Revelation: The Hope - The Two Witnesses
- Nancy Counts
- Feb 8
- 6 min read
I have been suffering from terrible acid indigestion. I know that many of you can relate. I have been taking medication that after prolonged use can harm bone health. After suffering two stress fractures last year, my doctor made me quit taking the medicine because obviously, my bone health is terrible. So I have been drinking Mylanta and eating Tums like candy on a daily basis. Equally as bad as the other meds for my bone health, but who knew heartburn could be so bad!!!
Lately, everything I put in my mouth makes me feel bloated, and the acid must be eroding my esophagus. Even when I don’t eat, the sensation is still awful. So back to the doctor.
Imagine my surprise when a test performed showed that instead of having too much stomach acid, I don’t have enough! What actually happens when I put anything in my body, without the proper acid balance in my stomach, my gut won’t process what its getting. All the Mylanta and Tums in the world were never going to help the symptoms when the acid didn’t even exist in the first place.
Now how am I going to relate my digestive issues to Revelation? Here goes!
In Revelation 10, a mighty angel appears before John and cries out for the seven thunders. Once the thunder starts rolling, John eagerly waits, pen at the ready, to write everything down as he has faithfully done from the beginning. Then the angel says, WAIT! Don’t write any of that down. It’s not time yet. Here. Eat this instead.
I can only imagine John was extremely confused. But he takes and eats the little scroll given to him by the angel. At first, the scroll tastes like a sweet burst of flavor in his mouth. But then after he swallows, the scroll violently sours in his stomach. I feel pity for John because he’s been through a lot in these first 10 chapters. He’s faithfully been trying to record the unfathomable, and now he’s got a terrible case of indigestion.
Next, in Chapter 11, John battles his stomach ache and records the account of the two witnesses. The two witnesses come forth to the temple to testify regarding Jesus. As they testify, they have the power of fire coming from their mouths to consume anyone who tries to stop them. They are given authority to prevent rain. They also have the power to turn water into blood and strike plagues on all of the nations. Two pretty frightening and definitely unpopular prophets.
As I am scratching my head while reading Revelation10 and 11, I remember 2 Timothy 3:16. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” NLT
So there must be value in studying all of these bizarre things, right?. That is when I think back to my indigestion. Was I putting things into my body that are not good for it? Absolutely. We just finished celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas. I ate a great quantity of white sugar. Do I know white sugar is going to make my joints ache and my middle expand? Yes, I do, but I put it in my body anyway because it’s so tasty. And then I tried to fix the problem that I had caused by taking the wrong medicine. My body did not have the necessary acid to process all the trash that I put in it, and all my efforts to heal myself only made the problem worse.
The message that John and the two witnesses communicate to the world definitely holds nothing the world wants to hear. Our appetites demand we put in our bodies and minds what we desire. We want all input to be sweet on our tongues, stimulating to our minds, entertaining to our souls, bringing enjoyment and frivolity. We know that scrolling on TikTok for two hours is unproductive, but it’s fun and relaxing. It’s entertaining until anxiety overwhelms when we have wasted two hours, and now do not have the time necessary to accomplish required tasks. Sweet on the tongue - bitter in the stomach.
I know what’s good for me and what’s bad for me. But God forbid one of my children say to me, "Mom are you sure you’re gonna eat that piece of pie? You know you’re gonna regret it!" Part of me eats the pie on purpose just to prove that I can. I am in control.
Are we so different from the audience to which the two witnesses proclaimed? Nobody wanted to hear anything the witnesses said, but the people were forced to listen because of the power that these two witnesses held. Once the beast finally destroyed the two witnesses after1,260 days of their ranting, how did the people react?
“All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.”
Revelation 11:10 NLT
Once the witnesses were destroyed for simply warning the people to correct their bad behavior, rather than correcting any behavior, the people rejoiced and even gave gifts to one another to celebrate the ceasing of the noise - cheering that the voice in their heads constantly reminding them of right and wrong finally was silent.
So what does the voice in my head say to me?
I love white sugar. I want to eat as much white sugar as I can possibly gorge on. I rejoice when a new study comes out and says that it’s ultra processed foods that are really harming our health, and I use that as an excuse to get a king cake. But as much as I want to ignore the indigestion, take a pill, whatever else I try to do to not suffer the effects of eating white sugar, guess what happens every time? The consequences always catch up to me.
Now that I’m 57, after so many years of ignoring the bitter aftertaste of those yearly extra Christmas pounds, they are not going anywhere. They apparently have decided to stick around for good. I do not have anyone to blame but myself. I put into me, body and mind, what I knew would not serve me or God well. I continued to do what I wanted, despite every single warning received. My will is strong.
The world allowed the two witnesses bodies to rot in the street. That is how much the world cared to listen to the Truth. But God rewarded their faithfulness and gave them an eternal reward for persevering even through the harshest of times.
White sugar may not be your poison of choice, but everybody has one. If you say you don’t, I guarantee the devil knows what it is and is using it against you whether you realize it or not.
We study Revelation, even the most difficult aspects, so that we can recognize the testimony of the witnesses when it is presented to us, warning us not to continually fall for the poison of the world that Satan feeds us.
There is nothing easy about it. John thought he was doing the right thing and was transcribing his visions faithfully, and then he was told to stop writing and eat the bitter scroll. Even when we are trying our best, sometimes we just simply don’t do the right thing or understand what God is asking of us. Obedience does not happen overnight. Obedience takes work on both your part and God’s. Think about parenting a strong willed child. Think about all the discipline that occurs before the little buzzard finally choses to do the right thing - I threw away the King Cake 😢
So what happens in the story after John faithfully writes what he sees, takes his bitter discipline faithfully, and the witnesses are martyred and returned to heaven?
The seventh trumpet blast blares throughout all of creation, announcing the Kingdom of God has come.
Don’t ignore the voices of the witnesses all around you, helping you and guiding you to fulfill the purpose for which you were created, because we never know when that last trumpet is going to sound. Whether you are young or old, rich or poor, happy or sad, once the final horn is blown...
Whether your poison is literal, and you struggle with addictions such as alcohol, drugs, or sex. Whether your poison is more subtle like fear, doubt, or self pity. It is never too late to turn away from the voices of the world and turn back to the Truth of God's Word. Some days are easier than others. Some days the struggle leads to utter despair. But never give up the fight just because the daily grind is so hard. None of us knows when that last trumpet will sound, and there is no victory for those who do not know the love and grace of Jesus Christ
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