Revelation 11

The angel, who escorts John around Heaven, gives him a measuring rod and tells him to rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. (We are not given the results of John’s measurements). He is told not to measure the outer court. It represents the Holy City which has been given to the Gentiles to trodden underfoot for 42 months. This is likely in reference to the 42 months or last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation (12 months x 3.5 years= 42 months) when the antichrist breaks his treaty with Israel and invades the city. He then defiles the temple and sets himself up as god. This is the Abomination of Desolation that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 24:15 , see also Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11).

Revelation 11 goes on to introduce the two witnesses. The exact identity of these two is unknown. It is speculated that they may be Elijah and Enoch because neither of them died in the Old Testament (Genesis 5:23, 2 Kings 2:11). They have also been identified as Moses and Elijah because they appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:3).They are called olive trees and lampstands. This may describe their roles are bringers of peace and light. They are attempting to bring peace (olive trees, Genesis 8:11) with God and light or enlightenment of salvation through the Gospel they preach. They also have the power to shut up heaven and to turn water to blood.

The antichrist and his army will try to stop these two witnesses but they will be protected by God until the time of the ministering is complete. “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 (Rev. 11:5).” Eventually, the time of the ministry will end and their enemies will prevail over them and kill them. The antichrist will not allow their bodies to be buried. However, three and one half days later, they will rise up and stand on their feet, all on live television.

            Years ago people wondered how this was going to be possible. How could the whole world see the bodies of two people in Israel? Now we know. With the advent of CNN, and now, Headline News, MSNBC, FoxNews, and a host of other news satellites, this is possible. Not only does the plethora of news stations make this possible but also does various means of watching streaming news. People can now watch news on their computers, smartphones, iPhones, iPads, tablets, and other forms of mobile communication. This is what we have now; who knows what the future holds?

            The text tells us that not only will the world watch the murder and death of the bodies in Israel, but they will also celebrate their death. They will be having parties and giving gifts to one another in celebration of their deaths. This goes to the convicting power of the Gospel, especially in that day. People will be so convicted by it that they will party at the silencing of it.

            After three and a half days, breath from God will enter into them and they will stand up on their feet. This will cause great fear to fall upon those watching. This could either be because they are afraid that they will start preaching again and not even death can stop them or it could be because they don’t know what is going to happen next. Maybe they recognize the power of God (who alone can give life).

            A loud voice from heaven calls out to them, “Come up here” and they ascend up into heaven before the eyes of those watching. Then a great earthquake falls upon the city and ten percent of it falls. Seven thousand people die as a result of this earthquake. Those who remained were afraid and praised the God of Heaven.

            The second woe had passed. The third woe is coming quickly. Time is winding down and things are speeding towards a climax. The seventh angel sounds his trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven praising God. These are the words Charles Jennens used for Handel’s Oratorio, “Messiah”: “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”

            Then the twenty-four elders fell down prostrate and worshipped God. Who are these twenty-four elders? No one really knows. They first appear in Revelation 4:4 John’s first entry into heaven and at the opening of the seven seals. One school of thought is that they are not actually people but symbols that represent the gathering of both the OT and the NT. Twelve of the elders represent the Twelve Tribes of Israel—the Old Testament and twelve represent the Twelve Apostles (or Disciples)--the Church—the New Testament. Twelve of the Elders is one of the things prophesy teachers point to when they say the church won’t be here during the Tribulation because we are already in Heaven and this is represented by Twelve of the Twenty-four elders.

            Whoever these elders are, they fell down and worshipped God. They praised him. Then the temple in heaven was opened and the Ark of His Covenant was seen there. Then there were great signs in the heavens: “lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.” Right now no one knows the location of the Ark but this suggests that God has ‘raptured’ it to Heaven. He is now being praised because He has brought fulfillment to His Word. All the seals, vials, and trumpets have been released. History is coming to a close. God is now ready to wrap things up. Jesus is on His way back to vanquish the enemies and start His eternal reign. God has overcome.

            The remainder of the book of Revelation really describes the things that happen during the opening of the seals, vials, and the sounding of the trumpets.

Jesus and the Rapture

A Radical Idea

Most people believe that John 14:1-3 was when Jesus prophesied His return. This is believed to be the earliest prophecy of the Rapture of the Church. What if John 14 was not the first time Jesus prophesied the Rapture? Here is a radical idea, what if He alluded to it in John 11?

            In John 11, Jesus was ministering about a day’s journey from Bethany when He and His disciples heard that Lazarus was sick. According to the Scriptures, Jesus loved Lazarus. This may mean that He was fond of Lazarus rather than He loved Lazarus seeing that Jesus loved everyone. Yet, instead of going immediately to him, Jesus tarried where He was for two more days. After those days, He told His disciples that Lazarus was asleep and that He is going to wake him. Thinking that He meant that Lazarus was physically sleeping, they said, “It’s good that he sleeps for if he sleeps he will get well.” Then He told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.”

            Upon arriving in Bethany, He was met by Martha, Lazarus’ sister. She told him, “Lord, had you been here, my brother would not have died.”

Jesus answered her and said, “Your brother will rise again.”

She responded, “Yes, Lord, in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

I believe in this exchange Jesus was hinting about the Rapture of the Church and He was using Lazarus as a living illustration. To prove my point, let’s compare what Jesus said with what Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

In this portion of Paul’s letter to the Church in Thessalonica, he was refuting some in the church who had said that the Rapture had taken place and those who are dead had missed it. Paul inquired of the Lord what to write then he responded to their lies with “the word of the Lord.” He said that Christians are not to sorrow over those who have fallen asleep as those who have no hope.  For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with the trump of God and the voice of the Archangel and the dead in Christ will rise. And we who are alive and remain at the coming of the Lord will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. We shall forever be with the Lord.

Not only is there the same wording Jesus used but there is also a parallel of the event. Jesus called those who have passed on, asleep. Paul also calls them asleep. Jesus first points out that the dead will live again. Paul starts talking about how the dead will rise first. Jesus then says that those who live will never die. Paul says that those who are alive and remain will be caught up. In other words, they will not die.

In addition to this parallelism, there is one more illustration of the Rapture. When Jesus raises Lazarus, He says, “Lazarus, come forth!” This is similar to His calling of John the Revelator in another picture of the Rapture in Revelation 3, “Come up here.” Jesus didn’t tell Lazarus to “come up here” because He was on earth. But when He returns He will say, “Come up here” because He will be in the air above the clouds.

I know this idea sounds radical, that Jesus spoke of the Rapture during the raising Lazarus, but I thought it was worth sharing.

America's Lost Legacy (Part 5)

A Church with Passion (Part One)

God told the church at Ephesus that they had left their first love. They were once hot for God. They were once on fire for Him. They had great zeal and great fervor for Him, but now, they’ve cooled. He encouraged them to return to their first love. When church members returns to the zeal and enthusiasm they once had for their Lord, they will again be able to positively affect and influence their families for the Kingdom. Godly children become godly adults who will use godly wisdom to affect positive change in their families, on their jobs, in their churches, in their communities, and in their nation.

When the Church returns to her first love, she, too, will be able to affect positive change. Jesus told the church at Ephesus to remember from whence she fell. She was to remember the love and zeal she once had. She was to remember the power and strength she once had. She was to remember the favor of God she once had. Once she remembers where she fell from, she is to repent and go back to it. To repent means to die to a sin or a sinful way of life. For what does she have to repent? She is to repent of allowing worldliness to enter into her. She is to repent for compromising with the world. She is to repent for her disobedience to the commands of Christ. She is to repent for her idolatries. The church at Ephesus was to repent and die to the life she was now living, the sins she was not committing, and to return to God. She was to turn her back on what she was now doing and return to her zeal and her passion for her first (and only) Love.

To those churches that do not repent, He “will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place.” That means that He will remove His blessing from her. He will write Ichabod on her. He may even kill off her members or just let the church die off through natural attrition. He may even give them over to a strong delusion that they may believe the lies of false teachers. If a church repents of growing cold towards Jesus, then He will restore her. He told the Ephesian church, “‘To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.’” He would bless those who repent with eternal life.