(11.8-10)   ⁸          And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

⁹          And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

¹⁰        And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

 

1.   These prophets will be martyred in a city that can only be Jerusalem. We know that since that is where our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. But after they are killed the carcasses of the witnesses are left in the street for the whole world to watch and see.

 

2.   So, how will the world react? They will celebrate their deaths. They will be glad that those two fundamentalists who preached against the sins this old world enjoyed committing are now passed on. They will actually give out presents to each other.

 

3.   What does this scene remind you of? It reminds me of the reactions of the Palestinians when they saw the attacks on the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001. Do you remember what they did? They danced in the streets and partied over the destruction and the deaths of Americans. But that was just the Palestinians exulting over the deaths of Americans and the blow against our country. When these witnesses are slain everyone will rejoice and the entire lost world will celebrate the deaths of God’s men, including you if you are lost.

 

4.   What ghouls men are who try to silence the truthful preaching of God’s Word. What wickedness there is in their old sin-stained hearts. What Satanic activity it is to be in opposition to the ministry of these two anointed men of God.

 

5.   Before we move on, I want you to notice our familiar phrase. At the beginning and the end of verse 10 John notices “them that dwell on the earth.” This is his characteristic phrase that he frequently uses to describe lost men and women.

 

(11.11-13) ¹¹        And after three days and an 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.

¹²        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.

¹³        And the same hour 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 remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

 

1.   Just think of what will be running through the minds of modernists, who do not believe in the resurrection, when they see this on their television sets.

 

2.   These two witnesses will be raised from the dead and will ascend into heaven in the same manner as the Lord Jesus was, except for one thing. When this happens the entire world will see it happen, courtesy of CNN or Fox News.

 

3.   Witnesses to the end, these two unnamed men give testimony of God’s greatness even by the way they are leaving the scene of the crime against God that was committed by killing them.

 

4.   When this earthquake hits 7000 men die. Notice that the earthquake occurs within the hour that the witnesses are raised up. God wants everyone to know there is a connection between the resurrection of those two men and the subsequent earthquake. Denying God’s two witnesses a proper burial at the time of their deaths, the wicked men of Jerusalem will be, themselves, buried alive by God as an act of retribution.

 

5.   When this happens those who are left alive will give glory to the God of heaven. Does this mean they are saved? Does this mean they are repentant? “No,” to both questions. When will people realize that giving glory to the God of heaven is not necessary proof that a person is saved?

 

6.   These men will be compelled by circumstances to glorify the God of heaven. They will not do so by choice. Why are they not saved by this external act of contrition? Turn to Philippians 2.10-11. I think these two verses are essentially happens when a person is really saved. You, obviously, do not do these things to get saved, but these are the things that happen when a sinner comes to Jesus by faith. Ask yourself, then, whether or not this is what happens in Revelation 11.13:

 

¹⁰    That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

¹¹    And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

7.   I did not know this passage was in the Bible when I was saved, but I was doing what verses 10 and 11 say to do...and you did this when you were saved, as well, if you are a saved person. But those who will live through the earthquake will give glory to God without submitting to His Son. The result? They remain lost.