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The God who commands the praise of all heaven

"The second woe is past: and behold the third cometh very quickly. 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 forever and ever.   And the four and twenty elders which sat before God on their seats (thrones RV), fell upon their faces and worshipped God 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.   And the nations were angry, and Thy wrath hast come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that Thou shoudest 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 11v14-18

The pronouncement by the angel is that "the third woe cometh quickly."   How quickly it comes is such that no one will be able to pause for breath, as we shall see.   The pathway from here to the coming of Christ is only a few days away; but first He will introduce us to the trinity of evil in chapters 12&13 and to the apostate church in chapter 17&18, before describing the fall of everyone of them under the uncompromising wrath of God in the vials of wrath in chapters 15&16 which will rapidly fall upon the earth.  

Our eyes are now turned heavenward.   The seventh angel sounded and what we hear are great voices in heaven.   The triumphant cry comes at last "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ."   What Jesus refused from Satan in the desert in Matthew 4 and Luke 4 (because it was offered as a temptation to avoid the cross); He now receives from God as of right (having been to the cross) and all heaven rejoices!   What has been predicted from Genesis chapter 1 all the way through to Revelation chapter 22 are now a glorious reality.   The new world order has begun.   The predictions of scripture like Psalm 22v25; Psalm 72v8-19; Psalm 110; Psalm 145v13; Psalm 146v10; Isaiah 9v6-7; Isaiah 32v1; Isaiah 42v4; Isaiah 52v13; Daniel 2v44; Daniel 7v27; Matthew 6v10; Luke 1v32-33; etc. etc. .are about to take place: also all the promises to His people Israel and to the church; also all angels fully enlightened as to the wisdom of God.   No more the fall and its consequences, no more the devil, no more the sin, no more failure, no more suffering, the sounding of the seventh trumpet proclaims the visible manifestation of the day of Jesus Christ.  

The church in heaven responds.  Human beings who have been saved and glorified and exalted and enthroned burst out in praise as God brings to pass all that the angels and the faithful have been expecting for many years.  They fell on their faces, what else could they do? when faced with the wonder and the majesty of God!   The title they give to Him reflects His eternal character, His all powerful character, and also, by implications, His gracious character, because he has demonstrated unbelievable longsuffering with the sons of men to bring the plans to completion.

Verse 18 is very interesting, as it describes the whole programme.  The folly of men "the nations were angry;" their anger against God was nothing compared to His anger against them.   By this programme the dead will be judged; rewards will be given to God's servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear His name small and great.   Almighty God will destroy those who have destroyed the earth.   The programme set out in verse 18 spans over one thousand years yet the language is very much in the past tense as if it has already happened.  

We should all be in awe of the God who rules the world and all things in it, and who decides the destiny of us all.   No wonder scripture repeats time and time again, not only in words but also in ideas that  "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." The hymn by Anne R Cousin (1857) seems fitting:

The sands of time are sinking,

The dawn of Heaven breaks;

The summer morn I’ve sighed for—

The fair, sweet morn awakes:

Dark, dark hath been the midnight,

But dayspring is at hand,

And glory, glory dwelleth

In Immanuel’s land.

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The God who condemns the ungodly

"And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell on the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry,, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth.

And after three days and a half the spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood upon their feet: and great fear fell upon them that saw them.   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.   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 11v9-13

We consider this very interesting but solemn portion of God's word under three headings:

• World rejection of the testimony of God.   We have already seen in Revelation that the word "earth dwellers" refers to those who have no time or regard for God.   Their consequent depravity reaches a very low level in this story.   They rejoice over their death; they make merry, and send gifts to one another.   They throw a party, they create another Christmas in exchanging gifts because these two witnesses are dead.   The witnesses testified to them of the truth of God; their interpretation of it was that they tormented them.   When someone telling the truth becomes a torment, human depravity knows no depth.   They set them out in public, openly, for all to see, they involved the entire world in this depraved spectacle "peoples and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies."   No doubt this is through mass TV media communication.   They left them for three and a half days, because it is a known fact that after this time the bodies begin to decompose, no matter how much they are embalmed.   They paraded them in public long enough to avoid the stench of death.   Here we have a global mocking of the servants of God.   Instead of lying in state, as they should have been, for their proclamation of the truth, they become the object of the world's scorn and an occasion for mocking and drunkenness and indulgence.   This is the attitude of the world to God's servants.
• Divine ratification of their testimony.   After three and a half days the spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood up in view of the whole world.   Here God demonstrates His mighty power to the watching world by raising these men from the dead as they watched.   Never in the course of human history did TV viewing figures reach such a level!   Suddenly the watching world, who were partying and rejoicing, were filled with fear, and as they watched they heard a great voice from heaven saying  "come up hither."   So not only is there a public resurrection there is a public ascension to heaven and it says "their enemies beheld them."
• Divine retribution on the enemies of God.   The same hour (that is the same hour when the two witnesses were caught up to heaven), there came a great earthquake and one tenth part of the city fell.   Jerusalem, the city of God, had become spiritually Sodom & Egypt (a place of uncontrolled lust and a place of rank idolatry); but Jerusalem is also the place where our Lord was crucified (verse 8) and God will now bring to fruition the fruits of Calvary.   Seven thousand people died in the earthquake and those remaining were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.   Every time in scripture we read of the phrase "the God of heaven" it refers to a time when God has rejected earth.   The phrase "giving glory to God" does not automatically mean conversion, but, at least, instead of mocking God and His servants they could not deny the visible display of supernatural power before their very eyes.  

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The God who empowers His witnesses.....continued

"And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth from their mouth, and devoureth their enemies and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophesy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them and kill them".                                                 Revelation. 11v5-7.

• God's witnesses were untouchable; they had to be. The nature of the days of their prophesy will be such that men will desire to hurt them. This fact is stated twice over lest we be in any doubt. The picture is very strange of two men with "fire coming from their mouths" to "devour their enemies", but I think we must take it as literal. This is confirmed by the phrase "if any desire to hurt them they must in this manner be killed."
• They possessed divine authority; these men became symbols of fear to the entire world.   Their power was supernatural.   The examples used reflect back to the days of Elijah and the days of Moses; power to with hold the rain for the entire period of their prophecy (reminiscent of Elijah); power to turn waters to blood and to smite the earth with plagues as often as they will  will (reminiscent of Moses in Egypt).   This is why some take them to be a re-incarnation of Elijah & Moses, the two witnesses of old who confronted the powers of evil in their day.   Certainly these men will be of a similar spirit to Moses & Elijah, if not actually them.   There is a phrase in Luke 1v17 which says concerning John the Baptist  "He shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people for the Lord."   John the Baptist denied that he was Elijah but the holy Spirit records that he came in the spirit and power of Elijah.   Therefore God can raise up men of like spirit in whatever age, for whatever task He chooses.    We have seen that they are untouchable in their defence, we now see that they are powerful in their attack.
• Their purpose on earth is their testimony; they are not here to terrify, but they are here to testify to the living power of God.   It is noted here that they will "finish their testimony."   It is left to our imagination how they went about their testimony but certainly it would involve the preaching of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ as per chapter 1v2 and chapter 1v9 and chapter 22v18-19.   Let us take account of the wonder of this, that it was decreed they would prophecy 1260 days and it is recorded in verse 7 they shall finish their testimony.    There is a well known cliché "immortal until their work is done," and here is an example of that.   Jesus said in John 17v4 "I have finished the work which thou gavest Me to do."   The apostle Paul likewise, who said "I have fought a good fight,  I have finished my course, I have kept the faith"- 2nd Timothy 4v7.   These two witnesses for three and a half years in the darkest and most dangerous period of human history will faithfully testify for their God and will finish the work..
• These men will be martyred; only when God removes His restraining hand, will they become vulnerable, and not to any normal man.   Satan will be allowed to conjure someone from the abyss who will make war against them and kill them.   The purpose no doubt is to inspire the world to reject the testimony of God by overpowering these men in the sight of all.   The end result will be quite different to that expected.   There is little point in conjecturing who is the beast that will overcome them, simply, that it is a case of Satan having his way for a few days.

Let us remember that we are called to be witnesses in our day.

END OF TIME PROPHECIES 131

The God who commissions and empowers His servants

"And I will give power unto my two witnesses and they shall prophecy a thousand two hundred and three score days, clothed in sackcloth.   These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth."   And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.   These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will."                                                                                            Revelation 11v3-6

There has been much speculation as to the identity of these two witnesses for God in the last days.   Some say that they are a re-incarnation of Moses and Elijah, some that they are Enoch and Elijah, but God has chosen not to reveal their identity and speculation is futile.   We miss much teaching if we focus on what may be called "the curiosity factor" in prophecy, instead of taking the deep lessons that are here for all of us in the present day.   It is largely irrelevant who these man are, they are simply stated as "My two witnesses."   Notice the recurrence of the word "give" which appeared in verses 1&2; here He says  " I will give power unto my two witnesses."   There is much more spiritual teaching in the understanding that God can raise up anyone whom He choses and empower them for the task ahead.

God will never leave Himself without witnesses on earth, even in what will prove to be the darkest days in all human history.   There are important principles enshrined in these verses as follows:

• There are two witnesses.   There is a principle established in scripture in Deuteronomy 17v6 and in 2nd Corinthians 13v1 that, "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established."   God places on earth these two witnesses during this period to establish His word.   In Mark 6v7, when Jesus would send forth the twelve disciples it says "He called unto them the twelve and began to send them forth by two and two."    There are many such examples in scripture such as Elijah & Elisha, Moses & Aaron, Isaiah and Hosea, Paul & Barnabas, Peter & John who have proclaimed God's word.
• They shall prophesy 1260 days.   The word "prophecy" in scripture has a two-fold meaning depending on the context.   In some cases it means to foretell, predict future events; in other cases it means to forth tell, that is to proclaim God's word.   These are to prophesy for 1260 days, that is the first half of the seven years of the last days.   It is interesting that the programme for God's servants is measured in days rather than, as in other places, months and years.   This is a reminder to all God's servants what Moses said just before he died "As thy days so shall thy strength be"-(Deuteronomy 33v25).   The same Moses who served God for many years had himself learned this great lesson that in the service of the Lord we must take one day at a time.  In Psalm 90, attributed to him, he writes "So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."   God measures our service in days and it is a reminder of the need to be in daily contact with Him.   The very nature of service for God will bring rejection, opposition and apathy; we need strength for every day.  
• They were clothed in sackcloth.   This form of clothing in Old Testament narrative always represented conditions of mourning and the need for repentance in the people to whom the message was sent.   The Old Testament record is that kings and priests and prophets wore garments commensurate with the message they would bring.   There was to be no ostentation in the service of God.   A prime example was John the Baptist of whom it is recorded "he had his raiment  of camel's hair and a leather girdle about his loins."    His message was simple "repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."   These witnesses in the last days in contra distinction to the pomp and splendour of worldly religion (Revelation 17v4 "the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls), they were clothed in the garments of mourning because of conditions on earth. 
• They stood before the God of the earth.     The picture here is of the constant readiness for service.   This picture is taken from the prophecy of Zechariah 4.   Back then it was dark days with the nation of Israel under God's discipline.  Here in Revelation 11 there are no darker days than here.   We notice by these two records of God's word, that no matter how dark the days God will always have His witnesses.   The picture is of two olive trees (the constant source of olive oil), and the two candlesticks (the constant illumination of all around); in every era, even at the end, the light of God will shine.   Notice also the posture of the two witnesses, "standing before the God of the earth."   This is to be the posture of all God's servants; totally committed, always ready to do God's bidding wherever and whenever He may send them.   The apostle Paul caught the spirit of this when he wrote "He shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master's use and prepared unto every good. work."  2nd Timothy 2v21.     Peter said the same in 1st Peter 3v15  "Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you."  God's servants must stand at the ready to do His bidding.

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The God who controls earths events

"And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood saying, rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out and measure it not: for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread underfoot forty and two months."         Revelation 11v1-2.

Something to be measured, something not to be measured   This is the story of these opening two verses.   Before we consider the meaning of this we take note of a phrase which is repeated throughout the book "was given " or "is given."   We have already pointed this out earlier, but it is worth repeating, because it is a fact all over the bible and particularly this last book of the bible, that God controls all events and all people on earth.   He restrains and constrains, whether man or angel or demon to move all towards His eternal purposes.   This is not to say He is in everything or that He initiates everything but He controls everything.   When men take to themselves the glory for any achievement they go astray forgetting that everything is given of God-(John 3v27) "In Him we live and move and have our being".

In verse 1 John was given a reed to measure the temple.   These reeds were used in construction for measurement and would ensure accuracy in the building.   What are we to understand by God measuring the temple?   It is clear that this temple will exist in apostasy (i.e. departure from God) but because God has plans for His earthly people in the future, this measurement of the temple is an indication that God will fulfill those plans.   Everything that God does is measured.   Nothing is left to chance, the design of the tabernacle and the temple was all of God; the measurements, the materials and the contents.   By this act God is acknowledging His people as His possession but the temple and all associated with it must measure up to His standards.   The word for temple is the "inner temple;" this is the sanctuary, the very dwelling place of God.   God is a God of perfection and everything must be in its place and perfectly measured if God will dwell amongst His people.

It is interesting that the same word for "the temple" is used to describe God's people in the present day.  

• In 1st Corinthians 6v19   -  physical bodies of believers are described as "the inner temple" of the Holy Ghost.  
• 1st Corinthians 3v17  -  the local church of believers is described as "the inner temple" of God."
• Ephesians 2v21  -  the universal church (that is the aggregate of all believers living on earth at any one time) are described  as "a building fitly framed together and growing unto an holy inner temple in the Lord."

For such a privilege to exist, practically, there are conditions required and God measures the standards of His people from time to time.   He will correct and discipline as necessary.   John is to measure the inner sanctuary, the altar, and the worshippers.   The word for measure is "metreo" which means to measure space or time or the value of something.   All associated with Him in worship must be up to the standard required.   Although the Jewish temple of the future will begin in departure from God the whole idea of measurement is that He intends to make things right.

As much as he will measure the temple He will not measure the outer court.   At this time Jerusalem, including the temple precincts, are occupied by the Gentiles.   This occupation is hostile as we understand from the words "tread underfoot the holy city."   This is not to say there is no salvation for Gentiles in a future day; it is to say that those Gentiles who are hostile to Israel and who reject the things of God, they will not be measured because God has no plans for them.   Religion which is hostile to God's plans and which rejects His Son as the Messiah has no place in the worship of God.   The word in verse 2, to "leave out", means to "cast out"; like Adam was from Eden and Cain was from the presence of the Lord so all man-made religion will be cast out having no place in God's future plans.   The Gentiles who will tread the holy city for forty two months (note the limited time period) are in league with the anti-Christ and therefore are anti-God. However God will "give" to the Gentiles to occupy Jerusalem for a time. Is it possible the two things are connected? The hostile presence of ungodly foreigners for three and a half years, and the ultimate restoration of Israel!

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Revelation 11v1-18.

These verses complete the section which commenced at chapter 8v1, at the opening of the seventh seal.   As with all of these major sections in the Revelation, they begin with an initiative from heaven (something is opened in heaven) and ends with the acclaim of heaven for all that God has done.  As we stated in chapter 10, this is the beginning of the end.  The time periods of forty two months (verse 2) and one thousand two hundred and sixty days (verse 3) make that clear.   This same time period occurs in chapter 12v14, where it is described  "a time, times, and half a time".    The same period is stated in chapter 12v6 and again in chapter 13v5.    All of these agree with the prophecy of Daniel in chapter 7v25 and chapter 12v7.   This time period is exactly three and a half years, which is exactly half the period of what is known as "Daniel's seventieth week."   In Daniel 9v27 it says "He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease."   This phrase  "the midst of the week begins the three and a half year period that are described in these latter chapters of Revelation.  

The overriding theme of the chapter, as with the whole of the bible, is the revelation of God.   In reading all parts of the bible we are learning more and more about God and His character and His ways.   There may be many things as we read that we do not understand, but if we can grasp what each chapter is teaching us about God, then we have found the key to biblical interpretation.   Revelation chapter 11, from this point of view divides roughly into four sections.

• God controlling all events on earth verses 1-2.
• God commissioning His two witnesses verses 3-8.
• God condemning the ungodly behaviour of earth dwellers verses 9-13
• God commanding the praise of all heaven verses 14-18.

This is God's world, it is all about Him, and those who follow Him are blest.   The difficulties of the chapter are largely removed when we take the literal approach as far as possible; also allowing scripture usage of the symbols to explain the rest.   We must ever bear in mind that these are last day conditions and the supernatural is very much in operation.   Therefore I view the temple spoken of here as literal, the holy city as the earthly Jerusalem,  the time periods of forty two months, twelve hundred and sixty days, and three and a half days to be literal; the two witnesses to be two actual people whom God will raise up in the last days; the abyss to be the place of incarceration of certain fallen angels; the earthquake to be literal; and the seven thousand dead to be actual casualties.   It is this understanding which makes the events so much more graphic and removes the endless speculation and uncontrolled imagination which can only lead to doubt and lack of confidence amongst God's people.  

There are those who object to the temple in verse 1 being considered as literal.   Their argument is that the book of Revelation was published between 85 & 90AD, whereas the temple was destroyed in 70AD and has never been rebuilt.   The fact that on the holy site of the temple today there exists the dome of the rock, which is one of the sacred sites of Islam, magnifies the problem; so the question is, how are Israel going to build another temple on this site (for the Jews will never build a temple on any other site).      The ultimate answer is, of course, God, who can engineer any circumstances.   There is evidence that in a future day the world power will make a covenant with Israel (Daniel 9v27) and this may be one of the conditions of the covenant.   I think it is best to view this temple as a new temple that will be built on the holy site in the first period of Daniel's seventieth week.   This temple of course will be an apostate temple since the Jews at this time in the main have still rejected Christ.   It is interesting that in the very last verse of the chapter we are given the vision of the true temple of God in heaven.   The lesson is abundantly clear that no matter the failures on earth God will establish His kingdom and will set up His dwelling place with men on the earth.  This new temple will not be the final one for according to Ezekiel chapters 40-48 another one of huge dimensions will be built.  

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The little book

"And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again and said, go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.   And I went unto the angel and said unto him, give me the little book.   And he said unto me, take it and eat it up and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.   And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.  And he said unto me thou must prophesy again before many peoples and nations and tongues and kings."
                                                                                                                   Revelation 10v8-11

The voice from heaven was the voice of Jesus Christ, the same voice as in verse 4, which prevented him from writing the details of the seven thunders.   The instructions in this little book (scroll) are unknown to us, but they are very important.   It is possible it was all about the seven vials of wrath that remained to be poured out upon the earth (as detailed in chapter 15-16).   In any case the book was open and so the seal had been broken and contains a very important divine communication.   There is much we can learn from these verses, because we also have been given a revelation from God in the form of the bible (Genesis through Revelation) and the principles applied here are the same as we should apply today.  

• Verse 8 he is asked to take the book from the hand of the angel.   Thus the angel who received it from the Lord is passing the responsibility to John the apostle.   It is remarkable that God places divine revelation in the hands of man, instead of angels.   Those who have received the blessing of salvation, with all its responsibilities are entrusted with the divine treasures.   The apostle Paul understood the weight of this when he wrote to Timothy in chapter 1v11 "the gospel of the glory of the blessed God which is committed to my trust;"  1st Timothy 6v20  "keep that which is committed to thy trust;" 2nd Timothy 2v2  "the things that thou hast learned of me, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."   Just as John here was entrusted with the little book of Revelation, whatever its contents, so we today have a priceless treasure in our hands, that brings with it a great responsibility.
• Next he was told to eat it up.   This is of course spiritual because God's revelation is to become the spiritual food of God's people.   In Matthew 4v4 God's words are described as bread, in 1st Peter 2v2, as milk, in 1st Corinthians 3v1-2 they are described as meat (also in Hebrews 5) and in Psalm 119v103 they are described as honey.   Back in the Old Testament prophets in Jeremiah 15v13-17 and Ezekiel 2v8-10 the two prophets are asked to eat the book, same story as here. Those who receive God's word are receiving spiritual food and the same as with natural food if we don't eat it, it will do us no good.  
• Also we have to digest it; the language is clear, in your mouth it will be sweet as honey, in your belly it will be bitter.   God's word is not only to be taken and eaten but to be digested.   Food that we take into our bodies eventually becomes part of our whole bodily system.   Spiritual food that we digest becomes part of our entire souls.   The point however being made here is very real.   It is sweet to the taste it is bitter when digested.   There are many things in God's word which are sweet; sweet promises, sweet blessings, sweet feelings, sweet hopes; but there are also things in God's word which are very bitter and very difficult to digest.   Some of those bitter things may be the divine chastisement on believers, it may be the truth of eternal punishment, it may be the awesome revelations of God's wrath here in the book of the revelation.   The book gives things which are beautiful but it predicts fearful judgment on the unbeliever.   There are many things in this book which are bitter but which are the truth.
• John is asked to prophesy it.   It is often easy to preach about things which are lovely and sweet, but we are also asked to preach those things which are bitter.   Notice the moral necessity placed upon John, and on all of us; "Thou must prophesy again."   Revelation placed in our hand must be told to our fellow man.   Paul said something similar in 1st Corinthians 9v16  "Necessity is laid upon me; yea woe is me if I preach not the gospel."   The same man speaking to the elders at Ephesus said  in Acts 20v27 "I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God."  Things sweet, things bitter, he preached them all and so must we.   The prophet Isaiah in chapter 6 was asked by God to take an unpalatable message to the people of Israel in chapter 6v9  "Go and tell this people, hear ye indeed but understand not....."

At 90 years of age John could not have continued preaching before nations and peoples and tongues and many kings as is commanded him in verse 11.   What it means is that his words transmitted universally by the church through the generations would be as if he was still preaching.   What a blessing that we need not be hindered by age or infirmity or even death.