Suffering and Resurrection
Sermon Notes
Today we’re continuing our teaching series on a book of the bible called Revelation. We’ve reached the halfway point in this series, and we’ll be in this series another 2 wks before taking a little break from this series over the summer. But it’s a series that’s about finding peace in a world of chaos. The reality is we’re living in a chaotic world full of global tensions between nations and superpowers. We’re living in a chaotic country full of political and economic tensions. We’re also living chaotic lives, with chaotic schedules, chaotic families, chaotic work and school. We wake up to eat, rush to work or school, then come home to do more work or school, and eat, sleep, repeat.
Most of us would agree our world, our country, our lives are often full of chaos, and this is a series about finding peace in a world of chaos. The text we’re studying today isn’t specifically focused on Mother’s Day, but it’s a text that can help mothers and those who aren’t mothers find peace when it comes to suffering in a world, a country, a life that’s full of chaos. So let’s turn to Revelation 11 and check it out. You’ll find Revelation in the back of the bible, it’s the very last book of the bible, and we’ll be in Revelation 11:1-19. Title of the message is Suffering and Resurrection. The big idea of the message is there isn’t any suffering we’ll ever face, that a resurrection can’t fix...There isn’t any suffering we’ll ever face, that a resurrection can’t fix...
Here’s your context. The book of revelation is about the 2nd coming of Jesus, and what will happen at the end of history when he finally returns. We divided the entire book into four major sections based on four major visions Jesus gives to John the author, and right now we’re in the 2nd vision which is of Jesus and the Cosmos. It’s of Jesus ruling over the entire cosmos, and his wrath being poured out against sin and evil. In ch 8-9 we learned John heard 7 trumpets, which implies there’s 7 stages to God’s final judgement. It won’t happen all it once, it’ll happen in 7 stages, and we’ve already studied 6 of those 7 stages. Last week Robbie did a great job talking about how ch 10 is a little pause between the 6th and 7th stages, and today’s text is a continuation of that pause. As we study today’s text we’ll learn God sends two witnesses to share a message with the world before the 7th stage of judgment, and those two witnesses face suffering. As we study we’ll learn about: 1st The Two Witnesses, 2nd Their Suffering, 3rd Their Resurrection. We’ll learn that these two witnesses face suffering, but isn’t anything that a resurrection can’t fix. Let’s check it out.
Revelation 11:1-19 states, “Then I was given a measuring reed like a rod, with these words: ‘Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who worship there. 2 But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Don’t measure it, because it is given to the nations,, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.’” The measuring of the temple symbolizes God’s eternal protection and preservation of his people. It’s like the sealing of the 144,000 that we read about in ch 7, meaning God’s people are being counted, they’re being measured. It’s a way of saying every single one of God’s people is known by God, and can find peace in knowing they’ll be protected and preserved by God. The temple was the place where Jews believed God would dwell with his people, so the implication here is those who dwell with God, those who have a relationship with God will be protected and preserved by God. But those outside the temple aren’t being measured, because they aren’t dwelling with God, they don’t have a relationship with God. They aren’t God’s people, which means they won’t be protected and preserved by God.
Now this doesn’t mean God’s people won’t ever face suffering and persecution in life, it means we’re being protected and preserved for an eternal life free from suffering and persecution in life. In fact vs 2 says those outside the temple are allowed to trample the holy city Jerusalem, for 42 months. So for roughly 3½ yrs God’s people will face suffering and persecution from those who aren’t God’s people. But the 42 months, the 3½ yrs implies the suffering and persecution has an expiration date. The suffering and persecution against God’s people won’t last an eternity, because God promises to protect and preserve his people in eternity. So we’ll face suffering and persecution in life, but we’re being protected and preserved for a joyful eternal life. The point is those who put their faith in Jesus, can find peace in knowing they’re being protected and preserved by Jesus. They’re being protected and preserved for a joyful eternal life in heaven with Jesus.
Vs. 3, “I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth. 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies; if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6 They have authority to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy. They also have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every plague whenever they want.” What we’re learning here is the Lord sends Two Witnesses, and we learn 4 things about these two witnesses. We learn about their ministry, their duration, their attitude, and their identity. Their (ministry) entails prophecy, it entails preaching the gospel, specifically as it relates to warning people to repent and turn to Jesus before God’s final judgement and wrath. In fact that’s what the two olive trees and lampstands represent. Olive trees provided oil for the lampstands and the lampstands provided light, meaning these two witnesses are to help shine the light of Christ in these dark times. Their (duration) entails 1260 days, which is roughly 3½ yrs, meaning they’ll be preaching while the people are trampling the holy city for 3½ yrs. Their (attitude) entails preaching the gospel in sackcloth, which was a garment often used for expressing grief and sorrow. In this case these two witnesses are expressing deep grief and sorrow over people refusing to repent and turn to Jesus. Their (identity) entails either two literal people, or it’s a group of people who come in the spirit of Elijah and Moses. Some scholars say they could actually be Elijah and Moses, because they’re doing supernatural things similar to the supernatural things Elijah and Moses did. For example Elijah called fire down from heaven and declared a 3½ yr drought on the land like these two witnesses. Moses turned the waters of the Nile into blood and struck the Egyptians with plagues like these two witnesses. But the truth is we don’t know the specific identity of these two witnesses. We just know God will give them supernatural powers similar to Elijah and Moses, and they’ll play a critical role in pointing people to repent and turn to Jesus before it’s too late. We know they’ll face suffering and persecution, but their suffering and persecution won’t last forever.
Vs. 7, “When they finish their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war on them, conquer them, and kill them. 8 Their dead bodies, will lie in the main street of the great city, which figuratively is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 And some of the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will view their bodies for three and a half days and not permit their bodies to be put into a tomb. 10 Those who live on the earth will gloat over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.” What we’re learning about here is The Suffering. We’ve learned about the two witnesses, and now we’re learning about their suffering. As soon as they finish their ministry, as soon as they finish the task the Lord’s given them, that’s when the suffering comes. That’s when the beast is able to make war and kill them. In ch 13 we’ll learn that the beast is symbolic of the Antichrist. The Antichrist isn’t Satan, instead it’s a person, a ruler, a political power used by Satan to oppose everything about Christ. They’re called the Antichrist, because they’re Anti-Christ, Anti-Jesus, and they’re used by Satan to oppose everything about Jesus. We’ll learn more about the Antichrist when we study ch 13, but for now you can see their opposition against Christ by the fact the Antichrist makes war and kills the two witnesses of Christ. The text says it’ll happen in the city where Jesus was crucified, which is Jerusalem. It’ll be figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, because the city will become filled with so much sin and evil like Sodom and Egypt was in Old Testament history. This answers the question as to why God’s final judgement and wrath is coming. It’s because sin and evil in the world will become like the sin and evil in Sodom and Egypt. If you study the stories of Sodom and Egypt in Old Testament history, you’ll see God gave the people numerous chances to repent and turn to him, but when they refused God put an end to their sin and evil so their sin and evil wouldn’t last forever. John’s saying this is what the Lord will do at the end of history. He’ll send these two witnesses to give people another chance to repent and turn to him, but instead of repenting and turning they’ll kill his witnesses.
So it’s their continual sin and evil that solidifies the need for God’s judgement and wrath. It solidifies the need for God to put an end to the sinful suffering their causing God’s people and God’s creation. But their continual sin and evil also solidifies the need for God’s judgement and wrath, by the gruesome fact they leave these faithful witnesses bodies in the street for the entire world to see. It’s gruesome like when a terrorist group videos a public execution. In this case these two witnesses will be publicly executed, and their bodies will be displayed all over the internet, the news, our social media feeds for the entire world to see. It’s the Antichrist’s way of trying to show he’s more powerful than Christ, to cause people to be afraid to follow Christ. But if you notice the text says the Antichrist and the people can only celebrate their death for 3½ days, meaning it’s short lived. The suffering of these two witnesses is shorter lived than the 3½ yrs of suffering God’s people faced when the holy city Jerusalem was being trampled on. The point is there’s a theme that’s developing in the text, and it’s that our suffering is short lived, our suffering won’t last an eternity. It’s because God’s protecting and preserving his people for eternity. The Antichrist and others are trying to kill his gospel message and his people, but he’s protecting and preserving his gospel message and his people for eternity. Listen to what happens next.
Vs. 11, “But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet.” What we’re learning about here is The Resurrection. We’ve learned about the two witnesses, we’ve learned about their suffering, and now we’re learning about their resurrection. The text says 3½ days after these two witnesses are killed, the breath of life entered them, which is resurrection language. God will resurrect them from the dead by breathing life into their dead bodies again. This idea of God breathing life into people goes back to Genesis 2:7, “Then the Lord formed Adam out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.” City Awakening Jesus doesn’t want to take your life, he wants to give you life. He doesn’t want to kill the joy in your life, he wants to bring more joy into your life. He doesn’t want to destroy your life, he wants to resurrect your life. He wants to continue to breathe life into you even after the sting of death with the power of his resurrection.
See what happened to these two witnesses wasn’t the end of their story, it was the beginning of their eternal story. It’s because death for a Christian isn’t the end of life, it’s the beginning of eternal life. It isn’t the end of life, it’s the end of suffering as we transition into a joyful eternal life. There wasn’t anything these two witnesses suffered, not even death, that the resurrecting breath of Jesus couldn’t fix. The Lord breathed new life into these two witnesses, but where do you need the Lord to breathe new life into you?...Where in your life physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually do you need the Lord to breathe new life into you?...There isn’t any suffering you’re facing in life, that the resurrecting breath of Jesus can’t fix. There isn’t any suffering you’ll ever face in life, not even the sting of death, that the resurrecting breath of Jesus can’t fix.
Again vs. 11, “But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ They went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them. 13 At that moment a violent earthquake took place, a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake. The survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14 The second woe has passed. Take note: The third woe is coming soon!” Okay so God resurrects these witnesses from the dead, he ascends them into heaven, and some of the people start giving glory to God. They start giving glory to God after seeing the supernatural power of God. But unfortunately many people still don’t give God glory, they still don’t repent and turn to God, which is why the 3rd woe, the 7th stage of final judgement comes.
Vs. 15, “The seventh angel blew his trumpet, 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 The twenty-four elders, who were seated before God on their thrones, fell facedown and worshiped God, 17 saying, ‘We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, who is and who was,, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. 18 The nations were angry, but your wrath has come. The time has come for the dead to be judged and to give the reward to your servants the prophets, the saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth.’ 19 Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant appeared in his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and severe hail.” All of this is a display of God’s eternal power and righteous judgement. His eternal power will make sure his kingdom and people will reign forever, and his righteous judgement will make sure sin and evil don’t last forever when he destroys those who destroy the earth. God’s gracious in protecting and preserving his followers for eternal life, and he’s gracious in giving skeptics numerous chances to repent and turn to him. The life of these two witnesses teaches us those who put their faith in Jesus will face suffering now, but they won’t face suffering forever. Those who don’t put their faith in Jesus will face suffering now, but they’ll face even worse suffering later if they don’t repent and turn to Jesus. The good news of the gospel is Jesus suffered on the cross giving up his life for our life, so we don’t have to suffer forever in eternal life. Anyone who puts their faith in him, will have a joyful eternal life in heaven with him. For the Christian this world is the closest to hell you’ll ever get, but for the skeptic this world is the closest to heaven you’ll ever get. For the Christian death isn’t the end of life, it’s the end of suffering as we transition into a joyful eternal life in heaven with Christ.
The big idea of the message is there isn’t any suffering we’ll ever face, that a resurrection can’t fix...If Jesus can resurrect the lives of these two witnesses, then he can resurrect your life too. If Jesus can breathe new life into the dead bodies of these two witnesses, then he can breathe new life into the dead parts of your life too. So don’t get discouraged in life. It’s easy to get discouraged in life, especially with all the discouraging things happening in our world. We can get discouraged over the moral and economic decline of our country. We can get discouraged over our universities turning into places for protest instead of places for an education. We can get discouraged over our family fighting, the car breaking down, another unexpected bill, more issues at work, final exams and book reports piling up. We can easily get discouraged every day, or we can turn to Jesus for encouragement every day. We can turn to Jesus asking him to breathe new life into us every day.
Lamentations 3:22-23 states, “Because of the Lord’s faithful love, we do not perish! For his mercies never end! 23 They are new every morning!” So instead of being discouraged every day, turn to Jesus for encouragement every day asking him to breathe new mercies into your life. No matter what happens in the world or how dark things get in your life, you can always find new mercies in Jesus every day of your life. So where in your life do you need Jesus to breathe new mercies into your life?...Do you need Jesus to breathe new mercies, new life into you as a mother, a father, a son or daughter?...Do you need Jesus to breathe new mercies, new life in your marriage, your family, your career?...Do you need Jesus to breathe new mercies, new life into your physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual life?...Where in your life do you need Jesus to breathe new mercies, new life into you?...The life of these two witnesses teaches us there isn’t any suffering you’re facing in life right now, that he can’t breathe new life into. There isn’t any suffering you’ll ever face in life, not even death, that the resurrecting breath of Jesus can’t fix...Let’s pray...