Sermon No.22 – Book of Revelation – Kathryn Kuhlman

Some things that I may be saying tonight are very controversial among those who are Bible students. When it is my own opinion, I will tell you.

Turn now, if you will please, to the 11th chapter of the Book of the Revelation. You will remember that last Tuesday I left you with the two witnesses which, of course, will be Elijah and Moses. We know positively that one of the two witnesses will be Elijah because the last chapter of Malachi, the last Book of the Old Testament, tells us that. That is one of the last truths of the Old Testament – the fact that Elijah will come back to this earth in person. Not a matter of speculation, but positively Elijah comes back in person. And remember, we have no record that Elijah ever died. He was taken up by a whirlwind into heaven. Of course, as I told you, on the Mount of Transfiguration, he was the symbol or the type of the first resurrection saints. One of these days, we are going up just exactly as he went up.

And the second witness, it is my personal belief and I am almost positive, will be Moses. Because, remember, Moses was the only one in all of the Word of God to whom had ever been given the power to smite the earth with plagues. In exactly the same way, Elijah was the only one who was given the power to shut heaven that it rain not. Search the Old Testament. No one else was ever given the power to shut heaven to keep it from raining other than Elijah. No one else has ever been given the power to smite the earth with plagues other than Moses.

And then, after they prophesy, lo, three and a half years, they will be put to death; and for three and a half days their dead bodies will lie on the street of Jerusalem, literally, not figuratively speaking. They will be so hated by the forces of Antichrist, so hated by the forces of unrighteousness, because, you see, Antichrist and his forces have never been able to kill them. When they even come near them, God gave them power that fire came from their mouth. Actually, literally, no power was able to touch them. There was no man who could put them to death, because God preserved them for the length of time that He wanted to use them as witnesses.

The whole time they are preaching and talking about Jesus; they are lifting up the True Messiah. Remember, both of the witnesses are Jewish. Oh, that’s marvelous! All these to marvelous witnesses talk about is the wonderful Messiah, Jesus, the son of the living God. Antichrist is getting more infuriated all the time, but he can’t kill them because God has given them the power that when they come too close fire comes from their mouth. Then it is that God will permit that they be killed. 

So great will be the rejoicing at their death, or remember, not only will they be witnesses of the True Messiah, but manifested in Elijah is the power to put a special drought upon the earth. No water will fall for three and a half years. It is exactly the same length of time as the heavens were shut up before at the time of Ahab. Not a drop of rain will fall, for we have that Scripture in the little Book of Joel. That is the reason the cattle, the sheep, the herds will be in want of water. The grass will be dried up. It will be the greatest famine the world has ever known. The plagues? Oh, the plagues that will come upon men and women during the time that Moses will be prophesying. That is the reason these men will be hated by Antichrist and his forces. They will be the most hated men that ever lived. And yet, they cannot be destroyed. That is the reason there will be this terrific rejoicing when finally they will be killed. That is the reason the Antichrist will not allow their bodies to be removed from off of the street. And by means of Telstar, by means of television, every person, every tribe, every nation around the world will be able to view their bodies lying on the street of Jerusalem for three and a half days.

Here’s the Word. Revelation 11:11:

“And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood up on their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.”

Revelation 11:11

That is going to be a thriller!! While you were sitting there looking at your television, while through means of telstar, there will be such rejoicing. So hilarious will the people be the world over, “they shall send gifts one to another,” the Bible says. The earth shall rejoice over their death and make marry. I can just visualize this. They are just having the time of their lives, when suddenly – while they are looking at these two men – they stand their feet. I don’t think they get up on their feet like some of us do in the morning. But quickly, they stand up on their feet; “and great fear fell upon them which saw them.” 

Verse 12:

“And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.”

Revelation 11:12

I believe that it all happened so quickly. Everyone was so shocked; not one came near; no one ever touched them. It all happened that quickly. Even those so near never touched them. They never laid a hand on them. That is where I left you last week.

Verse 13:

“And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.”

Revelation 11:13

Verse 14:

“The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.”

Revelation 11:14

Now we come to the seventh trumpet. You will remember that two or three weeks ago I gave you, in order, the seven trumpets. In the Word of God, the seventh trumpet came a little later, but at that time I gave you each one of the trumpets, all seven trumpets, and that which happened after the sounding of each one of the trumpets. Therefore, you already have, in your notes, the seventh trumpet.

Verse 15:

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall rain for ever and ever.”

Revelation 11:15

Watch this now. I pray that everyone of you here tonight will have heard that message that I brought on that little book that is given over here in the 10th chapter. Review your notes regarding the little book that was spoken of in the 10th chapter. Remember that little book? Right in all of the plagues, and the hail and the blood, the earthquakes, the woes, the suffering, all the tragedy upon the earth, suddenly John saw, in his vision, this little book. He didn’t recognize Jesus. He said he saw “another mighty angel,” which is Jesus, of course, with a rainbow upon His head; and He had this little book. It was not the book that Daniel was told to write. It was not the book sealed with 7 seals. It was not the book that John saw in his vision about to be opened and no one was worthy to open it, until the Lamb that had been slain stood up and opened it. It was not that book. That little book that John saw in the hand of Jesus, and that he saw Jesus open, was the TITLE DEED TO THIS EARTH. 

Let me just refresh your memory. A lot of things that we have in our minds are nothing more or less than tradition. I’d like to take you and shake out everything that isn’t truth, and start over again with the truth. That would be marvelous! No preacher can give more to his congregation than he has himself. If he is not sure of a definite experience or that there is such an experience that is definite, how in the world can he preach salvation to his people.

No, there was a time, when you study the Bible, literally that Lucifer once ruled on this planet that we called the earth. It was his. God, remember, was the Creator not only of the angels, not only of Lucifer; but God was the Creator of this planet, and not only this planet but all planets everywhere. Lucifer was isH by right of Creation. This planet was God’s by right of Creation. There are other planets; our scientists are right. I can prove to you that Michael is ruling and raining on another planet and Gabriel is ruling and reigning on another planet. How many planets there are, I do not know. We are only concerned about this one. Evidently when God put Lucifer here to rule and reign over millions of angels, there was an agreement and He gave the earth to Lucifer. What it was I cannot tell you, but Lucifer has been holding the title deed to this earth. He held the title deed not as Creator, for God is the Creator. Whether as a gift, I do not know, but he held the title.

That is the reason when he offered Jesus ownership, he showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and he told Jesus if He would bow down and worship him, he would give Him that title. Neither one took issue. They both knew that Lucifer held the title to it, and he has held the title.

I was thinking today, that is hard to understand. I have never been able to understand why, when Lucifer fell and one-third of the angels fell with him, I do not know why He took from them their bodies, leaving them as disembodied spirits, and why He did not take from them their power. He has never taken from fallen angels their power. When Lucifer fell, I think what I would have done would have been to take this planet away from the old boy. God did not. All this time Lucifer has still held the title. He still has it today. That is the reason that you read the Bible, over and over again, he is called the “prince of the power of the air” and the “prince of this world.” II Corinthians 4:4 he is called “the god of this world.” He has dominion; he has authority; he has power; he has his own army. And the thing is organized, believe me.

He still holds the title deed. That is why beloved, when Jesus died on the cross, we say He paid the price in full. He paid the price in full so far as man’s redemption was concerned. He died for your sins and my sins. THE BLOOD MAKETH AN ATONEMENT FOR THE SOUL. No price was paid for anything materially in the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ. ATONEMENT WAS MADE FOR THE SOUL. There was no bargaining in the giving of the life of the Son of the Living God on the cross for anything material, or anything that had to do with this world. I think in the mind of God it was very secondary.

When Jesus died, He offered Himself, through the Holy Ghost, to God the Father to be given for the atonement for our sins and not to regain the title deed to this earth. Both knew when they came face to face in that conversation that the devil held the title deed and could have turned it over if Jesus would have accepted his proposition. He did not do it. What happened, I cannot tell you. I do not know. I have always felt that something happens. They will both know; both God and the devil will know the very split second, the very minute it happens. And something will happen during those seven years of tribulation. There will be something that will take place; it will be as definite as a man signing his name to a deed and turning it over and making it the property of another. Something will happen, for this which John saw, as recorded in the 10th chapter of the Book of the Revelation, was Jesus Christ holding the title deed to the earth in His hand.

“He had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea” – absolute, complete authority, “and his left foot on the earth” – complete ruler. Once and for all, with His right foot upon the sea in his left foot on the earth, holding the title deed for the first time, He looks up and says: Father, we have it. For the very first time since You gave it to the one You created and then whom You placed confidence to rule and reign over millions of angels, for the very first time we again hold the title deed to this planet, to the earth, that one day we will renovate by fire. We will restore it again to its original setting, more beautiful than ever; as it was in Genesis 1:1.

One day the city of the new Jerusalem will come down, but the city of the new Jerusalem could not have come down, and Jesus could never have restored this planet to its original beauty, until after He knew that He held in His right hand the TITLE DEED to the whole thing – lock, stock and barrel; for it would have been like you or me building a beautiful home on another person’s property. He gets the title deed – lock, stock and barrel; absolute authority. Jesus Christ does not come back to rule and rain upon this earth with that rod of iron, until after He gets a clear title to this earth. HALLELUJAH!!!

Follow me now, if you will, to see how precious this is. I have given you the 10th chapter. You may wonder why I took the time to do that. Because, beloved, in the 11th chapter that 15th verse refers to exactly the same thing that we were talking about in the 10th chapter.

Revelation 11:15:

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD ARE BECOME THE KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD, AND OF HIS CHRIST; AND HE SHALL REIGN FOR EVER AND EVER.”

Revelation 11:15

Oh, the rejoicing! “… and there were great voices in heaven.” Do you want to know something? Those voices will be OUR voices, because we will be there. The Church will be there, and the saints of all ages will be there. If you want to see how closely knit together this all is – weather we will see, I do not know, but at the very same time, we will know that the whole thing has been bought and paid for; it has been purchased; that Jesus and God the Father now again hold the title to this down here, which He must have before He comes back to rule and reign. He has to have it before the city of the new Jerusalem comes down. This is what the saints are saying: “THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD ARE BECOME THE KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD, AND OF HIS CHRIST; AND HE SHALL REIGN FOR EVER AND EVER.” Those are the voices of the saints thankfully observing the Lord’s actual possession. The Lord has asserted His rights and His power and so turned the title into possession. Just that one little verse referring to the same thing as in the 10th chapter of the Revelation.

Verse 16:

“And the four and 20 elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshiped God.” 

Revelation 11:16

Oh, they are thrilled! They are so happy. No preparation can be made for our eternal heaven. The place that we call heaven where our loved ones are, the place where Mama and Papa and Eve are, is only temporary. There has to be a temporary place before all the possession can take place down here. God does have possession right after He gets a clear title to everything. That is the reason they are working now on the city of the new Jerusalem. “I go to prepare a place for you… ” He is working now on the city of the new Jerusalem, but He is not going to put it on somebody else’s property. It could not have come down until He owns the thing Himself.

Verse 17:

“Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.”

Revelation 11:17

Oh, You are long-suffering. You know, God deals with men like that. He will let them go on. Haven’t you seen God just let some people go on and on and you say to yourself – I don’t know why God lets them get by with that. I wonder why God permitted the enemy to be the prince of this earth so long. Why did God allow Satan to be the god of this world, the prince of the power of the air? Why didn’t He get the title deed from him a long time ago? If it had been me, I would have done it right away. He knows just the time. He waited. Oh, it didn’t come easy.

Verse 18;

“And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is coming, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou should give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the Saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.”

Revelation 11:18

“And the nations were angry…” I’ll say they were! Oh, the devil was so mad, Antichrist was so mad. All this time, he had held the title deed. That is the thing he held over the head of God. ‘It’s mine. I got it.’

Now watch that 19th verse. I am wondering whether that 19th verse should be right there, or whether in the chapter marking should have come after the 18th first. We are coming now into something that is very, very controversial. I cannot tell you of a truth that I have Scripture to substantiate this 19th verse. I have never heard anyone in my life ever try to explain it. I give it to you as it has been given to me under the anointing. You do not have to accept it.

Verse 19:

“And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” 

Revelation 11:19

“And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament…” This follows the scene with Jesus holding the title deed to the earth. Now, there is a KEY to this. “… the ark of God’s testament.” There is your key. Now, when you read the Old Testament, and when you know the Word of God, this is the same thing found in the Old Testament exactly. This was in the Holy of Holies, and in this ark the tables of the law were kept. The ark of God’s testament was in the Holy of Holies. There was actually, literally in the Holy of Holies the place that was called the ark of God‘s testament, and in this ark, the tables of the law were kept. Until this moment, the Scriptures were locked up from the Jewish people. Their eyes were closed as to who the True Messiah really was. They believed lies. Their eyes of understanding had not been opened; their minds were darkened to the Truth. Up until now, the Scriptures were locked up and now they are opened.

I believe the temple of God was not only opened in heaven, but the real temple of God was open right down here when the Jews, instead of following the synagogue, looking into the future for the True Messiah to come, their eyes of understanding were opened and they saw the truth, that which had been kept from them. They have been living in darkness, lo, these many years, but suddenly the ark of God’s testament was opened to them.

It is a marvelous miracle when a Jew is converted and accepts Christ as the True Messiah. They are taught to hate Him. Jesus Christ is a bad word. In a Jewish Orthodox household, you don’t mention the word Jesus Christ. He is an impostor. It is the hardest thing in the world to get a real honest-to-goodness Orthodox Jew converted. Why? It is as though their minds are closed to the things that are locked up in this ark of God’s testament.

As I told you before, the tribulation is the time of the Jews. It is their day. It is when God keeps His earthly covenants with them. It is the day when they will receive their light. Their temple now, or the very first time, will not be opened only to God Almighty, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but for the first time the temple of God will be opened by the Jewish people to the True Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. This temple isn’t in heaven. The opening of the temple comes from heaven all right, for the temple of God was open in heaven, but the temple is here on earth. 

Now we go into the 12th chapter. I shall give you only a part of it. This is a matter of controversy. I stand alone in giving you my interpretation of this. I do not think that there is a single Bible student anywhere who will agree with me. I still say the Bible fits together perfectly. If you have to push and pull, then your theology isn’t right. This woman has been a terrific controversy. There has never been an agreement as to who this woman really is. Watch.

Revelation 12:1 and 2:

“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.”

Revelation 12:1-2

Let’s go a bit further. Go down to verses 5 and 6:

“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”

Revelation 12:5-6

Now, who is this woman? Who is she? Somebody says: she is the Virgin Mary. Many a Bible student will tell you that this woman represents the Virgin Mary, the mother of the Messiah; that as having child, she represents the people of God in both the Old and the New Testaments. She couldn’t be the Virgin Mary. It is absolutely impossible for her to be the Virgin Mary. Somebody says: All right, then, it is the Church. I would say that nine-tenths of the Bible students will say that this great wonder in heaven, this woman clothed with the sun, was the Church. Let’s be reasonable. The Church, in the Word of God, is always spoken of as a virgin. This woman is with child. I’ll challenge any Bible student speaks of the Church as a virgin. It can neither be Mary nor the Church. It is impossible!

Do you want to know who this woman really is? I will give you the proof. Genesis 37:9. It is the key. We have only to be reminded of Joseph’s dream as recorded there in the 37th chapter of Genesis, the 9th verse. The same words exactly; Joseph’s dream of the sun, and the moon, and the 11 stars. Remember, Joseph was the twelfth star. As you read this portion of the Word of God, you will find that the sun-clothed woman with the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars, is Jewish in character. Therefore, THIS WOMAN IS ISRAEL. This woman is described as being with child, travailing to be delivered. And as a result of her travail, she brought forth what kind of a child? A little child? A babe in arms? A baby in a manger? She waited so long, the child got to be a man-child, not an infant. Had she known it, had she accepted Him away back there when the wise men followed that star and found Him in the manger, the Scripture never would have referred to Him as a man-child. It would have been a babe in a manger. 

But during the great tribulation with the marvelous Ark of the New Testament is opened and their eyes behold Him, He is the One who has been ruling as the Great High Priest; He has been ruling at the right hand of God the Father. The little babe in the manger is now the Mighty One seated at the right hand of God the Father in position of Great High Priest. He is a man-child now but, even as a man-child, He is still their great Messiah. They only missed it by a matter of thousands of years. Here, therefore, the temple of God was opened in heaven and there was seen in this temple the ark of the testament. From there, we see that they are now beginning to get spiritual light; they are now beginning to have their eyes opened. But they missed it. The One whom they refused was, in reality, the True Messiah.

Israel is this woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet. Joseph was the twelfth star. It is all Jewish in character. Ask any Jew, they will tell you this is their sign. Oh, to me, this is marvelous. Right there is the key. That is the reason, you know, He doesn’t reveal this to that someone who has no spiritual insight. He doesn’t cast His pearls before swine. It is revealed to those really want to know.

“And she (Israel) being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.” Oh, the suffering that Israel will go through for the birth of this man-child. Don’t you understand? I told you over and over again that the Jews are an earthly people; all of the covenants and all of the promises are earthly. Their judgments, therefore, will be earthly. They are scattered to the four corners of the earth, going through the winepress. All the persecution is as a judgment from God for the rejection of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son. Now they are travailing. They have gone through not only the nine months of pregnancy, but finally, in the great tribulation, they are now coming to the place where they, as a nation, will give birth to this man-child. And the suffering is terrific, for out of the great tribulation is born the knowledge that Jesus Christ – the One they have rejected all of these years – is the True Messiah. Oh, this is marvelous!

Verse 5:

“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.” 

Revelation 12:5

First, what does she do? “She brought forth a man-child.” That is the reason it is always referred to as a man-child. “… who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.” He is coming and for 1000 years He will rule and reign upon this earth, but He will not rule and raign for the thousand years upon this earth, and rule with this rod of iron, until Israel will have brought forth a man-child; and the Jews, as a whole, will have accepted that man-child as the True Messiah. He could not come to rule and rain, until He also held the title deed to the earth over which He will rule those 1000 years.

“…and her child was caught up unto God, …” He adds this just in case somebody would still have some doubt. He is describing who the man-child was. He was once standing and as they beheld Him, He was caught up from their site – the Ascension of Jesus. “… and to his throne.” Where He is this very moment, in position of great High Priest, seated at the right hand of God the Father.

This same man-child, to us He is the great Redeemer; to us He is the great High Priest. He is not their Redeemer, He is not their High Priest, because they still have to accept Him as the Son of the living God. They did not accept Him as a babe in a manger; they did not accept Him when the wise man saw Him. Now they have to accept Him as a child, the child born of the Virgin Mary.

Verse 6:

“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” 

Revelation 12:6

She does not flee with the child. Jesus ascended into heaven. She does not flee for the child’s protection. She flees for her own protection. She flees into the wilderness because, you see, after the Jewish people, as a whole, accept the man-child as the True Messiah, their persecution will be terrific. It is then that the devil – Antichrist – will try to slaughter them by tens of thousands and thousands. Then, following this, we have the Battle of the Armageddon.

Isn’t it simple? Sure, that is Israel; that is one of the great wonders. During the last three and a half years of the great tribulation, Israel accepts Christ as the Messiah, not as a baby in a manger, but as a man-child.

In the light of all this, when you understand the deep spiritual things and what is going to happen in the future, the things of this earth fade into insignificance; they become mighty trivial. No, you and I are not living for just that. We are living for that day when we shall be with Him. Our eyes are up; our eyes are on Him.

PRAISE THE LORD!!!