Revelation 11
Email This Post | Print This Post
Measure the Temple (11:1-2)
John is told to measure the temple, the altar, and the people who worship there. But John is to exclude the courtyard outside the temple from measurement. Now before we go into the details of this figure, let us make a point. Many who try to prove that this book is written about the destruction of Jerusalem, which thus far we have noted to be the case, say that this image of measuring the temple proves that the temple was in existence and the book was therefore written before 70 A.D. But this argument is not true for a couple of reasons. First, John is not literally able to measure the temple because the book is written in symbols. John is in vision and is exiled on the isle of Patmos. He cannot literally measure the temple of God. Second, the temple does not have to be in existence to measure it. Ezekiel was told to measure the temple in his vision, yet the temple had already been destroyed earlier in the book of Ezekiel. Therefore this is not a reasonable argument for an early dating of the book. We must take the simplest interpretation.
The temple of God, the altar, and its worshippers are to be measured. However, everything else is not to be measured for it is given to the Gentiles. In fact, the word “given” literally means to “cast out.” So the area outside of the temple is cast out to the Gentiles. But not those who are the true worshippers of God. Spiritual Israel is to be protected from the upcoming events. They are sealed and are protected by God, as seen in previous images in this book (Revelation 7). The words spoken in Revelation 11:2 are the same as Jesus’ words concerning the holy city of Jerusalem in Luke 21:24. Notice the parallel:
“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” (Revelation 11:2)
“And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24) .
It is evident that Jesus and John were both referring to the fall of Jerusalem in each instance. In Revelation we read that the words Jesus spoke against Jerusalem would now come to pass. The holy city will be trampled for 42 months. Now do we take this number literally? Many point out the that the city was attack by the Romans for 42 months. The problem with taking the 42 months literally is then, in the very next verse, one must take the 1260 days literally. 1260 days is the same as 42 months. And no one wants to do that, because there is no fitting explanation for a literal 1260 days of prophecy. Further, the city of Jerusalem was not attacked for 42 months, because there was a year long pause in the siege against Jerusalem. This occurred because Vespasian went back to Rome to claim the throne of the empire and later sent his son Titus to finish the war against Jerusalem. I believe the reason for this number appear is to relate the reader back to the prophecies of Daniel. In Daniel we read of time, times, and half a time. A “time” is one year. Therefore, a “time, times, and half a time” is the equivalent of three and a half years, the same as 42 months, the same as 1260 days.
Perhaps more importantly, the phrase “time, times, and half a time” is applied to the time of the shattering of the holy people in Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 12:7). When we read about a “time, times, and half a time,” “forty-two months,” or “1260 days, we should see the time symbolizing the shattering of the holy people. In Revelation 11, we are reading about the fulfillment of the shattering of the holy people prophesied by Daniel.
The Two Witnesses (11:3-6)
In verse 3 we read about the two witnesses who are empowered to prophesy for 1260 days. Verse 4 is the inspired interpretation, “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.” So now we know that the two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands. But what do the two olive trees and two lampstands represent? Zechariah 4:1-6, 11-14 tells us what the two olive trees and the two lampstands represent. Zechariah 4:6 says, “not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.” What we are told is that these events are by the power of God. The Roman empire did not just get a whim one day to go destroy Jerusalem, but it is the will of God. Nothing was going to stop God’s will from being accomplished. The time had come. The angel said that there will not longer be delay, these events must take place.
Now we are given more detail about these witnesses. They have the power to close the sky so it does not rain. Who does that sound like? Elijah. They have the power to turn the water to blood and strike the earth with plagues. Who does that sound like? Moses. So why are Moses and Elijah called to mind? They represented the law and the prophets. Elijah and Moses appeared at the transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew 17. The transfiguration was a sign that Christ is from God and the law and the prophets testified of this very person, Jesus. The sign in Revelation means the same to its readers: the events that were to take place were from the power of God and by his will, and were testified to by the law and the prophets. The law and prophets testified against Israel and their wickedness. Further, the law and prophets declared that such a destruction would come upon Israel if they turned away from the Lord (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)
Satan Releases Beast From Abyss (11:7-14)
The law and the prophets tried to tell the people to repent and turn their lives. The people did not listen to the law and the prophets. So out of the abyss comes the beast to make war with them, conquer them and kill them. The book of Revelation later more clearly defines, as well as the book of Daniel, that the beast is the Roman empire. If you are in doubt about this, you can read Revelation 13 and 17 as well as Daniel 7 and 8.
Verse 8 is another verse that we can hang our hat on to know who is the object of God’s wrath. We noted previously the phrase “great tribulation” is used by Jesus in Matthew 24 about the destruction of Jerusalem, which only reoccurs in Revelation. Now we have seen in Revelation 11:2 the trampling of the holy city, excluding the temple, which could only refer to Jerusalem. Now the proof is more evident concerning Jerusalem as the object of God’s wrath. We read in verses 7-8 that the beast will conquer and kill and the dead bodies will lie in the public square of the great city. What is the great city? The verse tells us that it is called “prophetically Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” Jerusalem has been referred to as Sodom in Deuteronomy 32:32; Ezekiel 16:46; Jeremiah 23:14; 3:9; Isaiah 1:10; 29:23. Jerusalem had also been referred to Egypt in Ezekiel 23. This symbolized the great immorality and stubbornness of the people of Israel. But if this is not enough, read the rest of the verse: “…where also our Lord was crucified.” Our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified outside the city gates of Jerusalem. The destruction of Jerusalem was a great joy to the world over the total disaster and destruction that would take place. The world thought they had destroyed the power of God, never to rise again. The horrors of the siege that occurred are recorded in history. Jesus spoke woes to those who would be in the city when the Roman armies attacked.
The witnesses are resurrected showing that God still reigns and all things are still by his power on the earth. Great fear fell upon the people who saw this event take place. As the events of the destruction began to unfold, people then began to cry out to God, but it would be too late. The third woe is now coming quickly.
The Seventh Trumpet (11:15-19)
Now the seventh angel blows his trumpet. We need to remember what was to occur when we heard the seventh angel blows his trumpet. Revelation 10:6-7 tells us when this trumpet blows, then God’s hidden plan will be completed, that God’s mystery would be revealed. Notice that this is the revealing of the things foretold by God’s servants, the prophets. What is the wrath of God that we are seeing? The images revealed in the seven seals. These were the things that the four angels were told to hold back. But the four angels are unleashed and judgment now occurs. The loud voices in heaven cry out about the great power of the Lord and the Messiah who reigns forever and ever. God has used the kingdoms of the earth to fulfill the things spoken of by prophets. Daniel prophesied of these events taking place, about how Christ’s kingdom will demolish all other earthly kingdoms that set themselves up against God. The final image of the chapter is of the ark of the covenant, the symbolic relationship between God and the Israelites, which is no longer on the earth. The ark of the covenant is now in heaven. The final symbol that the physical nation of Israel is no longer the Lord’s. The holy city and the temple are destroyed and the ark of the covenant is pictured in heaven and not with the Jews.
