Resurrection Power

Revelation 11:7-14 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from Heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to Heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on. 13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of Heaven.14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.
 
AS mentioned, the two witnesses can be Elijah and Moses from Heaven, or they can be two newly appointed prophets called to proclaim God’s kingdom message. In either case, God permits a beast, which is an agent of Satan,  from the Abyss to “kill” the gospel witnesses. The unbelievers of the world will rejoice, thinking the church is dead. It is surely possible with today’s media that all people of the world could gaze upon their bodies.
   This is how the prophets were treated in the Old Testament. Consider, for example, Jezebel’s murder of God’s prophets in 1 Kings 18:4a While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves.) And Jesus judged the Jews: Matthew 23:30 And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Evil, too, killed the Son of God.
   But God’s power is more than evil wasn’t it? The prophet Elijah
destroyed Jezebel’s prophets. Jesus destroyed death to become the resurrection and the life. In a like manner, the Lord God resurrects his persecuted witnesses to glory.
   Trust God. He is assuring John and all of us to believe in Jesus’ truth: John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Live into and trust his resurrection power.
 
Prayer: Show your power, Lord God, to an unbelieving world. Save the unbelievers. Protect your own. In Jesus’ name, amen.