God is making it clear, this is warfare. Our lives as Christian are to be spent as Troops.
Soldiers. who do not become entangled In the affairs of the world, which happens very quickly if you're not careful. A Christian can get very quickly sucked in to politics in the interest of righteousness, but still sucked in nonetheless. until they run a higher risk of becoming carnal. does not mean that Christians cannot be in politics.
It just means they're not going to get entangled.
So no. who they serve and why. This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Revelation.
Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically, how you can get a free copy of this teaching. And now here's Pastor Rick in Revelation chapter 11 with this edition of Cross-Reference Radio. Revelation chapter 11 this morning. And we'll Begin in verse 7 and get through verse 14. The role one role of the pastor is to lead the sheep To where the pastures are green.
And That is, by going through God's Word, to feed on the Word and The Lord meets us there. I find He does every time. We'll take verses 7 and 8. We'll read. Revelation chapter 11.
Verses 7 and 8. In fact, we'll go to verse 9. When they finished their testimony, The beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them. overcome them and kill them. and their dead bodies will lie in the street.
Of the great city. which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified. Then those From the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies. three and a half days and not allow their b dead bodies to be put into the graves. Two prophets, that's what this morning's message is called.
Purposely, you know, the. The usual title for the To these two servants that are being talked about here in chapter eleven, Are the two witnesses, but they're also referred to as the two lampstands and the two olive trees. and the two prophets. And equally, one time it's two witnesses, one time it's two prophets. They are.
Those who speak the word of God. And they're The intentions of God is very clear to use these prophets to preach His word.
Well, the intentions of Satan is very clear also, to use Antichrist to get rid of them. And he will. but not for three and a half years.
So they lay down a lot of preaching. before they are finally killed and then miraculously ascend into heaven.
So let's look at the details. Verse 7, when they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit. We'll make war against them, overcome them and kill them.
Well, there's a noble epitaph for a tombstone. Or Just a noble epitaph. It doesn't have to be a tombstone. when they finished their testimony. When they've done their duty and duty overrules emotions, one's personal feelings, it does what it has to do.
It theirs was a miraculous testimony. They left a record behind them, and quite impressive. And we'll find that God will use not only their lives, but their deaths and then their resurrected life to win souls. And the midst of all this horror going on in the Great Tribulation period, such as the world has not known, there still are a great many converts. The beasts that ascends out of the bottomless pit here in verse 7 were the demons.
And the fallen angels Reside The beast Indicates this transformation of Antichrist. We don't come across this moniker for this character that's coming until now. We'll get it again in chapter 13 with even more detail.
So Antichrist is already A crooked person, a wicked person. an enemy of Christ, by the name Antichrist. But now he's going to be supercharged. And I believe demonically possessed at this time. Of course, when we say demonic, Possession, we let Hollywood be, I got to be careful not to let Hollywood tell us what that means and what it looks like.
It's not always this creature speaking in weird voices, throwing things at people. It is sometimes just as steady movement of evil. and destruction and death. And he will have the resources to carry these things out globally. Also, he comes After the third temple, Well the Jews will have their temple.
You factor in the time to to build the temple. And then they're using it and he's going to of course defile it.
Now, his origin confirms that he is possessed by Satan. This beast comes out of the bottomless pit. We'll find out as we move through Revelation, it is talking about a single person. Who has At his control, corporations and armies and governments. We're aware.
He is empowered by hell. Antichrist. No less than thirty-six times is this person referred to in Revelation. I know there's some speculation, some may think that it's an entity, like well, maybe it's BlackRock, the corporation. No, the beast, the Antichrist, will be a person.
You probably have control over this, will have control over the global markets Wall Street will be owned by him. Everything. He will be the worst person That believers of Jesus Christ have ever faced. And not only will Antichrist be revealed. he will be accepted and cherished By the world.
The world's going to love him. And we have seen characters like this come along in history and recently now, of course, with. The ability to transmit events over the internet. We've seen characters treated as the proverbial rock star. especially when they're not worthy, And this will be the case with him.
Now, back to this part about: well, he's Antichrist now, but then he becomes the beast. He becomes really evil.
Well, that happened to Judas Iscariot. Not as intense in the sense of his global reach, but certainly who he was messing with, Judas, makes it, of course, the ultimate transgression. But Judas Iscariot's transformation. He began According to what we're told in Scripture, when he comes on the radar as a problem. problematic characters when he's labeled a thief.
Jesus called him out, said, one of you is a thief.
Well, he then becomes the son of Perdition. deeper into darkness. His feet were washed by Christ, and he was unmoved by it. And so we pick it up in that chapter of John, the 13th chapter. And we read in the second verse And supper being ended, the devil, having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon.
Simon's son to betray him.
So he's now becoming, he is an antichrist. He's been plotting this for a while. He's already gone to the rabbis to get the deal made. And then by the thirteenth, the twenty-seventh verse of John thirteen. We read: Now, after the piece of bread, Satan entered him.
So there's another level that was available to Judas. He started out as a thief. He becomes a betrayer. And then He is filled with Satan. And so that's a biblical example of precedence for what I'm saying to you, and which is this: Antichrist comes on the scene, he's a shrewd businessman.
He just gets away with a lot of things that are disgusting. He's a hater of Christ from the very beginning. But there's still room for Satan to fill him even more with evil, and he does. And that's what's being mentioned here. When they finish their testimony, the beast.
That ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And so now he's got all that he needs. Two Physically destroy these two prophets who he couldn't touch. Prior to this, and he's only able to do so by permission of God, and so it's put into prophecy thousands of years before it happens.
So nobody can say, boy, we didn't see this coming. They saw it coming, they knew it was coming. And they took it. They did their duty. That's part of their testimony.
This is the first appearance of the beast. Who will reappear for us in our study in chapter 13? Antichrist of 1 John chapter 2. That's how these things link up, they're not random. And that's just saying, well, I think, well, we have scriptural verses that teach us about how things behave.
in Scripture and therefore in life.
So this beast out of the pit is filled with Satan. But then in chapter thirteen we'll see the beast out of the sea. That's Antichrist still, just more information about him as the world dictator. But also in chapter 13, The beast out of the land, which is the deputy Antichrist. His little sidekick profit.
And so that's what is coming. These are the forces at work behind the scenes, so that when we read that here, Chapter 7 about this beast, we know where all this is going.
Now this ascension out of the pit of Antichrist who is evil. means things are getting worse. on Earth. Demonic activity is increasing. Israel is plunging towards the time of Jacob's trouble.
The peril is about to ramp up against her. And John will elaborate as we go through. It says here in verse 7: make war against them, overcome them, the two prophets. Satan is now permitted to retaliate. He has been restrained.
He had power to harm them, no power to harm them, until their work was complete.
Well, that is reassuring to me because then I know that that's how God does business. He leaves me on earth until my work is done. And uh Satan knows it, God knows it, and we should know it too. The word war shows up most in the Old Testament in the book of Numbers. They're numbering them for war.
But in the New Testament, it's in the book of Revelation. God is making it clear, this is warfare. Our lives as Christians are to be spent as Troops Soldiers who do not become entangled In the affairs of the world, which happens very quickly if you're not careful. Christians get very quickly sucked into politics. in the interest of righteousness, but still sucked in nonetheless.
until they run a higher risk of becoming carnal. does not mean that Christians cannot be in politics. It just means they're not to get entangled. to know who they serve and why.
So God allows this false trinity, this wicked trinity, the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, and they're put together in chapter 16:13.
So again, that's not a random statement. This false trinity, he allows them their brief triumphs. Because he's using them. They're with all that's going on through them. To save even more souls who otherwise could not be saved.
So it's not good God is not Look at that. I didn't see that coming. He sees it all coming. He's watching it all. He's letting free will run its course.
Listen to what he says through the prophet Ezekiel, God speaking. Ezekiel 14 twenty three you shall know that I have done nothing without cause. that I have done it. says The Lord Yahweh The Lord God And so you take away, you read that verse, you say, okay, my God is just, you know, He's got a plan. When He does something, He knows what's going on.
And I am, yes, what Paul could say, he's looking back at the Old Testament, he could say, God causes all things to work together for the good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes.
Well, these two love Him. They're called according to his purposes. And they are beneficiaries of such a verse as that in Romans 8 and Ezekiel 14. It says here, and kill them. Yeah, because their truth was interfering with Satan's obsession.
And Satan's obsession is what? Damning souls and trying to be God. He's obsessed with that. He's insane. He's the consummate definition of insanity.
He is it. But what's coming? is nothing like we've ever seen because it's going to be global And they're going to be stone cold out of their minds. If you glance down at verse 13, in the same hour, There was a great earthquake. And a tenth of the city fell in the earthquake.
7,000 people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to God, the God of heaven.
So it's worth it. They get killed. People get saved. It's not It's not foolishness. From on God's part, This is who these worldlings will be.
Deadly opposed to God's truth. And we're getting we're seeing it now because of the Internet, we can see what's happening in a lot of other places. We couldn't see things that were swept under the rug are now being broadcast for content. on various podcasts and YouTube channels. And you look at these things and you say, man, have people always behaved this way?
Yeah, just not as much. And certainly haven't been as aware of it as we are now, and that will lend into the story.
So this frequent image that we come across In Revelation about this pit, the powers of evil ascending. out of the sea or out of the abyss.
Well, it was the smoke and the locusts of in in Revelation 8. In Revelation 9. And then in there's the beast in chapter 17. There's the beast from the sea. And and then the beast from the land, all coming out of the abyss in chapter 13.
And God is saying to us, there's a location for evil. And there are It has a portal. I'm in control of it and I will use it. And it's going to happen. And you know, here's the worldling just dancing around trying to get their career right, trying to finish school, and just oblivious to the spiritual things of God.
And then here we come. Telling them, listen, this is all wood, hay, and stubble. Good, get good grades, get a good job, fine. But remember what's happening. You can either use these resources to serve the Lord.
Or you could just go to hell rich. And it won't benefit you there.
So, uh verse 8. And their dead bodies will lie in the streets of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt. where also our Lord was crucified. Um This is taking place in Jerusalem. That's what's being taught here.
which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. And verse 2, we saw to leave the outer precincts or the outer area of the temple, the third temple, to the Gentiles.
Well, the Gentiles are trampling the city. They're all over this, and you can't factor them out as we go through what's happening in this city at this point in history to come. And so we are reminded again, of God's intentions, that He's going to Use them to bring even the Jewish people to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. But at this time it cannot be called the h the holy city. As it has previously been referred to in verse 2, for example, of this chapter.
It's not now. being shown to us in that light. Once they kill the two witnesses of God, God ridicules the city. For what is going on there? And so it is called Sodom, which represents, of course, Perversity.
and Egypt enslavement, but other things too. the wickedness of those two ancient cities Or well, Egypt's not a city, but it's of course a country.
Sodom was a city. But they are poster boys. For what's coming? They symbolize a behavior. that is rampant on earth.
And and not for the reason of the rejection of God. The true God, because they'll still be into idolatry. We've already covered that. That means they're still going to cherish their false religions, just like in the days of Caesar. See, it said you can worship any God you want.
We'll leave you alone.
So long as. You recognize Caesar as one of the gods.
So long as you worship Caesar too. They'll recognize that he's worthy. We'll leave you. And that's why the Christians got into trouble. The Jews got to pass.
Because well, that's a whole nother I'm going down a rabbit trail. But anyway. Because the wicked Antichrist generation has overrun the city. There's nothing holy about it. looking at it from that perspective.
Glancing back at Revelation 9, And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality. or their thefts.
So God's reminding us as we're moving through Revelation is sort of like a billboard. Remember. who these folks are. Remember what's taking place. Remember, it is about getting souls into heaven.
and opposing those who are opposing that. Through the preaching of the word. Decadence and bondage. That's what Sodom and that's what Egypt represents. decadence and bondage.
has spiritual bondage, has overtaken Jerusalem. And as the Gentiles of Antichrist generation. trample the city. We look at things today, we look for example, you look at Look at Tel Aviv today. with particularly their ni night life.
It is decadent. It is perverted. It's evil. And you're surprised. You say, well, how could the promised land for God's people have this cauldron of of Iniquity and boast about it at the same time.
Well, that's what's going on. a precursor to what's coming. The wrong lifestyle of Sodom? The wrong gods of Egypt. All of that is packed into this statement because a Bible student picks up on these things.
Oh, what's Egypt known for? What's Sodom known for? Isn't that that tricky? Anybody who can read or can listen. And reason We'll see it.
And once you see it, you've got it.
So, what are the trends?
Some trends here.
Sodom was violently. Depraved, determined to protect their sexual perversity, we see that today. They were irretrievable.
Sodom could not be reached. And that was the whole kind of haggling thing between Abraham and God. Perchance there's 50 of them. Until God said, look, I'm done with this. Ten is it.
And of course, they never made that number. It was so wicked. Egypt was violently anti-Semitic. They were killing all the Jewish boys. The beginning of genocide for them.
And Jerusalem Jerusalem Was violently anti-Messiah, and the proof of that. It has already been mentioned where they crucified the Lord. See, Revelation again is a book of symbolism, but it's concrete, abstract. It's a paradox. And if you are If you are fair to reason, You can miss it.
If you're biased and you don't want to see these things, then you will miss it. Where our Lord was crucified. That's only one city on earth. And so Jesus said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children as a hen gathers her brood under her wings but you were not willing.
So she has a history of doing this, thousands of years of this happening. And it's going to happen until he comes back. But now at this point In the Revelation, it's Jew and Gentile. That are closed mind to the Christ, with the exception of those who are going to be tribulation converts the hard way, verse 9. Then those when the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies Three and a half days.
And not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. How disgusting of these people! Who will be boasting of how civil they are? They're not barbaric. They'll have it on their podcast.
They'll have it on their. It'll be all the social media will have pictures of this grotesque. The the the grotesque is a bug in here. Pastoring 101, the light attracts the bugs. And if you pastor in a big city, you'll find that out.
But anyway. Where was I talking? hair transplants for men. Yeah. This is grotesque.
Is this not expected behavior from today's Democrat Party activists Like, you know, what's the ones connected with chaos, I don't remember, anarchists or whatever. Who really cares? We see the behavior, we know how they are, and we say, it's going to just get worse. Law enforcement will turn their back on persecution of Christians, even in Western civilization, has already started. They'll have a global audience.
Starling. Has just connected the world.
Now, that's not to say that that's all evil. That's not the point. The point is, evil people will get hold of these things and use them for evil. As though someone opened up an abyss. And these things came flying out.
which spiritually is what's happening. Global hatred for Christ will be Very intense. conversions of many will be linked to all of these events. They would not have gotten saved had God not done it this way. And there's no outcry.
Recorded, no compassion. No honor for the dead. On the treatment of these two prophets, what was their crime? They told people about Jesus Christ and they didn't put up with anybody who tried to hurt them.
So they're going to post their dead bodies as trophies. Three and a half days.
Well, God has drawn a line in the sand and said, This is how long it's going to be, and not more. And so when it happens, He's done nothing without a cause. When it happens, there are going to be people who not only connect the dots, But make a decision. And some will decide against. And some will decide four.
And those who decide four will be the ones converted to Christ that we've already read about, and we'll read again. That They gave glory to God. Three and a half days we come across this three and a half constantly in scripture. Yeah. There's years where, or 1260 days, which is three and a half years, three and a half is a big deal.
It is the number of a climactic phase. that belongs to a larger event. This has been Cross-Reference Radio with Pastor Rick Gaston. This program is a radio outreach of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Pastor Rick has been teaching through the book of Revelation, but if you're interested in learning about a different book of the Bible, we have hundreds of past episodes available to listen to on demand.
Just visit us online at crossreferenceradio.com and you'll find an archive of Pastor Rick's past teachings. While you're there, you can also find links to follow our program on your favorite podcast app, as well as links to get connected with us on Facebook and YouTube. There's also an interviews tab where you can learn more about Pastor Rick's heart for ministry.
Well, we hope you'll join us next time here on Cross Reference Radio. Yeah.
