Revelation 11:3-14 - A Pillar and Buttress of the Truth

Earlier this week many from our youth group went to an evening conference located in the very old and very beautiful First Presbyterian Church in downtown Columbia. The church’s sanctuary is shaped much like ours, but it has a wrap-around balcony on three sides where many more people can sit. And spaced-out under this balcony are columns.

Now, the columns have seats all around them on the bottom level, so if you happen to be seated behind a column, you might not be able to see the pulpit. And yet the leaders of the First Presbyterian Church have not removed the columns. That’s because without the columns, the balcony would fall! The columns aren’t just for looks; they have a function. They have an important job to do!

In 1 Timothy 3 in the NT, the apostle Paul wrote to his pastoral protege Timothy, and Paul says, “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” Pillar and buttress. These words mean basically the same thing. They mean “support.”

The church is like a column. NT scholar George Knight points out that Paul is stating this to remind the church that it is called, “to undergird and hold [up high] God’s truth.” That is what a church must do.

The organization may have “church” in the name. It may perform some fine humanitarian deeds. It may have a large number of people, a huge building, and many beloved traditions. It may be popular, and it may be growing, but if it does not continue to uphold the truth, then it’s not a church. A church must uphold God’s Word.

But God’s Word isn’t welcomed or well-received by everyone in the world. In fact, there is a great deal of opposition to His Word. And we are tempted to waver when opposition rises up against us. We’re prone to shrink back, to be quiet, or to vacillate on what we believe when times are hard.

Maybe you’ve wavered publicly; maybe you’ve only wavered privately. But every one of us has said or done or desired things contrary to God’s moral law – contrary to His truth – even if we would say that we believe God’s Word, even if we would say we trust in Christ. Who has never failed to uphold God’s truth?

Only one – the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ didn’t waver in the face of opposition and temptation. He didn’t bend, but was steady, earning salvation for those He came to save. And so His church must not waver, being made strong in Christ. Collectively and individually, the true Church will stand firm to the end, by God’s grace.

Revelation 11 describes the role and reality of the true Church in the last days as we face opposition to upholding God’s truth. Notice the outline on page 6 in your WG. In the face of opposition, the true Church will exercise its unique authority, endure its supposed defeat, and expect its final deliverance. I thought later that I could’ve put “her” rather than “its” because the church is the bride of Christ. (See the song earlier) Let’s look closer at each of these.

The first two verses of Revelation 11 illustrated that in the last days, those who are true Christians and those who are Christian in name only will be separated. These verses continue that same theme. Notice Jesus says in verse 3, “I will grant authority to my two witnesses.”

Two is a special number in Scripture. Ecclesiastes 4 says, “Two are better than one…if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” When Jesus called his twelve apostles and began to send them out for ministry, Mark 6 says he sent them out “two by two, and gave them authority.” They went out in groups of two.

Historically, we see the value of two rather than just one. Lewis and Clark. Batman and Robin. Brooks and Dunn. Han Solo and Chewbacca. Milli and Vanilli! But seriously, who do these two witnesses represent? They represent the true Church. They symbolize the people of God as the witness to God’s truth on mission with Him.

Look at the rest of the verse. “and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” Why this many days? Well, 1260 days is equivalent to 42 months. Verse 2 says the nations will trample the holy city for 42 months and those with God will be safe while those outside the boundaries will perish.

As I said two weeks ago, during the gospel age – during this time between the ascension
of Christ to heaven and His return from heaven – His gospel will be proclaimed. Many will be saved; many will not. And like God’s prophets of old, the true Church will continue to call people to faith in Christ and repentance from sin. Putting on sackcloth was an OT symbol of humility before God and turning from sin. The church “prophesys” – not telling the future, but rather, speaking God’s truth.

And we do this for an amount of time that is perfectly measured out and decreed by God, but yet falls short of perfection because the saving work of Christ is not complete until He returns to gather His people, judge the wicked, and make all things new.

You may wonder, “Why is it stated as months back in verse 2 and days in verse 3?” Because both numbers describe the same era of time. There’s not a conclusive answer, but William Hendriksen notes if we look elsewhere in Scripture, the siege of a city is described in terms of months (like what happens in verses 1-2), whereas testifying to God’s truth in the world is a day-in, day-out type of activity.

What is the church doing day-in and day-out? Verse [4] – the two witnesses, “are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.” Earlier in Revelation, the church is symbolized by a lamp on a stand. This has OT background, and Jesus used this language when he described the people of God as the light of the world.  The olive trees provide olive oil to keep the flame burning brightly.

The church has unique authority to testify to God’s truth like a lamp giving light in darkness. When Jesus was arrested and sent to the governor of the Roman province of Judea, he said, “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth.” To testify to the truth. And for that purpose, He established His church.

Obviously, to proclaim Christ and His gospel. But there are two sides to this. Look at these next verses. Verse [5] “And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. [6] They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may 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 kind of plague, as often as they desire.” What could this mean? Should the church be doing these things today?

Again, Revelation is a book of symbolism, and the Scriptures (especially the OT) serves as our guide. The OT prophet Elijah presided as God sent fire on His enemies, and again Elijah predicted that God would not send rain, causing a drought. And the OT prophet Moses was instrumental in God turning the Nile River to blood and sending many other plagues on the nation of Egypt. These prophets pronounced the judgment of God, which was demonstrated in these terrifying natural wonders.

As we face opposition to God’s truth, the true Church will exercise its unique authority as we proclaim Christ and pronounce judgment.

You might think, “Wait, Jesus said “Don’t judge.” That’s true. Matthew 7. But that’s not what I’m referring to, and that behavior is not in view in these verses. The church announces the judgments of God. We may call something a sin when God’s Word calls it a sin. We may say something is wrong when God’s truth defines it as wrong. We simply proclaim what God has determined: that there is salvation in Jesus Christ, and judgment apart from Him. In Colossians 1, Paul says, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom.”

The congregation that wavers and no longer exercises its unique authority to proclaim Christ’s saving work and pronounce His judgment cannot be called a true church. The column has faltered. The pillar has given way. And the same is true of everyone who calls himself or herself a follower of Jesus, because in Christ you have the authority to speak God’s truth. And you have the responsibility to do so.

Now look at verse [7] “And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them.” We’re going to learn more about beasts in future chapters. But who is this awful creature who kills the two witnesses?

Just as the two witnesses represent something, so does this beast. Hendriksen describes it as “the anti-Christian world.” Hasn’t history seen repeatedly the anti-Christian world persecuting the church and seeking to silence God’s message even if it means killing the messenger?

This is a cyclical occurrence in human history; however, this particular occurrence in Revelation 11 is unlike all the others before it because this one has the whole church in view. “When they have finished their testimony,” in other words, when the Great Commission is complete, the church will appear to be left for dead. Notice verse [8] and their dead bodies (remember this is the two witnesses in the vision that John is seeing) will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.”

Christ was crucified in Jerusalem. Jerusalem had therefore become “anti-Christian.” And after that time, many who practiced Judaism (including the leaders) were continually hostile toward the Jews who became Christians. As a result, Revelation 11 tells us that Jerusalem is no longer thought of as the holy city that it once was. Instead, it becomes associated with those who are not for God’s people, but against them. Jerusalem becomes associated with places like ancient Sodom and Egypt, and Babylon.

Think back to verses 1-2 from the last sermon. This is the city outside the temple of God, outside the place where His presence dwells. At this point, it appears that Satan is king and the church is a corpse. This is not to say all Christians at that time will be dead, but, as Hendriksen puts it, the church will “no longer exists as an influential and powerful missionary organization.”

This is unthinkable. Can it be true? Yes. Look at verse [9] For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb” – which is the action of those who don’t just want you dead, they want you disgraced – “and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets (the true Church) had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.” The world is tortured by the truth.

In John 3, the apostle John described the coming of Jesus into the world in this way: “the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

The anti-Christian world hates God’s truth and therefore it hates those who uphold His truth. It’s no wonder the world wants us to abandon the Word of God. It’s no wonder your sinful nature within you is prone to turn from the light to the darkness.

Just before the return of Jesus Christ – when the church’s work is done – it will seem as though she is deceased. But in reality, she won’t be.

In 1897, a New York newspaper reported the death of American author Mark Twain. And so another reporter reached out to Twain to confirm if this was true. In fact, it was not true. Twain was alive and well. And he wrote this response. “I can understand perfectly how the report of my illness got about, I have even heard on good authority that I was dead. James Ross Clemens, a cousin of mine, was seriously ill two or three weeks ago in London, but is well now. The report of my illness grew out of his illness. The report of my death was an exaggeration.”

In the face of opposition, the true Church will endure its supposed defeat. She will fulfill her purpose, and when she is done, God will let the world gloat. But the report of the church’s death will be greatly exaggerated.

– Point three will be covered on Sunday, April 28 –

Recently the London Broadcasting Company had famous atheist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins on their program. Host Rachel Johnson said she wanted to discuss with Dawkins “whether it matters that Christianity is playing a diminishing role in national life” in Great Britain. Dawkins began by saying he was slightly horrified to hear that Ramadan (an Islamic celebration) was being promoted in the UK instead of Easter. He stated, “I do think we are culturally a Christian country. I call myself a cultural Christian.”

Well, this kind of set the internet on fire, that Dawkins would say this about himself. I don’t know that it’s that big of a deal. He just meant that he feels at home with the culture created by Christianity. He went on to say, “It is true statistically that the number of people who believe in Christianity is going down, and I’m happy with that. But I would not be happy if we lost all our cathedrals and parish churches.”

Notice what Dawkins reveals here. The world doesn’t hate the outward trappings produced by Christianity. They hate the truth! It’s the beliefs that they despise!

In China, Christians can have their meetings, as long as the message is approved by the government. The Chinese government has tried to eliminate Christianity for years. The church is thriving in China.

The same was true in Russia. The leaders of the Soviet Union were determined to get rid of Christianity once and for all. Today, those leaders are all dead and there are tens of thousands of believers in Russia.

In every nation, the reports of the death of the true church are greatly exaggerated. But I promise you – the true Church is doing just fine, and it will be to the end. She has seen dark days, but she keeps rolling. And it will get darker at some point in history. We don’t know when. But we can’t throw in the towel. We must uphold the truth for the world to hear and see. Many will hate it – but many will receive it and be born again. Many will follow Jesus.

Will you follow Him?

Let’s bow in prayer.