Hey, podcast listeners! Thanks for streaming today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's word through the most effective media available, like this podcast. To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program.
On today's edition of Pathway to Victory. The Super Bowl is the single most televised event of the year. And I was just wondering what event would have to happen for the announcer of the game to say, I'm sorry, we're going to cut away from the Super Bowl because of breaking news. Perhaps it would be something just like the event we're going to look at today in Revelation 11. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress. You know, these days, it seems like every news story starts with these words, breaking news.
And with so many urgent headlines, it's no wonder people get burned out from following current events. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress teaches on a future event described in Revelation that's truly deserving of that title. Now here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.
Dr. Jeffress. Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Did you realize that Revelation is the only book in the Bible that has a special blessing attached to it? In the first chapter, John said, blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it, for the time is near.
In the spirit of that blessing, let me commend you for listening to Pathway to Victory today. Your presence assures me that you're interested in learning more about the end times. Our study in the book of Revelation is called Final Conquest. Friends, I believe the time is near. The signs of Christ's soon return are intensifying, and it falls upon every follower of Christ to heed the warnings in the book of Revelation. So to help you untangle the somewhat complicated stories that are portrayed in this last book of the Bible, I've written a commentary for you.
Like the teaching series, it's also called Final Conquest. And when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, I'll make sure a copy is sent to your home right away. More details will come later. But first, let me share a quick word about an upcoming vacation opportunity for you. This coming May, Amy and I will be hosting the Pathway to Victory Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise. The dates for this 12-day vacation are May 5th through 16th, 2025, and I'd love for you to join with us. Please take a look at the amazing itinerary we've planned for you and reserve your spot today by going to ptv.org. Now, it's time to open our Bibles to Revelation chapter 11 for our study about the Final Conquest.
I titled today's message Breaking News. If you have your Bibles, turn to Revelation chapter 11. Look at verse 1. Then there was given me, that is John, a measuring rod like a staff. And someone said, Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar and leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it for it has been given to the nations and they will tread underfoot the holy city for 42 months.
Underline that, 42 months. John was told by a voice, perhaps God, perhaps an angel, to take a rod and measure the temple. But notice something else that is going on. And that is the ministry of the two tribulation witnesses. And that is the focus of this chapter. Look at verse 3. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses and they will prophesy for 1260 days. That's 42 months.
That's three and a half years in sackcloth. While these terrible judgments of God are coming, there will be two witnesses who will proclaim God's truth. And notice their characteristics in verses 4 to 6. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. A lampstand is something that gave light in the darkness.
They were fueled by olive oil that came from olive trees. And that's the nature of these two witnesses. They're giving light in the darkness. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies. So if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. And not only that, verse 6, these have the power to shut up the sky so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying.
And they have powers over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every plague as often as they desire. Look at verse 7. When they, that is the two witnesses, have finished their testimony.
Underline that word finished. It's only after they have finished their testimony. That Greek word for testimony is the word martyr.
To be a martyr is to give the final testimony of your faith. When they have finished their ministry, the beast that comes out of the abyss will make war with them and overcome them and kill them. This is the first reference to the antichrist in the book of Revelation. It's the first of 38 references to the antichrist.
He is a human being who is demonically inspired. And he will make war with the two witnesses and he will overcome them and kill them only after they have finished their testimony. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which is mystically called Sodom in Egypt. What city is that?
John's very clear. It's the city where also the Lord was crucified. This is Jerusalem.
This is Jerusalem. They will be killed and they will be left in the streets and those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. The whole world will be able to see these two witnesses killed and their bodies left in the street to decompose.
Now I want you to think about this. For the first 1900 years of church history, since this was written, nobody knew how this would be fulfilled, this prophecy. How in the world would the whole world be able to look and see what was happening in the streets of Jerusalem?
Not until the advent of television did people have a clue about how the whole world can see one event at the same time. But the whole world will be tuned in and they're going to look at the dead bodies of these two witnesses for three and a half days. Why won't the antichrist allow them to be buried? It's a way of humiliating them and the God they represent. Do you remember in 1993 the battle of Mogadishu when Somalian rebels shot down two of our Black Hawk helicopters? And remember one of those soldiers was not only killed but his body was desecrated, it was drug through the streets in order to bring humiliation to the United States.
That's what's going on here. This is a way of humiliating these two prophets by not allowing them to be buried. Look at verse 10. And those who dwell on the earth, remember that phrase?
Unbelievers. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them. This is the only instance of rejoicing in the whole tribulation. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate.
And not only that, they will actually send gifts to one another. People are going to be so thrilled by the death of these two witnesses that they're going to have their own satanic Christmas celebration where they start giving gifts to one another. Why would they rejoice over the death of these two witnesses?
Here's why. Because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. What do you mean they tormented those who dwelled on the earth? All they did was speak the word of God.
Ladies and gentlemen, to the unrepentant, rebellious heart, the word of God is torment to have to listen to. And that's why unbelievers want to do everything they can to silence the speaking of God's truth in our world today. Did you see just this week the interview that Cardinal Timothy Dolan had with our Attorney General, Bill Barr, who's a great man of faith himself? Bill Barr was talking about the very real move by the secular left to silence religious speech. This isn't imaginary.
This isn't some campaign stunt. This is real what is going on to silence people from sharing their Christian beliefs. You see, it used to be that the left, those who opposed the things of God, the left wanted an equal voice and an ability to share their opinion.
Nobody argues with that. But the left isn't content with doing that. They want to silence your right and my right to share our Christian perspective because it torments them.
They don't want to hear it. I was with our great Vice President, Mike Pence, Thursday. Here is a godly, gracious, compassionate man, and yet he has been called by the left a hater, a hate monger. You know why he's a hate monger? Because he has the audacity to believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. He has not insulted anybody else.
He has just said, I believe the Bible says marriage should be between a man and a woman. But if you share God's truth, you're called a hater today, and your speech has to be silenced because it torments unbelievers. Listen, the Word of God is alive.
It's active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword. It cuts the heart of an unbeliever. An unbeliever knows what it does to him. An unbeliever instinctively knows the power of the Word of God to change the lives and the minds of others too. And they think they can silence it.
That's what these people will do. The Antichrist and all the unbelievers in the world will think they have victory because they have finally silenced these two witnesses. This is all a fulfillment of something that was written 3,000 years ago in Psalm 79.
Listen to this prophecy from 3,000 years ago. Oh God, the nations have invaded your inheritance. They have defiled your holy temple. They have laid Jerusalem in ruins. They have given the dead bodies of your servants for food to the birds of the heavens, the flesh of your godly ones, to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.
Isn't that amazing? 3,000 years ago, prophesying what is yet to happen. The unbelievers will think their problems are over with the death of these two witnesses, but the truth is their problems have only begun because of what happens in verse 11. Look at this. Now remember, cameras are trained on these two bodies lying in the streets. You can tune in 24 hours a day and see those two bodies decomposing in the streets. Verse 11, but after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them and they stood on their feet and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. Can't you just imagine in the middle of the night, somebody's tuned in watching this and just sees all of a sudden these two bodies rise up and they, that is the whole world, heard a loud voice from heaven saying to the witnesses, come up here.
And then they went up into heaven in the cloud and their enemies watched them. That's the rapture. They get their own private rapture, these two witnesses. We've already been raptured. We've already heard the voice, the shout of the archangel, the trumpet of God that says, come up here.
Aren't you looking forward to hearing that voice? It's coming for those who know Christ. The Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. And we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.
That's what's going to happen to these two witnesses. Verse 13, and in that hour, there was a great earthquake and a 10th of Jerusalem fell. 7,000 people were killed in the earthquake and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
That doesn't mean they were converted. That means they realized what any imbecile could understand, that God had done something great. They see this great sign, but it's not enough to lead them to repentance. Verse 14, the second woe is past. That is the sixth trumpet is past. Behold, the third woe, the final trumpet is coming quickly. And it comes in verse 15, the sounding of the seventh trumpet, which signals the beginning of the bold judgments and the return of Jesus Christ. Look at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the announcement of victory in verse 15.
I love this. Then the seventh angel sounded and there were loud voices in heaven saying, the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he will reign forever and ever. Does that sound familiar to you? You can hear the refrains of the Hallelujah chorus in your mind. This is for George Handel, got those words. The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God and of his Christ.
What is interesting to me is this. This announcement is made the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God. But the fact is there's still more tribulation to come. There are seven more bold judgments to come.
The victory is still future only to those of us who are caught in time and space, but to God who sees all things as past, present and future, the victory has already happened. The kingdom of this world has already become the kingdom of our God. And notice the reaction to that announcement, the offering of praise beginning in verse 16. And the 24 elders who sit on the thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God. Remember the 24 elders represent all of God's redeemed, the church and redeemed Israel.
And they will be saying, we give you thanks. So award God at the almighty who are and who were because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign and the nations were enraged. And your wrath came and the time came for the dead to be judged and the time to reward your bond servants, the prophets and the saints and those who fear your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth. While there's going to be great worshiping in heaven over the announcement that the seventh trumpet has sounded, the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God. While there is praising in heaven, there is more rebellion on earth as the nations are enraged at the thought of Christ returning. This is again a fulfillment of a psalm from 1000 BC. Psalm 2 verse 1, why are the nations in an uproar and the people devising a vain thing? Verse 5, then God will speak to them in his anger and terrify them in his fury saying, but as for me, I have installed my king upon Zion, my holy mountain.
Do homage to the son that he not become angry and you perish in the way for his wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are those who take refuge in him. The picture is we are in the final days of the tribulation.
Man's rebellion is increasing. The tribulation judgments are intensifying, but notice the blessed assurance of God's faithfulness that occurs in verse 19. And the temple of God, which is in heaven, was opened. And the ark of his covenant appeared in his temple. And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
Just as people are thinking things could not get worse here on earth. And those who are redeemed on earth are saying, where are you, Lord, when we need you the most? Suddenly John says, I saw the heavens open. And although he had seen an earthly temple that he measured at the beginning of the chapter, now he sees the heavens open and he sees the heavenly temple. And he sees in the temple, the ark of the covenant. Remember that ark of the covenant? It was the sign of God's faithfulness to his people. It was in Solomon's temple. Then after the destruction of the temple, it was lost. Nobody's ever seen it again except Steven Spielberg in Raiders of Lost Ark.
He's the only one who's seen it. We don't know where that ark is, but you know what? It doesn't matter because that ark was just an earthly representation of what's in heaven. The promise of God's faithfulness. In the midst of the tribulation, God is saying to his people, you can trust me, my promises are certain. What does all of this have to do with our life today?
May I close, I promise, only a few more moments, but this is so important. Let me close with two timeless truths from Revelation 11. Number one, truth number one, God's protection is promised. Obey him. Remember this was the whole reason for the book of Revelation?
Christians were being persecuted. And John is given this revelation to encourage God's people to remain faithful. Obey Jesus because one day he's coming back to reward the faithful and judge the unfaithful. Obey God.
And that's what he's saying here. God's protection is promised, obey him. Think about those two witnesses. They had a hard task to prophesy in the last three and a half years of the tribulation, but God supernaturally protected them until their mission was completed. The same thing is true for you.
God is calling you, some of you, to obey him in some tough circumstances, to obey him in your marriage, to obey him at your workplace, to obey him in being a witness for him in some difficult circumstances. You can rely on God's protection. Somebody once said, every person is immortal until his work on earth is finished.
You've got the assurance of divine protection until your ministry is finished. That was true of these two witnesses. It wasn't until after their testimony was finished that the beast killed them. But even then, their life wasn't finished.
God raised them up after three and a half days. And he will do the same for you and for me. God's protection is promised.
Obey him. Jesus said, don't fear people who can only kill your body, destroy your body. Only fear the one who is able to destroy both your body and your soul.
When you live your life to please God and God alone, it gives you courage. God's protection is promised. Obey him. Secondly, I love this, God's victory is certain. Trust him. His victory is certain.
Trust him. When that seventh angel blows the trumpet, he says, the kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God. To God, the victory is so certain, it's as if it has already happened.
I'll admit that to those of us who are trapped in time and space, it looks like evil has the upper hand. Sickness. Broken relationships. Bitter disappointments.
The death of loved ones. That seems to be the norm for Christians today, doesn't it? But it's only temporary. Our victory is guaranteed and promised by God. We've been using a lot of football analogies today.
But perhaps this one will help drive that home to you. You know what the Bible says about the end times? The Bible says that for the final minutes of the end game, Satan will have possession of the ball. He's going to have possession of the ball for the final moments of this earth's history. But it doesn't matter because Jesus has already racked up so many points on the scoreboard that the victorious outcome of the game is certain.
In fact, it is so certain that the fans are already streaming out of the auditorium. And the same thing is true for us. Satan's victory is absolutely guaranteed not to happen. Our victory is assured. The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our God and of his Christ. And he shall reign forever and ever and ever and ever. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Yes, he shall reign forever and ever. Hallelujah.
I'm so pleased you joined us for today's special edition of Pathway to Victory. Our study in the book of Revelation reminds us that in the end, God will have the final say. And these spectacular moments in Revelation, like the one we experienced today, give us a rare glimpse of Jesus and the kingdom of our God. Well, it's absolutely essential that we have a grasp on this final book in the Bible and the warnings we receive about the last days. So let me highly recommend that you become a student of this final conquest of God. As I mentioned earlier, I've written a best-selling book to help you understand the book of Revelation.
My book is called Final Conquest. The book is by far the most comprehensive one I've written about biblical prophecy. In my book, we'll walk together through every chapter in Revelation so that you have a firm grasp of the essential story line and how this biblical account impacts your life today. Plus, when you respond right now, I'll also include the booklet I've written for you called Bible Prophecy Made Simple. My booklet describes events like the tribulation, the rapture, the millennium, the great white throne judgment, and many more.
Let me recap today's special offer. When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of pathway to victory, I'll be sending you a copy of my best-selling book called Final Conquest, which is a verse by verse study through Revelation. And as a bonus, you'll also receive my booklet called Bible Prophecy Made Simple. Here's David to tell you more.
Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. Today when you contact the Ministry of Pathway to Victory with your generous gift, you're invited to request your copy of Final Conquest. That's the verse by verse commentary on the book of Revelation by Dr. Robert Jeffress. Plus, you'll receive the booklet called Bible Prophecy Made Simple. Just call 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org. Now when you give $75 or more, we'd also like to send along the complete CD and DVD teaching sets for this month's series on the book of Revelation, Final Conquest.
It's perfect for your small group Bible study or maybe a Sunday school class. One more time, call 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org. If you'd prefer to write, here's that mailing address, PO Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. Again, PO Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222.
I'm David J. Mullins. Right now, God and Satan are engaged in a cosmic battle of epic proportions. So what will take place during the final conflict?
Hear a message called Slaying the Great Red Dragon. That's Thursday on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His Word. To become a Pathway partner, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.
