Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
In Revelation 11, probably the most difficult aspect of the two prophets’ ministry to understand is their deaths at the heathen hands of the Antichrist: “And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.” Three thoughts come quickly to mind. First, “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Like Enoch and Elijah, a whole generation of Christians will not experience death (I Thessalonians 4:16-18). However, these exceptions are exactly that, and these two Tribulation prophets, like most believers through the ages, will die. Second, the malicious might of the Antichrist is not figurative; rather, it is real. II Thessalonians 2:8 speaks of him in these sobering terms: “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.” “Lying” does not mean fraudulent here; instead, it points to actual miracles that lead people to believe that the Antichrist is worth following. His strength is genuine, but it is only destructive, never constructive. Third, we must note that no one – not even Satan and the Antichrist – can harm these two faithful preachers until “they shall have finished their testimony.” Our Savior thus remains sovereign even in this darkest of times – and in our darkest of time, as well.