The Two Witnesses

Conflict. I don’t like conflict. Do you like conflict? I know that some people do. But they’re not the norm. Why? Because encountering conflict is uncomfortable and stressful. Finding yourself in conflict with a friend, a family member or neighbor can frustrate you, make you feel anxious, fearful, misunderstood and even angry. So, naturally most people don’t like conflict and try to avoid it at all costs.

However, if you are committed Christ follower, your faith can and will cause conflict. Your faith can and will cause conflict with unbelievers for a number of reasons: One, because your values will conflict with the values of an ungodly culture. Two, because when you tell someone that you believe in Jesus for your salvation, your belief will immediately conflict with what they’re believing in for salvation. Third, because your lifestyle is often not in line with a sinful lifestyle, your lifestyle will create conflict with sinners. Fourth, your belief in a God who judges sinners will conflict with people who love their sin. And fifth, believing in authoritative truth immediately puts you at odds with those who believe they are free to make up their own truth.

So yes, following Jesus doesn’t exempt you from having conflict with people today. In fact, if you are intent on living for God’s glory, and wish to be an authentic witness of Jesus, at some point, your witness will bring you into conflict with those who want nothing to do with Jesus. In fact, as we return to the interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments in Revelation, we’re going to see how witnessing for Jesus mirrors the very conflict Jesus endured when He was rejected by sinful humanity. And as we look at this particular conflict, we’re going to discover a few key resources God gives every believer to help us be effective witnesses of Jesus even in the face of conflict.

So, if you’d like to know how God can help you when your faith causes conflict, let me encourage you to open your Bible to Revelation 11:1-14, where we will see what God gives us to help us be a faithful witnesses in a world that opposes to us.

However, as we are introduced to this passage, John is given the unique job of Measuring God’s Temple: Understanding why John was given this task is key to helping us understand our calling as witnesses today. So, let’s look now at verses 1-2, Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. Revelation 11:1-2

There are numerous interpretations of these two verses. One, is that John is called to measure a literal temple that Israel will one day rebuild on the site that is currently occupied by two Muslim mosques. One of the big issues with this interpretation is that there is no New Testament teaching on the restoration of a physical temple. Jesus actually foretold the temple’s destruction but not its rebuilding. Also, if the Jews were to rebuild the temple, its existence would stand as a monument to their unbelieving rejection of the cross of Jesus Christ. So, then, even though many Christians believe that a literal temple will be rebuilt before the return of Christ, holding to a literal interpretation of this passage has its problems.

A second interpretation states that this is a foretelling of the past destruction of the temple that occurred in 70 AD. One of the big issues with this interpretation is that such a prophecy is highly unlikely since the book of Revelation was written after the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. Most scholars agree this book was written around 90 AD.

So, we are left with a third interpretation, which looks at the measuring of the temple symbolically. This measurement isn’t simply about measuring a building, but accounting for the people who are worshiping there. What is important for us to understand here is that this is the way the temple is interpreted throughout the New Testament. In the New Testament, God’s people, the church, are called the Temple of the living God, or the dwelling place of God.

So then, understanding this vision symbolically, we should recognize that when John is told to measure the temple and those who worship there, this call to measure the temple is God’s way of communicating that He intends to preserve and protect His people through the tribulations of this age. So, the point is this: Measuring the temple reveals God’s ownership of His people and His commitment to protect us spiritually in the midst of persecution and suffering.

In other words, the temple of God refers to the people of God, the church. However, since John is told not to measure the outer court, and that those there will be exposed to assault by the nations for 42 months, the idea is that even though God will preserve and protect His people, they will still be vulnerable to persecution during the tribulation of the final days.

So, the question for us is simple: How does God preserve and protect His church while we are being exposed to social contempt, personal harassment and even violence during the final days? The answer is found in the Key Scripture of the Church being God’s dwelling place: For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16 So the way God preserves and protects His people is with His presence. We may face difficult or even horrendous days ahead, but our God will never abandon us. He promises to always be with us.

Now, with this understanding in place, we come to The Two Witnesses, where we’re going to now see how God equips us to witness for Jesus in a world that’s hostile to Jesus: And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.

When I was in seminary, I was taught that these two witnesses are men who come bearing a message of judgment and a call to repentance. They are given power by God to inflict miraculous signs of judgment after the pattern of Moses and Elijah.

However, such an interpretation doesn’t consider the all the images revealed here. Especially, the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord. This image is meant to draw our attention Zechariah’s vision recorded in Zechariah 4. When we read that vision, we recognize that the two anointed ones are Zerubbabel, the royal figure who has been called to rebuild the temple, and Joshua, the priest who is to lead worship in that temple. Both prefigure the coming of the Servant of God, the Branch who will unite royal and priestly offices by building the temple, offering the atoning sacrifice, and ruling on his throne. Listen to Zechariah’s vision: Read Zechariah 4

What this vision tells us is that the two witnesses of Revelation 11, are not the literal appearance of Zerubabel and Joshua, but a symbolic representation of the church and its witness in the end time.

Professor Richard Phillips clarifies this interpretation by saying, “By employing the vision of the two olive trees, Revelation depicts the two means of the church’s witness. Christians bear a kingly testimony to Christ by proclaiming his royal Word. The church bears a priestly testimony by offering his gospel, praying, and administering the sacraments that show forth Christ’s atoning blood. The faithful church therefore witnesses by the Holy Spirit’s power at work through the testimony of God’s word and the sacraments. These royal and priestly emphasis fit the description of the church given throughout Revelation.”

The Point: God’s people will witness with His power in a world that is hostile to the Christian faith. The church witnesses by proclaiming God’s Word and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. And our witness also bears fruit through prayer, and when we participate in the Lord’s Table and baptism. These ordinances always reveal the gospel

One way we will witness with His power is through prayer. That’s what we see in vs 6: “They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying” One of the truth’s we need to grasp today, is that we are not equipped with less power than these Old Testament heroes. James wrote that the “prayer of a righteous man has great power,” and appealed to the example of Elijah: “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.” James 5:16-17

This is why we must become people who genuinely believe in the power of prayer. For when we pray, God will work. God will soften hearts that have been hardened by sin. God will open doors that’ve been previously closed. And God will draw people to Jesus. There is power in prayer. But the power is not in us, it’s in God. God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance. So, when we ask God to bring someone to repentance, we are asking God to do what He wants us to do. We just need to pray, and then let God do His thing. This is why we’ve given you prayer cards to list the names of those who don’t yet know Jesus. So, we can ask God to change hearts and draw people to Jesus.

A second way we can witness with His power comes from the illustration of the olive trees. The oil of these trees is what keep the lampstands burning. This oil represents the power of the Holy Spirit. The key Scripture from this vision, is the one given to Zechariah about how God chooses to work in His people. He said, “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.” Zechariah 4:6 If there’s a Scripture God would have us take and apply from this passage, I believe it’s this one. God gives every believer the power to witness for Him. But it’s not our power. It’s His.

We’re not wired to witness for Jesus out of our own strength. That’s why we often feel tongue tied when trying to talk to someone about Jesus. That’s why we often feel fear when we want to bear witness for Jesus. It’s because we are not being fueled by the power of the Spirit. For when we are being fueled by God’s Spirit, we are filled with His love, and God’s love drives out fear. When we are fueled by His Spirit, His Spirit gives us wisdom and the words we need. That’s God’s promise. So, if there’s one thing we can take from this passage today is that God gives us what we need to be His witnesses: “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts!”

But even at that, we need to remember that the book of Romans tells us that we live in a world where people live according to the flesh, and not the Spirit. In fact, Paul tells us that “The mind ruled by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” Romans 8:7, so then, no matter how much help God gives us to witness, there will always be those who are hostile to our faith. Which leads us to what we see next in our passage today:

The War Against the Witnesses: And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the abyss will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. Revelation 11:7-8 Verse 7 introduces a figure who will be prominent in the rest of this book, “the beast that rises from the abyss,” who “will make war on them and conquer and kill them.” Geoffrey Wilson writes that the beast represents “those antichristian powers in the world which seek to silence the church’s witness,” resulting in “the apparent triumph of the forces of evil.”

This image of a beast connects with the prophecy of Daniel 7. In Daniel 7 we are told that four great empires would arise in history, each of which has represented by a deadly beast. The fourth beast was terrifying and dreadful, with iron teeth and ten horns. Most interpreters believe Daniel’s fourth beast pointed to Rome, the rule of secular forces that oppose God. But what we also learn from the Beast’s rise from the abyss, is that this beast also exerts a demonic power.

However, in speaking of the beast’s rising, John uses a present tense verb, alerting us to the reality that demonic and antichristian powers have and continue to oppose Christ followers throughout the ages. But it also alerts us to the reality that the most potent form of persecution will take place at the end of the age before Christ returns.

So, let’s continue reading with verse 9: For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. Revelation 11:9-10

In this symbolic vision, the church’s witness lies dead in the streets for “three and half days,” most likely representing a time period that has been limited by God. However, what’s meant to impact us is the world’s attitude toward the slain church. The whole world stands united in their contempt for God’s people. It’s shown in their refusal to grant even a decent burial and their rejoicing for the slaying of Christian witnesses. Paul Gardner explains: “The repeated witness of Christ’s people to judgment and salvation, to sin and forgiveness, has deeply angered unbelievers, and so they are pleased now to have had their revenge.”

Here’s The Point: Those who reject the witness of the church will celebrate the demise of the church and its testimony to the truth. At that time people will hate God so much that killing Christians will give them joy. They will even make a holiday of it, giving gifts to one another. Which should bring to mind of what Jesus said would happen to all believers who seek to follow him in a world that’s hostile to God. He said, If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. John 15:19 In other words, this is why living out your faith will always create conflict. For as long as you follow Jesus, those who hate Jesus will hate you. There will always be people who are so influenced by their own sin or demonic forces that they will want to end your witness, and if they can, nothing will make them happier. That’s the brutal reality facing us today. There will always be a war against our witness. But the good news is that this passage doesn’t end here. For now, we see the end of the story:

Resurrection and Judgment: But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on 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, and their enemies watched them. Rev 11:11-12
With this description, it would be very easy to make a case for a literal interpretation of this encounter. After all, a natural reading of this passage, seeing two dead witnesses come to life after three and a half days, would truly cause the response seen here. To see God raise the dead would illicit great fear. So, if you hold to a literal interpretation, this is a cosmic drama of epic proportions. It’s pretty amazing.

However, if you hold to a symbolic interpretation, what you see is God resurrecting the church. And what we can take to heart is that the power of evil over God’s people is only temporary. This is our hope. The good news about following Jesus is that we believe in the resurrection. In other words, no matter what the demonic influences of this age seek to do to us, they can never take away the hope we have in Jesus. This life is temporary. Therefore, we should never fear those who oppose us. For Jesus himself said: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

That’s what we see here. God’s people are resurrected and brought safely to heaven, and those who’ve hated God fall under God’s wrath and are destroyed. For we read, And at 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. God judges unrepentant sinners, and seven thousand are killed.

But then we see an amazing response to His judgment: Those who remain are terrified and give glory to God. This may speak of a genuine conversion, a real repentance and a coming to faith. As John MacArthur points out: giving glory to God is a mark of genuine worship in Revelation and everywhere else in Scripture. So, not only is their hope for believers in this passage, but there is hope for those who hate God. There is hope for their repentance.

The point of this judgment is clear: God Wins! God vindicates His people by raising them from the dead and giving them eternal life. And God gives hope to sinners by pouring out His wrath, for in experiencing His wrath, many turn to God and give Him glory. And with that, John writes: The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come. Revelation 11:14 What an extraordinary passage. So whether you interpret this passage literally or symbolically, God wants us to learn something today and apply it to our witness.

So then, what might God have us to take away from this passage today? One, when we witness for Christ, we will encounter conflict, we will be opposed, hated, and possibly harmed for our faithful witness. Two, God has given us a number of resources to help us be His witnesses. He’s given us His presence, His Word, access into His presence through prayer, but most importantly, He’s given us His Spirit, so we never have to witness alone or out of our own strength. As Zechariah has reminded us “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.” Zechariah 4:6