Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. Revelation 1:3 NIV
Welcome, welcome, I’m so glad you’re here. This is our eleventh week of studying Revelation.
I’m so glad you’re here. Go ahead and just stay with me, everything you need to read is here.
Before we begin, let’s pray.
Thank You, Lord, for the words we’re about to read. Thank You for Your reign foreseen, I can hardly wait for it, Lord. Your will to come, Your will to be done. Your reign to extend over the whole earth and all those “destroyers of the earth” to be eliminated and only Your people in Your Kingdom. Oh how exciting and wonderful that will be. Everlasting Peace and Joy. Thank You for being such a wonderful God. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Please read Revelation 11:1-2
The Two Witnesses
1 Then there was given to me a [a]measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “[b]Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar [of incense], and [count] those who worship in it. 2 But leave out the court [of the Gentiles] which is outside the temple and do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles (the nations); and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months (three and one-half years).
Measure and Count. Do not fear, dear one, if you have put your trust in Him, you are counted among those in the temple. No longer are you counted as a ‘Gentile’ you are truly Israel.
How long do you think it would take to measure something with a six foot long rod?
Please read Revelation 11:3-6
3 And I will grant authority to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days (forty-two months; three and one-half years), dressed in [c]sackcloth.” 4 These [witnesses] are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6 These [two witnesses] have the power [from God] to shut up the sky, so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophesying [regarding judgment and salvation]; and they have power over the waters (seas, rivers) to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every [kind of] plague, as often as they wish.
Powerful witnesses. Fire in their mouths and authority to strike the east with every kind of plague, as often as they wish.
Please read Revelation 11:7-10
7 When they have finished their testimony and given their evidence, the beast that comes up out of the abyss (bottomless pit) will wage war with them, and overcome them and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie exposed in the open street of the great city (Jerusalem), which in a spiritual sense is called [by the symbolic and allegorical names of] Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 Those from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations [d]look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10 And those [non-believers] who live on the earth will gloat over them and rejoice; and they will send gifts [in celebration] to one another, because these two prophets tormented and troubled those who live on the earth.
The things that must be happening in the world at that time, in our time even are so horrible that these Godly men aren’t even allowed to be laid in a tomb but are gloated over? Their deaths celebrated with gift giving? Horrible. But their reward is coming…
Please read Revelation 11:11-12
11 But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear and panic fell on those who were watching them. 12 And the two witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they ascended into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.
See how we can know we are eternally safe? God will always rescue his people, even if it happens after we die.
Please read Revelation 11:13
13 And in that [very] hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell and was destroyed; seven thousand [e]people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest [who survived] were overcome with terror, and [f]they glorified the God of heaven [as they recognized His awesome power].
Please refer to the footnote on this verse. This glorification is not with the right hearts.
Please read Revelation 11:14
14 The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
I guess that is repeated so that we will not forget another one is coming. But first another trumpet.
Please read Revelation 11:15-18
The Seventh Trumpet—Christ’s Reign Foreseen
15 Then the seventh angel sounded [his trumpet]; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
“The kingdom (dominion, rule) of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell face downward and worshiped God, 17 saying,
“To You we give thanks, O Lord God Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all], Who are and Who were, because You have taken Your great power and the sovereignty [which is rightly Yours] and have [now] begun to reign. 18 And the nations (Gentiles) became enraged, and Your wrath and indignation came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and [the time came] to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints (God’s people) and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and [the time came] to destroy the destroyers of the earth.”
Who are and who were… no longer “and who will be” because He is! The Lord God Almighty has taken up his power and sovereignty and He’s coming. So exciting. Such a wonderful future the faithful have.
Please read Revelation 11:19
19 And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning, loud rumblings and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
This is most certainly a sign of something. Chapter 12 is coming. Christ is coming. You don’t have to wait, you could read ahead if you wanted to. It won’t be here until the 14th but that is no reason you can’t read ahead. Whatever you do, Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, with your heart set on Christ and your mind focused on adoring Him.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Footnotes
- Revelation 11:1 John is describing a rod that is about six feet long.
- Revelation 11:1 The Greek corresponds to a Hebrew verb meaning “to stand” or “arise” which can be an instruction to prepare to fulfill a command, somewhat similar to the military command “attention.”
- Revelation 11:3 See note 6:12. [This was a coarse, uncomfortable material usually made of black goat hair and customarily worn as a sign of mourning or repentance.]
- Revelation 11:9 In Revelation John sometimes uses the present tense to refer vividly to the future.
- Revelation 11:13 Lit names of people.
- Revelation 11:13 These give glory out of servile fear, not worship from the heart.