Times Up! Revelation

“Two Witnesses”

Revelation 11

9/10/2023

Justin Scarberry

Message Notes

Revelation 11 NASB

Then there was given to me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. ² Leave out the courtyard which is outside the temple and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations; and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. ³ 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 wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; and so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. ⁶ These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not 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 plague, as often as they desire.

⁷ When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. ⁸ And their dead bodies will lie on the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. ⁹ Those from the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. ¹⁰ And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who live on the earth.

¹¹ And after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. ¹² And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. ¹³ And at that time 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.

¹⁴ The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

¹⁵ Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” ¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying,

“We give You thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. ¹⁸ And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

¹⁹ And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

A witness tells what they have seen and heard.

Revelation Prophesy Time Equivalents

1260 day = 3-½ year* = 42 months=Time, Times, Half a Time

*Babylonian calendar has 360 days per year

Tribulation Period of 7 years is divided right in the middle by an event known as the “Abomination that causes desolation (NIV)”

Oil in scripture often represents the Holy Spirit.

Zechariah 4:1-3

Then the angel who had been speaking with me returned and woke me, like a person who is awakened from his sleep. ² And he said to me, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; ³ also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side.”

Egypt spiritually shows the people would not separate themselves from the world.

Spiritual Sodom shows that the people were open to all religions.  All paths lead to God.

The Bible says there is only one way go God:

John 14:6 NIV

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus redeemed the world back to God

by His sacrifice for us.

1. What is a witness?

What are some things that witnesses do?

What are some things that witnesses do not do?

2. What is the significance of the tabernacle and the temple in scripture (past, present and future)?

What are some of the features of the temple?

3. Read Revelation 11:1-7

Why would you think the temple would be measured?

Who do you think the two witnesses are?

What does it mean that they are clothed in sackcloth?

What does oil often represent in scripture?

What is the work of the Holy Spirit?

Why do you think the two witnesses had special powers?

4. Who do you think the beast is in verse 7?

 What have we learned so far about this beast?

5. Read Revelation 11:8-14

What does “spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt” mean?

6. What does it mean to repent?

Can you be a Christian and not repent?  Why or why not?

7. What is the 3^rd woe in verse 14?

What were the first two woes?

8.  Read Revelation 11:15

What is the significance of the statement “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ;”

9. When was the last time you’ve witnessed to someone?

Maybe it’s been a long time or maybe you’ve never felt comfortable enough to tell someone about Jesus.

Pray that God would put someone on your heart to witness to this week.

When He does, pray that God would give you the strength to get over your fear of telling someone about Jesus.