Revelation 11

v1-2: The church “must be measured.” Why? To determine “whether the members took Christ as their altar… whether the members worshipped God in the Spirit and in truth… whether they made God’s glory their goal and his word their rule in all their acts of worship.” The Lord knows who are His and will care for them during these last days when the “church is very much trampled on in the world.” This will be a limited period of time after which “she will be rescued from all her troubles.”

v3-13: “Many will acknowledge Christ in times of prosperity but will desert and deny him in times of persecution,” but there will be a sufficient number of faithful witnesses who “will continue not only to profess the Christian faith but also to preach it.” God will give these witnesses “the oil of holy zeal, courage, strength and comfort,” and “they are immortal… until their work is complete.” Whatever situation we find ourselves in, let us remain faithful to our profession of faith and keep speaking of Christ.

v14-19: When the church’s witness on earth is finished, then it will be time for Jesus to return and for final judgment. With all opposition removed, God’s eternal kingdom will finally be established and Christ’s victory will be visibly seen by all, and heaven will erupt with praise, recognising “with thankfulness the right of our God and Saviour to rule and reign over the whole world,” and rejoicing “that this reign of his will never end.”