April 27th, 2026
by Lars Dahl
by Lars Dahl
The book of Revelation is hope revealed, a message that transforms our understanding of both our present reality and our eternal future.
Where We Stand: A Place of Divine Protection
In Revelation 11, we encounter a fascinating scene where John is given a measuring rod and instructed to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. This isn't a simple construction project or architectural survey. Something far more profound is happening.
The temple represents God's presence, a place of worship, and most importantly, a symbol of divine ownership. When God measures something—or someone—He's making a declaration: "These are mine. I know them, and I claim them."
This measurement isn't about God figuring something out. He's sovereign and knows all things at all times. Rather, it's about separation and protection. God is distinguishing between those who truly belong to Him and those who don't. He's drawing a line in the sand that declares His covenantal protection over His people.
The worshipers being measured aren't just religious attendees going through the motions. They're not people simply showing up to "do the church thing." These are genuine believers, people in a covenant relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. God sees beyond religious appearances to the true condition of our hearts. He knows, right this very second, where your heart truly is.
The Gentiles and the Trampling
The outer court, however, is not measured. It's given over to the Gentiles, who will trample the holy city for forty-two months—three and a half years. In the spiritual sense, these Gentiles represent everyone outside of God's covenantal protection, those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior.
This isn't about ethnicity or nationality. It's about our relationship with God. The Gentiles here represent the unbelieving world, people who will not accept Jesus, and nations that fall under the Antichrist's influence during the tribulation period.
The Antichrist will come promising peace, and who doesn't want peace? In a world exhausted by wars and rumors of wars, a leader offering global harmony will seem like the answer to every prayer. But his peace is false, his diplomacy deceptive. He'll make a covenant with many for seven years, but halfway through, after those same forty-two months, everything will change. He'll proclaim himself to be God, demanding worship and persecuting those who refuse.
Yet even during this darkest period, God doesn't abandon humanity. His silence should never be mistaken for weakness.
The Two Witnesses: God's Final Call
In the midst of judgment and chaos, God raises up two witnesses who prophesy for 1,260 days, again, three and a half years. These witnesses are clothed in sackcloth, the traditional garment of mourning and repentance.
Think about what this means: Even after everything that has happened, even as judgment unfolds, God is still giving people a chance. He's still calling the rebellious world to repentance. These witnesses minister with urgency, mourning the coming judgments and pleading with humanity to turn to God before it's too late.
Why two witnesses? Because Scripture establishes that "by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established" (Deuteronomy 19:15). These witnesses provide legal sufficiency according to biblical law. Their testimony confirms what is true and serves as evidence of God's continued mercy.
While the Bible doesn't explicitly identify these two witnesses, many believe they could be Elijah and Moses, or perhaps Elijah and Enoch, both figures who never experienced normal death. But their specific identity matters less than their role: preparing the way for the Messiah, calling people to repentance, and serving as God's voice in the darkest hour.
Our Calling as Witnesses Today
Here's where this becomes deeply personal: the role of those two witnesses in Revelation is fundamentally no different from our calling today.
We are witnesses.
If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you are preparing the way for the Messiah right now. Your primary mission isn't to add more opinions to an already noisy world. The church doesn't need more voices sharing personal perspectives. What we desperately need is to speak Christ clearly to a world that's falling apart.
This is our mission. This is our witness.
The term "witness" first appears in Genesis 21:30, when Abraham gave seven ewe lambs as visible testimony that a well belonged to him. The evidence confirmed what was true. That's what witnesses do, hey give testimony, confirm truth, and serve as evidence.
Where do you work? Where do you study? Where do you shop or play? In every one of those places, you have the opportunity to be a witness for Jesus Christ. Whether you're an athlete thanking God after making a great play, an employee acknowledging God's wisdom after a promotion, or simply someone showing kindness in the grocery store, you're preparing the way for the King.
The Certainty We Need
God knows who belongs to Him. He knows who truly worships Him in spirit and in truth. The question each of us must ask is simply this: Do I actually believe in the person of Jesus Christ?
Not just in God as a vague concept. Not just in being a good person or attending church. But in Jesus—the way, the truth, and the life. As Jesus Himself declared, "No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
This may sound narrow, but it's what Jesus said. And since Jesus is God, He knows the way to heaven.
If you're not 100% certain that you belong to God, that uncertainty should be resolved today. Don't wait. Don't assume. Make certain that God knows you belong to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.
Worthy of It All
Even in the darkest days, whether the tribulation period described in Revelation or the challenging times we face today, God will always have a witness on earth. He is worthy of everything we can give Him, not just when life is easy, but especially when it's difficult.
He's worthy when things aren't going the way we think they should. He's worthy in the hard times. He's worthy of our praise, our service, our whole lives—1,000% and more.
We praise Him because He's worthy of it all, all the time. Not just when we feel like it. Not just when circumstances align with our preferences. But always, because He is God, and He has given us His Son so we could have a relationship with Him—not just here and now, but for all eternity.
That's the hope revealed in Revelation. That's the message we carry as His witnesses today.
Where We Stand: A Place of Divine Protection
In Revelation 11, we encounter a fascinating scene where John is given a measuring rod and instructed to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. This isn't a simple construction project or architectural survey. Something far more profound is happening.
The temple represents God's presence, a place of worship, and most importantly, a symbol of divine ownership. When God measures something—or someone—He's making a declaration: "These are mine. I know them, and I claim them."
This measurement isn't about God figuring something out. He's sovereign and knows all things at all times. Rather, it's about separation and protection. God is distinguishing between those who truly belong to Him and those who don't. He's drawing a line in the sand that declares His covenantal protection over His people.
The worshipers being measured aren't just religious attendees going through the motions. They're not people simply showing up to "do the church thing." These are genuine believers, people in a covenant relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. God sees beyond religious appearances to the true condition of our hearts. He knows, right this very second, where your heart truly is.
The Gentiles and the Trampling
The outer court, however, is not measured. It's given over to the Gentiles, who will trample the holy city for forty-two months—three and a half years. In the spiritual sense, these Gentiles represent everyone outside of God's covenantal protection, those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior.
This isn't about ethnicity or nationality. It's about our relationship with God. The Gentiles here represent the unbelieving world, people who will not accept Jesus, and nations that fall under the Antichrist's influence during the tribulation period.
The Antichrist will come promising peace, and who doesn't want peace? In a world exhausted by wars and rumors of wars, a leader offering global harmony will seem like the answer to every prayer. But his peace is false, his diplomacy deceptive. He'll make a covenant with many for seven years, but halfway through, after those same forty-two months, everything will change. He'll proclaim himself to be God, demanding worship and persecuting those who refuse.
Yet even during this darkest period, God doesn't abandon humanity. His silence should never be mistaken for weakness.
The Two Witnesses: God's Final Call
In the midst of judgment and chaos, God raises up two witnesses who prophesy for 1,260 days, again, three and a half years. These witnesses are clothed in sackcloth, the traditional garment of mourning and repentance.
Think about what this means: Even after everything that has happened, even as judgment unfolds, God is still giving people a chance. He's still calling the rebellious world to repentance. These witnesses minister with urgency, mourning the coming judgments and pleading with humanity to turn to God before it's too late.
Why two witnesses? Because Scripture establishes that "by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established" (Deuteronomy 19:15). These witnesses provide legal sufficiency according to biblical law. Their testimony confirms what is true and serves as evidence of God's continued mercy.
While the Bible doesn't explicitly identify these two witnesses, many believe they could be Elijah and Moses, or perhaps Elijah and Enoch, both figures who never experienced normal death. But their specific identity matters less than their role: preparing the way for the Messiah, calling people to repentance, and serving as God's voice in the darkest hour.
Our Calling as Witnesses Today
Here's where this becomes deeply personal: the role of those two witnesses in Revelation is fundamentally no different from our calling today.
We are witnesses.
If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you are preparing the way for the Messiah right now. Your primary mission isn't to add more opinions to an already noisy world. The church doesn't need more voices sharing personal perspectives. What we desperately need is to speak Christ clearly to a world that's falling apart.
This is our mission. This is our witness.
The term "witness" first appears in Genesis 21:30, when Abraham gave seven ewe lambs as visible testimony that a well belonged to him. The evidence confirmed what was true. That's what witnesses do, hey give testimony, confirm truth, and serve as evidence.
Where do you work? Where do you study? Where do you shop or play? In every one of those places, you have the opportunity to be a witness for Jesus Christ. Whether you're an athlete thanking God after making a great play, an employee acknowledging God's wisdom after a promotion, or simply someone showing kindness in the grocery store, you're preparing the way for the King.
The Certainty We Need
God knows who belongs to Him. He knows who truly worships Him in spirit and in truth. The question each of us must ask is simply this: Do I actually believe in the person of Jesus Christ?
Not just in God as a vague concept. Not just in being a good person or attending church. But in Jesus—the way, the truth, and the life. As Jesus Himself declared, "No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).
This may sound narrow, but it's what Jesus said. And since Jesus is God, He knows the way to heaven.
If you're not 100% certain that you belong to God, that uncertainty should be resolved today. Don't wait. Don't assume. Make certain that God knows you belong to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.
Worthy of It All
Even in the darkest days, whether the tribulation period described in Revelation or the challenging times we face today, God will always have a witness on earth. He is worthy of everything we can give Him, not just when life is easy, but especially when it's difficult.
He's worthy when things aren't going the way we think they should. He's worthy in the hard times. He's worthy of our praise, our service, our whole lives—1,000% and more.
We praise Him because He's worthy of it all, all the time. Not just when we feel like it. Not just when circumstances align with our preferences. But always, because He is God, and He has given us His Son so we could have a relationship with Him—not just here and now, but for all eternity.
That's the hope revealed in Revelation. That's the message we carry as His witnesses today.
Lars Dahl
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