Yesterday I wrote about
the two witnesses, and for some reason the Lord showed me the Church in Splendor. I began to imagine that the two witnesses were the believers in Christ who were like those believers from the Smyrna and Philadelphia church. This was so different than what I had always been taught to believe - that the two witnesses were actually people - Elijah and John the Baptist. But now, after reading the rest of the scripture in Revelation 11, I’m not sure what to think. Let me get your opinion. The rest of the scripture says, “If anyone tries to harm them (the two witnesses), fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.” I can’t imagine fire coming out of the mouths of every true Christian. It’s much easier to think of fire coming out of the mouth of two resurrected men. “They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.” Now just because they have power to stop the rains and turn water into blood, and strike the earth with every kind of plague does not necessarily mean they are going to use it. Or are they? “Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.” Is the testimony that they give a living message to Jesus, our King? Is that why their act of prophesy and their testimony is the same thing? “Their dead bodies will lie in the public square of the great city - which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt - where also their Lord was crucified.” Well, when I looked up the meaning of “dead body” in the Blue Letter Bible it’s a single neuter noun, Pto-mah, which in addition to corpse, could also mean “Failure, defeat, downfall or ruin.” The public square - I’ve also heard of that before. It’s in Proverbs 1:20 and it is one of my favorite verses. “Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square.” Proverbs 1:20 The public square is not necessarily a physical place. It could be a spiritual state where every eye can see. It’s a place that describes both judgement and humility. And then, there is the great city. Everyone knows that the great city is Jerusalem, not Sodom nor Egypt. So why in the world did John say that Jerusalem was spiritually like Sodom and Egypt? Well, according to the Blue Letter Bible, Sodom is equated with “brimstone and burning;” and Egypt is known for its “double straits.” The metaphorical use of Egypt is like the Jews persecuting Christ and his followers, so to be likened to how the Egyptians treated the Jews. Coming out of Egypt could be a spiritual state. This could be the process of “saving and sanctification.” And obviously, it is not something the Israelites did on their own. They were only saved by the good grace of God. It’s because he is sovereign, and He is a God of Promise - A God of His Word. Verse 11:8 is so informative! “For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.” Could the ruin actually be the great city Jerusalem? Does it have to be two dead bodies? Does it have to be John the Baptist and Elijah? Since a true Jew is actually a follower of Christ, could the true Jerusalem actually be the true Christian Church? “The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them (the dead Christians?) and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets (could it be the true Church?) had tormented those who live on the earth.” Are the inhabitants of the earth those like Sodom and Gomorrah? Is it like the world during the days of Noah? Do these antichrist people gloat for taking Christians out? Do they send gifts to each other when Christians are martyred? Jesus always sent his disciples out in pairs. Two by two they took to the stairs. Do the pairs have to be two single people, or could they be two churches? Apparently I’m still stuck on the two churches of Smyrna and Philadelphia. I don’t know why the Holy Spirit won’t let me shake it? And what is a prophet? A prophet is a person who speaks forth the Word of God. Is it possible for the two churches to be so moved by the Holy Spirit, that they become even more powerful than what we saw in the Book of Acts? Could the children of God fall dead, and then later be resurrected in front of everyone? The scripture says, “But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.” Then they (the resurrected Christian church?) heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Is it possible that in the end of days, the last 3.5 years, that Satan will believe he has finally received his kingdom? “And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.” Is this the rapture that people often talk about? Is this when God takes his whole Church? “At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” There is always an appointed time, an appointed time determined solely by God. Is this scripture true? Are 90 percent saved? God usually saves a remnant- 10% of His investment. But in this case, 10 percent are killed and the rest are saved because they saw the wrath of God. “The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.” What in the world? Lord, give me wisdom. Help me to understand. I need Your help walking through the rest of Revelation. Based on Revelation 11:5-14
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