Revelation 8:6-11:19

What’s Happening?

Revelation was written to encourage churches that are being persecuted for proclaiming the coming of Jesus’ Kingdom. In a vision, a group of martyrs asks Jesus when resurrection will come and when his Kingdom will be fully established (Revelation 6:10). The proclamation of this resurrection and Kingdom is introduced by seven trumpets (Revelation 8:6). The trumpets announce God’s coming Kingdom, giving those who hear chance after chance to repent and join King Jesus. As the first six trumpets sound, the plagues that fell on Egypt fall again, but they’ve mutated and are far more terrifying (Revelation 8:7-9:19). These plagues are the powers of evil being released into the world in hopes that the destruction they wreak on the earth will cause people to repent. However, just like Pharaoh in Egypt, people do not repent (Revelation 9:20-21).

So, as God always has, he sends witnesses to proclaim his coming kingdom and plead with people to repent. Throughout history, prophets of Israel like Ezekiel and Daniel were given messages about God’s Kingdom through visions and scrolls (Ezekiel 3; Daniel 12:4,7). Some of these words they were commanded not to share, while others they were commanded to speak to the rulers and people of their day, pleading with them to repent because God, the King, was coming. In the same way, Jesus speaks to John. Some of what he hears, John is not permitted to speak of. But the proclamation that God will accomplish his plans is given to John on a scroll that he eats, meaning it is a message he will proclaim. But the scroll turns his stomach sour because, like the prophets before him, speaking these words will lead to the persecution and death justl like all of God’s faithful witnesses (Revelation 10:8-11;11:5-10). 

But then, John sees the church as two faithful witnesses whose message of repentance is successful, but only after they suffer and die (Revelation 11:3). The reason why there are two witnesses is because God’s law required two or more witnesses to validate a testimony (John 8:17). These two witnesses are described as a combination of Israel's great witnesses, the prophets, throughout her history. They are described as two lampstands and olive trees as in Zechariah. They shut up the sky from rain and call down fire like Elijah. They turn water to blood like Moses (Revelation 11:4-6). John’s two witnesses are an image of the church, who continue the prophetic role of proclaiming God’s coming kingdom and the need for repentance. The witnesses of the church are protected by God until their task of proclamation is done, after which they die like Jesus did (Revelation 11:7-10). However, since the witnesses die like Jesus, they are resurrected like Jesus, vindicating their message before all who heard (Revelation 11:11-12). 

Through the faithful witness of the persecuted church, Jesus’ kingdom finally comes. As the church reigns with Jesus a tenth of the city falls. This is a completion of the tenth plague against the powers of Egypt, showing God has defeated the persecuting powers of the city. A tenth, or a tithe, also designates that the whole belongs to God. Therefore, God not only conquers the powers of the city, but claims his rule over the city. As he does, people repent and give glory to God as the witnesses had commanded them to do (Revelation 11:13-14). As the church fulfills her role on the earth, the seventh trumpet sounds, and God’s kingdom is revealed from heaven. As heavens open, God’s throne is revealed, showing that he has come to lift up his persecuted church and destroy the powers that are destroying his world (Revelation 11:15-19). 

Where is the Gospel?

The seven trumpets announce the good news that God is patiently giving the people of the world chance after chance to hear his witnesses and repent and join his Kingdom. The witness that every other witness throughout history has pointed to and follows is King Jesus. He came with the same proclamation of a coming kingdom, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17).  

Jesus embodies the true and faithful witness of Israel throughout the ages. Jesus came as the greater Moses, the better Ezekiel, with signs that Elijah and others prefigured to show that the Kingdom has truly come because the King has come. As the King of his Kingdom and the Witness to his Kingdom, Jesus destroyed the powers that were destroying his people. He raised the dead, cast out demons, released people from the power of sin, and freed those held captive by powers of sickness and evil (Luke 2:33-35; 7:11-15; 13:10-17). Then, once his task was complete, Jesus died under the powers of evil just like his faithful witnesses always have. But Jesus rose from the dead, bringing his faithful witnesses throughout history to live and reign with him forever. 

Life is the destiny of all faithful witnesses to Jesus and his Kingdom. The church, as Jesus’ body proclaiming his kingdom on the earth, is the two witnesses (Acts 1:8). Jesus has put the sweet scroll of his word in our mouths, which we proclaim even though persecution may sour us in death (John 1:1). The church will witness to the coming Kingdom of Jesus through words, signs, and deeds until our task of proclamation is done. Then, like the witnesses, we will rise in vindication to see that our faithful proclamation was not in vain (Romans 6:8-9). As we reign with Jesus, we will topple the cities of wickedness that destroy God’s world. And Jesus will partner with us, as he has always partnered with his witnesses, to bring about his reign across all of creation. 

See for Yourself

I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see the God who is patiently calling to the world to repent and join his Kingdom. And may you see Jesus as the Faithful Witness who died and rose in order to raise all faithful witnesses to him.