Revelation Chapter 11: The Two Witnessess and the 7th Trumpet

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).