The Future According to Godਨਮੂਨਾ

REVELATION 11: The Two Witnesses

In Revelation 11, we will look at the two witnesses and the seventh trumpet. What does it take for some to believe in Jesus? What did it take for you to believe in Jesus? Please read or listen to Revelation 11.

COMMENTS

In 1995, on Revelation 11, I wrote, “Two witnesses will testify for a period of time, then the beast will kill them. They will somehow be displayed as defeated and dead for a short period of time. And people will be very happy. But then they will come back to life and ascend into heaven.” I continued, “The seventh trumpet. Kingdom of earth turned over to Jesus, who will begin to reign."

In 2008, after reading Revelation 11, I wrote, "Two witnesses left for dead three and a half days, then resurrect in public." And I wrote, "Numbers: real or figurative? I don't pretend to understand it all, but I believe God is in control. The world will see. Some will believe, some will not.”

In 2013, I split this chapter into two different days. On the first day, I wrote, “Revelation 11:1-14. Will the temple be rebuilt? If so, the dome of the mosque must be destroyed, referring to what is in place in Israel today in Jerusalem.” I continued, “Two witnesses give testimony from the Holy City. When their work is done, they are killed, but not before. With global news coverage, they will be in the streets for days, and everyone will see that they are dead. The world will rejoice in their deaths, but surprise, surprise! The world is going to witness resurrection, according to Revelation 11:11-12 ESV. Some will finally give glory to God."

The next day, I finished Revelation 11, verses 15 through the end, and wrote, “Finally, history is coming to a close. Jesus is going to come and reign on earth forever; as the seventh angel announces Jesus, there is wonderful worship in heaven. Does God have a temple in heaven, according to Revelation 11:19 ESV?”

One of the questions in my journal was, will the temple be rebuilt? That’s a reference to 11:1, when John was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar” (Rev 11:1 ESV). My wife Terry and I visited Jerusalem. There was no temple on the temple site; it is a mosque. Many Christians wonder if that mosque will be destroyed and the temple will be rebuilt on that same site, or if something else may happen. Though many talk about it, it is hard to say, hard to know.

DIGGING DEEPER

The first few verses of Revelation 11 seem to say the Holy City is going to be trampled and, afterwards, God will raise up two witnesses to proclaim His truth from Jerusalem.

The question we must ask as we read Revelation is, do we take everything literally like these dates and these numbers, these witnesses, fire coming out of their mouths, or do we take them as figurative? I am not a biblical scholar. I am not a biblical expert. I like to listen to people debate these kinds of issues, though. All I know is there are going to be two witnesses in Jerusalem. They are going to proclaim prophecy, they are going to proclaim God’s truth, and they are going to be killed. “And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified” (Rev 11:7-8 ESV).

I do not know why Jerusalem is referred to as Sodom and Egypt here, but we know this is Jerusalem, because that is the city where the Lord was crucified. These two witnesses will lie in the streets. And Revelation 11:10 ESV says, "and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth."

If we place this moment in our world today, we know we have global media coverage, and everyone is going to know about this event. They will have seen these prophets give testimony. They will have seen them lying dead in the streets. And the world will rejoice. But they are not prepared for verse 11, “But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them” (Rev 11:11 ESV). Again, if you think about this happening in our day, what utter amazement this would be.

The next scene is even more so: “Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here!’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them” (Rev 11:12 ESV). Their resurrection is going to be seen. It is probably going to be recorded. It is going to be in the media everywhere. Then, just like when Jesus died on the cross, there is going to be a great earthquake. After all this, some are even going to give glory to the God of heaven. Sometimes you wonder what it would take for people to believe. This is something that is going to happen and cause some people to believe.

Finally, the seventh angel is going to blow his trumpet, and heaven is going to announce, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15 ESV). This is the moment in history heaven has been waiting for. They respond accordingly, with worship and rejoicing. This is also the moment many Christians wait for.

PRAYER

Jesus, when you were on this earth, you said you would come again. Here, in this chapter of Revelation, it is true, you are coming again. Heaven announces it. As heaven rejoices, we will rejoice as you come and reign here on earth. It is the moment in history that heaven waits for. It is also the moment in history most of us wait for. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.