“Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told: 'Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there'".

Revelation 11:1

“measuring rod”

• Measuring is linked to restoring God’s people (Zech. 2:1-4)
• Measuring implies assurance that God, God’s temple and His people will be restored
• This measuring will involve the temple, God’s altar, and God’s people

 “temple of God”

• Revelation chapter 11 begins with a temple scene and ends with a temple scene
• John is told to measure God’s temple
• This refers to the heavenly temple (the earthly temple has been destroyed prior to this vision)
• This temple scene is the same as the court scene described in Dan. 7:9,10 and Rev. chapters 4& 5

“measure …the altar”

• John is told to measure the altar which represents Jesus sacrifice for mankind
• This refers to the judging of God’s process of salvation (the restoring of trust in the universe)
• This measuring of the altar relates to the measuring God Himself and restoring His credibility with the universe

“and those who worship there”

• Those who worship there represent God’s people
• This measuring represents the investigative judgment which is now ongoing
• This relates to the cleansing of sin from the universe and restoring of God’s people (see Dan. 8:14)
• This measuring involves only God’s people (see next verse)
• This measuring is described as beginning before the events involving the 2 witnesses and overlaps those events

 

 

Revelation 11:2: 

“but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample over the holy city for forty-two months.”

Revelation 11:2

“do not measure the court outside the temple”

• In the earthly sanctuary the outside court was where the Gentiles were allowed
• The wicked are here represented as in the outer court
• The wicked are not involved in the measuring, only God’s people are involved
• The investigative judgment only involves those who have claimed God as their own; those whose names are in the Lamb’s book of life( Rev. 13:8;5:5-7)

 “given over to the nations”

• The nations represent the wicked
• The nations will drink the wine of falsehood (Rev.14:8)
• The nations or wicked will not enter heaven but are confined to the earth (here seen as the outer courts)

 “trample over the holy city”

• The wicked are going to trample over the city
• This means they are going to control the city
• This holy city is Jerusalem, Israel since it can not be the New Jerusalem which is in heaven (Rev. 21:2)

 “trample over the holy city”

• This holy city will be trampled over for 42 months or three and one-half years (12 months times 31/2 = 42 months)
• This city will be defiled by the wicked (the nations) for  3½ years
• This trampling will occur during the time of the measuring of God’s people (investigative judgment)
• Historically, the holy city has been interpreted to represent God’s people and the 42 months to represent 1260 years (Dark Ages), however, the prior verse describes God’s people as “those who worship there”
• Also the context of Revelation 11 is related to the 6^th trumpet (last-day events)
• Why would God change symbols for His people from verse to verse?
• How can the Dark Ages fit into last day events?
• How can the Dark Ages connect to the 6^th trumpet?
• The answer is that this verse applies to last day events

 

Revelation 11:3

“And I will grant my two witnesses power to prophesy for one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”

Revelation 11:3

“my two witnesses”

• John now introduces the main subject matter of Rev. 11 which is the two witnesses
• The two witnesses will be alive during this time period and able to witness for 1260 days
• They will be dead during the next time period and not able to witness (Rev 11:8,9)
• The two witnesses are also the “two olive trees” and the “two lampstands” (Rev. 11:4)
• The two olive trees are the “two anointed ones” (Zech. 11:3,12-14) that stand by the Lord
• The two witnesses represent the Old & New Testament or God’s Word

“clothed in sackcloth”

• The two witnesses are clothed in sackcloth which means they are in mourning
• God’s Word is mourning because it has been changed (God’s Law has been altered)

 “power to prophesy”

• God’s Word will be able to prophesy for 3 ½ years clothed in mourning sackcloth
• God’s Word will be alive during this time period
• God’s Word will lose its ability to prophesy during the next 3 ½ year period (Rev. 11:7-9,11)

 “one thousand two hundred and sixty days”

• Historically, the “one thousand two hundred and sixty days” has been applied to the Dark Ages
• However, the context here suggests that this time period occurs after the investigative judgment has begun (Rev.11:1,2) and relates to the 6^th trumpet (Rev.11:14)
• This 1260 days is a last-day prophecy
• As a last day prophecy it can only be 1260 literal days since 1260 years would be meaningless as end time!

 “one thousand two hundred and sixty days”

• The passage of the universal Sunday law marks the beginning of this 3 ½ years
• This represents the world’s rejection of God’s Law and the mourning of God’s Word
• This time period ends with the holy city being trampled by the nations (Rev. 11:2) and the two witnesses being killed (Rev. 11:7)

 

Revelation 11:4

“These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth.”

Revelation 11:4

“the two olive trees and the two lampstands”

• The two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord
• All three represent the Old Testament and the New Testament
• Zechariah 4:2,3:11-14 describe how this works: God’s oil (Holy Spirit) flows from His olive trees (Holy Word) to the lampstands to the lamps to light the world

• God’s Holy Spirit flows through His Holy Word to His seven channels (Zech. 4:2), representing His 7 historical churches, then on to His people (lamps) to light the world
• God’s OT/NT (Holy Word) are His two witnesses to the world about Himself and Jesus

 

Revelation 11:5: 

“And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes; if anyone would harm them, thus he is doomed to be killed.”

Revelation 11:5

“if anyone would harm them”

• God’s Word is alive and in sackcloth and being threatened with harm in this verse
• This harm occurs when the world accepts the false Sabbath for the true (2^nd angel’s message)
• God’s response to this harm is to pour fire from their mouth to consume their attackers
• God’s response is to doom them to be killed but not to kill them just yet, thus this fire is not the final fire of Revelation 20:13

 “fire pours from their mouth”

• The 2 witnesses story explains the events that occur during the trumpets and overlaps those events
• The power over fire that the 2 witnesses have represents the 1^st trumpet (Rev. 8:7)
• The 2 witnesses story completes the 6^th trumpet (Rev.11:14)

 

Revelation 11:6

“They have power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.”

 

Revelation 11:6

“power to shut the sky”

• The 2 witnesses can stop the rain during the 31/2 years (time of prophesying)
• The 2 witnesses can turn the waters into blood
• The 2 witnesses can smite the earth with plagues

“during the days of their prophesying”

• This verse connects these events (stop the rain, water to blood, etc.) to the 3 ½ years of their mourning

“no rain may fall”

• The lack of rain correlates with the 1^st trumpet which describes a world burnt up (Rev. 8:7)
• This alludes to Elijah’s no rain (I Kings 17:1)
• Note that God brought the rain (Gen.6:17) and God will take it away

 “The waters to turn them into blood”

• Waters to blood  correlates with the 2^nd trumpet (Rev. 8:9)

“smite the earth with every plague”

• The plagues will occur during the 5^th ,6^th and 7^th trumpets
• The plagues correlate with last day events once the witnesses are dead

 

Revelation 11:7 

“And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends from the bottomless pit will make war upon them and conquer them and kill them”.

Revelation 11:7

“when they have finished their testimony”

• When they have finished their testimony refers to the end of the 31/2 years of sackcloth
• During the first 3 ½ years they are alive and mourning (Rev. 11:3)
• During the second 3 ½ years they will be dead (Rev. 11:9,11)

 “the beast that ascends”

• This beast will ascend at the end of the first time period and will be the reason this time period ends because he will kill the two witnesses (they will no longer mourn because they are dead)
• The beast that ascends from the bottomless pit is the same as the beast that descends into the pit (Rev. 20:1,2)

 “the beast that ascends”

• This beast is described in Isaiah 14:14-15 as wanting to be above the clouds and like the Most High and ending up in the pit
• Isaiah is referring to Lucifer (Satan)

“the bottomless pit”

• The “pit” represents God’s control over Satan as opposed to Satan’s attempt to be above God
• The “pit” represents the circumstances that God uses to control Satan

 “the beast that ascends”

• The beast that ascends is also the beast that “was and is not , and is to ascend” (Rev.17:8-11)
• This beast is the 8^th king (Rev. 17:11)
• The beast that ascends is the scarlet beast (Rev. 17:3) and the red dragon (Rev. 12:3,9)
• The beast that ascends is the abomination or transgression that makes desolate (Dan. 8:13; 9:27; 11:31; 12:11 and Matt. 24:15)
• This is Satan as the false Christ

 “will make war upon them and conquer them and kill them”

• This beast will make war on the 2 witnesses and “kill them”
• Satan as the false Christ, once he reigns in Jerusalem, will destroy for the world the effectiveness of God’s Word as a witness for the real Christ and thus kill it
• Once Satan is interpreting Scripture God’s 2 witnesses are dead for those who listen

• Historically, this beast has been applied to France which would attack God’s Word
• The “bottomless pit” was applied to France’s lack of spiritual foundation (Atheism)
• The 3½ years were applied to the French time period Nov.1793-June 1797 when the Bibles were destroyed

• However, the context of this verse suggests a connection to the 6^th trumpet at the end of time (Rev. 11:14)
• Also the context of this verse relates to the investigative judgment (Rev.11;1,2) which is a last day event
• Also Rev. 11;6 connect this prophecy to the  plagues which are last day events

 

Revelation 11:8 

“and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which is allegorically (spiritually) called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified

 

Revelation 11:8

“their dead bodies”

• This text now describes the time during which the 2 witnesses are dead

“will lie in the street”

• Their bodies are described as lying in the street, unburied
• They are dead but not buried because the world thinks they now understand Scriptures better than ever since Satan (as the false Christ) is now explaining Scripture to them

 “the great city”

• There are two “great” cities described in the book of Revelation:
• The city “where their Lord was crucified” (Rev. 11;8) which is Jerusalem, Israel
• The city Babylon (Rev. 17:18; 18:16) which is Papal Rome
• “The great city” here is Jerusalem, Israel where Satan will reign as the false Christ

 “where their Lord was crucified”

• This is the city where Jesus was crucified
• When Satan reigns in Jerusalem the “holy city” will be trampled over by the nations (Rev. 11:2)
• The wicked will control God’s city
• Historically, this city has been considered to represent France while the city in Rev. 11:2 represented God’s people

 “called Sodom and Egypt’

• This city is called Sodom and Egypt
• Sodom represents moral degradation
• Jerusalem with Satan as its king will be the most immoral city in the world
• Egypt represents worship of false gods
• Jerusalem will be worshipping the ultimate false god (Satan)

 

Revelation 11:9 

“for three days and a half men from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb”.

Revelation 11:9

“three days and a half”

• The 2 witnesses will be dead for 31/2 days which represents 31/2 years in the last days
• Historically, this 3 ½  days has been applied to 1793 – 1797 when France burned its Bibles
• The problem with this application comes in Rev. 11:12 when they ascend to heaven at the end of this time period

 “the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations”

• This audience is important: nation, tribe, tongue, and people
• This is the last day audience of the book of Revelation (see also Rev. 14:6, Rev 5:9, Rev. 13:7)
• This audience further ties this time period to the last days

 “refuse to let them be placed in a tomb”.

• The world will not let the 2 witnesses be buried because they think they now understand the Bible better than before since  the false Christ is now interpreting the Bible and removing its bothersome rules
• The scriptures are spiritually dead but still appear to exist (not buried)

 

Revelation 11:10 

“and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.”

Revelation 11:10

“those who dwell on the earth”

• The wicked are happy to no longer have to worry about God’s requirements in His word
• Satan, who claims to be God, is now reinterpreting the Scriptures

“will rejoice”

• The wicked celebrate the loss of God’s requirements because His Word is dead

 “these two prophets”

• The “two prophets” are the 2 witnesses (O.T. & N. T.)
• God’s Word (the two witnesses) has been a torment to those who reject It
• The wicked now celebrate Satan’s “new improved” Scriptures

 

Revelation 11:11

“But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.” 

Revelation 11:11

“after the three and a half days”

• This verse again confirms that the two witnesses are dead for 3 1/2 years

“a breath of life”

• At the end of 3 1/2 years God will raise them up

“They stood up on their feet”

• Confirms they are alive because they are standing

 “great fear fell on those”

• This event will be recognized by the world and the world will be afraid
• This means that the world will recognize that Satan is not God, who he claims to be, and God’s Word was right all along but probation has already closed and its to late to change

 

Revelation 11:12 

"Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, 'Come up hither!' And in the sight of their foes they went up to heaven in a cloud.”

 

Revelation 11:12

“Come up hither”

• Now God calls His two witnesses home

“they went up to heaven in a cloud”

• They ascend to heaven in a cloud in the sight of others just as Jesus did at the close of His ministry (Acts 1:9,11)
• Their earthly work is done just as Jesus earthly work was done
• There is no one left to save
• All decisions have been made and probation has already closed

• Historically, this verse has been interpreted to mean that the Scriptures became popular again after the French Revolution
• However, the phraseology here suggests an end to their work on earth, not a revival of their work on earth
• Also, this verse is connected to the 6^th trumpet (Rev. 11:14), occurs after the Judgment has begun (temple measured, Rev. 11:1), and after the plagues have begun (Rev. 11:6) which suggests that this is a time of the end event

 

Revelation 11:13 

“And at 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”

 

Revelation 11:13

“And at that hour there was a great earthquake”

• When God’s 2 prophets ascend their ascent  will be accompanied by a great earthquake
• This is not the earth’s final earthquake (Rev. 16:18)
• This earthquake will occur in the “city”, Jerusalem, the capital city of Satan as the false Christ
• God is now going to demonstrate again that Satan is not God

 “a tenth of the city fell”

• God is going to destroy 1/10 of the city
• 1/10 is God’s portion (tithe)
• God is going to destroy 1/10 of the city (temple and its surroundings)
• Historically, the 1/10 has been applied to France and the city was Europe (the ten kingdoms)

• God is going to destroy the temple as was foretold in Matthew 24:2

“seven thousand people were killed”

• 7000 people will die in this earthquake—this is not the end of the world
• The wicked will recognize that God is doing this and will be afraid but will not repent (see Rev. 16:11)

 

Revelation 11:14 

“The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.”

Revelation 11:14

“the second woe has passed”

• This verse connects the story of the 2 witnesses to the trumpets and especially to the 6^th since it ends the 6^th trumpet which is the second woe (Rev.8:13; 9:12,13)
• The story of the 2 witnesses describes what is happening to God’s Word during the same time as the world is experiencing the reign of the 7^th and 8^th kings described in Revelation chapters 12 & 13
• This story overlaps Revelation chapters  8, 9, 10, 15 and 16 and portions of 12, 13 and 14

 

 

 

Revelation 11 (last part)
The Seventh Trumpet:
The Final Woe

Introduction

• The book of Revelation is about Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:1)
• The Greek word “apokalupsis” translated Revelation means unveiling or revealing
• The book of Revelation reveals Jesus’ plan for our salvation, which includes earth’s last day events
• The book of Revelation describes the ultimate triumph of good over evil
• This ultimate triumph is represented as the final event in each series of seven in the book of Revelation:
• The 7^th church ---- exists at the 2^nd Coming
• The 7^th plague ---- describes 2^nd Coming
• The 7^th seal     ---- describes 2^nd Coming
• Likewise, the 7^th trumpet also describes the Second Coming
• The 7^th trumpet is preceded by the story of the two witnesses which completes the second woe and states  “the third woe is soon to come” (Rev. 11:14)
• The 7^th trumpet is the third and final woe

 

Revelation 11:15 

“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.'”

 

Revelation 11:15

• Historically, this verse has been applied to the time after 1844 based on the temple being opened (Rev. 11:19)
• It was thought that this temple opening  meant that the investigative judgment had begun in the most holy place
• However, the temple will also be open and empty at the Second Coming

 “`The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord”

• During the 5^th and 6^th trumpets the kingdom of this world belonged to Satan
• Now Jesus is going to take back the world from Satan
• Jesus does not receive His kingdom at the beginning of the investigative judgment but only after it has been completed (Rev. 12:10)

 “and he shall reign for ever and ever”

• Jesus’ reign with His people will begin at the Second Coming and not with the investigative judgment
• The 7^th trumpet is called a woe not because it begins the investigative judgment but because it represents the end of the world
• The 7^th trumpet is the 3^rd and final woe
• The 3^rd woe is the destruction of the wicked at the 2^nd Coming

 

Revelation 11:16 

“And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God”.

 

Revelation 11:16

• These 24 elders are described in Rev. 4:4 sitting on thrones
• These thrones are involved in the investigative judgment (Dan. 7:9,10)
• Revelation chapters 4 and 5 describe the investigative judgment which has now ended
• The 24 elders now fall on their knees and worship God because the job is done
• God is about to go to earth and collect His people

 

Revelation 11:17 

“saying, 'We give thanks to thee, Lord God Almighty, who art and who wast, that thou hast taken thy great power and begun to reign'".

 

Revelation 11:17

“Lord God Almighty”

• Title for God as victor (see Rev. 1:8)

“thou hast taken thy great power and begun to reign”

• God is going to begin to reign in place of Satan
• The 24 elders are now praising God for beginning to reign
• Some suggest that this represents the beginning of the investigative judgment
• However, the beginning of the investigative judgment is described in Revelation chapters 4 & 5:
• Rev. 5:10 states “they shall reign” ( in the future)
• This is the end of the judgment and now God’s people are beginning to reign (now)
• The title used here “Lord God Almighty” supports the idea that judgment is completed
• This title means that God is victorious overall:
• God is victorious over sin and Satan
• God is now going to reign over earth again
• God is now going to reign over the entire universe

 

Revelation 11:18: 

“The nations raged, but thy wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, for rewarding thy servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear thy name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”

 

Revelation 11:18

 “the nations raged”

• describes the world at the end of time, opposing God’s people and then battling God at the 2^nd Coming

 “thy wrath came”

• describes God’s wrath in the past tense
• God’s wrath is the 7 last plagues (Rev. 15:1) which are here described as past
• This means that this verse is describing events after the plagues have begun
• This is describing the last plague (2^nd Coming)

 “the time for the dead to be judged”

• Greek “kairos” translated “time” refers to a specific time and purpose
• Judgment here involves the living wicked and the dead and living righteous
• This judgment is the 2^nd Coming
• This is the time to reward God’s people: the prophets, the saints, and those who “fear thy name”

 “those who fear thy name”

• represents those who do not fully know Christ but live up to all the truth they have (see Acts 10:2) as compared to the prophets and saints

“destroying the destroyers of the earth”

• refers to the wicked living at the 2^nd Coming who will be destroyed

 

Revelation 11:19

“Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, loud noises, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail."

 

Revelation 11:19

• Historically, this text has been interpreted to mean that the work in the most holy place has begun since the ark is visible
• The work in the most holy place occurred on the day of atonement and symbolized the investigative judgment which began in 1844 (see Dan. 7:9,10; Dan. 8:14; Dan. 9:24-26 and Rev.4:1-4)
• However, this means that this verse spans from 1844 to the 2^nd Coming since the last half of this verse applies to the 2^nd Coming
• Also the context is after the 6^th trumpet when Satan will be reigning
• Also, the prior verses suggest that the temple is open because the investigative judgment has ended
• The investigative judgment has ended because:
• God has begun to reign and replace Satan’s reign
• God’s wrath has begun (plagues)
• The time for the wicked to be judged has come
• The time to reward God’s people has come
• The time to destroy the destroyers has come
• This same event is described in the seventh seal as “silence in heaven” (Rev. 8:1)
• The temple is open and empty because God has gone to earth to get His people
• The ark is seen because the temple is empty and the door is still open
• The ark contains God’s Law which will be under attack at the time of the end
• Worshipping false gods (Satan)
• Worshipping a false Sabbath (Sunday)

“lightning, loud noises, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail”

• all are part of the 7^th plague ( Rev. 16:18,21) which is the 2^nd Coming

 

Summary

• The story of the 2 witnesses covers two separate time periods which follow each other
• These 2 time periods are each 31/2 years
• The first time period is described once: 1260 days
• The second time period is described twice: 42 months and 3½ days
• This means that this story covers 7 years
• This story begins with a description of the temple being measured which refers to the investigative judgment which is ongoing during these events
• The story then describes an attack on the two witnesses which causes them to be in mourning for 3 ½ years
• This attack is the passage of the universal Sunday law
• During this time of mourning the trumpets begin to warn the world of its impending end (these are described as shutting the sky, no rain and water to blood)
• This sackcloth or mourning time lasts 31/2 years (1260 days)
• Then the  2 witnesses are killed in the middle of the week of years (see Dan. 9:27)
• Satan takes his throne in Jerusalem as the 8^th king pretending to be Jesus (Rev. 17:11)
• Satan will now be allowed to reign for 3 ½ years in Jerusalem
• The 2 witnesses are dead as far as helping those who believe Satan but not buried because now the world thinks they understand the Scriptures better than before, since the false Christ is explaining them
• God ends this time period with an earthquake which ends Satan’s reign in Jerusalem and destroys the temple thus ending the abomination or desolating sacrilege that both Jesus and Daniel described
• God’s Word ascends to heaven in a cloud since its work on earth is complete
• This ascension is similar to Jesus’ ascension when His work on earth was done (Acts 1:9-11)
• The story of the two witnesses begins during the investigative judgment and ends the 6^th woe
• The 7^th woe (Jesus Second Coming) is to follow

• The 7^th trumpet is the third woe
• It is the final woe and the greatest woe
• The 7^th trumpet is the 2^nd Coming of Jesus
• The 7^th trumpet follows the ascension of God’s two witnesses (God’s Word) whose work is done (probation has closed)
• The 7^th trumpet describes joy in heaven over God finally going to claim His kingdom
• The 7^th trumpet describes the beginning of God’s reign over His people and the earth
• The 7^th trumpet describes the end of Satan’s rule on earth
• The 7^th trumpet describes the end of the great tribulation for God’s people and their reward
• The 7^th trumpet describes an empty and open temple because God has gone to earth to collect His people
• The 7^th trumpet describes the destruction of the wicked (destroyers) at the 2^nd Coming
• The 7^th trumpet describes the final events associated with the 2^nd Coming