Revelation 11: Jesus Rewards Faithful Witnesses

What happens when faithful witnesses face fierce opposition? Revelation 11 takes us on a journey through one of the Bible's most mysterious and controversial passages.

The mysterious two witnesses stand boldly proclaiming God's message, protected by supernatural power until their testimony is complete. When the beast finally overcomes them, the world celebrates their demise with gift-giving and revelry. But after three and a half days, God dramatically reverses their fate—resurrecting them, calling them to heaven, and unleashing judgment that causes even their enemies to acknowledge God's power.

Pastor Brandon skillfully navigates this complex text, looking beyond debates about the witnesses' specific identities to uncover the powerful encouragement it offered to the early persecuted church. The message transcends time: apparent defeat doesn't mean God has lost control. While earth may seem to be spiraling into darkness, heaven celebrates because God's plan continues unhindered.

This episode speaks directly to our modern struggles with disappointment and discouragement. When trusted leaders fail, when darkness seems to be winning, when our witness appears ineffective—remember that heaven's perspective differs radically from earth's. As Pastor Brandon powerfully states, "Just because it looks like God's not winning doesn't mean He's not winning."

The King remains on His throne. His victory is certain. And faithful witnesses will ultimately be vindicated and rewarded. Whether you're facing personal trials or witnessing cultural decline, this ancient apocalyptic text offers timeless hope: it's okay to be disappointed by circumstances, but never be discouraged about God's ultimate victory.

Subscribe now to continue our journey through Revelation, and discover how this final book of the Bible consistently delivers its central message: Jesus wins.

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The More We Dig. The More We Find.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Revelation 11
• 3:38 The Two Witnesses Explained
• 5:01 Death and Resurrection of Witnesses
• 6:06 Heaven's Response and Celebration
• 8:56 Finding Hope in Apparent Chaos
• 10:35 Prayer and Final Encouragement

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:24

Well, everybody, welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today, revelation, chapter 11, and today's title is Jesus Rewards, faithful Witnesses Jesus Rewards, faithful Witnesses. Today is another one of those chapters where there's a mystery and there's also some reality is there as well. And, man, you want to talk about some controversy. I don't know if I'm going to be able to avoid it. We're going to try. So get ready. If you have your Bibles, I want to open up with me to Revelation, chapter 11. While you're doing that, as always, make sure you take just a moment to like, share and subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you leave us a five star review on the podcast and make sure you're going to the Bible breakdown discussion on Facebook. There's an amazing group of people doing a wonderful job and, as always, the more we dig, the more we find, and especially with this chapter right here, this will be a very interesting chapter as we get ready. So, once again, revelation, chapter 11. And while we're getting ready for that, don't forget the overall goal of the book of Revelation is this idea that Jesus wins. Remember that's the goal. That's what we're trying to do here is we're trying to relay the fact that the book of Revelation was written to the early church that was experiencing horrible persecution. They're in these seven churches and, man, they are just getting it from all sides, from Rome, from Jerusalem, from all these other areas and the book of Revelation is all about encouraging them not to give up, to realize that God is on the throne. And all throughout this we see God is showing himself to be strong. And in chapter 2 and 3, he's talking to the churches directly 4, 5, 6, and 7, he's talking about these seven seals that he's opening up 8, 9, and 10, he's talking about the trumpets and these thunders and these different things. And now he's going to get into something very interesting that's called the two witnesses. Now I want to go ahead and get into a little bit of the controversy, and that is it is very difficult to understand exactly who these people are. Now, a lot of ink has been spilled, you know, writing about who these possibly could be. It could be. If you think of the book of Revelation purely from a futuristic point of view, then some people think it might be Moses, elijah Enoch, different people like that who have come back to be witnesses and remember, there's some great podcasts that talk about that, but today we're going to look at what it would have meant to the early church in the time frame. So, if you're ready, we're going to jump right into this and we're going to look at what this means and what it absolutely would have been, how it would have been encouraging to the people of the early church. If you're ready.

Speaker 1: 3:00

Revelation, chapter 11, verse 1 says this. Then I was given a measuring stick and I was told Go and measure the temple of God and the altar and count the number of worshipers. Now pause. If you read the book of Ezekiel with us, remember that's exactly what God told Ezekiel to do as well, verse 2. But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for forty-two months. Now pause.

Speaker 1: 3:43

Now, many scholars don't necessarily think these are two literal people because of what he just said Two lampstands, two olive trees, all that that. They actually look at it as a symbol of the Jewish people and the Gentile people who together, believing in Jesus, are a witness to the Lord. So let's continue reading from that point of view. Verse 5, if anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die. They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. They have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they wish. When they complete their testimony, the beast will come up from the bottomless pit and will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the main street of jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called sodom and egypt, the city where the lord was crucified.

Speaker 1: 4:47

And then, for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets that had tormented them. But after three and a half days, god breathed life into them and they stood up. Terror struck all who were staring at them. Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets Come up here. And they rose to heaven in the clouds, as their enemies watched. At the same time, there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. 7,000 people died in that earthquake and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly.

Speaker 1: 5:41

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet and there was loud voices shouting in heaven. The world has now become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever. And the 24 elders sitting on their thrones before God fail. They be falling all the time, telling you. They fell again with their faces to the ground and worshiped him and they said give thanks to you. We give thanks to you, lord, God Almighty, the one who is and the one who always was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were filled with wrath, but now the time assumed your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were filled with wrath, but now the time of your wrath has come. This time it's time to judge the dead and reward your servants, the prophets, as well as your holy people and all who fill your name, from the least to the greatest. It is time to destroy all who have caused destruction on earth. Then in heaven, the temple of God was opened and the ark of the covenant could be seen inside the temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared and there was an earthquake and a terrible hell storm.

Speaker 1: 6:47

Wow, this is weird. There's so much symbology that's going on that it's difficult to parse out exactly what's happening, isn't it? And so that's why many people spend so much time trying to make all of that fit, because who are these two people? And then, like they're protected, and then they're not protected, and then they die and people are excited. They die and they actually give each other presents because they're dead. Three and a half days they come back to life again and then they go not protected, and then they they die, and people are excited. They die and they actually give each other presents because they're dead. Three and a half days they come back to life again and then they go be with god, and then it's like chaos ensues on the earth, but at the same time, there's worship going on.

Speaker 1: 7:25

Do you notice that, at the same time, people in heaven are excited because they see the long-term plan that's going on, and so here to me is is the big deal, and that is this that, first of all, we can sit here until, as they would say, the cows come home and speculate about who the two witnesses are, but what we do know is that, in the middle of all of this chaos, these two witnesses are called to be faithful to God. They're called to stand out. They're called to preach the message of the Lord, and there are people who love it and there are people who hate it, but God is with them. But then, when they die, it's not over. God is still with them and God is still faithful. And then, when they go to be with Him, even though it looks like darkness, it looks like chaos, all of heaven is celebrating because the king still reigns.

Speaker 1: 8:19

What would that have meant to the early church? That would have meant to stand strong. That would have meant that when you go into these areas and you do these things, there's all these things that are happening, but God is still faithful, god is still moving in amazing ways. And even when death comes, don't give up. When it looks like that the world is winning and everything is falling apart, don't give up, because when it looks like everything is falling apart, heaven is in worship, because God is doing exactly what he wants to do, and can I tell you that's a hard thing for us to understand At least it is for me but it doesn't stop it from being true, and that is this that just because it looks like God's not winning doesn't mean he's not winning. That actually, when the world is getting darker all around us, all of heaven is worshiping because God has not left his throne. That, even the middle of what seems like chaos, and even the those that we revered have fallen, god is still winning.

Speaker 1: 9:20

So can I encourage you today, maybe there's been some discouragement come in your life. Maybe there were people that you thought, man, if anybody's going to make it to heaven, they're going to make it to heaven. Then you found out they were human, and now you're just, you're just messed up. Can I tell you, god is still on his throne and, no matter what happens on this earth, all of heaven is still worshiping because the king is still king, and so I just want to encourage you it's okay to be disappointed, but never get discouraged. The king, because the king still reigns. Let's pray together right now.

Speaker 1: 9:52

God, thank you so much for today. Thank you, god, that, though heaven and earth will pass away. You remain the same. One of the greatest lessons that I get out of this chapter today, god, is that even when these things are happening, it does not affect who you are. I'm thankful for that today and I celebrate you in jesus name. We pray amen. What God's word says in Revelation 1, verse 7, it says Look, he comes at the clouds of heaven and everyone will see him. I look forward to the day when we see Jesus face to face. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for Revelation, chapter 12.