These two witnesses, these two prophets are continuing that Christian tradition. The world is intolerant of them exposing sin as sin. World's not intolerant of you exposing. Sin? A murderer should go to jail because it's not, well, I guess, because it's not good for society.
But when you attach to that, that it is There's an accountability to Jesus Christ now all of a sudden. They're going to start. resisting any preaching about sin. as sin. 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. Revelation chapter 11 is the text Pastor Rick will be teaching from today on this edition of Cross-Reference Radio. 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 going 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. He 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, the 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 to the Christ, with the exception of those who are going to be tribulation converts to Hardway, 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 growth test is a bug in here. Pastoring 101, the light attracts the bugs. And if you look, if you pastor in a big city, you'll find that out.
But anyway, Where was I talking? hair transplants for men. Hold on anyway. 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, they didn't put up with anybody who tried to hurt them.
Um 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. Is years where or twelve hundred and sixty 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. It's a portion of something that's going on. 2 times 3 is 7. Two times three and a half.
Sorry. He was like, wait a minute, what kind of church is this?
Okay. Heresy. They said there'd be no math when I got this job. Three and a half years. Three and a half times two is seven, the seven-year period of the great tribulation that we get from Daniel chapter nine.
in the seventieth week, and a week being a seven-year period. And the Gentiles tread the holy city underfoot. For 42 months, which is three and a half years, or 1,260 days. The two witnesses are given power. to prophesy for exactly three and a half years.
And which is, of course, the first part of the Great Tribulation, then they're killed, and the tribulation really gets worse. The witnesses are then killed, and their dead bodies lie in the street for three and a half days, as we just read. And we'll read again. And then there's the woman clothed with the sun that's coming up in chapter 12, and she's protected in the wilderness for 1,260 days, which is three and a half years. And so it belongs to a bigger part of the picture, it's connected.
It's not random as I'm repeating myself with that word this morning. Maybe I should have, that should have been the title. It's not random. and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. These people in their iniquity.
This is unrestrained. Evil. unabashed. Again, pointed out going through the Revelation, how many wicked people have no shame? You can't shame them.
It's an indication that They're sold out to Satan. And we hope that There's still Enough of a portal. Uh or a gap. to drive a wedge to be able to get the gospel in. And uh that's why we we remain diligent Anyway, Matthew 10, Jesus speaking.
I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Huh? Wolves eat sheep. And they really like it. And that's what's happening, because these people are going to exchange gifts.
over these men being dead. these two prophets of God These two lampstands These two witnesses The world's hatred for them because they dared preach the truth. and defended themselves. Because we remember earlier. They strike people dead if you come against them until again this point.
You you know, it used to be when you'd watch television that If a movie came out to the theaters, they would show you what was called the coming attractions. And it was to give you a little bit of what the movie was about to attract you to go watch it.
Well, we have coming attractions and just not very attractive right now in history of the persecution. This is Syria right now. The Muslims there are killing Christians. Myanmar is totally against Christians. Of course, the deadly cowards of Hamas, they're against everybody.
It is like to kill because they are possessed. Unprecedented demonic activity is still coming.
So we are to be sober-minded because the enemy does not rest but goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. But the victory is stolen from Antichrist. By killing these two prophets, the victory is stolen when they R get up. And everybody starts saying, hey, this is biblical. The news media, the social media.
All these people will be commenting, posting videos, and it will be used by God as an evangelistic tool. Even though the people given to Satan will be rejoicing. Verse 10. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on earth. Yeah, the spiritual hoodlums who declined being anything else.
But Christ haters. They're going to be the ones with this behavior. Jesus said, I, speaking of his disciples, I have given them your word. And the world has hated them because They are not of the world.
Well, these two witnesses, these two prophets, are continuing that Christian tradition. The world is intolerant of them exposing sin as sin. The world's not intolerant of you exposing. Sin A murderer should go to jail because it's not, well, I guess, because it's not good for society. But when you attach to that, that it is There's an accountability to Jesus Christ.
Now, all of a sudden, they're going to start. resisting any preaching about sin. As sin. They make merry, they send gifts to one another. How a narcissistic planet, a planet in love with itself.
And all of its evil, convinced that this is civilized behavior. Because these two prophets, it says, tormented those who dwell on the earth, how did they do that? They go around sticking pins in them. I would have signed up for that.
Well, they went around preaching the truth, and those were the pins that were sticking in them. And they didn't back down. They didn't apologize for it. When you're right before God, there's a strength that comes with it. Jeremiah five, verse fourteen.
God said, I will make my words in your mouth fire. And this people would. and it shall devour them. God knows how to. Turn up the heat Truth tormented them.
Especially for those three and a half years. Verse 11. You know, you can hear some of the prophets saying, to the world. How come true Christians cannot assemble? And where are the ones that used to assemble?
They are raptured. You would think a sane person Would figure this out. and repent and come to Christ, and many will be. But the world that refuses to come to Christ will hate them even more. for daring to point these things out.
All the way through. Every time a scripture verse is fulfilled from Revelation and they point it out, they're hated more, they're tormented. Because the spirit that has come out of the abyss Is filled them, and what did the demons that were in the people before they went into the pig say? Have you come to torment us? Truth torments hell And a reminder that they're not in charge.
Verse 11. Now, after three and a half days, The breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. And great fear fell on those who saw them. I bet it did. I guess the sermon for that day would have been from Ezekiel 37.
Can these dead bones live? Yeah. And they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw it. A little something for the eyewitnesses. Uh you're going to have to choose.
Which team do you play for? How committed are you to that team? Putting it in sports terms. Verse 11, and they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, Come up here. And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.
Well, if you were doing a Prophecy conference. This would be a verse that you could really just take and build on and spend the 30, 45 minutes or more. Just on that verse, the whole connection between come up here and the rapture and John the door in heaven, and he heard a voice say, Come and see, they're joined together very nicely. This will be The sixth Radical Transport. and the fifth one into heaven.
There's a Twist to that. To be translated like Enoch is, he's on earth, now he's in heaven. Same with Elijah the prophet, who was taken up in a chariot. They were translated. There's the raptured saints.
Then there's the Christ that ascended. Then there's the lateral translation of Philip the Apostle, who suddenly was in one place, now he's in another place. And I was like, you know, I wanted the vertical. I wanted a vertical translation to heaven, not the lateral. But he didn't, we have no record of him complaining.
Well, the two witnesses, here we go, with even more. Actually, Actually, there's more. Because it's Elijah. and Moses when they're on the Mount of Transfiguration. As a sleeper one.
And they, of course, just go back up to heaven. and they ascended to heaven in a cloud. This still won't register with many people, though it's going to have eyewitnesses. They're going to have that live camera on all of this. Like the raptured church They maxed out their effectiveness.
There was no longer Any use for them and their tactics, God had to change tactics. And that doesn't mean they weren't useful, but things, there had to be field adjustments. on the battlefield. And that's the church. Why is the church taken out of the way?
Because it's not effective anymore. Otherwise, why not leave it? Due to their preaching. and their deaths and this miraculous Ascension into heaven. There are going to be people coming to their senses.
Common sense will still have a chance. And their enemies saw them. The very important part, because most of them are going to stay enemies. The world thought they defeated God's servants. Isaiah, he gives us a.
Well, there's so many heads up in the Old Testament about the Jews and God restoring them. I will set my sign among them, and those among them. Who escape, I will send to the nations, to the coastlands afar off. And he goes on and he finally says, They shall declare my glory among the Gentiles. My point is This is a last days passage.
And it fits very nicely. Here at this point in the tribulation, there's some of that that also applies in the millennial kingdom. Because there will still be people That or on earth when Christ comes back. that need to learn about Christ. And the Jews will be a big part of that.
And so Well the The ch the church, those who belong to the New Testament righteous, which would include the Old Testament righteous in heaven. Anyway. The deranged enemies. due to their insistence will disregard these things. Luke chapter 16, verse 31, Jesus, you know, he gave the story with the man in Sheol, the underworld.
Abraham is on the righteous side, and the rich man is on the unrighteous side. And he is very uncomfortable. And he cries out to Abraham. to send word to his brothers. about this awful place.
So they don't come here. And Abraham says, Jesus doing the speaking. If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rise from the dead. And here we're seeing two of them rise from the dead. It's the scripture.
It always comes back to the word of God. And the witness of the 144,000 and the converted Gentiles and Jews and these two prophets is going to be on the word of God. Not just, boy, this is crazy. There must be a God. Going to be very specific.
It's going to be Jesus Christ. There's a thing called today TDS. A Trump derange syndrome. Where a person is so insane in their opposition to something That there's no longer any recognition of truth, there's no longer honesty or sanity, there's just this determination to oppose. blindly and violently.
Maniacal behavior.
Well, it's a coming attraction. Is God saying you see it now? Don't be there to see it when it happens globally. 2 Thessalonians, for this reason, God will send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie. God's going to say, fine, I'll give you just what you want.
You're going to turn them over to their own passions. Verse 13. In the same hour the 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 the God of heaven.
Well, to this day, Jerusalem is susceptible to earthquakes. In fact, even in the Old Testament, King Hezekiah. Yeah, Hezekiah Zia. I don't recall at the moment, but There is great mention of the earthquake there. Don't call it out, and I'll get it later, and the moment will be past.
Anyway, in the earthquake, 7,000 people were killed out of 70,000.
Well, Jerusalem has almost a million people living there.
So, what's going on here?
Well, the tenth of the city may have to do with a portion, a district. Jerusalem has districts. There's the Muslim district, the Christian district, or they're called quarters, and the Jewish quarter, but then there are other districts too, and that's likely what's going on. Those who will be living at that time will know exactly what's happening. They'll say, huh?
The earthquake damaged this section of town, 7,000 people dead. Let me Google or gork. Which is Even better, you can get really AI information there. Let me gork this and find out what the population is of this quarter of. Oh, it's 70,000, just like it says.
And he continues, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Sounds like conversion to me. There are actually commentators that go, hmm, what could this mean? Uh I don't get it. Why would you say that? They gave glory to God.
How can you do that? If you're rejecting and hating him. That just makes the revelation a beautiful book, does it not? It does make it that part when Jesus said, You're going to be blessed. From reading and hearing this book.
Why? Because you're going to find out. That God has to, He's not given up on reaching people. Even in the worst condition of the planet. And so this is the language of repentance.
There's going to be some sort of revival within the Holy Spirit Holy Spirit, Holy City. Isaiah 45, verse 17. Israel shall be saved. by Yahweh, with an everlasting salvation. You shall not be ashamed.
or disgraced forever and ever. And Isaiah is talking about Literal, the Jewish people, literally, not some symbolic Jewish people. He's talking about the ethnic Jews. And it's what the job called for. We have a few moments.
I like to sing a song. No, we don't. I won't do that and we don't have time for that anyway. But uh I would like to reference Revelation 14 verses 6 and 7. A little fast forward here.
We'll do it, verse 6. I saw another. Angel flying in the midst of heaven, having an everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, give Him glory. For the hour of his judgment is come. and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and the springs of the water, And that will go against what their professors may have been telling them about.
The evolution of species, and another angels follow saying, Babylon has fallen, fallen, that great city, because she has made all the nations drink. the wine of the wrath of her unfaithfulness. Fornication is the word, but the idea is is much bigger.
So again, we see God saving souls, very committed to this. What a glorious thing. Verse 14. The second woe is past, behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
Well, we've covered two parentheses or two interludes. That God breaks the course of what's happening with the judgments, and He says, Here's what's happening with the righteous while all this is going on. We had it in chapter 7. It began the second one in chapter 10 up to this point right here, verse 14. And we'll get another one in chapter 12 through 15.
So the coming blast of the seventh trumpet. which will be the finale as far as trumpets go. but it's going to also initiate bold judgments. where the God is going to pour out as though he's pour pouring out of a jar uh judgments you notice there's no We don't have any cli climactic protesters mentioned in Revelation. This is an odd thing.
Anyway let's close. The seven trumpet is coming. But let's close with this verse. because this has to do with we who are living before the Great Tribulation period. Paul gives this encouragement to the Thessalonicans.
Thessalonians chapter 5, 1 Thessalonians verse 4. But you, brethren, are not in darkness.
So that this day should overtake you as a thief. You know it's called emotion. You know who the Christ is. You shouldn't be caught up. in this great tribulation period.
something to preach even now. Mm-hmm. 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. Uh
