In this blog we are going to examine Revelation 11:11-14. By this point the two witnesses have been dead for three and a half days, but their story does not end there. I want to answer the question: what happens after the three-and-a-half days are up? What happens after the dead bodies of these two witnesses have laid on the main street of Jerusalem for a little more than 72 hours? Also, as we make our way through the text, I want to show how this can apply to us today, and what I hope you see is how the events that take place in the lives of the two witnesses parallel events that are going to happen to every person who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
After three-and-a-half days the two dead witnesses return to life.
Verse 11 says, “But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet…” We call this event a resurrection. The word resurrection simply means: rising from the dead.
You’re probably wondering – how do two people who have been dead for a little more than 72 hours come back to life? The answer to that question is God. Notice the text says “a breath of life from God entered them”. In other words, without God, there would be no possible way for these two witnesses to be raised from death to life. So, the only possible and logical conclusion for this to happen is for God to exist. And if we can conclude that God exists, then we can also safely conclude that it will be by the power of God that these two witnesses will rise from the dead after three-and-a-half days.
Now something I want to make you aware of is that God has a habit of resurrecting the dead. In 1 Kings 17 we have the resurrection of a widow’s son. In 2 Kings 4 we have the resurrection of the Shunammite woman’s son. In 2 Kings 13 we have the resurrection of a man who touched the bones of Elisha. In Luke 7 we have the resurrection of the widow Nain’ son. In Luke 8 we have the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter. In John 11 we have the resurrection of Lazarus. In Matthew 27 when Jesus breathed his last breath we read about a mass of people being resurrected. In Acts 9 a woman by the name of Tabitha was resurrected. In Acts 20 a man by the name of Eutychus was resurrected. Then, we have the resurrection of God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. According to the Scriptures, Jesus died, was buried, and raised from death to life.
But lastly, I want you to understand that what has happened to so many already and what will happen to these two witnesses is what will also happen to anyone who has died believing and trusting Jesus for their salvation. The Bible, in 1 Corinthians 15, teaches that one day, in the twinkling of an eye, there will be a resurrection of the dead; and on that day everyone who has died believing and trusting Jesus for their salvation shall be given a new body.
You see, this body we have now is perishable, but it will be raised imperishable. The body we have now is dishonorable, but it will be raised in glory. This body we have now was sown in weakness, but it will be raised in power. This body we have now is a natural body, but it will be raised as a spiritual body. And this is made possible because God exists.
This is why ladies and gentlemen, if you are saved, you do not have to fear death. The Christian does not have to fear death because of what God has accomplished for you through His only Son, Jesus Christ. The Christian does not have to fear death because God, through the death of His only Son, destroyed death for us. The Christian does not have to fear death because God, through His only begotten Son, has swallowed up death in victory. The Christian does not have to fear death because God, through Jesus Christ, has taken away the sting of death.
And since we do not have to fear death, believer, we can confidently live our lives for Jesus in this fallen world. Because we do not have to fear death, we can confidently bear witness that Jesus is the Christ and not worry about the consequences. Because we do not have to fear death, we can confidently preach the message of repentance in this sin-stained world and not be anxious about the repercussions. Because we do not have to fear death, we can confidently be ambassadors of Jesus in this godless world, even if it should cost us our very life. That’s the confidence we have in Christ.
Now, as you know, it’s not everyday someone who has died, and been dead for a little more than 72 hours, comes back to life. So, you can imagine what the people who will be in Jerusalem at this time will go through. And in fact we do not have to imagine too hard.
As the two witnesses are raised to life, all who were once celebrating their death are now trembling in fear.
Verse 11 says, “and great fear fell on those who saw them.” If you recall Revelation 11:10, when the witnesses died the ungodly in Jerusalem were rejoicing, making merry, and exchanging presents as though it were Christmas. They were overwhelmed with joy at the death of these two prophets of God.
But when God raises these two witnesses from death to life, John tells us their attitude will change drastically. They will go from being overwhelmed with joy to being overwhelmed with fear. They will go from happiness to despair. They will go from cheerfulness to worry. They will be panic-stricken. They will be overcome by apprehension and horror at the sight of these two living witnesses. But God does not stop with raising the two witnesses from the dead.
As everyone in Jerusalem is filled with fear at the sight of these two previously dead witnesses, who are now very much alive by the power of God, the witnesses will then ascend into heaven.
Verse 12 says, “Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here!’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud…” Again, you’re probably wondering how two men can ascend into heaven? Again, the answer to that question is God. All throughout the Scriptures we see God calling and taking people up to His kingdom. For example, in 2 Kings 2:11, God took Elijah into heaven. In Acts 1:9, as the disciples were speaking to the resurrected Jesus, Jesus ascended into heaven. In Revelation 4:1, as John received this revelation, he was taken up to heaven.
In the same way, if you know Jesus as your Savior and believe in Him for salvation, not only will you be resurrected, but you too will ascend into heaven. As we have discussed before, according to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, a day is coming, which we call the Rapture, when everyone who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ will ascend to be with the Lord Jesus forever. The Bible teaches that Jesus himself will descend from heaven into the clouds. Then, at the voice of an archangel and at the sound of the trumpet, those who have died believing in Jesus shall rise, followed by those who remain alive. And it’s on that day that this natural body shall be changed into the spiritual, glorified body that we spoke of in 1 Corinthians 15. This is the hope and promise you have as a Christian.
Now as the two witnesses ascend into heaven, they will do so in the presence of all those who once celebrated their death.
Verse 12 says, “and their enemies watched them.” Can you imagine what this day will be like for those who witness all this? For three days there has been a celebration because of the death of these two men of God whose message no one could not stand to hear. Then, all of a sudden, the two witnesses are resurrected. Then, a voice is heard, the voice of Jesus, calling them to heaven. Then, they make their ascension. And all this happens in the presence of those who celebrated their death.
Notice that John calls those who were celebrating the death of the two witnesses “enemies”. The word enemy implies that those who were celebrating the death of these two witnesses are people who hate these two witnesses. People who foster harmful desires against these two witnesses. People who oppose these two witnesses. All because of the message the two men of God preached. But now a day has come that those who once opposed the two witnesses, who rejected the message of the two witnesses, and celebrated their death, are left to endure the remaining wrath of Almighty God.
What I want you to understand here is that the day shall come, when Christ raptures His church, that those who are enemies of Jesus’ church shall be left behind as the church ascends into heaven, and on that day, you will know no shame. The Bible says in Romans 10:11, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” The word shame means to feel dishonorable, improper, disgraced, humiliated, ridiculous, degraded, and reproached.
Has anyone ever made you feel ashamed or humiliated because of your faith in Christ? In this fallen world, Christians are made to feel shame for believing that God exists. In this fallen world, Christians are made to feel foolish for believing that God would save the world through the cross. In this fallen world, Christians are made to feel ridiculous for believing that Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and by the power of God, was raised from death to life. In this fallen world, Christians are degraded for believing that a person is saved by grace and not good works. In this fallen world, Christians are made to feel humiliated for believing that there are not multiple ways to be saved, but only one way to be saved, and that’s by faith alone in Christ alone.
But dear believer, let me tell you, when the rapture comes, it will not be the Christian who feels foolish. It will not be the Christian who is disgraced. It will not be the Christian who feels ridiculous. When Jesus raptures His church it will be all those who are left behind that will be left to their shame. When Jesus raptures His church, everyone who has ever harassed you, reviled you, embarrassed you, humiliated you, picked on you, laughed at you, and made you feel foolish, because of your faith in Jesus Christ, they will be the ones who are left behind feeling ridiculous, because they did not believe the message the church of Jesus Christ preached.
And so I ask you: are you ashamed of the gospel? You shouldn’t be and you don’t have to be, because the gospel is the power of God for salvation for all who believe (Rom. 1:16). Therefore, live your life, church, without shame concerning what you believe about Christ. What happens after the two witnesses ascend into heaven?
Immediately after the two witnesses ascend into heaven in the presence of their enemies, Jerusalem will be struck with a great earthquake and suffer major damage.
Verse 13 says, “And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell.” I want you to note that only “a tenth” of Jerusalem fell opposed to the whole of Jerusalem. Why only a tenth? Scholars point out that a tenth here is attributed to the tithe, which is what we offer unto God each Sunday in the offering plate as a means to recognize the sovereignty of God over our lives. According to Dr. Herbert Carter, the tenth of Jerusalem that will fall is “the amount due from the community of God.” Dr. Herbert Carter goes on to say, “when the earthquake occurs in the area of Jerusalem…God is now…exacting His due from a city that refuses to recognize His sovereignty in the face of fullness of light proclaimed by the two powerful preachers. In other words, God will execute His judgment in Jerusalem because they will refuse to honor God as God and refuse to repent of their sins, upon hearing the message of the two prophets of God.
In the same way a day is coming, according to 2 Corinthians 5:10, when all shall appear before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ and receive what is due to us, based on our deeds. For those who have believed in Jesus Christ, there shall be no condemnation, and they shall enter into the kingdom of God. For those who have not repented of their sins, who have not trusted Jesus for their salvation, who disobey the gospel, and who do not honor God as God, they will enter into everlasting damnation.
Now as a result of the earthquake, many people will die.
Verse 13 says, “Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake…” So, at the same time that the two witnesses ascend into heaven an earthquake occurs destroying at tenth of Jerusalem. And as a result of the earthquake 7,000 people will die. Therefore, leaving a remnant. What about the survivors of the earthquake?
The remaining people dwelling in Jerusalem will be filled with terror and give God praise.
Verse 13 says, “and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” As one commentator rightly points out: “the ultimate goal of God’s saving plan is that everything in creation will glorify Him. Glory refers to the splendor, radiance, and magnificence of God. It refers not only to God in His essential nature but to the praiseworthy effects of what God has accomplished.” After all these people will experience in one day they will have no other option but to glorify God, because they will be without excuse as to how any of what will occur shall happen.
It was the same way with Moses when God worked His plagues through him. It was the same way when Elijah called for a three year drought and stood on top of Mt. Carmel against 400 prophets of Baal. It was the same way when God raised Jesus from the dead. It will be the same when Jesus raptures His church. And it will be the same way when God resurrects these two witnesses and strikes Jerusalem with an earthquake – it is all for His own glory. God does everything He does for the splendor and magnificence of His holy name; to let the world know He is God and there is no other. That’s why God is making such a public display of His power over death with these two witnesses.
After all of this, we now come to the conclusion of the second woe.
John tells us in verse 14, “The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come”. If you recall, in Revelation 8:13 John looked and heard an eagle crying out to those who remained on the earth saying, “woe, woe, woe, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow.” “Woe” is a word in the Bible used to issue a warning or judgment from God, and each of these three woe’s signifies a judgment to come for the remaining three trumpet judgments. One woe has passed, that was the fifth trumpet judgment in Revelation 9:1-12. Now the second woe has passed. And now, in Revelation 11:13, we are warned of the third woe to come, which is the seventh trumpet judgment.
As we close this blog and end our study on the two witnesses, I want to leave you with three closing points, because I want you to keep in mind that these two witnesses are a picture of the church.
Their life is an example of how the Christian has a purpose before the rapture.
Followers of Jesus are meant to be the light in this dark world, doing everything we do to point people to Jesus and bring glory to God. Followers of Jesus are meant to be ambassadors of Christ, representing the kingdom of Almighty God in a sin-stained world. Followers of Jesus are meant to bear witness that Jesus is the Christ. Followers of Jesus are meant to call people to repentance. Followers of Jesus are meant to preach the gospel and disciple the saved. Followers of Jesus are meant to warn people of God’s judgment to come on those who refuse to believe in Christ and reject the gospel. That’s what these two witnesses embodied.
Furthermore, their life is an example of how the Christian life is a life of invincibility and vulnerability.
Invincibility because no one can touch us or harm us unless God allows. Just like God ordained the two witnesses 1,260 days for their ministry, I believe God has also given each one of us an allotted time to do what He has called us to do. But the Christian life is also a vulnerable one, because our life is in the hand of God, and sometimes He will allow us to suffer and allow evil to triumph over us for His glory, just as He did after the 1,260 days He allotted for the two witnesses.
And lastly, their life is an example of how the Christian life is a life of winning and losing, but ultimately winning, because of what God has done for us through Jesus.
The Christian already has victory because of the cross. But that does not mean we will not have suffering. As followers of Jesus in a fallen world, we will have tribulation, we will have persecution, we will be reviled and ridiculed and harassed, we will be hated, we will be afflicted, all because of our faith in Jesus. But ultimately, in the end, no matter the suffering that comes, the Christian wins because a day comes when Jesus shall rapture His church, including the living and the dead, and we will receive glorified bodies, and we will be with Jesus in heaven forever! My hope, church, is that you all live and go through life with this hope and with this confidence. And if you do not know Christ, then you do not have this hope nor this confidence, but you can by repenting of your sins and believing in Jesus Christ.