A time for testimony

And turn with me in your Bibles this morning to Revelation chapters 10 and 11 is where we're going to be.

Revelation 10 · chapter mention

Chapters 10 and 11.

If you're here this morning, you do not have a worship guide.

Would you raise your hand?

Anyone needs a worship guide?

And uh good to see Brant back here.

God bless you, buddy.

You know, in the book of Revelation, it's a staggering insight to all that God's telling us and what's gonna happen.

So today we're gonna be looking at there's a time to testify.

Can I get an amen?

And how it relates even to us.

You know, a lot of people do not like the book of Revelation.

And here's why they do not like it, they don't understand it.

And yes, it is sometimes can be difficult, but it's also one of the hey, one of the greatest books because God says for us to study, because God says He blesses those who read the book of Revelation and study the book of Revelation.

Can I get an amen?

And so as we pick back up, uh we're gonna be answering really, we dealt with the churches, and uh then we dealt with the rapture, the beam of judgment seat, then we dealt with hail, and now we're getting ready to deal with the beasts coming on the scene.

And really, next week we'll be looking at the war in heaven.

And it's it's interesting because actually we'll see how Satan falls from heaven.

So you don't want to miss these next uh this next six weeks is gonna be getting into the the really the seeing uh of the transfer of authority uh as the beast, Satan comes on the the scene, and uh, and as God then takes that authority, and actually I'm gonna lay the groundwork for that today, it's gonna be good.

Uh a back away from Satan, who we know is the God of this world right now, 2 Corinthians 4.4.

So you're gonna really enjoy these next few weeks as we really dig out.

This is what you've been waiting for, Carolyn.

So here it goes.

Today, a time for testimony.

And the first thing I want us to look at this morning, again, as there's a parentheses here, is after the six, in fact, we see uh this parentheses stops right here between the six and seven trumpets, and two of the terrible woes have been carried out, and now one is coming soon.

But this passage shows us some things that are happening between the second and the third woe.

The woe to you, the nation Israel.

He's really writing to the uh and really warning the nation Israel, the Jews.

And so we pick that up at verses 1 in chapter 10.

And the first thing I want us to look at today, there's three testimonies that we're gonna be looking at.

The testimony of the mighty angel.

That's the first testimony.

And then the second testimony will be the testimony of the two witnesses.

I will try to show you scripturally who I believe, and I really I'm convinced who they are.

I'm not, I can tell you I'm absolutely, uh, that I'm absolutely right.

But I think as we look at the scriptures, you'll see why I believe that, and why I think very strongly that.

And then we're gonna see the 24 elders, the saints in heaven, and their testimony and their witnessing of what's going on as well.

Verse 1, our attention is drawn first of all to the mighty angel, which John, look at it, saw coming down from heaven.

And the angel is described in the very, hey, first verse where John said, And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.

There are many expositors and theologians who believe that this mighty angel is Christ.

I believe that.

And also, along with the angel's description here, we also see in chapter 11, verse 3, there are many, hey, along with, listen to what he says in chapter 3, along with the angel's description in chapter 11, verse 3, he refers, now watch, refers to the two witnesses as my two witnesses.

So, this mighty angel is referring to the two witnesses as his witnesses.

This certainly supports the view that the angel is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

Now keep in mind that the word angel right here is used for men, it's used for spirit or spiritual beings, and it's also used, the angel, the word here, for deity.

So the, hey, it fits for Jesus Christ as the mighty angel.

The description given of this mighty angel is very similar, if you remember, you probably don't remember, it's been a while, to John's vision of Jesus in chapter 1 when we first started the study in the book of Revelation.

So from this description and the symbolism used here, it is evident that the angel referred to was not an ordinary created angel.

No, no, by hey, but none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in the Old Testament.

Now, watch this.

Jesus often, and I really believe this, that gives us evidence, appeared, Jesus often appeared in the Old Testament as the angel of God.

A lot of times.

For example, Genesis chapter 31, verse 11.

Genesis 31:11

We see, and the angel of God spoke to Jacob in a dream.

And then we also saw in Exodus chapter 14, verse 19.

Exodus 14:19

Listen to this, the angel of God went before the camp of Israel in a cloud.

So we see several times.

I believe Jesus shows up as the angel.

Hey, hey, in uh Daniel, I believe he shows up in the fiery furnace.

I believe he shows up in the lion's den.

And uh, in fact, I'm looking forward to preaching the lion's den with the young people.

That's gonna be fun.

Get ready.

Daniel's coming.

But now watch.

So we see that it's evidence that this person, this mighty witness, this mighty angel, is Jesus Christ Himself.

Now, look at some characteristics here.

First of all, I want you to look at four things.

Here are four, here's a fourfold description of him.

Notice number one, the dazzling appearance of this angel.

What a sight.

Look at it.

He's clothed with a cloud, and rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.

Notice his clothing.

Here we see him descending, clothed with a cloud.

Oh, I thought about that.

The cloud was, and I really believe this, the garment of God's divine presence.

And I took a little word study on the word cloud, and look what I came up with.

We are told of God, and I think I have this in the verse for you.

Look at Psalms 104, verse 3.

Psalms 104:3

We are told of God that he makes the clouds his chariot.

Wow.

He makes the cloud his chariot.

And then we see the Lord led Israel by day in a pillar of a cloud, Exodus 13, 21.

And remember, when the tabernacle was completed, a cloud covered the ten of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

I pray every Sunday morning on my way over here, driving over after I've been studying and praying in the morning.

I asked the Lord as I really get to the intersection of 55 and 280 there, and I start praying, God, let your glory fill this place.

Let your glory fill this place this morning.

And then also, when, hey, this cloud was called, are you ready for this?

The cloud of the Lord.

Exodus 40, 34.

And then I love this one.

This cloud was called the cloud of the Lord, Exodus 40, 38.

But now are you ready?

Look at Matthew 17, 5, on the mount of transfiguration, when God, hey, a bright cloud overshadowed them.

And behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.

Hear ye him.

And then in Acts 1 9, when Christ ascended into heaven, a cloud received him.

And then Luke 21, 27.

I really believe this of his second coming.

He said, They shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Wow.

Look at the prophecy that we see when this takes place, that John's writing about, that the Lord is explaining to us.

And then Revelation 1:7, remember when he said, Behold, he comes with clouds.

Revelation 1:7

God veils himself in the clouds when appearing before sinful men.

You know what I thought?

Everywhere I went back and was doing this word study on clouds, I thought to myself, sinful man cannot come into the presence of an awesome real God without a cover.

Because if they did, they would be consumed.

Even Moses had to hide his face when he met God.

So here we see his clothing represents God's divine presence, this cloud.

Notice the second thing, verse one, his crown.

A rainbow was upon his head.

The presence of this rainbow upon the head of this mighty angel shows that he is associated.

You remember at the beginning when we were looking in chapter one, that the rainbow was associated with the throne of God.

So here we see the evidence again of the throne of God.

Also, we learn that the rainbow is a sign and a symbol.

Are you ready for this?

Of God's grace and mercy.

Can I get an amen?

So what he's showing us and telling us, even in the midst of the most harsh judgment of God, his mercy and his grace is still available.

Can I get an amen?

It doesn't matter how bad you think it is.

His grace is sufficient even during the outpouring.

And by the way, let me tell you something.

Have you ever thought about this?

The rainbow, I thought about this when I was talking about the rainbow.

The rainbow shines the brightest in the blackest, dear, hey, dreariest clouds, it shines the brightest.

So in the midst of the darkest hour of your troubles and your trials, just remember God's grace is sufficient.

His strength is made perfect.

Don't ever forget that.

And this is what I say, even during the outpouring of God's wrath, right here, he will still save anyone who will call upon and receive him as Lord and Savior.

Doesn't matter.

The thief on the cross, in his deepest, hey, darkest hour.

I mean, he's fixing to die.

Two thieves.

One, both of them started out cursing him, but then the holy, the glory of God shone right about them, and one of the thieves, hey, was convicted, and he turned to Jesus and he said, Lord Jesus, will you remember me when you come into your kingdom?

And he turned and he said, Today thou shalt be with me in paradise.

What mercy, what grace, even in the darkest hour of that thief's life.

Wow.

Now that's grace.

Do you believe in death, death bed conversions?

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

So we see, and I love this, look at Lamentations.

I don't know if I it's in there, but if not, write this down.

It is the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed.

Can I get an amen?

It is the Lord's mercy that we're not consumed.

The Bible tells us.

In fact, he says, His compassions fail not, his mercy and his grace is new every morning.

Great is thy faithfulness.

Lamentations 3, 22 and 23.

Notice the second, the third thing, his clothing, his crown, but look at his countenance.

In verse 1, and his face was as it were the sun.

John had before said of him, as the sun shineth in his strength.

Remember in Revelation 1.16.

But when Peter, James, and John saw him in his glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, listen to what he said.

His face did shine as the sun.

Wow.

Unbelievable.

And his appearance to Saul of Taurus on the road to, hey, hey, on that unbelievable confrontation that we see on the Damascus Road, listen to what Paul said.

Above, here's what he said.

His appearance to Saul of Taurus was above the brightness of the sun.

It was brighter than the sun.

And then Malachi speaks of him as the son of righteousness, S-U-N.

Yet to arise with healing in his wings.

Malachi 4, 2.

Wow! Wow! I mean, we're talking about the Son of God, the face of Christ, the mighty angel.

Not just an angel, the mighty angel.

And then look at verse 10 again, verse 1 again, his condemnation.

And his feet as pillars of fire.

Earlier, his feet had been spoken of as fine brass burning in a furnace in Revelation 1.15.

Brass symbolizes judgment and indicates that by judgment he will take possession of all that was lost due to sin and wickedness will be put away.

Ladies and gentlemen, right now it looks kind of bleak in America.

But I got good news.

One day, Jesus Christ is coming back to take back what is his.

Amen.

We're just seeing prophecy fulfilled.

Don't get discouraged, get encouraged.

I'm telling you.

The dawn of the breaking of the day is coming soon.

And then look what else.

Not only do we see his dazzling authority, or dazzling appearance, excuse me.

We see B, the definite authority.

Look at what else I saw.

Verses 2 and 4.

We know that because of man's sin, the earth was cursed and Satan came into temporary possession of the earth.

What is Satan called?

2 Corinthians 4, 4.

What is he called?

He's called the what?

God of this world.

Who's in charge of this world right now?

Satan.

See, well, you don't understand that.

Let me say that again.

You know who is in charge of this world?

You know why this world's messed up?

Guess who's in charge?

Satan.

In fact, Paul says he's the prince and the power of the air.

But what I want to deal with right here is understanding that this authority that Satan has is usurped authority.

But God has ultimate authority.

Can I get an amen?

And one day, Jesus Christ, that mighty angel, that mighty, hey, hey, that mighty God, I'm talking about unbelievable, God the Father, hey, and God the Son are going to come back and he's going to take back what's rightfully his.

And as I was looking at this, I said, whoa, boy, that's good.

In fact, look, look at his claim here.

Look at verse 2.

And he had in his hand a little book upon, hey, a little book open, and he set his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth.

The act of this mighty angel when he came down with that open book in his hand and set his right foot on the sea.

You know what I could have a smell.

Listen, listen, listen.

This is a sign of taking possession and ownership back.

I'm a let me tell you, I am a superhero fanatic.

I love Batman.

I love Superman.

I love Spider-Man.

I love those adventure figures.

I grew up with those.

That's the only kind of comic books I'd read.

But I'd read them all.

But don't you love one of the greatest pictures I used to have?

And I had it on my Superman bike.

I had a I had a Harley Davidson that was a Superman bike.

I had a V-Rod that was a Spider-Man bike.

I mean, I was into it, guys.

And on both of them had Jesus was awesome.

But there was one picture with Superman I loved.

And you'd see him standing kind of up over the world.

He would be on the globe, the world, and he'd be standing up with that beautiful suit and that red cape, and he'd be standing like this with his legs spread out like that.

Superman.

Up up anyway.

And I thought, that's Jesus right here.

No, we're not talking about Superman.

We're talking about the God man.

And he's standing there with one foot on land and one foot on the sea, saying, This is mine.

Satan bike the dust.

I can see it.

That's him right there.

Standing there daring Satan to do something.

Saying, You thought you were winning, but I'm fixing to take back what's mine.

That's the picture right here.

Why?

Psalms 24, verse 1 says, The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein.

Psalms 24:1

Can I get an amen?

There it is.

That's who he is.

This is mine.

This is mine, Satan.

It's over.

Remember on Calvary 2,000 years ago when he cried, Abba, Father, and then he cried, though before Abba, Father, into my hands I commit my spirit.

He said, To telestai, it is finished.

He's coming back to take back what's his.

And then notice not only his claim, notice his cry.

Now, this is where I get excited, Rick.

Look at verse 3.

Now we're told that he cried with a loud voice.

That's when a lion roared.

Have you ever heard a lion roar?

Now I'm not talking about a yawn.

I said a roar.

You can hear.

There's three types of roars with a lion.

I won't give it away.

She said, Don't give it away.

You're going to have to come hear me on Wednesday night if you want to hear what kind of three roars there are.

But anyway.

But notice here it is.

The mighty and the majestic voice of God.

Hey, it is a voice that is vividly described in scripture.

In fact, it is the voice of the line of the tribe of Judah.

Revelations 5, 5.

Listen to this.

Hey, when you go to Psalms 29, I'm not going to take you there, but let me just say, here's what it says.

That whole chapter, verses 1 through 11.

You've got to read it.

Read it for your quiet time in the morning.

It is the voice that is so powerful.

Here's what he says.

He literally says that the voice of the Lord is over all the waters.

Verse 3.

The voice of the Lord is powerful and full of majesty, verse 4.

It breaks the cedars of Lebanon, verse 5.

It divides the flame of fire.

Verse 6.

It shakes the wilderness, verse 8.

And then he goes on in the last verse, he says, The Lord will give strength to his people.

The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Now that's power.

That's the word of God.

His word, Luke 4.32.

Are you ready?

His word is with power.

That's the power that's described in Psalms 29, verses 1 through 11.

Psalms 29 · chapter mention

And by the way, Jeremiah, I'm not going to read it to you, but I've given it to you to go read.

Are you ready?

This is the fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy in Jeremiah 25, verses 29 through 31.

Jeremiah 25:29–31

It is another prophetic prophecy that's already been predicted that is taking place during the tribulation.

Powerful.

Powerful confirmation.

Powerful.

Unbelievable.

Heaven immediately responds to his voice.

And look what happens when he roars.

Look at verse 3 and 4.

And when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voice.

And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write, and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Sill up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

Whoa! The seven thunders are no doubt the voice of God the Father.

Thunder is clearly a type of God's voice.

First Samuel, listen to this.

710 said, And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel.

But the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines and discomforted them.

And they were smitten before Israel.

Listen to what the psalmist wrote.

I think I got this one on your outline for you.

The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the highest gave his voice hailstones and coals of fire.

When God the Father spoke to Jesus on earth, the people who heard it thought that it was thunder.

In John 12, 28 through 29.

No doubt the lion's roar had something to do with divine judgment.

No doubt about it.

However, as John was about to write what the thunder's here meant, God said, No.

No! I don't know why he said no.

John was writing down everything God told him to.

And now all of a sudden God said no.

When God says no, you say, hey, you know what no means for God?

No! I mean, no! I was sharing with a gentleman outside this morning.

There are some things God does not want us to know.

There are some things that you will not know until you go to be with Him.

There's things that happen in my life, in your life.

There's things that happened in this church this past year, last year, and all that we don't understand.

And if we had our way, it wouldn't work that way.

We wouldn't want it that way.

We didn't want it that way.

But it happened.

Let me give you a verse.

I think I have it.

Maybe I don't.

Is Deuteronomy 29, 29 on your outline?

All right.

There it is.

This is one of the greatest verses in the Old Testament.

Are you ready?

To help you understand what you don't understand.

Let me repeat that.

To help you understand what you don't understand.

The secret, and here's, and then I had another question and said, Yeah, but I thought God wants you to understand all things.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

Let me prove it right here.

The secret things belong to the Lord our God.

Read that with me.

The secret things belong to the Lord our God.

Okay?

Now watch what he says next.

But those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of the law.

But what God wants us to know, he will reveal to us so that we can know it and do it.

Amen.

But the things that he does not want us to know, we will not know, because those are the secret things of God.

You know why?

And then when you go over to Romans 11.33, the ways, the judgments, the directions of God are past finding out.

You can't understand it.

It's one of those mysteries.

I want you to, hey, but here's the exciting thing.

But those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children.

Remember what I preached the first Sunday in this new year about Deuteronomy 6?

Teaching them diligently to your children when you rise up, when you sit down, when you lie down, putting them on the door posts, putting them on the cards, putting them on your wrist, so that you can what?

You and your children and their children?

God has given us what he wants us to know, what we need to know, so that we can live a victorious, dynamic, Christian, fruitful, victorious life.

And the things that belong to him, the secret things.

And a lot of that has to do with the thunders of God.

We don't need to know.

You know why?

I think we couldn't handle it.

And he knows that.

Same way with Paul.

Remember Apostle Paul?

Yes, you do.

He told Paul.

Paul saw things that were unlawful for him to utter on earth.

2 Corinthians 12, 4.

God thundered marvelously with his voice.

Great things does he, which we cannot comprehend, Job said 37 verse 5.

In other words, God does great and mighty things.

God does great judgments that we don't, that he thunders, but we cannot comprehend.

That'll help you, folks.

That'll help you.

When you start trying to allow Satan to bring fear into your life, into your family, into your work, into wherever you are.

Don't let him do that.

Brings me to the third thing about this mighty angel and his witness.

The dreadful announcement.

Look at verses 5 through 7.

And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth.

I love that.

Lifted up his hand to heaven.

And he swear by him that liveth forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that therein are, and the earth and the things that therein are, and the sea and the things which are therein, that there should be time.

Oh, underline it.

There should be time no longer.

But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Now this mighty angel, the Lord Jesus Christ, makes a startling announcement.

He lifts his hand to heaven and declares that there should be no more time.

I was paused when I saw that.

The word time here, listen, carries the idea of delay.

See, the reason God has not come back and brought judgment on this earth is because of his mercy and his grace and his love.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promises.

Some men count slackness, but his long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance.

He's a merciful God.

The reason he's been delaying, he's trying to get everybody he knows needs to be saved, saved.

Amen.

That's it.

But listen to me.

There's a time when that last, hey, Gentile bows his head and gets saved, that it's over.

The trumpet sounds.

We go to be with Jesus.

And we have the beam of judgment seat and we dwell with him.

Tribulation begins.

Three and a half years.

And then after that first three and a half years, and Satan's on the throne, and the next three and a half years, he's bringing havoc.

And hey, and hey, and we don't know when in that, hey, well, all we know is at the end of that three and a half years, hey, he's bringing havoc.

He sets up, he takes over the temple.

He he was a lying devil like he always is.

The Antichrist is a liar and a thief, and he takes, hey, and then he starts just abolishing and killing it and all kind of stuff.

But at the end of that, and right here in this pause, Jesus is telling us, listen, here's a witness.

That's gonna happen, but there will be a time when I'm gonna say it's over, it's enough, and that's it.

I'm coming.

No man knows the time nor the hour.

But if God says it, it's as if it is already done.

Can I get an amen?

Wow.

And then look what he gives us.

The last thing, he gives us a direct assignment.

Just like God, isn't it?

Verses 8 through 9.

And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel, which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

And I went unto the angel and said unto him, Give me this little book.

And he said, Are you ready?

And he said unto me, Take it and eat it up.

Underline it, eat it up, and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

The voice of God came again to John right here, instructing him to go and take the scroll from the angel.

I want you to notice something.

God taught me that's very important right here.

This is personal, what he showed to me.

He told John to go get the scroll.

Psalms 38, 2 says, I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that shall go.

I will guide thee with my eye.

He, John, now watch.

John immediately did it.

He didn't hesitate, he didn't wait right then.

He didn't have to pray about it, didn't think about it.

He just went and did it.

And watch what took place.

Immediately is the best way to obey when God speaks, and that's what we see John did.

And when John received the scroll, watch.

When he went and he got the scroll, are you ready?

You got that.

Are you with me?

John goes and gets the scroll.

If you're with me, say amen.

Then notice what God does.

Then God says, hey, you've received the scroll.

Then he says, take it and eat it.

Now watch.

God will not give you any more instructions till you do the first instruction.

Now if I was here, that's good preaching, preacher.

I'm gonna repeat that.

God will not give you any more instructions than he's already given you until you obey what he's already given you.

Now is that good?

So a lot of us, the reason we're not getting any further in our Christian life, we hadn't done what he's told us to do.

Oh, can we all together say, oh me?

Oh me.

But now notice what happened.

He took it, he ate it up, and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be as a mouth sweet as honey.

And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it up, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey, and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

But then he said unto me, Thou, hey, must prophesy again before many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.

Woo! Revelations 9 through 11.

John was told to eat this book.

Eat this book.

I want you to see this.

Psalms 119, verses 103 and 104.

Psalms 119:103

Unto my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth, through thy precepts I get understanding.

Therefore I hate every false way.

When John did eat the book, it was indeed both bitter and sweet.

Listen to me, when we read this book, when we eat, here's the direct directions for us.

We are to take the word of God and eat it up.

Can I get an amen?

We are to take the word of God and eat it up.

Thy words were found and I did eat them.

And thy words were unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart, for I'm called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.

I quoted that verse and Susan Lovett fell in love with me.

Is that not true?

Don't tell me memorizing scripture doesn't work.

It wasn't my money, it wasn't my looks, it was the word of God.

Ha ha! That's the secret.

Amen.

That was her verse.

She had never heard anybody quote her verse.

And I quoted it.

Thy words were found, and I did eat them.

Hey, Jeremiah, eat them up.

As newborn babes desire the sink of the word that you may grow thereby.

As newborn babes, eat it up.

Matthew 5, 6, blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Eat it up.

Now some of you like to eat.

I can tell.

Thank you, Sylvester.

And I watch you go through the line.

Two and three times sometimes.

That's okay.

Eat it up! But here's my question.

Job said, I esteem God's words more than my necessary food.

Job 23, 12.

Job ate the word of God up more than his food.

That's what we're talking about, folks.

This is what the Lord's trying to tell us.

And then his direct assignment was not only eat it up, he said, now go tell everybody.

Go tell everybody.

Go tell it on the mountain.

Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

Tell it.

Tell it.

This young couple right here.

I asked him, I said, first time visitable, how'd you hear about it?

Oh, we hear it everywhere.

Everywhere.

That's what I'm talking about.

Now, how does it get everywhere?

I'm just one person rich, just two.

And we do tell it everywhere.

But it's you.

You're telling it everywhere.

Now look at Jason, he's telling it through SERPO.

Wherever you go, you're inviting people to your church.

You're telling them, come, come see what God's doing.

That's it.

I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

You know when they come here, you are assured that they're going to be loved.

We don't care who you are, what you got, how much smart you are.

We just love you because God loves you.

And we're not interested in your past.

Everyone's got a horrible past.

All my righteousness is filthy race.

But what we are interested in is in your future, and God's got a fantastic future for you.

Jeremiah 29, 11.

Amen.

But you got to do it his way.

You know how?

You want a storybook ending?

I got the answer.

Take the word of God and eat it up.

Be doers of the word.

Not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

Eat it.

Hey, let me say something.

When you eat it up, you can't help but talk it up.

I can't help but speak the things.

You know what'll happen?

You'll get the can't help it.

I can't help but speak the things that I've seen and heard.

Acts 4.20, Peter said.

Amen.

That's good, preacher.

Number two.

The witness.

Or the testimony of the two witnesses.

Enjoying this?

Is this not good?

I try to make it so we can understand it.

Now here it is.

The two witnesses.

Chapter 11, verses 3 through 14.

Two witnesses now appear on the scene.

Look at them.

And here we now remember we're dealing with Jews in this passage.

And remember what the Jewish law, this is very important, demanded.

The Jewish law demanded two witnesses to give evidence concerning matters of law, religion, and the dealings of men with one another.

Let me show it to you.

Deuteronomy chapter 19, verse 15.

Deuteronomy 19:15

Here's what it says.

I think we have it on there.

Not listen to it.

One witness, there it is, you shall not remove your neighbor's landmark, which the men of old have set in your inheritance, which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God has given to you.

Verse 15, the next verse.

And then he tells them how to do that.

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity or for any sin in any sin that he sinn at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter be established.

In other words, you can't accuse someone unless there's more than you.

You've got to have two or three witnesses at least before you can bring an accusation against your neighbor.

That's pretty good, isn't it?

Well, guess what else?

Are you ready for this?

If you recall, there were ready?

Two angels at the tomb of Jesus that morning of the resurrection.

John 20, 12.

Oh, listen.

There were two men who appeared to the disciples at the Lord's ascension.

Acts 1, 9 through 10.

And when witnessing, listen to what Jesus said.

I love this verse when I'm teaching so winning to the kids.

When witnessing, Jesus sent the 70 out two by two.

Luke 10, 1.

And here we see God sends two witnesses.

Are you ready?

To prophesy.

For 1,260 days.

Look at their personality.

Let's look at it.

Judah, look at their personality.

Look at verses 3 through 4.

And I give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

Now, that's important.

And a lot of people read that.

I say, I can't understand that.

Well, the attempt to identify these two witnesses has resulted in a great deal of confusion and speculation.

There are all sorts of ideas about these witnesses.

There are real, but let me say this.

Let me go ahead and classify something.

These are real people who are alive and ministering during the tribulation period.

Real people.

They speak, they have mouths, they preach, they are heard and hated, they have bodies, and they die.

They're killed.

There's no way to refer to these two as anything other than two actual witnesses, real people.

Can I get an amen?

The power does say a lot about their identity.

I mean the power really gives reference to who they really are.

Are you ready?

Watch.

And if any man will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth.

Woo-hoo-hoo! Uh-oh.

You say, well, that sounds like a fire-breathing dragon.

Kinda.

And devours their enemies.

And if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

These have power to shut heaven.

That it rain not in the days of their prophecy.

And they have power over waters to turn them to blood and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will.

Verses 5 and 6.

The much confusion about these two witnesses are just the run rampant.

But here's the main one.

Here's the one that most very popular view, should I say.

That these two witnesses are Elijah and Enoch, or Enoch.

And the reason they say that, because these are the two guys that never died.

But can I remind you, during the rapture, there's going to be a lot of people that never die?

So that's not a real.

In fact, they use it in Hebrews 9.27, and as it is appointed unto man wants to die, and after this judgment.

So these two guys have to come back and die.

That's their theory.

It's probably a logical theory.

But let me remind you, there's not ever not every one of us may die if the rapture takes place.

So I don't consider that a very strong, valid answer.

For me.

For me.

Okay?

May I re yeah, now, now.

And let me say this.

Let me tell you the issue here.

To again refute that belief of Enoch, Enoch, and Elijah.

Death's not the issue here.

That's not the point.

It's a witness.

Death's not the issue.

Now, with that said, and again, Deuteronomy 19, 15, we just said verifies that.

You got to have two witnesses.

They got to be alive.

It's not death, it's being alive.

Now, with that, these witnesses preach the gospel.

They have supernatural power of God to smite the earth with plagues as in the day of Moses and to call down fire as Elijah did.

Now, who was able to strike the earth with plagues?

Moses.

Right?

Who was able to call down fire from heaven?

Elijah.

And you think about Mount Carmel.

But can I remind you of another passage and I gave it to you when I read that thing?

I got so excited.

Look at me.

Can you believe me, Sylvester, using this?

In 2 Kings chapter 1, the king, Isaiah, falls through an attic in his room.

2 Kings 1 · chapter mention

Falls through, and he's hurt.

And he calls his servants and he tells the servants, go to Zerubbabel and tell him and ask him, Am I going to die?

And on the way, they meet the prophet Elijah.

And Elijah says, Why in the world are you going to Zerubbabel when you ought to come to the man of God?

Which I will tell you.

And by the way, you can go back and tell your king he's going to die.

He didn't like.

So the servants run back to King Ahazah, however you want to pronounce it.

I know what Susan said, man, I don't remember this.

Go to the story.

It's funny.

Hey, you know what the king does?

He gets upset.

He says, Take a, he sends his captain.

He says, take 50 men, go see Elijah.

Well, first of all, they say, the king says, Who is that guy?

And they start describing him, and he said, Oh, yeah.

The Tezebite.

That's Elijah, the prophet.

I know who he is.

You go take 50 men and you tell him to come here.

So the captain goes and he takes 50 men.

He comes to Elijah and tells Elijah.

And Elijah says, Oh, if I'm be the man of God, I'll tell you what, and I'll do, I'll call to have fire from heaven, and then it'll consume you.

Guess what?

They're burned up.

Word gets back, he gets another captain, sends 50 more men out there.

Guess what?

Elijah said, if I'm God's man, hey, the fire of God's gonna come down and consume you.

Fifty more dead.

Burned up.

Third captain, he sends another.

I don't know about you, but by now the word has spread.

Two captains and a hundred men have been consumed by fire.

With this prophet.

You don't mess with God's man.

Hello.

So the third captain comes out with his fifty men, and he gets to Elijah.

There's Elijah just still waiting.

And you know what he does?

Smart captain.

He comes and he bows.

Oh, prophet of God! Prophet of God, have mercy on me.

And he does.

He said, Let's go, I'll go with you.

And he comes back.

And he tells the king, why in the world were you going after?

It's a rubbable for answers when you got Jehovah Jirah, the God that provides and the God that healeth.

And the hey, the God of everything, the creator of the heavens and the earth.

And you going to a devil?

Yeah, King, you're gonna die.

Now I don't know about you, but that sounds just like the guy in Revelation that's able to spew out the fire.

And it sounds like the man that, hey, took the rod of God and touched the water and it turned into blood.

The two witnesses are no doubt in my mind through validation of the scripture of who they were prior to this setting in Revelation.

Moses and Elijah.

My opinion.

But you know why that's my opinion.

Because it fits the scripture.

It was Moses whom God used, and I wrote this.

It was Moses whom God used to lead Israel out of their worst physical bondage.

And it was Elijah that delivered Israel out of their worst spiritual bondage.

No doubt.

They fit the description of the two witnesses.

Their persecution.

They can't stand them.

Verse 7.

Oh.

The people can't stand them for three years.

They have faithfully persevered, preached, and prevailed with the power of God.

No man has been able to overcome them.

But now the beast has come upon the scene.

The beast is the Antichrist, the head of the revived Roman Empire, and he has entered into the temple of God and declared that he is God and demanded to be worshipped as God.

Though these witnesses are hated with a vengeance, no power on earth or in hell can touch them until they have finished their testimony.

What a truth.

Listen, no power out of hell or death can touch you until you have finished what God's called you to do if you're obedient to God.

David said, David fulfilled God's will for his life.

All of, and it says, all of God's will.

Then he died and was laid with his fathers.

Acts 13, 36.

That is my prayer every day.

God let me fulfill my will.

And then let me go to be with Jesus.

Now listen, I'm gonna help you.

There's some people that we've lost at young ages.

But I believe with all my heart, I do, if they were fulfilling God's will for their life, and the ones I'm thinking about personally, you thinking about other people, I know they were.

It was time for them to go home.

And God took them.

Now do I understand that?

No.

Why?

That's the secret things of the Lord.

Are you listening to me?

I'm helping you now.

Please work with me here.

I'm helping me.

So here's if let me tell you something.

You want to you don't want to worry about death.

Can I show you how you don't have to worry about death?

You just be fulfilling the will of God.

And you don't have to worry about death.

Because when it's your time, you'll be gone.

And guess what?

You don't want to stay if it's your time.

And you're fulfilling the will of God.

That means your work is done.

But, no, there are no buts.

But you can say the buts like I do, and I have, and I will.

But this is what gives me comfort.

This is what gives me assurance that I know.

God's in charge.

Does that make sense, George?

Does that make sense?

Thank you, Lord.

What a comfort and encouragement.

And then they're prevailing.

Verses 11 through 14.

And they ascend up to heaven in a cloud.

We see they're killed.

They have a party in verse 10.

Oh, the Satan and them have a party.

And by the way, I believe these two witnesses again.

The reason I almost forgot this, I put right here a star.

Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killeth the prophets and stoning them that are sent unto thee.

Luke 13, 34.

These two witnesses lie dead in the streets and even deprived of a burial.

All that.

And they were not supposed to, anybody killed back then should be buried the day they were or died that day.

But all this is prophecy.

And Jesus even said that.

And I believe he was referring to, it brings more validation to Moses and Elijah when he makes that statement in Luke 13, 34.

You'll see it.

And then we see that, hey, that this when they were killed and just left there for three and a half days in the street, fulfilled prophecy in Psalm 79, 13.

The blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

It was another prophetic prophecy being fulfilled.

The wicked people to whom these two preachers were sent hated them with a passion.

Now they are dead, and the world celebrates verse 10.

They party, they give gifts.

No harm will come to you or me.

Hey, if we are serving God till our mission is completed.

And we see that.

What a comfort.

And then after these three days, look at verse 11.

And half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them which saw them, and they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither.

And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them.

And the same hours was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell.

And in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand, and the raiment were afright and gave glory to the God of heavens.

The second woe is past, and behold, the third woe comes quickly.

The deceived world presumes that they have won the victory.

When these two prophets are laying dead.

The bodies of their enemies line the street in the celebration.

But however, after three days, look at this, after three days, God will recurrect, resurrect their dead bodies and his faithful witnesses to heaven, and they ascend up to heaven.

Their enemies watch in fear.

Can you imagine?

Hey, their enemies are watching them be, hey, a sin.

They come back alive and they're taken up.

All that laughter and that joy that we've won, we've, hey, we've overcome God.

Now they stand there not in laughter, not in giving and gifts, but in fright saying, oh no, God is real.

Have mercy.

I do believe this will be a period right here that some of the Jews could be saved.

Because they will be saved during this time.

People will be saved.

Wow.

Because if it's mercy, it endures forever.

Hey, now are you ready?

Here it is.

God will now overthrow the kingdom of the world, establish, hey, in its place his everlasting kingdom.

A complete transfer of the Lordship will take place during the last half of the tribulation.

Listen to what Daniel said.

You're in studying Daniel.

Daniel 7.14.

And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people, nations, and language should serve him.

His dominion and his everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

And Zechariah 14, 9, and the Lord shall be king over all the earth.

In that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.

Wow.

Wow.

Paul spoke of this day, wherefore God also had highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that the name of Jesus, every knee, shall bow, every, hey, of things in heaven, things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Philippians 2, 9 through 11.

Although the transfer of this lordship is announced here, it does not happen immediately.

There's another three and a half years where the Antichrist sets up and kills and destroys.

But let us bear in mind the fact that when God determines a thing, it is as if though it's already done.

All that transpires, hey, all that transpires during this last half of the tribulation, watch this, results in the change of authority from Satan to Jesus Christ.

Now we will see all this come to fruition in chapters 20 and 21.

Is that not good?

So let me close with the testimony of the elders.

Two things, and I'm through.

The adoration of the elders, verses 16 through 17.

And the four and twenty elders which sat before God on their seats fell upon their faces and worshiped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord, God Almighty, which art and was and art to come, because I hoken to thee thy great power and thy hast reigned.

As this wonderful announcement is made, the elders begin to sing songs of thanksgiving and adoration and victory to Almighty God for his sovereign action in reclaiming the world and establishing his righteous reign.

Take note of the three tenses here in verse 17.

He was God, he is God, and he's the same God.

Is that not good?

Ho! Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming again to the earth to rule.

What a day that will be.

When my Jesus, I shall see.

But guess what?

We're coming back with you.

And then the last thing was the anger.

The world's angry.

They're angry at all that God's doing.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you're glad you're saved this morning.

Because if you're saved, you won't be in that stuff.

But thank God for his mercy.

Can I get an amen?

That's new every morning.

There'll be the Jews, there'll be a lot of Jews saved during that period.

But thank God.

Are you ready?

If you don't get anything else, here's what I want you to take with you.

I don't care how bleak your situation gets.

Are you ready?

I don't care how bleak your situation gets, God's mercy endures forever.