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SERIES: THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, WEEK 44

TITLE: TWO SUPERNATURAL WITNESSES

TEXT: REVELATION 11:1-6

INTRODUCTION: (1) THE GREEK WORD FOR WITNESS IS MARTUS WHICH YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN.

* FROM MARTUS WE GET OUR ENGLISH WORD MARTYR, FOR A MARTYR IS A PERSON WHO GIVES WITNESS BY LAYING DOWN HIS OR HER LIFE.

** AND DOWN THROUGH THE CENTURIES OF CHRISTIANITY, MANY WITNESSES FOR CHRIST HAVE BECOME MARTYRS FOR THEIR WITNESS, THEIR TESTIMONY OF THE TRUTHS OF CHRIST AND THE GOSPEL.

*** BUT IN ITS BASIC GREEK FORM, MARTYRS – WITNESS OR WITNESSES WAS A LEGAL TERM; IT RELATED TO A WITNESS IN A FORMAL PROCEEDING.

**** IN FACT IN ANCIENT GREEK LITERATURE, THE BEARING OF WITNESS WAS RELATED TO THE CONFIRMATION OF AN EVENT.

(2) ONE BORE WITNESS TO SUPPORT THE TRUTH OF AN EVENT.

* A WITNESS WAS SEEN AS PRESENTING VALID LEGAL EVIDENCE.

** AND THEN IN THE EVOLUTION OF THIS WORD, IN THE WRITINGS OF THE STOICS, THIS WORD CAME TO MEAN EVIDENCE FOR CERTAIN BELIEFS AND CONVICTIONS, THUS A RELIGIOUS CONNOTATION WAS GIVEN TO IT.

*** NOW IN THE N.T., A MARTUS WAS A WITNESS FOR THE LORD, USED THAT WAY BY OUR LORD IN HIS LAST WORDS BEFORE HIS ASCENSION IN ACTS 1:8 (READ IT).

**** OUR LORD ALSO USED THIS WORD AFTER HIS RESURRECTION IN TALKING TO HIS DISCIPLES IN LUKE 24:47&48 WHERE HE SAID: (READ THEM).

(3) BEYOND THAT THE APOSTLES USED THIS WORD IN ACTS 5:32 BEFORE THE JEWISH COUNCIL IN GIVING TO CHRIST’S DEATH AND RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION WHERE THEY SAID: (READ IT).

* THEN THE APOSTLE PAUL BEFORE AN ANGRY JEWISH MOB QUOTED WHAT ANANIAS SAID TO HIM SHORTLY AFTER HIS SALVATION IN ACTS 22:15 WHERE IT SAYS: (READ IT).

** AND THAT’S WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO DO TODAY. FOR EVERY FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST, EVERY CHRISTIAN IS CALLED TO BE A WITNESS FOR HIM, BY OUR WALK AND WORD.

*** EMMANUEL SUHARD SAID AND I QUOTE “TO BE A WITNESS DOES NOT CONSIST OF ENGAGING IN PROPAGANDA OR IN STIRRING PEOPLE UP. IT MEANS TO LIVE IN SUCH A WAY THAT ONE’S LIFE WOULD NOT MAKE SENSE IF GOD DID NOT EXIST.” (END QUOTE) THIS IS A WITNESS BY OUR WALK.

**** AND IN WORD RALPH WILLIAMS SAID AND I QUOTE, “WO DO NOT STAND IN THE WORLD BEARING WITNESS TO CHRIST; WE STAND IN CHRIST BEARING WITNESS TO THE WORLD.” (END QUOTE).

(4) AND THIS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY AND PRIVILEGE OF EVERY TRUE CHRISTIAN, TO BE A SPECIAL WITNESS, TO BE A VOICE FOR CHRIST.

* WELL IN OUR TEXT TODAY, WE HAVE TWO SPECIAL WITNESSES, BETTER SAID, TWO SUPERNATURAL WITNESSES.

** AND THE GREEK WORD MARTUS IS USED TO TALK ABOUT THEM IN REVELATION 11:3.

*** AND THOSE TWO SUPERNATURAL WITNESSES WILL TESTIFY FOR CHRIST FOR THE LAST 3 ½ YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION.

**** AND EVENTUALLY THEIR WITNESS WILL LEAD TO MARTYRDOM AS WE’LL SEE IN OUR STUDY LORD WILLING NEXT WEEK.

(5) BUT TODAY IN OUR STUDY THESE TWO SPECIAL WITNESSES WILL STAND OUT BEGINNING IN V. 3, THAT DECLARING A MESSAGE OF REPENTANCE.

* AND GOD WILL SUPERNATURALLY PROTECT THEM UNTIL THEY FINISH THEIR TESTIMONY, THE WORD TESTIMONY A FORM OF THE WORD MARTUS, IN OTHER WORDS THEY WILL BE WITNESSES UNTIL THE WORD FULFILLS THEIR MINISTRY AND WILL PROTECT THEM SUPERNATURALLY IN THEIR WORD.

** BECAUSE OF THAT, I’VE TITLED THE MESSAGE TODAY “TWO SUPERNATURAL WITNESSES.”

*** AND UNDER THAT THEME WE’LL LOOK AT JUST TWO POINTS: NO. 1 THE MEASURING OF THE TEMPLE, VV. 1&2 BY JOHN IN VV. 1&2; AND NO. 2 THE MINISTRY OF THE TWO WITNESSES IN VV. 3-6.

**** AND WITH THAT OUTLINE TO WORK FROM, LOOK AT V. 1 PLEASE WHERE WE’LL SEE OUR FIRST POINT TODAY, THE MEASURING OF THE TEMPLE. LOOK AT REVELATION 11:1 PLEASE.

I. THE MEASURING OF THE TEMPLE, (READ V. 1)

A. NOW AT THIS POINT IN JOHN’S VISION, WHICH APPEARS TO BE A CONTINUATION FROM CHAPTER 10, JOHN BECOMES AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE VISION THAT HE IS RECORDING.

* FOR HE IS GIVEN A MEASURING ROD OR REED LIKE A STAFF AND IS TOLD TO MEASURE SOME THINGS.

** NOW THE VOICE TELLING HIM TO DO THIS IS EITHER THE STRONG ANGEL OF CHAPTER 10 OR THE LORD.

*** AND IF YOU HAVE A KJV OR NKJV THE PHRASE “THE ANGEL STOOD” IS THERE, BUT IT IS NOT IN THE TRANSLATIONS THAT USE OLDER MANUSCRIPT FAMILIES LIKE THE NAS, NIV AND ESV.

**** AND THE TEXTUAL EVIDENCE FOR THESE WORDS IS SO WEAK THAT MANY TRANSLATIONS OMIT IT.

1. SO WHETHER IT IS A STRONG ANGEL OR GOD THE FATHER OR SON THAT IS GIVING THIS COMMAND, I CANNOT SAY FOR SURE.

* BUT FOR SURE, JOHN IS GIVEN A CLEAR COMMAND.

** AND THE COMMAND IS TO MEASURE 3 THINGS. NO. 1 THE TEMPLE OF GOD; NO. 2 THE ALTAR, EITHER THE BRAZEN ALTAR OR THE GOLDEN ALTAR ASSOCIATED WITH THE HOLY PLACE; AND NO.3 THE WORSHIPPERS IN THE TEMPLE.

*** NOW AT THIS STAGE OF OUR STUDY, WE GET INTO INTERPRETIVE DISAGREEMENTS. IS THIS TEMPLE A REAL TEMPLE OR IS ALL THIS LANGUAGE SYMBOLIC OR FIGURATIVE?

**** WELL, BEGINNING IN OUR STUDY OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION I GAVE THE REASONS WHY WE USE THE LATER DATE OF AD 94-96.

2. AND WITH THAT DATE, THERE WAS NO TEMPLE TO MEASURE SINCE IT WAS DESTROYED IN A.D. 70 BY TITUS.

* THIS SIMPLE FACT HAS PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR TWO DIAMETRICALLY-OPPOSED SYSTEMS OF INTERPRETATIONS THAT WE DO NOT LINE UP WITH IN OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH.

** NO. 1 THE PRETERIST INTERPRETATION INSISTS THAT SINCE THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM WHEN JOHN WROTE, THEN THIS BOOK MUST HAVE BEEN WRITING ABOUT A.D. 67.

*** AND THIS EARLY DATE IS TO FIT IN WITH THEIR THEORY THAT ALL THE PROPHECIES FROM CHAPTERS 4-18 WERE FULFILLED BY THE END OF THE FIRST CENTURY.

*** IN OTHER WORDS CHAPTERS 4-18 ARE NOT FUTURE, BUT FULFILLED AND THAT’S ONE INTERPRETATION.

**** NOW THE OTHER EXTREME AMILINNIALISTS INTERPRETERS POINT OUT THAT THE LITERAL TEMPLE HAD BEEN DESTROYED, SO THIS TEMPLE CAN ONLY BE TAKEN FIGURATIVELY OR SYMBOLICALLY. (THIS TEXT IS NOT TALKING ABOUT A LITERAL TEMPLE.)

3. AND AMILINNIALISTS DIFFER ON WHETHER THE TEMPLE OF GOD SYMBOLIZES ISRAEL OR THE CHURCH.

* NOW I REJECT BOTH OF THESE INTERPRETATIONS.

** BUT IN FAIRNESS TO THE AMILINNIALISTS WHO BASICALLY INTERPRET REVELATION IN A FIGURATIVE WAY, THERE ARE OCCASIONS THAT THE TEMPLE OF GOD IS TALKING ABOUT THE CHURCH LIKE I CORINTHIANS 3:16&17, FOR BELIEVERS MAKE UP THE CHURCH AND WE ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD IN THAT SENSE. (ALSO READ I CORINTHIANS 6:19&20)

*** BUT IN THESE REFERENCES, THE CONTEXT IS SO CLEAR THAT NO MISTAKE CAN BE MADE, THERE IS NO AMBIGUITY, NO UNCERTAINTY TO WHICH TEMPLE IS TALKED ABOUT, IT’S NOT THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM.

**** NOW IN REVELATION 11 AT LEAST TO ME, THE CONTEXT IS VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHICH TEMPLE IS TALKED ABOUT.

4. NO. 1 THERE IS AN ALTAR IN THIS TEMPLE IN V. 1.

** NO. 2 THERE IS A COURT OUTSIDE OF THIS TEMPLE IN V. 2, A REFERENCE TO THE COURT OF THE GENTILES.

*** NO. 3 THIS TEMPLE IS THE HOLY CITY, AN EXPRESSION IN SCRIPTURE TALKING ABOUT JERUSALEM, AND IF THERE IS ANY DEBATE ABOUT THAT, IN V. 8 THIS IS THE CITY WHERE OUR LORD “WAS CRUCIFIED.” (WHICH CAN ONLY BE JERUSALEM)

**** BEYOND THAT AS WE GO BACK TO V. 1, THERE ARE WORSHIPPERS IN THE TEMPLE AND THE CHURCH IS NOW A BUILDING IN THE N.T., IT IS A CALM ASSEMBLY OF BELIEVERS. BUT HERE WE HAVE WORSHIPPERS IN IT – PHYSICALLY.

5. AND BELOVED, WE GO BACK TO A RULE OF INTERPRETATION THAT I’VE TRIED TO BE CONSISTENT ABOUT THROUGHOUT OUR STUDY OF REVELATION.

* AND THAT IS, WE TAKE PASSAGES LITERALLY UNTIL THE CONTEXT OR WORDS ARE USED THAT LEAD US TO TAKE IT FIGURATIVELY OR SYMBOLICALLY.

** AND IN THE REST OF OUR STUDY TODAY I WILL TAKE THE MAIN POINTS AND ISSUES AND SEE THEM IN A LITERAL SENSE.

*** THE TIME PERIOD IS A LITERAL TIME PERIOD, 42 MONTHS, AND 1260 DAYS AND THE TWO WITNESSES ARE INTERPRETED AS TWO INDIVIDUALS.

**** LATER ON IN OUR STUDY, 3 ½ DAYS IS 3 ½ DAYS, THESE WITNESSES WILL BE KILLED LITERALLY, THEY WILL BE RESURRECTED LITERALLY, THEY WILL ASCEND TO HEAVEN LITERALLY, AND THERE WILL BE A LITERAL EARTHQUAKE IN JERUSALEM WITH LITERAL PEOPLE DYING.

6. AND QUITE FRANKLY, WHEN YOU TAKE THE PLAIN MEETING OF SCRIPTURE, THAT’S WHAT INTERPRETATION YOU COME UP WITH.

* AND GOD DIDN’T WRITE HIS WORD SO THAT ONLY SCHOLARS COULD UNDERSTAND IT, BUT THAT ALL OF HIS PEOPLE COULD UNDERSTAND IT. (AND SOME OF US ARE THE PRIVILEGE OF HAVING TIME TO STUDY IT TO TEACH IT.)

** BUT THE CLEAR LIT. MEANING JUMPS OUT HERE AND YOU HAVE TO IMPORT THOUGHTS TO COME UP WITH OTHER INTERPRETATIONS.

*** NOW WITH THAT IN MIND, A LEGITIMATE QUESTION IS WHERE DOES THIS TEMPLE COME FROM?

**** AND I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO DEVELOP THIS AS I WOULD LIKE, FOR I WANT TO COVER THE FIRST 6 VERSES AND NOT GET BOGGED DOWN IN REVELATION.

***** BUT THIS TEMPLE IS THE 4TH THAT IS BUILT IN JERUSALEM.

***** SOLOMON BUILT THE FIRST TEMPLE, ZERUBBABEL BUILT THE 2’D AFTER THE EXILE, HEROD BUILT THE THIRD (DURING THE TIME OF CHRIST) WHICH WAS DESTROYED IN A.D. 70.

- AND THIS ONE WILL BE REBUILT SHORTLY BEFORE THE TRIBULATION STARTS OR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIBULATION.

7. AND THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION OUT THERE ABOUT THE DESIRE OF JEWISH PEOPLE TO REBUILD THEIR TEMPLE AND THAT MONEY HAS BEEN RAISED FOR THAT AND EVEN SOME SOURCES SAY WORK HAS STARTED FOR PARTS OF IT THAT CAN BE ASSEMBLED FAIRLY QUICKLY (AND THAT MAY BE TRUE OR NOT TRUE.)

* BUT NO DOUBT, THERE IS A GREAT DESIRE FOR MANY JEWISH PEOPLE TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE.

** AND THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES INDICATE THERE WILL BE A 4TH TEMPLE BUILT IN JERUSALEM THAT WILL BE THERE DURING THE TRIBULATION.

*** MATTHEW 24:14-22; II THESSALONIANS 2:3&4; DANIEL 9:27; AND DANIEL 12:11.

**** BEYOND THAT, THAT THIS IS THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM, THE DEFINITE ARTICLE THE IS USED BEFORE THE WORD TEMPLE WHICH MAKES REFERENCE TO IT’S USUAL MEANING OF A LITERAL TEMPLE OF GOD IN JERUSALEM, IT’S NORMAL USE.

8. NOW WITH ALL OF THAT IN MIND, I MUST MOVE ON TO V. 2 AND KEEP MOVING. LOOK AT V. 2 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 2. NOW AS JOHN IS TOLD TO MEASURE SOME THINGS IN V. 1, HE IS TOLD NOT TO MEASURE THE COURT OUTSIDE THE TEMPLE WHICH IS THE COURT OF THE GENTILES, WHERE GENTILES COULD COME.

* AND THE REASON GIVEN FOR THAT IS, THEY, THE NATIONS – NOT JEWS, GENTILES WILL TREAD UNDER FOOT THE HOLY CITY – JERUSALEM FOR 42 MONTHS, 3 ½ YEARS.

** NOW IT APPEARS FROM HERE ON OUT IN REVELATION WE ARE IN THE LAST 3 ½ YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION, CALLED THE GREAT TRIBULATION.

*** AND DURING THOSE LAST 3 ½ YEARS, JERUSALEM WILL BE UNDER GENTILE DOMINATION AGAIN AS THEY HAVE BEEN MANY TIMES THROUGH THEIR HISTORY.

**** AND THIS PERIOD WILL BE THE CULMINATION OF THE “TIMES OF THE GENTILES” IN LUKE 21:24 THAT THE GENTILES WILL BE IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM THROUGH THIS LAST 3 ½ YEARS.

1. FOR IT APPEARS THAT UP TO THIS TIME, ANTI-CHRIST MADE A COVENANT WITH ISRAEL AND THEY WILL BE IN CONTROL OF THEIR BELOVED CITY.

* BUT ANTI-CHRIST BREAKS HIS COVENANT WITH ISRAEL HALF WAY THROUGH THE TRIBULATION AND TAKES OVER JERUSALEM UNDER HIS EVIL GOVT. AND POWER.

** FOR ANTI-CHRIST WILL ESPECIALLY DOMINATE THE LAST 3 ½ YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION, FOR IN TALKING ABOUT HIM IT SAYS IN REVELATION 13:5-7 –

V. 5 – THERE WAS GIVEN TO HIM A MOUTH SPEAKING ARROGANT WORDS AND BLASPHEMIES, AND AUTHORITY TO ACT FOR FORTY-TWO MONTHS WAS GIVEN TO HIM.

V. 6 – AND HE OPENED HIS MOUTH IN BLASPHEMIES AGAINST GOD, TO BLASPHEME HIS NAME AND HIS TABERNACLE, THAT IS, THOSE WHO DWELL IN HEAVEN.

V. 7 – IT WAS ALSO GIVEN TO HIM TO MAKE WAR WITH THE SAINTS AND TO OVERCOME THEM, AND AUTHORITY OVER EVERY TRIBE AND PEOPLE AND TONGUE AND NATION WAS GIVEN TO HIM.

*** NOW BEYOND THAT TEXT, IN DANIEL 9:27, IN TALKING ABOUT THE FULFILLMENT OF DANIEL’S 70TH WEEK, ANTI-CHRIST WILL SIGN A COVENANT WHICH MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE 70TH WEEK.

**** BUT IN THE MIDST OF THE WEEK – 7 YEARS, 3 ½ YEARS, HE BREAKS HIS COVENANT OBVIOUS WITH ISRAEL, FOR NO LONGER WILL THERE BE SACRIFICE IN THE TEMPLE.

2. DANIEL 9:27 SAYS: “AND HE WILL MAKE A FIRM COVENANT WITH THE MANY FOR ONE WEEK, BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK HE WILL PUT A STOP TO SACRIFICE AND GRAIN OFFERING; AND ON THE WING OF ABOMINATIONS WILL COME ONE WHO MAKES DESOLATE, EVEN UNTIL A COMPLETE DESTRUCTION, ONE THAT IS DECREED, IS POURED OUT ON THE ONE WHO MAKES DESOLATE.”

* SO IT APPEARS TO ME, THE LAST 3½ YEARS JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE WILL BE UNDER GENTILE DOMINATION UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE ANTI-CHRIST.

** SO THE PERIOD OF TREADING UNDER FOOT THE HOLY CITY WHICH EXPRESSES SUBJUGATION FOR ISRAEL UNDER GENTILE DOMINATION IS 42 MONTHS.

*** AND THIS IS THE FIRST OF 5 OCCASIONS WHERE THIS PERIOD OF 3½ YEARS IS MENTIONED IN REVELATION.

**** AND IT IS REFERRED TO IN 3 DIFFERENT WAYS.

3. NO. 1 HERE IN CHAPTER 11 VERSE 2 AND 13:5 AS 42 MONTHS.

* NO. 2 IN V. 3 OF OUR TEXT TODAY AND CHAPTER 12 VERSE 6 AS A THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY DAYS WHICH IS 3 ½ YEARS.

** FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR FOR ISRAEL WAS BASED ON A 360 DAY CYCLE DIVIDED INTO 12 MONTHS OF THIRTY DAYS EACH.

*** AND NO. 3 THE EXPRESSION A TIME, TIMES AND HALF A TIME IS USED IN CHAPTER 12 VERSE 14. AND A TIME IS A YEAR, TIMES IS TWO YEARS, AND A HALF A TIME IS 6 MONTHS GIVING US 3 ½ YEARS.

**** AND AT THE END OF THIS 2’D HALF OF DANIEL’S 70TH WEEK, THE TRIBULATION, CHRIST WILL RETURN, DESTROY ANTI-CHRIST AND HIS FORCES, JUDGE THE NATIONS AND ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM.

4. BUT AT THE START OF THE LAST 3½ YEARS, GOD WILL RAISE UP TWO SUPERNATURAL WITNESSES TO TESTIFY FOR HIM AS A VOICE IN THE MIDST OF ALL THIS JUDGMENT.

* WHICH LEADS US TO OUR 2’D POINT TODAY, THE MINISTRY OF THE TWO WITNESSES. LOOK AT V. 3 PLEASE.

II. THE MINISTRY OF THE TWO WITNESSES, (READ V. 3)

A. NOW THE PRONOUN “I” AND “MY” IN V. 3, CERTAINLY MAKE REFERENCE TO THE WORD, FOR THESE ARE HIS TWO WITNESSES AND HE IS THE ONE WHO GRANTS AUTHORITY, WHO GIVES POWER FOR THESE TWO WITNESSES TO OPERATE IN A SUPERNATURAL WAY.

* AND FIRST, THESE TWO WITNESSES, WITNESSES BEING THAT WORD MARTUS THAT I TALKED ABOUT IN MY INTRODUCTION, THESE TWO WITNESSES WILL PROPHESY LITERALLY PREACH, TO PROCLAIM GOD’S MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL FO THE KINGDOM AND WHAT IS GOING TO PASS FOR 1260 DAYS – 3 ½ YEARS.

** AND TO SHOW THAT THESE TWO WITNESSES ARE ACTUAL PREACHERS AND NOT SYMBOLIC FIGURES OF THE CHURCH OR ISRAEL IS INDICATED BY THE DESCRIPTION OF THEIR CLOTHING.

*** THEY ARE CLOTHES IN “SACKCLOTH” WHICH IS THE CLOTHING OF MOURNING IN THE O.T. AND AS WELL AS THOSE WHO WERE REPENTANT OVER SIN.

**** AND NO DOUBT THEY ARE PREACHING REPENTANCE AND COMMUNICATE COMING JUDGMENT. AND THEY MAY BE MOURNING OVER THE CAPTIVITY OF JERUSALEM ALSO.

1. AND THAT THERE ARE TWO OF THOSE WITNESSES WOULD FURTHER REMIND US NOT TO SPIRITUALIZE THIS TEXT, WE DON’T HAVE TWO CHURCHES OR TWO ISRAELS, BUT TWO HUMAN BEINGS WHO ARE SUPERNATURAL WITNESSES.

* AND FURTHER DESCRIPTIONS ARE GIVEN ABOUT THESE TWO WITNESSES IN V. 4. LOOK AT V. 4 PLEASE.

B. READ V. 4. NOW THE NAMES OF THESE TWO WITNESSES ARE NOT GIVEN, JOHN MERELY IDENTIFIES THEM AS THE TWO OLIVE TREES AND THE TWO LAMP STANDS.

* AND IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A TIE IN TO ZECHARIAH 4 WHERE A GOLDEN LAMP STAND AND TWO OLIVE TREES ARE TALKED ABOUT.

** AND IN ZECHARIAH’S VISION IN 3:1-10, THERE WAS A NEAR AND FAR FULFILLMENT.

*** THE HISTORICAL FULFILLMENT WAS THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE BY JOSHUA THE HIGH PRIEST, THE RELIGIOUS LEADER AND ZERUBBABEL, THE POLITICAL LEADER.

**** BUT ZECHARIAH’S PROPHECY ALSO LOOKED TO THE FUTURE TO THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST.

1. AND IN THIS PICTURE OLIVE TREES AND LAMP STANDS IS INTENDED TO DEPICT LIGHT AND WHAT GIVES A LAMP STAND LIGHT? OLIVE OIL WHICH WAS COMMONLY USED IN LAMPS.

* AND THESE TWO WITNESSES ARE TWO LAMP STANDS BURNING BRIGHT FOR THE LORD BY GIVING THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM AND THE MESSAGE THEY PROCLAIM.

** FOR THEY STAND BEFORE THE LORD OF THE EARTH IN THE LAST PART OF V. 4, MEANS TO ACT ON HIS BEHALF AND TO BE LIGHTS FOR HIM SPREADING HIS MESSAGE.

*** AND AS JOSHUA AND ZERUBBABEL WERE LIGHTS FOR THE LORD IN THE O.T., THESE SPECIAL TWO WITNESSES WILL BE LIGHTS FOR THE LORD IN THE LAST DAYS.

**** NOW THE POWER TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR MISSION IS PHENOMENAL, LOOK AT V. 5 PLEASE.

C. READ V. 5. NOW DIVINE PROTECTION ENCLOSES THESE TWO WITNESSES, FOR IF ANYONE WANTS TO HARM THEM, IF ANY MAN WILLS OR EVEN DESIRES TO HARM THEM IS THE MEANING OF THE PRESENT TENSE OF THE VERB WANTS, DESIRES OR TRIES, DEPENDING ON WHICH TRANSLATION YOU ARE LOOKING ACT.

* IF SOMEONE EVEN EXPRESSES DESIRE, THAT THE DESIRE IS RISING UP IN THE HEARTS OF THEIR ENEMIES, IT IS ANSWERED BY FLAMES, “FIRE FLOWS OUT OF THEIR MOUTHS AND DEVOURS THEIR ENEMIES.”

** SO IF ANYONE WANTS TO HARM THEM THEY WILL BE KILLED IN THAT WAY.

*** AND NO DOUBT THESE WITNESSES WILL BE HATED FOR THEIR MESSAGE AND PEOPLE WILL WANT TO SILENCE THEM, BUT THEY WILL NOT BE SILENCED UNTIL THEIR MINISTRY IS COMPLETE.

**** THEY WILL BE GIVEN GREAT POWER TO DO THE WORK OF THE LORD, AND THIS POWER CONTINUES TO BE TALKED ABOUT IN V. 6. LOOK AT V. 6 PLEASE.

D. READ V. 6. NOW SOME SUGGEST THAT THESE TWO WITNESSES ARE MOSES AND ELIJAH. LIKE ELIJAH, WHO ON 2 OCCASIONS CALLED FIRE FROM HEAVEN AND UNDER MOSES’ MINISTRY 250 MEN WERE DESTROYED BY FIRE IN NUMBERS 16:35.

* BEYOND THAT HERE IN V. 6 THESE WITNESSES HAVE ELIJAH LIKE POWER TO SHUT UP THE SKY SO IT WON’T RAIN DURING THEIR TIME OF PROPHESYING, WHICH IN V. 3 IS 3 ½ YEARS, THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME ELIJAH IN THE O.T. SHUT UP THE HEAVENS AND IT DIDN’T RAIN, THE EXACT TIME COMMUNICATED IN JAMES 5:17&18 (READ THEM).

** IN ADDITION TO THAT THESE WITNESSES HAVE MOSES LIKE POWER TO TURN WATERS INTO BLOOD.

*** AND THESE TWO THINGS, DROUGHT AND TURNING FRESH WATER THAT IS AROUND WILL CAUSE MORE DEVASTATION ON THE EARTH THROUGH THIRST AND STARVATION WITH CROPS THAT WON’T GROW WITHOUT RAIN.

**** AND LASTLY THESE WITNESSES WILL HAVE MOSES LIKE POWER TO STRIKE THE EARTH WITH EVERY PLAGUE AS OFTEN AS THEY DESIRE.

1. IT IS POWER THAT IS AT THEIR DISPOSAL ALL THE TIME, WHENEVER THEY WISH.

* AND ALTHOUGH THE PLAGUES ARE NOT DESCRIBED, IF THEY ARE ANYTHING LIKE THE PLAGUES GOD BROUGHT THROUGH MOSES TO EGYPT, THEY WILL BE DEVASTATING CALAMITIES.

** AND WHETHER THESE TWO WITNESSES ARE MOSES AND ELIJAH REALLY DOESN’T MATTER AND IS NOT COMMUNICATED.

*** BUT THEY WILL BE USED BY THE LORD TO PROPHECY IN SUPERNATURAL WAYS AS THEY ARE SUPERNATURAL WITNESSES.

IN APPLICATION AND WRAP UP: (1) CHRISTIAN, DO YOU REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE SUPERNATURAL RESOURCES TO BE WITNESSES FOR CHRIST WITH THE GOSPEL OF THE DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION OF CHRIST?

* WE DO! FOR WE HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO INDWELLS US AND WHO SUPERNATURALLY EMPOWERS US TO BE WITNESSES, ACTS 1:8 (READ IT).

** NOW BEYOND THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO INDWELLS WE HAVE THE SUPERNATURAL REVELATION OF GOD TO COMMUNICATE IN OUR WITNESSING, READ HEBREWS 4:12 AND I PETER 1:23&25.

*** NOW THROUGH THE WORD ENERGIZED BY THE SPIRIT WE CAN BE SUPERNATURAL WITNESSES BY OUR LIVES AND LIPS, THROUGH OUR WALK AND WORDS.

**** BUT ULTIMATELY WE MUST OPEN OUR MOUTHS TO PROCLAIM THE MESSAGE OF REPENTANCE AND FAITH IN CHRIST.

(2) AND UNDERSTAND THAT OUR GREAT GOD HAS SUPERNATURALLY PUT US IN THE FAMILIES WE ARE IN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS WE ARE IN, AT OUR JOBS, IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WHEREVER WE GO.

* AND JESUS SAID THIS TO HIS DISCIPLES IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IN MATTHEW 5:14-16 (READ THEM)

** NOW WHEREVER GOD HAS SUPERNATURALLY PLANTED US, WE MUST BLOOM FOR HIM AND BE LIGHTS FOR HIM BOTH BY OPEN DOORS AND PROACTIVELY.

**** IN OTHER WORDS, LIVE THE LIFE SO YOU CAN GIVE AN ANSWER OF WHY YOU LIVE THE WAY YOU DO, READ I PETER 3:15.

(3) BUT ALSO SPEAK FORTH THE WORD OF CHRIST AS THE LORD OPEN DOORS. PAUL SAID IN COLOSSIANS

4:2-4 –

V. 2 – DEVOTE YOURSELVES TO PRAYER, KEEPING ALERT IN IT WITH AN ATTITUDE OF THANKSGIVING;

V. 3 – PRAYING AT THE SAME TIME FOR US AS WELL, THAT GOD WILL OPEN UP TO US A DOOR FOR THE WORD, SO THAT WE MAY SPEAK FORTH THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST, FOR WHICH I HAVE ALSO BEEN IMPRISONED;

V. 4 – THAT I MAY MAKE IT CLEAR IN THE WAY I OUGHT TO SPEAK.”

* AND THROUGH PRAYER, GOD OPENS DOORS ALL THE TIME, BUT WE MUST WALK THROUGH HIM AND SPEAK CLEARLY THE WORD THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

** BUT ALSO I WOULD CHALLENGE YOU AGAIN AS I DID IN DECEMBER, BE PROACTIVE AND COMMIT YOURSELF IN DOING A RED BOOK STUDY OR SOME KIND OF EVANGELISTIC STUDY WITH SOMEONE THAT THE LORD HAS BROUGHT ACROSS YOUR PATH (GO OVER THE RED BOOK).

*** BELOVED, COMMIT YOURSELF TO GO THROUGH A STUDY FROM THE SUPERNATURAL WORD OF GOD BEING LED BY THE SPIRIT IN 2007.

**** AND EVERYDAY, REMEMBER, WE CAN BE SUPERNATURAL WITNESSES FOR THE LORD THROUGH PRAYER, THE WORD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.