Whitnesses – Revelation 11

4-13-25

Witnesses

Revelation 11:1–14 (ESV)
¹Then 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, ²but 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.

• Measure the temple of God… the altar… those who worship there
  • Literal… The temple was destroyed in 70 AD (Now ~95AD)
    • This would have to be a future 3^rd temple
  • … The church

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 (ESV)
¹⁶Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? ¹⁷If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

• You is plural (Y’all)
• Do not measure the court outside… given over to the gentiles
• Trample the Holy city for forty-two months.
  • 42 months is 3 years and 6 months.
  • In the Jewish Calendar a month is 29 or 30 days.
    • 30 days 42 times is 1260 days. 
  • Why are those important?

Daniel 7:25 (ESV)
²⁵He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

Revelation 12:14 (ESV)
¹⁴But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.

Revelation 12:6 (ESV)
⁶and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

• Half of the time of the tribulation according to Daniel 9
• Revelation 12 will talk about the Beast for 42 months.

 ³And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” ⁴These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. ⁵And 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. ⁶They 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.

• Two witnesses for the first half of the tribulation
  • Hard to consider some of this to be
    • Olive Trees – peace, prosperity, beauty, anointing  
    • – Reflecting God’s light, carrying the gospel to the world
    • Fire pouring from their mouth…
  • Power to shut the sky, power over the waters, power over the
    • Exodus Chp 7 – 12, 1 Kings 17: 1
  • Who are they?
    • Elijah and Moses?
    • Elijah and Enoch?
    • The Church
    • A portion of the church (Particular Local Churches)
    • A particular group (Protestants, Catholics, 7^th Day Adventist, etc.)

 ⁷And 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, ⁸and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. ⁹For 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, ¹⁰and 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. 

• The

Daniel 7:19–22 (ESV)
¹⁹“Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, ²⁰and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions. ²¹As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, ²²until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

Revelation 13:1–2 (ESV)
¹And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. ²And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.

• A or a person?

Daniel 9:27 (ESV)
²⁷And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

Matthew 24:15–21 (ESV)

• The great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.
  • Jerusalem
    • Sodom and Egypt
  • The biblical theme of ‘the city’

¹¹But 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. ¹²Then 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. ¹³And 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. 

• At this they gave glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁴The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.

• The first woe was the 5^th trumpet – scorpion locust demon creatures from the pit
• The second woe was the 6^th trumpet – The 4 angels released from the Euphrates with the fire/smoke/sulfur horses with lion heads. Till the death of the witnesses.
• Talking about time within this chapter and the next…
  • When do the testimonies of the witnesses begin?
  • When does the beast rise?
  • The woman and the dragon

So what do we do with this?

• • Two things
    • The
      • The witnesses have a testimony to be presented
      • They will be given enough time to complete it

Matthew 5:14–16 (ESV)
¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

• The
  • The mission is during the tribulation
  • The witnesses are allowed to be killed upon the completion of the testimony

Matthew 10:16–18 (ESV)
John 15:18–20 (ESV)

• Right now is , the heat has not been turned up.
  • Our mission right now
  • Our expectations right now