What does true worship look like in a world that rejects God?
In this episode, J. Mark explores the account of the two witnesses in Revelation 11:1-14. These witnesses are sent to earth to call people to repentance. As we look at the measuring of the temple, and the ministry, martyrdom and resurrection of the two appointed witnesses, we see God’s call to worship him faithfully. Though the world rejects God’s message, this passage reminds us that His purposes will prevail and His faithful servants will be vindicated.
Transcript
“Jesus did not redeem us to make us workers; He redeemed us to make us worshippers.” Do you agree or disagree with that statement? (I would be interested in seeing your comments.)
That statement was made by A.W. Tozer, an influential American Christian pastor and author. He was best known for his devotional writing, which emphasizes holiness, contemplative prayer, and a deep, personal “pursuit of God.” He wrote, “Human beings are so constructed that they can only worship.” Though he passed away several decades ago, his writings continue to impact the church today.
I believe Tozer’s statement was accurate. “Human beings are so constructed that they can only worship.” 1 Peter 2:9-10, echoing Isaiah 43:21, says, “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” Proclaiming the praises of the one who called us out of darkness into light sounds like worship to me.
The question then is “What, or who, do you worship?” That question lies at the heart of our study today from Revelation 11:1-14.
In this chapter, we are introduced to two unique witnesses who, I believe, will be sent to earth during the latter part of the Tribulation. I hope you can join me for this important study.
Here is the Word of God, Revelation 11:1-14.
1Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.
2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.
3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.
5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.
6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.
10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.
13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
This account of the two witnesses contains several important ASPECTS of God’s desire for people to worship Him.
While I believe this text focuses specifically on the Jewish people during the second half of the Tribulation, there are things we can learn from and apply to our lives today.
The First Aspect is,
The Worship Measured
John was given a reed to use as a measuring rod. We’re told that the reeds that grew in the Jordan Valley at that time could reach 5 or 6 meters (15-20 feet). The stalks, because they were long and lightweight, were ideal for use as measuring rods. In Ezekiel’s vision, an angel used a similar rod to measure the millennial temple (Ezek. 40:3–43:17). Another reed, a golden one, appears in Revelation 21:15, where the New Jerusalem is measured. Measuring serves one of two purposes in the Bible: preservation or destruction, like Belshazzar in Daniel 5.
After John was given the reed, someone spoke to him. Some versions say, “an angel”, but those words aren’t in the original manuscripts. However, in verse 3, the speaker refers to the two witnesses as “my witnesses.” That means this must be either God or Christ speaking. That makes sense when we hear what the command was.
John was told to “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.” First, imagine the comfort this must have brought to John. At the time he wrote Revelation, Israel’s future looked bleak. A quarter century earlier, the Romans had brutally suppressed the Jewish revolt of A.D. 66-70, slaughtering over one million Jews, devastating Jerusalem, and burning the Temple. But now, John is told there will be another Temple. God had not forgotten His covenant promises! “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew” (Rom. 11:2).
Further, the description of the Temple suggests that what is being measured is the places open to Jewish worshippers, not the entire Temple complex. John was instructed to “leave out the court, which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.” So, the court of the Gentiles is specifically excluded. They had no right to worship in the places being measured. In fact, the penalty for crossing the “middle wall of partition” (referred to in Ephesians 2:14) was death.
And not only was the Temple being measured, but also the worshippers. Some commentators believe that the worshippers being measured are the believing Jews who come to faith in the Messiah during the Tribulation. Whether this is accurate or not, we should remember that God still measures the sincerity and authenticity of our worship today. We may impress others with our outward piety, but God sees our hearts.
If this is indeed during the Tribulation, then there must be a temple to be measured. Both Daniel (9:27) and Jesus (Matthew 24:15) spoke about the “abomination of desolation” that would occur during the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy. So, there must be a temple during this time.
John was told not to measure the court of the Gentiles, because their role is to “trample” or profane with contempt the Holy City for 42 months (the equivalent of 1,260 days). Trample is the word used for treading grapes to make wine. Since the Gentiles control the outer court, that most likely places this scene in the second half of the Tribulation, after the Antichrist breaks his 7-year covenant with Israel. This period (3.5 years) includes the triumph of the Gentiles, the prophesying of the two witnesses, and the woman’s sojourn in the wilderness. Daniel 7:25 and 12:7 refer to this period as “time, times, and a half a time.”
This measurement of the worshippers leads us to the next aspect of God’s invitation for people to worship Him.
The Next Aspect is,
The Witnesses Introduced
In verse three, we are introduced to those identified as “my” two witnesses. As I said earlier, the voice identifying these two must belong to God or Jesus. Some versions say, “I will give power to my two witnesses.” Other translations render it as “authority,” but in both cases the word is italicized, indicating it is not in the original. The NIV probably comes the closest by rendering “I will appoint my two witnesses.”
The duration of their ministry is 1,260 days (3.5 years), and as they fulfill their prophetic ministry, they will be dressed in sackcloth. In Israel’s history and in John’s day, those dressed in sackcloth communicated a message of doom, repentance, and mourning. “The clothing fit the message.” The message of these witnesses seems to mirror the message of the prophets of Israel. However, unlike the prophets of time past, these two cannot be silenced!
Many have speculated on the identity of these witnesses. Moses and Elijah are the names most often suggested because of certain powers the witnesses exercise. However, humans only die once, so that most likely excludes Moses. Elijah was translated to heaven without dying, but the only other biblical person to be so translated was Enoch. So, it is best not to force an identity on these witnesses that we can’t verify.
John is told, “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.” This seems like a direct reference to chapter 4 of Zechariah’s vision. Zechariah saw one lampstand and two olive trees. The lampstand represented Israel, and the two olive trees, Joshua and Zerubbabel. The symbolism is similar here, but the two olive trees and the two lampstands are identical.
Without spending much time on this, I think we can safely say that these 4 essentially serve the same purpose; however, they do so in two different eras. They are bringing the heavenly holiness of Israel’s God to the earth. The first pair temporarily brought that holiness to earth during the rebuilding of the Temple after the Babylonian captivity. The witnesses John saw are announcing God’s imminent presence on earth forever.
While we don’t know the exact identities of these witnesses, we are told about their mission. First, why two? Most likely, the biblical principle that two or three witnesses are needed to establish a matter. This was originally stated in Deuteronomy 17:6, and later reiterated in the New Testament by Jesus, Paul, and others.
Next is their invincibility. “And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.” We will learn later that this invincibility has an expiration date. It reminds me of the time Elijah called down fire on the enemies of the Lord in 2 Kings chapter one, leading to the death of two groups of fifty-one men each time.
However, here the fire comes out of the witnesses’ mouths. Is this literal or symbolic? I believe it could be both. In Jeremiah 5:15, God told him, “Behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.” Later, in 23:29, the Lord asks, “Is not My word like a fire? says the Lord, And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” One is fire, the other, like fire. I refuse to “put God in the box of my human understanding and ability.”
In addition to that power, they exercise powers reminiscent of Moses and Elijah. They have the power to shut the heavens and withhold the rain. Further, they can turn the remaining waters of the earth into blood and strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they choose. They are endowed with God’s authority as they call the nations to repentance and faith.
The mission of the witnesses will be completed.
The Next Aspect (of God’s invitation to worship Him) is,
The Witnesses Martyred
Verse 7 introduces this next aspect. When the testimony of these two witnesses is finished, according to God’s schedule, their invincibility comes to an end. Even though these witnesses filled an important role in God’s plan, they are not immune to suffering or becoming victims of the Beast. The Beast that arises from the abyss (the Antichrist) will fight against them, overcome them, and kill them. As we’ll see, their demise is temporary, but very real.
This concept should bring great comfort to every Believer. We are all here at the time and place of God’s choosing, and He has a work for us to do. We, too, are invincible until we have fulfilled His plan for our lives. The godly man, Job, is probably the clearest example of this truth in all of the Scriptures.
If these two witnesses represent all persecuted people of God (especially those in the first century), then the message of their suffering, triumph, defeat, and eventual triumph becomes truly relevant to all future generations.[1]
In a devilish display of contempt and hatred for these two, they will be denied a timely, respectful burial. In Jewish culture, this would have been the ultimate indignity and desecration. In Judaism, returning a body to the earth quickly was considered an act of piety and human kindness. According to Maimonides (a revered Torah scholar from the Middle Ages), Jews were even known to bury the dead of Gentiles “as an expression of the ways of peace.”
“The dead, decomposing bodies of these witnesses will be left lying in the streets of that great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” The reference to “the city where our Lord was crucified” most likely refers to Jerusalem. In Isaiah chapter one, lamenting the sinfulness of God’s people, the prophet likens Judah to Sodom and Gomorrah. Ezekiel makes a similar comparison regarding Israel’s sex-filled idolatrous worship. Egypt, in Scripture, is always a picture of godlessness and hatred of Jehovah.
The deaths of the two witnesses will touch off wild celebrations around the world. Incredibly, those who dwell on the earth (unbelievers) will rejoice over them and celebrate. They will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. Ironically, this is the only mention of rejoicing in Revelation. Sinners will be happy because those who declared to them God’s judgments, tormented them with miracle power and messages condemning their sin and proclaiming God’s impending judgment, and called for them to repent, are dead. This emotional response graphically reflects the finality of their rejection (of Jehovah and the worship He desires).[2]
The Final Aspect (of God’s invitation to worship Him) is,
The Witnesses Resurrected
However, as is always the case with sin, the party eventually comes to an end, and the consequences arrive. When the three-and-a-half days are over, the breath of life enters into these two men, and they stand on their feet. The gift-giving and the merry-making come to a screeching halt, and immediately, the revelers are panic-stricken! Imagine these scenes being repeated on an almost endless loop on the millions of digital screens across the world.
As millions around the world watch in awe, a great voice from heaven says to the two witnesses, “Come up here!” Before the astonished eyes of the onlookers, the witnesses ascend to heaven in a cloud. The triumph of the faithful witnesses over their enemies is openly celebrated, and is like the Rapture described by the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
Further, at that very hour, a great earthquake struck, and one-tenth of the city was destroyed. That destruction resulted in 7,000 deaths. The term “people” in the Greek text literally means “names of men.” That unusual phrase may indicate that the seven thousand who were killed were prominent people, perhaps leaders in Antichrist’s world government.
The survivors were terrified and gave glory to God. Let’s not misunderstand that last phrase about unbelievers giving glory to God. There was no repentance here. What it means is they recognized the power of God. If you recall the story of Achan in Joshua 7, Joshua used that same phrase, “give glory to the Lord God of Israel…” in calling out Achan’s sin.
For the unbelieving world, this interlude ends with the sobering warning that the second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly. The seventh trumpet (the third woe) will soon sound, bringing with it the final, violent bowl judgments and the return of Christ in glory to set up His kingdom. Tachu (quickly) means “soon” and expresses the imminency of the last woe, which is the seven bowl judgments ushered in by the sounding of the seventh trumpet.[3]
In this future scene John was privileged to see, evil seemed to be in control even as it does today. But appearances can be deceiving. The tables are now turned, justice is done. This, in the context of Daniel 7:22, creates a powerful parallel. “I was watching, and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.”
In the end, brothers and sisters, the righteous will possess the kingdom! Will you be a part of that kingdom? If so, you must worship Him now!
[1] Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, Eli, and Shir, Pinchas, Hebrew Visions of Revelation, p. 103
[2] MacArthur, New Testament Commentary on Revelation, p. 431-432
[3] MacArthur, New Testament Commentary on Revelation, p. 433
