WEBVTT 00:00:02.720 --> 00:00:06.299 Welcome to the Kingdom Family Podcast, where 00:00:06.299 --> 00:00:09.599 we rediscover our identity as sons and daughters 00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:13.000 of Yahweh and learn to live the life of the Kingdom. 00:00:13.640 --> 00:00:17.620 Let's jump in to today's episode. All right, 00:00:17.660 --> 00:00:23.320 guys, we are back rethinking in times. What we're 00:00:23.320 --> 00:00:27.719 talking about this week was actually not on my 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:33.670 radar for this series. And Ray, who we do Bible 00:00:33.670 --> 00:00:37.070 study with, was asking questions regarding this. 00:00:37.289 --> 00:00:41.649 And I'm like, you know, that's not in my series, 00:00:41.649 --> 00:00:43.869 but maybe we should have had that in. So I did. 00:00:44.909 --> 00:00:46.990 So this week we're gonna talk about the two witnesses 00:00:46.990 --> 00:00:50.909 and the trumpets. Probably a big part. I don't 00:00:50.909 --> 00:00:53.490 know why I didn't think about these throughout 00:00:53.490 --> 00:00:57.009 the series, but I didn't. And I told you before. 00:00:57.530 --> 00:00:59.850 There's a lot of information that you can dive 00:00:59.850 --> 00:01:02.609 into when it comes to rethinking the end times 00:01:02.609 --> 00:01:05.750 and looking at the symbolism and the imagery 00:01:05.750 --> 00:01:07.530 and all that kind of stuff. You can go down a 00:01:07.530 --> 00:01:09.670 lot of rabbit holes. You can study a lot of different 00:01:09.670 --> 00:01:14.109 things. And so I just missed this option, but 00:01:14.109 --> 00:01:16.870 we've added it in. So we're going to do this 00:01:16.870 --> 00:01:21.269 one. And I think we have one more for the podcast. 00:01:24.060 --> 00:01:26.599 For next week and then we're gonna take a couple 00:01:26.599 --> 00:01:28.640 months off. We're gonna take July and August 00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:32.480 off That will allow me to get pre -recorded and 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:36.719 record ahead Because my girls will be playing 00:01:36.719 --> 00:01:39.280 the soccer starting at the end of July so I won't 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:41.340 have to stress about making sure there's something 00:01:41.340 --> 00:01:43.379 out I've already have it pre -recorded and ready 00:01:43.379 --> 00:01:46.560 to roll for you and hopefully this would be the 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:49.219 last time that we need to take a break and we 00:01:49.219 --> 00:01:52.469 can just keep rolling from here on out, but two 00:01:52.469 --> 00:01:54.950 months is not very long you can go back and it 00:01:54.950 --> 00:01:56.750 would take you probably longer to go back and 00:01:56.750 --> 00:02:01.030 listen to this series as far as a two month time 00:02:01.030 --> 00:02:03.250 goes but there's this series you have to listen 00:02:03.250 --> 00:02:07.989 to also going back and listening to the Christ 00:02:07.989 --> 00:02:10.330 in all the revelation of Christ in all that's 00:02:10.330 --> 00:02:12.789 another big one to just go back in and let it 00:02:12.789 --> 00:02:15.789 get back into your mind let it sit in your spirit 00:02:15.789 --> 00:02:19.569 wrestle with it wrestle through it but anyhow 00:02:19.569 --> 00:02:23.580 we're going to jump into the two witnesses starting 00:02:23.580 --> 00:02:27.979 off with, and I want you to consider why we take 00:02:27.979 --> 00:02:32.379 a book full of imagery and symbolism and attempt 00:02:32.379 --> 00:02:36.520 to read it literally. I can remember as far as 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:40.039 the two witnesses go of watching the Left Behind 00:02:40.039 --> 00:02:44.319 series and seeing on the news in the movie the 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:48.099 two witnesses at the wall. And so it was translated 00:02:48.099 --> 00:02:53.590 very literally. and we used one of our teenagers 00:02:53.590 --> 00:02:57.349 in our Bible study, there's a couple of them 00:02:57.349 --> 00:03:01.349 that play football, and there's a football play, 00:03:01.389 --> 00:03:04.229 and I'm sure every football team has a play that's 00:03:04.229 --> 00:03:07.650 central to them, that when they call this play, 00:03:08.469 --> 00:03:10.729 they know what they're talking about, but the 00:03:10.729 --> 00:03:14.379 other teams do not. And it shows how John is 00:03:14.379 --> 00:03:17.060 writing in a way to communicate to believers 00:03:17.060 --> 00:03:21.120 secretly. So if they were stopped by Roman officials 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:24.199 or Roman government, they would look at the stuff 00:03:24.199 --> 00:03:26.139 and not really understand what they're talking 00:03:26.139 --> 00:03:29.379 about and let it continue to pass on to the believers. 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:32.199 So it's important anytime you read scripture 00:03:32.199 --> 00:03:35.199 to look at how they would have interpreted what 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:37.759 the writer was saying to get a deeper meaning. 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:41.099 And when the early church early being around 00:03:41.099 --> 00:03:44.800 the time of Jesus, would have heard these phrases, 00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:47.460 they would have understood these symbols differently 00:03:47.460 --> 00:03:50.379 than we do in our world and our culture today. 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:53.379 So John of Revelation was speaking in a language 00:03:53.379 --> 00:03:57.280 that Israel already knew. So when first century 00:03:57.280 --> 00:04:00.120 believers heard things like trumpets, lampstands, 00:04:00.259 --> 00:04:02.860 olive trees, fire, plagues, earthquakes, beasts, 00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:06.060 all these different things, they were not inventing 00:04:06.060 --> 00:04:08.620 brand new language, they were hearing echoes 00:04:09.150 --> 00:04:13.569 of Moses Elijah Sinai Exodus Jeremiah Ezekiel 00:04:13.569 --> 00:04:16.949 Daniel Zechariah all these different things that's 00:04:16.949 --> 00:04:19.490 what they were hearing because remember at the 00:04:19.490 --> 00:04:21.589 time of this they don't have a new testament 00:04:21.589 --> 00:04:24.970 they are living and writing the new testament 00:04:24.970 --> 00:04:27.949 that we have today so the only thing they have 00:04:27.949 --> 00:04:31.290 are the old testament scrolls to refer to so 00:04:31.290 --> 00:04:33.670 when John is writing he's writing in language 00:04:33.670 --> 00:04:36.610 they would have understood by using those old 00:04:36.610 --> 00:04:40.360 testament scrolls So remember there's a lot of 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:42.120 letters, a lot of different things of that nature 00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:44.160 that we have in the New Testament that they're 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:46.959 writing to communicate to a specific group of 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:50.839 people for a specific reason and not necessarily 00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:54.199 for us 2 ,000 years later as the future predicament. 00:04:54.519 --> 00:04:57.519 That's not what's happening. That's important 00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:01.199 for us to grab hold of. So Revelation's not disconnected 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:03.759 from the Old Testament, no, it's saturated with 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:06.879 it. And we're going to see that as we talk about 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:10.060 the trumpet and the two witnesses. So I want 00:05:10.060 --> 00:05:13.959 to look at Numbers 10 first. Kind of helps give 00:05:13.959 --> 00:05:16.120 an understanding of biblical trumpets. I'm not 00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:17.860 going to read the entire thing. I want to kind 00:05:17.860 --> 00:05:21.100 of break it down for us. You can go read Numbers 00:05:21.100 --> 00:05:25.319 10 on your own. But I'm just going to do a summary 00:05:25.319 --> 00:05:27.660 of Numbers 10, if you will. First, it's important 00:05:27.660 --> 00:05:30.259 for us to understand that Numbers 10 serves as 00:05:30.259 --> 00:05:33.850 a major transition point in Israel's story. Up 00:05:33.850 --> 00:05:36.370 until this point, Israel has been camped at Mount 00:05:36.370 --> 00:05:39.550 Sinai. They have received the law. They're organizing 00:05:39.550 --> 00:05:42.110 the tribes and preparing for the journey ahead. 00:05:42.589 --> 00:05:45.810 They're finally beginning to move into and toward 00:05:45.810 --> 00:05:49.360 the promised land. So in verses 1 through 10, 00:05:49.420 --> 00:05:52.879 God instructs Moses to make two silver trumpets. 00:05:53.199 --> 00:05:55.259 These trumpets had several different purposes. 00:05:55.420 --> 00:05:59.000 Gather the congregation, summon leaders, signal 00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:03.579 when the camp should break and move, sound alarms 00:06:03.579 --> 00:06:07.019 in times of war, accompany festivals and sacrifices. 00:06:07.579 --> 00:06:10.519 So these trumpets was God's communication system 00:06:10.519 --> 00:06:14.579 for the nation. Symbolically, they represented 00:06:14.579 --> 00:06:18.139 divine announcements, warnings, gatherings, and 00:06:18.139 --> 00:06:20.680 God's guidance, which is why the imagery appears 00:06:20.680 --> 00:06:23.500 later throughout the prophets and throughout 00:06:23.500 --> 00:06:26.839 Revelation. Then in verses 11 through 28, after 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:29.360 nearly a year at Sinai, the cloud lifts from 00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:31.839 the tabernacle, the people begin their journey, 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:34.600 the tribes move in a carefully ordered procession. 00:06:35.339 --> 00:06:38.220 and it was Judah leads followed by Issachar and 00:06:38.220 --> 00:06:42.339 Zebulon, then the tabernacle pieces, then Ruben's 00:06:42.339 --> 00:06:45.279 camp, then sacred furnishings, then Ephraim's 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:47.759 camp, and then finally Dan's camp as the rear 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:52.139 guard. This emphasizes that Israel's journey 00:06:52.139 --> 00:06:55.319 was not chaotic. God's presence was leading them. 00:06:55.779 --> 00:06:58.279 God has order to certain things that he does. 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:02.600 And then we look at verses 29 through 32. This 00:07:02.600 --> 00:07:05.100 is where Moses asked Chobab, his relative by 00:07:05.100 --> 00:07:07.120 marriage, to travel with Israel. And he says 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.860 this, he says, come with us and we will do good 00:07:09.860 --> 00:07:12.019 to you for the Lord has promised good things 00:07:12.019 --> 00:07:15.779 to Israel. Now Chobab, initially he declines, 00:07:15.879 --> 00:07:18.720 but Moses encourages him because he knows the 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:21.639 wilderness terrain, which is an interesting picture 00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:24.120 of partnership between divine guidance and human 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:27.189 wisdom. God was leading through the cloud yet 00:07:27.189 --> 00:07:31.250 Moses still valued practical help. And then we 00:07:31.250 --> 00:07:34.490 have in verses 33 through 36 as Israel was traveling 00:07:34.490 --> 00:07:37.230 the ark goes ahead of them and the cloud remains 00:07:37.230 --> 00:07:40.189 over them and Moses begins to declare rise up 00:07:40.189 --> 00:07:43.910 Lord let your enemies be scattered and when they 00:07:43.910 --> 00:07:46.209 stop return Lord to the countless thousands of 00:07:46.209 --> 00:07:49.250 Israel. This reveals the whole heart of the journey 00:07:49.250 --> 00:07:52.490 that Israel wasn't merely moving geographically 00:07:52.490 --> 00:07:55.430 they were learning to move with the presence 00:07:55.430 --> 00:07:58.470 of God. So the thing I want you to understand 00:07:58.470 --> 00:08:01.850 from this is the purpose of the trumpet. The 00:08:01.850 --> 00:08:04.449 trumpets were not instruments of doom. They were 00:08:04.449 --> 00:08:06.649 not, when you hear this sound, it's an instrument 00:08:06.649 --> 00:08:09.250 of doom for the world. They were instruments 00:08:09.250 --> 00:08:13.110 of communication, gathering, warning, and movement. 00:08:13.529 --> 00:08:16.670 This background is important for us to understand 00:08:16.670 --> 00:08:20.509 when later biblical writers such as John is using 00:08:20.509 --> 00:08:24.459 trumpet imagery. Not actually talking about real 00:08:24.459 --> 00:08:27.980 life trumpets, but using the trumpet as symbolism 00:08:27.980 --> 00:08:32.159 and imagery when communicating to To the church 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:35.080 that he's talking to so I want you to ask a legitimate 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:37.600 question here And I'll give you a hint. It's 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:39.879 a trick question. So just think about it Why 00:08:39.879 --> 00:08:42.600 would a first century audience hear trumpet and 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:45.240 immediately think secret evacuation of believers? 00:08:46.539 --> 00:08:49.480 Think about that. The truth is they would not 00:08:49.690 --> 00:08:52.809 They knew what trumpets meant. They knew what 00:08:52.809 --> 00:08:56.070 John was trying to write to them. This is the 00:08:56.070 --> 00:08:59.129 most obvious example that we see of this is the 00:08:59.129 --> 00:09:01.809 seven trumpets in the book of Revelation in chapters, 00:09:01.809 --> 00:09:04.600 I believe it's eight through 11. there are seven 00:09:04.600 --> 00:09:08.159 angels that sound seven trumpets and each trumpet 00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:11.659 introduces judgments warnings and symbolic events 00:09:11.659 --> 00:09:13.740 but I want you to notice something when you're 00:09:13.740 --> 00:09:16.480 looking at the trumpet sound nowhere during the 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:19.360 first second third any of the trumpets does it 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:25.750 talk about a rapture of believers in fact in 00:09:25.750 --> 00:09:28.769 fact if you look at the seventh trumpet it announces 00:09:28.769 --> 00:09:31.850 in revelation 1115 the kingdom of this world 00:09:31.850 --> 00:09:34.549 has become the kingdom of our lord and of his 00:09:34.549 --> 00:09:39.649 christ that's a kingship proclamation okay think 00:09:39.649 --> 00:09:41.889 about this nowhere in those seven trumpets is 00:09:41.889 --> 00:09:44.309 to talk about us getting out of here in fact 00:09:44.309 --> 00:09:46.830 the last one is talking about the kingdoms of 00:09:46.830 --> 00:09:49.549 this world becoming the kingdom the kingdom of 00:09:49.549 --> 00:09:52.230 our god and of his christ well then you have 00:09:52.230 --> 00:09:55.419 mount sanna who also has trumpet language. In 00:09:55.419 --> 00:09:58.340 Exodus 19, 16, it says there's a very loud trumpet 00:09:58.340 --> 00:10:01.879 blast that caused everyone in the camp to tremble. 00:10:02.379 --> 00:10:05.200 In verse 19, the sound of the trumpet grows louder 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:08.639 and louder. What's fascinating is what doesn't 00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:11.360 happen. Nobody's raptured. Nobody leaves the 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:14.460 earth. Nobody disappears. Instead, what happens? 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:18.259 God manifests his presence. God gathers his people. 00:10:18.679 --> 00:10:21.679 God establishes covenant. and God speaks. So 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:25.320 what does the trumpet announce here but divine 00:10:25.320 --> 00:10:29.240 visitation? Trumpets in scripture often announce 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:33.419 that history is shifting. Listen, I'm not here 00:10:33.419 --> 00:10:36.000 to give you any kind of absolute certainty. This 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:37.759 is not what this whole thing's about, and I've 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:40.039 mentioned this several times throughout this 00:10:40.039 --> 00:10:43.259 series. This series is not meant to settle every 00:10:43.259 --> 00:10:46.200 end times question, but it does challenge the 00:10:46.200 --> 00:10:49.799 assumption. that trumpet equals rapture. The 00:10:49.799 --> 00:10:52.419 biblical story gives us a much richer set of 00:10:52.419 --> 00:10:55.960 meanings long before the modern rapture interpretations 00:10:55.960 --> 00:10:59.279 entered the picture. Again, the goal of this 00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:02.700 is not to have you think like I do. No, the goal 00:11:02.700 --> 00:11:05.799 is to give you permission to rethink and come 00:11:05.799 --> 00:11:08.799 to your own conclusions. Wherever that lands 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:13.529 you, that is totally fine. But it's just giving 00:11:13.529 --> 00:11:16.690 you my hope is to give a generation and a people 00:11:16.690 --> 00:11:20.549 the freedom to use your own brain Allow the Holy 00:11:20.549 --> 00:11:23.690 Spirit to be what she is the greatest teacher 00:11:23.690 --> 00:11:27.750 that you will ever ever have and you begin to 00:11:27.750 --> 00:11:30.529 form your own opinions and your own conclusions 00:11:30.529 --> 00:11:33.090 about things. It does not mean that they won't 00:11:33.090 --> 00:11:35.970 change. Listen my friend, I am sure my view of 00:11:35.970 --> 00:11:38.450 the end times quote unquote will change many 00:11:38.450 --> 00:11:41.590 times over. The more I learn about his goodness 00:11:41.590 --> 00:11:45.960 and the more I understand his kingdom. And again, 00:11:45.980 --> 00:11:48.139 I forget who said this, but there was a gentleman 00:11:48.139 --> 00:11:50.179 I heard say this, the more answers we get, the 00:11:50.179 --> 00:11:53.279 more questions I have. And that is so true. The 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:55.740 more we discover in the kingdom, the more questions 00:11:55.740 --> 00:11:58.220 that spark. And I think that's the way it's supposed 00:11:58.220 --> 00:12:02.360 to be, because it keeps us engaged, it keeps 00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:05.559 us curious, it keeps us full of wonder, looking 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:08.980 into this God who is so far, yes, he's intimate 00:12:08.980 --> 00:12:12.480 with us, but at the same time, we can't understand 00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:15.759 him at all. That's why no matter where you are 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:18.019 in your journey the scripture still stands as 00:12:18.019 --> 00:12:20.519 far as His thoughts are higher than your thoughts 00:12:20.519 --> 00:12:23.740 and his ways are higher than your ways We got 00:12:23.740 --> 00:12:25.919 to think about some of this. So I'm hoping just 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:28.919 to give you the freedom to come to it to a more 00:12:28.919 --> 00:12:34.200 hopeful hopeful Thought process maybe that's 00:12:34.200 --> 00:12:37.120 what I'm gonna say not look around to the world 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:38.879 and go oh it's getting dark so it's about time 00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:41.820 to get it no if it's dark around you that means 00:12:41.820 --> 00:12:45.320 the light within you is not turned on listen 00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:49.139 darkness never gets a chance to win the moment 00:12:49.139 --> 00:12:52.559 you flip a light on in a dark room darkness does 00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:55.879 not argue there is no spiritual war darkness 00:12:55.879 --> 00:12:59.539 simply makes its exit why because light overcomes 00:12:59.539 --> 00:13:04.110 darkness 100 % of the time So I want you to look 00:13:04.110 --> 00:13:07.309 at the book of Joshua now. In the book of Joshua 00:13:07.309 --> 00:13:09.470 chapter six, this is probably a well -known story. 00:13:09.909 --> 00:13:12.049 We have the priests who blow trumpets around 00:13:12.049 --> 00:13:14.289 Jericho for seven days. On the seventh day, the 00:13:14.289 --> 00:13:17.049 trumpet sounds. The people shout and the walls 00:13:17.049 --> 00:13:20.389 do what? They fall. Again, notice what the trumpets 00:13:20.389 --> 00:13:23.070 are doing. They're not removing God's people. 00:13:23.450 --> 00:13:26.929 They're announcing God's action. They're signaling. 00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:31.120 the downfall of an opposing power. They accompany 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:35.340 the collapse of an existing system. Jericho was 00:13:35.340 --> 00:13:38.240 more than a city. It was a fortified stronghold 00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:41.220 standing in the way of Israel's inheritance. 00:13:42.600 --> 00:13:45.919 Trumpets announced the end of one order and the 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:47.820 emergence of another. And that's important for 00:13:47.820 --> 00:13:52.230 us to understand. grab hold of, especially concerning 00:13:52.230 --> 00:13:54.429 the end times and what we've discussed happened 00:13:54.429 --> 00:13:58.370 in the years 67 to 70 AD. What happened? There 00:13:58.370 --> 00:14:02.070 was an end of one order and the emergence of 00:14:02.070 --> 00:14:05.169 another. And there's plenty more that you can 00:14:05.169 --> 00:14:08.009 study these ideas on your own in the Old Testament 00:14:08.009 --> 00:14:10.990 as far as what trumpets represent and all that 00:14:10.990 --> 00:14:14.899 kind of thing. But the thing I want you to understand 00:14:14.899 --> 00:14:17.779 is that many scholars agree that Revelation's 00:14:17.779 --> 00:14:20.919 trumpet judgment symbolizes as covenantal and 00:14:20.919 --> 00:14:23.779 political imagery rather than merely predictions 00:14:23.779 --> 00:14:28.340 of future natural disasters. And we had the parallels, 00:14:28.600 --> 00:14:30.600 hellfire, waters turned bitter, darkness, plagues, 00:14:30.860 --> 00:14:33.799 destruction, imagery, all that's labeled. But 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:38.179 Revelation is intentionally echoing Exodus imagery. 00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:42.600 Why? Because revelations presents liberation 00:14:42.600 --> 00:14:45.519 it presents judgment covenant transition going 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:48.039 from the old covenant to the new custom covenant 00:14:48.039 --> 00:14:51.620 the end of the sacrificial system a people being 00:14:51.620 --> 00:14:57.320 delivered from oppression now there's also uh 00:14:57.289 --> 00:15:00.029 reference to if you look at the judgment the 00:15:00.029 --> 00:15:02.230 trumpet judgments John repeatedly says things 00:15:02.230 --> 00:15:04.309 like a third of the earth was burned a third 00:15:04.309 --> 00:15:07.149 of the sea became blood a third of the ships 00:15:07.149 --> 00:15:09.850 were destroyed third of the waters became bitter 00:15:09.850 --> 00:15:12.509 a third of the Sun moon and stars were darken 00:15:12.509 --> 00:15:16.490 but notice something it never says all of it 00:15:16.490 --> 00:15:20.269 It was always a third. If John wanted to communicate 00:15:20.269 --> 00:15:22.889 total destruction, he could have said things 00:15:22.889 --> 00:15:26.350 like the whole earth, the entire sea, and all 00:15:26.350 --> 00:15:29.309 the ships, but he does not. And there's a reason 00:15:29.309 --> 00:15:33.450 for this. Many scholars see the third as symbolic 00:15:33.450 --> 00:15:36.830 of limited judgment. In other words, God is warning, 00:15:37.049 --> 00:15:39.570 not annihilating. I want you to think of it like 00:15:39.570 --> 00:15:42.490 a parent trying to get a teenager's attention. 00:15:42.750 --> 00:15:45.269 They don't immediately throw away everything 00:15:45.269 --> 00:15:48.730 they own. No, the parents start with consequence 00:15:48.730 --> 00:15:51.590 designed to wake them up. This can be seen going 00:15:51.590 --> 00:15:54.889 all the way back to Genesis when God tells Adam, 00:15:55.350 --> 00:15:57.830 if you eat of this fruit, you will die. He's 00:15:57.830 --> 00:16:01.009 not throwing out. He's not annihilating them. 00:16:01.129 --> 00:16:02.769 He's not telling them they're going to physically 00:16:02.769 --> 00:16:06.269 die. But there is a consequence that if you eat 00:16:06.269 --> 00:16:09.750 of this fruit, you will face a death of some 00:16:09.750 --> 00:16:13.750 sort. That's not God being vengeful or wrathful. 00:16:13.950 --> 00:16:17.009 He's just trying to explain to Adam, listen, 00:16:17.090 --> 00:16:19.830 if you do this, there is a consequence on the 00:16:19.830 --> 00:16:22.570 other side of your decision. The same thing is 00:16:22.570 --> 00:16:25.549 true. I have a, let's see, I guess he's about 00:16:25.549 --> 00:16:31.320 18 months now, who. He is the reason that baby 00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:34.159 proof items are made. Now, my two daughters, 00:16:34.259 --> 00:16:36.279 we didn't have to worry about all the little 00:16:36.279 --> 00:16:39.799 plugs and the outlets and all that. We didn't 00:16:39.799 --> 00:16:42.980 have to do that. With him, he is into everything. 00:16:43.220 --> 00:16:45.340 And I'm telling you, he's the reason why baby 00:16:45.340 --> 00:16:48.309 proof stuff is made. But he would be one as a 00:16:48.309 --> 00:16:51.370 dad if I saw him take a key or a fork and go 00:16:51.370 --> 00:16:54.629 to an outlet. Hey, don't do that. You will get 00:16:54.629 --> 00:16:57.649 electrocuted. I'm not telling him of something 00:16:57.649 --> 00:16:59.990 that I'm going to do to him. I'm telling him 00:16:59.990 --> 00:17:03.230 if you do this action, there is a consequence 00:17:03.230 --> 00:17:07.269 on the other side. It's a warning. And then what 00:17:07.269 --> 00:17:10.869 do I do as dad? I remove him from that environment 00:17:10.869 --> 00:17:13.930 the best way that I can redirect him, whatever. 00:17:14.220 --> 00:17:16.880 But the parents start with consequences designed 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:20.319 to wake them up. The purpose is what? The purpose 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:25.039 is restoration, not and never destruction. That's 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:28.059 how we view, that's how many view the trumpet 00:17:28.059 --> 00:17:31.500 judgments. Many scholars or some scholars connect 00:17:31.500 --> 00:17:33.759 trumpet imagery to Rome's invasion. We've already 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:37.500 discussed this. Jerusalem's fall in 70 AD, covenant 00:17:37.500 --> 00:17:41.720 collapse and the destruction of the temple. Whether 00:17:41.720 --> 00:17:44.660 one fully agrees or not, the imagery clearly 00:17:44.660 --> 00:17:49.000 connects to Old Testament covenant warning patterns. 00:17:50.900 --> 00:17:54.759 So let me see where we're at now. So then we 00:17:54.759 --> 00:17:56.720 talk about the witnesses, and witnesses is not 00:17:56.720 --> 00:17:58.279 the first time we've had witnesses. If you go 00:17:58.279 --> 00:18:00.420 back to the Old Testament, we have Noah warning 00:18:00.420 --> 00:18:03.279 people, Jeremiah warning people, Moses warned 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:05.900 Pharaoh, Jesus warned Jerusalem, the prophets 00:18:05.900 --> 00:18:09.140 warned Israel. God does not delight in destruction. 00:18:09.240 --> 00:18:12.960 He always sends witnesses first. Now we look 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:15.900 at Revelation chapter 11, and this is one for 00:18:15.900 --> 00:18:17.859 you to go back and read at your convenience too. 00:18:18.059 --> 00:18:21.359 I'm going to read some of these verses to you. 00:18:21.720 --> 00:18:23.960 But one of the biggest mistakes people have with 00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:27.259 Revelation 11 is reading it like a newspaper 00:18:27.259 --> 00:18:31.000 article instead of apocalyptic vision filled 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:34.099 with, again, filled with Old Testament imagery. 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:37.619 So let's walk through each symbol. I'm gonna 00:18:37.619 --> 00:18:40.539 read verse four out of Revelation 11 first. It 00:18:40.539 --> 00:18:43.259 says these two witnesses are the two olive trees 00:18:43.259 --> 00:18:45.920 and the two lampstands that stand before the 00:18:45.920 --> 00:18:49.400 Lord God of the whole earth. So John doesn't 00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:51.880 invent this imagery. He pulls it directly from 00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:55.019 the vision of the book of Zechariah chapter four. 00:18:55.460 --> 00:18:58.160 Zechariah sees a lampstand, two olive trees and 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:00.799 oil flowing from the trees into the lampstand. 00:19:01.289 --> 00:19:03.609 And this is where the angel explains, not by 00:19:03.609 --> 00:19:07.210 might nor by power, but by my spirit. So the 00:19:07.210 --> 00:19:10.430 olive trees are connected to God's anointed people 00:19:10.430 --> 00:19:14.470 through whom his spirit flows. When John calls 00:19:14.470 --> 00:19:17.789 the witnesses to olive trees, he is immediately 00:19:17.789 --> 00:19:20.930 pointing readers back to Zechariah. So the emphasis 00:19:20.930 --> 00:19:23.970 is not supernatural celebrities, but it's spirit 00:19:23.970 --> 00:19:26.920 -empowered testimony. And then if you look at 00:19:26.920 --> 00:19:29.220 the lampstand, this one is actually interpreted 00:19:29.220 --> 00:19:33.900 for us earlier in Revelation 1 when Jesus explains 00:19:33.900 --> 00:19:37.940 the seven lampstands are the churches. So the 00:19:37.940 --> 00:19:41.240 symbol is already defined in Revelation 1. So 00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:45.319 when Revelation 11 calls the witnesses lampstands, 00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:47.720 first century leaders would immediately think 00:19:47.720 --> 00:19:52.200 the people of God. not two random future individuals. 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:55.980 No, the church, the church's role is to bear 00:19:55.980 --> 00:19:58.619 light in darkness. That is what we are. That's 00:19:58.619 --> 00:20:01.200 what you are. You are light in the darkness. 00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:05.339 So the olive trees is spirit supplied and lampstands 00:20:05.339 --> 00:20:08.339 are light bearing witnesses. Together they paint 00:20:08.339 --> 00:20:12.380 a picture of God's people empowered by his spirit. 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:15.000 And then verse three, we'll look at that. It 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:17.200 says, and I will authorize my two witnesses to 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:22.799 prophesy wearing sackcloth for 1 ,260 days. Now, 00:20:22.980 --> 00:20:25.759 sackcloth throughout scripture symbolizes mourning, 00:20:25.960 --> 00:20:28.980 repentance, and prophetic warning. We have examples 00:20:28.980 --> 00:20:32.200 of this. Elijah, Jeremiah, Jonah's Nineveh, various 00:20:32.200 --> 00:20:35.690 different prophets. The witnesses are not dressed 00:20:35.690 --> 00:20:38.910 like conquering kings. They look like prophets 00:20:38.910 --> 00:20:41.470 calling people to repentance, calling people 00:20:41.470 --> 00:20:44.509 to do what? Change your mind. Come back to your 00:20:44.509 --> 00:20:48.009 true self. This fits Revelation's theme that 00:20:48.009 --> 00:20:50.450 the church conquers through faithful witness, 00:20:51.089 --> 00:20:56.829 not never political power. Man, this stuff is 00:20:56.829 --> 00:20:59.859 good if we grab hold of it. Then we got verse 00:20:59.859 --> 00:21:02.740 5 it says if anyone attempts to harm them fire 00:21:02.740 --> 00:21:05.019 will flow out of their mouth and consume their 00:21:05.019 --> 00:21:08.400 foes All who seek to harm them will die in this 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:11.279 way and this sounds terrifying if you think about 00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:14.160 it literally But I want you to remember something 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:17.799 that God told Jeremiah. He said I will make my 00:21:17.799 --> 00:21:22.220 words in your mouth a fire in fact, Jeremiah 00:21:22.220 --> 00:21:25.680 I Would have to look it up. Let me look it up 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:27.579 real quick. Just because I think it's important 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:47.160 to uh to look at it's Jeremiah chapter 20 verse 00:21:47.160 --> 00:21:55.230 9 and let's pull that up So when I tell myself 00:21:55.230 --> 00:21:57.430 I'm not going to speak his message ever again 00:21:57.430 --> 00:22:01.210 or prophesy anymore in his name then all at once 00:22:01.210 --> 00:22:05.029 you are within me like a burning consuming fire 00:22:05.029 --> 00:22:09.230 deep in my bones I try my best to hold your word 00:22:09.230 --> 00:22:12.690 inside but I can't hold it back any longer for 00:22:12.690 --> 00:22:15.369 I heard them whispering behind my back terror 00:22:15.369 --> 00:22:18.490 everywhere that's all he prophesies all my close 00:22:18.490 --> 00:22:21.369 friends watch for me to fall let let's turn him 00:22:21.369 --> 00:22:23.190 into the authorities they will say perhaps we 00:22:23.190 --> 00:22:25.170 set a trap for him finally we will prevail over 00:22:25.170 --> 00:22:27.910 him and take our revenge on him but i want you 00:22:27.910 --> 00:22:31.130 to go back where it says you are within me like 00:22:31.130 --> 00:22:37.359 a burning consuming fire deep in my uh Deep in 00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:40.099 my bones. I tried my best to hold your word inside, 00:22:40.119 --> 00:22:43.700 but I cannot hold it back any longer Why because 00:22:43.700 --> 00:22:46.900 it's because your words in my mouth are like 00:22:46.900 --> 00:22:51.960 a fire So the fire represents prophetic speech 00:22:51.960 --> 00:22:55.440 and divine judgment through truth these witnesses 00:22:55.440 --> 00:22:59.759 are not breathing literal flames their testimony 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:03.400 burns away lies and exposes corruption you shall 00:23:03.400 --> 00:23:06.440 overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word 00:23:06.440 --> 00:23:09.619 of your testimony. How do you deal with with 00:23:09.619 --> 00:23:13.059 the lies you have your testimony that burns away 00:23:13.059 --> 00:23:16.640 lies and exposes corruption? This is very common 00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:19.619 prophetic language. Then if you also look at 00:23:19.619 --> 00:23:21.940 the witnesses and what they could resemble, some 00:23:21.940 --> 00:23:23.539 would argue, and I would argue this point, that 00:23:23.539 --> 00:23:27.079 they could represent Moses and Elijah. Why? Because 00:23:27.079 --> 00:23:29.579 Moses is turning water into blood, striking with 00:23:29.579 --> 00:23:32.099 the plagues. Elijah is shutting the heavens, 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:34.680 calling down fire. What is special about them? 00:23:34.779 --> 00:23:38.359 What do they represent? Moses and Elijah represent 00:23:38.359 --> 00:23:41.480 the law and the prophets. In Jewish thought, 00:23:41.579 --> 00:23:44.680 they often symbolize the entire witness of God. 00:23:45.099 --> 00:23:47.140 So I want you to think about the transfiguration. 00:23:47.779 --> 00:23:51.099 Where Jesus appears with Moses and Elijah, John 00:23:51.099 --> 00:23:56.779 is drawing out of that symbolic reservoir. That's 00:23:56.779 --> 00:23:59.000 important for us to understand. We also have 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:04.079 mentioned talking about the great city The great 00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:06.440 city where their Lord was crucified. It's a huge 00:24:06.440 --> 00:24:09.480 clue. Where was Jesus crucified? Yet John also 00:24:09.480 --> 00:24:12.059 calls this place Sodom and Egypt not because 00:24:12.059 --> 00:24:14.759 it literally became these places But because 00:24:14.759 --> 00:24:17.599 it had became like them spiritually. So what 00:24:17.599 --> 00:24:20.839 is John using? John is using prophetic language 00:24:21.309 --> 00:24:24.150 Isaiah does the same thing when he calls Jerusalem 00:24:24.150 --> 00:24:26.990 Sodom. Many scholars therefore see Revelation 00:24:26.990 --> 00:24:30.549 11 as tied to the first century conflict surrounding 00:24:30.549 --> 00:24:34.029 Jerusalem and its coming judgment. And then we 00:24:34.029 --> 00:24:36.089 have the three and a half days that's mentioned. 00:24:36.250 --> 00:24:38.849 The witnesses are killed, raised, exalted. And 00:24:38.849 --> 00:24:42.359 what does this mirror? It mirrors Jesus' death, 00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:45.720 his vindication, and his exaltation. So notice 00:24:45.720 --> 00:24:48.819 Revelation's pattern. The beast appears to win, 00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:51.880 God vindicates his people, the church follows 00:24:51.880 --> 00:24:54.720 the pattern of Christ, and death is not the end 00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:57.920 of the witness. Why are there two witnesses? 00:24:58.200 --> 00:25:01.220 Under Jewish law, every matter shall be established 00:25:01.220 --> 00:25:04.480 by two or three witnesses. We can see that in 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:07.680 the book of Deuteronomy 19 .15. Two is a biblical 00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:11.599 number of valid testimony. John is emphasizing 00:25:11.599 --> 00:25:14.859 credible witness, not necessarily the exact number 00:25:14.859 --> 00:25:19.400 of individuals. So let's look at the symbolic 00:25:19.400 --> 00:25:21.880 picture here. Olive trees would represent Spirit 00:25:21.880 --> 00:25:25.140 -empowered people. Lampstands, God's light -bearing 00:25:25.140 --> 00:25:29.319 community. You and I. Sat cloth, prophetic repentance 00:25:29.319 --> 00:25:32.400 message. Change your mind, come back to your 00:25:32.400 --> 00:25:37.220 senses. Fire, prophetic. powerful prophetic testimony. 00:25:37.880 --> 00:25:40.220 Moses and Elijah the law and the prophets fulfilled 00:25:40.220 --> 00:25:44.079 inside of Christ. The great city apostate Jerusalem 00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:47.380 worldly systems opposing God. Death and resurrection 00:25:47.380 --> 00:25:50.160 the pattern of Christ reproduced in his people. 00:25:51.019 --> 00:25:53.720 Two witnesses is the faithful covenant testimony. 00:25:54.089 --> 00:25:57.609 So from this perspective, Revelation 11 is less 00:25:57.609 --> 00:26:01.130 about two future miracle -working prophets appearing 00:26:01.130 --> 00:26:04.549 on Fox News or CNN, and more about the faithful 00:26:04.549 --> 00:26:07.750 witness of God's people confronting oppressive 00:26:07.750 --> 00:26:12.150 powers, suffering for truth, and ultimately being 00:26:12.150 --> 00:26:19.109 vindicated by God. Oh, goodness. This stuff gets 00:26:19.109 --> 00:26:22.019 so good. When you really think it it really gives 00:26:22.019 --> 00:26:24.640 you I hope it gives you a lot more hope of what 00:26:24.640 --> 00:26:30.759 we're looking forward to Trying to see if there's 00:26:30.759 --> 00:26:35.960 anything else in my notes So again, this is what 00:26:35.960 --> 00:26:38.420 we have the church often approaches us how I 00:26:38.420 --> 00:26:40.599 was If you'd have asked me several years ago 00:26:40.599 --> 00:26:43.109 what I thought it was about The church often 00:26:43.109 --> 00:26:45.809 approaches Revelation asking who's the Antichrist, 00:26:45.869 --> 00:26:47.849 when is the tribulation, what does this symbol 00:26:47.849 --> 00:26:51.029 predict, or you know what is this, who's the 00:26:51.029 --> 00:26:53.369 Antichrist, the mark of the beast, all that kind 00:26:53.369 --> 00:26:56.630 of fun stuff. But Revelation repeatedly emphasizes 00:26:56.630 --> 00:26:59.670 endurance, faithfulness, witness, and allegiance 00:26:59.670 --> 00:27:03.950 to Christ. You have to remember, friend, Revelation 00:27:03.950 --> 00:27:07.390 was written to persecuted believers, suffering 00:27:07.390 --> 00:27:11.690 churches, and people under pressure. It's not 00:27:11.690 --> 00:27:15.369 written to terrify future generations. It was 00:27:15.369 --> 00:27:18.710 written to say that Jesus is victorious, Babylon 00:27:18.710 --> 00:27:24.470 falls, empires collapse, but Christ reigns. And 00:27:24.470 --> 00:27:27.750 in closing, the trumpets announce transition. 00:27:28.829 --> 00:27:32.289 The witnesses announce truth, and together they 00:27:32.289 --> 00:27:36.279 simply remind us God warns before judgment. Christ 00:27:36.279 --> 00:27:39.519 reigns through every shaking, and faithful witness 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:43.740 matters more than fear." Man, this is good news. 00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:46.900 I hope this is helping you. I hope, and just 00:27:46.900 --> 00:27:50.359 like I said, I didn't have these two on my radar 00:27:50.359 --> 00:27:53.559 until Ray mentioned it, and we got into discussion 00:27:53.559 --> 00:27:55.779 about, like, maybe I should put this in here. 00:27:55.779 --> 00:27:57.960 This would be a good conversation to have. It 00:27:57.960 --> 00:28:01.519 sparks some interest. Next week, we're gonna 00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:06.009 talk about, I think, Occupy Until We Comes. That's 00:28:06.009 --> 00:28:08.430 what we're called to do, is to occupy. That's 00:28:08.430 --> 00:28:11.390 what you and I are called to do. So, my friend, 00:28:11.509 --> 00:28:14.509 until next week, be blessed, wrestle with some 00:28:14.509 --> 00:28:16.509 of this stuff. Go back and do your own studying, 00:28:16.609 --> 00:28:18.890 go back and do your own reading, your own research. 00:28:20.529 --> 00:28:23.730 But I'm hoping it's given you a better viewpoint 00:28:23.730 --> 00:28:29.809 for the future, more hope, all this, that, and 00:28:29.809 --> 00:28:32.569 the other. But be blessed until next week, my 00:28:32.569 --> 00:28:37.569 friend. Thanks for spending some time with me 00:28:37.569 --> 00:28:41.049 today on the Kingdom Family Podcast. If this 00:28:41.049 --> 00:28:43.930 episode spoke to you, take a moment to share 00:28:43.930 --> 00:28:47.569 it and help someone else rediscover their identity 00:28:47.569 --> 00:28:51.089 as a son or daughter of Yahweh. And don't forget, 00:28:51.309 --> 00:28:53.690 follow the podcast so you can stay connected 00:28:53.690 --> 00:28:56.450 with everything happening through Kingdom Family 00:28:56.450 --> 00:29:00.289 Ministries. Until next time, live loved, live 00:29:00.289 --> 00:29:03.109 free, and live from the life, the Kingdom.