Two Witnesses
(Rev 11: 1~6)
The Greek word of witness means a martyr (martus) who risks his life for the gospel. Mrs. Butler, about whom Pastor Spurgeon cited in his sermon, was a weak woman. But she brought 6700 people to Christ by saying, 'Please listen to this dying old woman.' After the 6 trumpet woes, God gave us the mission to prophesy what we chewed over in our Patmos through the authority of the little Scroll, proclaiming that we are changed not through woes, but through the gospel. Here the two witnesses have crucial roles to play. What are those?
1. They measure the temple of God. This ministry is about selecting the true churches to be protected by God from the false ones. But they are commanded to measure them with a feeble and trifle reed. Measuring with the reed, tender outside but straight inside, refers to the act of witnessing the gospel in the way that fits us the most, the mark of a true worshiper. God excluded the outer court of the temple from being measured but trampled on by gentiles for 42 months. The 42 stands for the intermediate age between the early church and the 1st and 2nd coming of Jesus Christ when both evangelism and persecution against church come to climax. During this period, the two witnesses should be wide awake and fight against Satan which tramples the outer court of the temple.
2. They prophesy with authority after repentance. The two witnesses are clothed in sackcloth for the gospel. We need to come to the Lord with a repenting heart before we prophesy. We Christians need to discern our two statuses the authoritative citizen of the Kingdom and the carrier of the cross. Our authority comes from our lifestyle: living as Gods people and witnessing the gospel even in our trials. Our ministry of the cross is being ready to be trampled on, which brings us Gods crown. By fulfilling this ministry, we will be clothed in Gods glory and authority even though we may look trampled on. One deaconess whose husband had an affair with another woman could have divorced him. But in order to keep her family, she endured her suffering and called upon the name of the Lord everyday. Thus the one person in suffering keeps our church awake and alive.
3. They keep the lamp of the word alight. The olive trees stand for the Christians anointed with the Holy Spirit and the lampstands stand for Gods church. The two lampstands refer to the churches that God entrusted with the mission of being witnesses among the seven churches. Therefore the witnesses of the gospel should be a lampstand that lightens the world with the oil of the Holy Spirit. Thomas, a missionary led many Korean people to the Lord by throwing them the Bible wrapped in red cloth with his kind smile even when he was threatened with death by them. We also receive the same authority that the two witnesses enjoyed when we truly repent.
4. They receive the authority of miracles. The fire that comes from their mouth refers to Gods word. Both Elijahs miracle that held the rainfall and Moses miracle that turned the water into blood demonstrate the mighty power of Gods people empowered by the Holy Spirit. Elijah, however, barely escaped from being killed after bringing the 850 false prophets of Baal and Asherah to death. Then, before ascending to heaven, he delivered the message that God even dwells in a gentle whisper to Elisha. We are a passageway of the gospel. After experiencing Jesus through the Bible, we will also become the witness to Jesus Christ. One small group leader used to be a CEO of a big company. But now, about eighty, he is working as a cleaner. One day an owner of a foreign car pulled up his car and told the deacon to clean what he had vomited after drinking. The deacon thought, Should I do even this sort of thing? Yet he took heart and cleaned the car, thinking Who can do it but me, a cleaner? Later he looked the car owner in the eyes when the man gave him a reward for the work and recognized the car owner, his ex-junior staff! Surprised, the man made a fuss, saying 'Mr. President' etc. After that, the apartment security guards, who used to ignore him, began to be respectful in treating him. Thus being trespassed on is a mark of Gods witnesses, which shows Jesus dwelling in them. God measures our whole being in and out He lets the outside of our temple be trespassed on and trains our inside to accept it. If we keep the lamp of the Word lighted to the last, we will surely enjoy Gods miracle as his empowered people.
I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, 'Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. (Rev 11:1ampsim2)
