Latest / Admonition Podcast / Revelation 11 - Aaron Cozort - April 19, 2026
Transcript
- 0:00Let's begin with a word of prayer and then we'll get into our study.
- 0:02Our gracious Father in heaven, we bow before your throne, grateful for the day that you've blessed us with, grateful for all that you do for us each and every day.
- 0:10We're mindful of your grace, your mercy, your loving kindness.
- 0:14We appreciate all that you have given to us in the form of this world and the creation and the nature that is around us that declares your glory.
- 0:24but most especially for your son who came and died on the cross for our sins that we might have the hope of eternal life.
- 0:30And Lord, we are grateful for truth and mercy and grace that came through him to us.
- 0:37Lord, we pray that we might strive diligently to walk in the light as you were in the light, but also that we might be an example to the world around us, that we might teach
- 0:48the truth to stand firm.
- 0:50for the truth and to declare your word to every nation under heaven.
- 0:54Lord, we pray that as we do that, we will always remember that the world is not our friend, that the world is the enemy of your son and therefore our enemy as well.
- 1:06But at the same time, those who are willing to hear the truth and willing to be converted are those who can receive eternal life through the blood of your son.
- 1:16We pray that we might be diligent in this labor and in this work both here locally and throughout the world.
- 1:21All this we pray and ask in Jesus' name, amen.
- 1:23So back in chapter eight, the trumpets began to sound.
- 1:29And as the trumpets were sounding, you would see partial judgment coming forth from God.
- 1:35Now remember, there was a cry for judgment to begin or for justice to commence from the Christians who were under the altar there as that fifth seal was opened in chapter six.
- 1:50And God told them, you rest for a little while.
- 1:53You be patient.
- 1:54Essentially, I've got it under control.
- 1:57Then chapter, or the sixth seal is opened and God essentially shows them, I'm going to deal with these people.
- 2:05I am going to bring justice based upon what you have cried out to me.
- 2:11And then chapter seven, there's a pause.
- 2:13Wait a minute.
- 2:14We've got to make sure all of God's people are marked so that they're not going to be judged.
- 2:19Instead, they're gonna have God's name written on their forehead, and we know from chapter three that that's just a picture of their Christians, they're the church, because the
- 2:28church in chapter three is told you're gonna have the name of God on your forehead.
- 2:33Okay, so chapter eight opens up and this judgment commences with partial judgment.
- 2:39Everything that's judged is only a partial judgment.
- 2:44a third of this, a fourth of this, all these things that are shown in chapter 8 as the trumpets are sounding are partial judgment.
- 2:51But then the warning comes, there's two more judgments, two more trumpets to sound.
- 2:55They start sounding in chapter 9.
- 2:57You have uh the first woe, you have the second woe.
- 3:01Each of these again are just partial judgments representing God giving those who are on the earth, those who dwell on the earth as the
- 3:13the book of Revelation describes them, that is those who are unrepentant, those who are not Christians, those whose home is an earthly home in contrast to Christians whose home
- 3:25is a heavenly home.
- 3:29He says those who dwell on the earth, here's your partial judgment, here's your warning.
- 3:35And yet at the end of chapter nine, beginning of chapter 10, we find out they don't repent.
- 3:38Then there's an interlude.
- 3:40There's a pause.
- 3:41because in the midst of this, God is going to tell the churches, just because I'm judging them doesn't mean you're not gonna go through hard times.
- 3:51And so there's going to be a pause before this full judgment, partial judgment came, full judgments coming, but wait a minute, need to remind the Christians that they're not the
- 4:02target of the judgment and ultimately they're victorious.
- 4:07So chapter 10 opens and John sees,
- 4:10this mighty angel and he's got one foot on the land and one foot on the sea.
- 4:16Later on, just a couple of chapters, you're going to see a great beast rise up out of the land and it's going to look like he's going to destroy the Christians.
- 4:27And you're going to see a great beast rise up out of the sea and it's going to look like he's going to destroy the Christians.
- 4:32And guess what?
- 4:34Both of them fail.
- 4:36Want to know why?
- 4:36Because God's in charge, not the beast.
- 4:40Okay, so before the third woe commences, which is the same as the seventh trumpet, you're going to have an interlude where God tells his people, I'm going to deliver you.
- 4:52Now, as John begins to see this mighty angel, he hears the sound of seven thunders and he starts to write it down and God says, nope, don't write it.
- 5:04Seal that up.
- 5:05That's not for them to know.
- 5:06Now, what is it that he didn't write?
- 5:12That's a trick question.
- 5:13We don't know because he didn't write it.
- 5:16We can have all sorts of suggestions as to what it is.
- 5:19My suspicion is the same as Brother Jim McGuigan's and that is that God says, here's exactly how I'm gonna do everything.
- 5:27And he lays it all out and John hears it, John understands it, John's about to write it down and God says, nope, nope, you're not gonna write it down.
- 5:34You're just gonna write the vision.
- 5:36You're gonna write the visionary elements, the signs, you're not gonna write down
- 5:40how it's going to come about.
- 5:43Mystery is finished, the thing has been revealed, this is how it's going to be done, and this harkens back to Daniel chapter 12 and the passage there that we dealt with last week.
- 5:54In chapter 10 verses 8 through 11, the mighty angel has in his hand a book.
- 6:03And John's told to go get the book.
- 6:06and he's given the book and we have here a picture from Ezekiel because Ezekiel's given a book and Ezekiel's told to consume the book, to eat the book.
- 6:16What is Ezekiel by way of occupation in regards to God?
- 6:21He's a prophet.
- 6:22He is a spokesperson for God.
- 6:26So when the last time was that we saw in the book of Revelation someone holding a book, what was inside the book?
- 6:35A revelation from God.
- 6:37Guess what's inside this book?
- 6:41A revelation from God.
- 6:43What was inside Ezekiel's book?
- 6:46A revelation from God.
- 6:49Now this book, much like Ezekiel's, is going to be one that when you consume it, it's sweet as honey.
- 6:57All right, well, that's a picture from the Psalmist writer, Psalm 19, of the word of God.
- 7:05The psalmist writer in Psalm 19 says that the Word of God is sweeter than honey in a honeycomb.
- 7:14But the thing about the Word of God is when you consume the Word of God, when you put it into your heart and your mind, it's great, except the message about what it means for you
- 7:24is not always pleasant.
- 7:28So Ezekiel's going to consume the Word of God and it's going to be sweet as honey, except when he goes to speak it, the message is going to be bitter.
- 7:38And that's the same thing in John's day.
- 7:40John's going to begin to speak the message.
- 7:43but the message is going to be one that tells the Christians, you're about to go through some real hard times.
- 7:52You're about to go through some persecution.
- 7:56The times that you're headed into are going to be unpleasant and yet, the message is always, I'm in charge and I'll see you through it.
- 8:08So the seven trumpets are sounding.
- 8:12The seventh trumpet is about to sound, but another picture, another interlude, another pause before they sound, chapter 11.
- 8:26By the way, as we close out chapter 10, verse 11 says, and he said to me, the um angel said to John, you must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.
- 8:47What was the book?
- 8:49It was a prophecy.
- 8:51It was a prophecy that was going to go out to the entire world.
- 8:55There's news from the Lord and it's not going to be pleasant.
- 9:01Chapter 11, then I was given a reed like a measuring rod and an angel stood saying, rise and measure the temple of God, the altar and those who worship there.
- 9:13Now, this is another Ezekiel picture because Ezekiel is given a measuring rod and he is told in Ezekiel chapter 40 through 47,
- 9:23He is told to go measure Jerusalem and go measure the temple and go measure all of these things.
- 9:30Now in Ezekiel's day the measurement is to demonstrate that judgment is coming, they don't measure up.
- 9:39Zechariah is told to measure things.
- 9:42Zechariah is in a time where the temple is being rebuilt.
- 9:48God is again reestablishing his temple.
- 9:52But this measurement of this temple, we need to be careful with because we need to understand what temple is in view.
- 10:04If John's writing this in 68 AD,
- 10:08and it's about Jerusalem and the fall of Jerusalem, what temple would logically be in view?
- 10:19Temple in Jerusalem.
- 10:22Except we're going to find out that picture doesn't work here.
- 10:26First, it doesn't work because there's no indication John wrote this in 68 AD.
- 10:32And because the book isn't about Jerusalem.
- 10:36And the identification of who's persecuting the Christians is in Jerusalem.
- 10:42We'll get into that.
- 10:44John's writing this after the temple in Jerusalem's already been destroyed.
- 10:50The city of Jerusalem has already been walked under and annihilated by the Romans.
- 10:57The temple that's being measured here is the one that the New Testament talks about.
- 11:08over in 1 Corinthians chapter three, over in 1 Corinthians chapter six, over in 2 Peter chapter two, you have a plethora of passages in the New Testament where the Church of God
- 11:25is described as the temple of God, and where Christians are described as the priests of the Most High God.
- 11:38The temple in view in this passage is the church.
- 11:45And you're gonna notice this.
- 11:49God's going to tell John, you go measure the church.
- 11:53You go see how it's constructed.
- 11:56You go see how it's built.
- 11:57You go see that it's exactly what I intended for it to be.
- 12:02And then that's going to be evidence that what God establishes, no one else can tear down.
- 12:09Okay?
- 12:10So watch this.
- 12:11I was given a read, like a measuring rod.
- 12:14And the angel stood saying, rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.
- 12:22But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will tread the holy city underfoot for 42 months." As
- 12:36you think back, you go, wait a minute, this sounds like the destruction of Jerusalem.
- 12:45except did the Romans tread down the city for 42 months?
- 12:52Did the Romans put the city under occupation and the temple under occupation for 42 months?
- 13:02No, they flattened it.
- 13:05Jesus would make an incredibly poignant statement in Matthew chapter 24 at the beginning of that chapter where he pointed to the temple and said to his disciples, not one stone
- 13:20will be left.
- 13:21upon another.
- 13:25That's not trotting it under, that's completely destroying it.
- 13:33No, the idea of tread here is that they're going to come, they're going to occupy it, they're going to do damage to something, but it's not going to be entirely destroyed.
- 13:41That's why this picture doesn't fit Jerusalem.
- 13:45This picture doesn't fit the temple of the Jews.
- 13:48It doesn't fit the physical city because Jesus has already said, ah no, it's not going to be trodden under.
- 13:55It's not going to be temporarily occupied.
- 14:01as in soldiers walking around in places where they don't belong, trotting it under.
- 14:05No, no, it's going to be decimated.
- 14:09Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 24, the temple is going to be no more.
- 14:18This talks about a temple that's going to be temporarily occupied.
- 14:26So notice John is told, you go measure the temple.
- 14:31You go measure the people who worship there.
- 14:34Don't measure outside the temple.
- 14:38Go measure the temple.
- 14:39By the way, the word temple here, there's two words in the Greek for temple.
- 14:45One is the entire
- 14:48temple and the other is the inner sanctuary.
- 14:54This word is the inner sanctuary.
- 14:56Okay.
- 14:57So John's told you go measure the most holy place.
- 15:02You go measure the heart of the temple.
- 15:07And while you're going to see the persecutors trod down the temple and Jerusalem figure of the church.
- 15:17He says, you're not gonna see the heart of it disappear.
- 15:21You're not going to see it destroyed.
- 15:23You're going to see it measures up.
- 15:25You're going to see it's going to be protected by God.
- 15:28All right, so let's go through the remainder of the verses here.
- 15:32He says, and I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth.
- 15:43Wait a minute, how long?
- 15:46Did he just say the Holy City would be trodden under?
- 15:5142 months.
- 15:53Now, the typical calendar in ancient days was not 365 days with one leap year, or leap year with 366 days.
- 16:03The typical ancient calendar was 360 days.
- 16:07So 360 days per year, how long is 1,260 days?
- 16:15Three and a half years.
- 16:17How long is 42 months?
- 16:20Three and a half years.
- 16:21Let's go back for just a moment to the book of Daniel.
- 16:26because in chapter 10, John already introduced Daniel chapter 12's vision and aspects of it.
- 16:43Chapter 12 verse one, at that time, Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people.
- 16:51And there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time.
- 17:00And at that time, your people shall be delivered, every one who is found, now watch this phrase, written in the book.
- 17:10What New Testament,
- 17:12book do we have where we constantly have the Christians described as those who are written in the Lamb's book?
- 17:21Revelation.
- 17:23They're described as those who are written in the Book of Life.
- 17:26They're described as those who are written in the Book of the Lamb.
- 17:29They're described as those whose names are written in heaven.
- 17:34And Daniel's receiving a prophecy about God and His mighty angel that stands to help the Christians whose names are written in the book.
- 17:49But notice, he says, they're going to go through hard times.
- 17:53They're going to go through difficulties, but I'm going to help them.
- 17:57many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awaken, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
- 18:05Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament and those who those who turn many to righteousness like the stars of heaven or start the stars forever and
- 18:14ever.
- 18:14But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end.
- 18:19Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase.
- 18:22Then I, Daniel, looked and there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank.
- 18:29And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river?
- 18:34How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?
- 18:38Then I heard the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and he swore by him who lives forever.
- 18:48that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time.
- 18:52And when the power of the Holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.
- 18:57Although I heard, I did not understand.
- 19:00Then I said, My Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
- 19:03And he said, Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
- 19:09Many shall be purified and made white and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand.
- 19:15but the wise shall understand.
- 19:18And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.
- 19:28Blessed is he who waits and comes to the 1,335 days, but you go your way till the end, for you shall rest and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days." All right, so
- 19:45Daniel's told,
- 19:46Here's a picture.
- 19:48God's people are going to be persecuted.
- 19:51But don't worry, I've sent my angel and he's going to protect them.
- 19:55They're not going to be destroyed.
- 20:00And he says, show me what this means.
- 20:05And Daniel's told, no, shut up the book, the time's not yet.
- 20:10So Daniel's told, no, no, seal it up.
- 20:13It's not for your time, Daniel.
- 20:15You don't need to worry about it.
- 20:18And so more pictures you're seeing.
- 20:21And he talks to the man who's standing above the river.
- 20:24And he says, what does this mean?
- 20:27And he says, there's going to be a time, times, and half a time.
- 20:33There's going to be a period of, uh temporary period of time where this is going to endure.
- 20:39But guess what?
- 20:40The ones who lived through it.
- 20:42The ones who overcome it, they're gonna come out and they're going to look as if they'd never been touched by it.
- 20:49All right, so the picture of Daniel is there's a temporary persecution, there's a temporary time of difficulty, but the people of God get through it.
- 21:02The picture in Revelation chapter 11 is this is temporary.
- 21:08This is 42 months.
- 21:10This is 1,260 days.
- 21:12This is three and a half years.
- 21:14By the way, what's a perfect amount of time?
- 21:17What's a complete amount of time?
- 21:19What number would we represent that by in the book of Revelation?
- 21:23Seven.
- 21:24What is three and a half?
- 21:26It's half a seven.
- 21:27It's a broken seven.
- 21:29It's not a complete time.
- 21:31It's temporary.
- 21:34Just like a third of something is, it's partial.
- 21:38So God says,
- 21:39to John, you go measure the city, you go measure the holy place, you go measure it and you see who built it.
- 21:53because as you inspect the Holy Place, you're inspecting the heart of God's people.
- 22:02And so he goes and he inspects the heart of God's people, he measures them, and he says, is gonna be a time of persecution, but it's temporary.
- 22:11It's three and a half years.
- 22:13Now where does three and a half years come from in the Old Testament?
- 22:17What time period in the Old Testament, not in prophecy,
- 22:22in history did three and a half years transpire where God's people went through hardship, but they were provided for.
- 22:36That is correct.
- 22:38In the days of Elijah, when God said to the northern kingdom of Israel, there's not going to be any rain, and Elijah is going to say, there's not going be any rain until I say so.
- 22:51And then Elijah goes out in the wilderness and leaves.
- 22:56Now, where does Elijah go first?
- 23:00passages in 1 Kings chapter 17 and 18, I Elijah first goes out in the wilderness and goes into a cave.
- 23:10And he's fed by the ravens and a stream of water is provided for him and he's provided for.
- 23:17But then he goes where else?
- 23:22What?
- 23:24That's correct.
- 23:25He goes to the house of the widow and he says to her, make me cake.
- 23:32And she informs him that they're almost out of food.
- 23:36They're going to make their last food and then they're going to die.
- 23:42And he says, make me cake.
- 23:44And she goes in and she uses what little they have left and makes him a cake.
- 23:52And then she goes back and there's more.
- 23:55And every single day, the picture in the text is every single day she empties all that she has and comes back and there's more.
- 24:06And she empties all that she has and she comes back and there's more.
- 24:11And James will tell us.
- 24:15that the drought was for three and a half years.
- 24:19and that God's people, including this woman, were provided for during this time.
- 24:30You see, Jesus will point out were there not any widows in all Israel.
- 24:39Jesus will make the point to the Jews, to the people of Nazareth, to His home city.
- 24:44Do you not realize that God didn't send Elijah to the home of an Israelite widow?
- 24:53He sent him to a foreigner.
- 24:56And he provided for a foreigner because she provided for him.
- 25:03God is going to tell Israel through Jesus.
- 25:07God is going to tell the church through James.
- 25:11God provides for His people.
- 25:15That doesn't mean there's no hardship.
- 25:19God provides for His people.
- 25:21That doesn't mean difficult times don't come.
- 25:25The picture of 42 months, time, times and half a time, three and a half years, 1,260 days is this.
- 25:34It's the days of Elijah, where God has His people just like the rest of the nation go through a difficult time, but God provides for His people and they get through it.
- 25:51So, then we're going to see in the latter part of chapter 11 these two witnesses.
- 25:58And you're going to go, oh, wait a minute, I think I see Elijah again.
- 26:02Because the pictures are coming from the Old Testament.
- 26:06so Revelation chapter 11, verse 3, and I will give power to my two witnesses and they will prophesy 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth.
- 26:19These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.
- 26:26And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies.
- 26:32And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.
- 26:36These have power to shut up heaven so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy.
- 26:43And they have power over waters to turn them to blood.
- 26:47and to strike the earth with all plagues as often as they desire.
- 26:53Now, two witnesses show up.
- 26:57These witnesses are from Zechariah chapter four.
- 27:01All of these pictures are Old Testament pictures.
- 27:04We've said it a hundred times, we'll say it another hundred before we're done.
- 27:07Turn to Zechariah chapter four.
- 27:18In Zechariah's day, as we already mentioned just briefly a moment ago, Zechariah is prophesying during the time where the temple is being rebuilt in Jerusalem.
- 27:30And God is going to send back a group from Babylonian captivity under Zerubbabel.
- 27:37Zerubbabel is going to be a descendant of the house of David, but he is not going to be king.
- 27:45He is going to be one who is a governor.
- 27:48He is going to be a political leader of the people, but he is not going to be king.
- 27:55There won't be a king all the way forward to the days of Jesus.
- 28:00But he is also going to send, God is also going to send, Jeshua.
- 28:05Jeshua is going to restore the high priesthood in Israel.
- 28:11So you have a leader of the nation.
- 28:15and you have a religious leader, a high priest.
- 28:19Now notice what we find in Zechariah chapter 4.
- 28:22the angel who talked with me came back and wakened me as a man who was wakened out of his sleep and he said to me, what do you see?
- 28:30So I said, I am looking and there's a lamp stand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps.
- 28:39All right?
- 28:39So there's a bowl and these pipes and they go to the lamp stands.
- 28:45What do the pipes carry?
- 28:48the oil for the lamps.
- 28:50Watch this.
- 28:51He says, two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.
- 28:57So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, what are these, my lord?
- 29:03Then the angel who talked with me answered and said, do you not know what these are?
- 29:07And he said, no, my lord.
- 29:09So he answered and said to me, this is the word of the Lord to Zeruppable, not by might nor by power, but
- 29:17by my spirit, says the Lord.
- 29:21Who are you, O great mountain?
- 29:23Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain, and he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of grace, grace to it." God's message to Zerubbabel is, you're going to be a
- 29:36witness that I'm delivering you not by might, not by power, I'm going to restore Jerusalem by my...
- 29:46word by my authority, not yours, by my power, not yours, by my might, not yours, you're going to be a witness that I'm doing this, not physical power, not physical might, not
- 30:03political power, but God's word.
- 30:07Okay, now notice verse eight.
- 30:10Moreover, the word came to me saying,
- 30:12The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple.
- 30:15His hands shall also finish it.
- 30:18Then you will know that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you, for who has despised the day of small things?
- 30:24For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
- 30:29They are the eyes of the Lord, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.
- 30:34Then I answered and said to him, What are the two olive trees?
- 30:40Zechariah has been asked,
- 30:42What are they?
- 30:43He's like, I don't know.
- 30:45Now he's turning the question back.
- 30:46But what are the two olive trees, he says.
- 30:50He says, what are the two olive trees at the right of the lamb stand, and at its left?
- 30:55And I further answered and said, what are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes uh from which the gold oil, sorry, the golden oil
- 31:06drains?
- 31:07Then he answered me and said, do you not know what these are?
- 31:10And I said, no, my Lord.
- 31:12He says, these are the two anointed ones who stand before the Lord and the whole earth.
- 31:19Now, if you go back in your Old Testament history, there are two positions in Israel's history that receive an anointing.
- 31:29What two positions are they?
- 31:33King and priest.
- 31:38So these two witnesses represent royal priesthood.
- 31:45They represent the leadership of God's people.
- 31:51So you're going to see the two witnesses in Zechariah, they represent royal priesthood.
- 32:02The royalty and the priesthood.
- 32:05And they bear witness
- 32:08as they stand before the people on behalf of God.
- 32:13All right, go back to Revelation chapter 11.
- 32:18John's going to see two olive trees and notice what he sees, two lampstands.
- 32:25I wonder where the picture came from?
- 32:28Zechariah's vision.
- 32:31And what was it in Zechariah's vision?
- 32:33Royal priesthood.
- 32:36Now before we go any further,
- 32:39What does Peter say the church is in 2 Peter chapter 2?
- 32:46a royal priesthood.
- 32:49John will say that we are the priests of God in the book of Revelation.
- 32:54John will say that we will reign with Christ.
- 32:57What is that?
- 32:59A royal priesthood.
- 33:02The picture is of the church, but it's pictured in Zechariah's language and in the language of prophets.
- 33:15the pairs of God's messengers that go out.
- 33:21Where do we first run into a pair of God's messengers in the Old Testament?
- 33:33Genesis 18.
- 33:35Who were they sent to?
- 33:39No, the two go forward from Abraham.
- 33:42Who are they sent to?
- 33:44Sodom.
- 33:46And the message to Sodom is what?
- 33:52ah Actually, by the time they get to Sodom, the message is, you're going to be destroyed.
- 33:59What was the message to Lot and his family?
- 34:05Get out.
- 34:08Judgment's God's going to judge the wicked.
- 34:13God's going to extract His people.
- 34:18Okay?
- 34:20Two messengers, two witnesses.
- 34:22It's confirmed a message from God.
- 34:26Where's the next time we see two messengers?
- 34:31in Exodus, Moses and Aaron.
- 34:35Moses and Aaron go into Egypt and they tell Pharaoh, you let my people go or God's going to judge you.
- 34:45And Pharaoh says, who is Jehovah that I should hear him?
- 34:50And God's going to give him a correspondence course to instruct him who he is.
- 34:58and then God's going to extract His people and judge the nation.
- 35:05Two more messengers, Elijah and Elisha.
- 35:10Elijah and Elisha are going to be a pair of prophets who are sent to the northern kingdom of Israel in the days of Ahab and Jezebel and then further into the days after them and
- 35:25God is going to say to the northern kingdom of Israel, you will repent or I will judge you.
- 35:32I'm going to take care of my people.
- 35:35I'm going to deliver my people out from among you.
- 35:39God's messengers keep coming in pairs when Jesus sent out His disciples.
- 35:44How did He send them out?
- 35:46two at a time, and with what instructions did he send them?
- 35:53Go to the city, take no provisions, take no extras, take no armaments.
- 35:59You go into the city and if you find a faithful house that will receive you and take you in, just like in the days of Elijah, just like in the days of Elisha, faithful houses that
- 36:12took them in and provided for them, Jesus says, you find a faithful house, you stay there, they'll provide everything you need, you preach the message of God.
- 36:24But what if there was no faithful house in the city?
- 36:26What were they to do?
- 36:29Walk out to the edge of the city, shake the dust off their feet and pronounce a curse against the city.
- 36:33God's judgment, God's wrath would come on that city.
- 36:39Two messengers, two messengers, two messengers, two messengers.
- 36:46And they had the authority to proclaim the word of God, and they also had the authority to pronounce judgment against those who would not repent.
- 36:58Okay, you see the picture?
- 37:01Now, he says, I will give power to my two witnesses.
- 37:06and they will prophesy 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth.
- 37:12Why do you wear sackcloth?
- 37:16because your morning message is not good.
- 37:20The witnesses are going to go out, they're going to tell you, you've got to repent.
- 37:27but they won't do it.
- 37:28What was the message at the end of chapter 9?
- 37:31God tells the people, the earth, you've got to repent, but they wouldn't do it.
- 37:36So notice what happens.
- 37:38He says they'll prophesy for 1260 days, clothed in sackcloth.
- 37:43These are the two olive trees, the two lambstands standing before the God of the earth.
- 37:47And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies.
- 37:53Wait a minute, what picture is that?
- 37:56What Old Testament event did fire proceed forth not from the mouth of the prophet but from the word of the prophet?
- 38:06on Mount Carmel.
- 38:09when they had the contest.
- 38:13And here's God's prophet.
- 38:16You see, you also have, in the days of Moses, an occasion where fire comes from heaven and destroys false prophets.
- 38:25This is a picture of prophets.
- 38:27The prophets go out and they prophesy.
- 38:30And if the people won't hear them or the people try to harm them, God deals with them.
- 38:34All right?
- 38:35Notice again.
- 38:36He devours their enemies.
- 38:38If anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.
- 38:41These have power to shut up heaven.
- 38:43There's Elijah.
- 38:44So that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy.
- 38:47And they have power over the waters to turn them to blood.
- 38:50There's Moses and Aaron.
- 38:52And to strike the earth with all plagues.
- 38:54There's Moses and Aaron.
- 38:56As often as they desire.
- 38:58Does that mean that the prophets just went around with a whim?
- 39:00They just got to do whatever they wanted to, said whatever they wanted to say, and they just got to persecute people all over the place?
- 39:08No.
- 39:08When they spoke, who did they speak on behalf of?
- 39:12The Lord.
- 39:14And yet Elijah would say, it's not going to rain until I say so.
- 39:17Okay?
- 39:18They had the authority from God.
- 39:23Their message originated from God.
- 39:28Now, how many witnesses did you need in order to, according to the law, put someone to death?
- 39:36Two.
- 39:38So you have two witnesses, they go out and declare the word of God.
- 39:43If people strive instead to kill the witnesses instead of hearing the word of God, the testimony of two witnesses is sufficient to put them to death.
- 39:54The picture is, here's God's people, they're going to proclaim the message of God faithfully.
- 40:03They're going to do exactly what God tells them to do, they're gonna speak exactly what God tells them to speak.
- 40:08And what is the world going to do?
- 40:12Well, you're going to see verses seven through 10 next week, the world's going to kill them for it.
- 40:19The world's going to reject the message.
- 40:21And having killed them, they're going to throw a party and rejoice that God's messengers are dead.
- 40:27John's telling the church, you just keep preaching.
- 40:29You keep telling them the truth.
- 40:32We've seen it all before.
- 40:33will protect His prophets.
- 40:36God will protect His priests.
- 40:38God will protect His kings.
- 40:40God will protect His people.
- 40:42You just keep preaching the truth.
- 40:46Okay, we'll pick up here in verse seven next week.