Chapter 11 is a retracing of the first half of the
Tribulation. Before chapter 10, John was in heaven, but now on earth. This
indicates that John’s vision in chapters 10-15 is a review of things which he had
not seen in his vision so far from different perspectives.
The perspectives
are: chapters 4-9, and 16, heavenly; 10-11, humanly; 12, spiritually; 13, satanically;
14-15, redemptively; 17, religiously and governmentally; 18, economically;
19-22, triumphantly.
John’s measurement of the temple on earth is at the
beginning of the seven-year tribulation. Also, the ministry of the two
witnesses is during seal and first six trumpet judgments, overlapping chapters 6,
7, 8 and 9. The two witnesses have been
commonly identified as Elijah and either Moses or Enoch and will bring
judgments and plagues. The beast (anti-Christ) will kill them, but 3 ½ days
later, they will be resurrected and taken to heaven.
Chapter 11 also ushers in
the seventh trumpet, which is also the third woe, which inaugurates the final
three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation, also called the “Great Tribulation.”
1 Then I was
given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and
measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2 But leave out
the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been
given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for
forty-two months.
Measuring the Temple - John is told, as Ezekiel was in Ezekiel 40-42, to
measure the temple
of God, and also the
altar and the worshippers in it. Measuring the property, like surveys on
properties today, is a prerequisite of ownership. Ezekiel, in a vision of the
future, measured the “millennial” temple; that is, the temple which will be
used during the “thousand year” reign of Christ on earth after the Tribulation.
John, however, measured the temple to be built prior to the seven-year Tribulation.
The measuring of this temple by John shows that it will be approved by God for
the first 42 months. Later, in chapter 21, a golden reed is used to measure the
New Jerusalem. What a joy it must have been for John to see the temple rebuilt
in Jerusalem,
more than 25 years after it had been destroyed in 70 A.D.
Four “Three-and-a-half
Year” References
“42
months”-1) the time given to the Gentiles to tread the holy
city underfoot (Rev. 11:2) is presumably the first half of the Tribulation,
since the temple itself will not be defiled, nor will the sacrifices be
impeded, and since it is linked to the 1260 days in verse 3. 2) The time authority is given to beast who speaks
blasphemies against God, His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in
heaven (Rev. 13:5), presumably the last half of the Tribulation.
“1260
days”-1) the
time given to the witnesses to have power (Rev. 11:3), presumably the first
half of the Tribulation. 2) The
time given to the woman to be fed in the wilderness (Rev. 12:6), presumably the
last half of the Tribulation.
3And I will
give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred
and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4These are the two olive trees
and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if anyone
wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies.
And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have
power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and
they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with
all plagues, as often as they desire. 7 When they
finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will
make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead
bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt,
where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those
from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies
three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who
dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another,
because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 11 Now after the
three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood
on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard
a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to
heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13In the same hour
there was a great earthquake and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake
seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to
the God of heaven.
The olive tree and lampstand imagery were used in
Zechariah 4 in affirming the building of the temple; the lampstand represented
the eyes (i.e., presence) of the Lord, and the olive trees represented those
anointed by God. When the temple was restored in Zerubbabel’s day, the people
knew that the Lord of hosts had done it (Zechariah 4:9). It was “not by might, nor
by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6b). The two
witnesses will also have God’s power and anointing and will emerge with the
emergence of the temple in Jerusalem.
Why Elijah? The Apostle John does not actually get to see the
two witnesses, but rather the angel tells him about them. Why are they thought
to be Elijah and Moses or possibly Elijah and Enoch? Elijah is easily
explained, since Malachi 4:5 says that Elijah will come before the “great and
dreadful day of the Lord.” Jesus also affirmed that “indeed, Elijah is coming
first and will restore all things” (Matthew 17:11, Mark 9:12).
Just as Jesus had two advents or comings, so also does Elijah precede Christ in
both of His appearances.
Why Moses? Just as Elijah prayed for there to be no rain for
3 ½ years and brought down fire to destroy enemies of God, Moses also brought
down plagues and turned water into blood. He also appeared with Elijah on the
mount of Transfiguration. Moses was linked with Elijah as was the phrase, “the
Law and the Prophets.” However arguments against Moses state that it is God who
causes the plagues, and not a person and He could easily use anyone, including
Enoch, to be a witness.
Why Enoch? Those who doubt Moses would be one of the two
witnesses often cite Hebrews 9:27,
“as it is appointed for men to die once…”
with the emphasis that Moses could not die twice and his death is already
recorded. However, it appears that
Lazarus died twice. But also a more compelling of reason in favor of Enoch is
that Enoch never died but was translated directly to heaven (Genesis 5:24, Hebrews 11:5). Enoch was also a prominent figure in end-times prophecy in writings not
ascribed to the canonical Bible (see Jude 14). At any rate, John the Apostle
does not tell us, and likely even he did not know, who these two witnesses
would be, so neither can we know for certainty.
Who is the beast? Earlier we saw the “angel of the bottomless pit” ascend
up out of the abyss. He is Apollyon and Abaddon, the Destroyer, and undoubtedly
Satan. In Revelation 12:3, we see the dragon, who is clearly identified as Satan in Rev.
20:2, as having seven heads and ten horns. Later, in Chapter 13, we will see a
second beast arise out of the sea, also with seven heads and ten horns who will
make war with the saints (13:7). Like Christ, he will have been mortally
wounded, but yet alive. In Revelation 13:11, we see a third beast “coming up out of
the earth.” In these three beasts, we see the “unholy trinity.”
Unholy
Trinity
|
Holy
Trinity
|
First Beast of the abyss Dragon/Satan/devil/serpent of
old
|
Father / Ancient of Days
|
Second Beast of the sea AntiChrist/lawless one
|
The Son / Jesus Christ
|
Third Beast of the earth False Prophet
|
The Holy Spirit Seven Spirits (Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6)
|
So, who is this beast in Rev. 11 that makes war
with the two witnesses and kills them? It is Satan, working through and giving
power to a human being “with all power, signs, and lying wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9) whom we identify as the anti-Christ. Just as Jesus was God incarnate or
God in the flesh, this “man of sin” will literally be Satan incarnate or a man
possessed by the devil himself. So, when the second beast or the anti-Christ is
worshipped, so also is the dragon worshipped.
Daniel foresaw the beast in Revelation 11:7 as “the
prince who is to come” would make a covenant with many for one prophetic “week”
or seven years, but in the middle of the week, he would bring an end to daily
sacrifice and offerings in the temple (Daniel 9:27). The phrase “make war against them” is also
reminiscent of Daniel 7:21 “I beheld, and the same horn made war with the
saints, and prevailed against them.” Paul foresaw that at this point that “the
man of sin” would be revealed as “the son of perdition,” and exalt himself in
the temple as God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).
Why is Jerusalem called spiritually “Sodom and Egypt”?
Notice that Jerusalem becomes a seat of spiritual
wickedness during the Tribulation. Jerusalem
was called the “holy city” in verse 2, but is trampled on by the Gentiles for
42 months and spiritually becomes as wicked as Sodom and Egypt. John identifies it for
certain as Jerusalem
when he says that it is where our Lord was crucified.
14 The second woe
is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly. 15 Then the
seventh angel sounded: and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms
of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He
shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the
twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and
worshiped God, 17
saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord
God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have
taken Your great power and reigned. 18The nations
were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should
be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the
saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those
who destroy the earth.” 19
Then the temple of God
was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And
there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
The third woe is about to come. When the two witnesses ascended up to heaven,
John also returns to heaven for a different perspective of his vision. In the
Greek, the word order in verse 19 is “was opened the temple of God in heaven,”
and stipulates clearly that John was not describing the earthly temple and the
ark which he saw was not the earthly ark of the
covenant, but rather the heavenly ark of His covenant.
In verse 19, for the second of three times, John
records lightnings, noises (or voices, KJV), thunderings, an earthquake, and
hail which increasingly intensify (see also Revelation 8:5-7 at the conclusion of the
seven seals, here at the conclusion of the seven trumpets, and again in
16:18-21, at the conclusion of the seven vial judgments).