By Pastor Greg...
At one point during a game, the
coach said to one of his young players, "Do you understand what
cooperation is and what teamwork is all about?" The little boy nodded. "Do you understand
that what really matters is not whether we win or lose, but that we play
together as a team?" Again, the boy
nodded yes. "Good," the coach continued. "And, when a strike is
called, or you're thrown out at first, you don't argue, curse, attack the
umpire with a bat, or throw dirt in the opposing team members face. Do you
understand all that?" "Well,
sure, coach,” said the boy. “That's what you taught us." "Good," said the coach. "Now,
please go over there and explain all that to your mother."
Odd, isn’t it, that the same
parents who want their children to be more respectful do not demonstrate respect
for others in their own lives? I’m sure
you know this; I’m sure you know that children learn more by observing your
behavior rather than listening to what you say.
You understand this, right? Children
and adults will know what sort of person you are by observing your actions. If
you’ve studied the Bible, you’ll recall that Jesus teaches us how a tree can be
identified by its fruit… meaning that a person’s heart can be identified by their actions and their
words. “What you say flows from what is in your heart”
[1]
says the Lord in Luke 6:45.
This is called our “witness.” And if we claim to be a Christian, we either confirm or undermine that claim by our actions. As the saying goes; actions speak louder than
words.
As if to confirm this, the Lord
reveals to John a side-story in the Book of Revelation; it’s a story about two
individuals who are God’s witnesses in Jerusalem. While all the “seal and trumpet” disasters
are taking place, God empowers two people to stand outside the Temple and
proclaim the mighty power of the Lord. We
read of them in Revelation 11:1-14.
Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “Go and measure
the Temple of God and the altar, and
count the number of worshipers. 2 But do not measure the outer
courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the
holy city for 42 months. 3 And I will give power to my two
witnesses, and they will be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those
1,260 days.”
4 These two prophets are
the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all
the earth. 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from
their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm
them must die. 6 They have power
to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And
they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often
as they wish.
7 When they complete their
testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war
against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. 8 And
their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is
figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was
crucified. 9 And for three and a half days, all peoples,
tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be
allowed to bury them. 10 All the people who belong to this
world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the
death of the two prophets who had tormented them.
11 But after three and a
half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all
who were staring at them. 12 Then a loud voice from heaven
called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud
as their enemies watched.
13 At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that
destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake,
and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Bible scholars speculate “who” or
“what” these two witnesses are, but we probably shouldn’t be trying to figure
that out. It’s clear they are real
people. People can be killed, not angels
or supernatural beings. And it’s
doubtful that this represents the Church.
However, we should recognize the role they play in End-Time events.
The Olive Tree and the Lampstand
reference connects us with Zechariah 4:2-14.
In that section, Joshua and Zerubbabel are said to have been empowered
by the Spirit (the Lampstand) and guided by heavenly beings (Olive Trees). In the same way, the two witnesses in
Revelation 11 are empowered by the Spirit of God and the Angels of God (God grants them authority – verse 3). They stand in Jerusalem and glorify God for
three and a half years. This happens
during the first 42 months of the Great Tribulation.
So, during the opening of the
seals and the first six trumpet plagues, these two witnesses will stand in the
streets of Jerusalem, presumably just outside the Temple, and proclaim God’s
truth. I’m guessing during the suffering
caused by these tribulation events, the two witnesses will point to God and
remind people why they are being judged.
Talk about a voice crying in the wilderness!!
For what purpose? For what reason? Why send these two witnesses? People will be tortured and killed by the
forces of darkness (Revelation 9). The
word will be seduced into war. Because
of the tragedies, people will acknowledge the judgment of God (Revelation 6:16). Yet in all these miseries, they will refuse
to repent; they will not be humbled, and they will not change (for this,
Jerusalem is compared to Sodom and Egypt – two other nations that did not
repent despite the many signs from God).
At the prescribed time – probably
half way through the tribulation – the antichrist demonstrates his true nature
and defeats these two prophets. For
this, the world throws a holiday. Maybe they think all the catastrophes will now end. However, three and a half days later, these
dead witnesses will come back to life, and God will call them to heaven. There is an earthquake that kills 7,000
people in Jerusalem; those who survive give glory to God.
Don’t miss that point. Finally, the people give glory to God.
Wait… now they give glory to God?
Why? What will be different about
these two witnesses? I suppose one could
argue that giving glory to God is not the same as turning to God in faith, but at least they don’t run and hide.
Please don’t miss this point; two
faithful witnesses will accomplish what the horrors of hell do not. People will give glory to God because of
these two faithful individuals, but not when
they experience misery and suffering.
I suggest to you that any
Christian living today has within them the potential to become like these two
witnesses… meaning that a Christian has the potential to cause a watching world
give glory to God. No, I’m not speaking
about a Christian’s physical death and resurrection; I’m talking about a life so drastically changed that friends and
family give God credit for a life
transformed.
It’s true; all the teaching and
preaching in this world is not nearly as effective as a life well lived. People will believe what they see more than
they will believe what they hear. If you allow the Lord and the Spirit to
change you, the world will see a difference.
And you become a witness.
[1] Tyndale House Publishers.
(2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Lk 6:45). Carol Stream, IL.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers.
(2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Re 11:1–14). Carol Stream,
IL:
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