Scripture Text: Revelation 11:1-19
For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.
Revelation 11:9-10 (ESV)
After terror attacks on September 11, church attendance spiked. “People thought this type of crisis of national significance would lead people to be more religious, and it did,” Mark Chaves, a professor of sociology at Duke University, observed. “But it was very short-lived. There was a blip in church attendance and then it went back to normal.” A single event doesn’t usually affect a society’s religious practice, and today’s passage is evidence that multiple events may not make a difference, either.
The temple in our passage today most likely refers to a reconstructed temple. The act of measuring the temple is clearly symbolic and seems to indicate something about the nature of God’s unfolding plan. Clearly events are following a divinely set timetable.
Scholars are divided about the identity of the two witnesses. The most reasonable approach is to take the text at face value. These two unnamed prophets bear witness in Jerusalem, perform miracles, and are killed by the beast who comes up from the abyss. Their martyrdom sparks a celebration; people gloat over their deaths and send one another presents. The subsequent resurrection of these two prophets after three-and-a-half days will be accompanied by a great earthquake that will destroy a tenth of the city and kill seven thousand people. Those who survive will “give glory to the God of heaven” (v. 13).
The stage is set for the final act of this redemptive drama. It begins with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, announcing the arrival of the Messiah’s kingdom (v. 18). In an antiphonal response, the temple in heaven opens to display the Ark of the Covenant, along with flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a severe hailstorm.
Reflect
1. How does stubbornness in Revelation 11 show the dangers of refusing to admit mistakes and change?
2. Reflecting on the cheering over the witnesses' suffering, what can you learn about the empty satisfaction of holding onto wrongdoing?
3. Considering the judgment described, how can you personally stay humble and willing to change, avoiding the path of those who resist admitting their faults?
Remember
In Revelation 11, it's clear that sticking to an unrepentant path leads to trouble. It's like walking with blinders on, ignoring God's call for change. But here's the good news: if we're in Christ, there's hope! By admitting our mistakes and following His lead, we find forgiveness, transformation, and a way to eternal life.
Read
Psalms 112:10; John 3:19-21; Romans 1:17-18; 1 Timothy 4:1-2
Pray
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for reminding me of the dangers of stubbornness and unrepentance. Help me to see clearly, to remove the blinders that keep me from Your truth and Your call for change in my life. I come before You with humble heart, acknowledging my mistakes and shortcomings. I ask for Your forgiveness and Your guidance as I strive to walk in Your ways.
In Christ, I found hope and salvation. I cling to His promise of transformation and eternal life. May His presence empower me to turn away from our old ways and embrace the new life You gave me. Lead me, O Lord, of righteousness, help me to follow Your lead with faith and obedience, knowing that in You, I find true forgiveness, transformation, and everlasting hope.
In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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