The Book of Revelation
THE CONFLICT FROM THE WORLD SIDE
Unit 13
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THE SIXTH TRUMPET - THE SECOND WOE  [Chapter 9:13-11:14]  - THE SADISTIC WOE continued -

Chapter 10 v.11
Chapter eleven is essentially tied in with chapter 10.

"he said to John you must prophesy again ..."

Chapter eleven develops this theme. Even though John was apparently silenced by the authorities being imprisoned in exile, the angel who had asked him to imbibe the little scroll, tells him that he must again prophesy to the small and great of many nations. His divinely inspired writings continue to testify to the world.

THE SECOND OF TWO INTERPOSED VISIONS - [10:1 TO 11:14]

THE TWO WITNESSES

Chapter 11:1-14

vv.1-2

"a read like a rod" given to John

The angel tells him to measure the sanctuary (naoV  naos), the altar of incense and the worshippers in the temple. This is not the literal temple. Under the new covenant genuine Christians are the true Jews [Romans 2:28-29 , Galatians 3:29 , 6:16 , Philippians 3:3 , James 1:1 , 1.Peter 2:9-10 ]. The true church is God's temple/sanctuary. The servants of God together comprise the temple of God [ 1.Corinthians 3:16-17 "ye* are ... " AV.* 2nd person plural,   2.Corinthians 6:16-17 "I will dwell in them"]

"Rise and measure the sanctuary"

An allusion to Ezekiel's vision of the measuring of the sanctuary [Ezekiel 40 ff] when the faithful remnant return from captivity to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.

In Ezekiel the measuring is done to distinguish between sacred and profane.

Ezekiel 40:3 ... behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed ...

Ezekiel 42:20  He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.

How that, in his vision, Ezekiel sees the temple being measured and surveyed? The priests had profaned God's sacred things.

Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, nor have they shown difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned amongst them.

So it was to ensure it was fit for the return of God's glory.

Ezekiel 44:4 Then he brought me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell on my face.

That YHWH might be present in  a sacred ctiy.

Ezekiel 48:35 ... the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.

Is the congregation of God's servants a fit sanctuary for the Holy One, YHWH, to dwell there?

John is to do the prophesying. He is to do the measuring. If the the church is  to be the pillar and ground of the truth. He needs to know if it is holy enough for the task. In the awesome presence of the Almighty God, the elders, the living creatures and the upright slain little Lamb, John is to assess the spiritual fitness of the church and its members. He is to record all this vision, and write to them the letters that are to accompany it. Are they the called? Are they the chosen (the choice ones) and faithful? [Chapter 17:14] The word of God is the divine standard of measure.

1.Peter 4:11 If any man speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God

John 12:48 Jesus said He who rejects me, and does not receiv not my words, has one who judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same will judge him in the last day

"but the courtyard which inside# the sanctuary@ cast out*"  [#eswqen  eswthen inside. @naoV naos sanctuary. *ekballw - ekballo cast out]

The courtyard is part of the temple premises but in this vision it encroaches into the sanctuary and is cast out to the nations. Does this represent bogus Christians encroaching into the sanctuary? The glory of God cannot dwell in a poluted sanctuary. The encroachment is to be "cast out" and delivered to the nations.

"the holy city"

The servants of God are in the holy city even whilst here on earth.

Hebrews 12: 22But you are come to mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23to the general assembly and the firstborn's church, who are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

They have inner spiritual security but outer vulnerability.  Their inner man is protected but not their physical body. Bogus Christians continuously cause problems for spiritual Zion.

"they will trample over the holy city"

Bogus Christians, being in empathy with the nations, trample over the sacred city - the true church of the living God, but compared with the glory to be revealed to God's faithful servants, it is an insignificantly small time.

Romans 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

This is represented by the use of a small number - "forty two"

"forty two months"

This symbolic period of time appears several times in the scriptures expressed in different ways (42 months is the same as 3.1/2 years which is the same as 1,260 days) :-

Daniel 7:24-25 "time, times and half time" i.e. The three and a half years oppression of the church by Herod Agrippa I from AD 41 to 44. [Acts chapter 12  (This Herod ruled from AD 37 to 44. Acts 12:23 records the death of Herod)]

Daniel 9:27 "middle of the period of seven" i.e. three and a half years of Christ's ministry culminating in the crucifixion, the final* and supreme sacrifice. *[Hebrews 10:10-14]

Daniel 12:7 "time, times and half time" i.e. the three and a half years of Antiochus Epiphanies idolatrous tyranny. The same expression as in Revelation 12:14.

[SEE THE STUDIES IN DANIEL]

Luke 4:25-26 ... in the days of Elijah there were many widows in Israel, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there was a great famine throughout all the land; But Elijah was not sent to any of them, except to Sarepta, a city of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

James 5:17 Elijah was a man subject to like passions like we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it did not rain on the earth for the period of three years and six months.

Verse 3 below "a thousand two hundred and sixty days" The period that the two witnesses prophesy.

Chapter 12:6 "one thousand two hundred and sixty days" The period that the woman is sustained in the wilderness. Compare with:-

Chapter 12:14 "time, times and half time" The period the woman is nourished in the wilderness worded the same way as the period of tyranny under Antiochus Epiphanies. Evidently an an allusion to the trauma the servants of God endured at that time.

Chapter 13:5 "forty two months" The period of the beast's authority [exousia exousia].

Then there is the Lord's parable of the fig tree planted in the vineyard in Luke 13:6-9. Compare this with his symbolic cursing of the fig tree that had leaves but no figs, in his fourth and final year of his ministry in Matthew 21:18-22 and how the Lord refered to a fig tree bearing leaves to illustrat how the events preceding his crucifixion would signify that mankind's redemption was about to be accomplished and his kingdom established, in Luke 21:28-31.

The Holy Spirit had reason for expressing the same period of time in different ways. One reason might be that it is to draw our attention to other places in scripture where a similar expression is used. However, only here in Revelation 11:2 and in Revelation  13:5 do we get the expression "forty two months". In this instance a more likely explanation could be that, being symbolic, they refer to perceived time not real time. Telling a child that it is 21 days to his birthday will seem more onerous to him than saying it is only 3 weeks. Larger numbers seem more significant than small numbers.

The periods of time in verses 2 and 3 are the same but the "one thousand two hundred and sixty " in verse 3 seems more significant a number than the "forty two" in this verse. Both expressions refer to the whole gospel age from Pentecost to the Judgement will become apparent from verses 12 onwards.

During this period those in the outer courtyard will be a problem to the true church but that will be insignificant compared with the effective prophesying of the two witnesses.

v.3  TWO WITNESSES

BACK

"my two witnesses"

God's agent, that same angel, has two witnesses.

Witnesses present evidence. The Law of Moses requires two witnesses. [Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15]  Two witnesses are also required under the New Covenant. [2.Corinthians 13:1]

"will prophesy"

By Divine inspiration they declare God's word

"and I will give authority ... and they will prophesy"

Their word has total authority. [See verse 6]

1.Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there will not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word

Luke 4:25 ... in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months ...

"a thousand two hundred and sixty days"

They do it very effectively, which is here portrayed as a large number of days.

"in sackcloth"

Mourning - earnest sadness. Deep concern for those enslaved in wickedness. [Isaiah 20:2]

v.4  TWO OLIVE TREES

In Zechariah's vision the two olive tree clusters provide the oil, the spirit of YHWH, to the lampstands.
Zechariah 4:12 What are these two olive clusters which empty the golden oil out of themselves through the two golden pipes? 13And he answered me and said, Do you not know what these are? And I said, No, my lord. 14Then he said, These are the two children of oil, who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

6 ... Not by might (Hebrew = army), nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts. 7Who are you, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel you will become a plain ...

These are the two olive trees, and the two lampstands

In John's vision the witnesses are the two olive trees and they are the two lampstands. They provide the evidence and supply the spiritual impetus and provide the light.

TWO LAMP STANDS

There are similarities and differences between Zecharias vision and John's. In both Zechariah's and John's visions there are two olive trees but in Zecharia's vision there is only one lampstand. In Zechariah's vision the "two olive clusters" represent "the sons of oil" (Zerubbabel the political leader and Joshua the high priest). The seven branched lampstand represents the faithful remnant, the servants of God.

Zechariah 4:2 ... he said to me, What do you see? And I said, I have looked, and behold a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and his seven lamps on it, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are on the top of it: 3And two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on its left side of

In Old and New Testament scriptures light bearers depict God's corporate people.

Revelation 1: 12... I saw seven golden lamp stands ...  20 ... the seven lamp stands which you saw are the seven churches.

God's corporate people of the Old Covenant and of the New Covenant are the means by which God makes his glory known.

Ephesians 3:10To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in heavenly places , 11According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord

"stood before the God of the earth"

Zechariah 4:12And I answered again, and said to him, What are these two olive clusters which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? 14Then he said, These are the two anointed ones, who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

Psalm 52:8 ... I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

Stood in God's presence like two pillars of strength, pouring out of themselves the spirit of God.

Revelation 3:12 He who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God ...

v.5.

"in this manner" What manner? "out of their mouth"

Note yet again, the nature of the battle. It is fought with the word of God.

"fire"

Jeremiah 5:14 ... behold, I will make my words fire in your mouth, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

"is consuming their foes"

The same glorious gospel is the savour of life to some and the savour of death to others.

2.Corinthians 2:14Now thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 15For we are to God a sweet savour of Christ, in those who are saved, and in those who perish: 16To the one we are the savour of death to death; and to the other the savour of life to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17For we are not as many, who corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

v.6.

BACK

"These  two witnesses have authority [exousia exousia] to shut heaven"

Two examples are the authority to preach the way of salvation as laid down by Peter when he opened the Kingdom of Heaven to the Jews on the day of Pentecost and when he opened the kingdom to the Gentiles [see Acts 2:36-39 and 11:15 with 10:47,48 ]

Matthew 16:19 And I will give to you1 the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and what ever you1 will bind on earth will be bound in heaven: and what ever you1 will loose on earth will be loosed in heaven

Another example is concerning the application of scriptural discipline.

Matthew 18:18 I say to you certainly, Whatever you will bind on earth will be bound in heaven: and whatever you will loose on earth will be loosed in heaven

The same would apply to the authority of all scriptural teaching on who will and will not inherit the eternal kingdom. [ 2.Peter 1:11 ]

"so that it should not rain in the days of their prophecy:"

Drawing our attention to the effective authority of Elijah under YHWH.

James 5:17 Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

"and they have authority [exousia exousia] over waters to be turning them to blood, and to strike the earth with any plague"

Drawing our attention to the effective authority of Moses under YHWH to bring the plagues on Egypt, particularly the plague of blood

In these Old testament examples God has demonstrated that he means what he says and what he says will happen. What he says about who will enter heaven and who will not is no less certain.

"waters"

Cut off from spiritual water.

John 4:10 Jesus ... said to the woman at the well, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who said to you, Give me a drink; you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water

The Lord Jesus provides water which abundantly satisfies spiritual thirst.

John 7:37-39 37 ... Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink. 38He who believes in me ... out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

Revelations 7:17 ... the little Lamb ... will lead them to fountains of living waters

"as often as they might wish."

vv.7-10

BACK

(v.7) "war"

The beast makes war with the two witnesses. This is a spiritual battle. A battle for minds, for souls.

Revelation 13:7 "And it is given to the beast to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power is given to him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."

2.Corinthians 10:3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  ...5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

(v.8)  "the great city"

Depraved spiritual Babylon

Revelation 16:19 ... the great city ... Babylon ...

The world metropolis of debauchery.

Revelation 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication

(v.7) "whenever the two witnesses ... might finish their testimony "

What is the testimony? Why does the testimony finish? How does it make the witnesses vulnerable? How can the testimony be revived?

(v.7) "the unfathomable pit"

An unfathomable pit of the smokescreen of confusing spin doctrine.

Revelation 9:2 And he opens the bottomless pit; and there smoke rises out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air are darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.  3And locusts come out of the smoke onto the earth ..."

(v.7) "kill them"

See Ezekiel 37:1-14 where scattered bones of human skeletons represent a spiritually dead people.

The testimony of the two witnesses rendered ineffective - dead.

(v.9) "look at their corpses" "rejoice over them"

Subjected to constant ridicule and gloating over their apparent inability to respond.

But see the context of :-

Luke 18:8 ".... Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

(v.8) "Sodom"

Words of warning addressed to false leaders of Israel because they had sunk to the same immoral depths as Sodom.

Isaiah 1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah

(v.8) "and Egypt"

Gomorrah in the time of Lot and the Egypt in the time of Moses are evidently used to illustrate the characteristics of the world metropolis of deprivation and wickedness.

(v.8) "where also our Lord was crucified"

The spiritual deprivation of Jerusalem which embraced the death of our Lord is used to illustrate the spiritual wretchedness of those who revile the gospel of the Lord and his people.

v.11

"after three and a half days"

The period of time our Lord was in the tomb. The killing of the Lord was not the end . The deadly campaign of evil and ridicule against the two witnesses is not the end of God's work.

The witness are raised up by the Spirit of life  from God .When the church is spiritually dead and the testimony fails it has to open its heart to him for the testimony to revive. The world sees the spiritual nature of the church.  The church is the testimony to the world of the many-faceted wisdom of God.

Ephesians 3:10To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in heavenly places , 11According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me

v.12

The witnesses taken up "they hear?"

"in the cloud"

An allusion to the triumphant ascension of our Lord

"and their enemies watch them"

Their restoration is visible to all.

v.13

"In that hour"

When the restored testimony became evident to all the enemies.

"there is a great earthquake"

We must never underestimate the power of the witnesses' testimony.

2.Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

"the city" see comment on verse 8.

"falls"

A noticeable portion of the metropolis is destroyed by the earthquake. The wicked metropolis is reduced in size. Is this typifying a reduction in its influence, in its populace?

"seven thousand human's names are slain"

Names typified personality.

Bearing in mind the nature of the battle it follows that they were slain by "the word" but in what respect and why 7,000?

1,000 means a significant number but 7 means complete, perfect. I suggest it refers to the satisfactory destruction of their arrogant ego so that they become servants of God.

2.Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ

"the remnant become frightened, and give glory to the God of heaven"

2.Corinthians 10:6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Even though do not abandoned the metropolis, to the glory of God the remainder acknowledge the denunciation of its debauchery.

RESEARCH TOPIC
Reference verse 6: Research the book of Revelation for teaching on which of God's servants will be admitted into and who will be excluded from the kingdom of heaven and why.
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