David Platt unpacks the central point of Revelation 8-11. Instead of speculating about the future, this passage should fuel fervent prayer for God’s coming kingdom and embolden us to fearlessly proclaim the gospel. In this message on Revelation 8–11, Pastor David Platt teaches us that the purpose of Revelation is not to promote speculation about the future, but to compel action in the present.
David Platt unpacks the central point of Revelation 8-11. Instead of speculating about the future, this passage should fuel fervent prayer for God’s coming kingdom and embolden us to fearlessly proclaim the gospel. In this message on Revelation 8–11, Pastor David Platt teaches us that the purpose of Revelation is not to promote speculation about the future, but to compel action in the present.
You are listening to Radical with David Platt, a weekly podcast with sermons and messages from pastor, author and teacher David Platt. Let me say that it is good to be home from a couple of weeks in South Asia and the Middle East and bring you greetings from our brothers and sisters in India. So some of you may know, some of you may not know, that part of our radical giving in our budget here as a church, where we set aside cut programs or set aside comforts here in the church to free up more to give away to urgent spiritual and physical need around the world, and part of that giving has gone to fuel church planting training across India. I just want to share with you, real briefly, the effects of that. So I mentioned two weeks ago, before I left, that I was going to be our India, a region of the world where physical and spiritual poverty collide together Massive physical poverty, massive spiritual poverty. I mentioned how this particular specific region that I was going to has a death rate of about 5,000 people per day, 0.1% Christian, meaning that every single day, approximately 4,995 people from this region punch into an eternal hell. And so I had heard about massive spiritual and physical need in Bihar. But what I and the other brothers I was with saw last week was massive hope in Bihar. So we've spent time with different churches and church planters who have been walking through this training that we've helped provide. Let me tell you about two in particular, two church planners, rajesh and Deepak. Three years ago these two brothers at the end of their rope, pretty much ready to quit ministry, all together living in the middle of spiritual darkness, not seeing fruit from the gospel around them. But they go to one of these trainings and they're the training. They're encouraged to find a totally unreached village, placed with no church. Go into that village, greet people in Jesus' name and ask if they can pray for the homes in that village. Truth be told to hear these guys talk. So Rajesh and Deepak said they didn't believe it would do any good, but they thought what do we have to lose? So we'll try it anyway. So they go into this first village. No one pays any attention to them until they're almost through the village and the last person they come in contact with comes up to them and says what are you doing here? Rajesh and Deepak go through their prescripted lines with this man, say we've come here in the name of Jesus, as soon as they say that. This man says Jesus, I've heard a little bit about him and I want to know more. Can you stay and tell me more? So Rajesh and Deepak look at each other and say yes, I can tell you more. So this man says come to my home. It says, wait there. And so Rajesh and Deepak are told to wait in the home while this man goes and gets his friends and family to come here. What Rajesh and Deepak have to say about Jesus? They gather together friends and family there. Long story short, the next two weeks about 20 people in this village come to faith in Christ. No Christians, no church to do. Oh yeah, it gets better. So you got now 20 Christians in the church and Rajesh and Deepak say we want to encourage you to go, do the same thing. So they start spreading out to go into other different villages. That was three years ago. Three years later, rajesh and Deepak can point to and we went around to, many of them can point to, since that day three years ago, 350 different churches and 350 different villages that now have Christians gathering together as a church in them. So Jim Shattuckes was on this trip and his comment was this is some of the closest ministry that I've ever seen to what is depicted in the New Testament, and you are a part of this, brothers and sisters. So it's worth it. It's worth it to do things a little different here for the spread of the gospel here and there, it's worth it to pray and to give and to go. This works people, families, tribes, who for centuries, for centuries they've not heard the gospel. And they're hearing the gospel and they're turning to Christ. It's turning villages upside down. Quote of the week in India was when we were gathered together with this one church excuse me, one believer looks at us and says our village. This is exact words. Our village was like hell until we heard the gospel. So that was India, and then the Middle East. So we have a couple of long-term church planning teams that we are preparing to send out from among us in the days to come to go specifically to the Middle East. One of them will be led by Britain. He shared with you this summer how the Lord was leading him, his wife Brooke and their four boys to set out to lead the way for one of those church planning teams. We'll be talking about this more in the days to come, but on people who are about 20 million strong, and among that 20 million people there's somewhere between 200 and a thousand believers. So, just to put it in perspective, there's at least at least twice as many believers in this room this morning and there are among 20 million people in this particular country. So the need is great and the cost is great. It was particularly interesting to be in the Middle East during this last week. It mixed everything that's been going on there. If you've followed the news, you know that there were attacks on the embassies in Egypt and Libya and Yemen. It's been concerning when you were in the Middle East and you open up the news online and it says violence spreads against Americans in the Middle East and it hits you. I'm an American in the Middle East, so we spent a good bit of time talking with brothers and sisters who are living there. We asked them about the state of the church in some of these countries and one word they kept using was fear. So we have brothers and sisters from these countries. I'm going to talk about Americans who are from these countries, living in these countries, who are afraid right now with Arab Spring rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in places like Egypt, other fundamentalist Islamic movements in other countries. Christians are afraid. Some are starting to flee these countries because it's not safe for them and home there have been. We just heard stories of the violent destruction of the church and persecution of Christians and as we were praying for our brothers and sisters there and planning how we can best come alongside them as a church, I was reminded that this is who the book of Revelation was written to Brothers and sisters who were afraid, brothers and sisters who were facing attacks and threats against their lives and their families and their churches, and they were wondering what do we do? Do we stay? Do we flee? If we stay, do we speak up? If we speak up, what happens to us? How do we stand in our faith in the middle of all this? The whole situation for the church in countries like Syria and Iran and Iraq and Yemen and Egypt just brought Revelation whole in a very real way. It leads to right where I want us to start this morning. I want to say from the very beginning, yet again let's not miss the point of this book. Let's not miss the point of Revelation. The purpose of Revelation is not to promote speculation about the future. It's not the purpose when we read about these trumpets today. The purpose is not to get us thinking about what this image or that symbol might mean in our day and wondering on what date this or that is going to happen. That's not the point. Think about it with me. What are these trumpets? Okay, in light of what we've already seen. A couple of weeks ago we talked about how these visions in Revelation are not necessarily arranged chronologically, but cyclically. Together they form like a spiraling story, repeating one another and building on one another, headed toward a climax. So a couple of weeks ago, in chapters 6 and 7, we saw seven seals. Now here in chapters 8 through 11, we see seven trumpets and soon we'll see seven bowls. And these seals and trumpets and bowls are repeating symbols of God's judgment upon sin in the world, and they're progressing, intensifying, all leading up to the final judgment return of Christ for his people. Now the specific symbolism of these trumpets today is significant. Throughout Scripture, trumpets are blown to warn of coming judgment, to announce victorious salvation. Jesus specifically says in the Gospels that with a trumpet he will gather together all people for judgment or salvation upon His return. So trumpets symbolize judgment, salvation throughout Scripture. Specifically, there are two Old Testament stories that lie behind this overall picture that we see in Revelation 8-11. One is the plagues that God poured out on Egypt. Most of the images here hail, blood, darkness take us back to God's judgments upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians for keeping His people in captivity. God's set plague after plague after plague as judgments for the sin of the Egyptians, the rebellion of Pharaoh. So that's one story behind this. The other story behind these trumpets is Joshua in the battle of Jericho. Remember, in Joshua, chapter 5 and 6, god commanded seven priests to sound trumpets for seven days, at the end of which they would shout the walls of Jericho would come down, the Israelites would officially enter into the promised land. Imagery here is eerily similar A seven trumpet blasts progressively and ultimately pronounce God's judgment upon sinners. Victory for God's people as they enter into His promise. So you put those two Old Testament stories in the background here and you realize these first four trumpets depict follow this in your notes trumpets one through four depict systematic physical judgments across creation. So we talked a couple of weeks ago about how the essence of sin is worshiping created things rather than the Creator. So here we have a figurative picture of everything in all creation, from the land to the ocean, to the rivers, to the sky, systematically being destroyed. Trumpet number one you have hail and fire coming down from heaven, burning up the earth, the trees and the grass. Trumpet number two you have a mountain hurled into the sea, destroying a third of the world's oceans and all of its life and its trade as the waters turn into blood. See the parallels here between Egyptian plagues hail. In the first trumpet, water turned to blood. In the second, trumpet number three, this meteor-like star falls down from heaven, inflicting the earth's rivers with poison, causing death to all those who drink from them. And then the fourth trumpet, third of the sun, moon and stars are struck, so they provide a third less light. It takes us back immediately to the plague of darkness at the end of those Egyptian plagues, right before the Passover, and the picture is clear coming darkness upon the earth Again. The imagery as these trumpets is repeating and intensifying what we saw with the seals. With the opening of the fourth seal, a pale horse whose rider's name was death, was given authority over a fourth of the earth. And now, here with the fourth trumpet, judgment comes to a third of the earth. So you see intensification happening and the overall point of these four trumpet judgments is clear Mark it down. Do not put your ultimate hope in created things, period. Do not put your ultimate hope in created things, all things, all things, even the things that you think are most secure, like the light of the sun, all things in heaven and on earth are passing away. Don't put your stock and your security and your hope in them. So the first four trumpets we have systematic physical judgments across creation. And then in the fifth and sixth trumpets we see terrifying personal judgments for idolatry and immorality, and terrifying is the right word there. The imagery is frightening In chapter nine, and it's not just judgment on physical creation anymore. This is judgment upon people. Look at the end of chapter eight, verse 13. Chapter nine is set up with these words. John says chapter eight, verse 13. Then I look and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead Whoa, whoa, whoa to those who dwell on the earth. You remember that phrase, those who dwell on the earth. That phrase is used to describe unbelievers all throughout the book of Revelation, people who turn from God to live for this earth, for this world. So this is a three fold pronouncement of woe and misery upon everyone who turns from God to live for this world. And chapter nine unfolds with demons torturing unbelievers in violent depictions of God's judgments. In trumpet number five, the sun again is darkened, a picture of the spiritual darkness of men's hearts, and for five months, locusts Again. Remember Egyptian plays, plague of locusts. Locusts here, from the pits of hell begin to terrorize unbelievers. Get the imagery. Smoke rises from the abyss, the bottomless pit of hell is unlocked. Legions of hell unleashed upon the earth in the form of locusts that look like horses prepared for battle. Locusts with human faces and lion-like teeth and breastfates of iron, coming with the speed of chariot, stinging with tails like scorpions. And they torment unbelievers for a set period of time under the direct authority of Satan or one of his lieutenants, under the ultimate authority of God. These demonic forces are fierce and horrific. They cause people to long for wish for death. That's trumpet number five. And the sixth trumpet is introduced by the second woe, and again this doesn't mean sixth trumpet. Chronologically happens after the fifth trumpet. The picture is building imagery as a third of mankind is wiped out across the earth. This is a blood-curling vision. Cavalry of 200 million, literally two myriads of myriads, 200 million demonic war horses are released across the earth with breastfates like fire, heads like lions and tails like serpents, with heads Smoke coming from their mouths. They come to kill and destroy. Look at the end of chapter nine, after those two trumpets verses 20 and 21. Don't miss this. This is key. Even in light of all of this, even in light of all of these judgments about physical creation upon people, listen to what John writes verse 20. The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. You see idolatry and immorality there. And the picture is despite the harmful effects of idolatry and immorality upon the lives of people in the world, people continue to run to the things of this world. They go back to them. Unbelievers, here depicted like Pharaoh was in the book of Exodus. Despite judgment after judgment, plague after plague he did, they continue to resist God and sinful rebellion. This is a picture of mankind, men and women who see and who know and who feel the destructive effects of sin and yet go running back to sin time and time again but refuse to repent. Sin kills, sin always destroys, and yet mankind continues to go back to it over and over and over again In the end of these two chapters. Nowhere will you find a more accurate picture of sinful humanity pressed to the extreme. One would think that the terrors of God's wrath would bring rebels to their knees. Not so. Past the point of no return, they respond to greater punishment with increased rebellion. Such a sinful nature, untouched and unmoved by the mercies of God. There is no more tragic depiction of human depravity than this to refuse to repent, even in the face of the horror of sin. And this is us mankind depicted here. All of which leads to the seventh trumpet, which I have not included at this point in your notes because it actually takes place at the end of chapter 11. And most scholars agree that these six trumpets are ultimately setting up the seventh trumpet, which is the final, ultimate judgment of God upon sin in the world. So we'll talk about that more at the end, but at this point, in light of our quest not to miss the point. Let's ask the question why do we have these trumpets? And the answer, in light of all that we've seen, seems clear. On one hand, god is giving the world warning. God is giving the world warning In God's judgments upon sin in the world today. God is warning us to turn from sin. Physical destruction, spiritual deception, natural death all around us. We see the effects of sin. This last week we remembered September 11th, when those twin towers fell at the hands of terrorists. And if you were remembered from our study in Luke, chapter 13, on a couple of different occasions a similar thing had happened in the first century. A tower in Siloam had fallen, killed 18 people and the crowds were thinking maybe those people had really seen the effects of sin. They had really seen and they were receiving God's judgment. And Jesus looked at the crowds and said absolutely not. Such a horrific occurrence is not intended to be an indictment of those people's sin. Such a horrific occurrence is intended to cause you to see your own sin, for you deserve the judgment of God and you need to repent. So see the effects of sin in the world all around us, whether it's terror or tumors, personal disease or physical destruction or painful death. See the effects of sin and repent and be reconciled to God before it's too late. This is the point. God is giving the world warning in His judgments and at the same time God is calling the church to war. Now I want to be very careful here not to imply in any way that this is a call to war in some Islamic fundamentalist sense or even in the sense of a Christian crusader from the past. Absolutely not. But the picture is clear in Revelation 8 and 9. There are spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms and we are not in peacetime in this world. We're living in war time. And just like the imagery we talked about with Joshua, the Battle of Jericho, each passing trumpet is announcing a new stage, a picture and God's battle for His people to enter into His promise. So here it is. The purpose of Revelation is not to promote speculation about the future. The purpose of Revelation is to compel action in the present. The effect of these trumpet judgments is not to cause us to sit here and debate what the lion's head and the locust tail means and how that relates to the political future of Iran and Israel. No, the effect of these trumpet judgments is to cause us to turn from our sin to spin our lives fighting against demonic deception and destruction around us in two particular ways, based on Revelation 8 through 11. We're going to unpack both of these. Let me go ahead and put them out there, two particular ways that Revelation 8 through 11 is beckoning us to act. Number one Revelation 8 through 11 is beckoning us to fervently pray for God's kingdom to come. After reading Revelation 8 through 11, the first thing we should do is fall on our knees and fervently pray for God's kingdom to come. And then, second second thing we should do after reading these four chapters is to fearlessly proclaim God's gospel to all. So think about both of those with me. First, church of Brachels, christian and light of Revelation 8 through 11. Let's fervently pray for God's kingdom to come. We've already seen our battle is fierce. Don't miss the point of all of this imagery. Our battle is fierce. There are demons who want to destroy you. There are delis who want to destroy you. There are demons who are working to deceive you into thinking that sin satisfies, and their aim is to kill your soul. There are forces that are fighting you, spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms that are organized, powerful, terrifying and utterly destructive, and they will use idolatry in all of its forms whether it's false gods made of metal, wood and clay across India that are being worshiped today, or the idolatry of money, possessions, power, pleasure, sex, success and sports that are being worshiped all across this community today End subtly, almost unknowingly, demons are warring against you and me and the people around us and the peoples around the world, and when we confront these powers of darkness, particularly through the proclamation of the light of Christ, we will be met with the force of hell. It will not be easy, it will be costly. Think about this, your life, from the perspective of brothers and sisters in the Middle East right now. Imagine John speaking to them there, saying yes, our battle is fierce, our battle is fierce and it can sometimes feel overwhelming, but John says our prayers are effective. Don't forget that all of these trumpet judgments that we've just read about in chapters 8 and 9 are actually a response to the prayers of God's people described in the beginning of all of this. Look back at chapter 8, verse 2, and this takes us all the way back to chapter 6, verse 9 through 11, but pick up in chapter 8, verse 2. Listen to what John says, verse 2 he says Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God and seven trumpets were given to them. And then he pauses. Before we see the first trumpet blown. He pauses and he says another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censor and he was given much incensed offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censor and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. So see the connection here. All of these divine judgments that are ultimately bringing about the consummation of God's kingdom in the world are coming about in response to the prayers of God's people. This is breathtaking when you think about it. One writer said these chapters are an astonishing tribute to the enormous historical importance of prayer. Get the picture here. In Revelation, chapter eight, our cries go up. Your kingdom come. Oh God, your will be done. Your kingdom come. Hallowed be your name and all the earth, god. Fill the earth, oh God, with the glory of your name, like the waters cover the seas. Bring it in. We pray, bring it in to sin and suffering around us. Usher in redemption, restoration, full and final reconciliation. These are the cries of the church in prayer. And as our cries go up, revelation teaches us that his kingdom comes down Progressively. The arts of men and women who trust in Christ and live out the life of Christ in this world. Oh, church at Brook Hills, you have been praying for people in India and the kingdom of God has been breaking in, people who for centuries have lived in darkness or turning to light in Christ for the very first time. So keep praying like that, progressively, for God's kingdom to come and ultimately, in the day to come when Christ will return for his people. Every time you or I cry out to God, your kingdom come, every single one of those prayers is taken figuratively to a heavenly throne room and one day all of them collectively are going to usher in the consummation of God's kingdom in this world. One commentator put it this way. He said what are the real master powers behind the world and what are the deeper secrets of our destiny? Here is the astonishing answer from this text the prayers of the saints and the fire of God. That means that more potent, more powerful than all the dark and mighty powers let loose in this world, more powerful than anything else is the power of prayer, set ablaze by the fire of God and cast upon the earth. We fight this battle against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms, first and foremost, from our needs. Our battle is fierce. Our prayers, though, are effective, and our God is faithful to respond to the prayers of his people. This is what we see in all these trumpet judgments and response to the prayers of his people. God will demonstrate his power over the gods of this world Remember that was part of the purpose of the plagues in Egypt God's show and his power over the gods and the idols of Egypt, and the same is true here, as we pray. God will show the little G gods of this world as utterly unworthy of worship. He will demonstrate his power over the gods of this world. He will vindicate his people amid opposition in this world. So, brothers and sisters in Rome in the first century, brothers and sisters in the Middle East in the 21st century, bible saying keep praying. God will vindicate your trust in him. It's exactly what the saints were praying in chapter 6, verse 9, 10 and 11. The God would vindicate his people, he would show his trustworthiness to those who have trusted in him. So pray, and God will demonstrate his power over the gods of this world. He will vindicate his people amid opposition in this world and he will extend his mercy to sinners around this world. Chapters 9, verse 20 and 21, which we read just a minute ago those verses make clear that, amidst all of these judgments, god is calling people to repent of sin and trust in him. So let me pause at this point. If you are not a Christian today, for those of you who are not followers of Christ, I urge you to see the effects of sin in and around you, all around you. We live in a world where we have turned from the Creator and we worship created things, ultimately in a way that centers around ourselves and our sin has led to, leads to pain and hurt and emptiness and ultimately, to death. See it all around open eyes. See the effects of sin around you and, at the same time, know that God, being rich in mercy, has sent his Son to experience his judgment instead of you and me. Jesus, who had no sin to pay penalty for, died on a cross for our sins, so that anyone, everyone, who turns from their sin and trusts in him will be saved from God's judgment and saved under God's mercy forever. So repent, do not be foolish so as to continue in your sin when the effects, destructive effects, of sin are all around you. Repent, turn from your sin. Trust in Christ. Repent in your heart, even now. Trust in him. Trust in Jesus as God and Savior and Lord and King. Repent now. Know that his merciful call to repentance will not last forever. Repent for one day God will fully and finally uphold his justice amid sin in this world. If Revelation 8 and 9 teach us anything, these chapters teach us that God will fully and finally judge everyone who lives for this world and refuses to give him the worship that he alone is due. So, christian, let's pray fervently for God's kingdom to come. Let's pray, god, demonstrate your power over all the gods that are being worshipped right now in India and in America. God, vindicate your people's trust in you as they live contrary to the ways of this world. Oh God, extend your mercy to sinners around the world, drawn men, women, boys and girls among all the peoples of the earth to faith in Christ. Pray like this Christian God. We long for the day when you will assert your supremacy as the righteous judge over all. You will make everything right. Let's fervently pray for God's kingdom to come and let's fearlessly proclaim God's gospel to all as we pray. So chapters 8 and 9 give us the first six trumpet judgments, but then a lot like we had in chapter 7, in between the opening of the 6 and 7 seals. Here we have an interlude in between the blasting blowing of the 6 and 7 trumpets. This interlude in verse 10, verse 11, chapter 11 shows us all of this from the perspective of God's people who trust in Him. And the key word in chapters 10 and 11 is prophet or prophesy. It's mentioned six different times. You might want to circle them if you want. I want to show them to you. Prophet or prophesy, it's the key word. Verse 7 of chapter 10. In the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the saphid angel, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, just as he announced to His servants, the prophets. So circle prophets there in verse 7. Then you get down to verse 11 of chapter 10. And I was told you must again prophesy, prophecy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings. And you get to chapter 11, verse 3. I will grant authority to my two witnesses and they will prophesy, circle their prophesy for 1260 days. Prod. Then saquath, chapter 11, verse 6, they have the power to shut the sky that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying. Circle it there, verse 10. Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry in exchanged presence. Because these two prophets circled, there have been a torment to those who dwell on the earth, verse 11. The last time, verse 18, the nations raged, but your wrath came, the time for the dead to be judged and for rewarding your servants. The prophets circled there, and saints and those who fear your name, both small and great. Now, this emphasis on prophet prophesy highlights the role of God's people in the middle of all of these judgments, in the middle of judgments in the world. What do God's people do? They proclaim God's word to the world. You catch that In the middle, this interlude between God's judgments in the world. What do God's people do? They proclaim God's word to the world. Now, remember to prophesy. It's not just to make some prediction about the future. To prophesy is to proclaim truth in the present in light of what's coming in the future. Chapter 10, verse 6, tells us that there will be refers to no more delay, highlighting the fact that God's judgment kingdom is indeed coming in the near future, signified by the seventh trumpet, and that has huge implications from the future for the present. So in chapter 10, john is depicted as a prophet. Chapter 10 recounts, in a sense, god's commission of John to write these revelations, these visions, down. Interestingly, in verse 4, there's one vision that he's not supposed to write down the voice of the seven thunders, which is just a good reminder to us. That revelation is not intended to be an exhaustive account of every single thing that will happen in the coming of God's kingdom, some things we don't know, but in imagery that's very similar to all testament prophesy. God tells John to eat his message, to digest this message that is both bitter and sweet at the same time. It's bitter because it's a message of judgment and condemnation that brings suffering to all who proclaim it. At the same time, it's sweet because it brings salvation to all who believe and who stake their lives on it. Verse 7, in chapter 10, is actually the only time when it says announced to his servants. That's the word you angelion, which means to announce good news. It's the only time where that word is used in the entire book, and the picture is God announcing to and through his prophets the good news of his grace in the midst of his judgment. And then you get to chapter 11, and John describes the ministry of two witnesses. And not surprisingly, there's a bit of debate about who these two witnesses are in Revelation. Are there literally two specific people, prophets that God raises up, like Moses, elijah, john the Baptist, and two guys still in the blank? You got to raise up the future or are these two witnesses a figurative representation of the entire church? My inclination is to lean toward the latter. These two witnesses are a figurative representation of the entire church. This is a picture we've seen throughout Revelation, all of Scripture for that matter, every follower of Christ in the church prophesying, speaking the word of God in the gospel. That's why the Spirit of God is in the Christian. No longer, like we saw in the Old Testament, is the Spirit of God in just a few people as prophets. According to Joel too, connected with Acts too, the Spirit is upon all God's people for the purpose of prophesying, proclaiming God's word. This is the primary function of the church in the world to witness to the world. It's the primary thrust of the entire book of Revelation to compel all Christians to proclaim the gospel of Christ to the cost of their lives. Every follower of Christ, without exception, has been given the Spirit of Christ to testify to the gospel of Christ in the world. Even when you get down to chapter 11, verse 4, and you see two lampstands, which we've already seen described as imagery for the church and much like two witnesses in the first century would go along and be used to establish a particular matter, be established by two witnesses. Symbolism certainly makes sense here. So the picture the chapter 11 seems to give us is God's people, his church, witnessing in a world that is full of God's judgment upon sin. God's people are testifying to his grace. This is not just first century Christians, it's us, you and me. We are all in this room. We are witnesses in a world that is under the judgment of God. So let us fearfully proclaim God's gospel to all and hear how Revelation 11 encourages us. This is so wonderful. Listen to this in your life and listen to this from the perspective of brothers and sisters who are being persecuted in the Middle East right now. Book of Revelation says to them and to us our lives are secure. First part of chapter 11 can be confusing. There's some disagreement over exactly what's meant by the temple, or 42 months, or 1260 days. You may may not remember that God called Ezekiel to do something very similar to what John is doing here to measure out the temple. In Ezekiel that was a symbolic depiction of how God would protect his people by rebuilding his temple. And rebuilding his temple God was going to restore his presence, his power, his protection among his people. That's why it was measured out there in Ezekiel. Now here we know, we've already seen in the New Testament there's not physical temple being rebuilt here that God's people are the temple. So the picture is and John measuring this out surminder that God's protection and provision is with his people. His presence is with his people and their lives are secure in him. He will never leave them or forsake them. They will always and ultimately be safe and secure in him. God's people never have reason to fear, never. Our lives are secure. But at the same time you'll notice here in chapter 11, verse 2, he says do not measure the court outside the temple, the court of the Gentiles there, because it will be trampled on. It's left open and vulnerable for a period of time 42 months. And the message seems to be that, yes, while our lives are ultimately secure, our suffering is expected for a time 42 months. It's also referred to as 1260 days, three and a half years. It was prophesied way back in Daniel, now signified here in Revelation as a time of tribulation in which God's people experience suffering and persecution as they witness in this world. Again, some people view this as a literal three and a half year time of tribulation, but in light of understanding these witnesses as a church a lot of the context we've already seen here in Revelation this seems to be a symbolic portrayal of a time, a limited time of suffering that the church endures before final judgment. Not only does that seem to fit Daniel's prophecies, but, not coincidentally, this also reflects symbolically the approximate length of Jesus' ministry on earth. So the witnesses reflect the true and faithful witness with the capital W, the one who for a time suffered in his testimony to the word of God and just like Christ, on one hand, these Christians are absolutely and eternally secure in the presence of God, on the other hand, while in this world they are vulnerable to attack, suffering and persecution. This is us. This is our brothers and sisters throughout the Middle East. Our lives are secure. At the same time, our suffering is expected. Third, our task is prophetic. We prophesy verse 3, in sackcloth. Brothers and sisters, this is what we are here for in this world. This is why God has not immediately brought you and me up to heaven from this world. He's saved us from our sin, he's filled us with His Spirit and he's commissioned us by His Son to be His witnesses in this world, to fearlessly proclaim the truth of Christ. This is what a prophet does. He speaks. This is what you and I do. We know how this story is going to end. We know the judgment of God is coming upon all sin and sinners in this world. We know that, and so we don't stay silent. We know the people. We live with the people, we go to school with the people, we work with the people in our ball teams and supper clubs or whatever else we do. Every one of them will one day face the judgment of God, and this judgment is coming soon, and God has put you and me, in people's lives for the purpose of proclaiming His truth, the good news and grace and His mercy to all who will receive it and repent of sin and run to Him. Our task is to tell them. That's why we have breath. Our task is prophetic. Our message is clear. The picture of witness is clothed in sat cloth, representing this message we proclaim. What we saw was John. That's bitter, sweet. Bitter because we announce coming judgment upon sin and sinners. That's caused from mourning and weeping. At the same time, we speak of mercy from God to save from sin, which causes rejoicing and celebrating. So, students in your classrooms and on your campuses, families in your neighborhoods, among friends and coworkers, brothers and sisters, make this message clear from your mouth God is the coming King, the righteous judge and the merciful Lord, and he will save everyone who turns from sin and trusts in Him. When was the last time you told someone that? Did you pray for grace and boldness? To speak that to somebody this week? Our message is clear. Our task is prophetic. Our light is unquenchable Verse 4, where lamb stands. Brothers and sisters with light and fire that cannot be quenched. Our light is unquenchable. Our souls are untouchable Verse 5,. If anyone will harm them. Fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone will harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. Talk about divine protection amidst demonic forces. We dwell with God. God dwells with us. Nothing can touch us. Our power is invincible. Verse 6,. They have the power to shut the sky, yet no rain may fall during the days of their prophesies. It's a clear allusion to Elijah. It reminds us that God will show himself faithful to His Word. Nothing can stop the Word of God in the mouths of His people from going forth and carrying out its intended effect. But then things take a turn when you get to verse 7 in chapter 11. John describes how our days of prophesying in this world will come to an end. Listen to what he says in verse 7. When they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom in Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. John describes how God's witnesses will eventually be struck down in this world. This could be a specific reference to literal martyrdom for proclaiming the gospel. It could be a more general reference to every Christian who proclaims the gospel in a world of sin and suffering, because, until Jesus returns, every one of us is going to die in this world of sin and suffering proclaiming the gospel, and it will likely look like Christian's lives, whether as martyrs or simply proclaimers of Christ. It will look like Christian's lives were wasted. From the perspective of this world, look at verse 9. For three and a half days, some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry in exchange presence, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. The picture is worldly people who will laugh at how professing Christians have lived and died. Those who have rejected God's mercy will think for a moment that they have been vindicated in their rejection. Look at those Christians, they'll say, who proclaim God's coming judgment upon us. Look at what happened to them. Revelation 11, verse 11, says that our death will be temporary. After the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them and they stood up on their feet and great fear fell on all those who saw them. Ironically, after a time that seems to symbolically represent Jesus' days in a tomb, we will rise as his witnesses and God will vindicate our testimony. Our death will be temporary and our resurrection will be sure. They heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them come up here. And they went up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies watched them. We will rise to meet our Lord as he rains down ultimate and final judgment on the earth, which leads right into verses 14 and 15, where the third woe is pronounced. Seventh trumpet is blown and read it with me. And in verse 15, what might say is the central part of the entire book of Revelation, verse 15,. Then 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 shall reign forever and ever. Oh, underline that verse, verse 15, brothers and sisters, one day our mission will be complete. This task of witnessing in the world will be done, just as Jesus promised in Matthew 24. This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. There is coming a day when witnessing will be no more. On that day, it will only be worship. Our mission will be complete and our God will be glorified. Oh, so the best part of this closing passage comes in verse 17. These 24 elders begin to sing. I want you to listen to how they start and I want you to see if you can notice what's so significant here in verse 17. Now follow along. What's so significant when these 24 elders worship God, saying verse 17,. We give thanks to you, lord, god Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. You see it Over and over again at this point in Revelation, god has been glorified as the one who is and who was, and who what Is to come. But now, in this scene, he is not glorified anymore as the one who is to come. He is glorified as the one who has come Fully and finally to assert his reign, his rule over his kingdom forever. Today, in this room, we worship the God who is and who was and who is to come. But on that day, never again will those words come out of our mouths, for he will have come and we will behold his majesty and notice how worship and judgment are intertwined here and all throughout the book of Revelation for that matter. God will one day be glorified in majesty for his judgments. As a result of his judgments, god's justice and mercy and holiness and grace will all together be put on display for all to see. On that day, his judgments will be final. Verse 18, the nation's rage but your wrath came in the time for the dead to be judged. God will be glorified for his just judgments and his judgments will last forever. His judgments will be final. His servants will be rewarded. The time for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints and those who fear your name, but, small and great, all who trust in God through Christ or receive the reward of our cosmic king and inheritance from our heavenly Father. God's judgments will be final. His servants will be rewarded and his enemies will be destroyed. He will be worshiped for destroying the destroyers of the earth. Wait until next week when we unpack that in more depth. But let me just pause at this point and just give you. Let me give you a summary of the entire book of Revelation in three words. Okay, it's not in your notes, it's only three words. You've got room to write it down. Three words to sum up the entire book of Revelation. Here they are. You ready? Three words to sum up the whole book Our God wins. Our God wins. The kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. So then, john closes the image of heaven, opened the ark of his covenant with his people, symbolizing the mercy seat where God's people can rest in his presence by the blood of Jesus, where he will welcome his people. And so one day we will behold his majesty, and on that day, brothers and sisters, we will be welcomed by his mercy. So, church of Brook Hill, let's fervently pray for God's kingdom to come and let's fearlessly proclaim God's gospel to all.