The Heroes of The Tribulation

Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn, ond rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn. Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn, ond rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn. Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn, ond rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn. Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn, ond rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn. Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn, ond rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn. Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn, ond rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn. Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn, ond rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn. Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn, ond rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn. Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn, ond rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn. Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn, ond rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn. Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn, ond rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn. Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn, ond rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn. Rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn, ond rydyn ni'n gweithio'n dda iawn. ...come to in the book of Revelation outside of Jesus Christ that are heroes of the New Testament is the 24 elders. The 24 elders are mentioned in Revelation chapter 4 and verse 4. It says, And round about the throne were four and twenty seats. And upon the seats I saw four and twenty-four elders sitting clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And then you skip down to verse 10, and it says, The four and the twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. It mentions there 24 elders that are wearing white robes. They're dressed in white robes. They're casting their crowns before the throne of God. They're worshiping God. If you remember the study in Philippians, we learned last week that what is the new name of Jesus? Lord. And that's what they're doing. They're praising Him as Lord, and they're recognizing Him as Lord. And I didn't really realize it until after the sermon Sunday morning, but going through Revelation and looking at a lot of these different verses and stuff that we're going to cover tonight, it's amazing in Revelation how many times He's referred to as Lord and not Jesus with that new name, which of course, Revelation being future, and looking at all of that in the future. But Revelation 5, 8 says, And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and the four and twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and open the seals thereof, for Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by the blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. And so it says these twenty-four elders, as they are seated there around the throne of God, they have in one hand a harp, they have in the other hand a vial of odors. And He tells us specifically, which I like about Revelation, a lot of times when it's representative or a sign or a metaphor, He gives us what it's supposed to be. And He says them vials represent the prayers of His people, of His saints. And the picture of it is these vials of odor, this perfume that is going up. It's the idea of our prayers going up. It was the same thing when you saw in the tabernacle, starting out, the altar of incense. And what they would do is they would put that incense upon the altar and it represented the prayers of the people going up before Jesus Christ. As Peter refers to it, as our prayers being a sweet-smelling savor to God, our works and our life. And so this idea is the prayers of the saints. And then down in chapter 11, verse 16, these are the four different chapters that mention the four and twenty-four. It says the four and twenty-four elders which sat before God on their seats fell upon their faces and they worshiped God. And then it says in verse 16, the four and twenty-four elders which sat before God fell on their faces. That's the same exact verse. Now these elders are worshiping God non-stop. You see in all four passages in Revelation 4, 7, 11, everywhere that they're mentioned, they're worshiping God. Worshiping Him eternally. Now, we know what they do. They're worshiping God. They're playing harps. They're singing praises to God. They're having vows of the prayers. They're listening to the prayers of the saints. But who are they? That's where the questions come in. Who are the twenty-four elders? There's a lot of people that speculate that they are angels. And so the question is asked, are they angels, these twenty-four elders? Well, I highlighted a couple of phrases in there. If you go back in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 10, it says, Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried, and you shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Notice the ones that he's talking about here in Revelation chapter 2. They are sitting on thrones. And we know that the Bible tells us and promises that the believers, those that have accepted Jesus Christ, will be seated with Jesus Christ in heaven. We will be the ones that will be ruling and reigning there. In Revelation chapter 3 and verse 21, he says, To him that overcometh, I will grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcome and am set down with my Father in His throne. Revelation 3 talks about them, the believers, wearing white robes. He says, Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Then he mentions them in verse 18, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich in white raiment, and thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eyesalves, that thou mayest see. And we also know according to Scripture that angels do not die. And so it mentions here that these are those that have died. They have received their crown. They have received their reward. And when you look at Scripture, we know of five crowns that are actually mentioned in the New Testament that believers will have. And that's the imperishable crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory, and the crown of life. These are all crowns that you and I will be able to get at the judgment seat of Christ. And so these 24 elders are crowned. They're wearing white robes. They've already died or been to heaven. And so then if they're not angels, because angels don't die, angels don't wear crowns. Nowhere in Scripture will you find anywhere where an angel is crowned of anything. And so if they're not angels, then are they men? Are they human beings is what we mean by that. And it says in chapter 5 and verse 9 of Revelation, and they sang a new song saying, "...worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by the blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation, and hast made unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth." And so there it tells us that only mankind has been redeemed. God has not redeemed animals. He hasn't redeemed angels. And so here we're left with the fact that they were redeemed to us by God, by Jesus Christ's blood. Then it has to be men. And so now we narrow it down to it is men. There are some that believe that it is Israel, that these 24 elders represent Israel. And they do that because in the priesthood, the priesthood was divided into 24 different groups. Every group would serve two days out of the month or whatever, but they broke them down into two because not all the priests could serve at once. And so they had 24 different groups of it. And so some believe and some suggest that it actually is Israel. But if we understand what we know already about the tribulation period, we know that the Jews are not going to be gone before the tribulation period. And so it can't be the Jews, Israel, that are seated at the right hand of God. Their conversion and their redemption by the blood of Jesus Christ will not happen until the end of the tribulation when they finally recognize Him as the Messiah. Some also suggest that, well, it's 12 representing the Old Testament and 12 representing the New Testament. Twelve men of each testament. Nowhere in Scripture can you find anything that will suggest and back that up. Matter of fact, not one single time will you ever find the 24 divided into two groups. They're always spoken of, as every reference that we read a while ago, they're always spoken of as one group, the 24 elders. They're in one conclusion and one group. Some suggest that they're actually tribulation saints. If you remember, this is happening in Revelation 4 when they're first mentioned. This is before the start of the tribulation period. And so, guess what? They haven't had an opportunity to even be saved yet. And so if they're tribulation saints, then how in the world did they wind up at the throne from the very beginning of the tribulation period? So when you go through the process of elimination, that really only leaves us with one mankind that has been redeemed and bought with the blood of Jesus Christ that this could be. And I believe it teaches the church in their priestly ministry. When you look at the church, the church is the only completed group as a whole, as an institution that has been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. The believers in the church are the only ones that have been issued white garments. That tells us over and over that they will have white robes. We're the only one that are told that we would be seated in the throne and reign with Jesus Christ during the millennial reign. And so that's the only one that can practically be done. Peter mentions this. Peter says in 1 Peter 2 and verse 5, He also, referring to the Christians as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. He also mentions it again in verse 9, that you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Now, when you look at this and these 24 elders, if they are believers and representatives of the 24 representatives of the church, then these 24 elders also give credence to the fact that the church has already been raptured when this takes place, before the tribulation period starts. As some mention in chapter 4 and verse 1, where John, in chapter 1 through 3, John is looking at the earth, and then it says in chapter 4 verse 1, he says, come up hither. And so a lot of people look at that come up hither as being a sign of the rapture. And then he comes up and he sees the throne of God and opening up the scroll and all that, and these 24 elders are already sitting there. And so they've already been raptured and come out. And so that is the first group of heroes of the tribulation. The second group is the 144,000 witnesses. When we look at the 144,000 witnesses, we find them being brought up in Revelation chapter 7. In Revelation 7 verse 1 it says, And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. Remember, in chapter 6, we've already had the first six seals that have opened up. We have seen earthquakes, we've seen destruction, we've seen fire, we've seen water turn to blood, all of these things, and all of a sudden we come to chapter 7 and there's a break. He takes four angels and he holds up all of this that's going out of these seals that have been opened up. And then he says in verse 2, And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God, and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given, to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed, and there were sealed 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel, of the tribe of Judah, 12,000, of the tribe of Reuben, 12,000, the tribe of Gad, 12,000, the tribe of Asher, 12,000, the tribe of Nephilim, 12,000, the tribe of Manasseh, 12,000, Simeon, 12,000, Levi, 12,000, Issachar, 12,000, Zebulon, 12,000, Joseph, 12,000, and Benjamin, 12,000. And so when you come up to it, it is the 12 groups, 12 sons, are given 12,000 each. 12 times 12,000 is 144,000 of them that are sealed with that. Notice, as I mentioned a while ago, that these are interrupting the seals being opened up by Jesus Christ. And to me, when you look at these 144,000, this is another sign and another show of God's grace and His mercy. I mean, He's opening up these seals, and He stops for just a second, and He says, wait just a minute. We know that the trumpets are fixing to come out next, and then the vows are going to come out, and so it's fixing to get really bad in the Great Tribulation. And so He says, we're going to cease everything and stop for just a minute while I show my grace and mercy. He's going to seal 144,000 of them. This is the first of four parentheticals in the book of Revelation. What is a parenthetical? A parenthetical is like parentheses. It's set off to describe. Most all of Revelation is chronological. This happens, then this happens, then this happens, over and over and over, next, next, next, next. But there's four times in the Bible that there's a parenthetical. In other words, the author, given to John, as he is receiving this message, the giver ends up stopping the chronological and gives an explanation of some of the characters and some of the events that are taking place during this chronological time frame. And so this chapter 7 is one of these parentheticals. It's actually the very first parenthetical that we have. If you read chapters 4 all the way to the end of chapter 6, we see sequence of events. And then we see this stoppage that is there and explains about these 144,000. When you look at these parentheticals, it's kind of interesting because Revelation chapter 7, you find 144,000 are sealed and out of them come millions of converts. People that are going to give their life to Jesus Christ because of their witnesses. In the months of all of this opening of the seals and destruction and judgment that's taken place. Then you pick back up with the trumpets and you come to Revelation chapter 10, and all of a sudden, the time out of the chronological and God makes an announcement from heaven to all of the earth. Then you get to chapter 11 and he says another parenthetical and he takes time out to explain the two witnesses and what their ministry and what their work is going to be. And we'll look at them here in just a little bit. In Revelation 12 and 13 is a parenthetical of Satan, the Antichrist, the false prophet, and how they're going to be working during this entire process and what they're going to be doing. Revelation 14, again, he stops the action and he gives a heavenly pronouncement. And then you get to Revelation 17 and 18 and you see mystery Babylon. And so pretty much, if you go through Revelation, when you start in chapter 4, at the beginning of the tribulation period, 4-6, and then 8-9, 16, 19-22 are all chronological. And then you have these parentheticals that are there. And so these 144,000, who are they not? Since we dealt with the who are they not, who are they not? They are not the only those that are saved during the tribulation period. There are some that suggest and some teach that this is only those that are saved during the tribulation period. We are told that there will be Gentiles and Jews that are being saved during the tribulation period. The 144,000 are going to be strictly Jews. And so we know that Gentiles and Jews are going to be saved. It tells us in Revelation 7-9 that I beheld in a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, kindreds, people, tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes and palms in their hands. Verse 14 says, And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. And so the ones that come out of the tribulation are as a result of the witnesses. They're not before the witnesses that's there. They are not the 144th Jehovah Witness. Which Jehovah Witnesses have changed that stance because they've actually now grown to where they're over 144,000. And so then they had to begin to make up the idea of who's going to be left and who's not going to be left. Who's going to be the witnesses and who's not. But this goes for any religious organization. Anybody that's modern day religion, whether it be Jehovah Witness or any other group that claim to be the 144,000 because we know Scripture tells us they're Jews. And they're of the 12 tribes of Israel. He says in Revelation 7-4, I heard the number of them which were sealed. The 144,000 of what? The tribes of the children of Israel. Most Jehovah Witnesses are not Jews anyway. And so it also tells us that they are men and virgins. It says in Revelation 14-4, these are they which are not defiled with women for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever they go with. These are redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God to the Lamb. It says that they are redeemed from among men. And so at this particular time during the tribulation period, they will be saved. If they were already saved, as the Jehovah Witness claim already claimed salvation, then guess what? They would have went with the rapture and they wouldn't be here to begin with. And so who are they? It says it's pretty simple. The 144,000 Jews from the 12 tribes of Israel. They are to be Hebrew evangelists that are sent to preach the Gospel to the entire world. In Matthew 24-14, you remember when we talked about Matthew that the Gospel was going to go out and that people claimed that, well, that's what's happening today because of the Internet and all of that. But remember, what are we talking about? When is the time frame of the actual last days that Jesus was talking about in Matthew 24? The tribulation period. And so Matthew 24-14 says, And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come. And so this is as a result of the 144,000 that are there. How are they converted? How are they saved? Because we always hear the thing that nobody can be saved, right? Paul tells us that in Thessalonians, that God is going to send a great delusion that people are not going to believe that they're going to accept the lie. So it's going to be very difficult to be saved during the tribulation period, but it's not going to be impossible. And so how are these people going to... How are these 144,000 Jews going to be saved? I think if you look back, and I mentioned there that delusion in 2 Thessalonians 2.11, it says, For this cause God shall send them a strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. So how are they going? How are they converted? 1 Corinthians 15.8, I think, kind of gives us a clue. And nobody really knows. Scripture doesn't say. It says God comes and He seals them. But, 1 Corinthians 15.8, Paul is talking there. And Paul is describing his salvation. And Paul mentions, he says, And last of all, He was seen of me also as of one born out of due time. That born out of due time literally means a premature birth. In other words, Paul was saying I was born before I was supposed to be born. By due date. So when we look at that and we look at a premature birth, we don't know about his physical birth. And he's talking in chapter 15 about his salvation, his coming to Jesus Christ. And so how did Paul come to know Jesus Christ? If you remember in Acts 9, where was Paul? He was heading on the road to Damascus. What was he going to do? To kill and persecute Christians? And what happened? Jesus Christ came to him right there in the middle of the street and said, Paul, who art thou? And what did He call him? Lord. Who art thou, Lord? He already knew. And so what Paul is referring to is that Paul was prematurely, in other words, he didn't have time for the Gospel and the conviction and that stuff to work. How was he saved? God confronted him right there, right then. And all of a sudden, what did he do? He said, yes, Lord. And he obeyed Him and he accepted Him as his personal Savior. With that being in mind with Paul, then I believe when we look at the conversion of these 144,000 and the way it explains it in Revelation 7, I believe that it could possibly be this. That God's just going to do something dramatic in their life to stop them and to bring them to Him. And He mentions that He's going to put a seal that is there. So what is the seal that He's talking about? It's not the little gray animal that plays with the ball or eats fish. So what's He talking about? In verse 1 of Revelation 14, He says, And I looked, and lo, a lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with Him 140,000 and 4,000, having His Father's name written in their foreheads. Robert Thomas says this, A seal was not uncommon for a soldier or a guild member to receive such a mark as a religious devotee. The mark was a sign of consecration to deity. The forehead was chosen because it was the most conspicuous, the most noble, and the part by which a person is usually identified. It will be obvious to whom those slaves belong and whom they serve. And so there's going to be many that are going to be saved and they're going to be marked with some type of a seal that's going to mean God written on their forehead. If you remember the Jews, what do the Jews do now? Have you ever seen an Orthodox Jew? They have a little box on their forehead. Why? Because the Bible told them that the Word of God should be. So they've got Scriptures written down in that little bitty box and they literally tie it to their head. And they walk around with the Scriptures between their eyes on their head. And so it's a very predominant deal. When you go to Israel, you know the Orthodox Jews very quickly they stand out because they've got a little box sticking on their head. This is the same type of idea that he's talking about here. Revelation 7, verse 9 talks about all of these many people that are going to be saved. He says, After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man can number of all nations, all kindred, all people, all tongues stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne and about the elders and the four beasts and fell before the throne on their faces and worshipped God. Verse 12, saying, Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be unto our God forever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes, and where came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of water, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. And so many people, because of these 144,000 witnesses, are going to be saved. And so when people say that you can't be saved during the tribulation, no, it's not going to be easy to be saved in the tribulation. When you remove the church, you remove the Holy Spirit, the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and all you have is these witnesses that are sealed with the message of Jesus. It's not going to be easy. It's going to be easier to get the mark of the beast. And we'll talk about next week with Satan and the Antichrist and it will be to profess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You know, I put myself in that deal that when you look at the mark of the beast, you have to have it in order to do groceries, in order to do business. And I think about my grandchildren. What would I do if they were hungry? What lengths would I go to if they were really needing food? And you start looking at that and we know that human beings are capable of almost anything. And so another reason that I believe God would never put that temptation, I'll never tempt you beyond what you're able to also bear. Another reason I believe in the rapture before the tribulation. Two witnesses that he mentions. In Revelation 11, that other parenthetical, he says, And there was given me a reed like unto a rod, and the angel stood, saying, Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court, which is without the temple, leave out, and measure it not, for it is given unto the Gentiles, and the holy city shall they tread underfoot forty and two months. Now hang on to that. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand, two hundred, and threescore days clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies. And if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven that it not rain in days of their prophecy, have power over waters to turn them to blood, to smite the earth with all plagues so often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put into graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and make merry and shall send gifts one to another because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and a half, the Spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood upon their feet and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud and their enemies beheld them. During the tribulation period, God is going to raise up two special witnesses that's going to be there to minister on behalf of in this midst of this dark world in this dark world that is going on. And so of course, the first question that everybody wants to know is who are these witnesses? Are they actually people? Is the first thing. You know, some say they might be angels or whatever, but notice some of the descriptions that was mentioned here. It says they wear sackcloth, they perform miracles, they prophesy for God for 1,260 days, they die and they lie in the streets for three and a half days, they come back to life and they ascend to heaven. The only thing that describes into that is people that will fit into that category. And then it refers to them as two olive trees and two candlesticks standing before God of earth. When you look at this phrase of the two olive trees and the two candlesticks and you search it, you find it actually mentioned in Zechariah chapter 4. It actually mentions Joshua and Zerubbabel. And it says that these two stood as prophets in their generation and it uses this exact terminology of two olive trees and two candlesticks. In other words, and it explains it there as them picturing of them being the candlesticks of burning, the light being a witness, and then the olive trees is the olive oil. What fuels the light is the oil which we know would be under the power of the Holy Spirit. And so it talks about Joshua and Zerubbabel under the power of the Holy Spirit with the power of God are shining in their dark and perverse nation telling the people to do what? Repent and turn to God. The next question becomes then also are these people real people? They're executing a prophetic office. If you look at all of the prophets, what did the prophets do? They went to the people and they demand that they turn to God. And so that's this idea. And it wasn't because of human ability. It was because of the power of God. And so the question becomes if they're real people, have they ever lived before? And I put it this way because doing more study, I'm more confused tonight. So I'm going to give you the options. Because we don't know. But have they lived before? Early Christian writings when you look at people like Tertullian, Arrhenius, Hippopolis, these guys that were early writers, they believed that it was Enoch and Elijah. Early on, the church and these people preached that it was Enoch and Elijah. Others since that time have also thrown Moses into the mix. And so I'm going to give you the reasons that we came up with three people. So when you hear these witnesses, you'll always hear Enoch, Elijah, and Moses. And so I'm going to give you the reasons for each and every one of them. Why Enoch? Number one is because Enoch never died. Remember, Enoch was not, for God took him. Well, Hebrews 9 and verse 27 says, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after that judgment. The thing is that Hebrews is saying that sin has entered into every individual. And because of the wages of sin is what? Death. And so every man has to die. Well, if Enoch hasn't died yet, he has not suffered physical death, but he's in heaven, then what's going to happen? He's going to be one of the witnesses that comes back. And what's going to happen to the two witnesses? They're going to die. And they're going to lay in the street for three and a half days. And then God's going to resurrect them. So if Enoch has never died, then the early writers and stuff believe that Enoch would be one that comes back because he needs to die. However, here's where some of the confusion comes. Because guess what? We also believe in the rapture, right? If I am alive at the rapture, will I die? No, I will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, right? I won't suffer physical death. I'll be given a new body. That's the hope. That's the comfort that we always share at the cemetery. So we know that there's going to be an exception to this rule that every man must die, right? If we believe in the rapture. So, I always said that it was Enoch and Elijah because them two have not died. But then, so when the rapture deal in there, I'm hoping that I hang out and I don't die. I'm hoping I go in the clouds. So I would be an exception to that. And so, Enoch was also, we know, another reason they choose Enoch because Enoch was a prophet of judgment and he was before the days of the flood. And so he would be witnessing on behalf of those before the flood. As I studied and looked at that this week though, that doesn't seem likely because Jesus Christ, when He was crucified and was buried, Peter says that He went where? To hell and gave witness. And led captivity captive. And so, those that would have been before the flood have already had a witness in Jesus Christ. So why would those that have already been in the flood, why would they need another witness? So that's some of the questions that I came up with that was there. But here it says in Jude 14 and 15, "...and Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints." Again, that is the prophecy of part of the return of Jesus Christ. The witness of the witnesses that Christ is coming back. He goes on to execute judgment upon all to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. So that's the two reasons for Enoch. Why Moses? Well, Moses was a prophet. And you remember the phrase there that the rivers turned to blood that we read here from the two witnesses. And then they also had the ability to do plagues. So they put this with Moses. Moses was a prophet of judgment and he was able to turn water into blood. He was also able to do plagues. In Revelation 11-6 it says they have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in days of the prophecy. They had powers over waters to turn to blood and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will. The second idea with why Moses is because Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration was there with Elijah and Jesus. And what was the Transfiguration a picture of? The second coming of Jesus Christ. It is glorified that He would serve forever. So it was the second coming. So many people say, well, Moses because he was a prophet, because he was able to do plagues and all of that, and because he was there at the Mount of Transfiguration, then he has to be a good candidate for the two witnesses. And the third reason is that he was also referred to as a prophet. He was a messenger, a voice person of God. So why Elijah? Elijah in 2 Kings 2, verse 11, it says, And it came to pass as they still went on and talked that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, horses of fire, and parted them both asunder. And Elijah went up by whirlwind into heaven. So just like Enoch, Elijah never died. And so that same argument for Enoch is there for Elijah. Just like Moses, Elijah was the one at the Transfiguration with Jesus Christ. So that was the reason why. The third thing for Elijah, and usually Elijah is with Moses and gives him the strongest prediction, is because Elijah was actually predicted to come before that great and horrible day of the Lord. It tells us in Malachi 4-5, which was the last book of the Old Testament, it says, behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And so when is the great and dreadful day of the Lord? That's His second coming. That's the one that's going to be dreadful because that's the one that's going to mark the end that's there. And so many say Elijah is going to be the one that comes back as these witnesses. And of course, number four is, Elijah, just like the other two witnesses, was a prophet. However, all three of these guys are very prominent individuals. In Revelation 11, God chose not to give their names. He just says two witnesses. And so since the Lord doesn't tell us who they are, we really don't know for sure. It's all speculation. But I told you before, have they ever lived before? The other side of that is, have they not lived before? We always jump to these witnesses as being someone that has lived before. But could they actually be someone that has never lived before? Could they be two totally different individuals? Could these great men... And really, with not being said, looking at this, this probably makes the most sense is that God's going to raise up two prophets just like He did Joshua and Zerubbabel and Zechariah for their generation. God's going to raise up two witnesses in that generation of the tribulation period that is there. But I don't know. That's why I said with that third option, I've never thought of an option that it could be totally new. And so with that option, that kind of got me more thinking and more doing. What will they do though? We do know what they will do. They will be prophets. He tells us that they shall prophesy for 1,200 threescore days clothed in sackcloth. 1,260 days is the same number that Daniel gave that gives us the three and a half years. So it gives us a specific time frame. They're going to prophesy for three and a half years. Now when we look at the tribulation period, the tribulation period is divided into two three and a half years. So that logically goes to the next question is which three and a half years are they going to be serving in? Which one are they going to be prophesying in? Will it be the first half? Or will it be the second half? The second half of great tribulation? Well, according to Revelation 11, verse 2, when he tells them to measure out the court in the holy city, they said that they shall be tread underfoot forty and two months. In the first three and a half years, what's going to happen? There's going to be peace. Jerusalem's going to be there. They're going to be coming in and out worshiping. Everybody's going to think everything is good until what? In the middle of the tribulation period, we already see it. Then comes the abomination of desolation. When that happens, he says flee. Because why? Destruction is fixing to come on Jerusalem. And so this says that the city will be tread under again for forty and two months, which is another phrase of 1,260 days, or three and a half years. Where chapter 11 fits, remember I said it was a parenthetical. It fits after now the seven seals have been opened, six trumpets have been blasted, and then we have a parenthetical. And this is before the seventh trumpet opens. What happens when the seventh trumpet blasts? That's the start of this great tribulation. And the seventh trumpet opens up the seven bowls of wrath that God is going to pour out. And so when this is blown, it signifies Christ is fixing to come near. Remember that's what they warned him in Matthew. When this happens, then you know that the end is very near when the abomination of desolation happens. That is there. Chapter 11 of Revelation says, And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. And the four and twenty elders which sat before God on their seats fell upon their faces and worshipped God, saying, We give thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which were, are, and must, and are to come, because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and the wrath was come, and the time of the dead that was there. It tells us that, and I'm going to go through this real quick because we're out of time, but they were going to be powerful. They had power to stop the rain from coming there. They were also going to be persecuted. They were going to be hated. People were going to try to kill them. What happened? Fire's going to come out of their mouth and destroy them, and so they're going to be killed, but they're going to be hated. Why? Because they're putting out all these plagues against the people, against the Antichrist, against all of the world that is there. They're also going to be persevered. And kind of interesting, this is the only place in the whole entire tribulation period that rejoicing has taken place. And they rejoice at the death of the two witnesses. And they do it so much so that they go to start exchanging gifts. It's like Christmas time. These two guys are dead. The plagues are over with. Can you just imagine how wicked and destructive and dark this world is when they rejoice over the two witnesses? Anyway, they're going to be preserved. God's going to rise them back up from the dead. And they're going to ascend to heaven. The last one is Jesus Christ. And I wanted to finish up with this. I can do it in two minutes. But Jesus Christ, of course, He is the key person. He is the hero of heroes. He is the one that the entire all biblical prophecy is centered around, is focused around. He is the supreme figure of all of history. He was, He is, and He will be. Everything is about Jesus Christ. He is the one that is revealed in prophecy. In Revelation 19 and verse 10, why do we study prophecy? Because of Jesus Christ. He says in Revelation 19, 10, And I fell at His feet to worship Him, and He said unto me, See thou do it not, I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Why do we study prophecy? Because of the testimony of Jesus Christ and the worship of God. And so, Revelation, remember, it's a blessing to read and study the book of Revelation. Why? Because it's about Jesus Christ. When you go through the book of Revelation, there's 35 names or titles that are given to Jesus Christ. I'm not going to read the whole verses. I'm going to point out these 35 names as we walk through Revelation. Because as I was doing this today, tears came up to my eyes as I was reading this in my office. It says, first of all, the very first verse of Revelation 1 is the revelation of Jesus Christ. It sets Him right there at the very beginning. In verse 5, it says, He is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, the Prince of the kings of the earth. Alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, which is, which was, which is to come, the Almighty. Verse 13 of chapter 1, the Son of Man. Verse 17, He said, the first and the last. Verse 18, He that liveth and was dead. Chapter 2, verse 1, that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. Chapter 2, verse 8, the first and the last, which was dead and is alive, which hath a sharp sword and two edges, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, feet are like fine brass, that hath the seven Spirits of God, the seven stars, that is holy, He that is true, that hath the key of David, the faithful and true witness, the beginning and creation of God, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, the Lamb, which is mentioned thirty-five times, let me double check, thirty-five times He's called the Lamb in that one chapter alone. O Lord, holy and true. Lord, again in chapter 11, verse 8, a man-child rule all nations with a rod of iron. Chapter 15, verse 3, Lord God Almighty, King of saints, faithful and true. Revelation 19, verse 13, Lord of God, King of kings, and Lord of lords, the bright and morning star. All them names and all them references to Jesus Christ. And that's who He's all about. He's the greatest hero. And that's why we're given the opportunity to accept Him now that is there. And so anyway, that is the heroes. Next week we will take time out and we'll look at the villains. We'll look at Satan. We'll look at the Antichrist and the false prophet. Those three are the villains of the tribulation period. Any questions or comments? If not, let's dismiss in prayer. Father, we just thank You so much for Your love. We thank You for all that You have done for us. We thank You again for the prophecies because they praise You because while we were sinners and deserving of death, from the very, very beginning it was prophesied that You would come and die on the cross for our sins and pay that debt and crush the head of Satan. But Father, it also promised in that same passage of Scripture that one of these days You'll also come back and You will rule and reign with a rod of iron. And You'll wipe away every tear. You'll take away every sadness and every heartache. And You'll take away every soreness and all of the results and all of the problems that came with sin that lead us to death. Father, we just worship You and praise You for being willing for Your Son to be the land, to be the sacrifice, and for thinking not robbering to be equal with You, but humbled Himself and became a servant and obedient even to the death of the cross. Father, we look so very forward to the day that we can crown You and we can cast our crowns and our praise. But Father, we don't have to wait. We can praise You now. We can worship You now because You are good. You are almighty. You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. We thank You and we love You. In Your name we pray. Amen.