Book of Revelation – Part 4

So let’s Start by jumping way back to Ezekiel Two, verse nine. This is where Ezekiel is being called to be a prophet.

Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.

And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel— not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.

But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.”

You may be wondering why I’m starting the book of Revelation by reading about Ezekiel eating a scroll that God gives him with with words that he wants him to speak to Israel. So now we turn to Revelation chapter 10, and you’re going to have some deja vu happening here. Chapter 10, starting in verse one.

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,  and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion.

The rainbow, the face shining like the sun, the legs like fiery pillars, all sound like the way God initially show Himself to Ezekiel. The symbolism of giving John the scroll and telling him to eat is a similar prophetic calling to warn the nations about God’s impending judgment. In Ezekiel’s time God was warning Israel’s remnant about their judgment. John is now about to warn the nations that abuse Israel’s remnant that it is soon to be their turn.

The fact that this “angel’s” feet are “planted” on both land and sea is a claim of ownership of the entire planet. Remember that Israel’s God sometimes represents Himself as “the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament. One of our members comments that the angel’s foot is “on” and not “in” the water. Who else do we know who can walk on water?

When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”

Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

So he’s saying, during the time of the seventh trumpet, everything will be accomplished. The whole of scripture will be accomplished. In Matthew 5:18 Jesus tells the assembled crowd on the mount, “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” In other words, the “days” of the seventh trumpet will include all of the events from when it is blown until the end of the book of Revelation.

Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey. ”

I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.  Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”

At this point, John seems to be recommissioned as a prophet. He has basically already warned the church about the coming and intensifying persecution. Now his prophetic ministry is directed outward to the nations. He is warning them about God’s wrath to come. There seems to be a parallel with Paul’s ministry – first to Jews, then to Gentiles.

It looks like he has now become a combination of Daniel and Ezekiel. So first he’s saying what’s happening, and now he’s about to give a warning to all the nations. And even in the book of Daniel, you have the big picture of this statue comprised of four different metals, you have the progression of kingdoms, from the Babylonians to the Persians to the to the Greeks and then to the Romans

Rome was actually originally a Greek colony, which is why you can hardly tell any difference between their gods and the Greek gods. Daniel 8:9-10 foretold that that was going to happen. The goat with one horn, representing Alexander the Great’s kingdom has its great horn broken and replaced by four lesser, but still formidable horns. This represents the four kingdoms that formed out of Alexander’s conquests.

As the vision continues, another horn grows out of one of the Greek kingdoms. This new horn grows, and begins to grow toward the east, gobbling up most of the remaining Greek kingdoms. This horn becomes what we know as the Roman Empire.

Secular historians think that the Romans just came up out of nowhere, as though indigenous to Italy. It started there, but Daniel knew better. If you read early Roman historians from the time of Augustus, you find that they knew that they had been originally a Greek colony or, more accurately a succession of Greek colonizing ventures originating from Achaia that colonized Sicily and southern Italy. It’s fascinating to read Dionysus of Helicarnassus’ history of Rome. Fortunately for me it’s translated into English. He talks like a modern scholar, comparing different accounts and analyzing them to form conclusions about which scenario seems to have been most likely correct.

All right, so now we come to chapter 11 verse 1.

I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.

1260 days, by strange coincidence, happens to match 42 months. The imagery of the man with a measuring rod is similar to a vision in Zechariah 2, who is measuring Jerusalem’s length and width. In Zechariah, God promises to make Jerusalem a huge, unwalled city, representing being under such protection from God that it needs no walls to protect it. John is using similar imagery to show the opposite, that Jerusalem and even the Temple mount will be under “Gentile” domination for a time.

And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” 

So, the olive trees and lamp stands he gets that from Zechariah 4. Zechariah is asking what these are all about. And the angel seems to change the subject. The angel responds by saying,

This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty. “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’ ”

Then the word of the LORD came to me: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the LORD that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?”

[Just as a comment: I have noticed that the genealogical lineages of both Mary and Joseph, start with different sons of David, but both pass through Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel. It would seem that Zerubbabel’s “hand” leads to Jesus, both through birth and adoption. Zerubbabel is the prototype of Jesus, who is currently building a spiritual temple through the church.]

We don’t get any more of an explanation about who these two are, so Zechariah asks again. The reply, “These are the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

So, yeah, two anointed ones. And that’s where we get a description of these two witnesses being kind of like those two anointed ones who stand before the Lord of the whole earth,

Member asks: “Who were the two that showed up at the Transfiguration?

John: Moses and Elijah, yeah. And you’ll see in the description that we get here, that they’re kind of dressed like Elijah, but they perform plagues like Moses. And by the way, yeah, Elijah is actually described as wearing a hair a coat of hair,

Member: Yeah, probably camel hair was probably very expensive.

So, yeah, it’s funny, Elisha gets twice, the spirit that’s on Elijah, and yet it’s Elijah who’s who is in the transfiguration. Elijah was the worst mentor ever. Fortunately, he he was being followed by the best student ever.

Going on in the passage:

If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

Remember the Elijah story? Elijah prays for the rain to stop, and it stops for 3 years until Elijah prays again. So here’s Elijah sitting on a hill, praying, and the captain of 50 comes up to him and says, Ahab wants to see you. Come with us! And then so Elijah says, well, if I’m a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume all of you. Kaboom!,

Now, if I’m the second captain of the 50, I’m thinking, maybe this isn’t such a good idea. But if I don’t, the king will kill me, so here goes…Kaboom!

And then, and the smart one was the third captain, he goes up there, folds himself on his knees and begs, Please, please don’t kill us! The King requests your presence, and I’m here to conduct you safely t”o the king if you were willing to come.” And so God tells Elijah to accompany them.

(Important safety tip: always use the magic words, “please” and “thank you.” You never know when your life may depend on being polite.)

On the other hand, who is most famous for turning waters into blood and calling down plagues? Moses, of course! The casting call for the two witnesses requires people able to act like Moses and Elijah, who, coincidently, also appear in the transfiguration. Whoever these people are, God is placing a great deal of trust in them if they can bring on plagues as often as they want. And yet…

Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.

For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

But after the three and a half days the breath^[b] of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.

At the end of whatever is meant by 42 months their testimony is complete, and they are allowed to be killed. The beast and false prophet will claim complete victory over God and Jesus Christ, and there will be celebrating in the streets!

Speaking of testimony, so I want to just back up a little bit. You remember, Ezekiel and Daniel were actually contemporaries. Ezekiel is a little bit older than Daniel, so they couldn’t take him to the Babylonian Academy of Magic, Science and Royal Service, so Ezekiel was out on the fringes. Daniel was at the Capitol.

The situation that’s going on here in the book of Revelation doesn’t involve having a Daniel at the Capitol. There isn’t somebody partly in charge who is able to soften the soften the persecution of the of e the Jewish people or the Christians. So, just, where is John here in this picture? Yeah, Patmos, basically, on the fringe of the empire, right?

So he’s being Ezekiel on the fringes, trying to communicate with the Christians, but God wants to send him and send His message out so that the Empire will eventually be able to see that it was predicted that the whole system would fall with a crash.

Now back to the two witnesses, lying dead, unburied in the streets of Jerusalem (where Jesus was crucified). For three and a half days they lie there until the Spirit enters them, they come back to life, and a voice from heaven orders them, “Come up here!” Then they rise into the clouds.

At this point I want to remind us of how Paul describes the resurrection from the dead In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

If we add to this the timing information from 1 Corinthians 15:22-23

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

If we follow this literally the resurrection of the dead happens simultaneously at Jesus’ command, which means that all of the dead in Christ would be resurrected as the two witnesses are being brought back to life. They rise into the clouds and join Jesus. Those (presumably few) still alive would then almost immediately join them in the clouds with Jesus as He hovers in the clouds before His descent.

This suggests that there is some support for the idea that the two witnesses are representative of the church’s overall witness during those terrible times. Three and a half days before they are brought back to life may be a symbolic play on the idea of “a time, times and half a time” or “in the midst of the seven” (Daniel 9:27), or even a literal three and a half days, and is certainly suggestive of Jesus’ three days and nights in the grave.

What I do not see here is any idea of a “secret pre-tribulation rapture.” Whatever this is, it is certainly open and visible to the public. The vultures are definitely gathered where the bodies are (Luke 17:37). Jesus will be manifest and the multitudes will be terrified of Him.

Why might there be an earthquake? Imagine how much of a disturbance the raising of millions of people out from the ground might cause. For instance, look at what happens as Jesus dies (Matthew 27:51-54.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

That was a small scale earthquake in the immediate vicinity of Jerusalem. Imagine the earthquake when all believers who have ever lived on earth are brought out of the ground at once! Mountains and islands will move! It will seem like the universe has destabilized.

Now we move on to verses 15 to 19, the blowing of the seventh trumpet.

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”

And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. 

The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small— and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.

I supplied the bold print above. From this point on we move from Satan’s wrath to God’s wrath. There comes a breaking point where you you have to finally judge. Up to this point, there’s been a delay to allow everybody who’s going to repent to come to Him. When you get to the point where there’s no more repentance, then that’s when the hammer comes down.

So can you imagine you’re here on Earth, and you’re seeing the heavens open up, and there’s a temple up there, and the doors open, you can see inside, and there’s the Ark of the Covenant. Can you imagine what a Jewish guy looking at that would think? “Hey, wait a minute, I know this story! It’s the Exodus!

But notice that at this point there seems to be nothing but anger at God. That is because it’s not miracles that create faith in us, even though we think that it should. That’s not what creates faith and trust in God.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, Amen.

This Revelation of Jesus Christ tells us that nobody can challenge God and expect to win. Nobody can challenge Jesus. And woe, woe, woe to those who try.