Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

The testing and trials of VBS on the workers have no comparison to the testing and trials of God’s people in Revelation.

However, the witnessing done at VBS can compare to some degree to the witness we see in our passage this morning

Transition:

This second interlude break of Revelation that began in chapter 10:1 speaks to the situation of God’s people in this world.

The first part of the interlude we saw last week had the recommissioning of John to continue his prophetic ministry (in ch 10), a ministry that can extend to the entire church in the second vision of the interlude: the two witnesses (11:1–13).

This second vision has two parts: 11:1–2 and 11:3–13.

Against the backdrop of Ezekiel’s measuring of the temple in Ezekiel 40–42, John too is called to measure the temple in 11:1–2.

But unlike Ezekiel, John is commanded not to measure the outer court.

In the second part of the vision (11:3–13), we read of the ministry, death, and resurrection of the witnesses.

Scripture Reading:

Revelation 11:1-13

The entire interlude demonstrates the bittersweet contents of the little scroll: victory through faithful suffering.

This passage illustrates once again that God promises to vindicate His faithful people who experience the world’s hostility.

The apparent triumph of the evil ones is actually their undoing, because of God’s faithful commitment to raise His people from the dead.

The resurrection of Jesus stands as proof of God’s commitment to reverse the curse of sin and death.

As the apostle Paul put it, “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Rom.

6:5).

Transition:

So John has a few things to say about this vision and he starts with a holy place:

I.

The Temple of God (vv.1-2)

The idea of God’s Temple spans throughout scripture, and John expounds some importance here

“The Temple Of God”

This Temple might be the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem but it seems more to be a spiritual - non physical one based on how the “Temple of God” has been mentioned in chapters 3 & 7

At the end of the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel is told to measure a temple for God, BUT the big difference is that in Ezekiel 40, he is measuring a real physical temple that will come in the future - inside and out.

John is told only to measure that which is within this “temple of God.”

This passage highlights the importance of the Temple.

There is a heavenly temple, there are physical temples on Earth, and even believers’ hearts are the temple of God [[1 Cor.

3:16–17]]

Today in Jerusalem there remains the Dome of the Rock and though Israel has occupied Jerusalem there is too much opposition to tear down the Islamic mosque and reconstruct the Temple.

In the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation period the Temple will be rebuilt again.

But our passage seems to indicate a non-physical one.

So why measure the Temple?

John measuring the Temple is probably symbolic of the LORD saying it belongs to Me as when a house or land is sold today it is surveyed.

The measuring of the inner sanctuary of the temple points to the protective presence of YHWH much like the sealing of God’s people against demonic assault and idolatrous influences in Chapter 7.

I then think that the temple, the altar, and its worshipers here represent the complete Holy Christian community, based on the figurative use of “temple”

Here we are specifically told that the “nations” or Gentiles will tread underfoot the holy city for 42 months which is the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation Period.

The time period of 42 months (also 13:5) is repeated as 1,260 days (11:3; 12:6) and “a time, times, and half a time” (12:14), and symbolizes a limited period of time in which evil is allowed to triumph over God’s people (cf.

Dan.

7:25; 9:27; 12:7, 11–12).

Revelation never mentions the three-and-a-half-years designation, and Daniel never uses the figure of forty-two months, but the time period is equivalent.

The Daniel prophecy is fulfilled in the final days of human history with the persecution by the beast and his followers.

This outer court likely refers both to physical Jerusalem to the church also, but from a different perspective—the people of God vulnerable to persecution and martyrdom.

This leads us to a desecration of God’s temple

The “holy city” then represents the earthly, “not yet” aspect of the future heavenly/earthly Jerusalem

Transition:

This period describes a time when God allows his people to be persecuted and martyred and corresponds to their time of witness

II.

The Two Witnesses (vv.3-7)

In contrast to the white clothing worn by God’s people in heaven (Rev.

7), these witnesses are dressed in black, goat’s hair sackcloth, the traditional garments of mourning:

Who are the two witnesses??? Verse 4 tells us: “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands/candlesticks…”

The witnesses are described using images drawn from Zechariah 4, where the two olives trees (probably referring to Israel’s kingship and priesthood) are empowered by the Spirit to lead God’s people.

Here the olive trees are equated with two lampstands, an image used in chapter 1

In Zechariah 4, Zechariah receives his fifth vision of judgement

skipping to verse 12

[[Zechariah 4:12-14]]

The two anointed ones

the number “two” probably comes from the need for two witnesses to constitute valid legal testimony

[[Deut.

19:15]]

At the mouth of two witnesses

Then: Hebrews 10:28 These witnesses were require under the law

The question still lingers then, and has been debated over the centuries about who are these witnesses?

• Some have said they are Elijah and Enoch-- because they never died a physical death

I cannot be dogmatic on this subject, but at this time in heaven there will be many who have never died a physical death thanks to the rapture.

• Other says they are Moses and Elijah, which could make more sense because of the signs that follows them.

The power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days — much like Elijah, but remember

James 5:17

“Have power over water to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues”

Mention: Exodus 7

After 42 months, the only two public witnesses are killed along with their testimony

The beast, introduced here, will be described in more detail in chapters 13 and 17 (cf.

Dan.

7:7–22).

This beast enemy of God comes from the Abyss with the mission of destroying the witnesses.

Transition:

It seems with the temple and then these two witnesses, John’s vision is contrasting eternal life with eternal death now with physical life and death

III.

Death & Life (vv.8-13)

Following the death of the two witnesses, their corpse is denied a proper burial by the nations, a sign of insult, shame, and humiliation

God has a way of emphasizes a point throughout His Word with words and here it is said that Jerusalem spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt.

The “great city” is mentioned seven other times in Revelation (16; 17, & in chapter 18 five times), all of which refer to the center of worldly power allied against YHWH and His people—This was easily Rome in the first century.

The great city is “figuratively called” Sodom and Egypt, the place where “their Lord was crucified” and stands in contrast to the holy city.

This mega (μεγάλης) city of wickedness can be symbolized as a place of moral depravity (Sodom), a place of oppression and slavery (Egypt), or a place responsible for the unjust death of Jesus Christ (Jerusalem).

Sodom is known for homosexually and Egypt is know for worldliness

In the 1st Century, one might think John is crazy to write that many people could see these bodies lying in the streets but today we have live streaming that makes this an easy reality.

They are without a burial as they lie for 3½ days—but only 3½ days

After 3 ½ days they are brought to life by the Spirit of God and ascended up to heaven in a cloud… this sounds almost familiar!

The breath of life might conjure up Adam & Eve or the dead dry bones in Ezek.

37

The 3 ½ days recalls contrasts with the much longer three and a half years of their prophetic ministry and perhaps even Jesus’s three days in the grave then the later ascension.

After the brief celebration by the inhabitants of the earth, God resurrects the witnesses.

Through resurrection God defeats evil’s greatest and last weapon: death [[1 Cor.

15:26]].

As a result, the enemies of God’s people are paralyzed with terror,

“Come up here”

This reminds me a bit of the rapture.

When our testimony is finished God will call us unto Himself and certainly at the rapture of the Church there will be that call unto the dead in Christ and those which are alive in Him.

This earthquake really is grace, YHWH wants to get the attention of those who will witness this resurrection because they might then give God the glory as they cannot deny that this is the work of our LORD.

The expression “gave glory to God” may indicate genuine repentance, but it could also point to a forced confession of God’s glory—just as Nebuchadnezzar confessed glory to Daniel’s God without a genuine repentance (in Dan.

4:34).

Also in 13:3–4 we read that the whole world will follow the beast.

The most revealing bit is that their responses of “terror” and “glory” are not in response of the martyrdom of the witnesses, but by God’s raising them from the dead and the subsequent judgment of God indicated by the severe earthquake.

So What? (v.14)

In spite of the difficulties of understanding this passage perfectly, several points of application seem clear:

God calls his people to minister and speak testimony to a rebellious, hate-filled world.