Tag: Revelation 11

Past, Present and Future

OLD TESTAMENT: Nahum 1-3

POETRY: Psalm 119:137-144

NEW TESTAMENT: Revelation 11

Nahum 1:2-3 (LEB):

“A jealous and avenging God is Yahweh;

Yahweh is avenging and has wrath.

Yahweh takes vengeance on his adversaries

and reserves wrath for his enemies.

Yahweh is slow to anger and great in power,

and he will not leave the guilty unpunished.

In whirlwind and storm is his way,

and clouds are the dust of his feet.”

Psalm 119:137-144 (LEB):

“Righteous are you, O Yahweh,

and upright are your judgments.

You have commanded your testimonies

in righteousness and exceeding faithfulness.

My zeal has consumed me,

because my enemies have forgotten your words.

Your word is very pure,

and your servant loves it.

I am small and despised,

yet I do not forget your precepts.

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,

and your law is true.

Trouble and anguish have found me out,

but your commandments are my delight.

Your testimonies are righteous forever;

give me understanding, and I will live.”

Revelation 11:15-16 (LEB):

“And the seventh angel sounded the trumpet,

and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,

and he will reign forever and ever!’

And the twenty-four elders who were seated before God on their thrones

fell on their faces and worshiped God.”

The book of Nahum reveals God’s sovereignty over the nations and His fierce justice against those who oppose Him. Specifically, it proclaims God’s impending judgment against Nineveh, a city known for its wickedness and cruelty. The opening verses declare God as a “jealous and avenging God,” emphasizing His commitment to righteousness and the protection of His people. God’s slowness to anger highlights His patience, but His ultimate justice is assured; the guilty will not escape unpunished.

Nahum reminds us that while God is loving and merciful, He is also just. His judgment against Nineveh serves as a reminder that evil cannot persist forever without consequence. This gives us hope, especially in a world where injustice and oppression often seem rampant. As we witness suffering and wrongdoing, we can trust in God’s righteous judgment and His commitment to setting things right in His perfect timing.

In Psalm 119, the psalmist expresses a deep love and reverence for God’s law and testimonies. The declaration of God’s righteousness sets the foundation for understanding His judgments. The psalmist’s zealous love for God’s word is driven by the reality of his enemies and the challenges he faces. Despite being small and despised, he finds delight and strength in God’s commandments.

This passage encourages us to anchor ourselves in God’s word, especially during trials. The psalmist recognizes that while trouble and anguish are inevitable, God’s commandments are a source of delight and guidance. When we immerse ourselves in Scripture, we find wisdom, comfort, and a reminder of God’s faithfulness. The law becomes a light in our darkness, guiding us toward a path of righteousness and understanding.

Revelation 11 culminates in the triumphant announcement of God’s kingdom. The seventh trumpet sounds, proclaiming that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. This proclamation signifies a pivotal moment in redemptive history—where God’s reign is fully established, and the powers of darkness are defeated.

The response of the twenty-four elders, who fall on their faces in worship, reflects the rightful reaction to God’s sovereignty and majesty. In this vision, we see the culmination of God’s justice and the fulfillment of His promises. As believers, we are invited to participate in this celebration, anticipating the day when God’s kingdom is established forever.

-Jeff Ransom

Reflection Questions:

How does the concept of God’s jealousy and justice in Nahum impact your understanding of His character? In what ways does this knowledge provide comfort during difficult times?

Reflect on the importance of God’s word in your life. How can you cultivate a deeper love and delight for Scripture, especially when facing challenges or opposition?

How does the promise of God’s kingdom in Revelation encourage you in your daily walk with Christ? In what ways can you live in anticipation of the kingdom?

Consider the response of the twenty-four elders in Revelation 11. How can you incorporate worship into your daily life, acknowledging God’s sovereignty and majesty?

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The Final Thanksgiving

Theme Week – Thanks: Revelation 11

Old Testament: Daniel 1 & 2

Poetry: Psalm 114

Revelation is one of my favorite books in the Bible. It’s weird. It’s full of metaphor and symbolism. There is warfare, warriors, and a dragon defeated by a King upon a horse. 

But you just read all this! 

I want to end our week on thanks with the words of Revelation 11. 

At the end, when the kingdom comes at the sounding of the last trumpet, the voices in heaven say “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” There is no wait, no delay, no other kingdoms. Every kingdom good or bad, across all of time and around the world, will now be the righteous, holy, eternal kingdom of God. 

Of course the elders fall on their faces and worship God with thanks! Notice what they call the Lord God Almighty, “who is and who was”. No longer is the the one who is coming; he is HERE! He has taken power, he is going to reign. There will be judgment, yes, but it is also time for the saints, the prophets, and the God-fearers from every time and place to be rewarded. 

My friends, you who desire to seek God through his word, grow through the word you read, and love God, his Christ, and your brothers and sisters because of what you read, you are in this promise. Today, I ask that you thank God not for what he has done or even what he is doing, but what he will do. In Revelation 11, we get to see a glimpse of the joy of those who love God because the God of all joy has arrived to be with his people. 

Give thanks that God in the ages past created a good world, with great care, empowering humanity to carry his image. 

Give thanks that God gives faith, hope, and love through Jesus Christ and salvation in his name, and that God takes the the brokenness and pain of life and turns it into something beautiful. 

Give thanks that God will rule over the world, that God will destroy all wickedness, death, destruction, and pain, and that God will allow only righteousness, life, flourishing and joy to remain. 

Give thanks to God today!

Reflection Questions

  1. How long did you spend in prayerful thanksgiving this week? Did you keep track of everything for which you gave thanks? How many different items did you think of?
  2. How many of the things for which you gave thanks were about what God has done in the past? What God is doing now? What about what God is going to do in the future?

-Jake Ballard

Jake Ballard is pastor at Timberland Bible Church. If you’d like to hear more from him, you can find Timberland on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TimberlandBibleChurch/ ) and on Instagram (https://instagram.com/timberlandbiblechurch?igshid=t52xoq9esc7e). The church streams the Worship Gathering every Sunday at 10:30. Besides studying and teaching God’s word, he is raising three beautiful children with the love of his life, is a big nerd who likes fantasy (Pendragon), sci-fi (Star Wars) , and board games (Dungeons and Dragons). If you’d like to reach out to talk Bible, talk faith, or talk about your favorite nerdy things, look Jacob Ballard up on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jacob.ballard.336 ) or email him at  jakea.ballard@yahoo.com. 
God bless you all!

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God’s Two Witnesses

Old Testament: Ezekiel 15 & 16

Poetry: Psalm 96

*New Testament: Revelation 11

Following our strange detail about John eating the Scroll that God gave to him, we are finally going to learn about what the Scroll says through what John tells us! Unfortunately, it is very detailed, also strange in some ways, and has been the cause of many interpretations over the past 2,000 years. However, we are going to do our best to humbly try and understand what John says in this passage, while focusing on his main point. I don’t assume that my interpretation is 100% correct, so I invite all of you to critique it by looking at the text itself and speaking with other Christian teachers that you trust.

We are introduced to two Witnesses, or two Martyrs, who are proclaiming to people “their testimony”. Now, throughout Revelation, we see that John testified to “the testimony of Jesus Christ” (1:2, 9) and that the Christian martyrs from chapter six also had a “testimony” that they proclaimed (6:9). We will learn later that Christians are able to overcome Satan using “their testimony” as well (12:11). Narratively speaking, it is likely that these two Witnesses have the same testimony as John and the Christians. That testimony is the gospel message about Jesus’ death, resurrection and eventual return to establish God’s kingdom, as can be seen throughout the whole letter. In other words, the two Witnesses are two individuals that are faithfully preaching the gospel to those around them.

There has been speculation as to whether these are literally two individual people that are to come in the future, or whether they represent what the churches are supposed to be doing, since they are described as lampstands like the churches (compare 1:20 and 11:4). I assume that these are representatives for what the churches, and us, are supposed to be doing, but also don’t believe that John’s main point is in their identity; John’s main point to this vision is what is produced by their faithful preaching of the gospel.

After the two Witnesses are killed, resurrected, and exalted to God’s space, the people actually repent of their evils! In 11:13, it states that people “gave glory to the God of heaven”, which is repentance language. As we saw in the previous seven seals and seven trumpets, and will see in the later seven bowls, God’s judgment actions are not enough to bring about repentance; but the faithful preaching of the gospel message is enough, even if Christians die for it!

My encouragement to you today is to behave like these two Witnesses; faithfully preach the gospel, even at the expense of your own life. Whatever the cost may be for you, the reward is going to be more than you ever imagined! And just like the story of Revelation states, that reward is coming soon, after the Church does her job of faithfully preaching to the nations. Are you ready for that day to come?

Talon Paul

(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on Nov 13, 2019)

Reflection Questions

  1. As Talon asked, “Are you ready for that day to come?” That’s the most important question.
  2. Whatever your age or occupation, how can you help preach the gospel?
  3. What is your testimony of Jesus Christ and his Father and God? Who needs to hear it?
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42 Months. 1,260 Days.

Revelation 11

Saturday, November 26, 2022

In Revelation 11 John is told to measure God’s Temple and the altar, and the people worshipping there – except the outer court. We never learn that John reported or used these measurements, perhaps it is all a complex object lesson. (Later an angel also measures the New Jerusalem, see 21:15.) Still, the fact of doing this made John walk over every part of the Temple, and it took time. Ezekiel 40‑42 seems to list what he needed to measure – with the addition of the worshippers, and I don’t know how he did that. The whole scene also creates another lengthy pause for John in the vision, which is hard to visualize when reading.

John then learns about the Two Witnesses, who sound like a combination of Elijah with Moses and Aaron. The ability to breathe fire, while new for prophets, fits well if these verses are taken as part of the second woe. Reading about their authority it could seem odd that the nations will walk over Jerusalem and the Temple’s outer court in that time, rather than being driven away. But the witnesses will be in sackcloth for mourning. It will not be their role to drive out all the wicked, but to speak truth. The choice of what happened to the city belonged to its population. Their miracles will strike against those who seek to kill them, and back up their statements, but their basic ministry will be in their words.

And “when they have finished their testimony” the witnesses will be killed in Jerusalem. It is quite the image to think of wicked people celebrating ‘Happy Two Witnesses Day’ and exchanging gifts, perhaps commemorative shirts or mugs. But the wicked will have rejoiced in error. In the immediate aftermath thousands in Jerusalem will die, but the rest “gave glory to God.” Maybe those giving glory will be the first fruit of the witnesses’ ministries at that time. If so, I think they will be welcomed to the truth with joy, and the witnesses will count their own deaths as worthwhile. But I believe that the testimony of what these two will faithfully do has already brought great good, before they have even begun to prophesy – that is one of the strange potentials with prophecy about prophets.

The blowing of the Seventh Trumpet is answered with voices from heaven. The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ! God, the Almighty, has begun to reign! But it seems like God will be reigning over a world that is still populated by many of the wicked. If the seventh trumpet launches the third woe there is a lot of damage to come, although nothing more is said about that here. John has been told he needs to “prophesy again,” and perhaps it will be necessary to go backward to gain traction to go forward. The three-and-a-half year period which is discussed early in chapter 11 will come up again in chapters 12 and 13. While many people see the seven trumpets as leading into the woeful seven bowls of the wrath of God that is not for several more chapters.

Chapter 11 closes with another reference to the Temple in heaven, as it opens to reveal the ark of the covenant. I think that for the equivalent of the Holy of Holies in the heavenly tabernacle to open says the separation between God and mankind is being reduced or eliminated. This may not be a safe thing for the general population. Rather than a promise of blessings about to pour onto the world, it may mean that holiness will be called for.

Lord, I see in John and the unnamed witnesses people who understood servanthood, who accepted the risks in following Jesus and were completely committed. Allow me to be as humble and as brave as one of your prophets. I don’t need to tell the future. Please let me grow into that passion to do what you desire of me, guided by your Spirit, living in your love, serving in faith, working toward hope. May your will be done. Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Reflection Questions

  1. What good can come from the prophecy of the coming of the Two Witnesses before they have even come? What do you personally gain from looking into the book of Revelation? Who do you know who could potentially benefit from knowing what is in this revelation? Pray for them, and for your faithfulness as a servant of God.
  2. What are your thoughts and feelings about the separation between God and mankind being reduced or eliminated? Why?
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The Witnesses

Revelation 11

Revelation 11 3 NIV

Following our strange detail about John eating the Scroll that God gave to him, we are finally going to learn about what the Scroll says through what John tells us! Unfortunately, it is very detailed, also strange in some ways, and has been the cause of many interpretations over the past 2,000 years. However, we are going to do our best to humbly try and understand what John says in this passage, while focusing on his main point. I don’t assume that my interpretation is 100% correct, so I invite all of you to critique it by looking at the text itself and speaking with other Christian teachers that you trust.

 

We are introduced to two Witnesses, or two Martyrs, who are proclaiming to people “their testimony”. Now, throughout Revelation, we see that John testified to “the testimony of Jesus Christ” (1:2, 9) and that the Christian martyrs from chapter six also had a “testimony” that they proclaimed (6:9). We will learn later that Christians are able to overcome Satan using “their testimony” as well (12:11). Narratively speaking, it is likely that these two Witnesses have the same testimony as John and the Christians. That testimony is the gospel message about Jesus’ death, resurrection and eventual return to establish God’s kingdom, as can be seen throughout the whole letter. In other words, the two Witnesses are two individuals that are faithfully preaching the gospel to those around them.

 

There has been speculation as to whether these are literally two individual people that are to come in the future, or whether they represent what the churches are supposed to be doing, since they are described as lampstands like the churches (compare 1:20 and 11:4). I assume that these are representatives for what the churches, and us, are supposed to be doing, but also don’t believe that John’s main point is in their identity; John’s main point to this vision is what is produced by their faithful preaching of the gospel.

 

After the two Witnesses are killed, resurrected, and exalted to God’s space, the people actually repent of their evils! In 11:13, it states that people “gave glory to the God of heaven”, which is repentance language. As we saw in the previous seven seals and seven trumpets, and will see in the later seven bowls, God’s judgment actions are not enough to bring about repentance; but the faithful preaching of the gospel message is enough, even if Christians die for it!

 

My encouragement to you today is to behave like these two Witnesses; faithfully preach the gospel, even at the expense of your own life. Whatever the cost may be for you, the reward is going to be more than you ever imagined! And just like the story of Revelation states, that reward is coming soon, after the Church does her job of faithfully preaching to the nations. Are you ready for that day to come?

 

Talon Paul