This is the twenty-eighth in a series of verse-by-verse expositions of the book of Revelation. This message was delivered at Hilcrest Baptist Church on the morning of September 13, 2015. This message looks at the death of the two witnesses. This post contains an audio recording of my message, along with my sermon notes. Please note that the sermon notes are not necessarily a full transcript. *NO AUDIO, NOTES ONLY.
SERMON AUDIO:
Rev. 11:7-10
SERMON NOTES:
v.7:
This the first reference to this person in Revelation who is none other than the Antichrist (see ch. 13). Note that he will ascend out of the bottomless pit. This tells us that his power is satanic. When the witnesses have finished their testimony, is when the power of the antichrist will be fully manifested. This reinforces the fact that the two witnesses will appear at the beginning of the tribulation.
The antichrist will have 42 months of unhindered reign after the testimony of the witnesses is complete. Once their witness is complete, and not a moment before, the antichrist will kill them. God will provide divine protection for them, and gave them supernatural powers so that they can not be harmed before their mission is complete. Even the antichrist could not have harmed them before their work was done. So, when their ministry completed, God will withdraw their supernatural protection. The beast will then be able to accomplish what many had died trying to do. At this point, the war against the saints will be in full swing.
- Daniel 7:21
vv.8-9:
There is a threefold reference which centers around Jerusalem, but it almost certainly extends beyond, and is representative of the condition of the entire world: great city, Sodom, and Egypt. These three references emphasize the wickedness of this time.
“Great city,” is a designation that refers to Babylon throughout the rest of Revelation.
- Revelation 18:10
In fact we see this usage throughout chapters 16-18. The city of Babylon in revelation is the city of Satan and will eventually be destroyed.
- Revelation 18:21
The original Babylon was a place where Israel was kept in captivity. It was a center of pride and rebellion, which eventually met with destruction by God.
- Isaiah 13:19-20
The city is also spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. Sodom connotes rebellion against God, the rejection of the poor, moral degradation, sexual perversion, and ultimately God’s judgment and destruction.
- Ezekiel 16:49-50
- Jude 1:7
- 2 Peter 2:6
Egypt was a place of idolatry, which kept Israel in slavery. It too, met with God’s judgment.
- Exodus 10:7
This threefold reference is a chilling prophecy of what’s to come. It is telling also, that the center of where all of this plays out, is where Christ was crucified. It is also a reminder that what happened to Christ can also happen to any of us. It is foolish to think that Christ endured so much persecution, yet somehow His followers are immune from it. The only thing we are immune from is the wrath of God. Satan and the world have plenty of wrath to share with us.
- 1 Peter 4:12
These two witnesses, once their work is complete, will see that wrath first hand. Refusing to bury one’s enemies was a way to dishonor and show contempt for them. The OT expressly forbids this practice.
- Deuteronomy 21:22–23
They will be treated with the utmost contempt, as people from all over the world gleefully gawk at them. Make no mistake, there are many people in the world, even today, who would love to see outspoken christians suffer this same fate.
v.10:
People will be glad to see them gone. Their death will spark a celebration. They will have been seen as persecutors, simply because they preached God’s judgment.
That same attitude is becoming more and more prevalent in our world today. Those who take a stand on Biblical principals are deemed hateful and bigoted. They are seen as wanting to persecute those who promote sinful ideals. They are looked upon as oppressors, wanting to deny the rights of individuals. The most glaring example of this in today’s world is the LGBT crowd. Many of whom seek to punish anyone who would speak against them. However, God has made it very clear that the world cannot continue to glorify and embrace sin without facing His wrath. This message seems lost on the world today, but that doesn’t make it any less real. Those who dare to preach it, are labeled as judgmental and hateful. They are said to lack grace, not knowing God’s love. But what is love without correction?
- Hebrews 12:6
Where is grace without a repentant sinner?
- Romans 5:20-21
If we don’t warn people about their sin, how will they ever know God’s grace?
In Defense: The Blog 
Posted on September 13, 2015
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