Rev 11:8-11 Death and Resurrection of the Two Witnesses 11/20/2005 ßà

• The Silencing of the Two Witnesses (Rev 12:9, 20:3, 11:1-14)

#1. In the Street of the Great City (Rev 11:8, 14:8, 17:5, 18:2, Jer 50:39)

• Why Are They Not Buried? (Rev 11:9-10, Matt 24:24, Luke 18:8)

• How Long Is the FTP? (Isa 57:20, Dan 7:23-26, 8:11-14, Lev 24:2-3, 2Chron 36:21, Mat 24:22)

#2. They Stood Upon Their Feet (Rev 11:11, Ezek 2:1-4, Jer 33:7-9, John 3:18)

• Did We Let Our Guard Down? (1Cor 13:1-3, 2Cor 4:6)

Please open your Bibles to The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Rev 11:1 (2X). This is the 4^th week we are in Rev 11. We need to keep in mind that beginning in Chapter 10 we have entered an interlude between the 6^th trumpet and the 7^th trumpet. Then when we enter Chapter 11 God gives us a historical overview of the entire NT time period, since this is what John has to preach before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. Last week we saw that the two witnesses, representing the body of believers, were killed by the Beast that ascendeth out of the Bottomless Pit. Perhaps you remember that the Bottomless Pit is actually this earth, for according to Rev 12:9 Satan was cast out of heaven and he was cast unto this earth in AD 33 and according to Rev 20:3 Satan was cast into the Bottomles Pit in AD 33. And so we see that the Beast, representing the Antichrist, is the embodiment of Satan in this world. Satan is a spirit, but a spirit does not have hands or feet or a mouth to speak. And therefore to do his evil deeds on this earth in three dimensional space and time he needs a body, or more than one body, to carry out his evil deeds. That is why we read that this Beast ascends out of the Bottomles Pit where Satan is, and thus Satan will use the body of a man, or more than one man, to carry out his plans. And thus we need to keep in mind that when we read about the Beast in Chapter 11, or we read about another Beast that rises up out of the sea in Rev 13, or we read about another Beast rising up out of the earth in Rev 13, these all refer to the same Antichrist, the embodiment of Satan in this world. First let us review again how these two witnesses were killed. They were not really killed, but silenced.

• The Silencing of the Two Witnesses (Rev 12:9, 20:3, 11:1-13)

Re 11:1 ¶ And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

Re 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

Re 11:3 ¶ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Re 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

Re 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Re 11:6-7 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Re 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Re 11:9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

Re 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

Re 11:11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

Re 11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

Re 11:13-14 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

How did we conclude that the two witnesses were silenced? If the word “killed” in verse 5 does not mean a physical killing, but means silencing, then the word “kill” in verse 7 also will not refer to physical killing but to silencing, because in both cases it is the same Greek word that is at the root in these two places. Verse 7 is a very pregnant and brief statement of the time of the final and terrible tribulation that shall come over the church of God. Antichrist shall prevail at last. He shall overcome the church. He shall persecute the saints of the Most High. But we need to keep in mind that there is only one FTP, and thus the 5^th trumpet and the 6^th trumpet are actually one and the same event, described in two different ways, one in terms of spiritual plagues and the other in terms of physical plagues. But the two witnesses do not remain dead, they do not remain silenced, but they will be resurrected in a great and awesome resurrection of the Last Day. That is why this sermon is titled, “Death and Resurrection of the Two Witnesses” (2X). And so we see that their death takes us in Rev 11:8 to a place:

#1. In the Street of the Great City (Rev 11:8, 14:8, 17:5, 18:2, Jer 50:39)

Re 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Please turn to Rev 14:8 (2X). Where is that great city where the bodies of the two witnesses shall lie? It is not the city of God, for that city is identified with Sodom and Egypt. It is a city of Satan. It is not old Jerusalem made of bricks and mortar, for Christ was not crucified in Jerusalem. He was crucified outside the gates of Jerusalem. But what great city near the end of time shall be in view as the city of Satan? We find all over Revelations that it is the city of Babylon. We read here in Rev 14:8,

Re 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Please turn now to Rev 17:5 (2X). We read in Rev 17:5,

Re 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Please turn one page to Rev 18:2 (2X). There we read in Rev 18:2,

Re 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is

become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

Why all this emphasis on Babylon? Today Babylon is a heap of ruins, completely according to the curse God has pronounced on that city through the mouth of Jeremiah. We read in Jer 50:39,

Jer 50:39 Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever (2X); neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.

Shall Babylon ever be rebuilt? Absolutely not! Then why all this emphasis on Babylon? It is because the old Babylon was a type, or a picture, of the kingdom of Satan. This old city was rich and proud and strong, but it fell in one night, because its king was suddenly destroyed that night, when God determined that his end has come. Therefore, when we read throughout Revelations about the city of Babylon, it refers to the kingdom of Satan. The Lord Jesus Christ was crucified outside the city of Jerusalem, which at that time, before the cross, was still the holy city, because God dwelt in the temple in that city. And thus outside Jerusalem means “out there”, outside the realm where God’s presence is felt. “Out there” also means outside the true church, outside the Bride of Christ. This region out there, in the world, the kingdom of Satan, is not only called Babylon, but is also called Sodom and Egypt here in Rev 11:8, for two other reasons. The first reason is that near the end of time sodomy will be at an all time high. We can already see that developing in our days. The second reason is that the religion of the church in those days will be like Egypt, the house of bondage. The church in those days will snare people into a works gospel, in which there is no salvation. Instead it will leave people in bondage to sin and Satan. It will trap people into believing that they are saved, when in fact they are not worshipping the God of the Bible, but another god. And since they have been assured by their Pastor that they are saved they never check with the Bible if that is really so. They have been accustomed to believe their Pastor rather than believe the Bible. And so, when their Pastor says that they have been truly saved because they speak in tongues, or because they have made a profession of faith, or because they have been baptized in water, or because they have invited Jesus into their heart, or if they have done some other marvellous work of some kind or another, they believe him and do not check any further. And as in time fewer and fewer truly saved persons occupy the pews in the church, the church ends up dead. The candlestick has been removed. The true Gospel is not preached any more. The dead church is still operating and is holding services throughout the FTP, but it is like a dead body which is not buried. Only the empty shell of the former church is still standing, but the church buildings are like white walled sepulchers and they are filled with dead men’s bones. And this is why Rev 11:8 says that the dead bodies of the two witnesses shall lie in the street of Babylon? They are not buried.

• Why Are They Not Buried? (Rev 11:9-10, Matt 24:24, Luke 18:8)

Re 11:9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies

three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

Re 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

All over the world people shall be able to see the empty shells that were once great churches. Some of them are still in operation, but the gospel that is preached in those churches is a far cry from the fiery preaching that went on 100 years ago. Mainly two types of gospels are preached today in these apostate churches. Either it is a Charismatic gospel where people believe that today God is still bringing divine revelations in dreams, or in visions, or in angel visitations, or in a tongue; or it is a works gospel where people believe that everyone has an equal chance to become saved. All you need to do is to reach out and accept that “well meant offer” that God so graciously holds out to everyone in the world. And since the preaching of a works gospel does not save anyone but leaves people in their dead works, very soon such churches will also be swallowed up by the Charismatic gospel. One error easily leads into another. All these are evidences that Satan is ruling in the congregations. It is true that Satan desires to be the sole ruler in this world. But Satan desires most of all that he is worshipped in the place of God. And this is the character of the FTP. It is dominated by the statement the Lord Jesus made in Matt 24:24, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” The gospels that shall be pushed by Antichrist shall be so close to the true Gospel that if it were possible even the elect would be deceived. But it is not possible that the elect would be deceived by a false gospel. This is how Antichrist silences the true Gospel, by infiltrating the churches with other gospels that are very close to the true Gospel, and when the church has degenerated to a congregation of unsaved people, the Charismatic gospel will be an attractive alternative. And Satan will be successful, because God has so ordained it that way. And then the true Gospel shall be declared false, and the true church shall be declared dead, and the true believers shall be declared criminals committing hate crimes against society and against those who practice a homosexual lifestyle. The testimony, the prayers, the powers, and the actions of the two witnesses shall have been silenced and removed. Antichrist shall reign supreme. And all the world rejoices because the two witnesses are dead. They rejoice because the true Gospel reprimands men of sin and of judgment to come. But now the world rejoices, for they are not any more threatened with eternal damnation in a place called Hell. Like the Mormons and the Jehovah’s Witnesses they have eliminated Hell from their vocabulary and from their thoughts. They rejoice, because the rapid worldwide growth of their churches has been the success story of the day. Now they have the best of both worlds: They have salvation as well as the things and pleasures of the world. “And they shall send gifts one to another.” In their joy over the new found faith that is being shared all over the world they shall also share spiritual gifts with one another. For example, they will send preachers over who can make people fall backwards, and they will send preachers over who can demonstrate miraculous healing powers, and they will send preachers over who have a talent for making people laugh, and so on. But none of these have anything to do with the true Gospel. That is why the Lord Jesus said in Luke 18:8, “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” A rhetorical question. The answer is NO! When Christ returns, faith will be a scarce commodity all over the earth. This is the character of the FTP. How long does this situation remain?

• How Long Is the FTP? (Isa 57:20, Dan 7:23-26, 8:11-14, Lev 24:2-3, 2Chron 36:21, Mat 24:22)

Is it not interesting that the Lord mentioned 3½ days? Does the FTP last only 3½ days? Not really. But it implies first of all that the time of Antichrist shall be cut short. He shall not be able to finish his work. There will still be people on this earth who remain in the camp of the Lord Jesus Christ. But where do these 3½ days refer to? Please turn to the Prophecy of Daniel, Dan 7:23 (2X). You find the prophecy of Daniel right after Ezekiel. Actually there are four numbers which show up as the length of the FTP: 3½ days, 2300 days, 70 years, and 23 years. Let us begin with the 3½ days. In Dan 7 God showed Daniel four great beasts that came up out of the sea. If you keep in mind that the Bottomless Pit is this earth, and if you apply the words of Isa 57:20 where we read, “The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt” then you know how these beasts relate to Satan. The fourth beast has ten horns, which refer to ten kings, and another king, represented by a little horn, shall rise up after them. This little horn represents Antichrist who shall dominate the world scene before the end comes. And thus we read here in Dan 7:23-26,

Da 7:23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

Da 7:24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

Da 7:25-26 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

This passage describes exactly the same event as in Rev 11. The church is given into Satan’s hand. For how long? “Until a time and times and the dividing of time” refers to the number 3½, which is symbolic for the period of time that the saints are given into his hands. Please turn the page to Dan 8:11 (2X). Here in Dan 8 God again speaks about the little horn, Antichrist. And here God provided another number representing the time that the saints are given into his hand. We read in Dan 8:11-14,

Da 8:11 Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily (sacrifice) was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

Da 8:12 And an host was given him against the daily (sacrifice) by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.

Da 8:13-14 Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily (sacrifice), and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

The word “sacrifice” appears three times in this passage, and it appears in italics. It was suggested by the translators. Actually the “daily” that is taken away refers to the “daily candlestick” that was always burning in the tabernacle and in the temple. We read in Lev 24:2-3,

Le 24:2-3 Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations.

This was a commandment from the ceremonial law, and thus we know that it was pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Light of the world. Christ said, “I am the light of the world.” Before the Lord Jesus left this earth He told His disciples, “Ye are the light of the world.” And thus He commanded the NT church to be a continual light in the world, giving the people of the world the light of the Gospel as it is found in the Word of God. When Antichrist has killed the two witnesses their daily light is snuffed out, and thus the church no longer proclaims the true Gospel throughout the world. That is the FTP. The daily (sacrifice) in Dan 8:11-14 should have been translated “the daily candlestick”. And how long shall this condition last? God says in Dan 8:14, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” And thus, here is the second number God gave for the FTP: 2300 days.

Please turn now to the prophecy of second Chronicles, 2Chron 36:21 (2X). You find 2Chron after 1^st and 2^nd Kings and 1^st Chron. This chapter describes the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of a remnant of the Jews by the Babylonian armies under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar. All this took place according to the decree of God, to indicate the period of great tribulation for His people.

2Ch 36:21 To fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years.

Threescore and ten years is 70 years. After those 70 years they would be delivered to return to the land of their inheritance, like that of Hebrew slaves going to the land of their inheritance in the Jubilee year, and like that of the saints going to the land of their inheritance at the end of a long FTP. God indicated hereby that those 70 years represented the length of the FTP just before the end of time. What exactly were those 70 years in history? In the year 609 BC (2X) king Josiah was killed in battle and Jerusalem was taken by Egypt. Their servitude to Egypt was soon changed to a servitude to Babylon. Then in the year 539 BC (2X), which was 70 years later, Babylon was overthrown by the Medes and the Persians under the leadership of Cyrus. In that year the Jew’s servitude to Babylon ended. Then for two years Darius the Mede was the sole ruler in Babylon. After two years Cyrus returned and made the proclamation that the Jews could return to the land of their inheritance. But from 609 BC to 539 BC, for 70 years, the nation of Israel was either in servitude to Babylon or in exile in Babylon. This period of great tribulation to the nation of Israel was a type, or a picture, of the FTP shortly before future Babylon will be overthrown in Rev 18. Thus the 3^rd number for the FTP is 70 years

However, although Judah was subdued in 609 BC (2X), it was not totally destroyed until the year 587 BC (2X), which was 23 years later. During those 23 years all four of its kings were terribly wicked, and the country existed under foreign rule. As such it is also a type of the FTP, when the apostate church will exist under Satan’s rule. Here the number 23 again popped up, reminding us of the 2300 days in Dan 8. How important is 23 years? Keep in mind that the Lord Jesus said in Mat 24:22,

Mt 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

And thus it is not likely that the FTP will last the full 70 years, but 23 years is a possibility. So now we have seen four time periods for the FTP, three of which should be considered symbolic. Now it is very interesting that three of the four time periods are connected to each other by the number 84. To begin with, 3½ days equals 84 hours, 70 years equals 840 months, and 23 years equals 8400 days, and that is exactly right including leap years. This is not just circumstantial evidence, or coincidence, but it reflects the handiwork of an infinitely wise God. God has given us these numbers, not to probe into the timing of the 2^nd coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, for no one may know the day or the hour, but to apply these numbers, for example, in the Revelation of Jesus Christ so that we better understand the symbolism in these difficult passages in Revelation. And thus we understand that the number 3½ days absolutely certainly is a symbol for the FTP. Please turn again to the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Rev 11:11 (2X). And thus we now know that the 3½ days, the 70 years, and the 23 years must be taken symbolically, but the 2300 days do represent the true length of the FTP. However, since we do not know when to start counting, the actual return of Christ remains a mystery, as it should be. But continuing in Rev 11 we see that the two witnesses do not remain dead, but before the end comes:

#2. They Stood Upon Their Feet (Rev 11:11, Ezek 2:1-4, Jer 33:7-9, John 3:18)

Re 11:11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

Why does the Lord not write that they were resurrected and taken to be with Christ? We know that this will be the normal mode of resurrection for all the saints who have died. When Christ returns all the saints who are still alive, and all the saints who have died, shall simultaneously receive their glorified bodies and will be drawn up to be with Christ in the air, and so they shall be with the Lord forever. Please turn to the prophecy of Ezekiel, Ezek 2:1 (2X). Why does the Lord in Rev 11:11 say that the two witnesses “stood upon their feet”? It means that the two witnesses again stood upon their feet for a short time before the time of their bodily conversion to a glorified eternity. Does this mean that for a short time they were again preaching as before they were silenced? And that is indeed what it means. For example, the expression “to stand upon thy feet” is again used in the case of Ezekiel. We read in:

Eze 2:1 ¶ And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

Eze 2:2-4 And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiff hearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel was commanded to stand upon his feet, which means that he was now commissioned to preach the Word from God to the children of Israel, who guaranteed will not hear him. It is a very similar situation when the two witnesses are sent to preach to the people of the world who will not hear them, because grace is very scarce in the last days. Please turn to the prophecy of Jeremiah, Jer 33:7 (2X). Why were the two witnesses silenced to begin with? Because it was decreed by God that it be so. But secondly, God works out His plans through the sins of man. The church was silenced because the saints were not fully on their guard; they were not fully prepared for an attack by Satan and that is why they went under. A similar situation is presented to us here in the days of Jeremiah. The nation of Judah was going to be killed by the Babylonian armies because of sin in Judah. O yes, it was already decreed in God’s timetable, but God points to their sin as the motive for their destruction. They had only themselves to blame. But then God comforts them with the promise of a revival. God says in:

Jer 33:7-9 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.

Let us apply this now to the two witnesses near the end of time. God says to us these words in Jer 33:7-9. He will cleanse us from all our sins, and He will pardon all our sins, an He will cause some kind of revival to occur, and God emphasizes in verse 9 that this will be to Him a praise and an honor before all the nations of the earth. It will be a revival to the glory of God. Does this mean that the churches and denominations will repent and return to the faith of their forefathers? Not likely! We do not know. God can raise up the two witnesses in all kinds of different ways. But simultaneously, we see in Jer 33:9 that the nations “shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure” unto the people He chose that would serve Him. This passage in Jer 33:7-9 is parallel to Rev 11:11. In Rev 11:11 we read, “great fear fell upon them which saw them”. Why do the heathen fear greatly? They fear that there is Hell to pay, for they can see and hear that God has made alive again the sound of the Gospel again ringing out into all the earth. It is the message that Christ died to save sinners, but whosoever does not believe is condemned already (John 3:18). And in this we can rejoice. We can rejoice that Christ has paid for the sins of all those who believe, which means for all those whom God, through His grace, made them believe the true Gospel. And we are grateful that God does not hold us accountable for letting the church be silenced during the FTP. The big question now is this:

• Did We Let Our Guard Down? (1Cor 13:1-3, 2Cor 4:6)

Please turn in your Bibles to the 2^nd Epistle to the Corinthians, 2Cor 4:6 (2X). Are we responsible for the silencing of the church in times of great apostasy? And the answer is a resounding yes! We should not pass this off as something that only God is responsible for, because God works out His plans through the sins of man. For some of us it means that we have been feeding the false church for too long with our money and our resources, so that they became stronger and stronger. We must be careful that we are not bringing our money to the Devil. It would mean that we would be strengthening the enemies of Christ. For some of us it means that we have been negligent with our Bible studies. Consequently, when someone asks us, “Where in the Bible do you read about election, and where in the Bible do you read that Christ died only for His elect, and does that not make God a reprehensible dictator who decides who shall live and who shall die?” Do we know how to answer such questions? Do we know where to find our answers in the Bible? Have we been slacking off lately our visits to the regular Bible studies in this church? Why do we try to witness if we are unable to answer these simple questions? For some of us it means that we find ourselves in discussions about Rev 11. What does it mean if we learn about the life and death and resurrection of the two witnesses? Does it peak our interest, or do we feel somewhat distant to all this academic probing of the words of Scripture? Are we able to explain to others what we have just heard in the sermon? Why not? You can borrow a tape, or you can download a sermon from our website. It should have made us more alert learning about the two witnesses. Christ has not saved us to sit on our behind reading the newspaper, or watching games on television. Christ has saved us to be His witnesses. That is not a suggestion, but that is a mandate. If we do not feel compassion for the many dying souls around us, then we show that we have no love in our heart for our fellow man. And if we have no love in our heart then, according to 1Cor 13:1-3, we are not saved. How great is our gratitude for our salvation? Think of it. Now is still the day of salvation. We must still witness. Our Testimony is not finished. And the purpose of this picture of two witnesses is to spur us on to be faithful unto the end, that no one may take our crown. And for some of us these studies in Revelation are comforting by the fact that Christ shall not leave us alone, but that even the days shall be shortened for the elect’s sake. He drew us out of the dark Bottomless Pit and has shined His light into our hearts. 2Cor 4:6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

AMEN. Let us turn to the Lord in prayer.