"And they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. And I will give to my two witnesses even that they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, dressed in sackcloth." Rev. 11:2, 3.
Australia's first convicted terrorist was a man named Jack Roche. Accused of planning to bomb the Israeli embassy in Canberra in the year 2000, he reportedly had links with al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah (an Islamic terrorist group in Indonesia). Apparently he was in contact with representatives of both groups as he developed his attack plot. His trial was front-page news throughout Australia. A Perth court sentenced him to nine years in prison.
The unusual ting about the case is that Jack Roche did not actually carry out his bombing plan. The trial gave a glimpse of what might have been, but in actuality no buildings got blown up or damaged, nobody was killed or injured. Yet at his trial he faced a maximum prison sentence equal to the one he would have been liable for had he actually carried out his plot. One could say that the conviction was based on a prophecy. Given Roche's capabilities, his accomplices, and the quality of his planning, the court concluded that it needed to penalize even mere planning.
The verdict sought to send out a signal to other would-be terrorists in Australia that they could fail twice. They could fail to achieve the political goals of their action and at the same time they could lose their accustomed lifestyle. This raised the personal stakes in terrorists action and made it less attractive to people such as Roche.
The events of Revelation 11 builds on the close of chapter 10. Divine agencies tell John that he must prophesy again to "many peoples, nations, languages and kings" (Rev. 10:11, NIV). God gives him a glimpse into the future. While the message of the gospel is sweet, many traumatic events would occur before the end would come.
The time periods of 42 months and 1260 days recall Daniel's time prophecies (Dan. 7:25; 12:7). During that period the people of God will suffer at the hands of many enemies. At the end of the period the beast from the abyss would kill the two witnesses. But things do not end badly. God raises the two witnesses after three and a half days, and they ascend to heaven (Rev. 11:7-13).
Many aspects of these passages are difficult to understand. But the basic message is clear. God knows the end from the beginning even better than the Australian court system. He knows the thoughts of those who oppose Him and His people. Scanning the future course of history and seeing the consequences of evil action, He assures us in advance that He can deal with them. The Lord too has a plan, and the outcome is sure.
Lord, I want to be faithful to Your plan for the last generation.
Australia's first convicted terrorist was a man named Jack Roche. Accused of planning to bomb the Israeli embassy in Canberra in the year 2000, he reportedly had links with al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah (an Islamic terrorist group in Indonesia). Apparently he was in contact with representatives of both groups as he developed his attack plot. His trial was front-page news throughout Australia. A Perth court sentenced him to nine years in prison.
The unusual ting about the case is that Jack Roche did not actually carry out his bombing plan. The trial gave a glimpse of what might have been, but in actuality no buildings got blown up or damaged, nobody was killed or injured. Yet at his trial he faced a maximum prison sentence equal to the one he would have been liable for had he actually carried out his plot. One could say that the conviction was based on a prophecy. Given Roche's capabilities, his accomplices, and the quality of his planning, the court concluded that it needed to penalize even mere planning.
The verdict sought to send out a signal to other would-be terrorists in Australia that they could fail twice. They could fail to achieve the political goals of their action and at the same time they could lose their accustomed lifestyle. This raised the personal stakes in terrorists action and made it less attractive to people such as Roche.
The events of Revelation 11 builds on the close of chapter 10. Divine agencies tell John that he must prophesy again to "many peoples, nations, languages and kings" (Rev. 10:11, NIV). God gives him a glimpse into the future. While the message of the gospel is sweet, many traumatic events would occur before the end would come.
The time periods of 42 months and 1260 days recall Daniel's time prophecies (Dan. 7:25; 12:7). During that period the people of God will suffer at the hands of many enemies. At the end of the period the beast from the abyss would kill the two witnesses. But things do not end badly. God raises the two witnesses after three and a half days, and they ascend to heaven (Rev. 11:7-13).
Many aspects of these passages are difficult to understand. But the basic message is clear. God knows the end from the beginning even better than the Australian court system. He knows the thoughts of those who oppose Him and His people. Scanning the future course of history and seeing the consequences of evil action, He assures us in advance that He can deal with them. The Lord too has a plan, and the outcome is sure.
Lord, I want to be faithful to Your plan for the last generation.
RSS Feed
