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Bible passage: Revelation Chapter 11
Brain-storm about what is a ‘witness’?
How many of the following points came out of your discussion?
A witness is someone who has first-hand, personal experience of what is being discussed.
A witness is someone who relates what they saw and heard, it’s not something of their
imagination.
A witness is someone who is prepared to testify, take the stand
The first Christians were called to be witnesses: e.g. Acts 1:8; Luke 24:48
But in what sense can it be said that we are called to be witnesses to Jesus Christ today?
How does being a ‘witness’ for Jesus, mean a lot more than simply telling people you
believe in Jesus and are a follower of Jesus?
The verb ‘witness’ in the New Testament is the Greek word, martyreo, from which comes
the noun ‘martyr’. In other words, the idea of being prepared to suffer, even to death, for
the sake of the gospel of Jesus, is implicit in the idea of being a ‘witness’.
How do you react to that concept? Although it is almost impossible to think of this
realistically, how prepared do you think you would be to be a ‘witness’ for Jesus if the
stakes were that high?
It has been said of the Church in lands like our own, that both our strength and our
weakness is that we are not facing outright persecution. What do you think may be
meant by a statement like that?
(Read Revelation 11:1-2)
Without getting too absorbed in trying to figure out the symbolism in this chapter, if we
take these verses as suggesting that the Church of God is a gathered community of
worshippers, who are numbered and marked out for the Lord from all the human race,
how may this suggest that the Church and belonging to it, is the most vital issue that we
can possibly imagine?
(Read Revelation 11:3-6)
Many different interpretations of the identity of the two witnesses are offered. Personally,
I think they are symbolic, (perhaps of the Law and the Prophets?)
I think this is confirmed by v4 which likens them to an olive
tree and a lampstand, both highly significant images from the history of God’s people
and our calling to bless the earth and bring the light of the knowledge of God.
Look at the power and authority that is given to these two witnesses
(v4-6)
Where does the force come from? (v5) The mouths of the
witnesses. We cannot overestimate the power of the gospel: see
Romans 1:16, 2 Corinthians 2:14-16.
I do not think the image we are meant to take from these verses is of the witnesses
destroying the enemies of the gospel (cf Luke 9:54-56 and
especially the footnote in the NIV), rather it is the case that people put themselves under
saving grace or holy judgment depending on their response to the witness of the gospel
(cf John 3:18)
How should these thoughts challenge us as a Church to take seriously the call to preach
the gospel and to pray for our world in these days? If we really believe it is that important,
how should it challenge our priorities and conduct as a Church and as individuals?
(Read Revelation 11:7-10) This is the first reference to The
Beast in Revelation. Again, without going into the details of the symbolism here, what is
the basic prophecy about what will happen to the witnesses for the Lord? There is
described a sick reversal of a Christmas-type celebration at the death of the Church. Is it
surprising to think that many people could rejoice in the demise of the Church, when we
seek to bring the gospel of salvation to the world? (cf John 15:20). How could the gospel be said to have ‘tormented those who live on earth?’
(Read Revelation 11:11-14) The picture of resurrection for the
witnesses is dramatic as is the rapture for the Church. It is what the gospel proclaims will
happen, read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
What in these verses of Paul, make it plain that he understood this to be a literal, definite
event that will come? Do you share his conviction? How would this encourage you if you
were being persecuted to death?
(Read Revelation 11: 15-19) We see a glimpse of the
reaction of the Church in heaven, the gospel opportunity for salvation is closed, the time
of judgment has arrived. How should a passage like this make us respond?
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