Introduction

Where have you travelled in the world? What other countries have you visited? Some of you love travelling to different places and seeing different cultures.

God has a heart for the nations and cultures of the world, and desires them to be reconciled to Himself. Thus it’s important for Christian missionaries to go and preach, to love and serve, to plant churches and make disciples. However, an often overlooked part of mission work is that it’s important for Christians to be willing to suffer, even die, for the sake of the gospel. This is “martyrdom”. When you hear the word MARTYR – don’t think terrorist suicide bombers. Martyr is the Greek word for WITNESS – someone who believes and faithfully sticks to their message, even if it costs them their life.

In John’s day Christian’s were commanded by law to participate in worship of the Emperor. This meant having to offer incense on a public altar, and swear allegiance saying: “Caesar is Lord. However, Christians could not deny that “Jesus is Lord”. For that reason they were arrested and executed. They were “faithful witnesses” (7x in Revelation). Many stories have been passed down about people in the crowds watching the gruesome public executions of Christians being converted as they witnessed the love, forgiveness and preaching of Christians as they died!

Early church writer Tertullian once said “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church”. More recently John Piper explains what this means: “One of the most sobering discoveries of my life is that God spreads the life-giving news about Jesus Christ by means of suffering and martyrdom…Afflictions are not merely the results of missionary fruitfulness, but also the means. God has appointed our pain to be part of his powerful display of the glory of Christ. The worth of Jesus in the world shines more brightly in the lives of those who say by their sacrificial lives: ‘I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.’ … Our calling is to make the afflictions of Christ real for people by the afflictions we experience in bringing them the message of salvation”.

The Christian’s courage and confidence in evangelism and mission comes from our conviction: “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

Recap events so far:

• Ch.4-5: following Jesus’ victorious death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, He holds the sealed plans for the culmination of human history in His hands.
• Seal Judgements: John sees the future, when Jesus opens the seals and begins the final steps towards His Second Coming and the coming of His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. The Trumpet Judgements warn of the Final Judgement to come – at the Bowls and Second Coming.
• The second Interlude (ch.10-11): focuses on Gods’ people and their MISSION as FAITHFUL WITNESSES during the Tribulation.
  

There’s a lot disagreement over how to interpret all the specific details of chapters 10-11 (what to take literally and what to take symbolically) – although broad agreement about its overall message. We’ll take one approach and you can read more about the debate on the blog this week.

Bible Study Questions

(1) In 10:1-11 an angel presents John with a message to preach to the world. Summarise the bad news (“bitter”) and good news (“sweet”) of the gospel message. Why must it contain both?

• Echoing God’s commission to Ezekiel in ch.2-3, John is given a message that is both comforting and challenging.
• Bad news: it must communicate about humanity’s problem: sin, death, judgement and hell.
• Good news: it must communicate about God’s solution: the sin-bearing substitutionary death of Jesus in our place, taking the judgement that is coming against us in order to save us.

(2)   Follow the drama in 11:1-13 and explain what God’s message is for His people in each scene:

• v.1-3 (c.f. 1 Corinthians 6:19, 1 Peter 2:5) [assuming the “temple, altar, worshippers” = God’s people]
  • The Temple, Altar and Worshippers probably represents believing people who are “measured” (based on Ezekiel 40) for spiritual security and protection – they are marked off by God from the godless world under His judgement and set apart as His holy people for a particular purpose.
  • The 42 months represent the 3.5 years of the second half of the Tribulation during which the Antichrist will war against Gods’ people (cf. Revelation 13 and Daniel 9:27f)
• v.4-6 (cf. Deuteronomy 19:15, Zechariah 4:1-6) [assuming “the two witnesses” = God’s people engaged in gospel witness]
  • The 1260 days represents the initial 3.5 years of the Tribulation when the gospel will go forth into the nations with great power
  • The two witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15 suggests two is the number for reliable witness testimony – and note Jesus sent out disciples to evangelise in twos; although also note the allusion to God’s Spirit-empowered leaders of the nation of Israel for the rebuilding of the Temple in Zechariah 4) are God’s spirit-empowered people who go into the world to preach the gospel. They are given protection and success in these years (echoing the ministries of Moses and Elijah the great prophets as they give powerful witness to the gospel of Jesus, possibly alluding to a renewed time of signs and wonders).
  • As Israel was to be a light to the nations and its leaders represented it in this function (as in Zechariah 4), so also I believe it is likely these two witnesses are not two specific individuals but rather representatives/symbols for the people of God witnessing for Him among the nations – a city on a hill (Matthew 5) as Jerusalem’s Temple was always meant to be as a beacon for God among the pagan nations.
• v.7-10 cf. John 15:18-20 [assume “the great city” = the godless rebellious world; “the beast” = the Antichrist]
  • The “beast” (first mention in Revelation – the Antichrist to come: 1 John 2:18) will make war against God’s people and seek to destroy them in unprecedented persecution.
  • “The great city” is referred to in ch.17-18 as Babylon (in John’s day Rome anticipated this final godless capital city of the Antichrist). It is here symbolically or spiritually called Sodom (for its sinfulness), Egypt (for its oppressiveness), and “where the Lord was crucified” (for its persecution of God’s people). These are descriptions of the godless world.
  • The world will celebrate the destruction of God’s people and seek to abuse and shame God’s people for their faithfulness to Christ.
• v.11-13 [contrast their 3.5 years of ministry and 3.5 days of death]
  • The 3.5 days may literally be days, or another (although strange) parallel with the last 3.5 years of the tribulation. Better, it may simply be a contrast: the gospel’s triumph in spreading for 3.5 years is far greater than the beast’s triumph for 3.5 days in silencing it.
  • The vindication of God’s people in the resurrection – the very worst the enemy can do is silence God’s messengers by killing them, but like Jesus, God will raise them from the dead and His message will invincibly and unstoppably continue to have its effect in converting sinners!
  • The earthquake is a preview of the final judgement to come. The suffering witness of God’s people combined with God’s judgement on the world results in a different response towards God.

(3)   How does the world’s response (to the judgements) in 9:20-21 differ from its response (to the suffering witness of Christians) in 11:13?

• Instead of hardening themselves against God in hatred and further rejection; many people from all the nations give glory to God – perhaps a suggestion of a final revival/awakening in response to faithful gospel preaching in the Great Tribulation period.
• In the OT 1/10 represented the remnant saved through judgement. Here it is reversed so that the 9/10 appear to respond and be saved in view of the gospel witness and judgement.

Discussion Questions

(1)   Why do we sometimes struggle with being Christ’s “faithful witnesses”?

(2)   How do you feel about suffering loss or persecution as a Christian?

(3)   In what ways can we make progress in dealing with these barriers?

“In this section John refers to the tremendous opposition faced by the people of God throughout the centuries and especially in the last days” (Leon Morris)

Take time to pray for suffering Christians around the world

http://www.releaseinternational.org/pray/

https://barnabasfund.org/downloads/resources/pfu/PrayerA4-Feb16.pdf

Conclusion

50 years after John died and Revelation was written an old man named Polycarp was pastor of the church in Smyrna. The Romans had a new Emperor who was again persecuting Christians, and they discovered in a search of Polycarp’s house the banned book: the Bible. Polycarp was given a choice: say “Caesar is Lord, not Jesus” and sacrifice to the Emperor…or die. A large crowd gathered to see what would happen next. Aged Polycarp spoke politely but firmly to all who were there: “86 years have I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Saviour?” Polycarp was then taken and burnt alive at the stake. But many people in that crowd who saw and heard him trusted in Jesus to be saved. The enemy may be able to silence God’s messengers, but never stop His message – and they will rise again to life sharing in Christ’s victory over sin, death and the powers of hell!

Today in this country you’re probably not going to be asked to die for being a Christian. But perhaps the bigger challenge for each of us is NOT BE ASHAMED OF HIM, but to boldly make Him known! “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:17)