Context No. 3241 of 4322 · Revelation

Revelation 11:7-13: in context

7When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. 8Their dead bodies will be in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9From among the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations, people will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, and they will be glad. They will give gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11After the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. 12I heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” They went up into heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13In that day there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The two witnesses, having finished their testimony, are killed by the beast, and their bodies lie unburied in the street of the great city while the world looks on and gloats, even exchanging gifts in celebration, glad to be rid of the prophets who troubled them. For three and a half days it seems evil has triumphed.

The world rejoices over the dead witnesses, glad the troubling testimony has been silenced. For a moment, evil appears to have won; the witnesses lie exposed and mocked. But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God enters them, and they stand up on their feet. What looked like final defeat, killed, unburied, gloated over, is reversed by God's resurrection power. The world's triumph over God's witnesses is short and hollow; God vindicates them, and even their terrified enemies are brought to give glory to the God of heaven. Faithful witness may be killed, but God has the last word, and his last word is resurrection.

When faithful witness seems defeated and the world gloats, do I trust that God has the last word, and that his word over his witnesses is resurrection?

Sources

Revelation 11:11: "After the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet."
Revelation 11:7: "The beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them."
John 12:24: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit."