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Revelation #18

Have you been at peace in the Lord over the past week? It is time to continue studying the words of the book of Revelation. Now, beyond the middle of the tribulation period, concrete and extraordinary things are happening. Last time we saw the two witnesses Moses and Elijah prophesying during the last three and a half years of the tribulation. They are eventually martyred. The things that are going to happen after the rapture of the church, but as we know this and look to the future, you can hear the voice of the Lord telling you to put more effort into your work to get more people be saved, so we all will enjoy these blessings of the rapture when the Lord comes into the air.

            Let’s go ahead and see what happens to the dead bodies of the two witnesses. Let’s read Revelation 11:8,9. 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. 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. (Revelation 11:8-9 KJV) The two witnesses are beheaded. Here it says dead bodies, which is a special expression. It can be seen that the Holy Spirit’s writing of these dead bodies is a careful expression of the fact that the neck is separated from the body. If we remember in Revelation 6 about the human sacrifices already offered on the temple altar, we can see those who are martyred for Christ in the tribulation are beheaded. It’s shown more precisely in (Revelation 20:4 KJV) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark(666) upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Based upon this fact, Moses dies twice. (Hebrews 9:27 KJV)  says, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: This doesn’t mean people only die once. It means they die at least once. Moses died here twice but he is resurrected again. In the Old Testament and the Gospels in the Bible, we can see that dozens of people died then came to life, and then died again. There is Lazarus we know well. Lazarus had been dead four days when the Lord called his name, but he walked out alive and ate food. But he eventually died again. Also, the widow’s son in Nain came back to life during his own funeral. But he grew old and died again. Then there’s the son of the woman of Shunem who was raised back to life and died again; the daughter of Jairus was also raised, but she also died.

A young man named Eutychus, who fell from the third floor while listening to Paul’s sermon, also came to life, but died of old age. The same goes for Dorcas. When we remember that there are several people in the Bible who die twice like this, we know that Moses was one of them. There is a man named Enoch in Genesis. He gave birth to Methuselah at the age of 65, and after walking with God for 300 years, and he was not; for God took him. (Genesis 5:24 KJV). The King James Bible says he was translated according to (Hebrews 11:5 KJV) By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Enoch can be seen as a type of Christians who will not die but will be alive when Christ comes. Therefore the Lord said to comfort one another with the words, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 KJV) and He also gave us words of promise through the Holy Spirit spoken by the apostle Paul in (1 Corinthians 15:51-54 KJV) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. This is the hope of Christians living in our last days. Titus tells us that we are waiting for our blessed hope, Jesus Christ. The world and its lusts pass away, but whosoever does the will of the Lord abides forever. The whole world passes. However, since those who believe in the Lord and are saved now live in the eternal world, it doesn’t get further but comes closer as they go forward. It is to live eternity.

            Let’s move onto Verse 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. 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. (Revelation 11:10-11 KJV) The fact that the two witnesses had been witnessing for three and a half years must have rebuked them. All the people living in the world during the tribulation did not believe in the Lord because they brought the calamities that caused fire to come down from heaven and water to turn into blood when they did not repent. The people who were not raptured. They did not know how to repent, but instead killed the two prophets who testified to the word of God. But in the end, after three and a half days, the breath of God, the spirit of life entered and they stood on their own feet. How scared would those people be? When God created Adam, He breathed the breath of life into his nostrils. Because of sin, that life was lost. However, when you confess your sins and receive Jesus Christ, your sins will be washed away and you will be forgiven. So, in Revelation 4:5, the Spirit of life is expressed as Seven spirits of God. In 3:13 it is indicated as the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also sometimes called Holy Ghost or The Spirit. And the Spirit of God, but in the end they are all the same and see that it varies from generation to generation and age to age. We must be well acquainted with the times revealed in the Bible. (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV) says: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

As for God’s dispensation of salvation, there’s dispensation of salvation in the Garden of Eden, and another in the age of Noah and the age of law. Prior to that, there was the dispensation of salvation in the Age of Conscience. In such way, the Bible can divide God’s dispensations into five large groups. First, let’s dive into the Old Testament Age. The Old Testament period began in Exodus 20 and was after the Law of Moses was given. However, Genesis 1 through Exodus 20 are different generations. This is the generation before the Age of Law. It can be further subdivided, but it can be classified before the age of the law. Then there is the New Testament Age. In fact, the New Testament era does not begin with Matthew chapter 1, but begins in chapter 26. The Lord takes the cup at the Last Supper and this is the new covenant in blood. It is a new testament, a new covenant made with his own blood. Until then, it’s the age of the law. So, Matthew 1 through 26 are still under the Age of Law of Moses. However, the New Testament era actually begins from the time Jesus Christ shed His blood and died in chapter 27. And from Matthew 26 until the Holy Spirit came in the book of Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit did not dwell in people. They weren’t saved by grace through faith, nor were they spiritually circumcised yet. They could not receive Christ because the Holy Spirit had not yet come into the world. But, of course, the Bible says those who saw and believed in Christ while he was alive in the flesh were saved.

            From Acts 2, the Age of Grace has now begun. It’s the age of grace until the day of rapture. And it’s been about 2,000 years since. Just like the words of John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV) this is the age of grace. Isn’t it wonderful? Where can we find such grace where all sins can be forgiven and eternal life can be obtained by simply believing in Jesus Christ? It is the blessing of being born again of a dead spirit. It is a blessing from God. It is truly a blessing to be born again through the Word and become a child of God. However, after the rapture, Revelation 4 to 19 is the part we are studying now, is also known as the tribulation period. Then, when the Tribulation is over, in Revelation 20, the Lord will now come and reign on this earth for a thousand years. We will learn more about this as well. For reference, I have divided about the different generations. Continuing with the two witnesses, they were beheaded. When the Spirit of life from God entered them, their heads re-attached to their bodies and they stood back up. We can only imagine what great amount of fear must have come upon those who beheld them! Now they make their ascension. 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. (Revelation 11:12 KJV)

Remember back in Revelation 4 when Apostle John was told to Come up hither and just like that he was up in heaven? Likewise, soon the Lord will call us to Come up hither from the air. The shepherd will call the sheep by name. The Lord said in John 10:10 that the sheep hear the voice of the shepherd. All sheep who received Jesus Christ as the true shepherd are supposed to go up when the Lord calls them by their name. The clouds here are the clouds in the sky in Acts 1 when the Lord ascended into heaven. There was a cloud also in Matthew 17 when Moses and Elijah appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration. There will also be clouds at the time of Christ’s coming, and in Revelation 14:14-16, we can see the scene of the one sitting on the cloud harvesting holding a sickle. The clouds are related to the Lord’s second coming and to the rapture. Here we see the visible rapture. This rapture is not the rapture of the New Testament saints, but the rapture of the saints at the end of the tribulation. In fact, the rapture occurs three times in the Bible. First, in Matthew 27, when the Lord died on the cross and was resurrected, many Old Testament saints came back to life and showed their bodies in the holy city, and a Roman centurion testified that Christ was truly the Son of God. Second, when our Lord now comes to the air, the New Testament saints are raptured. Third, the scene of the rapture at the end of tribulation is what we went over so far. The apostle Paul testified of the resurrection and the rapture like this. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. (1 Corinthians 15:20 KJV) For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; Because the Old Testament saints were resurrected when Christ was resurrected, it is not called first fruit(singular), but firstfruits. afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. This is us, the born again by the Holy Ghost saints of today being raptured up. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. (1 Corinthians 15:21-25 KJV) The rapture during the tribulation is the final rapture. The rapture of the two witnesses is just like in Acts 1, when the body of the Lord Jesus Christ was lifted up and ascended directly to heaven in the clouds, two men in white clothes spoke; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11 KJV)  Who are these two people? Are they not Moses and Elijah? He is always by the side of the Lord. In Matthew 17, two people, Moses and Elijah, appeared next to the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration. So, even here we can see that the resurrected ones will always be by the Lord’s side.

            Moving on to verse 13. First woe has come to pass and now comes the second woe. Verses 13 and 14. 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. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. (Revelation 11:13-14 KJV) There are people who are saved at the end of tribulation, but there are also people who are left in the wilderness. They are not raptured, but they are justified. In Matthew 25, we can see the wise Jewish virgins are preparing for the rapture during the tribulation, as they are preparing the oil related to salvation. Excluding the Age of Grace, where we were saved by faith only, there are many places in the Bible related to the act of keeping the commandments. In the Old Testament, they had to keep the commandments. Likewise, even in times of tribulation those who are left behind must keep faith in Jesus and do the commandments. Therefore, if you receive 666, you will not be saved because you do not keep the commandments. Even in Israel during times of tribulation, keeping the commandments is required. Likewise, when Christ reigns for a thousand years, we can see in the Bible that the Gentiles are required to act (law). Through Revelation 11, we can see that even at the end of tribulation, there are a group of people who are raptured like wise virgins. They were not saved in the Age of Grace, but we can also see that in the age of tribulation, there are those who become righteous and are raptured, and there are those who remain like foolish virgins, and there are those who endure to the end and are saved by being beheaded without receiving the mark of the beast.

          Moving onto the seventh trumpet. What happens when the seventh trumpet is blown? Here are verses 15 and 16. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, (Revelation 11:15-16 KJV) A striking passage about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. No one can call this the First Coming. All nations including the worldly nations, Germany, France, England, USA, Russia, China, Korea, Japan, etc., become our Lord’s and his kingdoms. This has never happened has it? But some say it has. Nowadays most American seminaries teach this text the kingdoms of the world have been our Lord’s and his kingdoms since AD 33, and now he (the Lord) reigns and will continue to do so forever. How funny is that? Which country does Jesus rule now? In order to test the Lord, the devil took Jesus to a high mountain and showed Him a great vast kingdom. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. (Luke 4:6 KJV) so worship me and I’ll hand it over to you. Ever since Adam sinned, those who have sinned have become servants of Satan. Therefore, Satan became the ruler of this world, and the Lord also said that the ruler of this world would come. The devil reigns for a little while. However, when the Lord comes and binds him and throws him into the abyss, then the land of righteousness will begin. What Satan is talking about is the kingdom already handed over to him, not the kingdom of God. The kingdoms of this present world have never belonged to Jesus Christ. The Lord did say; My kingdom is not of this world…(John 18:36 KJV)  Satan will rule until the Lord comes. That’s why Jeremiah 27:5 says; I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. (Jeremiah 27:5 KJV)  The Lord is distributing and giving everything in heaven, but the day is not far off when the devil will take back the world that was still handed over to Satan. Because the Lord has blotted out all the sins of the world through the event of the cross, the day is not far off when he will redeem all the devil’s servants with the price of his blood and take the world from the devil again. God the Father Himself is temporarily delegating this political power to Satan and satanic figures. That is why Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Pharaoh of Egypt, Caesar of Rome, Hitler, and even the Antichrist in the future, are all commissioned for a short time. This is God’s dispensation. Ephesians 1 makes it clear that God set a time for a little while until many of God’s sons are born, until the dispensation of time, that is, until the multitude of God’s children were adopted. Ephesians 6 also says that principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and evil spirits are now given to Satan to rule the world. (Jeremiah 27:6 KJV)  says: And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. Nebuchadnezzar was called a servant. That is why the Bible says as long as Christians obey the laws of the world while living on earth and save many people by proclaiming God’s virtues, the world will end when the Lord comes. Here God calls the pagan murderers, who hate the Jews, deny Christ, and reject the Holy Spirit, as His servants. How ironic. So there are servants used for evil and servants that are used for good. The kings of the world are servants used for evil. Evil servants sometimes are used as whips to discipline the children of God, and His people. This suggests that God temporarily delegated power to a satanic figure. Christians who do not believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ, a savior who will come literally and physically to restore the land of Palestine, are Bible deniers. True Christians await the coming of the blessed hope, the Lord Jesus Christ.

            Onto Verse 17, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. (Revelation 11:17 KJV) Here we can now see the transition from the tribulation period to the Millennium, and we can see the twenty-four elders worshiping God in the third heaven. According to verse 18, And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:18 KJV) The nations are angry, but the wrath of the Lord is upon them. The fulfillment of this verse also appears in Revelation 20:9. Fire comes down from heaven. Also, when the dead are judged, the Great White Throne Judgment is mentioned in Revelation 20:11,12. The Lord said that He will reward His servants, the prophets, the saints, and those who fear the name of the Lord, great or small. The saints are mentioned in Daniel 7:18 and 22, which refers to the saints in tribulation. Verse 19, And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. (Revelation 11:19 KJV) These events are described in 6:12, 14 and 16:21 at the end of the Tribulation. We will see in the future that the trumpet plague will end and the vial judgment will begin. Therefore, in the midst of these words, we must live the life of a saint praying before the Lord so that we can evangelize more people so they will not fall into tribulation. Just as God loved the world, when we lead a life that leads many people to the Lord, the Lord will reward us at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The Bible says crown of rejoicing will be given to those who save many souls (1 Thessalonians 2:19 KJV). I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that you will be the recipients of this kind of crown.