The Church Prophetic, Suffering and Vindicated

Let's say that we had the opportunity to ask Jeremiah while he was in the cistern.

Jeremiah!

Yeah?

Hey, why are you in the cistern?

I'm here because I've been declaring God's message to a people under judgment so that they would be saved.

Jeremiah!

Yeah?

Is it worth it?

Yes.

What are you willing to suffer for?

Maybe if you've got a gluten allergy, you find yourself asking the question,

if I eat this cake, I'm going to suffer for it.

Is it worth it?

For those of you who have to endure pain of physical training for an athletic contest,

you suffer for the sake of winning, you suffer for the sake of maybe just even finishing,

got to ask the question, is it worth it?

Those serving in the armed forces, sitting on a post under the threat of enemy attack,

you're risking your life for the good of your country, is it worth it?

A woman who goes into labor and experiences a lot of pain in the delivery of childbirth,

you suffer trauma to have a baby, oh, it's so worth it.

Parents, you know what it's like to be sleep deprived, peace deprived, respect deprived as you raise your children.

Is all that deprivation worth it?

To see Christ's character form in your child, yes.

What are you willing to suffer for?

I think that there are many American Christians

who have been surprised to find out

that they weren't told something

when they began to follow Jesus.

And what was that?

That in order for you to obey Jesus and all that He commanded you,

it will require you to suffer for Him.

And it's not fine print in your Bible.

Jesus hasn't instructed His disciples,

okay, bring people to Me,

and then after two years, after they're settled,

then show them the fine print that it gets really hard.

Now, Jesus was very upfront in it.

In Matthew 5, in the greatest sermon ever preached,

the Sermon on the Mount,

Jesus says one of His beatitudes,

one of the characteristics of a follower of Jesus

is that they will suffer for Jesus,

be persecuted for His name's sake,

and they will be blessed by that.

2 Timothy 3.12,

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus

will be persecuted.

So, why I'm bringing this up is

suffering as a result of following Jesus

isn't fine print in your Bible.

We, the American church,

just tends to leave it out

thinking that nobody in their right mind

would become a Christian

if they knew it may cost them dearly.

Let me put it this way.

Biblically speaking,

it's not,

it's suffering for Jesus

is the exception,

not the norm.

No, I said that wrong.

Suffering for Jesus is the norm,

not the exception.

In fact,

if you're not catching flack for Jesus,

it should raise this question,

are you actually living for Jesus?

What are you willing to suffer for?

In Revelation chapter 11,

Revelation 11:1–14

verses 1 through 14,

we're going to see

Christ's prophetic church

being a suffering church.

A prophetic church

is a suffering church.

Just as our Lord Jesus has suffered,

so will we.

Now, since September of 2018,

we've been getting a steady IV drip

of the book of Revelation.

And the purpose of this IV drip

into the body of Christ

is the IV drip

of the book of Revelation

is to strengthen

a church

that is being,

facing difficulty

in following Jesus

and proclaiming the truth

of who He is

and what He's done.

The book of Revelation

is designed to drip courage

into the hearts

of suffering saints.

It's 22 chapters

of biblical courage

for those saints

encountering hardship.

And the way that the book

of Revelation gets into your veins

is it gets into you graphically.

It's vision after vision

given to John

who writes down

and passes on to us.

We are to imbibe this

through our imaginations.

And it strikes us.

It's designed to encourage us.

Two weeks ago,

I walked us through

the seven trumpet judgments

in chapters 8 and 9

and the last half

of chapter 11.

And in between

the sixth and seventh trumpet

is what scholars call

an interlude.

And it's the second interlude

that we've experienced

because the first interlude

was between the sixth

and seventh seal.

And the interlude

between the sixth

and seventh seal

answered a question.

Do you remember

what the question was?

On the day of God's wrath,

all those who dwell

on the earth

who don't know,

who aren't following Jesus,

ask this question.

Who is able to stand?

And chapter 7

answers the question.

The church,

the blood bought of Christ,

those sealed

with the seal

of the living God

on their foreheads,

they are the ones

who stand

on that day,

safeguarded

in the presence

of God.

The first interlude

was about the church

and so was

the second interlude.

The first interlude

answers the question,

who is this people?

Who can stand?

The second interlude,

chapter 10

and the first half

of 11,

which we're looking

at today,

that answers

the question,

what is the church

to do

as judgment

heats up

on the earth?

To be Christ's

prophetic church

means we will also

be Christ's

suffering church.

Revelation 11,

1 through 14

prepares us

for the increasing

suffering

to come.

I don't think

that we're in

the sixth trumpet.

Because there's

not this

worldwide persecution

of Christians

across the board.

But I think

we're on our way.

This vision

unfolds

in four scenes.

Scene 1,

the church measured.

Scene 2,

the church prophetic.

Scene 3,

the church suffering.

And scene 4,

the church vindicated.

Come up here.

So in order

to help you

understand

that Christ's

prophetic church

is Christ's

suffering church,

let's look

at this

first scene,

the church measured.

11,

chapter 11,

verses 1 and 2.

Now,

I've got to set it up.

In chapter 10,

John has been given

a scroll to eat

by an angel

in its classic

symbolism

of the calling

of a prophet.

In verse 11,

he is required

to proclaim

the contents

of that scroll

which is God's plan

for the fullness

of time realized

in Jesus.

And he's told

you must again

prophesy that

to all people.

Chapter 11,

verse 1,

after being given

the scroll to eat

and the call

to prophesy,

he is given

a measuring rod

to measure something,

verse 1,

and not to measure

something else.

verse 2.

And the backdrop

of all this

measuring business

are two Old Testament

passages,

Ezekiel chapter 40

Ezekiel 40 · chapter mention

through the end

of the book

and Zechariah chapter 2.

Zechariah 2 · chapter mention

And in both

those passages,

God

has an angel

measure

the temple

and it's a picture

of God dwelling

with his people.

We see the measurement

of the temple

in verse 1

that measure

the temple of God,

the altar

and those who worship

there,

which is a really

interesting way

to talk about that.

The temple of God

represented God's

presence

among his people

all throughout

the Old Testament.

God dwelling

with his people.

And by the time

you get to the New Testament,

God has a new

dwelling place.

It's not bricks

and mortar.

It is his people.

And if you want

to look at Ephesians 2,

19 through 20,

take a look at that.

It's a compelling picture

of the church

as God's temple

indwelt

by the Holy Spirit.

But just to let you know,

I'm just not

importing this

into the book

of Revelation.

Would you flip back

to Revelation 3

to the church

of Philadelphia?

This was a faithful church.

Chapter 3,

verse 12.

Jesus,

the risen,

reigning,

and radiant one

says this

to this church.

Verse 12.

The one who conquers,

I will make him

a pillar

in the temple

of my God.

He's talking to a

primarily Gentile church.

I'll make him

a pillar

in the temple

of my God.

I will build him

into my temple,

my people.

And then he goes on

to say,

I will write on him

the name of my God

in the name

of the city

of my God,

the New Jerusalem.

The Philadelphia church

is being considered

the temple of God,

the city of God.

God.

And when John

is told to measure

the temple here,

he's talking about

measuring a people,

those who worship God.

So what's this measuring

business all about?

Well, let me ask you this.

What effect does measuring

have on you?

Let's say you want

to build a house,

you've got this great idea

for a house,

and you're like,

yeah, this is going

to be really cool.

And then one day,

all of a sudden,

the blueprints come in

and you get to see

the measurements

of this house

you're about to build.

You know what happens

right at that point?

Things get real.

You start seeing

how big things is.

You start understanding

what's required.

The building material.

Measuring makes things real.

And what John is to measure,

the inner court of the temple,

which is the sanctuary,

the altar.

Remember, the altar

is where those saints

who've been martyred,

their blood is lying

underneath that.

And those who worship there,

it's again this hint

that we're talking

more than bricks and mortar.

He's to measure a people.

Now, if you're wondering,

well, maybe he's being told

to measure the temple

that's in Jerusalem.

Well, the thing is,

that was destroyed

25 years before this was penned

in 70 A.D. by Rome.

God's people

are His very dwelling place now.

The church is the place

where God dwells

and He knows

who His people are.

And so what this is a picture of

is a picture of God

knowing who is His own.

It's a picture of security.

What John is not to measure

is the outer court of the temple.

Now, don't make the mistake

of thinking now

the outer court

is somehow not the church.

It is.

Because the outer court

is considered part of the

holy city.

Do you see that in verse 2?

which is the church.

So why?

What's being communicated here?

If the inner court

is a picture of security,

God knows who His worshipers are.

The measuring of the outer court

which is going to be trampled

by the nations

of those who

don't follow Jesus,

it's a picture

of suffering.

The first measuring

picture is of security.

God knows us.

He's with us.

And the second is

of being trampled.

Of God's people suffering.

The outer court of the temple

is now depicted

in verse 2

as still being part

of the holy city

and yet that holy city

is not named.

The holy city does get named

later in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 21 · chapter mention

Chapter 21, 1-2.

The name is the new Jerusalem.

God dwelling with His people

finally and forever.

The holy city

that is being referenced here

is God's people.

And so right here

in chapter 11,

verses 1 and 2,

we have this picture

of God's people

as a temple

and a city

secure with God

because He's with us

and yet at the same time

we're going to be trampled

by the nations.

It is a simultaneous

picture of being secure

and suffering.

So during the time

of the sixth trumpet,

God's people,

the church,

will be secure

yet they will suffer.

And it's true now.

Did you notice that

the suffering

takes place

for a designated time?

It says,

they will trample

the holy city

for 42 months.

You're like,

what's that all about?

Well, it's interesting

because those 42 months

have a reference

way back

in the book of Daniel,

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7.

But

the same reference

is made

in the very next verse.

And I will grant authority

to my two witnesses

and they will prophesy

for 1,260 days.

And you're thinking,

wait,

42 months

is not the same

as 1,260 days.

Well, actually,

in antiquity,

one month was 30 days,

one year was 360 days.

So if you multiply

42 times 30,

do you know

what number you get?

1260.

They're different numbers,

but they're talking

about the same amount

of time.

Here's why that's

significant

because there's

another number.

If you flip over

to chapter 12,

verse 14,

you read this.

But the woman

was given to

the two wings

of the great eagle

so that she might

fly from the serpent

into the wilderness

to the place

where she is to

be nourished

for a time

and times

and a half time.

Now,

now it's an explicit

reference to Daniel.

If you flip back

to Daniel,

Daniel chapter 7,

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

right after Ezekiel,

verse 25,

Daniel has just

been given a vision.

It's being interpreted

by an angel.

And this angel said,

verse 25,

he shall speak words

against the most high.

He's speaking about

the beast

that raises,

comes up from the earth.

He shall speak words

against the most high

and he shall wear out

the saints

of the most high

and shall think

to change the times

and the law

and they shall be

given into his hand

for a time,

times,

and a half time.

Classically understood

as three and a half years.

It's representative

of a set amount

of time.

Do you know what happens

when you divide

42 months

by 12 months?

You get three and a half years.

Do you know what happens

when you divide

1260,

divide by 360 days?

You get three and a half years.

These are all

different figures

communicating the same

amount of time.

So now the question becomes,

well, what does

three and a half have?

What's that all about?

Well, three and a half

is half of what?

Seven.

And what do we know

about the number seven?

It's fullness,

completion.

And so what is being

communicated in this number

is God has a plan.

Daniel 7.

And for a short amount

of time,

God's people will suffer.

It's a temporary

amount of time.

It's not going to be forever.

John is saying

that the trampling

of the church

for 42 months

is the realization

of Daniel 7.25.

Now what's also interesting

is if you look at

back in Revelation 13.5,

you're going to read

about the beast.

We're going to see him

in a little bit.

And the beast

was given a mouth

uttering haughty

and blasphemous words

and it was allowed

to exercise authority

for 42 months,

three and a half years.

It opened its mouth

to utter blasphemies

against God,

blaspheming his name

and his dwelling.

That is,

those who dwell in heaven.

Did you see that?

Also,

it was allowed

to make war

on the saints

and to conquer them.

The beast

in chapter 13

is waging war

on God's people,

his dwelling place.

And what we're seeing

in chapter 11

a little bit

is the same beast

is making the same warfare

on two witnesses,

the church.

But I'm getting ahead

of myself.

Why?

Why?

If this temple,

this city

that we're reading about

in Revelation 11,

1 and 2,

if this is the church,

why are they suffering?

Why are they being trampled?

Of course,

it's fulfillment

of Daniel 7,

but it's more than that.

The church is prophetic.

And we see that explanation

in the next few verses

in chapter 11,

verses 3 through 6.

So,

we've gone from

the church measured

now to the church prophetic.

Who the church is

to now what the church does.

Now,

I'm guessing

that what I'm about to say,

many of you

have not heard before

because you've been brought up

in churches

that have taught

that the two witnesses

are two literal people,

Moses and Elijah,

who have come back

from the dead

to prophesy.

Well,

that's a possible way

to explain this passage,

but I don't think

it's accurate.

And I've got a number

of reasons why.

I'm going to give you

two right now.

I believe that

the two witnesses

are a symbolic description

of the church,

the blood-bought people

of God

living at this point

in history

called to be prophetic.

The first reason

is contextual.

And remember

what we were just talking about

in chapter 11,

1 and 2,

we were just talking about

the temple

and the holy city

as being the church.

And so,

when John moves

from talking about

the holy city,

the temple,

the church,

into verse 3,

and now two witnesses,

I'm going to argue

he hasn't changed

the subject matter.

He's still talking

about the church.

He has just switched

the symbolism.

And now we've got

to ask the question,

why the symbolism

of two witnesses?

Now, typically,

we will think,

okay,

tell me who

these two witnesses are.

Are they Elijah

and Moses?

Who are these

two witnesses?

Don't think

in terms of

individuals.

Think in terms

of concept,

the two witness concept.

Do you know anything

from your Bible

that talks about

the importance

of having two witnesses?

Deuteronomy 19.15,

only on the evidence

of two witnesses

shall a charge

be established.

What's being pictured here

is that the church

is being symbolically

described as two witnesses

establishing

a legal truth claim,

prophesying

of the contents

of the scroll.

God's plan

for the fullness

of time

realized in Jesus.

It's a description

of the church's

function

during the time

immediately

preceding

final judgment,

trumpet seven.

It's true of us

now as well.

The interlude

between

seal six

and seal seven,

seal six

and seal seven

answers the question

who can stand?

And what we're

seeing here

is the interlude

between the six

and seven trumpet

is addressing

what is the church

to do?

We're to witness,

bear testimony

as two witnesses

to the truth

of the gospel.

Now,

I

want you to notice

something.

In verse two,

we're told

that

that the holy city

is going to be trampled

for 42 months

and then in verse three,

the two witnesses

are to prophesy

for 1260 days.

It's the same amount

of time,

so you know

what that means.

While we suffer,

we prophesy.

This interlude

is about the church

and what we must be doing.

They're not two literal people,

Moses and Elijah,

having come back.

It's the church

bearing witness,

prophesying

of the judgment

to come

with all

of the authority

of Moses

and Elijah.

That's why

they're there.

Verse three,

these two witnesses

are given authority.

The church

is given authority

to pronounce judgment

on all those

unwilling to repent

of their idolatry.

Just like

Elijah five

in the first part

of six,

we've been given

authority to call

down fire.

We've been given

authority to shut

up the heavens.

We've been given

Moses-like authority

calling down plagues.

These are things

that we've already

seen in the seals

and the trumpets gang.

This is not a new authority

that's being given

to us.

This is an authority

that was given

to the church

way back

when Jesus

walked the earth.

Matthew 16,

speaking to

Simon Peter,

he says,

here are the keys

to the kingdom,

baby.

What you locks

locked,

what you opens

opened up.

That's the kind

of authority

that we're talking

about.

Now,

it seems odd

to us

today

because we

typically do not

think of ourselves

as having been

given this kind

of authority.

But we've been

given it.

We are prophesying

a judgment

and what you're

going to see

in the verses

to come,

particularly in

verse 10,

that content

of what we

proclaim,

it torments

people who

don't have

ears to hear.

In verse 3,

you notice

that the church

is wearing

sackcloth,

these two

witnesses,

at the end.

It reflects

the message

of repentance

that we declare.

for a relatively

short period

of time,

the church

is going

to suffer

intense

suffering,

the trampling.

But the church

is secure

amidst its

suffering,

and while

we suffer,

we must

prophesy

repentance

in the face

of coming

judgment

to those

who dwell

on the earth.

Now,

let me give

you a definition,

a working

definition of

to prophesy.

To prophesy

is to proclaim

God's message

of judgment

to a disobedient

people

so that they

would repent

and be saved

from that

judgment.

And what I want

you to know

right up the

front is

prophesying

is by nature

confrontational.

do you think

of the gospel

as confrontational?

Do you think

of preaching

the gospel

as prophesying

judgment?

It is.

When you tell

someone that

they need

Jesus in order

to be rescued

from God's wrath

for their sin,

you are declaring

a message

of judgment.

When we tell

somebody that

certain attitudes

and actions

are actually

acts of rebellion

against a holy

God that provoke

his wrath,

we're saying

that God

has judged

them and that

they will face

his wrath

and they need

to be rescued

from that.

That's why

they need

Jesus.

the gospel

is God's

message

of salvation

and it

is

confrontational.

It requires

us to

pronounce

judgment

on sinners

so that

they can

understand

their great

need for

an even

greater

savior

who bore

God's wrath

on the cross.

So in our

prophetic calling

as a church,

Christ the

King,

you've got to

hear me out

now.

When we're

given opportunities

to prophesy,

whether it's

you're a prophetic

parent,

or you're given

an opportunity

to speak

the gospel

to someone

at your

workplace

or at the

gym

or somewhere

where you

roam,

we cannot

de-sin

the gospel.

We cannot

out of

love

erase God's

judgment

from our

prophetic

message.

The gospel

requires us

to speak

about God.

It requires

us to speak

about sin.

It requires

us to speak

about his

coming judgment

so that we

can point to

Jesus as a

real savior.

Savior.

This week I

sat down with

someone I

care for a

lot and I

had to say

some hard

things and I

offended this

person greatly.

Oh,

but it was the

most loving

thing I could

do.

because I

know it's

coming.

Our

prophetic

gospel

message

about God,

sin,

judgment,

and Jesus,

it's

offensive.

People don't

want to hear

it and they

don't want to

hear it because

according to

John 1,

they love the

darkness more

than the light.

and just to

deliver you

from any

self-righteousness,

it's only

because of

God's grace

that he

allowed you

to understand

the judgment

that you

were under

so you

could repent.

And so

we prophesy

not as

jerks who

are angry.

We prophesy

as those

who have

been delivered,

who have

been rescued,

who understand

we too

were under

judgment.

So did you

notice that

it's the same

amount of

time that

the church

is trampled,

it's the same

amount of

time the church

is prophesying?

Our

suffering

gives us

opportunity

to preach.

I didn't

even mention

anything about

verse 4.

These are the

two olive trees

and the two

lampstands

that stand

before the

Lord of

the earth.

It's back

to Zechariah

4.

You have

Zerubbabel

and Joshua

portrayed as

these two

olive trees

and there's

this lampstand

in Zechariah

4.

It's two

in John

or in

Revelation

here.

In Zechariah

4 there are

these little

tubes coming

from the

olive trees

and the

olive trees

are perpetually

pumping olive

oil into

this bowl

of the

lampstand

continually

lighting it

up before

God.

That's us.

Lit up

by God

for God

to a people

in darkness.

The prophetic

church

is a suffering

church

to which we

turn now.

In chapter 11

verses 7

through 10

we see a

picture of the

church

suffering.

What do you

think happens

when a

church

filled by

the Spirit

of God

is boldly

and lovingly

prophetically

calling sinners

to repent

to be rescued

from the

judgment to

come?

What do you

think happens

when we

preach sin

judgment

in the need

for Jesus

in the need

to repent?

Some will

repent.

The rest

will resent.

In verse

7

the church

is pictured

as having

finished their

testimony

and when they

have finished

their testimony

the beast

that rises

from the

bottomless pit

will make

war on them.

So when you

read

the church

these two

witnesses

finishing their

testimony

insert Matthew

24 14

and this

gospel of the

kingdom

will be

proclaimed

throughout the

whole world

as a

testimony.

Witnesses do

that.

as a

testimony

to the

nations

and then

the end

will come.

When the

church has

faithfully

completed

the great

commission

we've been

given to

go make

disciples

the beast

rises from

the bottomless

pit

and the

beast

what we

read in

verse 7

it's

brutal.

He will

make war

on the

two witnesses

on the

church

and he

will conquer

them

the two

witnesses

the church

and he

will kill

them

the church

and it

doesn't end

there

and their

dead bodies

literally in the

Greek it's

actually singular

and their dead

body

will lie in

the street of

the great city

that symbolically

is called

Sodom in

Egypt where

their lord

was crucified.

not only

will he

make war

and conquer

and kill

he will

humiliate

the church.

In the

Middle East

when your

body is not

buried

it is

humiliating.

The beast

is introduced

by name

for the first

time in

Revelation

and we're

going to

learn more

about him

in Revelation

13

but suffice

it to say

here's what

you need to

know

he's the

second person

of the

anti-trinity

the first

person of

the anti-trinity

is the

dragon

the second

person of

the anti-trinity

is the

beast

and the

third person

of the

anti-trinity

the false

prophet.

The beast

is the

antichrist

and he is

of whom

Daniel was

speaking in

Daniel chapter

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

7.

So here

in

Revelation

11

we see

the beast

rise from

his hell

hole

to eradicate

the church

and it

appears as

though he

has been

successful

but we

know that

the church

can never

be destroyed

because Jesus

has said

and the gates

of hell

will not

prevail against

her.

This is

depicting a

time following

the completion

of the church's

mission.

the church

appears to

be defeated

after a

tribulation

so fierce

it appears

as though

the church

is no

more.

Did you

notice where

the bodies

are lying

in verse

8?

In the

street of

the great

city.

Notice the

symbolic names

of this

great city.

Sodom

known

known

for its

wickedness

and judgment.

Egypt

known

for the

captivity

of God's

people

and judgment.

It's also

one more

description

of the

great city

where the

Lord was

crucified

there being

the church.

It's not

stated but

it's referencing

to Jerusalem

and I find

it interesting

that Jerusalem

is being

associated

with Sodom

and Egypt

and connected

to this

great city.

What's up

with that?

The last

city reference

we saw

in chapter

11 was

in verse

2.

The holy

city.

The new

Jerusalem.

The people

of God.

The great

city that

we're reading

about here

in verse

8.

It's not

Jerusalem.

It's not

Sodom.

It's not

Egypt.

It goes

by another

name in the

book of

Revelation.

A prostitute.

The

anti-bride.

Babylon.

That's the

great city.

Chapter 17

and 18.

Every time

that phrase

the great

city is

referenced in

the book of

Revelation

it always

refers to

Babylon.

Babylon.

A people

who do not

belong to

the Lamb

but bear

the mark

of the

beast.

The world.

This is not

an actual

city.

This great

city is

all unrepentant

mankind

in opposition

to the Lamb

and they

see the

church

humiliated

and it

looks like

the church

is done.

The holy

city looks

like it's

gotten

trampled

by the

great city.

It's a

tale of two

cities.

And this

happens for a

very short

time.

Three and a

half days.

Verse 9.

Verse 11.

When you

hear three

and a half

days,

there should

be another

three days

that starts

ringing in

your head.

So for a

very short

time, it

looks like

the church

appears

eradicated

and humiliated.

And then

in verse 10,

what you see

is the

unrepentant

mankind

gloating.

it's

more than

just

gazing

and those

who dwell

on the

earth will

rejoice over

them and

make merry

and exchange

presents.

Exchange

presents?

I mean,

it looks

like the

world has

declared a

worldwide

holiday of

rejoicing,

making merry,

and exchanging

gift cards

because,

ding,

dong,

the church

is dead.

Why the

celebrating?

Why are

people exchanging

gift cards

to go to

Target and

throw the

church's dead

parties?

Look at

verse 10.

The word

because,

right in the

middle.

Because the

two prophets

had been a

torment to

those who

dwell on

the earth.

We've seen

that word

torment before.

chapter 9,

used three

times to

describe the

torment the

demonic

locust plague

has on the

unrepentant men

and women,

and there we

defined it as

it should be,

a mental

anguish.

They're

rejoicing

because they

think the

church has

finally and

forever been

silenced.

Hooray!

The church

is no longer

prophesying about

sin, judgment,

and Jesus.

Phew!

Finally!

Yay!

Come on over

for our

church is dead

party.

Bring the

snacks.

Finally!

The crazy

witnesses have

been silenced

and now we can

have some peace

of mind.

Finally!

Finally!

My friends,

at this point

in history,

the church

prophetic

has been

suffering,

but prophesying,

tormenting

the unrepented

mankind,

and they

suffer for it.

I hope you

see this,

that it's

because the

church's

prophetic

presence,

witnessing to

sin judgment

in Jesus,

that leads

the church

into great

suffering.

The good

news which

we prophesy

torments

those who do

not have ears

to hear,

and they can't

take it.

what will

you suffer

for?

So today,

when we

suffer,

because we're

called narrow-minded

bigots,

uneducated

backwater people

because we

believe a

judgment's to

come,

this is

God's

word.

This is

the scroll.

we have

suffering in

our future,

but it

doesn't end

there.

There's

more.

The church

vindicated,

verses 11

through 14.

11,

after the

three and a

half days,

a breath of

life from

God entered

them,

the two

witnesses,

the church,

and they

stood up on

their feet,

standing on

their feet.

who can

stand?

And great

fear fell on

those who

saw them.

Three and a

half days after

humiliation,

three and a

half days of

quote-unquote

being dead,

but not in a

grave,

God raised

the church

from apparent

death,

and they

stand on

their feet.

The rejoicing

and merry-making

of the three and

a half day,

the church's

dead party of

the world

stops,

and as the

church rises,

fear falls

on those who

have been

rejoicing over

the church's

apparent

demise,

vindication.

The

resurrection

of God's

people is

the judgment

on those

who remain.

Verse 12,

we see that

the unrepentant,

it's them

who hear the

voice of the

Lamb called

to His

people,

come up

here.

Not only

they're raised

from the

dead,

they're called

up.

Come up

here.

And

immediately

the church

is taken

up into

a cloud

in heaven.

And this

whole scene

started in

10-1

with an

angel coming

down in

a cloud

from heaven.

The picture

is that

the only

ones

left

on

earth

are the

enemies of

God's

people,

and they're

left to

face the

seventh and

final

trumpet,

which ushers

in the

seven bowl

wrath.

Now my

hunch is

that this

calling up

of the

church

is what

we call

the rapture

of the

church.

1 Thessalonians

4.16,

for the

Lord Himself

will descend

from heaven

and with a