In very close connection with the scroll and its purpose in 10:8-11, chapter 11 now gives us a description of the “bitter” experiences which the true Church must endure when it proclaims the “sweet” gospel of salvation.
The title, “holy city” relates to what Jerusalem use to be until the apostasy of Israel and the rejection of Christ as the Messiah and Son of God.
1. The term “temple of God” is a common name in Scripture for the true Church.
2. All true children of God, who worship Him in spirit and truth, are measured, that is, they are guarded and protected. They are kept eternally and spiritually secure and safe, while the judgments are being inflicted upon the wicked.
3. This divine protection does not extend to “the court outside the Temple”, that is, to those who although outwardly professing to belong to the Church are not true believers. Just as “not all who are of Israel are Israel” so “not all who are in the visible church are truly in the church, that is, are not in the body of Christ.
The true church will be protected by God while the false church will be invaded by the world and overtaken by the world.
THE TWO WITNESSES 11:3-14
3-6
The identity of these two witnesses is not spelled out. Some think of Moses and Elijah.
They are referred to in an oracle of hope at the end of the Old Testament in Malachi 4:4-6 which reads: Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.
Moses and Elijah also appear together on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17:2-3 which reads: And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
Others believe the two witnesses might be Enoch and Elijah who both ascended to heaven supernaturally. Still others believe it might be referring to the Law and the Prophets, the Law and the gospel, the Old Testament and the New. There is no shortage of suggestions.
The context seems to demand something directly associated with the church, particularly the martyrs who are killed for proclaiming the gospel throughout the world.
These witnesses therefore would symbolize the church on earth bearing witness through its members throughout the world until Christ returns.
The fact that there are two witnesses emphasizes the evangelistic and discipleship mission of the Church as set forth by Christ in Luke 10:1-3 which reads:Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
The Lord sends His witnesses out two by two; what the one lacks the other supplies.
The Church as an organization, functioning through its members, will carry on this work for twelve hundred and sixty days. Days not months are mentioned here, because witnessing is a day-by-day activity. Every day the church (represented by these two witnesses) bears witness throughout the world until Christ returns. And the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end shall come Matthew 24:14.
Christ’s witnesses preach repentance from sin and coming judgment (the bitter side of the gospel) and are thus clothed in sackcloth because of the impending doom of unrepentant sinners.
The witnessing (evangelism/discipleship) mission of the church is here described under a threefold symbolism.
1. Just as the “two olive trees and the two lamp stands”, represented the means through which God blessed Israel (Zechariah 3 & 4), so God blesses His Church through the proclamation of the gospel by faithful witnesses.
2. Just as the missionaries were sent out two by two by the Lord in Luke 10:1, so the Church, as an organization, fulfills its evangelistic and discipleship mission in the world.
3. Just as the fire of judgment and condemnation proceeded out of Jeremiah’s mouth devouring God’s enemies (Jeremiah 5:14), even so when the Church through the proclamation of God’s word condemns the wicked who refuse to repent it does so to their destruction.
7-11
This gospel age will come to an end. The Church, as a mighty witness for the gospel shall finish her task and before Christ returns will face the full onslaught of the antichristian world (the beast that comes out of the abyss). Urged on by the evil ruler of this world, the ungodly Christ rejecters of this world will come against the Church to exterminate Christians from the face of this earth. This is the Battle of Armageddon.
The beast will not kill every believer. There are going to be believers on earth when Christ comes again, although there number will be few.Matthew 24:21-22; Luke 18:8
The Church itself, as a mighty organization for the proclamation of the gospel will be destroyed.
Just before the second coming, the corpse of the Church, whose public and official testimony has been silenced and smothered by the world, lies on the great city’s High Street. This is the High Street of immoral and antichristian Jerusalem who crucified Christ and put to death His witnesses.
The world does not even allow the dead bodies of the witnesses to be buried. In the High Street lie these martyrs as the world celebrates their supposed victory but their celebration is premature for the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church.
12-14
The Church still under the symbolism of the two witnesses—now hears a voice, Come up here at which time the church ascends to heaven in a cloud of glory, all in view of their enemies. This is no secret rapture.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Attention is now directed toward the wicked world that persecuted the church And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
The number “seven thousand” indicates the complete number of those destined for destruction by the earthquake. Not all the wicked were destroyed. Those who remain alive are terrified and give glory to the God of heaven. This does not mean that they were converted but simply that they were struck with awe and terror at the power of God.
Audio of sermon
