In The Word
Read: Revelation 11:1-14
The Two Witnesses
11 Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it.2 Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6 These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.
7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
11 But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Today’s passage of Scripture discusses the two witnesses that God will use to prophesy to the earth. At first glance, it almost seems as if the two witnesses are invincible. Verses 5 and 6 detail the magnitude of power and authority that they will walk in for the duration of their ministry. This shows that God will stop at nothing to get His message across to all who will hear it.
Then, we begin to read of the demise of the witnesses. Verses 7-10 outline the death and merciless mocking of the servants of God. Their bodies will be denied burial, lying in the streets to rot, and people will even celebrate their deaths. When it seems as though the enemy has won, verse 11 proclaims, “But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them.”
What an encouragement this is to the body of Christ! Many times when we submit our wills to God’s and He begins to anoint us and use us for His glory, we too can feel unconquerable because we know that, through Him, we have victory in all things. This makes us a target to the enemy, and he will do whatever he can to take us down. It may even appear to the world that the enemy has won, but, even when it seems as though you are defeated, God is always in control! When God wins, the world will know.