Expounds on Revelation 11:1-13, focusing on the two witnesses and their ministry during the Great Tribulation. It establishes that this period is Jewish ground, marked by the restoration of temple worship and the Gentiles treading underfoot the holy city for forty-two months. The two witnesses, depicted as olive trees and lampstands, will prophesy for 1,260 days, performing miracles like Elijah and Moses, and will be divinely protected until their testimony is finished. After being killed and their bodies displayed in Jerusalem, they will be resurrected and ascend to heaven, followed by a great earthquake that shakes the city and leads the survivors to fear and glorify God.
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Your lesson today will be in chapter eleven of the book of the Revelation. The eleven chapter of Revelation. Your lesson page is number eighteen. And we have a most interesting portion to cover today. We would like particularly to read part of the chapter first. And we shall read, if I may, beginning at verse one. And read down through verse eleven. Or verse twelve rather. Or finish it at verse thirteen. That be the proper ending. There was given me a reed, like unto a rod. And the angel stood saying, Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not. For it is given unto the Gentiles. and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses. They shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three-score days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies.
And if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it reign not in the days of their prophecy. And have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. When they shall have finished their testimony, The beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also the Lord was crucified, and they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations.
shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth, and after three days and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them, And they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them, which saw them. They heard a great voice from heaven, saying unto them, Come up here, and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them.
And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake was slain, and then seven thousand. And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven. May the Lord bless the reading and the hearing of his precious word. Blanch with your lesson sheet for just a moment or two and read the first introduction that we have. As we come to this section in the parenthetical portion between the sixth trumpet and between that and the blowing of the seventh, concerning, as we have in the heading of the sheet, Jerusalem... and the two witnesses of whom we have read.
Please note the introduction saying this. We want to particularly emphasize the truth of what is stated. We are now on Jewish ground. Transfer to Jerusalem. For we read, as we have done, of the temple, the altar, the court, and the holy city. God's judgments. are closing on the world. And in this particular portion we're in the last half of the prophetic week of Daniel's prophetic week of seven years. And the time is nearing the establishing of God's center of earthly government, which must be and will be at Jerusalem when Christ the Messiah reigns.
Now that's just a few introductory reports that would be at large done as we study. But I want you to do something for me this morning and go with me to the book of Deuteronomy. Will you go back to the book of Deuteronomy chapter thirty-two? And I wish to read some of the words that Samuel and rather Moses said in that last great farewell of Moses, ere the Lord took him to be with himself. But in chapter thirty-two, verses eight and nine. We would like particularly to notice together, chapter thirty-two, verse eight and nine.
Note these words. When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the Lord's portion is his people. Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. Meditate, let me carefully with me on these words that Moses did utter in this prophecy. Telling when God separated the nation. The purpose of God in separating the nations As you may read in Genesis chapter ten, particularly when they were first established, he did so according to their families, according to their languages, according to their countries and their land.
And there was supposedly to remain each nation and people in their respective place of divine division. We know that has not been kept and has not been fulfilled. But in the purposes of God, relative to the nations and his people Israel, he intends that his people Israel as a nation will be the center of the whole world of nations. And around Israel, the nations of the earth will revolve and manifest for the glory of God, his righteousness, which is in the purpose of God.
Now this has never been fulfilled, but when the Lord Jesus comes back to reign upon the earth, it will be fulfilled. And if you were to take a map of the world, it would seem most unusual to realize, and I think very truthful, that the nation of Israel is practically in that little land of two hundred miles running north and south and not too far or wide. It's practically in the center of the world. For Jerusalem is going to be the capital of the world in the millennial kingdom. And may I please state, I've stated for this specific purpose, we are realizing today more than ever the unrest of the nations and the displeasure that seems to be manifested even by God due to their conditions.
And then also we are also noting carefully the lot of Israel. But in our prophecy that we're studying this morning, we shall see that before the Lord comes back to the earth, there will be a resumption of some form of temple worship manifested by his earthly people. And by so doing, God indicates he recognizes, and we shall see it carefully, there will be a remnant which he acknowledges as being his people. In those awful days, and may I specifically emphasize, what we are reading, and you may have noted it, there are days that will take place during what is called the Great Tribulation.
And then with me carefully as we go to verses one and two, what the Spirit of God writes through John, as John is given in verse one, a reed whereby he might measure. That reed was a measuring rod. You have a similar reference to a reed as a measuring rod in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel was given a measuring rod. And in Ezekiel chapters forty through chapter forty-eight, it was in connection with the building and the measurement of the millennial temple. But this as we read, then we read, beginning in verse one, what John has written to say.
And these are the words that was given to me a read like unto a rod. The angels stood saying right and measured. The word measure not particularly regarding the measurement in calculation, but particularly does it emphasize the existence of a temple, no, not only a temple, but the altar, and those that worship there. And in verse two, the court that is without. On your lesson sheet, note the reference that we have for these two verses. These very facts indicate there will be a remnant in Israel which God will claim and indicated here by the restoration of the temple, the altar, its worship and so on.
We may realize that and may I verify it as we look at those scriptures that follow. Look with me first of all in Daniel chapter nine and verse twenty seven. The ninth chapter of Daniel's prophecy and verse twenty-seven. Well, in the prophecy of Daniel, we have a similar application to this same period. Chapter nine and verse twenty-seven, let me point out to you, Daniel in his prophecy is told that he, and that is the Roman prince, shall confirm the covenant. Now, before reading further, let me emphasize this.
Daniel is listening to the word of God given to him, relating only to his own people, not the nation, his own people. And a reference to the word that follows, a covenant with many for one week, a week of seven years as the context reveals. And he, in the midst of that week, now know the next words, In the midst of that week, this person, the Roman prince, undoubtedly of Revelation thirteen, the head of the Revised Roman Empire, he shall cause the oblation, the sacrifice to cease.
Now that's as far as I wish to read. To purify before the end of all Gentile dominions And with coming in of the Messiah's kingdom, there will be the establishing of Jewish worship at Jerusalem. Go with me also as we have the reference to Matthew chapter twenty-four. Matthew chapter twenty-four. Well, it's so important to realize we are definitely upon Jewish ground entirely in this portion of Scripture before us today. Matthew twenty-four, let me read verse fifteen, the words of the Lord Jesus.
Relative to the same period is yet to come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, of which we have just read, and the abomination is another word for an idol, when in idolatry there will be standing an image In that temple, in the holy place, whoso read it, let him understand. May I refer again to the fact that the Lord Jesus is speaking definitely of that coming day, a future day yet on the threshold of his glorious appearing when he comes back to the earth.
Go with me also to Second Thessalonians chapter two. Let us read verses three and four. We would very definitely seek to emphasize the Jewish application of the truth that is before us, relative to the temple, to the altar, to the court, and to the people. Chapter two of second Thessalonians, I would like to read only verses three and four. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day, the day of the Lord will not come, except there come A or B falling of the apostasy first, and that man of sin be revealed, that some of tradition who appeareth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worship, so that he as God sitteth, and nowhere, in the temple of God, showing himself, professing himself to be very God.
Now, beloved, you must confess there's nothing in history. Past history that has ever fulfilled those scriptures of Daniel, the words of the Lord Jesus, the prophecy of the beloved apostle Paul. And Paul writing of that coming day when Christ will come in judgment refers to the appearing of the man of sin. who sets up his own image in the temple without question as we shall see God willing later on in our study of Revelation in Jerusalem. But go back to our chapter, please, in Revelation chapter eleven and note something in verse two.
As John refers to the altar, to the temple and the altar and the worshippers, But please let me say, when we think of the worshipers, they must be and they can be only Jewish. One can recognize the resumption of Jewish worship in some form. I know it raises doubtful questions in many minds. You go to Israel right now. You look upon the site where the temple was built, and nothing is standing there. The walls have all been destroyed, and nothing but the mosque of Omer, Muhammad and Mosque, is there, built upon the very site.
But I think we can say on the authority of the word of God that we've touched on, the Jews will yet have some form of a temple. Whether upon that site or not. Near it. But I wonder when I hear and listen to the news just this past week. This week I believe in fact. They blew up a mosque over in Lebanon there. And I am wondering. The anger and the bitterness and the hatred of the Jews and the Muslims. I wouldn't be surprised if Jews would blow up that mosque. sacred as it may be to the Muslims.
But anyway, on the ground of this scripture, they will have a temple and some form of worship. You can go over there and stand at the wailing wall, as we call it, they call it a praying wall. And you'll find Orthodox Jews usually standing there, chanting their prayers and chanting their Koran, the words that they, the Talmud robber that they read. the Jewish writing and some of them unquestionably praying where the men are women the women silently on one side putting their prayers on a piece of paper and in the cracks of the wall and the men gathered in groups on the other side less of them and praying and reading the scriptures and their longing there's a remnant in his longing for the redemption of Jewish worship and Jewish ritual And I believe we have authority to believe it will yet take place.
But note verse two, though. The court which is without the temple, leave out. Don't consider it. It's not Jewish in its character. Measure it not. For it is given under the Gentiles. And there I suggest to you that the Gentiles will certainly overrun the city. and have control of that city in that coming day the prophetic scriptures bear it out and one can realize the times of the Gentiles which the Lord Jesus speaks of in Luke chapter twenty one the duration of the Gentiles continues on until Christ comes to the earth and even through the period of the Great Tribulation The manifestation of Gentile power in His dominion will be the worst that it has ever been known to be under the man of sin, the Antichrist and the beast, all the beast and the false prophet together, and Satan behind it all.
And God says to John, don't measure that, the Gentiles are going to tread it underfoot. And please know very carefully, For forty and two months. Note your lesson sheet, please. The outer court is rejected by God. Many then will still be apostate, even under Antichrist, even amongst the Jews. And then as we read the next note, I'd like you to note, Jerusalem is trodden down. For forty-two months. Now this period is spoken of. Did you notice it as we went down to verse three, the two witnesses, a thousand, two hundred, three-score or sixty days?
Note your lesson sheet again. This period is spoken of as twelve hundred and sixty days in verse three, and in chapter twelve and verse six. You have it spoken of as being a time, times, and a half a time. in chapter twelve and verse fourteen and you have the same thought in Daniel nine twenty seven time of great trouble limited to this period as we saw and you can see it in Matthew chapter four twenty one when Jesus said because of the intensity of the trouble that time will be limited forty and two months twelve hundred and sixty days a time a times and a half a time are the same period of the closing years of the tribulation the last three and a half years.
And we can certainly realize that Scripture declares the temple will be standing. Now please note, we're also on Jewish ground as we go to verse three. I will give power unto my two witnesses. Now we may raise the question, your lesson sheet has some suggestion, and we cannot be dogmatic. Who are they? For with a parent faction of Scripture, some suppose that they will be Elijah and Enoch, or either Elijah and Moses. Now, we've mentioned frequently the symbolic language of the book of the Revelation.
And the numeral two is very significant of witnesses, two witnesses, and of witnessing. And one can well recognize that even in that period of time, the worst time in human history, God will have his witnesses. We saw particularly in chapter seven, did we not? the setting aside, the feeling that Jehovah's Witnesses, tribe after tribe as they were named, the hundred and forty-four thousand. These undoubtedly may be in our eleven chapter two specific characters. But one can realize, you go back to Malachi chapter four, please, will you?
The last chapter in the Old Testament. And we have a reference in Malachi to Elijah. and the word of God saying by the Spirit. Let me read verse five and six. The last two verses in Malachi, your Old Testament book. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come. and smite the earth with a curse.
Now if that prophecy has not been fulfilled, I believe it is the custom in Jewish Passover feasts. When carrying out the Passover feasts in their homes, one of the members of the family, one of the youngsters, preferably usually, they have an empty chair around the table. That chair is supposedly set to Elijah. And one may be instructed to go to the door to see if Elijah is there. We are anticipating, on the grounds of this prophecy of Malachi, the coming again into this world of Elijah, could certainly possibly be. So what we find, as you go back to our chapter, please, we find in connection with both these witnesses the miracles that they do, they are miracles that are Moses-like as well as Elijah-like.
Go back to our chapter then, and in verse three, I will give power, meaning or powerly, to my two witnesses. They shall prophesy a thousand, two hundred, three-score days, and note, clothed in sackcloth. Please meditate for the moment on these words that close the verse. The time, as well as their apparel, Now why does God say twelve hundred and sixty days? Why does he not say, as in the preceding words, forty-two months? But he mentions the number of the days.
Let me give you this thought. These are his two servants. He follows them with interest, with care, with power, day after day. Day by day. And my beloved, let me suggest to you as well as to my own heart, of those who belong to God, they're under his care day by day. There's a daily concern for the protection of his two witnesses. There's a daily concern for you and for me in our need while here below in life.
said the Lord Jesus in the so-called Lord's Prayer, give us this day or day by day our daily bread. And thus God is daily concerned and shows his concern and grace and mercy to all those who were him. And let me give you the contrast. In contrast to the world. In contrast to the ungodly, the period is three and a half years. Forty-two months. Contrast to his own that are within it? He counts the days. I'm glad he does count the days. So I'll tell you very frankly, you and I couldn't live three and a half years at one time, could we?
But we always know and feel the need of daily grace and strength from God. So God counts for this. And then look at the tarot. How fitting. Clothes in sackcloth. by Cyclops, the emblem of mourning, the emblem of sorrow, the emblem of doom. And one can recognize that the distinctive character of their work and the distinctive character of their dress, they manifest themselves as being in a world that knows not, cares not for God, but their ministry of judgment.
that God sends them to perform. Oh, beloved, what a day it will be. But then let's go to verse four. Interesting to find what God says of them in verse four. These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks or lampstands standing before. Now, please note the title that follows. Standing before the God of the earth. It's not a question of Christ, the head of the church. It's not a question of Christ glorified in heaven above. It's not a question of that language of Christianity.
It's a question of the language of creation. God is the God of the earth. For in our terrible day, and we shall see it mortally as we go on, then we'll be challenging God for the possession of the earth. And these witnesses will be standing, representing the God of the earth. No, no, they are called the two olive trees. They are called the two candlesticks or lampstands. Very fitting is a suggestion. I hope you'll go back with me to Zechariah, please. I want you to go with me to Zechariah chapter four, a prophecy of the Old Testament under Zechariah.
Most fascinating one. Relative also, just before Malachi, next to the last book in the Old Testament. And in this fourth chapter, you have the restoration of Israel foretold when Israel is a nation will become the light of the world. But in this chapter, as the prophet Zechariah witnesses and sees the lampstand, all of it gold, with all of its light shining in brilliant brightness. And each side of the lampstand is an olive tree. And he noticed something peculiar relative to the bowl above the candlestick or the lampstand is being fed from the two olive trees.
Oil from the olive tree flows into the bowl and up down the pipes and into each lamp as does it brightly green. That seems to be an intricate thing to Zechariah. What does it mean? Because the lampstand in the tabernacle, the lampstand in the temple of old, it was fed by all the way did the oil come from. The oil came from the people. They gathered it. They brought it from their vineyards, and their olive vineyards, and they brought it to feed the lambs in the temple or in the tabernacle, as the case may have been. But directly from the two olive trees, and Zechariah questions the angel that guides them.
What are these, what are these olive trees? Now go to chapter four in the end, and the latter part of it please with me. And I want you to note something. Then in verse eleven, then answered I, and said unto him, the angel, what are these two olive trees? Upon the right hand, a right side of the candlestick, and upon the left side thereup. Upon the right hand, a right side of the candlestick, and upon the left side thereup. And I answered again, and said unto him, what be these two olive branches which threw the two golden pipes, empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me, said, No,est thou not what they are?
I said, No, my Lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones. These are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord. And please note the expression, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. And if I may point out, you may have it in your margin. A reference to the anointed one. These are the two sons of all that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. And you may well realize that in the prophecy of Daniel we have a representation of two witnesses who also are seen particularly as the two anointed ones.
As they are thus, note the words again. Go back to chapter eleven again. Please let me know. Verse nine, four, rather, with you. These are the two olive trees. These are the two lampstands standing before the God of the whole earth. Now, please note, if you will, as we read our lesson sheet and looking at the lesson sheet under the character of the witnesses, they testify to the power in the power of the Holy Spirit representing the God of the earth. And as we have done, we've compared it with Zechariah. And now we note the protection of the witnesses in verse five.
And the protection of these witnesses is given. If any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, devoureth their enemies. If any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. How in the days of the prophet Elijah? When thus Ahab sent soldiers to bring Elisha captive, and when the men of Ahab came for the prophet, the prophet called down fire from heaven to consume them. And one may well recognize thee in the closing days.
The true witnesses are given protection and power. to destroy their enemies. Please note this as you read on in the verse. Not only fire will come out of their mouth and devour of their enemies, and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed by whatever way they seek to injure or to slay the prophets, these two, they will themselves be destroyed. Now look at verse six with me please, will you? Now I want you to note in their work, what God gives them power for them to perform. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy.
I'm sure you're thinking immediately of Elijah. Who said to Ahab? Only by my word will rain come upon the earth. And as James the Apostle writes in his epistle for three and a half years, According to the prayer of Elijah, there was no rain for three and a half years. And it was great drought, as we well know. And so you have an Elijah-like ministry. And then you go further in verse six of the latter half, and they have power over waters to turn them to blood and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will.
Now let me correlate these words very carefully. On one hand there is fire coming upon their enemies. On the other hand, Moses liked power to smite the waters and turn them into blood. Would you please recognize the distinction between what Moses did or to whom Moses manifested his power and upon whom Elijah manifested his power? Elijah manifested his power upon God's earthly people. He was a prophet that was seeking to bring back the people of God, from Baal to the living God. Moses, he visited the great Egyptian nation, the Gentile Egyptian power, with his judgment.
And I would indeed suggest that these two will have power to manifest in their miraculous performance, judgment, Not only upon an apostate nation of Israel, but also upon the nations of the earth. So you note the end of the verse says, they bring, they smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will. Can I just pause for just a moment? I'd like to reflect with you very carefully, prayerfully, and seriously. This is coming to the earth. These events will transpire.
They are not yet fulfilled. Contrary to what some may teach as they seek to minister the book of the Revelation, as these things having been passed. Or even denying the restoration of Israel as they are millennial do. For surely we can recognize on the ground that we're studying today, these events will take place upon and in all the earth. There will be an apost... No, I point out this. Look, we went from Deuteronomy chapter thirty-two. What Moses declared was the purpose of God.
When he formed the nations and set their boundaries and their population, he did it according to the number of the children of Israel. That nation of Israel, in the purpose of God, is to be the center of his divine purposes that would bless all the earth. Now let me go back to the promise that God gave to Abraham. Chapter twelve in verse three. In thee will all nations of the earth be blessed. Thou shalt be a great nation, and in thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Now may I suggest, don't stop at Christianity with its blessing to the world.
For the fulfillment of Abraham's promise that God gave him. It includes the millennial kingdom and the millennial earth. And what joy to recognize there will be blessings. That God is going to deal with the whole earth regarding all its judgment that is so needed. As well as justified because of ungodliness and sin. and rebellion against it, whether it be Jewish. May I say very frankly, don't ever think that all Jews will be saved. You have an expression in Romans eleven where Paul wrote of the restoration of Israel and made the statement, yet all Israel shall be saved.
Now Paul is not referring to individually. He's referring to the nation in its existence as tribes that God has formed there will be a complete national entity in that restoration that comes not a complete salvation for every individual Jew and God is going well may I suggest this God's got to deal with the land of Israel as well as the nations of the earth before The son of his love will take the throne of the world. So now let's follow on, please.
Look at their servant, please, as we find a consummation of their testimony. When they shall have ended or finished their testimony. And one can recognize that until that is finished, no man can hurt them. But when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, shall overcome them and kill them. Note your lesson sheet, please. We have the fact under letter F, I believe, the consummation of their testimony. This person is now first mentioned in our book, the one who will be the head of the revived Roman Empire, He's named in Revelation thirteen, one, as well as in Daniel chapter seven, verse two and three.
And he is permitted to slay the witnesses at the end of their testimony. Now what follows is very significant? Please note verse eight, as you recognize, the universal display of their bodies. Their dead bodies shall be in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Will you please note again? Or may I say, none who read the word of God carefully, reverently, can ever deny that the center of the world and the capital of the world in the purposes of God is to be Jerusalem.
Jerusalem. The city where God placed his name centuries ago. The city of David. How the psalmist wrote, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And, beloved, there is no question or doubt. It matters not. What has happened or what yet may happen around and in and to the city of Jerusalem. It's in the center of God's purposes to be the coming capital of the world. But before it ever becomes that, God asks a cleanser. And we have in our verse that we have just read. The terrible character of the city of Jerusalem in that closing day.
Please note. It's called what? Sodom. Egypt. Referring to the spiritual character of Sodom. referring to the spiritual character of Egypt long ago. And that is Jerusalem cannot be denied by the closing words. Where our Lord was crucified. I'm sure that many others are familiar with the fact. It is often called by many the Holy City. And the land is called the Holy Land. I know when I visited there, I found very little holiness. He's not characterizing God's sight as being holy.
It is to be, it should have been. At one time there was a manifestation of some holiness. But at the present time, no. And before the Lord comes back to the earth, no. Like Sodom, like Egypt, the place where our Lord was crucified and tried the commentary. But please know, verse nine, as the bodies of these servants of God lie openly upon the streets. Please know, verse nine, they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies.
Three days and a half. My mind goes back, I guess, maybe about twenty-five years. I was sitting in a home in Atlanta, waiting for a friend to come to take me to his home for dinner. And as I sat there waiting and meditating, I heard the children of the house in Baden had the TV on. I was paying no attention to it because suddenly there was an interruption on that TV program, whatever it was. But the interruption was this. We are interrupting this program to state that we had made a televised broadcast from England for the first time in history.
Not perfect. But when we have a perfect one, we'll interrupt any program to show it. And immediately I thought, Lord, now I know how better we better go to see the two witnesses all over the earth. Makes sense now, doesn't it? That makes sense. We'll keep on throwing terrible visions. And won't they? Please, when you start to realize this, when you look at the inventions of men, what do they use them for?
Not for the glory of God. No. But for the perpetuation of their own selfish greed and gain, as well as unfortunately, the advance of ungodliness and wickedness. and the formation of it. Come into the time when God has two witnesses upon the earth that all the earth seek to slay. And then at the end of their testimony, when the allotted period of time comes, God permits them to be slain. And their dead body's life for three and a half days in the street of Jerusalem. And all the world views that.
But note the reaction of the world, though, as you read that. and they will not permit them to put their dead bodies in the grave. But in verse ten, they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and make merry. May I remind you, we did mention it in a preceding study, I think in chapter three, but you have the expression, they that dwell upon the earth a few times in this book. And may I tell you that the implication is a very serious one. It's not a matter of people living on the earth. It refers to those who have settled down, earth down.
Heaven is not in their thoughts. Heaven has no place in their lives. God is completely out of it. And may I suggest there be in the majority, they are even now, in the majority today upon the earth. And all of them in that day, having been aggravated and tormented by these two witnesses for three and a half years, would make merry and rejoice. And know what follows. And they send gifts to one another because these two prophets who tormented them, they dwell on the earth.
Oh, what character it is in the world. A worldwide celibate. May I suggest, please? a worldwide celebration for two great servants of God whom the world has gleefully seen for today. Listen to your paragraph. There will be generally rejoicing and ascending of gifts. The voices of the witnesses tormented their consciences. But when silent in death it is the cause of worldwide merriment. The word of God when faithfully preached makes men unhappy, and for the majority in that day, this will be the effect of the preaching, though undoubtedly blessed to the salvation of a few of some.
Oh, my beloved, please let me say this. I listened to a program, a recording program this past week, in which I heard the statement made, if there's action in the pulpit or the action in the pew, I got to thinking that's not always so. And I thought of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, name them all. They preached without sin. And what action did they get? Apostasy. Rebellion. May I say frankly, God will never be without his witnesses.
that I'm sorry to believe you don't get much action from the preaching sometimes. It's a solemn reality. Here are two men. They're preaching fearless with authority, with divine ocean. That's two of the greatest preachers that ever brought the earth as far as their power and character. clothed in cyclops and the fierce trembles to hear their message. It pierces their conscience that doesn't reach their souls. They rebel against the Lord with the exception of those who may be the remnant that come through the Great Tribulation in that day.
But beloved, may I say lovingly, I say it very lovingly, I say it very sorrowfully. People don't respond even to true preaching as they show you. And you've got the worldwide evidence in this coming day. Two of the greatest preachers of beloved, let me say, not speaking disparagingly, but they exceed Billy Graham or any other great preacher that has ever been in the world. To power. You say, what's wrong with the preaching? No, with the people.
With the world. Oh, beloved, the world is traveling nation by nation to the great apostasy when they would fell openly against the name of God. And we shall see that later on in our chapter as we go through it. The nations are angry. And against whom are they angry? God. Please, may I say, before God pours out his anger upon this world, they're going to get mad at him first. As you have it in Psalm chapter two, as we've seen in our chapter before, as below, the nations are angry, and they are angered.
They vent against God. How terrible the case, our terrible condition. And the two witnesses are rejoiced over. And then if I may go to verses eleven and twelve, see how God vindicates these witnesses, though. Oh, what a vindication. After three days and a half, the Spirit of life from God entered into them. They stood upon their feet. They then great, fearful upon them. We saw that. Now, beloved, look, when the rapture comes, nobody's going to see you and me go. You and I are going to leave this world with all the saints, some from the grave.
The dead in Christ shall rise first, and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and to be forever with the Lord. The world won't see it. They won't see it. And I tell you very kindly, after it's over, they'll laugh it off. And many will say good riddance. They wanted the Bible in the school. They wanted a prayer in the school. They wanted to tell the Word of God down us. There will be rejoicing in many parts of the world and in many hearts when the saints are gone. But I want to tell you, my joy is going to be greater than theirs.
and rejoicing that it'll be ours when we go and meet the Lord in the air. But when these two witnesses are raised, stand on their feet, the spirit of life in their bodies. And they see them. Note the next verse, the twelve. The same hour, or verse twelve, rather, they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. You know, those words were found in chapter four, verse one, when John said, By the Spirit he heard a great voice saying, Come up here, then, and immediately he was caught up to heaven. So typical of the rapture, we're going to be caught up to heaven.
And here were two witnesses called, Come up here, then, and they ascended up to heaven in a cloud. And please note, their enemies beheld them. What a sight that will be. But what's the reaction? What's the moral and the spiritual reaction? Read on. The same hour in verse thirteen was there a great earthquake. The tenth part of the city fell. And in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand. And the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven. I want you to note something.
Immediately following it. There is the earthquake of destruction, and that great destruction of seven thousand. Undoubtedly, it could be taken literal. If not, it could even be more, then. But nevertheless, be a great destruction by the earthquake. And I'm sure you may have noticed, in the book of the Revelation, particularly, earthquakes are prominent. Even in the days of the Lord Jesus, when he... spoke the words of prophecy in Matthew twenty four and twenty five he spoke very much concerning the prolific amount of earthquakes to take place they are within this present century the earthquakes of earth have certainly increased in a great manner and here is one that takes place at the end of this judgment and thus brings destruction upon the city of Jerusalem and its environments and at the end of it.
No, everyone's terrified. I'll tell you, frankly, the people down in Chile this week, they were terrified. They were afraid to go into a building. The tremors kept increasing and continuing. They never knew when another building. I'll tell you one thing, it ain't no use as one little fellow said after the San Francisco earthquake way back in the one, I believe, he said, it ain't no use for a fellow to think that he can lick God, isn't it? It isn't. But please note the end of verse thirteen, verse twelve, they gave, they did not give glory, or rather they gave glory, no, to the God of heaven.
Please go back to verse four. The two witness stand before who? The God of the earth. Well, may I give the suggestive thought, then the world They will not acknowledge that God's the God of the earth. But when this transraction takes place, they nominally acknowledge, there must be a God in heaven that's doing all this. But he's not the God of the earth. Now we read in verse thirteen. The classical verse, the verse fourteen we read. The second woe is passed and behold, the third cometh.
quickly. Now, may I point out, let me please go down to your lesson sheet. I'd like to read particularly the effect of God's judgment at the closing paragraph. Number three, the earthquake, the destruction of the city, the many people slain will cause the remainder to fear and give glory to the God of heaven. They will still refuse to acknowledge him as the God of the earth, which was the testimony of the two witnesses. They will wish him to stay in heaven and leave them alone on the earth. This now brings us to the end of the second wall. In verse fourteen, and what remains to be done in further judgment will be the seventh trumpet judgment, which issues into the final series of vile judgments when the full fury of God's wrath will be poured out upon the earth.
Now what God has done in our study today is shown us some of the things upon Jewish ground that will be manifested in that coming day when the judgment of the final trumpet judgment issued into the vials are about to take place. Shall we pray? Beloved and Blessed Father, all we think of the words of thy dear servant Peter, when speaking of the words of prophecy, and O telling us, Lord, They are there to have an effect upon us. We just pray that the information that thou hast given to us from thy word by the Spirit will not be mere informative, but will also become edifying to our lives.
And to remind us what Peter wrote on another occasion, what manner of persons ought ye not to be seeing these things that are to come upon the earth. We ask it as we give thee our thanks in the Savior's precious and worthy name, dismissing for his glory. Amen.