Revelation 11:3 “Also I will give power to my two witnesses; and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two menorahs standing before the Lord of the earth. 5 If anyone tries to do them harm, fire comes out of their mouth and consumes their enemies — yes, if anyone tries to harm them, that is how he must die. 6 They have the authority to shut up the sky, so that no rain falls during the period of their prophesying; also they have the authority to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
7 When they finish their witnessing, the beast coming up out of the Abyss will fight against them, overcome them and kill them; 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the main street of the great city whose name, to reflect its spiritual condition, is “S’dom” and “Egypt” — the city where their Lord was executed on a stake. 9 Some from the nations, tribes, languages and peoples see their bodies for three-and-a-half days and do not permit the corpses to be placed in a tomb. 10 The people living in the Land rejoice over them, they celebrate and send each other gifts, because these two prophets tormented them so.
11 But after the three-and-a-half days a breath of life from God entered them, they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then the two heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up into heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them. 13 In that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were awestruck and gave glory to the God of heaven.
At the End of Days, Jerusalem will spiritually resemble Sodom.
We may think Sodom only applies to some “other” defiled people group that behaves outside of the realm of righteousness, but this is described of Jerusalem, the holy city. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all have proclamations against Jerusalem where they liken that city to Sodom, as well.
Why is this holy city likened to the ancient city of Sodom?
Jerusalem should be the one that is upholding a standard of righteousness in the earth. It is supposed to be a light unto the world. But something altogether different has happened here.
The holy people have been marked for destruction. How could this be?
In order to understand what is going to happen, we need to carefully inspect the defiled city of Sodom so we can be as the Sons of Issachar, (1 Chronicles 12:32) people who understand the times and know what Isra’el ought to do.
In chapter 18 of Genesis we get a generic summary of Sodom: there are less than 10 righteous people in the whole city.
This seems like a very small number and Abraham must have thought the exact same thing. Based on how he talked God down in numbers, Abraham knew it was bad -- but he obviously didn’t know it was that bad.
We kind of get an inside look at the real condition of Sodom in the following chapter.
We find Lot sitting at the city gate, meaning he is among the wise of that town. But is Lot really all that wise?
We saw when he separated from Abraham that Lot had a pretty heavy selfish bend. He chose the land that was well-watered like the garden of YHVH:
Genesis 13:5 Lot, who was traveling with Avram, also had flocks, herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support their living together, because their possessions were too great for them to remain together. 7 Moreover, quarreling arose between Avram’s and Lot’s herdsmen. The Kena‘ani and the P’rizi were then living in the land. 8 Avram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have quarreling between me and you, or between my herdsmen and yours, since we’re kinsmen. 9 Isn’t the whole land there in front of you? Please separate yourself from me — if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.” 10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Yarden was well watered everywhere, before YHVH destroyed S’dom and ‘Amora, like the garden of YHVH, like the land of Egypt in the direction of Tzo‘ar. 11 So Lot chose all the plain of the Yarden for himself, and Lot traveled eastward; thus they separated themselves from each other. 12 Avram lived in the land of Kena‘an; and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, setting up his tent near S’dom. 13 Now the men of S’dom were evil, committing great sins against YHVH.
Despite having a lot of livestock, Lot chose to live in the city. This is an odd choice, in my opinion. He chose to live near people but the reason for his splitting from Abarahm was due to the fact that he couldn’t be near Abraham due to lack of space. But that’s not really the point here. Regardless, he ended up in Sodom.
Having gotten mixed up in the troubles of Sodom, Lot was taken captive during the war of the kings and Abraham had to rescue him. Abraham comes out and settles matters himself then Sodom’s king (after his own defeat) wants to take the spoil from himself. This shows us the type of leader that existed over these people. Instead of thanking Abraham for recovering all that was lost, he insisted he get his people back.
Point 1: Not much gratitude here. Selfishness is deeply rooted in the Sodomites.
Fast forward to chapter 19, and we can now revisit this idea that Lot was wise. Peter tells us that Lot was considered righteous, but does that make one wise by default? That’s a tough question.
As the two angels came close to Lot, he immediately went to greet them. He invited them to his home but they politely refused. Lot then pressed them until they came home with him.
Was Lot just a nice guy and loved to host? Or did he know what would happen to these men if they stayed in the town square?
I think he knew.
No later than they arrived at Lot’s house did the men of the town come to pull them out to rape them. Lot tried to negotiate with the men and even offered his virgin daughters in place of his guests.
Does this sound like a wise man?
I personally do not count the giving of your daughters to a perverted mob of men wisdom.
As a result of this failed negotiation, the men of Sodom threatened to do worse to Lot than they planned to do to these men. The men then began to force themselves through the door at which point the angels struck them with blindness.
Point 2: Defilement of themselves and defilement of others was of no consequence. It was common and normal to force your compromised ways onto others and if they refused, it was acceptable to accuse and threaten them with an even worse punishment.
We now have a picture of physical Sodom but the prophets paint an even darker picture of those that are of spiritual Sodom: Jerusalem.
Isaiah 1:9 If YHVH-Tzva'ot had not left us a tiny, tiny remnant, we would have become like S'dom, we would have resembled 'Amora. 10 Hear what YHVH says, you rulers of S'dom! Listen to God's Torah, you people of 'Amora! 11 "Why are all those sacrifices offered to me?" asks YHVH. "I'm fed up with burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened animals! I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls, lambs and goats! 12 Yes, you come to appear in my presence; but who asked you to do this, to trample through my courtyards? 13 Stop bringing worthless grain offerings! They are like disgusting incense to me! Rosh-Hodesh, Shabbat, calling convocations — I can't stand evil together with your assemblies! 14 Everything in me hates your Rosh-Hodesh and your festivals; they are a burden to me — I'm tired of putting up with them!”
This proclamation was made to Jerusalem and Judah, which apparently makes these places “spiritual Sodom” as declared in Revelation 11.
There are many people technically doing what was required by the Torah but that wasn’t enough. Just because you didn’t murder someone physically doesn’t mean you haven’t murdered them spiritually.
Notice what Isaiah says here, “Listen to God’s Torah” then he goes on to show they are “keeping” the Torah. What is being said here?
Point 3: Even those that are doing all of the right things can still be considered evil. Looking at rituals to save you does not cover your evil ways.
Isaiah 3:8 For Yerushalayim is ruined, and Y’hudah has fallen; because their words and deeds defy YHVH, in open provocation of his glory. 9 Their very look witnesses against them! They parade their sin, like S’dom; they don’t even try to hide it — all the worse for them! — they bring evil on themselves.
Not only were the people of Sodom sinful, but they paraded their sin and felt no shame whatsoever with what they were doing.
Point 4: They saw no issue at all with their sinful life. It was so common among all of the other inhabitants that it seemed well with them all. “Everyone else is doing it which means we can too.” Even the “righteous” among the people of Sodom weren’t as bad as the really bad people.
Jeremiah 23:13 "I have seen inappropriate conduct in the prophets of Shomron — they prophesied by Ba'al and led my people Isra'el astray. 14 But in the prophets of Yerushalayim I have seen a horrible thing — they commit adultery, live in lies, so encouraging evildoers that none returns from his sin. For me they have all become like S'dom, its inhabitants like 'Amora."
The prophets of Jerusalem, the ones that are a supposed voice for God, are themselves wrapped up in adultery, lies, and encouraging evildoers.
Point 5: Even those that speak the words that God Himself has given them to speak are caught up in the sin of the world. Lusting after others perhaps physically and spiritually, living in lies, and encouraging instead of correcting those in sin. Sinners are never corrected so they continue in their sin, leading to more and more death.
To Jerusalem:
Ezekiel 16:48 “‘As I live’ says YHVH Elohim, ‘your sister S’dom has not done, neither she nor her daughters, [as much evil] as you have done, you and your daughters. 49 The crimes of your sister S’dom were pride and gluttony; she and her daughters were careless and complacent, so that they did nothing to help the poor and needy. 50 They were arrogant and committed disgusting acts before me; so that when I saw it, I swept them away.
Pride and gluttony, careless and complacent, they did not help the poor and needy. They were arrogant and committed disgusting acts before God.
Point 6: These people have become so attached to their lifestyle that they have no compassion for other people. So full of themselves and full of their stuff, they neglect everything else. They have said in their heart, “we will be fine.”
But there is a warning given to this kind of reasoning:
Deuteronomy 29:19 If there is such a person, when he hears the words of this curse, he will bless himself secretly, saying to himself, ‘I will be all right, even though I will stubbornly keep doing whatever I feel like doing; so that I, although “dry,” [sinful,] will be added to the “watered” [righteous].’
So where do you fall in all of this?
Point 1: Not much gratitude. Selfishness is deeply rooted.
Are you selfish?
Are you grateful?
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Point 2: Defilement of themselves and defilement of others was of no consequence. It was common and normal to force your compromised ways onto others and if they refused, it was acceptable to accuse and threaten them with an even worse punishment.
Do you force your compromised views and lifestyle on others so you feel better about yourself?
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Point 3: Even those that are doing all of the right things can still be considered evil. Looking at rituals to save you does not cover your evil ways.
Do you place a heavy emphasis on the things you do that are “God’s ways”?
Do you take His commands, do them, and still carry an empty heart?
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Point 4: They saw no issue at all with their sinful life. It was so common among all of the other inhabitants that it seemed well with them all. “Everyone else is doing it which means we can too.” Even the “righteous” among the people of Sodom weren’t as bad as the really bad people.
Do you look at all that is going on in the world and believe you are ok in comparison?
Has your standard of tolerance been lowered to accommodate the level of sinfulness in the culture?
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Point 5: Even those that speak the words that God Himself has given them to speak are caught up in the sin of the world. Lusting after others perhaps physically and spiritually, living in lies, and encouraging instead of correcting those in sin. Sinners are never corrected so they continue in their sin, leading to more and more death.
Do you bring loving correction to those that are overtly sinning?
Are you yourself covertly sinning: lusting, living a lie, and encouraging sinners?
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Point 6: These people have become so attached to their lifestyle that they have no compassion for other people. So full of themselves and full of their stuff they neglect everything else. They have said in their heart, “we will be fine.”
Do you think you’ll be fine?
Do you have true compassion for others?
So much so that your life can be put down a few notches to help bring other people’s lives up?
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How you answer these questions seriously matters. Telling people the right answer will not preserve you on the day He brings destruction. It’s living truth, not just speaking it, that will ensure you aren’t destroyed when the time comes.
And take heart, that Day is coming very soon. Don’t believe me? Walk the streets and tell me Sodom has not arrived.
Think deeply about this.
Are you of that earthly city whose spiritual condition is Sodom and Egypt?
Are you one of the people that will rise up and kill the witnesses that call out your wicked ways?
Or are you of that heavenly city that will come and settle over the Land, full of Abba’s glory?
We have this limited time on the earth to display our adherence and obedience to His ways -- not mechanically but with a heart after God.
Instead of being one of the murderers that try to suppress truth, become one of the witnesses that brings truth to the doorstep of everyone you know.
Prophesy life, and if you absolutely must, open your mouth and speak.