SNBS - Revelation Part 8 - Chapter 11 with Pastor Josiah Shipley

Good evening and welcome to Sunday Night Bible Study with Pastor Josiah Shipley of Witten Baptist Church.

I am excited to be back with you after taking off last week. The previous week we continued our part 7 in our study of Revelation and we had a little bit of a quote -unquote side lesson on critical thinking and how to logically read the

Bible. And if you haven't, go back and listen to that, all it has to do with is the first verse out of Revelation 11, so Revelation 11 -1.

So our task today is to get as far through the rest of Revelation 11 as possible so we can start

Revelation 12 the following week with the dragon and the woman and then

Revelation 13 with the Antichrist the week after that. So let's get to it. Revelation 11 starting in verse 1.

Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar of those who worship there.

I believe the temple has to be rebuilt. But do not measure the court outside the temple, leave that out, for it is given over to the nations.

They will trample on the holy city for forty -two months, and I will grant authority to my two witnesses and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothes and sackcloth.

Stop there. Forty -two months is roughly twelve hundred and sixty days, which since it's used in conjunction here, and then it quotes and references

Daniel 9, shows us that Daniel 9 with the times time and a half of Daniel 7 and the seventy weeks of Daniel are in line with each other.

Now if you don't know what I'm talking about, just listen for a minute. In Daniel 9, Daniel 9 -27,

I'll just read it very quickly. Daniel 9 -27, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, I have to say them out loud,

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Job, Daniel. Okay. Daniel 9 -27 says,

And he will make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offerings.

And on the wings of abominations, on the wing of abominations shall come who makes it desolate until the decree is poured out on the desolator.

You read through it, it's pretty obvious Daniel 9 is referring to the Antichrist. So the forty -two months is the twelve hundred and sixty days, which is the middle of the week in Daniel 9.

You can read it all throughout. That's my opinion, but it makes sense to me when you read them side by side. At any rate,

I believe the two witnesses that we're about to read about that we just referenced are present during the first three and a half years of the tribulation.

Remember the tribulation is seven years long, right? I believe they're present in the first three and a half years.

And I think they've been here for some of the seals and trumpets we've read about thus far. Okay.

I know I go through this fast, and sometimes my brain doesn't quite catch up.

So if I say something that doesn't make sense, put it in the comment section. I will gladly re -explain it the following week, or in Q &A.

Okay, keep reading. These are but two olive trees and two lampstands that stand before the

Lord of the Earth. 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 die.

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

When they finish their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make one of them and conquer them and kill them.

We have two witnesses in Jerusalem that are prophesying the word of God, and they are doing great signs while it happens during the first three and a half years.

At the end of three and a half years, the beast that rises out of the abyss from Revelation 13 .1,

the Antichrist, the beast, the one who does the abomination of desolation, the man of lawlessness, he's called a lot of things in scripture, he kills them.

Verse 8, their bodies will lie on the street of the great city that symbiotically is called Sodom and Egypt, where the

Lord was crucified. For three and a half days, some of the people's tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in the tomb.

Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange gifts because these two prophets have been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.

But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them. They stood up on their feet and great fear fell on all those who saw them.

Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying, come up here. And they went up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies watched them.

At that hour, there was a great earthquake. 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. The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is to come. Yeah, remember, the last three trumpets are called woes.

The angel told us that several chapters ago. All right. So we have two witnesses.

They're going to set up camp in Jerusalem and prophesy the things of God. When most of the city at that time are unbelievers.

OK, and they will defend themselves when people try to kill them. Fire will come out of their mouths and consume them.

They'll perform great signs like fire being called down from heaven and turning water into blood.

And doesn't that sound like two prophets before? Many believe, myself included, that these two witnesses are

Moses and Elijah. The two that showed up on the mountaintop of the mountain of Transfiguration in Matthew 17,

I think. These are, you know, when Elijah prayed that it wouldn't rain and it didn't.

When Moses, one of the ten plagues, was striking the water that it would turn into blood.

There are many who think it has to be Elijah and Enoch because they didn't die and they have to come back and die because it just says

Enoch walked with God. But I don't think you can be dogmatic about who this is because the

Bible doesn't say it explicitly, but we can still study and find out as best we can. But my best guess is

Moses and Elijah. I could be wrong. When they're killed, their bodies are going to lay in the streets for three and a half days and the city is going to refuse to let them be buried.

Because to the rest of the world, they were, you know, horrible people that were prophesying in the name of God and they defended themselves.

You know, it says the whole world. Verse 10, those who dwell on earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents.

They're going to throw a party. YouTube will be the number one video. You know, all the news stations will be showing it and airing it.

Everyone will be so happy that they're dead and they will be rejoicing that these two horrible people from their vantage point are being taken away.

Then after three and a half days, the breath of life from God will come in and they will be raised. And God will say, come up here and they'll be called to heaven.

Now, for you mid -trip rapture people, this is a good spot for you because that's the same kind of language used in Revelation 4 for the pre -trip rapture folks where it says come up here and it snatches them out.

Here, it's kind of that. So maybe for a pre -trip rapture person, it's not just the two witnesses that are raised here, but all believers.

Kind of weak, but hey, whatever floats your boat, right? All right. Now, after that, a great earthquake, a tent of the city fell, 7 ,000 people were killed and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the

God of heaven. You think some people are going to get right with God and country after that? After God raises those two prophets and takes them to heaven?

Oops, they really were from God. Second woe is past, but the third woe is come.

All right, time for the seventh trumpet. You ready? Verse 15. The seventh angel blew his trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven.

The king of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever. But 24 elders who sat on the thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped

God. Our elders are always doing that, aren't they? Every time we see the elders, they're falling down and worshiping

God. 17. We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and was, for you have taken the great power and begun to reign.

The nation dreads, but your wrath has come and time of the dead to be judged for the rewarding of your servants, the prophets and the saints, for those who fear your name, both great and small, for destroying the destroyers of the earth.

Then God's temple in heaven was opened. The Ark of the Covenant was seen within the temple. There are flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and heavy hail.

All right. Now, let's just stop there for a minute.

In verse 15 and 16, it speaks of Christ's reign starting even though it doesn't technically start until chapter 20.

How can that be? Well, I'll give you a couple of possible ways to think about it and then show you clearly what it could be.

First off, remember, guys, you don't have to read the book of Revelation as totally chronological.

Remember, we've admitted that there are times where it goes forward and then there's a flashback, goes forward and there's a flashback. But more than that, remember, at the end of the seventh seal,

I'm about to read it. Remember, we have seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bolts.

Here's the end of the seventh seal. The angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth.

There were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. The end of the seventh trumpet.

There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, earthquake and heavy hail. The end of the seven bolts.

There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, great earthquake. So remember that the seventh seal is simply an opening of the seventh trumpet, the seven trumpets, and the seventh trumpet is an opening of the seven bolts around.

So it's possible to view them as concurrent. That means happening at the same time. So the seven seals, the seventh one is the seven trumpets, which is the seven bolts.

So really, this is all the seventh seal. Does that make sense? It's possible. Another way to read it is to say that this is simply regular prophetic talk.

Biblical writers recognize the sovereignty of God. Since they recognize the sovereignty of God, they can speak of God having already done things that have yet to happen in time.

Isaiah 53 prophesies the crucifixion 700 years before Jesus was even born.

And yet it speaks of it all in the past tense. He was pierced for our transgressions.

He was bruised for our iniquities. The punishment for our peace was on him. And by his wounds, we are healed.

The Lord was pleased to crush him severely. Romans 8 30. Those who foreknew he predestined me to conform to the image of his son.

And those he foreknew who also justified. Those he justified he also glorified.

I forgot to call him, I'm sorry. He glorified. Now that has yet to happen for most of us.

We have not received our glorified bodies, but we will. We will.

And it can speak about in the past tense, because when God says he will do something, it is so sure it can be spoken as if it's already done.

It's called the prophetic past in the Old Testament. Basically, when

God says something will happen, it will happen. So you can speak about it as if it's already happened. That could be what's in view here in Revelation 11 when it says he has begun to reign.

Of course, if you are a mid -term rapture person, this works out perfect for you. Because the reign of Christ couldn't actually be happening here.

If you are a post -trib rapture, and this is looking forward to it, this works out even better for you. If you don't know what

I'm talking about, go back to Revelation 1 and 2. All right.

I want you to remember this. This analogy that Pastor Ben shared with me years ago.

God is outside of time. And think of it like a parade. God looks down. And even though from our vantage point, you know, if you're at the

Christmas parade, the little bulletin will say that, you know, Rudolph will pass by at 1030, and the mayor will pass by at 1045, and Santa will pass by at 11.

That's really not true, right? From your vantage point, that's when they'll pass by. But really, they're all on the same line together.

But if you get one of those police drones or a helicopter, you look down at the street from up high, you're seeing all that happen at the same time.

Well, that's the best way I can think of God's view. So he can say this has already happened.

Even though from our vantage point, it hasn't happened yet. Last thing. It says the

Ark of the Covenant was seen in heaven. In case you aren't familiar with the

Ark of the Covenant, blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat when a sacrifice was made.

The mercy seat, the lid had two angels on it whose wings covered it, and blood was poured on that little seat, on the mercy seat, that lid, as a sacrifice for sins.

God dwelled there. Mercy, which is not getting the due punishment you deserve, is bought by blood.

Hebrews 9 .22 says, Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. Your mercy was bought by Jesus.

Propitiation is God's wrath being poured out on Jesus instead of you. Acts 20 .28

says, You have been purchased with the blood of God.

You have been purchased with the blood of God. Now, a little side note for you. Blood of God.

I thought Jesus died for us. Exactly. Blood of God. See that? Also, 1

Peter 1 .18 -20, Knowing that you were ransomed, bought, from your futile ways, inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like a lamb without spot or blemish.

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, who through him are believers in God.

The Ark of the Covenant was where God dwelled, though he wasn't really contained in that box.

It's where Israel, the people, could meet with him, and it's where they made sacrifices to atone for sins.

Jesus was that final sacrifice, the final shedding of blood for our sins. All right,

I know this lesson was a little bit all over the place, and I do apologize for that. I hope you were able to get something out of it.

It was a little rusty this week, you know, a couple weeks out. That's all right. We're back. There's Revelation 11 with the two witnesses and the seventh trumpet.

Next week, we do Revelation 12 with the woman and the dragon and the man -child and Michael the archangel and all that stuff.

So we've got Revelation 12, which covers like thousands of years of history. So be ready for that.

I love you all very much. Go back and listen to all the parts if you need to. Revelation 12 next week.