Greg Laurie - Light in a Very Dark Place (01/17/2018)
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Pastor Greg Laurie teaches from Revelation 11 about the two witnesses—powerful prophets like Elijah and Moses—who shine as bright lights preaching the gospel during the darkest time of the great tribulation. Despite opposition, persecution, death, and global celebration over their bodies, God resurrects them, showing His ultimate power, while urging believers today to let their light shine and be ready for Christ's return.
Light Shining in the Darkest Time
Today we are in Revelation chapter 11. Let's turn it over there if you would please. Revelation 11. The title of my message is Light in a Very Dark Place. Let's pray together.
Father we live in a dark world. We know that. And you have called us to let our light so shine before men that they would see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven. As we look at the light that will shine during one of the darkest times of all on this planet. Help us to be inspired to let our light shine wherever you have called us to be. And be a godly influence on those who are around us. So speak to us from your word. We would pray now in Jesus name. Amen.
Have you ever gone to see a movie and right in the middle of the film, the theater is very dark. Some joker pulls out his cell phone and starts checking their email or they are texting someone. And have you ever noticed how bright that screen is in a dark place. I mean your eye is immediately drawn to it. You are throwing milk duds at the meat. No don't do that. But I have never done that. But in my heart I have. In my heart I have. But I didn't act on it. But it is amazing how far a little light will go when a place is very dark.
Well here before us in Revelation 11 we see two very bright lights that God is going to raise up in the darkest time that will ever come upon the face of the earth. I am speaking of the great tribulation period. These two lights, also known as the two witnesses, will be raised up by God to preach the gospel and to warn the people. Some amazing things happen both to them and through them as we will see in a few moments.
John Becomes Part of the Prophetic Story
But just to sort of pick up where we last left off. We are now officially at the midpoint of the book of Revelation. We are half way through the book. It is 22 chapters. We are in chapter 11. So we are right in the middle. And a shift in the narrative takes place here in chapter 11.
Coming back to the movie analogy for a moment. Let's say you are watching that story and often in a good film there will be a person you will relate to. A character that you can sympathize with, identify with. And so maybe you are watching that film and you are thinking to yourself, I wish I could be in this story. I wish this were actually happening to me. What if suddenly you were taken from your seat in the theater and put in the middle of the film and you became that character or at least became one of the characters in the story.
That is effectively what happens to the apostle John here in Revelation chapter 11. Up to this point he has been reporting what he has seen. He is there banished on the island of Patmos as you recall. And he has a vision of the future where Jesus comes to him and shows him the things that are to come. And gives him the revelation which means the unveiling. So he is observing and he is reporting. Not unlike a news reporter giving us information as it unfolds.
But suddenly John goes from being a reporter to becoming a character in the story. He is now a player. A participant in the action. So as we come to Revelation 11 he is told to get out his measuring stick in verses 1 and 2 and measure the temple.
So let us read about it. Revelation 11 verse 1. "Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, Rise and measure the temple, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple. Do not measure that for that has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. And I will give power to my two witnesses. And they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth."
The Two Witnesses: God's Bright Lights
"And if anyone wants to harm them fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven so no rain falls in the days of their prophecy. And they have power over waters to turn them to blood. And to strike the earth with all plagues as often as they desire. And when they finish their testimony the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified."
We will stop there. Chapter 11 of Revelation opens with a prophetic focus in the last days on the city of Jerusalem. Again we want to emphasize that Jerusalem is and will continue to be a hot spot in the last day scenario and certainly plays a key part in the prophetic puzzle. Ironically the name Jerusalem means city of peace. Yet more wars have been fought at her gates than any other city in the entire world.
From the Siege of David in 1000 B.C. to the Six Day War in 1967. Jerusalem, the city of peace, has experienced forty-six sieges and partial destructions. Jerusalem has been burned to the ground five times and yet it always rises from the ashes and it has been the scene of four wars in the past twenty-five years. Yet according to Scripture the worst is yet to come.
God says Jerusalem will be at the heart of the final conflicts of mankind. Zechariah 12:3. "On that day when all the nations of the earth are gathered together against her, I will make Jerusalem, God says, an immovable rock for all the nations and all who try to move it will injure themselves."
The Rebuilt Temple in the Tribulation
Now here are some interesting things that we are introduced to as we open chapter 11 up. The temple is going to be rebuilt. Well has this happened yet? No. So for this prophecy even to be fulfilled a couple of things have to happen. Number one, Jerusalem would have to be once again in Jewish hands. And of course this only happened quite recently in 1948 and more specifically in the Six Day War in 1967. That is when Jerusalem actually fell into Jewish hands again.
And then Scripture tells us it will be rebuilt. Now understand the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation around AD 95. This means the temple which was standing in Jesus' day had already been destroyed. Therefore the temple John was speaking of was sometime in the future.
Christ predicted the temple being wiped out in Matthew 24. He said, I say to you, there will not be one stone left upon another. It will all be taken down. And of course we know looking back in history that in AD 70 Titus came in with those Roman forces and slaughtered thousands and thousands of Jews and burned the temple to the ground and dismantled it. And since that day there has not been another temple.
But the Bible says there will be one. In fact this temple being rebuilt will be initiated by the Antichrist. So we believe that the temple will be rebuilt probably in the first half of the tribulation period. In the first three and a half years.
This is a very significant thing because after the temple is rebuilt and sacrifices are restored and the Jewish people are using it, the Antichrist commits something described as Jesus as the abomination of desolation. In Matthew 24 Jesus said, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, let them that are in Judea flee to the mountains and pray that your flight not be on the Sabbath day. For then there will be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of time nor ever will be.
So these words are clearly addressed to Jews because he says pray it is not on Sabbath day. And this would Mark the halfway point of the tribulation period, the abomination of desolation.
We have more detail over in 2 Thessalonians 2:4. Speaking of Antichrists it says, "He opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or his worship. So he is as God sitting in the temple of God whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and pretended miracles, all of them lying wonders."
Okay, so the temple will be rebuilt. But here is the problem right now. If you look at the skyline of Jerusalem, if you have ever been there or you have seen a photograph of it, you probably saw a large building with a gold dome on it, right? Is that the Jewish temple? No that is not. That is called the Dome of the Rock. Next to it is another mosque like building. And that is called the Al Asqa Mosque.
And these two buildings are very important to the world of Islam. In fact the Dome of the Rock is believed to be the place by Muslims around the world where the prophet Muhammad ascended up to heaven. So it is a very important place. It just so happens that it is on the Temple Mount. Meaning it is in the general area where the first and second temple once existed.
So of course the problem is if you are going to rebuild the temple does that mean you are going to have to move the Dome of the Rock. You move the Dome of the Rock you are going to have a Jihad like you have never seen before. So this is problematic.
Yet some interesting discoveries have been made in recent years by archaeologists. In fact Biblical Archaeology Review revealed that the actual location of Solomon and Herod's temple were 26 meters away from the Dome of the Rock. That study is valid. And that means the temple could be rebuilt without disturbing the Dome of the Rock.
Listen. I don't know how it is going to happen. I just know it is going to happen. And I know the Antichrist is going to be the one who initiates it. Therefore any movement toward the rebuilding of the temple should be of great interest to the student of Bible prophecy. So if you open up your paper and you read an article about the temple being rebuilt. Wow. When you see these things begin to happen look up for your redemption is drawing near.
God's Witnesses in the Darkest Hour
So here is a very dark time. Now the abomination of desolation has taken place. The Antichrist is erecting an image of himself and commands people to worship it. Now God's judgment is falling on the earth. Things are dark. But God always has his representatives. Doesn't he? We know he has 144,000 Jewish evangelists combing the earth that are under divine protection. Then of course we know that he is going to raise up two mighty witnesses that we will talk about in a moment.
But it just reminds us God always has his people behind the scenes. I mean think of the story of Esther. I love that story because in some ways it reminds you of a fairy tale. Except it is true. And Esther was a beautiful Jewish girl that was plucked from obscurity. Won a beauty contest. Became the queen of the kingdom. And then there was a wicked man named Haman that hatched a plot to have all of the Jews put to death.
And it was the uncle of Esther, Mordecai, that came to her and described the plight of her fellow Jews. And he says, Who knows that God has not put you where you are for such a time as this. And it was the queen who saved a nation. She used her influence with the king. The plot was averted. The people were saved. And then in perfect poetic justice, Haman, the guy who hatched the plot, ended up hanging on the very gallows he had erected for others.
But she was there behind the scenes. You know Esther could have said, Hey, I don't want to jeopardize my position. No one will ever find out. I am a Jew. I am going to just, you know, be careful and play it safe. But no, she put everything on the line. And who knows that God has not put you where you are right now for such a time as this.
You may be the only Christian in your family. Or the only believer in your neighborhood. The only follower of Jesus Christ in your workplace or in your classroom. Will you stand up for such a time as this? Will you use your influence where you can, when you can?
Then we think of the story of Nehemiah. He was the cupbearer of King Artaxerxes of Babylon. To be a cupbearer meant that you were in close proximity to the king at all times. Because you would drink what he would drink before he would. And if it was poisonous well that was the end of your job. And your life for that matter. But the cupbearer was more than just someone that tasted the king's food and drink. He would become someone who would be an advisor to the king. Someone who would influence the king. And it was a very prestigious position. You would be in the palace. So you would live in affluence and influence.
But Nehemiah, like Esther, was a Jew. And he knew that the walls of Jerusalem had been burned out and were lying in rubble. And he couldn't take it anymore. So he used his position. He leveraged it. And that is the king allowing him to go and rebuild the walls. He could have lost his life asking such a thing. But he did what he could do. Working behind the scenes.
How about that obscure Jewish girl who influenced her non-believing master Naaman to seek out the prophet of Israel, Elisha, to find healing for his leprosy. Just a girl, effectively a maid if you will. And then she goes to the master Naaman who was the man. He was the general. He was like General MacArthur, General Eisenhower, General Petraeus. All rolled into one. He was a famous military figure. But he was a leper. She told him about the prophet. And Naaman made the journey to Israel and indeed was healed.
Sometimes God has his people in public roles as well. That certainly is the case with these two witnesses.
Identifying the Two Witnesses: Elijah and Moses
Now who exactly are the two witnesses? Let's see if we can find some hints in this passage describing them. Verse 6. They have power to shut heaven so no rain falls in the days of their prophecy. They have power over waters to turn them to blood, strike the earth with plagues as often as they desire.
Now let's think about this. Stopping rain, water in the blood, plagues, and fire from heaven. Who comes to mind? Well Moses and Elijah, right? Now I am almost certain, let me restate that. I am certain that one of these prophets will be Elijah for a number of reasons.
Number one, because Malachi, which is the last book of the Old Testament, says that God would send Elijah before the great and notable day of the Lord comes. So Scripture says Elijah will appear before Christ returns again to the earth. Now John the Baptist came in the spirit and the power of Elijah, but John was John. But Elijah is still coming. I believe one of these witnesses will be Elijah.
Of course he was the one who stopped the rain and told King Ahab it is not going to rain, but according to my word. And of course the signature miracle of Elijah was calling fire from heaven. A great guy to have around for a barbecue. Now seriously though, this is a guy you would not want to tick off ever. Because he could call fire from heaven.
You remember him up there at Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal. Praying and fire comes down from heaven and consumes the sacrifice. Another story about Elijah calling fire down from heaven happens when King Ahaziah was injured. Actually he fell out of bed. But his bed was up very high. And he was wondering if he was going to live. So he called on his false gods. And word came to Elijah. Well the way Elijah found out was God told him that this is what Ahaziah was doing.
And Elijah said, What? Is there not a prophet in Israel to consult with? Why are you talking to these false gods? Ask the prophet of the Lord. So Ahaziah said, Ok fine. He sent a captain of fifty soldiers to bring Elijah back. It was very demanding. Elijah was up there perched on a hill and his captain walks up with his fifty troops. And he says, Oh man of God. The king says, Come down. Very assertive. Hey, get down here. The king orders you to come.
Elijah says, Well, if I am a man of God like you say, let fire come down and consume you and your fifty men. Guess what? He was a man of God. Fire came down and wiped them all out. Then another captain of fifty was sent. Would you like to have been that guy? And he sees Elijah up there in that little hill. He says, Oh man of God. This is the king's order. You come down now.
Elijah says, If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. Well he was torched as well. Another captain of fifty was sent. This guy was a little more polite. Oh man of God. How are you? Ah, look. Don't kill me. I am just doing my job. Pretty please, come down. The Lord said, Go. Elijah went down. Went to see the king. Well am I going to live or die? You are going to die. Goodbye. Walked out.
So that is the story. This is the guy that I would always speak the truth. This was the guy who was not intimidated by anyone. This is a guy you would not want to mess with. And I believe he will be one of the two witnesses in the tribulation period.
Why Moses as the Second Witness
Now who is the second? Well I believe it is Moses. Now some think Enoch. And I can't rule that out because there are only two people in the Bible that never die. You know who they are? Elijah and Enoch. Elijah was caught up to a chariot in heaven. And Enoch, the Bible says, walked with God and was not. Him and the Lord would take walks together every day. And one day the Lord said, You know we are closer to my place than yours. Why don't you come home with me? He started on one shore and ended up on another.
So maybe Enoch is one of the witnesses. But I think it is Moses. And let me make a case for Moses. Of course it was Moses that brought the plagues upon Pharaoh. It was Moses that turned the Nile river into blood when he touched his staff to it. And so there are many things we could see.
And there is an interesting little story about the body of Moses. You know he did die of course. But Michael the archangel and the devil got into kind of a dust up over his body. And Jude 1:9 says, "Even the archangel Michael who was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses did not dare bring a slanderous accusation against him. But said, The Lord rebuke you." Maybe the devil wanted to desecrate the body of the great man of God. Michael said, No. You leave the body alone. Interesting little sideline. But maybe it is because God was saving Moses for this special occasion.
Also these guys have worked together before if you will. Moses and Elijah have made a joint appearance. So they came from different time zones. They were there on the Mount of Transfiguration. Remember? Jesus shined like the sun. On one side was Moses. On the other was Elijah. Representing the law. Who better to do that than Moses. The prophets. Who better to do that than Elijah.
So I believe these will be the two ones that God will raise up.
The Ministry and Power of the Two Witnesses
What will they do? Verse sixteen. It speaks of the days of their prophecy. Now prophecy in the New Testament does not necessarily refer to predicting the future, though it could include that. It means to speak forth, to proclaim, or to preach.
So the primary objective of the two witnesses is to preach the gospel and call people to Christ for the last three and a half years of the tribulation period. And know this. When you preach God's truth you will be opposed. Persecution is going to increase in the last days and certainly in the tribulation period. And 2 Timothy 3:12 says, "All that live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."
The Antichrist Kills the Witnesses
So along now comes the Antichrist. Look at verse seven. "When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified."
This is the first reference in Revelation to Antichrist as the beast. We will learn a lot more about him in Revelation chapter 13. Notice he comes out of the bottomless pit. We already talked about that in Revelation chapter 9. Remember all those creepy demonic creatures that were put in there? They were actually fallen angels or demons. Super bad demons put in this special prison, the bottomless pit, or the abyss. They are released on the earth. And look who else comes crawling out of that pit of hell. The Antichrist, the beast himself.
And what does he do? He makes war against these men. But I want you to notice he can't do anything until they have finished their testimony. Listen, I have good news for you. You as a Christian are indestructible until God is done with you. Think about that. You are indestructible.
See there is a day appointed for your death. And you really have nothing to say about when that day is. And that means that no matter what weapon is formed against you before that day it will not prosper as Scripture says. That means that God is going to keep you and He is going to protect you. So stop worrying about when you are going to die. You have nothing to say about it. OK. So that is important. It is up to God.
The Bible says it is appointed unto a man once to die. And then comes the judgment. You say well does that mean I can eat anything I want. I can eat hamburgers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No, no. Listen, I think you should take care of your body. I think you should exercise. Eat properly. And I am sure that will improve the quality of your life. But ultimately the quantity is up to God.
And here is the thing. You are going to serve the Lord and even if there is some plot against you it is not going to succeed if that is not your time. Jesus made a fascinating statement in Mark 16. It has been misunderstood by some. He said that you will be able to drink deadly poisons. And you will be able to be bit by venomous snakes and survive.
So some of course have misunderstood this. And they have snake handling services. And that is not the most bizarre thing I have ever heard. All right. Bring out the snakes. You know. And there are these preachers that will handle rattlesnakes. And there was one very well known preacher. Well known in the snake handling community if you will. And he had been successful. He had never been, you know, I don't know if he had been bitten before. But he had not been killed by the bite of a rattlesnake. And on one particular occasion he was bit and he died. And this is just insane. This is not what that scripture means. That is not trusting the Lord. That is testing the Lord.
Okay. But here is what it does mean. If you were somehow to drink a deadly poison and it wasn't your time it wouldn't kill you. If you were somehow to be bitten by a venomous snake and it wasn't your time that wouldn't kill you either. Case in point. Paul the apostle was shipwrecked on an island. He was warming himself by the fire. And a little venomous viper bit him. He just picked it up and threw it in the fire. Everyone was waiting for him to die. He didn't die. You know why? His time was not up.
But when your time is up it is up. And Paul's day came. And the day of the testimony of these prophets comes to a close. And Antichrist kills them. And lays their bodies in the street for the whole world to see.
The World's Reaction to the Witnesses' Death
Verse 9. "And those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations shall see their dead bodies three and a half days and not allow their dead bodies to be put into the grave." This is no doubt meant to desecrate, to dishonor the deceased. And here these bodies are laying in the street.
Now some have wondered, well how would this even happen? I read a commentator from a hundred years ago who actually questioned this statement. He actually asked, and I quote, how can all the people in the world possibly look at the bodies of these men lying in Jerusalem? Do we have that question today? No. Because we have modern technology. I mean we have had satellite technology for some time now. But now we have live video streaming. And we get information not only on demand. We get it in real time. The cameras are there. We are taking it in. Everybody has a camera on their cell phone. We can get this information right now.
Maybe one of the things Antichrist will do is have every city in the world wired. You know some cities are wired now. You can get wireless wherever you go. You don't have to pay for it. Everyone will be wired. Everyone will have access to the Internet. Everyone will have some kind of a device. I mean right now 5.3 billion people in the world have smartphones. And effectively a smartphone is a little computer. And it does more than what many full blown computers did many years ago. And so with access to this information everyone is taking it in.
And you know there they are laying in the street of Jerusalem. It is probably projected on huge screens all around. Like in Times Square. Big giant HD video screens. The cameras have got a tight shot on them. And everybody is just taking it all in. And they are partying.
Look at verse 10. "Those that dwell in the earth rejoice over them and make merry and send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented them who dwelt on the earth." Now how did these prophets torment these people? They spoke the truth. And guess what? When you speak the truth that is going to be torment to some. Just for saying what is right. It is amazing. I mean people want to live a certain way. And you will say it even nicely. The Bible says, Don't you quote the Bible to me! You puritanical narrow minded bigoted hate monger. How dare you say to me the Bible. Who are you to judge me? Who are you to judge me? Hello. What is that all about? They hate your guts. And the rest of you too. You know why? You torment them. Just by being you. Just by being a follower of Jesus. Just by believing these things. It torments them.
You know that is how they described Elijah. Elijah. All Elijah did was tell him, You are going to reap what you are sowing because of your idolatry. It is not going to rain. And so the next time Ahab sees Elijah he says, Oh here comes the troubler of Israel. Elijah wasn't the troubler of Israel. In many ways Ahab was. They brought it on themselves.
And this will happen. You know people will break God's laws and reap the consequences and get mad at us because we told them it would happen. Right? So this is what is happening here. They hate these prophets that trouble them.
Now it even gets stranger. They turn the death of the prophets into kind of a twisted holiday. An upside down Christmas. They are giving gifts to one another. Well what are they going to call this? I mean you have the Antichrist initiating it. Maybe it will be Antichristmas. Instead of Christmas it is Antichristmas. Happy Antichristmas. We wish you an Antichristmas. We wish you an Antichristmas. Or maybe they will call it Dead Prophets Day. Happy Dead Prophets Day. Got you a little gift. It is a really cool little idol. What do you think? That is what is happening. And they are rejoicing. They are partying. They are singing. They are dancing. You can see them. Here are the prophets laying in the And everyone is jumping around. The live band is playing. Celebrate good times. Come on. Right? By the way I hate that song. Hates. It torments me.
Resurrection and Ascension of the Witnesses
But then the party is over. Look at verse 11. "After three and a half days a breath of life from God enters them. They stood on their feet. And a great fear fell on those who saw them. And a loud voice came from heaven saying to them, Come up here. And they ascended to heaven in a cloud. And their enemies saw them."
In the same era there was a great earthquake. And a tenth of the city fell in the earthquake. Seven thousand people were killed. And the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.
I am sure a lot of those people were wondering what the return policy was on the gifts they had bought. The great joy of the people turned into great fear. I mean they probably had the cameras in for a tight shot. And it was projected on the giant screens. It seems like whenever you have seen a horror movie or whatever and a person who is thought to be a dead comes back to life it always looks like this. Okay watch. They are laying there like this. And they do this. Right? Am I right? You know they never just open their eyes. The music. You know. So maybe the people are just trying to celebrate. And all of a sudden they see their eyes open. And then they sit upright. And then they stand to their feet. And then they are lifted up to heaven.
Celebrate. If you break my heart. My achy breaky. I don't know what they are going to sing. I don't know. I hate that song too. There are a lot of songs I like. Those are not two of them. Yeah. God crashed their party.
Another Party Crashed: Belshazzar's Story
And the book of Daniel is the story of another party that got crashed. It is King Belshazzar. The grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. Who came to believe in the true God of Israel. But his grandson didn't follow in his footsteps. In fact Belshazzar went out of his way one day to mock the God of Israel. He said, Hey I have an idea. Let's invite all the lords and influential people. And let's have a big banquet. And let's take those special vessel of Jews for the worship of God and the temple. Let's fill them with wine. Let's get drunk. Let's have an orgy. And let's praise the gods of silver and stone. Oh. Everyone liked that idea. And they are partying away.
And here is what happened in Daniel 5. Verse 5. "Suddenly they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king's palace near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote. And his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear. And his legs gave way beneath him." Yeah. The party was over.
And here is what the writing on the wall said. Many, many, tekel eupharsen. Which means you have been found in the balances and you have been found lacking. Or you have been weighed in the balances and found lacking. Now normally when we get on a scale we want to weigh less than we do. Right? On God's scales you want to weigh more. You want more weight. Here is what God was saying. Belshazzar you are a light weight. In fact you are a bantam weight. You have no substance in your life at all. Yeah the party was over for these people.
Heaven Opens: A Glimpse of Glory
And they were afraid, verse 13 says, and gave glory to the God of heaven. I don't know if they are really believing. or just acknowledging. You know you think man if someone was raised from the dead I know people would believe. Do you really think that? Remember the story of Lazarus and the rich man who died and went into eternity. The rich man had no place for God. Lazarus was a believer. And at that time, before the death of Jesus and His resurrection, Hades was divided into two compartments. A place of comfort and a place of torment.
So the man who believed, Lazarus, went to the place of comfort. And the heart and bosom of Abraham and the non-believing rich man went to the place of torment. So the rich man says, this is horrible. I have got to go back and I have to warn my family about this awful place. And Abraham says, no they have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear that. And the rich man says, no if one were to rise again from the dead I know they would believe.
And then Abraham says, no they won't believe even if one Rose from the dead. Case in point, this probably is Moses rising from the dead here in Revelation 11. And people are not believing. What about when Lazarus was raised from the dead? Did everyone believe? No they did not. In fact from that point on they started plotting about how they could kill Jesus.
Maybe you thought, man if I could do a miracle for my friends I know they would all believe. If I could turn their beer into blood or something. I don't know. You know what? The Bible says, a wicked and an adulterous generation seeks after a sign. And no sign will be given but that of the prophet Jonah. And as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish so Jesus said, will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
In other words Christ is saying, you want a miracle? You want a sign for a non-believing world? Here it is. My death and resurrection from the dead. Here is your message to lost humanity. Christ died. He Rose. And He can forgive you of your sins. That is the message we have to give out. That was the message the prophets gave out. But these people, their hearts only got harder and harder.
Revelation 11 closes with a seventh trumpet and an amazing glimpse into heaven. Look at verse 15. "Then the seventh angel sounded and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever."
And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshipped God saying, "We give you thanks O Lord God Almighty, the one who is, who was, and who is to come, because you have taken your great power and reign. The nations were angry, and your wrath has come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that you should reward your servants, the prophets, and the saints, and those who fear your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth."
Then the temple of God opened in heaven, and the ark of the covenant was seen in His temple, and there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
This again reminds us that there is a heavenly audience to all that is happening on earth. As these events are happening, as the two prophets are brought back to life and ascending heaven, a portal to heaven is opened up, if you will. Kind of a glimpse into the other side. This isn't the first time this has happened. Remember when Stephen was being stoned for his faithful witness? And as his life was being taken from him, he said, Look, I see the heavens opening, and I see Jesus standing on the right hand of God. Stephen was given a glimpse into glory. And that is what is happening here in Revelation 11. John is describing sort of a glimpse. You can see right into heaven.
The believers in heaven, represented by the twenty-four elders, are giving thanks to God that His kingdom is about to come on earth as it is in heaven. Verse 15. "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever." You have heard that before, right? Handel's Messiah. He shall reign forever and ever. That is where that comes from. That is what it is referring to.
So here now we have a glimpse into the other side. It is interesting that they see the Ark of the Covenant. By the way this is the original Ark of the Covenant. There was an earthly one that no one has found. Many have searched for it, including Indiana Jones. And the Nazis got it. And their faces melted. That is the movie version. Somewhere maybe one day they will discover the Ark of the Covenant, which once was a physical object that represented the presence of God. But in heaven there is the original Ark of the Covenant, which brings up a very important point.
Heaven: The Real and Eternal Original
Heaven is the real deal, the eternal dwelling place. Earth is the copy, the temporary dwelling place. The best things you have ever seen or felt on this earth are but glimpses of glory. Take the best moments of your life. Like right now, hearing me preach. I am sure this is not one of them. But seriously, take the best moments. Maybe the day of your wedding. Or the day that your child was born. Or maybe a special moment with someone you love when the sun was setting. Or the greatest meal you ever had with family and friends. Or whatever it was. Just certain moments in our mind that stay there. And we think that was the best. I wish it could always be that way.
You know what? Those are glimpses of glory. Sort of a taste of what is to come. Heaven is the original. Earth is the copy. Moses was commanded by God to build a tabernacle, a tent. But really it was only a replica of the original one. And the Ark of the Covenant was the same.
C.S. Lewis proposed that the hills and valleys of heaven will be to those you now experience. Not as a copy. But as an original. Nor as a substitute is to the genuine article. But as the flower to the root. Or the diamond to the coal.
Rewards for the Faithful Saints
So he has given a glimpse into heaven. This is it. How should we react to all of this? Look at verse 18. You will reward your servants. And the prophets. And the saints. And those who fear your name. Small and great.
Listen. Most of us are not prophets. But if we are Christians all of us are saints. I am a Saint. You ever want to meet a living Saint? Here I am. Oh you are not a Saint Greg. No actually I am a Saint. Well have you performed miracles? No. But that is not what the Bible says a Saint is. A Saint simply is another term for a true believer. We have changed the meaning of the name. But really it just means true believer.
So if you believe in Jesus Christ. How many of you believe in Jesus Christ? You are now saints. You can go out of here knowing you are a Saint. I am sure I have got letters from Catholics on that one. But it is true. You do not have to call me Saint Gregory. You agree?
And what is going to happen to saints? Well we are going to be rewarded one day. The Bible tells us that one day we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and receive rewards. Galatians 6:9 says, "Don't be weary in well doing for a due season. You will reap if you do not faint." First Corinthians 3:8 says, "The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. Both will be rewarded for their hard work."
You see after we die and go to heaven in the rapture before the second coming will be the judgment seat of Christ, also known as the Bema Seat, where believers will receive rewards for their faithfulness to God. That is what this is talking about. So that should cause us to want to do everything we can for God's glory.
You know as I have often said we can't take it with us but we can send it on ahead. Every investment we make of our life for God's glory will result in an eternal reward. The giving of your time. The use of your gifts. The investment of your resources. It is all laying up for yourself treasure in heaven and being faithful to the Lord. God has given you a calling and He wants you to be faithful to the very end.
The Final Judgment for Non-Believers
Yes, there is a reward, a judgment seat for Christians. But there is also a judgment seat for non-believers. That is not so pleasant. Because when the non-believer dies they face it. Now I mentioned earlier that story in Luke 16 where two people died. Hades still exists today. But that place of comfort that Lazarus was in, that has been shut down. And when a believer dies they go straight to heaven. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
But that torment section of Hades is still open for business. Listen. When a non-believer dies they go to Hades. They go to this place. And then ultimately here is what happens according to Revelation 20. Verse 11. "I saw a great white throne, him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. And the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life."
Now listen. "The sea gave up the dead that were in them. Death and Hades delivered up the dead that were in them. And they were judged according to their works. And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
So this is the final judgment. You don't want to end up in this place. And once you die, if you have rejected Christ, there is no changing your eternal destination.
Hardened Hearts in the Face of Judgment
Interestingly after these judgments of God fall here in Revelation we read that the people are angry about it. They are upset that God would do such a thing. Which I find very interesting. Verse 18. The nations are angry. Which means a deep seated hostility. What is wrong with these people? God's power is on display. People are being raised from the dead. Earthquakes are coming. This is God working. People believe.
But you know what I have found? People generally die as they have lived. And if you have rejected God for your whole life your heart just gets harder and harder. Going back to Moses he did all those miracles for Pharaoh. And what do we read? Pharaoh hardened his heart. Pharaoh hardened his heart. Pharaoh hardened his heart. How about King Ahab? He saw Elijah do his great miracles. He rejected it all as well.
This is why if there is any movement in your heart and you are seeing your need for God you want to act on that. Folks, the things I have been sharing with you today, these are not fairy tales. These are not myths. This is history that will unfold in the future. And I believe before any of this will start the Lord is going to call all true believers to meet Him in heaven.
But even if that doesn't happen in our lifetime we know death is coming. And if you put your faith in Christ when that appointed day arrives in your life you can have confidence you will go to heaven. So you don't have to sweat it. But listen, if you don't have faith in Christ you should be more than sweating it. You should be thinking about it and doing something to change it because according to Scripture you will go to Hades or hell and ultimately into the lake of fire.
This is not what God wants. That is why He gives chance after chance to believe. That is why He raises up two powerful witnesses in the tribulation period and 144,000 evangelists. And many will believe in that time. But now is your time to get right with God.
Final Invitation to Salvation
And if you have never put your faith in Christ do it right now as we close in prayer. Let's all bow our heads if you would. Father we thank You for Your Word today. We know it is true. And I pray for any listening or watching who may not yet know You. Lord help them to come to You now and be forgiven of their sin. We would ask in Jesus name.
While our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we are praying. Lord, if you would like Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sin. If you would like to know that you will go to heaven when you die. If you would like to have the confidence that you will be ready to meet the Lord when He comes through His church. Wherever you are sitting, wherever you are, would you just lift your hand up right now and let me pray for you? Just lift your hand up and I will pray for you today. Today you want Christ to come into your life. God bless you. God bless you. Up in the balcony. You outside in the amphitheater, raise your hand. You in the court building, lift your hand up. You at Harvest Orangecrest, Orange County, lift your hand up. I know I can't see you but that doesn't matter. The Lord sees you. You want to believe in Jesus right now. Lift your hand up. Let me pray for you. God bless all of you.
Now I am going to ask if you raise your hand. I want you to stand to your feet and I am going to lead you in a prayer of commitment right now. Just stand to your feet. All of you that raised your hand even if you did not but you want Christ to come into your life. You want your sin forgiven today. You want to get right with God. Stand to your feet wherever you are. God bless you guys who are standing. Stand up. Stand up. Up there in the balcony. You that are watching the video screen stand to your feet right now. Wherever you are stand. And I will lead you in this This is a simple prayer of commitment. One final moment. If you are going to stand, stand now. Anybody else? God bless you. God bless you guys up there. God bless all of you. Anybody else? Stand now. God bless you and you. God bless you.
You that are standing I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me. Again as I pray, pray this out loud after me. Pray Lord Jesus. I know I am a sinner. But you died on the cross and shed your blood for every sin I have ever committed. I repent of my sin. I ask you to come into my life and be my Savior and Lord. Am I God and my friend? I choose to follow you Jesus from this moment forward. Thank you for calling me and forgiving me. In Jesus name I pray.