Could you please turn in your Bibles to the Book of the Revelation today? We are going to continue today with another message in our study on the Book of the Revelation, and we are going to begin today in chapter eleven, Revelation chapter eleven, and I'm going to read the first fourteen verses of Revelation chapter eleven. If you turn to there in your Bible, I begin to read in verse one. 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 under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the 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 rain not in the days of their prophecy, and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lay in the street of the great city which is spiritually 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 in 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 dwell 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 great voice from heaven, saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them. In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquakes were slain of men seven thousand, and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second war is past, and behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

I'm going to stop here with the reading of this chapter. There is a little more to read in chapter 11 of the Revelation. I'm not going to read it because the next passage belong really to the next chapter, which we're going to read later on and take it in the future day. But today we are dealing with Revelation chapter 11. By the time we arrive to chapter 11 of the Revelation, we find ourselves at some point of the middle of the Tribulation. The Tribulation is seven years, which is called in Hebrew Tzarat Yaakov, Jacob's trouble, and it is specifically connected with our nation Israel, where God is going to allow our nation Israel to experience Tzarot, or sorrows, or Tribulation, and seven years, what is called the Tribulation, or the Great Tribulation, and at the end of the Great Tribulation, God is going to restore our nation Israel, to bring them into blessing, where Israel is going to be established here on earth under the kingship of Yeshua, the Messiah.

When we are in chapter 11, finding ourselves here in these verses, verses 1 to 14, all of a sudden, John, his Hebrew name Yohanan, receive a revelation from God concerning two witnesses. That God will raise during the tribulation for the purpose of being a witnesses to this world around, to the people of Israel, as well as to the rest of the nations of the world. Now it is interesting, beloved brothers and sisters, that when we have already studied in chapter 7, you remember we had the 144,000 Hebrews whom God gonna seal in their forehead in the beginning of the tribulation that they will preach the gospel of the kingdom. There will be those hundred and forty four like Shaul, Paul, like the apostle, who will preach the message of the gospel here in this world, and they will lead many to the knowledge of the Messiahship of Yeshua during the tribulation, a time of sorrow, a time of trial, a time of difficulties that will happen here in this world.

But here, brothers and sisters, John receive an additional revelation concerning additional two individuals which are called here in this chapter, my two witnesses. God called them my two witnesses. We know from Isaiah chapter 43 and 44 that Israel as a nation were called the Jehovah Witnesses, the true Jehovah Witnesses, those that will witness for God. But Israel, during the Tribulation, is still as a nation in a process of restoration. So God will raise the 144,000 Hebrews, Revelation chapter 7, but in addition to these 144,000, there will be two specific witnesses that are called here prophets, who will speak forth the Word of God to the world during the Tribulation period. Well, notice first of all, brothers and sisters, that in verses 1 to 6 here of chapter 11, we have the two witnesses and their ministry that they were called to do in the Tribulation period.

Now, notice it began here in verse 1 of chapter 11 with the mention of a temple. Notice that it says here, And there was given me a reed like unto a rod. And the angel stood saying, Rise, 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 under foot for forty two months. Now notice, brothers and sisters, that all of a sudden we discover that there is a temple in the middle of the tribulation that is still here on earth. Now remember, let me remind you that there actually the Bible teaches us about four temples.

We have the what is known the Solomonic temple, which Melech Shlomo, the King Solomon, had built in the earlier chapters of the history of Israel, after Israel walked through the wilderness journey, when Israel entered into the Promised Land, after that God through David had given instruction to David about building a temple, but David could not build the temple, and God gave the responsibility to Shlomo, Solomon, to build this magnificent temple. That was an amazing temple. It had been said, whoever haven't seen Solomon's temple, haven't seen such a beautiful temple in the time when Solomon built the temple for God in the midst of the nation of Israel. That's the first temple. But you remember what happened to this first temple. Our people Israel in disobedience to God, God had to discipline our nation, to discipline the nation of Israel, and you remember that it was Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, who came to the city of Jerusalem and destroyed the city and destroyed the temple and took our Jewish people to Babylon.

Where they were singing their song by the rivers of Babylon, there we wept as we remembered Zion, Zion. That was the temple that had been destroyed. So the nation of Israel, the southern kingdom of Israel, Judah and Benjamin, find themselves in Babylon for seventy years. And then after seventy years, Daniel was anticipating the restoration of Israel, and he was praying to God, and God had said to Daniel that Israel will be restored, and I want you for a moment just turn to Daniel, and look what Daniel was told by Gabriel in chapter 9. He says there in verse 27, speaking about the Antichrist, or the counterfeit Messiah, who will make an agreement with the many of our people Israel for seven years, meaning the tribulation period, in Daniel chapter 9, and he said here in verse 27, he said, and he shall confirm a covenant with the many, this is he, this is the counterfeit Messiah, the Antichrist, the false Messiah, he will make covenant with many of our people Israel for one week, meaning seven years.

In other words, he will make an agreement with the nation of Israel for seven years, and then in the middle of these seven years, this one week, he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. Now, interesting, the sacrifices to be stopped, the oblation to be stopped, well, sacrifices are only offered in the temple. And therefore, Daniel was promised that there will be a restoration of the Jewish people and a rebuilding of the temple back in the land. Well, you know very well that Ezra and Nehemiah went back to the city of Jerusalem. Ezra and Nehemiah, Ezra rebuilt the temple, Nehemiah have rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, and the second temple was established in the city of Jerusalem. Well, what happened to this temple? This temple had been enlarged by Herod the Great.

Was very beautiful temple, very much enlarged, and we know it from New Testament reading, but also Yeshua the Messiah, when He came and He ministered in this temple, He also said to the disciples that this temple also will be destroyed. And as you know, dear brothers and sisters, in 70 AD, Titus came, the Roman commander, and destroyed the city of Jerusalem, and burned the temple completely, and not leaving one stone upon another. This is exactly to fulfill the prophecy of Yeshua the Messiah, that there will be a total destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by the people of the prince that shall come, the Romans, who came and destroyed the second temple of the city of Jerusalem. Well, that temple had been destroyed. So now we find ourselves in the middle of the Tribulation, in Revelation chapter 11, and apparently John was told by the one that was instructed to give him instruction from God to come to take a reed unto a rod, and the angel that stood said to him, Rise and measure the temple of God.

This is the third temple that is known to us, what is called the Tribulation Temple. This is the third of days, another temple, by the way, that Ezekiel chapter 40 and on to the end of the book gives us the final temple that is the millennial messianic temple where the Messiah will be situated in the coming day. So we have four temples, two are gone already, one is going to come that is known to be the Tribulation period temple, and there is the final one at the end of the book of Ezekiel, Yechezkel, where the Messiah will be situated, Israel restored, and finally the Temple of God will be properly established. But this, beloved brothers and sisters, this temple is the temple that is what we can call it the Tribulation period temple. Now with this temple God is not going to be happy with.

Why will He not be happy with? Because all the sacrifices that will be offered during the Tribulation period were sacrifices that God will not sanction. He will not be pleased with. Why he will not be pleased with? Because the Messiah have come. The sacrifice have been completely finished. God have been satisfied with the work of Yeshua, the Messiah. And therefore God is not going to be pleased at all with this temple. And that's why, and I'm reading one more verse, I got to read it in Isaiah chapter 66, and the first few verses, it says, Thus says the Lord, The heaven is my throne, the earth is my footstool, but where is the house, this is the temple, that you build unto me, and where is the place of my rest?

He's saying to Israel, where's that house? And then he says in verse 2 and 3 of chapter 66 of Isaiah, he said, For all those things has my hand made, and all those things have been, says the Lord. But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and is trembling at my word. And then God saying to them what he think about the sacrifices that Israel will offer during the tribulation. He says in verse 3, He that kill an ox is as if he slew a man. He that sacrifice a lamb is as he that cut off dog's neck.

He that offereth an oblation as if he offered swine's blood. He that burneth an incense as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abomination. You see, prophetically Isaiah, about seven hundred years before the coming of the Messiah, was saying, speaking about this tribulation temple, and he's saying, God is not satisfied with the offerings and the sacrifices of the tribulation period, because they are offering it after the Messiah have come, rejecting the sacrifice of Yeshua HaMashiach. And so in this temple right now, in chapter eleven of the Revelation, John is called to measure the temple. And so you notice that he gave him a rod.

And the angel stood and he says, rise, he says in verse one, measure the temple of God and the altar, well apparently the altar is there, there are sacrifices on the altar, and them that worship therein, apparently there were those who worshiped there. So you see what happened, if you remember the setting, the counterfeit Messiah will make an agreement with our nation, the religious leaders of the coming days, and he will tell them, listen, I'm going to let you have your temple, I'm going to let you offer sacrifices, so you can get what you want, and you ask any Jewish person today in Israel, any religious Jewish person, he will tell you, we are waiting for the temple, we are waiting for the temple, and if you will ever have an opportunity to visit with us the land of Israel, Many times we go to the Temple Institute in Jerusalem where there is already a preparation, beloved brothers and sisters, with all sort of articles and garments for the priests for the upcoming temple that is going to be established at the tribulation period.

And so Israel is ready for that. Everything, the setting, the stage is being set even these days for the preparation for this temple to be built, but God will not be pleased with the temple or the sacrifices because they are being offered as they are rejecting the only one sacrifice, and it is the sacrifice of Yeshua the Messiah. So John was told by this angel to take this rod to measure the temple, and you know when you measure something, you often think of ownership.

When you measure, you know, when you, those of you who buy or sell houses, and those of us who are working in buying, selling houses, usually tape measure, this is how many rooms, and how many steps, and how many floors, and basement, and so on, and the yard outside, and so on. Measuring stick, and it seems to be like ownership. You see, God is the owner of the whole universe, and this temple ought to be His, but it was done in a way that is not pleasing to Him. And therefore, notice what he says now in verse 2 of our chapter, he says, the outer court was given to the Gentiles. Look, it says, but the court, which is without the temple, it says, leave out and measure it not, for it is given unto the Gentiles, and the holy city shall they tread underfoot for forty and two months.

You see, he says, listen, don't measure the outer courts, because even though the religious Jewish people will offer sacrifices in the temple, but actually the outer courts is given to the Gentiles. And he says, you know, you don't need to measure that. It is given to the Gentiles, and the holy city, this is the city of Jerusalem, shall be tread underfoot for forty-two months. Now, these forty-two months, if you will calculate very clearly, you take forty-two months, thirty days every month, forty-two months make it three and a half years.

God through the angel telling Yohanan, John, the apostle, he says, listen, the outer court, the city of Yerushalayim, this holy city, shall be treaded underfoot by the Gentiles for the second half of the Tribulation period, for three and a half years. Why? Because in the middle of the Tribulation, as we have read Daniel chapter 9 verse 27, the Antichrist gonna stop the sacrifices. He will take control of the city of Jerusalem. He will sit himself in the temple claiming himself to be God and he will seek the worship of mankind in this world that men will worship him and will adore him. He would claim to be God. Sitting in the temple, like 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, claiming to be God, situating himself in the temple, and this will be done specifically in the second half of the tribulation.

And so we find out that John was called to measure the temple. And as he measured the temple, he measured the inside, not the outside. Why? Because it was given unto the Gentiles, and for three and a half years of the second half of the tribulation period, the city will be treaded underfoot by the Antichrist and his armies against the nation of Israel. And so now in the next verses, verses 3 to 4, John is told concerning two witnesses who will prophesy during, and I'm emphasizing now, the first half of the tribulation. Look at this now, go back to now verse 3 and 4, look at that, what we are introduced here in verse 3. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy, notice now, interesting, they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days they will be clothed in sackcloth.

Now these are the two witnesses that all of a sudden being introduced to us out of nowhere, God through the angel telling John that there will be two specific witnesses who are going to prophesy, apparently the prophet that will speak forth the word of God, for three and a half years, again, one thousand two hundred and sixty days, biblical month, or biblical month have only thirty days, not thirty one, not twenty nine, not twenty eight, thirty days, lunar calendar, and therefore for Three and a half years, they will be God's witnesses who will speak forth the word of God during the first half of the tribulation. Actually, in verse two and in verse three, what you really have a combination of the first three and a half years of tribulation and the second three and a half of the tribulation, you have seven years right before us in verses two and verse three of Revelation chapter eleven.

Now those two witnesses, you know, it is amazing. Many, I read books, I mean I read commentaries, listened to Bible teachers about these two witnesses and there are many, many opinions about these two witnesses. We're going to talk about it in a moment in the next couple of verses. But apparently God never leave himself without a witness. In every generation, in every generation, historically in the time of Adam and Eve and so on, the time of our father Abraham, the time of the history of our nation Israel, in every generation when the birth of the body of Messiah has started about two thousand years ago, in every generation God has witnesses here in this world. We have the hundred and forty four thousand which we have read about in Revelation chapter seven, and now in Revelation chapter eleven we have those specific two witnesses who are going to prophesy.

They're going to speak for God here in this world. They're going to speak the word of God, they're going to be preaching to the world around in the first half of the tribulation period for one thousand two hundred and sixty days and they're going to be clothed in sackcloth. They're going to be like John the baptizer, like all the prophets of Israel who were mourning over the condition of this world. They will be crying for the nations of the world to repent and turn to God. They have already been experiencing this judgment of God during the first half of the Tribulation. They're going to be crying to this world, repent, turn to God. And the world will not like it. But God will use them in one way or another. God will use them. And here, beloved brothers and sisters, it says here in verse 4, all of a sudden this statement, these are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of this earth.

You remember in our reading in Zechariah, Zechariah chapter 4. Where Zechariah received visions from God about future restoration of the nation of Israel. And if you remember, we have read in the prophet Zechariah there about the two olive trees. And there was a vessel above the lampstand, and the olive trees gave, if you will, olive to this bowl above the lampstand, and the bowl gave oil all the way to the lampstand for a testimony of God in the future day. Well, what we really see that what Zechariah saw in his visions in chapter 4 of his book, it is really connected with these two witnesses that we have here in Revelation chapter 11. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of all the earth. They are the two witnesses for God.

They are involved in that which will lead our nation Israel to be restored in a future day. Remember, they are preaching during the first half of the Tribulation period. There are only seven years of the Tribulation. Israel is going to be restored at the end of the Tribulation. So here they are, presenting the Word of God in the world during the first half of the Tribulation period. Now here it is, verses five and six.

In verse five and six, John is told of not only of what they will prophesy, but of what they will do, of the works that the two witnesses will do. Verses five and six. First of all, in verse five, it says here, and if any man will hurt them, fire will proceed out of their mouth, and devour their enemies. Now can you imagine the power that these people have, they walking in the streets and, is somebody just bothering them? They will have power from God that will be unusual. Dear brothers and sisters, it says here, fire will proceed out of their mouth, and they will devour their enemies. If any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. Then notice in verse six, these have power to shut heaven, that it rain north in the days of their prophecy, and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will.

It is amazing, you know, look at the history, for example, of the apostle Paul, Shaul. He did not maybe have this authority and power from God to have fire coming out of his mouth, but you know very well that he had certain gifts that God had given to him, gifts to heal. Gift, you know, certain things that he have done, that people have been amazed. You remember Peter? Peter walked, when Peter walked, people walked under the shadow of Peter, and they were healed. Now, this was, not every one of us can do that. That was specific gifts that were given by God to specific individuals in this world. And these two individuals will have this power, number one, to kill with fire, number two, to shut heaven, not to give rain, and number three, in verse 6b, to turn the water into blood.

Amazing. Now, that's where a lot of people ask the question, well, who are those two witnesses? You notice there are a few things that are here that are very special, because it's talking about killing with fire. He spoke about to shut heaven, not allowing heaven to bring rain, and also to turn water into blood. Now, that's why many came to various conclusion. Some believe that the very fact that they are able to ask for fire to come down and to kill someone, it remind them of second King chapter one, where Elijah, or Eliyahu HaNavi, the prophet of Israel, where he asked for fire to come down and destroy someone.

So something, maybe one of those two witnesses is Eliyahu. Secondly, others say that the fact that to shut the heavens down would also speak of Elijah. In 1 Kings chapter 17, you remember, he prayed, and for over three years there was no rain. In a time of this wicked king Ahab and Jezebel, the time when Israel had been in a very low estate, low condition, spiritual condition. So again, this indicate perhaps that one of these two witnesses may be Elijah. Thirdly, as it says in verse 6, that these witnesses are able to turn water into blood, and it takes us back to the history of the people of Israel, where Moses, in Exodus chapter 7, asked Aaron to put the rod there, and you remember, all the water of Egypt turned into blood.

And that's why, beloved brothers and sisters, some suggest that these two witnesses may very well be Moshe and Eliyahu, Moses and Elijah. This is just one view. Others suggest another thing. Because, and they read the verse, and I want to read that verse, in Hebrews chapter 9. It says in verse 27 of Hebrews chapter 9, as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment, so the Messiah was once offered to bear the sins of many.

So some suggest, because the Bible, speaking to our Hebrew believers, say that it is appointed unto men once to die, and therefore every man, it is essential for every man to die, that perhaps these two witnesses are those two individuals that never died. The first one is Chanuch, Enoch, in the book of Genesis, in chapter 5, you remember Enoch walked with God and he was not because God took him. He was raptured before death, he never knew death, Enoch. And secondly, Elijah himself, who was translated into heaven through the chariots of fire. We read it as well in the scripture, in the book of Kings. Elijah, if you remember, was taken up to heaven. So some suggest that it may be Elijah and Chanuch, Eliyahu and Chanuch, these two individuals who never died. Well, this is also a possibility, though I personally must say that I don't see that to be, because, and I tell you why.

Because it's true that Hebrews 9 and verse 27 says that it is appointed that no man wants to die. But it's a principle, it's a teaching in the Bible, but it is not a rule that there cannot be an exception. I'll give you an example. When the church gonna be raptured, let's assume Yeshua is coming today, do you know none of us will die? We're gonna be taken out to heaven without death, to meet the Lord in the air. First Thessalonians chapter four. In other words, it is a principle taught in the Bible that normally speaking, it is an appointed unto men once to die, but there is also an exception to that rule.

I'll give you another thought on the other side. If it is appointed unto men once to die, there are some people who die twice in the Bible. I'll give you an example. Eliezer, Lazarus, if you remember, he died, John chapter eleven, and when Yeshua came, he raised him, he says, Lazarus, come forth. Lazarus was resurrected, he lived his life for a little longer, but he died again. He went back and he died again later on. What about the widow's son in Luke chapter 7, where Yeshua raised her son who died? And then he presented him, but then he died again.

Some people die twice. Look at another person, Jairus' daughter, you remember when Yeshua as well have lifted up and raised her, and then she died again. And you know what I'm thinking about? I'm thinking about in Matthew chapter 27 that after Yeshua died on the cross when he says, Eli, Eli, why have thou forsaken me? And he died. And if you remember, that veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, and then it says many that were in the grave arose. But they went back and they died. So they died twice. So some people never die, Enoch and Elijah, some people die twice.

While it is true that the Bible teaches us it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this the judgment, it is true, yet there is what you call an exception. Enoch was an exception, Elijah, Eliyahu was an exception, the assembly, the believers at the rapture will be an exception. The rule is, it is appointed unto man once to die, but there is an exception to the rule. And therefore, when the question come, who are those witnesses personally, I'm speaking for myself, I honestly understand and at least see that they will be an additional prophets that God will raise during the tribulation period to use them as the witnesses of the Lord promised through the prophet Zechariah in chapter 4. There will be witnesses for God, the 144,000 Hebrews, there will be witnesses for God during the tribulation period.

That's my thought, and you can consider that, but just look over that in your mind and think about it and pray about it and see what the Lord will reveal this to you, what the Lord will show it to you. But beloved brothers and sisters, here we see the two witnesses and how their ministry have been, their teaching, verses 3 and 4, their works, verses 5 and 6. Now quickly, let's go to verses 7, 8, 9, and 10. In verses 7, 8, 9, and 10, look what happened to those witnesses. First of all, in verse 7, we find out that the beast, this is the counterfeit Messiah, he makes war against those two witnesses.

It says here in Revelation chapter 11 and verse 7, it says, 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. When you see that beast is mentioned more than once in the book of the Revelation, he is mentioned in chapter 13, he is mentioned later on also in chapter 17, he is the one that ultimately gonna be cast into the lake of fire, this is the one that is rising up in the middle of the tribulation. He want to get rid of these two witnesses, so he makes war against them. Because he want to situate himself in the middle of the tribulation, in the temple to claim to be God and to be worshipped. So what does he do? It says he, when, notice that it says when they finish their testimony. In other words, as long they were testifying for God, and God want that they will be kept here on earth, nothing could harm them.

But when they finish their ministry, it's so beautiful to see that, is that when God says, listen, it's time for you to go home. Your ministry is over. Your testimony is finished here. Then he allowed a beast that they ascended out of the bottomless pit. You find this expression mentioned a few times in the scripture here in the book of Revelation. He makes war against them. He fight against them. And then ultimately he overcome them, meaning God allow him to overcome them, and he killed those two witnesses. And if you will notice that it's mentioned a few times in the scripture that no one is able to fight against the beast. He was a wicked man. If you just turn for a moment to Revelation chapter 13 and verse 4, it says, Who is like unto the beast? At the end of verse 4, Who is able to make war with him? He is warring against those two witnesses, seeking to destroy them, and ultimately was allowed by God to kill them.

And so here in verse 7, he have succeeded to kill them. Then notice in verse 8 what happened. In verse 8 it says, Their bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom. In Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. So in other words, when he killed them, he left their bodies really on the streets of the city of Yerushalayim. He left their bodies there. And it's, the, the Bible tells us, look at the condition of Yerushalayim, of Jerusalem during those days. It says here, it says, the great city which is spiritually called Sodom. You know, when the time that the Antichrist is going to be there, and you're going to seek to lead the world after him, this world, including the city of Yerushalayim, during the tribulation, will be called like Sodom. And you know what happened in the city of Sodom?

There was an abomination before the Lord in the city of Sodom that God had to judge this city. Then it says it's called Egypt. In Scripture, Egypt always speaks of the world. Of the world's system, headed up by the God of this world. You see, the city of Yerushalayim, at the time during the Tribulation period, will be called Sodom in the mind of God, will be called Egypt in the mind of God. And it says here, where our Lord was crucified, where the Messiah, Yeshua, who loved men so much, was hanging there on the tree and was crucified on a Roman cross. Can you imagine? They left their bodies on the street. In other words, to display, look at me, the peace will say, I have succeeded to kill those two witnesses of God, those two prophets of God, and I left them here on the street for everyone to see.

And it says in verse 9, that the whole world will see their dead bodies. And they of the peoples and the kingdoms and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies for three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. Now I was amazed, you know, when you read such a verse, it says, how can anybody will see that? Notice it said, that nations and peoples and kingdoms and tongues gonna see. Well, you know, I just watch television in the last couple of days watching about the situation in the world. You hear about Libya, you hear about Egypt, you hear about Nigeria, you hear about United States, you hear about Canada, and you watch it, it's like playing before you on television, you can see, you don't have to even look with recording, the present display of what's happened this moment as you are sitting before of the television to watch the news.

Can you imagine? You know, if you read these texts hundred years ago, you would ask the question, well, how is it possible, even fifty years ago, how is it possible that the whole universe will see their dead bodies? Well, here you can see, brothers and sisters, the development over the years with communication enables today that you can be here in Canada and you watch at what's going on in the Middle East at the same time as events are moving along.

And that's what's going to happen. The whole world is going to observe what's happened to those individuals that will be killed. And you notice, they will not let them to be buried. So wicked it will be that they will display the servants of God, those who preach the message of the love and the grace of God, those that told mankind about the Messiah and about judgment if one refused to accept the Messiah, Yeshua. They will leave them on the streets for all to display, oh, look at me, I'm this counterfeit Messiah, I'm this beast. Now, he will not say, I'm the counterfeit Messiah, but obviously, I'm the taking the place of God. I was able to destroy those who were preaching for God. And so they will be there displayed for the whole world. And finally, it says in verse 10, when it's come to the witness of those that were killed, it says here in verse 10, the day that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, that make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwell upon the earth.

You know, that's the only time that we read of joy during the tribulation period. And the only time of rejoicing and joyfulness is in connection with the killing of the servants of God. You know, people, it is amazing how hard the hearts of men, the heart of men is so deceitful, so wicked, that we can rejoice over the death of others who are only speaking for God, who is praising God and telling the world about the true and living God. They would be happy to see those two men laying down there on the streets of Jerusalem. You notice they will give gifts to one another because of those two prophets, because they tormented them that dwell upon the earth. Those preachers, by their message, have convicted people, have tormented them in a sense that they realize they knew they were wrong, but they were more happy to destroy them than to turn to God, confessing their sin.

Well, just quickly, in conclusion of this message today, verses eleven to fourteen, in the last verses that we have read today, we see the two witnesses are being raised by God. Look, it says, verse eleven, it says, and after three and a half days, the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and that they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon all them which saw them. Here is the power of the resurrection. God, in His authority over everything, over life, He, what does He do, is the Spirit of life from God enter into those two witnesses, and now He raised them.

And the ones that were dead for three and a half days displayed to the world now they're standing, their feet are standing here in the city of Jerusalem and can you imagine when you watch those two dead on the street and all of a sudden they're standing alive speaking for God again can you imagine the fear that come into the hearts of men can you imagine what effect would that be there was fear upon them that saw this occasion like this but God not only raised them he also took them back to heaven alive now you remember we talked about some who died twice and some who were taken to heaven without to die now notice that they died they were raised and now it says in verse twelve it says and they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them come up hither And they ascended up to heaven in the cloud, and the enemies beheld them.

Just the same like He raised them, the power of God was also to snatch them out of this earth, out of this world. He took them up to His presence in heaven, and they no longer needed to suffer persecution by the world who rejected the testimony of these two witnesses. So God have took them to heaven, they ascended up to heaven, and then all, everyone could see that, you know, everyone could see their dead bodies. Now everybody could see the ascension of these two individuals in verse twelve. And the conclusion here, in these verses thirteen and fourteen, what was the result then? Look at this, verses thirteen, it says that there was earthquake in Jerusalem.

In the same hour, there was a great earthquake. And a tenth part of the city, remember the city here is what we just read earlier in verse eight, it's spiritually called Sodom and Egypt where our Lord was crucified. This is the city of Yerushalayim. The city had earthquake, and one tenth of the city had been destroyed, fell. And then it says seven thousand of the city men have been slain and killed, and the left over remnant were frightened.

And gave glory to God, to the God of heaven. In other words, they're left over. And you see, in a sense, it's gonna take us back to the future day where there will be a restoration of the nation of Israel. Those two witnesses will be used by God ultimately to restore at the end the nation of Israel. There will be another stone in the building blocks where God is going ultimately restore the nation of Israel back to Himself. And here, brothers and sisters, I'm going to conclude in verse 14. Look, this is the second war. It says here, the second war is past.

And behold, the third war is, war is quickly going to come. There are three wars that were mentioned in chapter eight and verse thirteen. Already, this is the second war that had been ended now, and there is one more war that is going to come, and that war is the seventh sound of the trumpet of the angel, that when he gonna sound the trumpet, that is the final war which will introduce the seven bowls of God's righteous judgment that are going to fall upon this earth, doing the second half. Of the Tribulation period. Well, that's what I have for you today, dear brothers and sisters. May the Lord bless these thoughts to your heart and encourage you, because you and I belong to the Lord. We are saved. We are not going to be here during the Tribulation time. We are going to be in the presence of God. We're going to enjoy the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, but ultimately those verses lead us into the restoration of the nation of Israel.