Transcript

The Faithful Witnesses of Christ-Part One

Revelation 11:1-19
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Pastor Randy Smith

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Imagine being on an isolated island. Off in the distance you can see the mainland, but no one from the mainland ever comes to the island. You want to get there, but you have no boat and you canÕt swim. Yet one day a life jacket washes up on the shore. You have never seen anything like it. ItÕs big and soft so you decide to use it for a pillow. You desire to reach safety is never realized because you are using something for the wrong purpose.

So from that (lame) illustration, I ask you a very fundamental question. Actually, your answer to this question will shape your worldview and will guide how you conduct yourself on a daily basis. The question is very simple. Why are you on this earth? In other words, what is your purpose?

Well, if you just evolved, you canÕt claim that you have an ultimate purpose. Your purpose is whatever you determine is best for yourself. Sure, you might wish to make the world a better place, but the bottom line is you will do whatever you think is best that will primarily revolve around living for your agenda. With evolution, you are nothing but a random mass of DNA and as atheist scientist Richard Dawkins admitted, ÒDNA neither cares nor knows. DNA just is. And we dance to its music.Ó

Yet hopefully, all of you in this room acknowledge you were created by God. So is the all-knowing, wise and sovereign king of the universe chose to make you we have to believe there was a reason for His choosing to do so. All of GodÕs acts have a deliberate purpose.

So then, why did God make you? Or for the Christian we can go even a step further. Why did God redeem you, save you, call you to Himself? You canÕt avoid this question as your answer to this question will chart the entire course of your life. So what is your answer? Are you being used for the ultimate purpose God intended?

Listen, God made you for Himself. And He has wired you in such a way that you will never find peace or your true meaning in life until you find it in Him. Our God is a glorious God and He made us in His image to reflect His image. The Light of the world made us not that we might put His light under a bushel, but rather that we would allow the light of God in us to shine from the hilltops both through our actions and our words. We were created and saved so that we might show Him, be (here it is!) a witness for Him. That is your primary purpose in life.

We know the book of Revelation was written to the suffering church in the first century. They were suffering because they were seeking by witness to bring the light of God to a dark world that wants nothing to do with it. All Christians are witnessing Christians. Today we see those witnessing Christians in action on earth and then in part 2, in heaven.

Permit me a brief word of explanation before we get rolling. In Bible study we use the big word, Òhermeneutics.Ó A hermeneutic is system used to interpret Scripture. For example, my hermeneutic is to take the words in the Bible literally unless called to do otherwise by context, literary device or genre. The genre of Revelation is apocalyptic literature which relies heavily on symbolism. Therefore my hermeneutic for Revelation is just the opposite from the rest of Scripture. So I take the material symbolically unless called to take it literally. For instance, when Revelation talks about Satan I take that literally because he is spoken of elsewhere literally in the Bible. The same could be said for the love of Christ, the wrath of God and the existence of heaven and hell. Yet other things are to be taken symbolically and weÕve seen that over the past couple months.

I havenÕt come across any scholars that take the book of Revelation completely literally or completely symbolically. Some lean more toward the literal side. Others lean more toward a symbolic side. Chapter 11, possibly more than another chapter in this book is the one that challenges you to definitely take a side. To stay consistent, you need to take the beginning of this chapter either literally or symbolically. And after a week of studying and thinking things through, I am personally not sure where I stand. So IÕll wimp out this morning and present both sides. You can choose for yourself. But then IÕll also tell you the things we can be assured of with total confidence. Our main point is reflected in the title: ÒThe Faithful Witnesses of ChristÓ and weÕll probably only make it to verse 14.

1. GodÕs Witnesses on Earth (verses 1-14)

We begin with the first point, ÒGodÕs Witnesses on Earth,Ó in verses 1-14.

For the most part, the author John has been a passive recipient of the vision. Yet in the previous chapter he was told to eat the little scroll. Clearly this is symbolism for taking in the Word of God and becoming one with the message before he proclaimed it to others.

Here in chapter 11 he is again given work to do. In verse 1 we read that John is given a measuring rod and told to measure the temple. So right away, here we need to make a call. Is this referring to the literal temple on earth in Jerusalem that many feel will be rebuilt just prior to the LordÕs return or is this a symbolic way of referring to the church as GodÕs people are the true temple where God dwells and we are promised the priesthood of all believers (Rev. 1:6; 5:10).

We see the same in verse 2 where the nations Òwill tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.Ó Literal? Is this as many believe referring to the anti-God opposition that will ransack literal Jerusalem for a literal 42 months or is the holy city again referring to the church and the persecution she will need to endure? And the 42 months? WeÕll see this number coming up frequently in Revelation. Sometimes itÕs 42 months. Sometimes itÕs 1,260 days. Sometimes itÕs 3½ years. Sometimes itÕs a time (1 year), times (2 years) and a half of times (a half of year). We have the same sayings all of them referring to the same thing. Again, is it a literal 3½ years or symbolic for a period of suffering for some in the church? Could it have something to do with 7 being the number of completion and remembering the words of Jesus when He spoke of this time of severe testing at the end of the age for the church and said Òfor the sake of the elect those days will be cut shortÓ (Mt. 24:22).

How would someone in the first century, the original audience, interpret this number? Most commentators agree that would have come to mind when this number was used was the time when the Jews a little over a century earlier were suffering under the Syrian tyrant, Antiochus Epiphanes. This number became a common symbol to speak of the time when final witness, divine protection and pagan aggression are all simultaneous. It serves as a fitting symbol for the end of the age.

So no matter how you slice it, we can conclude that there will be a final and vicious assault from the enemies of God on GodÕs people. This is predicted and permitted by God. And why does it happen? This happens because GodÕs people will be serving Him faithfully and bearing witness to His name in a world that will be totally engulfed in darkness.

The following verses testify to the faithfulness of GodÕs witnesses. Verse 3, ÒAnd I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.Ó Here we have the same time frame again. And here we have to make another significant interpretation. Is this a literal two witnesses? Many have suggested itÕs the return of Moses and Elijah or are these two witnesses symbolic of the church modeled in the spirit of Moses and Elijah?

We do know, as the verse says, they will be clothed in sackcloth. Sackcloth was spoken of in the Old Testament in two primary contexts. First it was the garb of the prophets. Most of these men were rugged, living off the grid-driving a pickup, kind of guys. Also sackcloth brings to mind the clothing used in times of repentance. Frequently we read of people convicted of their sin and turning from their sin and turning to God in Òsackcloth and ashesÓ (Mt. 11:21). So again, safe to say, GodÕs witnesses are His prophets (all Christians). They take GodÕs word and they declare it to people. And the primary message of their preaching? Repentance! GodÕs people calling the world to forsake their sins and embrace Jesus Christ for salvation. And when that happens, you can well imagine the result.

Yet these witnesses are precious in the sight of God. They are, verse 4, ÒThe two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earthÓ (some direct allusions to Zechariah 4, also in chapter 1 we learned that the church is the lampstand) and verse 5, ÒIf anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.Ó Again a literal fire or is this a reference to the Word of God that comes from their mouths? Is there such a hatred for God that people have a hatred for GodÕs Word and hatred for those who proclaim it? Are the words of God so offensive that itÕs as if unbelievers are being scorched with fire?

Last week I was at an awards assembly for my daughter. The superintendent of the district mentioned how encouraged he was with the community service these young people participated in. By way of example he gave some examples of the service that was rendered. Sure enough the following morning one young girl registered a complaint that he dared to mention the word Òchurch.Ó She was deeply offended.

You know how much people want the name of God removed from the pledge, currency and every public school text book. The name of Jesus Christ, unless of course itÕs taken in vain, is at an even more offensive level! Well, how about faithful Christians who back their words with holy living and are found at a time when the world is in its spiritually darkest moment preaching a message from God on the need to repent? Folks, itÕs hard to preach repentance in many churches today. Need I say more? How do you think this message will be accepted?

ThatÕs all true, yet when we read verse 5 in the context of verse 6 we could be talking about a literal fire. We know about the literal fire that Elijah called down from heaven (1 Ki. 1:10). Could GodÕs end-time witnesses do what the witnesses of old accomplished? Regarding these two witnesses (or the church) in verse 6: ÒThese have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying (Elijah - 1 Ki. 17:1); and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood (Moses - Ex. 7:17), and to strike the earth with every plague (Moses - Ex. 9:14), as often as they desire.Ó Could it be in the final days that GodÕs servants are given the same powers as the prophets of old or is this just another way of God saying His people will be protected when His wrath is delivered upon the earth?

Verse 7, ÒWhen they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.Ó

The story in Revelation has been consistent. GodÕs true people are witnesses for His name. GodÕs people will not lose their salvation, but persevere with Christ until the end. God will pour out His wrath just before the return of Christ. Christians will be here during that time of wrath. Christians will be protected from that wrath of God, but they are not necessarily protected from the wrath of man. Christians will, as they have throughout the church age lay their lives down for Jesus as a result of their witness as we will see in the next chapter. ÒAnd they [Christians] overcame him [Satan] because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with deathÓ (Rev. 12:11). Why? Because they knew their purpose was not to preserve their life, but to use their life to witness for Christ.

Well, in verse 7 of chapter 11 we are introduced (in a sense) to the Òhim.Ó ItÕs probably not Satan here, but his leading human figure, the Antichrist. HeÕs the world leader that the world loves and follows. He comes (verse 7 says) from the abyss in that he is empowered by Satan. He hates the witnesses of God. Here we see he persecutes the witnesses of God and kills them. Again, either these literal two or a percentage of people from within the church. Since he Òmakes war with themÓ the latter might be favored.

The prophecy from Daniel 7:21-22 also leans us in that direction. ÒI kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.Ó

Verse 8, ÒAnd their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.Ó

ÒWhere their Lord was crucifiedÓ here in verse 8 is often taken to refer to Jerusalem. Yet we read that these places in the verse itself are to be taken Òmystically.Ó So most likely this is not a literal geographic location, but rather the symbolism about the place where Jesus was crucified. And what is that? It was the response of unrighteousness to righteousness. Jesus was a man who preached truth as He witnessed for the Father and the world hated Him and wanted Him gone and killed Him on a cross. Sounds exactly like what weÕve been talking about regarding the church. Remember our LordÕs words? ÒIf the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you É If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours alsoÓ (Jn. 15:18, 20).

ThatÕs why Sodom and Egypt are listed here. They are never used to refer to Jerusalem nor are they to be taken literally. Rather it is what these two cities represent what we read about them in the Bible. Sodom represents the depths of moral depravity and Egypt represents slavery and oppression. And as weÕll see later in Revelation, Rome became a symbol of all the civilizations that oppose God.

We are talking about what Augustine called Òthe city of manÓ when it is met with Òthe city of GodÓ or we could say Òthe new JerusalemÓ (Rev. 3:12; 21:2) or as verse 2 called the church, Òthe holy city.Ó When these two worlds collide, a nasty confrontation often occurs.

Death resulted for the witnessing Christians. Verse 9, all the people of the world looked at them as they lay dead for 3½ days (literal or symbolic?). Remember they witnessed for 3½ years. The verse says people would stare at them and Ònot permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.Ó

In the Middle East, and even to a degree here, this was a great act of indignity, perhaps the worst form of insult. WeÕve seen it on the news when American soldiers are killed oversees and their bodies are dragged through the streets. Do you see the scorn of man when the church calls him to repent?

Furthermore, verse 10, ÒAnd those who dwell on the earth 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.Ó

The world throws a party. Those Christians, the only ones still remaining who call us to morality and stop us from having fun and make us feel bad about what we are doing and tell us to follow Jesus Christ. We hate that name. They ÒtormentÓ us. We hate them and now they are finally gone. Time to celebrate! The verse says they exchange gifts!

You can see the world primed for this right now. Why is there political correctness to every people group, except Christians. Why is the fool in many movies portrayed as a Christian? Bruce Jenner when he comes out as Caitlyn Jenner wins an ESPY for courage. Would Tim Tebo> ever win an award like that for his courage? A lot of talk lately about not discriminating against Muslims (I listened to our President and read Mark ZuckerbergÕs post on Facebook) because of the recent attack from radical Islam. Let me ask you, if Christians were committing these awful crimes do you think the response from society would be the same?

The darkness hates the light. So when Antichrist is running wild and Jesus is preparing for His return and the world is a million miles from God and the church is faithfully witnessing to Jesus regarding repentance, it doesnÕt take a rocket scientist to predict the outcome.

ÒBut,Ó verse 11, ÒAfter the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them.Ó Again we see that number 3½ days.

I think itÕs very clear. The verse says Òthey stood on their feet.Ó Obviously we are talking about resurrection. Now if this is the church, could this be the fulfillment from EzekielÕs vision from chapter 37 when he spoke about the valley of dry bones? ÒProphesy over these bones and say to them, ÔO dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.Õ Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ÔBehold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORDÕÓ (Eze. 37:4-6).

Is this the Resurrection of the dead spoken of in 1 Thessalonians 4? ÒFor the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.Ó

Or 1 Corinthians 15? ÒIn 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. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortalityÓ (1 Cor. 15:52-53).

Verse 15 of this chapter will talk about the seventh and final trumpet sounding just like we saw in those two verses I just read - the return of the Lord and the rapture of the church. And what does He say right here in verse 12? ÒCome up here.Ó Could the rapture of the saints be at the same time that our Lord returns? Just like 1 Thessalonians 4, verse 12 here says, ÒThey went up into heaven in the cloud.Ó

This is no secret rapture. Everything here is clearly visible before the world. In verse 11, they experienced Ògreat fearÓ when the witnesses came back to life. In verse 12, they Òheard [the] loud voice from heaven.Ó Also in verse 12 as they ascended to heaven, ÒTheir enemies watched them.Ó Verse 15, ÒThe seventh angel soundedÓ his trumpet.

Verse 13, ÒAnd in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.Ó

WeÕve clearly seen already in Revelation that the majority in the end times do not turn to Christ. Giving glory to God here only means they acknowledge His greatness as the One that is behind these spectacular events (cf. Mt. 5:16). They simply acknowledge His power over the Antichrist who they had been following. Yet everything in Revelation says they still refuse to bow the knee and submit to His will.

So literal or symbolic? Hopefully I gave you a lot to think about. But we can walk away from this passage clearly understanding the main point. Despite the opposition, Christians not Òshould be,Ó but Òwill beÓ witnesses for Jesus Christ. That is why God made you and redeemed you. Are you being used for the right purpose?

We looked at GodÕs witnesses here on earth in verses 1-14. Lord willing weÕll get to GodÕs witnesses in heaven in verses 15-19 when we resume our study in Revelation.