Revelation 11:5 Commentary and Bible Study

This is a vision, don’t forget. We don’t breathe fire, nor do we want it. The New Testament apostles did not work with a vengeful spirit. ‘And if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.’ It reminds you of Matthew 10:13-14 where the Lord Jesus Christ in effect says to the apostles, whoever hears you, and believes your message, will, through your instrumentality, receive eternal life; and in so many words, whoever rejects you and your message will bring to themselves judgement from God. We shouldn’t feel downtrodden and deflated when we face persecution. This is becoming more and more relevant. Now of course it isn’t us – it’s the work of the Holy Spirit – but the passage shows how significant our work is. If anybody kills you because you’re a believer or maims you, or injures you, or silences you because you’re doing the work of God, then they effectively abuse, maim, and kill themselves. They will be judged on account of what they’ve done to you. So if we’re persecuted, we not only comfort ourselves with the thought that Christ told us this would happen – we are called to suffer for his sake – but we almost feel sorry for the abuser, because he will be judged for what he is doing to us. He will be condemned. Acts 12 records a signal example of this in the death of Herod following his persecution of the church and his killing James and attempting to do the same to Peter. It was not long before God destroyed him. In his case destruction was supernatural, but in the case of others the Lord has simply caused circumstances to close in on them with irresistible force. Maybe it will happen in this life; maybe they will come under judicial blindness. Because they abused Christian testimony, they will never understand the gospel again. Their hope of eternity is gone and lost. Like Pharaoh of old, they hardened their heart and they opposed the people of God, so God hardened their hearts. That you find echoed here.