The Book, Two Witnesses and the Dragon

The God of Love and the God of Wrath

Before we dive into Revelation tonight, I want to start with a bit of an introduction. It’s interesting to me as I talk to people who are exploring who God is—or even folks who have grown up in the church—that we tend to gravitate toward John 3:16. It’s a verse that is incredibly common. If you’ve watched any sporting event, there’s always that one guy in the corner with the “John 3:16” banner. We love that verse because it stresses an attribute of God that we find very comfortable: His love.

John 3:16 (NASB)

’For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

There is a very common misconception that there was a “God of wrath” in the Old Testament and a “God of love” in the New Testament—as if God started things, messed it up, started over, messed it up again, and finally came with Christ as a God of grace. But if you read through your Old Testament, you have definitely seen the outpouring of God’s wrath. You see it in those books with the names that are really hard to pronounce, like Habakkuk. Honestly, what are you going to do when you go to heaven and Habakkuk comes up to you and says, “Hey, how’d you like my book?”

For most people, if you look at their Bibles, the New Testament has highlights, markings, notes in the margins, and bookmarks. But then you get to the Old Testament and you’re practically unsticking the pages because they’ve never been opened. We assume God is a God of wrath there and a God of grace here. But if you remove the Book of Revelation from your New Testament, where are you going to find the fullness of God’s wrath? You might see snapshots of it—certainly at the Cross, where God poured out His wrath upon Christ—but without Revelation, our theology of God in the New Testament becomes limited only to love.

Yet, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is a God of love, and He is a God of wrath. What we’re going to look at tonight is the continual unfolding of that wrath.

The Bitter and the Sweet

In chapter 10, we see the mystery of the revealing of God’s wrath communicated to John. A strong angel tells him to write down words of judgment. But then, in verse four, something interesting happens.

Revelation 10:4 (NASB)

When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.’

John is told to take these things and seal them up—don’t talk about them yet. Then the angel tells John to do something wild: “Eat the scroll.” I love the Bible for moments like this. John must have been thinking, “Are you kidding me? Do I need more fiber?” But the angel says to eat the scroll because the revealing of the wrath of God is sweet to the taste but bitter to the stomach.

We’ve all felt that as we read through this book. Last week, I could sense the weight in this room. As a believer, part of me gets fired up reading Revelation because I know my God is winning. But then I look at the faces in the room, and I see the blood draining from people’s faces as they realize the judgment that is coming. It’s sweet because God is victorious, but it is bitter to the stomach because of the reality of what that judgment means.

If you wanted to push people away from God, do you know what you would do? You would tell them that God isn’t consistent. You’d say He’s just a religious crutch for weak people. I used to be the one saying that! I used to tell people, “Morality is up to you. As long as you don’t hurt anybody, do what you want. Why believe in a God who won’t let you enjoy life?” I would say there’s no accountability and that we’re all going to make it in the end. That’s the same deception we saw in Genesis 3, and it’s the same thing we see today when people reject God.

The Two Witnesses

In chapter 11, we are introduced to some major characters. We’ve already seen the elders, the Lamb, the four living creatures, and the demonic hordes. Now, we see two witnesses.

Some suggest these two men are Elijah and Elisha, or perhaps Moses and Elijah. We see miracles similar to theirs—fire consuming enemies and rain ceasing (like Elijah) and water turning to blood (like Moses). We saw them together at the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus. Others suggest Enoch, because he and Elijah are the two men in Scripture who never died.

Personally, I believe God consistently raises up prophetic voices in wicked times. Whether they are literally Moses and Elijah or two men raised in that same spirit, they are God’s clarion call back to the Scriptures.

Revelation 11:1-4 (NASB)

Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, ’Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. ’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 under foot the holy city for forty-two months. ‘And I will grant [authority] to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.’ These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

These two witnesses are given authority for the final three and a half years of the Tribulation. They are protected by God; if anyone tries to harm them, fire flows out of their mouths. I’d love to see a movie of that! They have the power to shut the sky. But notice what happens when their ministry is finished.

Revelation 11:6 (NASB)

These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.

When their work is done, God takes away the protective covering, and the Antichrist kills them. Their bodies are left to rot in the streets of Jerusalem—which the text calls “Sodom and Egypt” because of its immorality and worldliness at that time. The world is so happy these two are dead that they actually send gifts to one another like it’s Christmas. They are celebrating because these two prophets “tormented” them with the truth.

But God isn’t through. After three and a half days, the breath of life enters them, and they stand up. Talk about a way to interrupt a party!

Revelation 11:11 (NASB)

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.

God calls them up to heaven, and their enemies watch them ascend. Then God responds with a great earthquake. Some people respond with fear, but fear isn’t always repentance. You’ve probably met someone who prays, “God, if You get me out of this, I’ll never drink again.” Usually, that lasts about thirty days before they spin back out.

Calling the Game Early

In verses 15 through 19, we see a foretelling of God’s ultimate victory. The bold judgments haven’t even been poured out yet, but God calls the victory anyway.

Revelation 11:15 (NASB)

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.’

This reminds me of back when dinosaurs played football and I was playing for Fresno State. In 1993, we were playing in the Freedom Bowl. It was my first start, and we were absolutely thumping the other team. They didn’t want to play anymore; they just wanted a shower and a bus ride home. The game wasn’t technically over, there was still time on the clock, but the euphoria on the sideline was huge. We were already dumping Gatorade on the coach’s head. We called the game before it was officially over.

That’s what’s happening here. The loud voices in heaven are saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord.” That is what we are waiting for!

The Woman and the Dragon

Chapter 12 introduces a great sign: a woman clothed with the sun, standing on the moon, with a crown of twelve stars. To understand who she is, we look at the other characters. There is a dragon with seven heads and ten horns, representing Satan and his complete, though temporary, authority.

Revelation 12:3 (NASB)

Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads [were] seven diadems.

And there is a male child who will rule the nations with a rod of iron and who is caught up to God. That is clearly Jesus. So, who is the woman? Since Jesus came from the nation of Israel, and Israel is comprised of twelve tribes, the woman represents Israel.

Revelation 12:1 (NASB)

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;

Satan’s opposition is directed at this woman and her child. When Satan was cast out of heaven, he took a third of the angels with him. He stood before the woman to devour the child the moment He was born.

Revelation 12:4 (NASB)

And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

Who put Jesus on the cross? Was it the priests? Was it Pilate? Ultimately, it was the master of the shadows, Satan, influencing the hearts of men. Satan thought the Cross was his ultimate victory, but he was wrong. A sovereign God was in control. While Satan thought he was winning, Jesus was becoming the satisfaction for the wrath of God for everyone who would believe. Christ died in humiliation and rose in glory so we could have a relationship with God. That is the great irony.

The Accuser and the Advocate

We then see a snapshot of a war in heaven. Michael and his angels fight the dragon. Satan is thrown down to the earth, and he is furious because he knows his time is short.

Revelation 12:9 (NASB)

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Satan is called the “accuser of the brethren.” He is relentless, accusing you day and night before the Father. But aren’t you glad you have an advocate? Jesus Christ the righteous sits at the right hand of the Father, advocating for us. As Satan whispers lies about your failures, Jesus speaks the truth of His finished work.

Revelation 12:11 (NASB)

’And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. Satan knows his time is short, so he cranks up his fury.

Revelation 12:12 (NASB)

‘For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has [only] a short time.’

He turns his persecution against the woman—Israel. But God provides a way for them to escape into the wilderness and nourishes them. Think about the history of the world; has any people been persecuted like the Jews? From the Holocaust to modern times, they have faced tremendous hatred, yet they survive. Why? Because God says, “Those are My people.”

Revelation 12:15 (NASB)

And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.

Even when the serpent pours out a river to sweep them away, the earth helps the woman. When Satan realizes he can’t destroy Israel, he moves his persecution to anyone else he can find who holds to the testimony of Jesus.

Closing Challenge

But here is the beauty of this, my friends: as believers, we will be with Christ. Reading the Book of Revelation from a believer’s standpoint is one of the greatest encouragements I’ve ever found. You see that God has already called the end game.

If you’ve never placed your faith in Christ, you need to know that when He died on the cross, He provided a way for the wrath of God to be poured out on Him so that you could be saved. God so loved the world that He gave His Son.

Father, help us to rest in this assurance. As we look at these main players in the weeks to come, help us to lean on You. For those who don’t know You, may this be a time of understanding that You are not a God who just disappeared, but You have a sovereign timetable. Help us to worship You and rest in the fact that You are on the throne. We long for the day when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.