August 16: LIKE THE SMOKE OF A GREAT FURNACE
When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. Revelation 11:7
John the Revelator was shown that God would allow the suppression of His word by the counterfeit, apostate “church” referred to as the court which is outside the temple…given to the Gentiles (v.2). During these forty-two prophetic months (v.2), counterfeit Christianity moved to the forefront of the world stage. She misrepresented God to the world for a literal one thousand two hundred and sixty years. Indeed, His word was clothed in sackcloth (v.3). Nevertheless, they (the Word and those who spoke it) were divinely enabled to finish their testimony. Do not forget that God’s faithful remnant—the “wilderness church” of chapter 12—studied, memorized, copied, preached, and shared the Truth wherever opportunity arose. They were full-time servants of God, ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2), knowing that their lives were in constant peril. They would rather die serving Him than offend their loving Lord. They actively taught and claimed the truth of His words: “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.” (Luke 12:4)
As prophesied, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit stepped onto the world stage. According to Daniel 7, a beast symbolizes a kingdom or nation. The power behind this beast has been identified as the star fallen from heaven to the earth who was given the key to the bottomless pit or abyss: the abode of fallen angels (9:1). While there, he and his demons generated thick smoke, false teachings, so horrendous that the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit (9:2 KJV). Counterfeit Christianity taught the masses to view God in a tyrannical light. In acknowledging the Roman church’s assumed “authority”, many tried to worship this vengeful god, but such worship is based upon fear, not love. In the shadows were the French Huguenots, sincere Bible-believing Christians who held fast to the Word and were acutely persecuted by the “official” church. This bloody display caused others to reject God and the church altogether. In the name of God, Christians were being imprisoned, tortured, drowned, beheaded, and burned at the stake for the “heresy” of owning and believing the Bible, a portrayal of God so repugnant that many claimed He cannot exist: Egyptian-style atheism was revived!
The French, fed up with Catholicism, removed the pope from his throne in 1798 by order of Napoleon. This act convinced many across Europe that the papacy was dead. But it only seemed to have a mortal wound (13:3 NIV). This event was a highlight of the French Revolution. The French had been long oppressed and taxed by the Roman church. Disgusted by her hypocrisy and repulsed by the power she wielded over monarchies across Europe and beyond, the French government legislated against any church role in its national government. Church clergy were required, upon threat of death, to sign loyalty oaths to the regime. The “Age of Enlightenment” was introduced to the world by France, founded upon the exaltation of man’s reasoning above God’s, and punctuated by killing those found with Bibles along with enormous public burnings of Bibles. Thus, the second half of today’s verse is fulfilled: the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. This is how the two witnesses of Revelation 11 were murdered. But remember these words of Jesus, recorded by our dear brother and Revelator, the Apostle John:
“No one takes it [My life] from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment I received from My Father.” John 10:18