“God’s Message Wil Not Be Stopped”

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

God’s Message Wil Not Be Stopped - Revelation 11

The difference between those on the inside and those on the outside is how they accept God’s standard of divine authority. Only as one lives by the divine standard, truth, does he experience God’s blessings, protection, comfort and constant care (Rev. 11:1-2).

John says, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.”(Revelation 11:1). The temple is referring to believers. All who walk in harmony with God’s divine authority find fellowship. Those outside stand for everyone who has rejected God's standard of divine authority. Also included in the outer court are worldly and indifferent Christians who may appear to be God's children, but in fact are not faithful. God promises no protection to those who only make a pretense of coming to serve him (Luke 6:46).

The message is clear. Those who accept the gospel have life, but those who reject it, it is a message of death. For example, the message of Elijah, Ahaziah’s soldiers aredestroyed by fire until they approach the prophet with respect (2Kings 1:10). Also, Elijah asked that God shut up the sky before Ahab (1 Kings 18). In both cases God’s spokesman prevailed against wicked government authorities. The point is, God will achieve His purposes. All who, down through the ages, have declared His truth will not have done so in vain. 

No one will be able to stop God’s witnesses before their mission is complete. They will finish the work the Lord commissioned before He ascended to heaven when He sent out His apostles to preach the gospel to all the world, to every creature (Mark 16:15-16). Within a thirty year period after the resurrection of Christ, the gospel had been extended to "all the world" (Col. 1:6) and to "every creature" (Col. 1:23). These two witnesses had given clear testimony, confirmed with miracles, that their message was from God.

But they were all killed. It seems they failed. The world’s having a party over their death. They are gloating over their demise (vs. 10). Enemies might seem to be in control  for the moment but they cannot destroy God’s truth.  Their joy will not last long. The cause of Christ shall not be stamped out by Satan (Heb. 12:28; Dan. 2:44). Even the enemies shall fear (vs. 11). But those faithful to God will be victorious (vs. 11-13). 

“This scene shows, in mini-version, the gist of all of the book of Revelation. When God's word is preached it will be followed by persecution. But God's cause will be vindicated in the form of divine retribution against his enemies. All attempts to correlate these signs to specific, historical events is an impossible task and fraught with speculation and imagination. However, when these signs are correlated with the theme of Revelation, the rest of the book unfolds as a picture of a victorious church. Though the saints are in the midst of persecution, they will not perish. God will overthrow all enemies. The true spiritual Israel will be protected and preserved by God in the troubles that lie ahead.” (Robert Harkrider).

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