Revelation Study

Revelation Study — Chapter 11

Revelation 11:1 "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."

This measuring reed was "like a rod." It is different from the golden reed that was used to measure the "new Jerusalem." A rod was used for punishment. So this measuring was for chastisement purposes. The measuring of the temple and the things pertaining to the temple would be like measuring earthly Jerusalem and Jerusalem stood as a symbol for Judaism. Note also that since the temple and its adornments are so often mentioned in Revelation, seemingly it was still standing when John wrote the book. If the writing took place in 96, the temple would have been destroyed 26 years ago and, to the people of that day, would have little or no significance.

Vs 2 "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 under foot forty and two months."

The outer court had been reserved for the Gentiles. It was not to be destroyed. Remember, this is symbolism. In Luke 21:24 we have this said about the Gentiles as Luke was writing about things pertaining to the destruction of Jerusalem: "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." According to historians, the Roman destruction lasted 42 months, the actual length of the war from the time Vespasian and his army entered Palestine in the spring of 67 A.D. until Jerusalem was completely destroyed in late summer of 70 A.D. To tread on the Holy City, Jerusalem, was considered treading on the Jewish nation.

Vss 3-4 "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth."

There are several different ideas concerning who the two witnesses are. I have examined several and the most logical explanation, that is, the most logical to me is, that they represent the law and the prophets. Of course, we have John's explanation of who they are; "These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth," but that still leaves it a little cloudy. All of the newer translations render "candlesticks" as "lamp stands." Lamp stands seem to be more harmonious with the idea set forth as the explanation. Olive oil was the source that energized the light and that oil was put in a container with a wick leading out of it; a lamp stand. This could not be a candle stick. So the two witnesses were sources of light to the Jews and that light was God's word especially as the law and the prophets which were sometimes prefigured as Moses and Elijah. (Psalm 119:130) "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple." These prophesies pointed to the end for the nation of Israel and now their prophesies would be fulfilled. In this figure they had been prophesying and would continue to prophesy 1260 days. This number, as already stated, indicated the time of the invasion by Titus until the downfall of Jerusalem. They would prophesy in sackcloth which indicated a time of sorrow, mournfulness.

Vs 5 "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."

Moses and Elijah symbolized the law and the prophets and they were able to bring the wrath of God down on those who "hurt" them; that is, those who "wronged, hurt or injured" a person. Such was the end to which the nation of Israel had come when they aligned themselves with the seditious Jews against the law and the prophets in the last days of their national existence.

Vs 6 "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."

He tells of their power. Moses and Elijah did exactly the things that are here mentioned.

Vs 7 "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."

"Finished" means "accomplished, brought to a full end." The beast that killed them was the Roman Empire. This was accomplished by means of the siege of Jerusalem and the practice of the law and the prophets would cease. They would die never to be practiced in their fulness again. When the "daily sacrifice ceased" in 70 A.D. the law and the prophets were dead.

Vs 8 "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."

The "great city" is identified as "where also our Lord was crucified." When Moses spoke of the eventual downfall of Israel, he made this statement: "For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter" (Deuteronomy 32:32). And Egypt was long the enemy of Israel.

Vs 9 "And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves."

The seditious Jews wouldn't allow the bodies of the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be buried and Josephus describes it: "the dead bodies lay in heaps in the streets of the city; no allowance was made for burials." The three and one half day phrase is used in describing many different events. It is one half of seven; the complete figure. So they lay unburied for half of time until the temple was completely destroyed.

Vs 10 "And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth."

Israel was a thorn in the flesh to all the nations with which they had had contact down through the years. The law and the prophets represented that which was hated by the nations (Gentiles) and now they lay dead. Time for rejoicing.

Vs 11 "And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them."

Then they came to life and the people feared. Their prophecies were fixed or established and that which had been spoken would now be fulfilled.

Vs 12 "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."

Their work was done. And now they would take an exalted place in eternity.

Vs 13 "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."

The witnesses were caught up into heaven and the destruction continues. Jerusalem was falling. The temple was burning. The word was being fulfilled. And a tenth part of the city fell. Seven thousand slain. Evidently the temple area. Earthquakes symbolize great upheavals and surely a great upheaval was taking place. A historical account says that there were ten provinces of the Roman Empire, Jerusalem or Judea or Palestine being one of them. The fall of Jerusalem would indicate that the entire province had fallen, hence, one tenth of the Roman Empire.

Vs 14 "The second woe is past; and , behold, the third woe cometh quickly."

At the close of the fourth trumpet three woes were announced as yet to come. The first came as a result of the seditious Jews coming into power. They caused unbearable suffering upon their own people. The second woe was inflicted by the Roman Army as the result of besieging Jerusalem.. Only the third woe remained. It was to follow quickly. The third woe receives no description. Just that it was coming quickly. It is apparent that the reference was to the completion of the destruction of the city which immediately followed the destruction of the temple. When the mopping up operation was over the entire population of the city was either dead or captive. Josephus reports over 3,000,000 dead during the 42 months and 300,000 taken prisoner, but his reports, especially concerning the dead may be based on speculation. The city was completely demolished and as the Lord had said in Matthew 24:1: "And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." In fact, if we look closely at Matthew 24, we can see these three woes unfolding before us. [Look also at Micah 3:12] There was no need for the angel to make an announcement concerning the matter; it was apparent to all that the scriptures had been fulfilled. In chapter ten, verse seven the Lord had said, "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants, the prophets." Mr. John Haage of San Antonio, Texas, has written a book concerning "when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet," putting this sounding yet in the future. The seventh angel had sounded and it was finished. The destruction in 70 A.D. stands as a seal upon the faithfulness of God and his word. May we be reminded that the continued absence of the ability of the Jews since then to rebuild the temple and restore its complete worship is a living testimony to the accuracy of God's revealed word. Efforts are being made by groups in Israel to rebuild the temple with the idea that Jesus will return to establish his kingdom and many of the Jews will be converted this time around.

THE FINAL TRUMPET - HEAVEN REJOICES

Vs 15 "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 for ever and ever."

This sounds like the end of time but not so. It is rejoicing by heavenly subjects over the accomplishment of this event. It is acknowledgment of the fact that the Lord rules in the affairs of men. He has used the kingdoms of earth to accomplish the punishment of Israel and Judah. Notice: NASB Isaiah 10:5-6 "Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hands is My indignation, I send it against a godless nation And commission it against the people of My fury To capture booty and to seize plunder, And to trample them down like mud in the streets."

He used the Assyrians against Israel. They were taken captive about 726 B.C.

Habbakkuk 1:5: "Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you. 6 For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs."

He uses the Chaldeans (Babylon) to accomplish his chastisement of Judah beginning about 606 B.C.

Now he has used the Roman Empire to accomplish this final destruction of Jerusalem which stands for Judaism or the Jewish nation and these heavenly beings rejoice as we read further in the 16th and 17th verses:

Vss 16-17 "And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, 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."

Vs 18 "And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest 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."

"The nations were angry." The nations were always angry at Israel and used their anger as his wrath for judgment against Judah. "The dead" were those mentioned; the ones we read of in chapter 6:9-11 under the altar who cried out for vengeance and now that vengeance had come. Remember, they were told to wait a little longer until others joined them.

Vs 19 "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail."

The temple of God was no longer an earthly temple but it was now a heavenly one. The ark with his testament was there. It was fulfilled; it had finished its task. Of course, Jesus had nailed that old covenant to the cross but the temple remained as a symbol to the Jews and they exalted it and continued the daily sacrifice even after it had been spiritually removed. The veil of the temple had been rent asunder at the death of Christ and the way into the holiest had been opened.

Heaven rejoiced and the fireworks began celebrating or confirming the work that had been accomplished.