leave, Jesus turned to these apostles, and he talked to them about Elijah's future ministry. And he makes the point that John the Baptist was just like him, and he would be just like John the Baptist. So here's what Matthew writes in chapter 17. He said to his disciples, then his disciples said to him, why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? And Jesus said, indeed, Elijah is coming first to restore all things, but I said to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they wish. Likewise, the Son of Man is about to be suffering at their hands. So Jesus puts Elijah in that frame of reference to John the Baptist, first coming, second coming. Now we have a witness that is going closely to the second coming of the Lord out into the world, if you will, to witness for him. But both of them, John the Baptist and Elijah will call for the preparation of the hearts of the men to receive a coming Messiah. In the description, verse five and six of their power, Elijah exhibited this same kind of power in his ministry upon the earth. You might go back and read 2 Kings chapter one where Elijah calls down fire from heaven upon two groups of 50 people and cooks them. And a captain as well, before the third group begged him not to fry them. King Ahaziah had sent these men to arrest him. He wasn't ready to be arrested. And so he had been chastening the king for worshiping a false God. And so he spoke of the king's imposing death and the king didn't like us, well, let's throw him in jail. Well, they didn't get to arrest him after all, and the king did die even, and it was erected, it was to meet the Lord, if you will. Hear these 12, or sorry, these two witnesses stop the rain as they like for as long as three and a half years. We don't know if it's a global issue or it's an issue in Jerusalem where a lot of this seems to be taking place. It would be appropriate, I guess, to assume that it's global in nature. But we do know that one of the two men is gonna be Elijah. James said of Elijah that he was a man who had a nature just like ours, and yet, remember, he prayed that it wouldn't rain, and for how long did it not rain? For three and a half years, it is interesting, the exact same amount of time. And then he prayed again, and it rained, and the earth produced their fruit. And so there's a lot of scriptural evidence to tie Elijah into this ministry. You can read 1 Kings, I think, chapter 17, as well as, when he was sent and told the king is not gonna rain until I come back to see you. So he was a weak man, according to James, a sinful man, yet made powerful by the Lord, and we believe he will certainly be one of these two witnesses. In fact, if you go to a seder, a Passover seder today, by practice, a young boy is usually sent to the door during the service to see if Elijah has come back or not. It's part of the religious practice, if you will. In fact, there's usually a fifth cup of wine set out at the seder, it's known as the cup of Elijah, as well as a chair that is set there at the table, in case he shows up. So the nation is expecting Elijah, and one day they're going to find him. And so Israel will certainly recognize him, I think, and realize that the Messiah cannot be far behind. The second witness is a little bit more difficult. There are a couple of choices. I'll give you some of the choices that some people, especially well-known Bible scholars have made. Some people say, Enoch, Enoch was mentioned, you remember in Jude chapter 14, where it says Enoch was the seventh from Adam, and yet he was already prophesying at that time, behold, the coming of the Lord with 10,000 of his saints. And they say, well, that's a natural guy. He's seventh generation from the beginning. And he's already talking about the second coming of the Lord to rule and reign with 10,000 of his saints, a prophet with 100% accuracy, if you will. Some people say Enoch. And so it could be, I mean, if you read Enoch's story, you remember that he was the father of Methuselah. Methuselah lived to be the oldest man ever known in the Bible. He died in the year of the flood, but Enoch was his father. We do know a couple of things that at 65 years old, Enoch bore Methuselah. And we don't know what happened, but we do know that according to the scriptures, when his son Methuselah was born, he turned to the Lord. And for the next 300 years, so he was 365, he walked with God. And then one day the Lord just took him, he disappeared. He was raptured in an Old Testament sense. He was not because the Lord took him, alive to heaven. And like Elijah, Enoch didn't die, but he was caught up into heaven. Those who support the thought that it is Enoch will quote to you Hebrews 927 and say, "Well, you know, the Bible said it is appointed onto men, "once to die and then the judgment." And so he hasn't died. And so he must be the guide to which I usually reply, "Well, in the rapture millions of people "are not gonna die." So maybe that's not your best argument. And it seems to me that Enoch is set forth more than anything else to show us God's deliverance. And his rapture of the church before the judgment, this time the flood, if you will. There are other people who suggest that Zerubbabel is the guy from, this is Ezekiel, Zachariah chapter four, which we just read. They will add this verse out of Haggad, I'll read it to you as their argument. Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and say to him, I'm gonna shake the heavens and the earth. I'm gonna overthrow the thrones of kingdoms. I'm gonna destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms and overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them. The horses and the riders will come down, everyone by the sword of his brother. In that day, sayeth the Lord of hosts, "I will take you, Zerubbabel, my servant, "sayeth the Lord, and I will make you a signet ring "for I have chosen you, sayeth the Lord." And that is the verse that they then stand with and hang on to and say it must be Zerubbabel. Let me give you my pick. Since I got a mic, like I said, it doesn't matter. But I think it's probably Moses. For a couple of reasons. Who better to speak to the nation about Old Testament law sacrifices than the law giver himself? Moses represents the law, Elijah the prophets. They've already worked together at the Mount of Sam's figuration. They seem to already have a deal together, right? And they were there with Jesus speaking about his sacrifice. Like Elijah, verse five, Moses also saw the fire of God bringing judgment and consuming those around him who defied the Lord. It started there in Leviticus chapter 10 when the place of worship was finished and God sent fire down from heaven. And the first sacrifice was consumed in the eyes of all of the people. So they would know this is acceptable to God. But then Aaron's two boys, Nadab and Abayu, who had been drinking a little bit according to what you read in Leviticus chapter 10, decided, man, this is too exciting to not get in on. And they let some fires, but they didn't light them from the Lord's power. They let it by their, however they made fire. And then they started running right, whoo, the fire of the Lord. And the Lord let the fire jump out of the offering and kill both of them. And then the Lord spoke to Aaron that before the people, he's to be glorified. Nobody else gets glory but him. I'm the one that you should be worshiping and acknowledging. So Moses was there to see it. When there was a dissatisfaction with Moses's leadership and it was more than once, but in particular this one time in Numbers chapter 16, it was a fellow named Cora who had organized a bunch of leadership people to go and stand against Moses and just a question whether he should be the leader, if you will or not. And so God sent fire and he took out Cora and his entire family to say to the people, yeah, I've chosen Moses. And then there were 250 other guys who went, yeah, we still don't think he should be the one. They went away too. So yeah, it's probably better not to mess with the Lord, you know. While Moses was in Egypt, excess chapter seven, he saw by the hand of the Lord, the waters of Egypt turned to blood. In fact, if you read verse six here, it says all of the plagues, there seems to be a reference to the plagues that God has brought upon others in judgment before. And so Moses for those nine months of those 10 plagues was someone that the Lord had used. So I personally believe it's gonna be Elijah and Moses to Old Testament prophets crying out to the nation of Israel as the nation again resorts to Old Testament sacrifice to a rebuilt temple and to be honest, to a practice that is a total offense to God because his son has already been sent. This is not gonna be the place you're gonna find deliverance. But for those three and a half years, notice that these two witnesses are protected by the Lord. They cannot be stopped in any attempt to harm them leaves you as burnt toast. So I don't, whoever they are, I hope that the impression will be upon the people that are left behind. All right, I'm given in, he's the Lord. That would be your hope. But again, we'll read time and time again. It doesn't seem to always work in the hearts of the people. Verse seven says, when they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bodily pit will make war against them and he will overcome them and he will kill them. So at the end of their work, three and a half years, they will be opposed and not be able to be touched. No doubt, some had tried and fried. That's my remembrance. But here the Antichrist, possessed by Satan himself, will turn against these two and will be given the ability to eliminate them or to kill them. In fact, we will read in verse 10, those that stand on the earth will rejoice over them. They will make Mary sending gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those who dwell upon the earth. Oh, they couldn't be happier that these guys have been killed until God is through with them though, known as verse seven, when they had finished their testimony. I want you to underline that because that's true for you. Until God has done with you your bulletproof. Unless you're just a knucklehead. I mean, you can put yourself where you don't belong. But if you're walking with the Lord, I think you're invincible until he's finished with you. You're off limits, right? Whatever the enemy would want to do to you. So when you're done though, I don't want to be here 10 minutes after God's done with me. But I don't want to leave early either, right? You just want to get done what he has given you to do. So at the three and a half year mark. So again, we're real close to the end, which is why I said all of these compressed chapters, I think just take place over a matter of days and weeks. They will be killed. Verse eight, their bodies, dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city in Jerusalem, which spiritually know is called Sodom and Goon and Egypt, which also where also our Lord has been crucified. And then those from the people and tribes, tongues and nations will see their dead bodies for three and a half days. And they won't be allowed to put their dead bodies into the grave while verse 10, the world rejoices over their death. The great city Jerusalem, and notice that the Lord now describes them by their spiritual condition. He compares them to Sodom and Gomorrah and to Egypt. Now, if you go to, I think Ezekiel chapter 16, verse 49, there is a description of Sodom and Gomorrah. And the description is they were wicked and immoral and perverse and lazy and would not take any concern for the poor. They were a wicked place. Now, God is calling the place where He had put His name. Sodom and Gomorrah, can you imagine? And then He compares them to Egypt, which at least in the Bible, spiritually, is always that place where man lives in the world, bound to his flesh against God and all that God cares for and life without which you'll never get free of unless the Lord brings you out as He did His children. So unfortunately, in the tribulation, there will be a spiritual climate of the hearts of those in and around Jerusalem. And this is what it will look like. They will have a temple, they'll have religion, but their hearts will be far from God. Nothing has really changed in that regard. They will re-institute the sacrificial system. And notice, just to be sure you understood, verse eight says, "This is where the Lord died." Now, I don't suspect He has to, when I read this, I say to myself, it seems like it would be unnecessary to redefine that that was Jerusalem after He just said it was the great city spiritually. But it could very well be that where the temple is gonna be on Mount Moriah there, that that's the place that they're gonna be killed. That's where the conflict is gonna be. The Antichrist is there demanding to be worship and they're there to say that's a bad idea. So it'll be a public conflict or a spectacle. And yet at this point, when they're finished, their testimony, for three and a half days, they'll lie dead in the streets and they won't even be allowed to be buried. Now, you might say that's not very common in decency, but understand to a Jewish mindset, this is especially repugnant. Jews to this day do funerals the same day as somebody dies within 24 hours. So we are told that the whole world will views them, which is interesting, isn't it? The whole world will be watching. And if you think about that, until 60 years ago, that was technologically impossible. So there's another good reason to think the Lord is coming soon. You can now watch it. We can now watch off the head of a missile around the world crashing into its intended target. And we can see everything real time now, right? So before satellite transmissions, TV feeds, the idea of anyone seeing everything in the same place was a pipe dream. Today, it's a reality. And I don't know what John was thinking when he wrote this. How in the world is that ever going to happen? He didn't ask. He just wrote down what he was told. I'm sure that the contemporaries of John read this and thought he was out of his mind. Maybe they chided him. How is the whole world going to see anything ever? He just faithfully wrote what he had written down. So here's another good indicators of the days in which you live. The technology has caught up with the Bible's predictions. By the way, we'll have another technological need in chapter 13 when the Antichrist wants to track everyone that's been marked. And you don't buy or sell without his mark. Pretty sure that's going to be some kind of computer. How awesome is our God? Verse 10, notice the response. "The world sees the death of these two witnesses as they cause for great rejection. They make merry." By the way, that's a literal word for throwing a party. They have people over. Hey, have a beer on us. Woo, they're dead. Finally, it's about time. These guys have been ridiculous. They've tormented those on the earth. How have they done that? They've preached the gospel. Imagine that, that the testimony of the gospel and the sometime immediate consequence of lashing out at the gospel is called torment. It must have been, it must have given the Antichrist a leg up when these people died. Oh, he, we're on the right side of things now. Certainly, the treatment of God's prophets have never been good. Read the last four or five verses of Hebrews 11. Then we read in verse 11, "But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them. They stood on their fate and, as you might suspect, great fear fell upon all those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven, saying to them, "Come up here." It's exactly, by the way, what I read about you and I in chapter four, verse one. Meditate after these things come up here. And they ascended in heaven in a cloud and their enemies saw it. In that same hour, there was a great earthquake. A 10th of the city fell. In the earthquake, 7,000 people died. And the rest were afraid. And they began to give the glory to the God of heaven. So, the world rejoices when God's witnesses are killed, but their rejoicing doesn't last long. Then they arise, this is going to be cool. I can't wait. They come to, you know, the public resurrection of these two men of God shakes people to this core. And the great rejoicing of verse 10 becomes great fear in verse 11. See, that doesn't last long. Imagine this coverage going to the ends of the earth. We interrupt our regularly scheduled program for this breaking news event. The dead guys are no longer dead. No, this is no trick. This is no deal. This is true. We've seen it. Oh, no. Oh, no. We've been so happy the last couple of days. But then, after their resurrection, what happens? There's great fear upon the people in their hearts towards the Lord, and these guys, their job is finished. Their ascension takes place before unbelieving eyes. There's an earthquake. It is localized. We are told it is localized. 10% of the city is destroyed. 7,000 people in the city die. And the rest of Jerusalem who survived are left afraid and are now willing to consider the Lord of glory. So, a remnant who now belong to the Lord for good are found in Jerusalem, and the nation of Israel is beginning to turn in greater and greater numbers to the Lord. And we will see that, especially as we get to chapter 12, how God is going to keep one third of all of the Jews alive at that time, will be saved and delivered. We know the number because the Bible tells us. Verse 14 says, "A second woe is now passed and behold, a third woe is coming." And again, that word quickly and immediately, and you can't escape the fact that the Lord wants us to know that even though we have all these chapters, it's going to go really quick until he comes in chapter 19. Next week, we are going to see the seventh trumpet sound, but only in heaven. And you say, well, isn't something supposed to happen? Yes, right after the trumpet sound or the seventh anything took place, there's always something that happens. But this time, it only happens in heaven-- and I should say, it's heard in heaven. Nothing happens upon the earth for a little while, because we still got to do chapter 11, 12, 13, and 14 and 15. But in heaven, the trumpet sounds and everyone goes, woo, the Lord's in charge now, and there's nothing left to be done. So again, verse 15 says, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ he'll reign forever and ever, and the worship begins, and the temple of God is opened in heaven, and thunder and lightning. Everybody's excited. But though that is the reaction of heaven, God is still filling in the pages. And so we're going to do the rest of chapter 11. Next week, then we're going to look at Israel for a couple of weeks and how God is going to save them and plan for their care. Then we're going to look at the unholy trinity in chapter 13. There is an unholy trinity. And then we'll kind of go from there. All right? So who are the two-- well, you decide for yourself. All right, let's pray. Father, we thank you tonight for your word to us. So excited, Lord, to see that you've given us so much to think about and go on. We've got all of these scriptures to lay next to one another to see if we can just determine what you're wanting to say to us. And you told us that we should study to show ourselves approved that that learning God's word doesn't just come through osmosis. It isn't good enough to carry the Bible around. We've got to open it up and read it and study and compare and seek to learn. And Lord, we're so thankful that you've given us a churchful of people that are hungry to know you and have their Bibles not just in their hands, but in their hearts. So may you continue to just guide us, especially as we think about, Lord, how these two witnesses are going to still stand out. I mean, the whole world is going to rejoice when they die. The whole world is going to hear every person, every tongue, every language of the gospel. They're going to be presented with the grace of God yet again before that time runs out and heaven is closed and graces is no more. There is still this last ditch effort on the part of our God to reach His creation. And we know that though God is in charge, He has given to man a choice, and He has held responsible for it. But Lord, I can't but imagine that this choice would be anything, but an easy choice to make, having seen what these witnesses can do and what the Antichrist is demanding. So Lord, may we continue to choose you over the world, choose you over this life, choose you first, make you our King, our Lord. And if He's not your Lord tonight, you still have time to confess your sins to Him and go to the cross where Jesus died and see Him dying for your sins because He did just that. He became sin, though He knew no sin, so that you could be made right with God. If you're here tonight, we'd love to pray with you to receive the Lord. You can come and talk to one of the pastors up front. If you're over in the overflow room to the north of us here, there'll be a pastor in there for you as well. If you're online today, like many of you listen, and I would encourage if you're living close by, get out of your house, come down here and join us. It's time to be in fellowship. It's not church to be sitting at home. I'm glad you're listening, but the body needs you, and you need them. But if you're listening at home, wherever you are in the world, go down to that description box at the bottom there of the YouTube page and follow the links there, and they'll take you to a page that talks them out, receiving the Lord into your life, and what God promises to do if you'll call upon Him. So God's going to do a work in you. His desire is that you would be saved. Doesn't want you to go through this tribulation. Doesn't want you to have to face his judgment. He doesn't rejoice in the death of the wicked, but the Lord wants your life. But you see, for love to be valuable and meaningful, it has to be chosen. God has chosen to send His Son. God has chosen to take your sins. God has chosen to lay his life down for you, but you need to choose now to follow Him and to receive what He has offered to you with arms that are open, your heart ready. If you'll do that, God will meet you here and give you life. Oh, how He wants you to have life. [MUSIC PLAYING] Well, thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and rating our podcast. You can visit us on the web at morningstarcc.org and on our YouTube channel at MorningstarCC. Again, that's at MorningstarCC. If you'd like to support this podcast, please look us up at patreon.com/morningstarcc. Again, that's patreon, p-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/morningstarcc. (upbeat music)
