Revelation 11:3
“And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
As John stands back and watches future events unfold his attention is drawn to two men who were called to proclaim the message of salvation during the darkest days in human history. John describes this period as being marked by spiritual darkness, immorality and a hardness toward God that would cause men to want to die rather than bend their knees in submission. Rather than allowing mankind to plummet toward eternal judgment, heaven provides a solution; two men armed with the word of God and the power of the Spirit. These two men will stand against intense persecution and usher in one of histories greatest revivals. They will remain unharmed by all the forces that come against them until the day they finish their testimony and are welcomed into glory, where they will receive a reward for their faithful service rendered unto Christ.
I think part of the reason their story is recorded is to encourage us as we seek to serve Christ and finish our testimony. If the power of God is enough to protect these two men under such an intense barrage of spiritual and physical attack then certainly the power of God is enough to both protect and provide for us as we proclaim the gospel in our world. In some ways we are seeing the world around us darken. It has become increasingly more difficult to proclaim Christ without being tagged as bigoted, racist or “a hater.” In some cases this makes the Christian want to retreat into places of safety rather than take the abuse. I think we need to look to the example set by these two men and ask the Lord to fill us with the same Spirit that gave them such courage and boldness. Since the world needs Jesus more than ever the church needs men and woman armed with the Spirit of God and the word of God who will share the love of Christ and the hope of heaven with a dying world.
Pastor Jim
Jim Gallagher 