Introduction

Revelation 11:3-10 ESV  And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”  (4)  These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.  (5)  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.  (6)  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.  (7)  And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,  (8)  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.  (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,  (10)  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.

Wow, there is a lot going on here, so let’s try to understand what we just read, and then we can apply some of this Biblical truth to our lives.

First, let’s remember the context.

John is seeing a vision of the third temple, the Holy Temple that is to be rebuilt in Jerusalem before the end of the world as we know it begins.

God has instructed John to measure certain parts of the temple, likely for it’s judgment, we talked about that measuring process in the sermons two and three weeks ago.

After John measures the temple, we see this scene unfold.

Two witnesses, likely two men, stand in front of the temple prophesying for 1,260 days, which is about 41 and a half months or 3 and a half years.

So for three and a half years these two witnesses prophecy to the world

After three and a half years, we are introduced to a new character in Revelation, the Beast… now we will get into who or what the beast is at a later point, for now just know it is the enemy.

So the beast rises against the prophets and kills them.

After the prophets are killed people from all over the world will gaze on their bodies and refuse to let them be buried.

There will be a type of evil holiday that arises, because the world was so tormented by these men. And people will exchange gifts, in a sort of anti-Christmas kind of way, to celebrate their deaths.

Now the questions that come to mind when reading this text is “Who are these witnesses and what are they saying?”

And, like in other difficult passages in scripture, we will use the two fundamental laws of biblical interpretation to answer these questions.

The Two Laws of Scriptural Interpretation:

1. Whenever possible, take scripture literally.
   1. Let Scripture interpret Scripture.
2. So applying these two laws we can learn a lot from this passage.
   1. Let’s start with the first law, whenever possible, take scripture literally.
   1. Some may suggest these two witnesses are symbolic of two nations that rise up against wickedness.
   1. Others may suggest that these two witnesses are two church’s or denominations, or organizations.
      1. But such suggestions go against the first law of Scriptural Interpretation.
      1. Remember, the point of scripture, and especially the book of Revelation is for God to REVEAL Himself to His people… He is not here to play games or try to confuse us.
         1. If they were two nations, I think God would have called them two nations… He uses the language “tribes and languages and nations” all throughout Revelation, even in this very passage, so why not just call them two nations if they were two nations.
   1. I think that if we take these verses literally it makes the most sense, I see no reason not two.
      1. There is a finite number of days, this suggests a literal period of time.
      1. The two witnesses prophecy, something that is normally and Biblically done by people, not nations or churches.
      1. The two witnesses are said to have been killed and their bodies lay on the street…
         1. That suggests that they had physical bodies that needed, but were kept from, being laid in a physical tomb…
      1. All of this points to physical people being the witnesses.
3. “But pastor! These must be church’s because it calls them “Lampstands” which in chapters 2 and 3 were representative of churches!”
   1. Too which I would respond “Very good observation! That is why we have rule two of Biblical interpretation… Let Scripture interpret Scripture”.

Revelation 11:4 ESV  These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

• Yes that does seem like maybe God is talking about churches… unless you know that this is not the first time this vision has appeared in Scripture…
  • Zacharia saw these two people in His vision as well and we are told what they are.

Zechariah 4:1-6 ESV  And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep.  (2)  And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it.  (3)  And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”  (4)  And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”  (5)  Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.”  (6)  Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

Zechariah 4:12-14 ESV  And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?”  (13)  He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.”  (14)  Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

• Now that phrase at the end is very telling “The two anointed ones”… could that mean “Nations or churches” absolutely not, because the literally translation is “Sons covered in fat” or “sons covered in oil.
  • If you ever want to know what the literal translation of a verse is, look it up in the Apostolic Biblical Polyglot, the most accurate and literal Bible translation, it is very hard to read because it does not account for language differences or euphemisms or anything like that, but it helps in situations like this…

Zechariah 4:14 ABP  And he said, These are the two sons of fatness, they stand beside the LORD of all the earth.

• Two sons covered in fat or covered in oil. The word anointed, if you did not know, means covered in oil. Which is why the ESV says “Two anointed ones” literally meaning “The two sons who God has covered with His anointing”.
• So we know the two witnesses of Revelation 11 are two people… which two people, it’s hard to say, but it’s likely Elijah and Enoch.
  • Why? Because the Bible says that it is appointed once for a man to die, and in revelation 11 these men die… that means that these men must NOT have died before, otherwise this would be their second appointed death.
  • Elijah and Enoch never died, they were both raptured. And we know Elijah is to come back before the return of Christ.
  • But, that theory is not bulletproof, it’s just a good guess. I don’t really think it matters who these men are, if it God wanted us to know He would have told us… what we do know is they are anointed and prophesying to the world.
• That brings us to our second question… what are they prophesying… what are they saying?
  • Again, we can have a pretty good guess as to what that is, by looking at all of Scripture.
    • Throughout scripture, Old and New Testament, God has sent prophets to warn the people of coming judgments and to call them to repentance.
    • The prophets rebuke people, kings, and nations, and urge them to repent.
    • Sometimes they call in plagues, and droughts, and other natural and supernatural disasters to help urge on the people to repentance.
    • And 9 times out of 10, the people don’t listen…
• Yes I think the two witnesses are two prophetic men who are rebuking, warning, discipling, and urging the nations to repent… and I think the nations did not listen.

SHOW TITLE SLIDE

Point One – Rebuke, Discipline, Conviction, Warning… These are Not Condemnation

Revelation 11:7-10 ESV  And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,  (8)  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.  (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,  (10)  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.

• Our first point this morning is that Rebuke is NOT condemnation. Discipline is not condemnation. Conviction is not condemnation. Warning is not condemnation!
  • Rebuke, warning, discipline, conviction… these are GOOD things to the saved, not bad things.
  • But the world often takes these things as bad things…. The world takes these things as condemnation… that’s why it says here in verse 10 “Because the two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth”.
  • A perfect way to word this is in Proverbs 13:1

Proverbs 13:1 ESV  A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

• I WANT TO BE THE WISE SON?! AMEN!
  • We don’t want to be the scoffer do we?
  • We are going to talk more about the scoffer next week.
    • But this week I want to talk about how the saved should feel when being rebuked, or disciplined, or convicted, or warned… I want to talk about being the wise son… I want to be a part of a church that is excited and blessed by rebuke, by warning, by discipline, by conviction… not a part of the world that is tormented by it.
• So what does scripture say about rebuke and warning and discipline and conviction?

Luke 17:3 ESV  Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother [fellow Christian] sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,

• Here we see that Christians should rebuke Christians…

2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  (17)  that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

• Here we see that the Bible was written for Christians that they may be taught, rebuked, corrected, and trained.

Proverbs 12:1 ESV  Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

Proverbs 15:32 ESV  Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.

• Those two kind of speaks for themselves…
• But look what Paul says concerning conviction… and I remind you he is writing this to a church full of believers in Corinth:

2 Corinthians 7:9-11 ESV  As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.  (10)  For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.  (11)  For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

• Guys I could go ALL DAY quoting scriptures that show that rebuke, warning, discipline, and conviction are gifts from God, not just for the unsaved, but for the SAVED.
  • That these are good things for us who are in Christ… therefore they must NOT be equated to condemnation. Why? Because Scripture says:

Romans 8:1 ESV  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

• Therefore rebuke, warning, conviction, discipline… THEY ARE NOT CONDEMATION.
  • Let me put it like this…
  • Imagine I am watching my son ride his bike…
  • And as Ezra’s father I watch in horror as he goes full speed toward a big pit.
  • Warning is calling out “Ezra, slow down, there is a pit ahead you are going to crash into”
  • But he doesn’t listen and crashes into the pit.
  • Rebuke is telling him “Son, I told you you were going to fast and that you were headed for a pit, because you did not listen you go hurt. Next time listen and you wont get hurt.
  • Conviction is me telling him “Son, stop crying and realize you are in a pit. You need to get up, grab your bike, and climb out of the pit… here let me help you get out”.
  • And discipline is me finally saying “Now son, because you did not listen I am going to take your bike away for a week. During that week I want you to think about how important it is to listen to your father so you don’t get hurt, then when you get your bike back hopefully you will listen to me!”
• None of these things are CONDEMNATION. Condemnation would be me looking down in the pit and laughing at my son saying “You idiot! You are so stupid… you deserve to be hurt! Look how dumb you look in that pit… HAHA!”
  • Condemnation is pointing an accusing finger, conviction is offering a helping hand.
    • Booth acknowledge that you are in a pit, both acknowledge that it is your fault that you are in a pit… But one seeks to help you, the other seeks to harm you even more.
• So again, our first point this morning is that Rebuke is NOT condemnation. Discipline is not condemnation. Conviction is not condemnation. Warning is not condemnation! THESE ARE GIFTS FROM GOD! GOOD AND PERFECT GIFTS
• The world will be tormented by the two witnesses but the world is WRONG!
• That brings us to point two this morning:

Point Two – Listening to Rebuke, Discipline, Conviction, and Warning Brings Blessings from God!

Revelation 11:3-4 ESV  And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”  (4)  These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

• Why are these two witnesses called olive trees and lampstands?
  • Because they pour out the anointing… the blessed anointing of God to the people who receive their prophecy.
  • Olive tree’s, church, grow olives… and you know what you make from olives? OLIVE OIL! This it the oil that is used to anoint and bless people.
    • Be them Kings, or priests, or prophets, or even families, it is always olive oil that is poured out on people to anoint and bless them biblically.
  • Further, not just olive trees, but lampstands… they shed the light of God… the share His Word… we see that in Zechariah 4 as we talked about earlier…
  • And lamps were full of OIL!
    • The imagery here is a picture of double anointing… double blessing, the overflow of God’s spirit and word.
• Now to the world this was torment… but to us it should not be! It is a blessing!
  • It is a blessing to be rebuked.
  • It is a blessing to be warned.
  • It is a blessing to be convicted.
  • It is a blessing to be disciplined.
• I remember when I was a kid, we were driving down a hill toward a bridge… and we got pulled over.
  • The cop came up to the car and said “Don’t worry, you have not done anything wrong… we just noticed you were going 60, which is technically the speed limit… but just ahead it turns to 35 and we didn’t notice you slowing down. So I pulled you over to warn you so you don’t break the law and get a ticket”.
    • WHAT A BLESSING. We would have broken the law and gotten a ticket if it was not for that warning.
• But even so, getting a speeding ticket is a blessing in and off itself…
  • Because discipline is a blessing.
    • I have never gotten a speeding ticket in the same place twice…
    • Why? Because whenever I get a ticket it is when I am unaware or not paying attention to my speed.
    • And the ticket hurts… its TRAMATIC.
    • And every time I pass by the place I got a ticket, I remember that experience and I SLOW DOWN.
    • That’s much better than running off the road and getting hurt or killing someone because I was driving to fast!
• Conviction is a blessing…
  • I remember having this conversation with someone…
  • They were arguing that conviction is only for the world… that the Holy Spirit doesn’t convict Christians…
    • And I just asked some simple questions…
    • “Do you want to sin?”
      • Well no of course not!
    • Do you sometimes sin and not know it?
      • Yeah I guess so.
    • Do you want help to stop sinning?
      • Sure that would be nice?
    • Would you want someone to help you know when you are sinning so you can stop…
      • Yeah that would be great!
    • THAT’S CONVICTION.
      • It’s like having a mechanic ride with you every time you drive your car.
        • “I wouldn’t put ethanol in this vehicle”
        • “Don’t rev the engine that high”
        • “For this engine you should really warm it up in this weather before driving”.
          • Now some of you would find that annoying…
          • NOT ME! What I find annoying is MASSIVE auto repair bills that could have easily been avoided if I would have just followed simple advice and instruction!
• You know, most of the time God sends prophets, like the Two Witnesses, most of the time they are ignored, they are hated, they are despised… but sometimes, rare as it is in scripture, the people LISTEN to the prophets…
  • One of the reasons I love the book of Jonah…
    • The story of Jonah is NOT a story about a man being eaten by a big fish… that is just how God got him where he needed to be…
    • We focus far to much on the mode of transportation in that story and not enough on what it is actually about.
    • The story of Jonah is about a WICKED AND EVIL CITY, Nineveh, whom God had set aside for destruction… but before destroying it God sent a prophet to rebuke and warn the city…
    • And look what happened…

Jonah 3:1-10 ESV  Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,  (2)  “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”  (3)  So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth.  (4)  Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”  (5)  And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.  (6)  The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.  (7)  And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,  (8)  but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.  (9)  Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”  (10)  When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

• THE STORY OF JONAH IS ABOUT GODS MERCY TO A CITY THAT LISTENED TO HIS PROPHET!
  • This city was GREATLY BLESSED! They were set aside for destruction but God spared them!
  • Just like we were set aside for destruction and God spared us through the power of the Gospel! HALLELUJAH!

Conclusion

Let me conclude with this proverb…

Proverbs 3:11-14 ESV  My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof,  (12)  for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.  (13)  Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding,  (14)  for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold.

• *Story of my convection, rebuke, tears this week. TEARS OF JOY!*
• Guys… I want you to be blessed! I want you to be beyond BLESSED! That’s why I don’t take it easy on Sundays!
  • Because if we could really just get it… that a righteous life leads to blessings better than gold or silver…
  • That reproof and rebuke and discipline, shape us, and make us stronger, and better…
  • That holiness makes us closer to God.
  • If we see correction as a BLESSING and not as a tournament as the world does… Then we wouldn’t need Christian self help books.
    • We wouldn’t need the prosperity Gospel.
    • We wouldn’t need name it and claim it, blab it and grab it.
  • Because if we were living holy, if we listen to rebuke and correction and warning… if we open our Bible, read it, and do what it says…
    • Then we will have health and wealth and provision and prosperity… and it will come from God and it will be eternal!

• Gospel Call