His Perfect Love

Guest (Male): Today on His Perfect Love, we're introduced to two witnesses that will enter the scene during the tribulation.

Matt VanderVen: Hello again. Glad you could make it today as we present His Perfect Love with Pastor Matt Vander Ven. We've been studying the book of Revelation of late. During the tribulation period, the Lord will send out two witnesses to preach the gospel and the message of repentance. Though they'll have the power and authority of God, they'll be opposed at every turn and eventually killed. Who could they be? Well, Pastor Matt will weigh in on this toward the end of our program. First, let's hear about their mission from God. There is something very humbling about the word of God, isn't there?

Certainly a very reverent moment. I always often wondered, should I be taking my shoes off every week? Cuz I do believe whenever the word of God is opened, I am standing on holy ground. And um you know, I'm just even in light of that what we're reading this morning here in chapter 11. I'm going to read just the first five verses with you again that we'll look at here this morning. Then I was given a read like a measuring rod, and the angel stood saying, rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, specific things to measure, and those who worship there, but leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will tread the holy city under foot for 42 months, and I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy 1,260 days, 3 and 1/2 years, clothed in sackcloth.

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before God of the earth, 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. So, as we look here this morning, the first five verses, we talked about the first two last week. We remember very clearly, and I even showed a video of what it or a picture, excuse me, what it would be like if you had the Temple Mount in existence today. Remember that with the moss that's there.

And the interesting thing is what temple is going to be re erected as the third temple. Will it be Solomon's temple, the first temple in design and and you know, 180 ft, 100 ft by 50 ft, or is it going to be you know, Herod's temple that was not of the Lord the way he kept adding on it? That was something for his name. He did that for his own glory, Herod, right? He didn't do that for the Lord. Clearly, I believe it's going to be more like the first temple in the Old Testament for a design, in which case both actually fit what?

On the Temple Mount, and we found where the eastern gate was through some recent discovery, some archaeology. So, we even know that the courtyard then became where the mosque is, which makes all the sense in the world because that's the court of the Gentiles where they're going to trample under foot. And for many of us, you know, some of us were like, whoa, that's amazing that that's God. That's God. That's his word. He's always amazing, and we're just catching up, right? And so from there, we saw that he gave very clear to the apostle John to go ahead and measure these things, but keep out the courtyard of the Gentiles.

He says they're going to tread it, and that makes sense. They're going to be sort of going about their business not respect not having any reverence for God or anything that's coming in spite of the great tribulation that's underway. And then he introduces us in verse 3, and that's our passage this morning to these two men. And he calls them two witnesses. Now, there's a whole lot we're going to want to know about these two men. Some things we're going to be able to find out this morning in the scriptures. Some things we're going to have to you know, look down from the mezzanines and who these men are going to be because we simply won't know.

But there are some theories, there are some things we can look at, some things we can conjecture biblically in a way that's safe, and then there's some things we need to be silent on because we simply don't know. But in verse 3, it says, and I will give power to my two witnesses. Very clearly, he wants us to see the first thing is that God is the one that's empowering these two men. These two men on their own are nothing without God. Boy, that sounds familiar. Right? Every one of us without God we can do nothing good of ourselves.

And they will prophesy, and that idea can mean two things. One is foretelling of the future. Well, John's already doing that, so we pretty certain that's not what he's doing. Or it can be an encouragement, or as the Old Testament prophets when they prophesy often time that could also be judgment. And there's some leaning towards that ladder that I just mentioned, and here's why. Cuz they're going to prophesy 1,260 days. We know that's 3 and 1/2 years. That's going to anchor us in the timing of all this because the whole great tribulation is only how long?

7 years. So, they're going to be on this earth. They're going to be giving the gospel. They are going to be doing what they're doing, and they're going to be doing it half of the time that the whole entire great tribulation is going to occur. That narrows down whether they're at the front of the great tribulation or the back of the great tribulation. Up to where we're reading, we're still in the front half of the 3 and 1/2 years cuz we haven't even gotten to the seventh trumpet that's blown yet, right? We haven't gotten to the back half.

That doesn't happen until the what? Do you remember what the milestone we read in Daniel chapter 9 verse 27 was last week? It's the Antichrist doing what? Going in and desecrating the temple and desiring to be worshipped as God, breaking the peace treaty with Israel, and then all of the people according to Matthew 24 and 25 as Jesus had commanded, get out of there. Don't go back and get any of your possessions. Get out of there because the Antichrist is going to do what? He's going to try to do exactly what Hitler and you know, all these other men that try that were types of Antichrist try to do what?

Exterminate the Jewish people. That's exactly what's going to happen midway through the great tribulation, and there will be tremendous death in Israel. Okay? And I'll tell you why I say it's Israel and specifically Jerusalem. We'll get there in a moment, but we know it's going to be at 2 1,260 days somewhere within the 3 and 1/2 years. And and this is the other part that's really important. I have it underlined in my Bible. Encourage you to do it, clothed in sackcloth. Whenever we see a prophet clothed in sackcloth in the Old Testament coming with a word, giving prophecy or saying, he was always or almost always coming in what?

Judgment. He was coming to tell the people that judgment was coming, but he would also give a word of what? Repentance. Repent judgment and say, who is the last Old Testament prophet that you and I read about in the Gospels that we have as a reference of this? And he did the very same thing. His name was John as well, not John the apostle, but John the Baptist, the baptizer, right? And John the baptizer came and he said what? The kingdom of God is at hand, and he said, repent. He says great judgment's coming. The kingdom of God is at Nothing new under the sun for us that are students of the scriptures.

We know these things. We see I don't like to use the word pattern, a model, but it does help us to understand that God works certain ways and he has fingerprints. And a lot of times when God touches something, we can come back and look at the fragrance or fingerprints and that has the hand of God upon it. We that has the spirit of the Lord upon it. That's exactly what we read here. That clothed in sackcloth is a is a giveaway for us here. These are the two olive trees. We're going to look at Zephaniah that's going to use these almost identical words.

Did you know that? Zephaniah chapter 4 we're going to look at this. And it's astounding because when we go to the context of Zephaniah, there were two as well. And they had a different purpose as well, and it revolved around a temple too. Did you know that? And they're standing before God of the earth, and then we see something that's unlike anything we've ever seen other than Elijah, maybe some of the power of a Moses or other prophets that have come in the past. They're going to have supernatural power that they are going to go Well, I don't know if it'll sound like that.

I don't know what it's going to be like. I don't like a dragon. I'm doing the best I can here, but they're going to open their mouth and fire is coming out, right? I am so thankful that Jesus does not give this as a gift to anyone else. Can you see it? I said the first that we'll all be driving on 80 I 81 and cars would be incinerated everywhere like blowing up because people you know, just get out of my way, you know? No. Now, he gives this to these two men, and it 's not for an aggression way.

Please see that as well. It's not a form of aggression. You know what it is? It's a defensive posture for those that come and try to thwart God's plan. Those that try to come to them and kill them because they know they know that you they were sent by God. And it just reminds me something I've said to you guys before and I and I I never get tired of saying this. I hope you never get tired of hearing this. You are invincible in the will of God. I want you to that's not a name and acclaim it and blab it and grab it.

That's not some false gospel like you know, Joel Osteen and some of these guys up here, you know, with the sparkly teeth thing, you know? That's not one of those moments here, okay? This is a scriptural biblical principle and promise of God. You are right where you are right now invincible in the will of God because he has a plan and purpose for your life until such a time is that you have completed that plan or purpose in which time he will do what? If you're a born again believer, he will bring you home. That's the way it works.

These men, these two witnesses are going to be given a supernatural ability to breathe fire on all anybody who tries to come and harm them. And believe you and me, there's going to be thousands that are going to try to come and harm them because right at the same time as we're going to see that the Antichrist is going to go in and desecrate that temple. All of a sudden, all the Jewish people in Israel are going to be heightened out of like what just happened? Oh my, what just happened? And they're going to freak out in that moment.

They're going to become very afraid. Jesus told them, don't even go in your house. Remember, get out of there and go into the wilderness. Some are even going to go to Petra. And then what are they going to do? They're not going to grab anything and run. Boy oh boy, I'll tell you what. Do you think that more people come to Christ at a funeral or at a wedding? Funeral. I heard somebody just say that over here. A funeral. That's right. Why? Because when we contemplate death or we're looking at those things that are sobering, that frighten us we have a moment where we actually check our own understanding.

We check our own heart, where are we at with things? Are we in a good place? Are we content? We're open. When that happens and Israel just watched their temple desecrated that they wanted rebuilt for how many years? Thousands of years since it was destroyed, 80 70. And now it finally happened. They're going to sit there and they're going to be fleeing for the wilderness. We're going to see that in Revelation 12 here in a moment. And God is going to supernaturally protect them because the Antichrist is going to try to kill every one of them.

He's going to want every one of them dead. What an amazing time for two witnesses to stand up and say, repent. Salvation's at hand. You see, God doesn't bring this great judgment without bringing a great gospel and a great opportunity for salvation so that during this moment where it catches all their attention, they pause long enough to go, yes, that's what I need. I need Messiah Jesus. And many will give their lives to Christ at that moment. Yes, some will die. And we're going to spend the time rest of our time talking about how this all comes together.

And And friends that's in three verses, four verses, five verses here. So many go so fast, we skip over all of this. We need to go to the scriptures. So let's go to verse 3 here, okay? We just read again the time, 1,260 days. The desecration is the Antichrist walking into the temple. Therefore, I have a simple question for you. The two witnesses are there. Do you believe this is at the first half of the great tribulation or the second half of the great tribulation? Some I heard someone say first. Anybody think second? You'd be wrong.

Right? It's the first half. How do you know that? Because the culminating point of the halfway point is the 3 and 1/2 years. The witnesses are already there, which means it has to be the first half chronologically, okay? And this is important cuz as we go through this, sometimes after service I have folks come up, Pastor, I'm just a little confused chronologically. Help me place this. So I'm going to start trying to do a better job at that as we're going through these just chronologically, okay? Now the thing the second thing I want us to focus on, these two witnesses, what is their mission?

Okay? They will preach the gospel at the time the Antichrist is there and and or desecrating the temple. They're going to preach a message of what? Well, verse 3 tells us, and I will give power to my two witnesses and they will prophesy. There it is a word for a the length of time, 3 and 1/2 years. What? Clothed in sackcloth. Whenever we see that in scripture, what did we say that means? They're going to practice as the prophets of past a judgment that's coming. So repent. The judgment is at hand. So they're going to be preaching a message of repentance.

Didn't we already see that in chapter 9 verses 20 and 21 that God himself was surprised that so many people hadn't already repented and called them to? So again, this is a very important biblical message of repentance that he's giving out at a time when they're going to be most sensitive, the Jewish people themselves. Cuz up to this point, it hasn't just been the Jewish people, hasn't it? It's been the whole world. Half of the population is destroyed by the sixth trumpet if you're using today's population numbers. Remember, 8 billion people 4 billion people have died.

There's only 4 billion people left. Okay? I just want you to process that for a minute. We're only at the sixth trumpet judgment, the second Well, we haven't gotten to the third. But that has affected the whole world. What is now being in a microcosm way is happening just in Jerusalem. Do you see that? Everything he's talking about with a rebuilt temple solely revolves around the Jewish people. Everything is revolving around the Jewish people in this portion of the scripture. They're the ones that have to flee to the hill. The desecration of the temple is happening in Jerusalem.

Everything is revolving. This is the time where now God is specifically going to the Jewish people. He's gone to the whole world, Gentile and Jews during the great tribulation, but now his focus is going to be narrowed in on the Jewish people that they would as his chosen people come to Messiah Jesus. Okay? So you can't miss that also in this chapter. Now it makes sense, okay? Now after the 3 and 1/2 days, I'm going to get a little ahead of myself here, but in verses 11 and 12 in in chapter 11 of Revelation, we're going to read that after 3 and 1/2 days Why is 3 and 1/2 keep coming up?

You think God wants to pay attention to 3 and 1/2? Sure he does because what's going to happen after 3 and 1/2 days after those two witnesses are killed by the beast right in the street? Because didn't I just say you're invincible when you're in the will of God until such a time as your plan and purpose God has for you is what? Complete. Is there any sense worrying about it? There's no sense in worrying about it. Everybody has a destined point of time in scripture, a destined plan and purpose for their lives. There's no sense in worrying about it or trying to do all these things to you know, people spend their whole lives inheritances trying to go and extend time.

God has ordained a particular time for every single human being as the scriptures teach. Certainly want to live healthy, want to live a right lifestyle, take your supplements, all those good things. But please let's not mistake that you're invincible in the will of God, and it was the same thing with these two men. They could literally breathe out fire, but then when God says the time is done the abomination desolations occurred, the Jewish people have heard me loud and clear. They've heard the two witnesses call for repentance. You've had the time, the Jewish people. I've given you what I said.

I've I've honored my my bargain, my promise, my covenant to you. You know, those who bless Israel would be blessed. Those who curse Israel will be cursed. I've honored Genesis 12 and the covenant I established with Abraham, your father, all those years ago by bringing this to this point of culmination. He says, okay, now and only now will I now allow this beast to come at these two witnesses. And all of a sudden, these men that were invincible can now what? Be killed. They're going to lie in the street. CNN, Fox News, everybody's going to cover it.

Oh my, look at this on the satellite. They're going to make a holiday out of it. They going to give gifts. That just tells you carnally where the people are. I mean, murder is terrible as it is, right? It's horrible. Death is is terrible to see anybody die, especially holiness and but to see that and then them to have parties and get togethers where they're like, oh, it's witness day and here's your present and I mean, there's not sick. That tells you God talked about that in Romans 2, didn't he say? They're going to be going over Romans 1 and 2 to a debased mind.

You want to know what a look of a debased mind looks like? It looks like that where you're giving somebody a present because somebody was murdered in the streets. Only to find out as they're partying and happy, here's your gift, my gift. Everybody's giving gifts. They're dead. Only to find out you know, the cameras are still panning on them. Nobody's even picking up the body. It just shows you they didn't want to give a proper burial. They're laying there, the two witness, 3 and 1/2 days, half days. Do you know how specific that is? 3 and 1/2 years, 3 and 1/2 days.

He's they turn around and what? All of a sudden, they wake up kind of do one of these deals. Right? They get up kind of like you know, cuz you're you're dead 3 and 1/2 days. I imagine things got to kind of get rigor mortis, tighten it up, you know? So you Right? You're kind of stretching, moving and grooving, right? A little bit. I want you to see the picture. You'll be looking down from the mezzanines, but I know it's going to be pretty close to something like that cuz they're going to get up and they're going to turn around and then all of a sudden they're going to look up to heaven and they're out of there and they ascend up into heaven, okay?

And that's what they want us to see. So why is that all important? Because where is all this taking place? This is going to help us identify who they might be too. I I truly believe. Where's all this taking place? Remind me. Where is the temple being rebuilt? Jerusalem, right? It's not happening in any other country, on any other continent. It's very specifically Jerusalem. We all agree on that. Remind me where these witnesses are in chapter 11. It comes right after John telling him to measure the temple, and then we're introduced to the two witnesses.

So where are the witnesses? Cuz if the temple's in Jerusalem and the witnesses are there, where are they? Jerusalem. All right. Okay. Two for two. Then we read further on in verse 8. Look just at verse 8 here. I know we're skipping ahead. 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 what? Crucified. So there's two for two. We can't miss it. If somebody said, well, Pastor, you're going on a limb saying that the witnesses are there. Am I? Because verse 8 just said that they were crucified or excuse me, they were their bodies are laying at the same place that Jesus was crucified or in that area.

Remind me again where Calvary is, Golgotha if you prefer. Jerusalem. You all with me? So there's no question that this is happening in Jerusalem proper in Israel because some that try to use this replacement theology and say, oh, God's done with Israel and now the church has taken over and all of the How do you explain any of this? It can't be. It can't be. God is working through Jerusalem cuz that's where the people that are Jewish are all have making aliyah back to Israel to come to faith. God is not even near done with Jerusalem.

He has a covenant established with them. He's going to give them a new heart, and they will many of them become born again, okay? So that then tells me that we should be looking for characters, people that are going to ride on the scene. They're going to come to Jerusalem, not any other part of the world. Who could it be? I have three suggestions for you this morning, three theories. Moses and Elijah, Enoch and Elijah. Elijah's like, yeah, twice. And two unknown believers, right? Whom God calls to be his witnesses in the end time. Now, why Moses and Elijah?

I I think this is a possibility because these two witnesses are do similar miracles to what? Moses and Elijah, right? Do you remember that Moses was able to turn water into blood? Remember that Revelation? You know, we read that in 11 Revelation 6. They're going to see you're going to see that here in a minute. They can shut up the rain. They can do all kinds of things like that, super thing. Moses had that ability. He did He duplicated that same thing in Exodus chapter 7, right? But then also we see that they witness that power to destroy their enemies with fire.

Well, we've seen that before or the ability of that. Who's who's done that? Well, I read that in Revelation 3 11 5, excuse me. But I can also read that in 2 Kings 1, and who's done that? Elijah. So I can see that there have been people that God has empowered before that have done these very things, okay? They're They're not uh this isn't the first time we would have seen something like this in scripture. So maybe that's Moses and Elijah. I can also read in Matthew chapter 17 verse 3 and 4 that who appeared at the transfiguration with Jesus?

Moses and Elijah, right? So okay. So that that possibly And then further Jewish tradition And the reason they have the tradition is cuz it's based on Old Testament scriptures. They expect Moses and Elijah to return, don't they? It's based on the prophet Elijah's coming. Do you remember Malachi chapter 4 5 where it specifically says that who will come? Elijah. Elijah will come. Didn't John the Baptist say he came in the spirit of or wasn't it said of him? Jesus said, if only you would have received him, he would have been Elijah to you. Right? So Malachi 4 5 even Jesus gives that credence.

And then what about God's promise to raise up a prophet like Moses? Do you remember that in the Old Testament, Deuteronomy chapter 18 15? And then also I think it's in verse 18 as well where he says, I promise to raise up another like my prophet Moses. That necessitates Moses's return. Now, you might sit there and say, okay, but then why are you saying Enoch and Elijah? Well, that's interesting too because we also want to keep in a harmony of the scriptures. So it could be those two possibly as well. Why Enoch and Elijah? You're probably thinking about something unique about the two of them as well.

These are the only two individuals, at least that I'm aware of, that God took directly to heaven without experiencing death, right? Genesis chapter 5 verse 23 and 2 Kings chapter 2 verse 11, okay? Now, proponents or people that would believe this would be because they would say all scripture cannot contradict itself, and if we're being students of the scripture, if I turn to Hebrews chapter 9 verse 27 it says very clearly here that all men are appointed to do what once? Die once. Did Elijah or Enoch die once? No. As a matter of fact, for you and I uh the children that could be of the rapture, we may all be of that generation, they were types for us.

If we ever wondered how would Jesus rapture somebody, look at Elijah, look at Enoch. There's a typology for you of what a rapture can look like, and God's done it before. It's not difficult for the Lord. But those that hold on to this would say, no, it can't be Moses and Elijah because Moses is already what? Died once. And they says, oh, okay, I can deal with Elijah there. But then the only other person that hasn't died once in scripture that we would be Enoch. So maybe that's Enoch and Elijah, and proponents don't want to hold on to that um the fact that they never experienced death.

So maybe they'd be perfect for the two witnesses because ultimately the two witnesses are going to what? They're going to die, right? In chapter 11 verses 7 8 9 we're going to read about how they people can see them in the streets. And that would coincide with the Hebrews 9 27 which says it's pointed for a man to die once. So some hold on to that very biblically as a literal fulfillment of God's Hebrews chapter 9 27, okay? Uh obviously the other I think layup if I can say it that way of Enoch and Elijah is that both of those men when they were on the earth, what did they pronounce?

God's judgment. Right? 1 Kings 17 1 and Jude verses 14 and 15. We we see passage of that. Now, the third option, it could be anybody.

Guest (Male): Pastor Matt Vander Ven on just a few of the possibilities when it comes to the identity of these two witnesses in the last days. This is His Perfect Love, and we're traveling through Revelation right now one verse at a time. If you were blessed and encouraged by the Lord, we'd like to know. Email us while it's fresh on your mind. They're at our website, hisperfectlove.org. Be sure to include your prayer requests. Also at our website, you'll find an archive of these studies in Revelation making it easy to replay a message you enjoy or catch what you miss on the radio.

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Matt VanderVen: His Perfect Love is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore.

Guest (Male): Let the word go out, the perfect love of Christ to shine. Our lives will shout. I am my beloved and He is mine. Every heart is in His hands. We'll never stop reaching out. This is His Perfect Love. This is what a real love looks like This is His Perfect Love.