The chapter break is abrupt, but John is apparently still somewhat in the vicinity of the angel with the rainbow, although he could be immediately taken away somewhere at the command to prophesy again. Either way, there is a sudden scene change, and the lack of the mention of the angel now seems to indicate it.
Revelation 11:1-2
(1) Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, (2) “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. (3) Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and (4) they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.
- The source of the rod is not given, nor the voice, but John is commanded to follow.
- Like in Ezekiel, John is to measure the temple with a rod.
- Specifically, he is told to not measure the outer courts.
- The trampling seems to indicate that this is the earthly temple. It would not be the heavenly one, since that one is never trampled. As this is also still an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet later in this chapter, one must wonder about the context of this passage. Do the three and a half years (3 * 12 + 6 = 42 months) constitute the entire seige of Jerusalem, thus placing this as a small regress of its own? It would appear to be thus, although it is not for sure.
Revelation 11:3
(1) And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and (2) they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.
- Of these two characters, upon which much speculation has been spent, what we can say for sure is that it is a reference to Zechariah 4.
- Their duration of prophecy is the three and one half years. This is probably the same as the siege of Jerusalem.
Revelation 11:4-5
(1) These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. (2) And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.
- This is again Zechariah 4, the two olive trees. Here, however, there are two lampstands, and no longer just one. The identity of these is of course in question, and for the preterist, short of wild allegorization which falls very short of any reasonable explanation. For me, this is the largest failing, or shortcoming, in my argument. I am not ashamed to say, “I don’t know”, so long as I can add the word “yet”. Certain possibilities, beyond the ridiculously reductive and avoidant, yet remain, however. First and foremost is that these two olive trees represent “prophetic offices” that were established in Zechariah’s day and continued during the existence of the temple. Filled by individuals throughout history, these prophetic offices were God’s guarantee of the building and protection of the temple. Hence, as we read in verse 5 here, this description of fire does not necessarily pertain to their ministry during the three and one half years, but their ministry over the entire span of the 490 years from the temple’s institution. By providing prophetic offices, fulfilled by individuals, the temple was guaranteed to be built and remain, for the oil of the Spirit flowed continually. By the time of this prophecy, there are now two lampstands, the temple and the church, apparently. However, the office of this ministry is to protect the temple by the continual prophetic word issuing forth. The witness at the end of the temple, therefore, would not have to be a believer in Christ, necessarily, although they might be.
- Again, taking them as prophetic offices, this particular phenomenon, while probably metaphorical anyway, speaking of God’s word coming out of their mouth which is like a fire, would be speaking of their role throughout the duration of the temple. This is what they did in Zechariah’s day for its establishment, and what they continued to do until the role of these two offices was completed and their offices were removed, making way for the destruction of the temple. So long as these two witnesses continued to exist, the temple, according to the Word of God they uttered, could not be destroyed. Anyone attempting to do so would be destroyed with the fire of God’s Word.
Revelation 11:6
(1) These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.
Again, I begin this portion admitting my understanding is lacking. If there is one weak point in my argument, this is it. If this is all directly literal, we are quite in trouble, because no two individuals appear to fully fit these descriptions. However, were they in any level metaphorical, we could proceed thus. Therefore, this is my best understanding at these two characters, which I must interpret somewhat as metaphorical due to lack of historical basis on any other merit.
- This is reminiscent of Moses and Elijah. They have the power to shut up the sky, and also to strike the earth with plagues. Again, this would be speaking of their role as prophetic offices, whether they know it or not, in charge of the temple. So long as God has ordained seventy sevens, these two witnesses will not be removed. They are God’s watch, so to speak, over the temple, and God’s promises.
Revelation 11:7
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.
Here is the crux of the problem. Most interpretations of these three see them dying in Jerusalem at the end of 70 AD. This verse has the beast arising kill them. For our interpretation this must refer to Domitian, unless this is only a fore-shadowing at this point. Either this reference to the beast refers only to the beast in general, meaning Rome, and is only referencing the rising beast at this point, or the witnesses die several years after Jerusalem. Either is actually possible. This verse complicates the identity of the two witnesses and bears further study.
Revelation 11:8
(1) And their dead bodies will lie in the street of (2) the great city which (3) mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, (4) where also their Lord was crucified.
- They will die and lie in the street. This verse precludes arguments saying that the two witnesses are the Old and New Testament, and so forth.
- The “great city” here is Jerusalem. There is no need to connect this “great city” to the one in Revelation 17, there just isn’t. “Great city” isn’t that specific of an identifier.
- Jerusalem.
- Clarified here.
Revelation 11:9
Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.
- Again, things like the “Law and the Prophets” don’t seem to be able to lie in the streets for three days with unburied dead bodies. Individuals seem to be in view.
Revelation 11:10
(1) And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because (2) these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
- The people will rejoice and send gifts. Possibly figurative, but it does not appear how.
- The prophetic utterance tormented them, because it testified against them.
Revelation 11:11
(1) But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and (2) great fear fell upon those who were watching them.
- They are resurrected, which seems to indicate they were believers.
- Obviously, this brings fear on those who celebrated.
Revelation 11:12
(1) And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up (2) into heaven in the cloud, and (3) their enemies watched them.
- They are resurrected at a command from heaven.
- Similar to Jesus’ ascension
- Their enemies, the ones who exchanged gifts and those that killed them.
Revelation 11:13
And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
- An Earthquake and seven thousand people dying.
Revelation 11:14
(1) The second woe is past; behold, (2) the third woe is coming quickly.
- This was the second woe, the sixth trumpet.
- The seventh trumpet is said to come right behind it.
Revelation 11:15
(1) Then the seventh angel sounded; and (2) there were loud voices in heaven, saying, (3) “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and (4) He will reign forever and ever.”
- Indeed, the seventh.
- It comes with announcement in heaven.
- There is transference of the Kingdom from the systems of the world wholly to Christ.
- Since heaven and Earth will pass away, this is a spiritual kingdom and reign.
Revelation 11:16-17
(1) And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, (2) fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, (3) because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.
- Jesus is said to begin to reign. Thus, the old system has been absolved, and now, the Kingdom is the only legitimate ruling force in the Earth.
- The act initiates worship.
- Jesus is said to have taken His power and begun to reign.
Revelation 11:18
(1) And the nations were enraged, and (2) Your wrath came, and (3) the time came for the dead to be judged, and (4)the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and (5) to destroy those who destroy the earth.
- The nations – The civilized world.
- This is still yet speaking prophetically forward.
- The time for reigning had come, and so, would come the wrath in a short time. As this is a song sung in the heavens at the commencement of the fall of the temple, this speaks forward to the things that will come as a result of this, and there is no need to assume an immediacy of these events at this time.
- Through the next series of events, foretold in Revelation 12 onward, the rewarding of the prophets and servants would come through the first resurrection, and the second, a thousand years later.
- God cares about the Earth. Those who destroy the Earth will be destroyed.
Revelation 11:19
(1) And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; (2) and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and (3) there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
- At the fall of the first temple, the temple in heaven was opened.
- And the true ark, the heavenly one, Christ, is seen.
- These signs could be heavenly, as well as earthly. The “earthquake” is more rightly called a “shaking” (seismos).