Revelation 11:1-19 ESV Scripture

Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. Scripture

3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. Scripture

5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.  Scripture

6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.  Scripture

7 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, 8 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.  Scripture

9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb,  Scripture

10 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.  Scripture

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.  Scripture

12 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.  Scripture

13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. Scripture

14 The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come 14 The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come. 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”  Scripture

16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. Scripture

18 The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants,  the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” Scripture

19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings,  peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. Scripture

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Rev 1:5b-6 (ESV) “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Scripture Memory Verse

Rev 3:5 (ESV), “The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. Scripture Memory Verse

Rev. 3:21-22 (ESV) 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Scripture Memory Verse

Rev 4:11 (ESV) “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Scripture Memory Verse

My Nameless Witnesses

V1, Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there,  You measure the things that matters to you.

The worshipers in the temple court are important to God because they are bought by the blood of the Lamb; sealed by the Spirit; protected from God’s wrath and God will never blot their names out of the book of life.

V2, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.  42 months is 3.5 years.

God doesn’t measure the court outside the temple because Jerusalem is occupied by unbelieving Gentiles, They are outside of God’s protection and under the wrath of God.

V3, And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” Acts 1:8, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses.

The disciples were Christ’s witnesses. The two unnamed persons will be His witnesses. Every Christian is supposed to witness for Christ

Witnessing is “martus;” a martyr is a person who loses his life for speaking the truth. Witnessing always take place in the face of hostility and the obstacles to witnessing are timidity and fear.

V3, And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth.” Who are the two witnesses? Why two?

Deut 19:15, “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.

1 Tim 5:19, Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. A witness may give false testimony so two witnesses are required to make sure that the testimony is true.

Why 42 months and 1260 days? 42 months will be the first half 1260 days will be the second half of the tribulation. The 2 witnesses will appear in the second half.

V4, These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.  The 2 olive trees are the Holy Spirit (Zech 4:3, 6). The 2 lampstands are the two witnesses

V5, And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying,

It is possible that one of the witnesses is Elijah

V6b, And they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.  It is possible that the other witness is Moses

It is also possible that the two witnesses are insignificant nameless ordinary Christians who are empowered by God to do extraordinary things. The work of the two witnesses will take place during the interlude between the 6th and 7th trumpet.

You and I are living in an interlude, a pause between Christ’s first coming and second coming. This is the time for you to be His witness.

V7, 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, 8 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. 

For 3.5 years of their ministry, they were untouchable. When God protects you, your ministry is unstoppable.

But when their ministry is finished, God allows the beast, man of lawlessness, antichrist to kill them (Mt 24:15, 2 Thes 2:4, 1John 2:18).

Witnessing is bitter and sweet. If you serve as His witness you will experience his protection and suffering and possibly death.

V9, For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb,

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. 

Mt 5:11-12, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

V11, 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 12 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.

Christ has conquered death; death has no claim on the 2 witnesses and us. The worse anyone could do to witnesses today is kill them but they could not kill their spirits; they could not stop God from resurrecting their bodies.

V13, And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14 The second woe has passed, the third woe is soon to come.

V15, Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” 

Christians have been praying “your kingdom come” for 2000 years. God’s answer; “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of Christ.”

V16, And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. “who will be” is missing.

V18, The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”

V19, Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. The ark represents God’s presence with his people. The believers can enter the holy of holies to see God.

V19b, There were flashes of lightning, rumblings (sounds), peals of thunder, an earthquake and heavy hail. As for the false believers and unbelievers, God is pouring his wrath, the seven bowls of judgment on them