f            STUDIES IN REVELATION. (Revised 1989) Mr K Gerner BA 

Lesson 11. GLORIOUS VISIONS OF THE FUTURE. (v) TWO WITNESSES AT JERUSALEM

                               CHAPTERS 11 to 13

(v) JERUSALEM CONFLICT AND TWO WITNESSES 

Illus: Driving through safari park reserve in Ulster, visi­tor wound down his window to film lions.  Wife shouted, "Wind up that window NOW..or I'm getting out...!"

1.Christians need to get ready to face Tribulation rather than hide

   Many vaguely feel that Christians will escape trouble, when Pastors from Communist countries are warning us to prepare for an underground move and Bible clearly speaks of trouble in the Last Days

MAT 24:21 NIV For then there will be great distress, une­qualled from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be equaled again.22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the  elect those days will be shortened.

REV 7:14 NIV I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who  have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

2.Christians need to expect a great outpouring of the Spirit in last days

   There has been teaching that the Holy Spirit will be withdrawn in the last days, whereas Revelation chap 11, tells of GREAT PROPHETIC ACTIVITY by the TWO WITNESSES, which has not been witnessed in like power since Elijah, during the last half of the seven years before Christ re­turns. These two witnesses are also prophesied in the Old Testament.

ZEC 4:11 NIV Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?"

ZEC 4:14 NIV So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth."

3. Christians should see that God will give His servants more miracles than the Devil, in the very heart of Anti­christ power at Jerusalem

REV 11:8 NIV Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is  figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

Christ was crucified at Jerusalem (NOT ROME!) which is designated"Sodom" as the seat of Antichrist power. They will pronounce great woes with sorrowful clothing and hearts, and before their martyrdom, will have power to call fire down from Heaven. Like Moses and Elijah, they will "out miracle" the Devil, as a witness to the people of God.

EXO 7:11 NIV Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts:12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.

2TI 3:8 NIV Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth, men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.9 But they will not get very far  because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

After being slain they will have a MIRACLE RESURRECTION and meet their returning Lord at the very end of time.

4.Christians should now be seeking an enlargement of POWER GIFTS in  preparation for this clash with the occult

Teaching that these Gifts are "done away" is also clearly against the Scripture that they will continue until CHRIST COMES IN HIS PERFECTION, so that partial knowledge and power pales before the full revelation of His returning.

1CO 13:8 NIV Love never fails. But where there are prophe­cies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,( 10) but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

PROPHECY AND TONGUES HAVE A VITAL PART IN OUR ARMOURY BEFORE CHRIST RETURNS.

GOD IS NOW RAISING UP BODIES OF PROPHETIC PEOPLE to confirm each other's revelation. WE GROW FASTER IN SPIRITUAL GIFTS THROUGH BODY MINISTRY, with the kind of fellowship which was enjoyed by the "schools of prophets" in Elijah and Elisha's time.

2KI 2:3 NIV The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, "Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?"

2KI 2:5 NIV The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the Lord is going to take your master from you today?"

2KI 2:7 NIV Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan.

2KI 2:15 NIV The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha."

This has been our experience at Holywood, and the time seems to have come for the Church to be trusted with greater and more powerful gifts than we have so far seen in Charismatic circles, to say nothing of JUDGEMENT OPERATIONS BY THE SPIRIT. WE NEED TO WAKE UP TO GOD'S PLAN !

5. SATAN IS PREPARING FOR THIS TIME WITH AN OCCULT OUTPOUR­ING OF MIRACLES

If Satan can mimic the resurrection of Christ by coming as a "beast" out of the "bottomless pit, " then Christians too,  should be RAISING THE DEAD.

REV 11:7 NIV Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.

REV 13:3 NIV One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.

REV 13:12 NIV He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.

REV 17:8 NIV The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth  whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.

SURELY THE CHURCH CANNOT NOW AFFORD TO NEGLECT CHRIST'S COMMISSION TO DO EQUAL MIRACLES TO HIMSELF

JOH 14:12 NIV I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

PRAISE AND WORSHIP MEETINGS ARE NOT GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT FOR THESE COMING DAYS WITHOUT A REAL RELEASE OF THE POWER OF GOD. Traditional practices will attract about as much atten­tion as a religious moth that gives up woolens for lint ! IT IS TIME FOR THOSE WHO KNOW GOD, TO DO EXPLOITS

DAN 11:32 NIV With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.

(vi) ESCAPE OF THE CHURCH. Revelation chapter 12

   In the days that lie ahead, the Church is going to prove the same power of God that took the children of Israel through the wilderness during 40 years by faith !

1.THE JEWISH CHURCH

There is going to be a flight from Jerusalem, to fulfil the prophecy of the Lord (cf Matthew 24 v 15ff) Many Israelis however, will ACCEPT A FALSE MESSIAH (Revelation chapter 17)

The symbols of the "moon" (old Testament) and the "Twelve stars" may refer to the ministry of the 12 Apostles, of the Church in Israel.

REV 12:1 NIV A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.

Jewish Christians in this Church, may be supernaturally protected from the power of Antichrist, centred in Jerusalem and the Middle East.

This prophecy of Jesus, HAD A PARTIAL FULFILMENT in A.D.70 when Titus and the Roman army temporarily lifted the siege of Jerusalem, which allowed many to escape the City who believed the prophecy of Christ.

THIS IS NOT THE COMPLETE FULFILMENT HOWEVER, AS REVELATION chap 11 was probably WRITTEN AFTER THESE INCIDENTS. We need to prepare for this NOW.

2. THERE NEEDS TO BE A DECISION TO WIN THROUGH AT ANY PRICE

REV 12:4 NIV His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.

This seems to show 1/3rd angels falling with Satan, deter­mined to destroy the newly emerging, powerful Church; just as Christ warned:

MAT 24:8 NIV All these are the beginning of birth pains.

MAT 24:9 NIV "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

Christ promises that those who are faithful, will rule with Him; but there is no such promise for those who cool off under the Devil's last, desperate  attack on Christians.

 REV 2:26 NIV To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations27 'He will rule them with an iron sceptre; he will dash them to pieces like pottery' ­­ just as I have received authority from My Father.

REV 3:21 NIV To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

THE SECRETS OF OVERCOMING ARE ; ­

(a) THE BLOOD OF CHRIST to overcome the accusations of Satan

(b) THE WORD OF TESTIMONY in confessing His promises

(c) UTTER DISREGARD OF OUR OWN LIFE IN SERVICE TO THE LORD

REV 12:11 NIV They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

(vii) THE ANTICHRIST AND FALSE PROPHET. Revelation chap 13

   How shall we recognise the Antichrist ?

1. SATAN'S POWER will be seen in the Antichrist

REV 12:9 NIV The great dragon was hurled down, that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the  earth, and his angels with him.

He is also named as a "GREAT RED DRAGON" and his dominion over the Jews was associated with six heads, with the sev­enth head (at the time of John) now ruling, which was Rome. (The previous 5 heads would have been Babylon, Medo Persia,Greece,Egypt and Syria) These "heads" are described as "hills" which have been erroneously used to locate the city of Rome, which is NOT THE SITE OF ARMAGEDDON, a valley outside JERUSALEM.(Since Red Communism is more rampant now in Ireland, we see a WORLD-WIDE terrorist and political force moving into the Middle East, where in 1982 the Jews found a whole arsenal of arms when they invaded Lebanon, ready for the kind of Gog and Magog invasion from Russia described in Ezekiel's prophecies. It may be time that RCs and Protestants stopped fighting each other here and woke up the real RED DRAGON danger which they share in common!) The Devil divides, to destroy.

2.ANTICHRIST will be AN IMITATION OF THE REAL CHRIST

He may well be a Jew, BORN IN BETHLEHEM and already alive on earth, with world dominion in mind.

REV 13:7 NIV He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

He will have followers IN EVERY COUNTRY, before he goes to war and although they may be in a minority, he will aim at the MIDDLE East in order to control the world's oil supply, by which he hopes to control WORLD ECONOMY

REV 13:15 NIV..cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.

 Satan plans to control the world by force and hold men in sway by fear of death

2TH 2:6 NIV And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time.7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the  Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour of his coming.

LAWLESSNESS AND TERROR are at present held back by God, but will be released and fully revealed in the last days; but in the hold of men by fear of death, ONLY REAL FAITH IN CHRIST AND THE RESURRECTION AFTER DEATH, WILL ENABLE MEN TO RISE ABOVE THE CONTROL OF SATANIC FORCES AND TERROR.

3.A PERSONAL PICTURE OF ANTICHRIST WILL BE PRODUCED, WHICH IS AN IMAGE GIVEN LIFE BY THE FALSE PROPHET

REV 13:14 NIV ... inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honour of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

This speaks of OCCULT POWER, BACKED BY POLITICAL AND ECONOM­IC CONTROL, whereby without the MARK OF THE BEAST in the right hand or forehead, there will be no livelihood in countries dominated by his power (v.15 to 17)

Those who help Christians in these countries, during this Tribulation, will be rewarded by Christ at His Coming

MAT 25:31 NIV "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heav­enly glory. MAT 25:32 NIV All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

MAT 25:37 NIV "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you ? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the  least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

4.PERSONAL DETAILS ARE GIVEN OF THE ANTICHRIST

(a)  His Name will add up to 666

(b) He will be known for LAWLESSNESS

2TH 2:3 NIV Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruc­tion.4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshipped, so that he sets himself up in God's Temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

THIS IS UNLIKELY TO BE ROME since Roman LAW several times saved Paul !

It MUST BE BASED ON TERRORISM and BE AGAINST ALL RELIGION ("opposes himself against every god") which definitely FITS COMMUNISM.

(c) He will use pretended signs and wonders by occult power

(d) He will make a strong covenant with the Jews

DAN 9:27 NIV He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation,  until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. "

Communism helped the Jews back into power by terrorism against the British.

Suddenly however, this man will make an image of himself for worship in Jerusalem AND THIS MAN HAS NOT YET APPEARED ON THE SCENE.

Identification with anyone else is not only not Scriptural but POSITIVELY DANGEROUS IN FOMENTING SUSPICION AMONG CHRIS­TIANS AT A TIME WHEN THEY NEED TO STAND TOGETHER

There is a solemn curse therefore, on those who add or subtract from the truths of this Book  AND IRELAND HAS EXPERIENCED THIS CURSE BY SECTARIAN BIGOTRY AMONG THOSE USING IT FOR THEIR OWN ENDS.

REV 22:18 NIV I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

5.THE FALSE PROPHET IS ALSO DESCRIBED IN CHAPTER 13

REV 13:11 NIV Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two  horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.

He has a spiritual attraction to those who do not want the real Lamb of God, and speaks and works in POWER.It is only those Christians, moving in power

who will see through his false claims and wonders

2TH 2:11 NIV For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie

2TH 2:12 NIV and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

(a) All miracle power in the last days has been attacked as Satanic and Christians are said to be "deceived" by believ­ing in miracles

The Bible does NOT say that the Elect" will be deceived"  but rather the term "ei dunati£" is used ("if it were possi­ble")

MAT 24:24 NIV For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect if that were possible.

This phrase is ONLY USED to denote places where the OUTCOME WAS IMPOSSIBLE such as God's will, in allowing the cup to p[ass from Christ

MAT 26:39 NIV Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. CHRISTIANS ARE NOT DECEIVED when they come into miracle power of God based on the promises of Scripture, covering Gifts of the Spirit.1 Cor.12.v 1 to 3

where ignorance can only breed fear.

(b) It takes the genuine to show up the counterfeit

You cannot use counterfeit money, unless there is FIRST genuine coinage !

We must expect therefore GENUINE MIRACLES to show up the work of the Enemy.

These two Witnesses are endued with the POWER OF GOD to show up the false prophet in the City of Jerusalem, until Christ comes. The counterfeit resurrection which appears in Spiri­tism( and is even now used in South  African seances) will be outdone by the glorious resurrection of

REV 11:11 NIV But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.(Possibly done in front of world TV cameras !)

(c) The answer to false prophecy is true prophetic fellow­ship

   We must seek the power of God in Fellowship and see what God is planning for these last days.GET INTO HIS PLANS RATHER THAN ASKING HIM TO BLESS YOUR OWN ! Here in Holywood we are proving the worth of the vision and miracle ministry and there is a welcome for those wishing to discover the GIVER THROUGH HIS GIFTS !  We are Fellow servants awaiting His Coming !

REV 22:9 NIV But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"

REV 22:20 NIV He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.