REVELATION 11:11-14
By Mike Kurtz
Read Revelation 11:11-14.
Talk about a short-lived celebration! Only three and half days after the tormenting witnesses are killed are they brought back to life again by God. As the enemies of God look on in fear, the witnesses are transported to heaven before their very eyes. In the end, God gets the victory.
It is easy to be drawn into what appears to be a good thing – celebration, the threat and severity of suffering gone, the world seemingly at peace. That was perhaps the feeling during the days following the death of the two witnesses. It would be difficult not to be caught up in the elation of the day. But as with all sin and deceit, any pleasure that results from them is ultimately short lived. Righteousness always ultimately wins out.
Today, let me encourage you to consider how the world draws you in to its pleasures and into a state of complacency. Unlike the death of the two witnesses whose impact will be sudden and lifting, today’s draw is subtle, slowly lulling us into its dangers. As you attempt to overcome those threats and temptations, keep in mind that their pleasures are temporal and that righteousness is everlasting. Living the hard road of righteousness is not easy, but it is eternal, and it brings into our souls an eternal peace that long outlives the pleasures of this world.
