EPISODE 262 REVELATION CHAPTERS 10 and 11 "The Interlude"

I don't know about you, but I am enjoying Pastor Paul's teachings on the Book of Revelation. This episode brings chapter 10 and 11 together for that dramatic pause: trumpets, angels, prophetic witnesses. So, let's continue with Pastor Paul Nitz. Oh, and by the way, you're listening to Share the Word. Revelation chapters 10 and 11: The Interlude. The sixth trumpet sounded in chapter 9, so you might assume we'll hear the seventh angel sound his horn here in chapter 10, but we don't.

It's intermission time, but not a time to run to the restroom or get popcorn. It's that time itself is not advancing here. Things slow down, and John is shown a closer view of certain events. So these upcoming chapters feel like an interlude from the action, but we're kind of zooming in closer on some things to get a better look, a better understanding of what's going on as we await the seventh trumpet and the final round of divine judgments. What John sees first during this interlude is an angel, a new one, one he's not seen before, who he describes in detail, calls him a powerful angel. He's clothed with a cloud, a rainbow is around his head, his face shines like the sun, and his feet burn like pillars of fire, he says.

The best John could describe what this impressive heavenly-looking being looks like. Angels, as you may know, have different orders and ranks. Demons do as well. Remember, we just saw a powerful demon lead that swarm out of the pit of the abyss last chapter, who was called the Destroyer. The name of this powerful angel is not given, like Gabriel or Michael or other angels we've been introduced to, but he's carrying a book, and in John's vision he is standing with one foot on the land and another on the sea. It is an important announcement to make.

His pose suggests God's power and control over the whole earth, another indicator, John, that as out of control as things might seem by the middle of the tribulation era, they are not really. The very fact that John is shown what's going to happen then, and God told him to write about it for our benefit, demonstrates God is in control of these events. Then John sees this powerful angel raise his hand toward heaven and declares that there would no longer be delay. What's been going on is getting ready to move forward toward a conclusion. And John also hears him say, In the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, the mystery of God will be finished, as he declared to his servants the prophets. One of the prophets, the Old Testament prophet Amos, once wrote, Surely God doesn't do anything without revealing his plans to the prophets.

In broad terms, that's true. Many Old Testament prophets saw about this time of judgment at the end of the ages. They call it the Day of the Lord. Read the prophet Joel, for example. But the Old Testament prophets were not given the kind of details John is seeing now, the mystery of just how quickly things will unravel after the church is gone and the Holy Spirit's influence is withdrawn, how God will allow wickedness then to run wild during these years, what will happen with the Jewish people then, and how a final ingathering of souls will happen even in the midst of the tribulation's chaotic, terrible times. Because God still has his witnesses even then.

These are all things John has been shown, and there's more new revelation to come. But interestingly, there are some things he sees and hears that he was not allowed to write about. Some stuff is going to happen then which God is not telling us yet. Where do I get that? Well, after that powerful angel says there will be no more delays, John heard a different voice, that's at chapter 10, verse 4, a voice like thunders, he says, that say something more. But John says, I was going to write it down, but a voice from heaven said, Don't.

Seal up the things which the seven thunders have uttered and don't write them. I remember when John told about similar things happening during Jesus' public ministry. It's in his Gospel, chapter 12. In that case, God spoke from heaven to Jesus, but the people around him only heard what sounded like thunder, because God was not speaking to them. The voice of seven thunders here is certainly the voice of God Himself. He reveals things to John at this point, but does not permit him to write them down.

So why tell us? That just makes me curious. But the book, the powerful angel had in his hand a little book, John says. What was it about this little book? John in his vision was instructed to go to the angel, take the little book from the angel, and actually, oddly, eat it. He was told it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be sweet as honey in your mouth.

John obeyed, and sure enough, it was sweet in his mouth, but upset his stomach. Then the angel said to me, You must still prophesy again about more nations, peoples, languages, and kings. In other words, there is more coming that I will reveal, and you must write this part. I'm not certain what that book was about, to be honest. You've no doubt eaten some things that taste good going down, but then don't sit right in your stomach at all. And leave you feeling nauseous.

That happened to me yesterday morning, strangely enough, when I was sitting down to start writing this chapter. I won't go into the details. But maybe the idea is that John found the judgments of God's enemies, the vengeance the martyrs cried out for and prayed for, sweet, as in deserving. But when he's forced to actually watch it play out, it was hard to watch and sickening. Some identify the book with the Word of God, as in we love the parts of God's grace and love that are told about in the Bible, but the parts about His holiness and judgment are bitter. The coming judgments of God are real and will be hard to digest.

We don't hear much talk or preaching about this or the aspects of God's character that make judgment necessary. But if people do not realize God is a righteous judge who is angry at sin every day, as the Psalm says, Psalm 7, what motivation is there for anyone to feel fear of the Lord? If God is not a righteous judge and a consuming fire, as we're told in the Scripture, what does anyone need to be afraid of or to be saved from? No one hates to think about judgment and hell any more than me. But not only is the unbelieving, rebellious world heading for God's judgment in some general way, which is certainly demonstrated by the reading right here in Revelation, but so are individuals outside of Christ. If that was not so, Jesus would not have come and died to save us from it.

But He did. He died to save us from the wrath to come. As we open chapter 11, not only are the 144,000 Jewish witnesses we've already been told about proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom during that time, that's Matthew 24, verse 14, but we find that God will raise up two extraordinary witnesses during those days, men who will be untouchable for the last half of the tribulation, those three and a half years. If you've ever heard this passage discussed, you've probably heard the conjecture that they will actually be Moses and Elijah recalled to the earth for this special assignment. That's cool to imagine, isn't it? Those two fearless heroes of the faith who had such powerful voices in their generation, appearing now in this futuristic world to once again speak out boldly for God, with judgments falling all around them.

That identification comes in part from the fact that it was Moses and Elijah who appeared with the glorified Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. But it's also because here in verse 6 of this chapter it says they, these two witnesses, will have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying, and power to turn waters into blood and strike the earth with every kind of plague. Those are things that happened with those two Old Testament prophets back in the day, if you know the Old Testament. But it also could be that two of the 144,000 who God specially uses then, two men of that future generation who have kind of the boldness and leadership qualities that Moses and Elijah had, those men will be the two olive trees, as they are called here, and the two lampstands, as they are called here. Lampstands, of course, again, are what?

Shedding light in a dark world, very dark world. And the idea of olive trees, that means they're Jewish men. Olive trees are in the Scripture often representational of the Jewish people. We can't be dogmatic about who they are, is what I'm saying, but I do believe we're talking about two very real individuals who are given unusual power and who speak fearlessly for God as the prophets of old right in the belly of the beast in Jerusalem during the time of the Antichrist when he's in control there. There's nothing in the text to suggest this is some kind of allegory, or that they are meant to symbolize something else other than two actual human witnesses for God. They cannot be touched as long as their ministry goes on for three and a half years.

He's given them this ministry; they're going to carry it out. So during the second half of the tribulation, these men will be carrying on a very public ministry, witnessing for God in Jerusalem. But once their ministry has been fulfilled, divine protection will be withdrawn, and Satan, who has long desired to kill them by now, is allowed to do so. Here's how John describes what he sees happen to them. Now, when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes out of the abyss will attack them, overpower them, and kill them. And their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city, which figuratively is Sodom and Egypt, where also the Lord was crucified.

For three and a half days, some from every people, tribe, language, nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending gifts to each other, because these two prophets had tormented the people who live on the earth. At least that's the way they see it. So the two witnesses will be killed, and people all around the world who hate their guts because of their message will celebrate their demise. We have breaking news at this hour. The two controversial so-called prophets who have gotten so much attention for claiming to be spokesmen for God were found dead in Jerusalem today.

We're still waiting for confirmation on exactly what happened here. More on this at 11. Their dead bodies will be shown lying in the street and apparently continue to be, like on live dead prophet cam, so viewers around the world will be able to see them. By the way, this could have never happened until pre-recently, until satellite images could be beamed around the world in real time. Their bodies will be left lying in the street in an ultimate display of disrespect. The Antichrist will want everyone to see them.

This is how people end up who think they can defy my program. Their bold witness had given people one more opportunity to repent and turn from darkness to light. There's grace and salvation being preached even then, but when these two witnesses are killed, the opportunity to respond will be nearly over. The door to the ark, as it were, is about to be shut. Just how wicked things will have gotten in that day is clear from the fact that people in the world will be celebrating the death of these men of God. Jerusalem at that time, the years when the Antichrist will be in control there, is identified figuratively as Sodom and Egypt, two places that came under God's divine judgment in Old Testament times.

So even the city of God, as it's called many, many times, at this point Jerusalem will have become the capital, at least figuratively, of an evil empire led by this usurper, Antichrist, although only for a short time. Speaking of which, I passed over something that needs to be noticed in this chapter. At the outset of chapter 11, John is given strange instructions about measuring the temple in Jerusalem, which means There must be a temple in Jerusalem by the middle of the seven years. Again, nothing sounds allegorical about this. John is supposed to measure the temple proper, but not the courtyard, which is where the Gentiles were allowed to come. Gentiles will be in control of the city at this point, but the temple proper will be, as it was in Old Testament times, the kind of heartbeat of Israel, and for Jews alone.

But as we'll see, Antichrist will suddenly shatter their dream and occupy their temple and use it for his own evil purposes. By the way, this distinction between Jew and Gentile made here is another indicator to me that the church has been raptured and does not figure into tribulation events. Remember, in the church, there's no such thing as Jew and Gentile. We are one in Christ. But in the tribulation, God's focus has returned to the Jewish people nationally. Jesus, in his Olivet Discourse, told the Jewish people of this future generation to flee Jerusalem when the Antichrist moves against their temple.

So who is left in Jerusalem but Gentiles and unbelieving Jews? The act of measuring seems to have to do with sizing them up for judgment. John doesn't explain why he's instructed to do it, but since judgment is the whole context of the middle of Revelation, that's my guess. It's similar to the account in Daniel where it was said of the Babylonian ruler, You've been weighed in the balances and found wanting, and that night his kingdom was overthrown. Realize, too, that this tribulation temple has no connection to Jesus Christ. It's built by unbelieving Jews, likely under the sponsorship of the Antichrist in the first three and a half years of the tribulation time, or at least with his approval.

In fact, as we'll soon see, it becomes a place where he is worshipped and from which he mocks God. But something to think about is, why all the interest currently over whether Jews in Israel should be able to build a third temple? The fact is, there's a strong desire among religious Jews to get that done, and all its plans have been drawn and even the implements to be used in it already created. To me, this seems pre-prophetically significant. Since the appearance of the temple here in chapter 11 brings up the subject, let me share something very timely regarding all of this. Only one or two news organizations reported on this when the October 7 attack by Hamas terrorists against Israel happened a couple years ago.

I know CBS did, and then some Christian networks jumped on the story, so maybe you heard it there. The operation on the Arab end was called Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and was directly linked to growing tensions surrounding the desire to rebuild the Jewish temple. As you probably know, Temple Mount area, thirty-some acre plateau in Old Jerusalem, is the place where both Solomon's and Herod's temple once stood. Today, though, it's under Arab control and occupied by the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Several other Islamic buildings are there as well. I'm not going to go into all the details, but on that weekend, October 2023, October 7, some religious Jews were scheduled to make a sacrifice to God according to Old Testament regulations, intending to cleanse the area in preparation for a third temple to be built.

Hamas leaders learned about this and intentionally struck when they did to disrupt it and to, in their own words, raise awareness in the Muslim world against Jewish conspiracies to take control of the Temple Mount. That explains why the operation was called what it was, All Oxaf Blood. The tensions over that space in Jerusalem are very real. When John sees a third temple in Jerusalem more than once in his visions going forward, that means by the midpoint of the tribulation there will have to be one there. We'll talk more about this as we go forward. This temple will come up again in later chapters.

Meanwhile, back over on CNN, the prophet Cam picks up movement on that Jerusalem street. An excited crowd has gathered because the two dead prophets aren't dead anymore. The network, alerted to something going on, rewinds their live recording, and sure enough, the two witnesses are dusting themselves off, stretching their limbs as people nearby watch in shock. In John's vision, this happens three and a half days after they were killed. A bunch of terrified people who happen to be in the vicinity will see this, as undoubtedly many others online and on live TV or whatever they're watching on in those days. And as they are standing amazed, God will take those two resurrected witnesses right up to heaven, just like Jesus ascended to heaven.

How will the Antichrist propaganda team explain that? Don't worry, citizens of the world. Reports going around about the two dead false prophets were all just an AI hoax. Nothing to see here. We ordered that their bodies be disposed of because, well, they were starting to decay and smell. Don't be alarmed by any fake news reports you may hear to the contrary.

Or maybe they'll go back to the tried and true narrative. Some of their deluded followers must have come during the night and taken away their corpses. Sorry, I'm speculating now, something I promised I would try to avoid. But again, I believe this will literally happen. Verse 13 says, At that hour, meaning when the witnesses are resurrected, there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city, that's Jerusalem, collapses. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, John hears, and the survivors were terrified, and some gave glory to the God of heaven.

That's pretty straightforward. Sounds like a news report. I realize many interpreters spiritualize all this and most of the rest of Revelation, but it sounds to me like John is presenting it as an actual event, just like when Jesus resurrected and there was an accompanying earthquake, Matthew 28, verse 2. If God did it then, and he did, can do it again, as he will in this future case. My approach again is always going to be we should take the author literally, unless it's very obvious he doesn't intend us to. Chapter 11 concludes like this: Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven which said, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.

And the twenty-four elders, remember those representatives of the people of God from the Old Testament and the New Testament, who are seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped him, saying, We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead and for rewarding your servants, the prophets, and your people who revere your name, both great and small. And for destroying those who destroy the earth. Well, not quite yet. This is what we call prolepsis, by which I mean these voices in heaven are anticipating what is coming shortly now.

They are speaking as though a future event has already occurred because it is that sure and that close. In the next couple chapters, John is going to be shown more fascinating close-ups, more in-depth visions, especially of what is going on with the Antichrist and his growing madness. Stick with us as all this unfolds. Thanks for listening. This is Paul for Share the Word. Thanks, Paul.

You know what? There is so much to take in, and I have no doubt that all of these podcasts on the Book of Revelation will be listened to several times. You know, I think that goes for the entire New Testament. These podcasts are great to use for individual, small group, and even Bible studies. The best part is that it's all free. It's free to use, to download, and to share.

I'm looking forward to Chapter 12. Thanks for listening.