The Fate of the Two Witnesses, 1-14
11:1 Then a measuring rod like a staff was given to me, and I was told, “Get up and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and the ones who worship there. 11:2 But do not measure the outer courtyard of the temple; leave it out, because it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will trample on the holy city for forty-two months. 11:3 And I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth. 11:4 (These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.) 11:5 If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and completely consumes their enemies. If anyone wants to harm them, they must be killed this way. 11:6 These two have the power to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the time they are prophesying. They have power to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague whenever they want.
Here we have
- The measurement of the temple of God, vv1f
- The two witnesses, vv3-6
- The silencing of the witnesses, vv7-10
- The rising of the witnesses, 11-13
“Measure the temple of God” – As Ian Paul remarks, we cannot infer from this anything about whether the physical temple was still standing.
There is an allusion here to Eze 40-48. Schnabel (40 Questions About the End Times) comments that in that passage:
‘an angel measures various features in a temple that exists in heaven, portraying the certain establishment and the divine protection of the future temple as the place of his presence. The measuring secures the temple against contamination by abominations that profane the sanctuary. This background (and the fact that throughout the book of Revelation John speaks of a heavenly temple) makes it very plausible to see here a reference to the heavenly, true temple, which is the church. The beginning of John’s vision assures the church of spiritual protection and of God’s continued presence. The “measuring” of the worshippers signifies that they belong to the spiritual temple and that they are under God’s protection.;
Schnabel notes that if a literal interpretation is adopted, this would have to refer to a third, as yet, unbuilt, temple. Moreover, a literal interpretation collapses when we reach the point where the witnesses kill their opponents with fire that comes out of their mouths.
A symbolic interpretation, on the other hand,
‘takes the temple to be the church, the city as secular civilization that rebels against God, and the two witnesses as referring to the missionary mandate of the church and/or to the martyrs of the church throughout history.’
“And the altar, and the ones who worship there” – As Ian Paul notes:
‘John’s measuring of the temple with its worshippers brings us close to the Johannine and Pauline understandings of Jesus and those who are the body of Christ as the true temple (John 2:19; 1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:21).’
The language is borrowed from Eze 42:20. The distinction is between those in the sanctuary – God’s own people – and those in the outer court, who are nominal believers.
“The Gentiles…will trample on the holy city” – This, comments Schnabel,
‘refers to the heavenly city of God, specifically to that part of the heavenly city that is comprised of the followers of Jesus living on earth.’
Cf. Luke 21:24: “Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
Matthew 24:15f connects this with Dan 9:27, and the ‘abomination of desolation’.
“I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy” – According to this article, they represent the church’s ‘legally valid testimony’ (cf. Deut 19:15).
For forty-two months – This is also the time period of the persecution of the woman by the Dragon and the Beast (Rev 11:3; 12:6, 14; 13:5).
1,260 days is the same period of times as 42 months, v2.
It is also the same as three and a half years, which is the period of time that it did not rain, in response to Elijah’s prayer, Jas 5:17 –
‘It all comes together. Elijah’s period out in the wilderness was one of great opposition to the people of God, but it was also a time of immense influence – during which the prophet even had power to shut up the sky. It lasted exactly three and a half years. This is taken in the Revelation as a symbol of our present Christian era. When we pray, we may expect results. When we proclaim the Good News in the power and energy of the Holy Spirit, we may look for things to happen. We are in the testing, but powerful period of the Two Witnesses! Ever since Christ’s first coming, we have seen the spreading of the Church. Adversity and Christian growth walk together.’ (Bewes)
This verse contains clear allusions to Moses and Elijah.
There may also be an allusion to Dan 12 – ‘a time, times and half a time’.
Schnabel’s interpretation of this numerology is worth quoting at length:
‘The number of the forty-two months (Rev. 11:2), which corresponds to 1,260 days (Rev. 11:3), is a symbolic figure for the period of tribulation before the end (on the tribulation see question 8). In Revelation 13:5 (and 12:14), the forty-two months or “a time, times, and half a time” (usually interpreted as three and a half years) are clearly based on Daniel 7:25. There, the phrase “a time, times, and half a time” is not a convoluted way of saying “three years and half a year” (which can be expressed in a very straightforward manner). Rather, the expression “suggests a time that threatens to extend itself longer: one period, then a double period, then a quadruple period … but the anticipated sequence suddenly breaks off, so that the seven periods (in effect an eternity) that were threatened are unexpectedly halved.” John relates this number to the period between Jesus’ first and second coming, or more precisely between Jesus’ death and resurrection and Jesus’ second coming. Jesus’ ministry lasted three and a half years, as did Elijah’s ministry (Luke 4:25; James 5:17) with whom the two witnesses are connected in John’s vision (Rev. 11:5–6). The time of the ministry of the witnessing church is a time of tribulation.’
“The two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth” – These recall Zechariah 4, with its two olive trees and (menorah) lamp. The olive trees supply an endless supply of oil to fuel the lamps.
This points to the Holy Spirit’s empowerment of the church’s witness (cf. Zech 4:6 – “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.”
Whereas the Zechariah reference has a single lamp (and Rev 1:12 has seven), here there are two, to fit the witnessing motif.
The church’s witness is, of course, founded on the person and work of Jesus Christ, who himself is ‘the light of the world’ (Jn 8:12).
The standing of these witnesses ‘before the Lord of the earth’ indicates a legal and judicial stance:
‘The title “Lord of the earth” highlights God as the Sovereign Judge; to stand before him is to be his witnesses, his prosecutors.’
“Fire comes out of their mouths and completely consumes their enemies” – Like the sword issuing from the mouth of the Son of Man, this represents the fire of judgment:
‘for those who reject the testimony of the two witnesses, the church’s preaching condemns and judges them unto death. Their testimony convicts; it leaves the rejecter guilty and under the curse of eternal fire.’
These two witnesses have “power to close up the sky so that it does not rain” and “power to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague” – recalling the powers of Elijah and Moses respectively:
‘Both of these plagues were done because Israel/Egypt refused to heed God’s word; they were curses that sealed Israel/Egypt for judgment.’
This ability of the two witness to strike the earth with plagues recapitulates somewhat the trumpet cycle (Rev 8:2 – 11:19).
In the present age, the church is called to witness faithfully. Compare Mt 16:19, where:
‘Christ says that whatever the church binds on earth is bound in heaven and whatever is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven. This means the Lord records as legally binding the testimony of the church. He heeds the church’s true testimony.’
The final punishment of the unrepentant, however, belongs to the end of the age:
‘This standard of justice belongs only to the Last and Final Day, when the Lord will repay the unbelievers according to their deeds. The church does not and cannot use physical force or violence now. Yet, for those who refuse to repent, the church’s prophetic witness concerning Christ is the basis for their eternal condemnation.’
But the primary aim of the church’s testimony is not to pronounce judgment but deliverance from judgment. Note that the two witnesses are clothed in sackcloth, indicating that theirs is a message of repentance and free offer of forgiveness. Note also that they bear the menorah light, witnessing to Jesus, the light of the world (Jn 8:12). Thus, the ministry to which the church has been called is a joy, not a burden. And the two olive trees symbolise the abiding presence of God’s empowering Spirit.
Schnabel offers this summary of the mission and ministry of the two witnesses:
‘The witnesses, representing the church, give testimony about Jesus and proclaim the word of God: they are his witnesses and they prophesy (Rev. 11:3). They carry out their ministry of witness in the time of tribulation between Jesus’ death and resurrection and his return (vv. 2–3; the reference to the forty-two months or 1,260 days). Their message includes the proclamation of God’s judgment, a tragic reality that calls for mourning (11:3; the sackcloth). As they convey the light of God’s truth, they are empowered by God’s presence (v. 4; the lampstands that stand before the Lord). They are opposed by people who want to harm them, but they stand under God’s protection (v. 5). The people who want to harm the witnesses will be judged by God, whose judgment over the world and the unrighteous they proclaim (v. 5; the fire that comes out of their mouth). The ministry of the witnesses is like that of Moses and Elijah (vv. 5–6): as the church proclaims God’s truth, including the message of the final judgment, it “unleashes torment toward those who remain ultimately unrepentant. The torments anticipate the final judgment and harden the reprobate in their sinful stance, making them ever more ripe for the punishment of the great day. These torments primarily affect the spiritual realm of a person, especially plaguing his or her conscience.” When the time of the witness of the church is complete, the forces of evil will intensify the persecution and attempt to exterminate the church (vv. 7–10). John appears to envision a period of intense suffering before Jesus’ second coming, leading to the resurrection and final vindication of the witnesses, who are the followers of the Lamb (vv. 11–12).’
11:7 When they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them and conquer them and kill them. 11:8 Their corpses will lie in the street of the great city that is symbolically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was also crucified. 11:9 For three and a half days those from every people, tribe, nation, and language will look at their corpses, because they will not permit them to be placed in a tomb. 11:10 And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate, even sending gifts to each other, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. 11:11 But after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and tremendous fear seized those who were watching them.
The beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them – An allusion to Dan 7:21. This is a picture of the followers of Jesus being attacked by the satanic forces of evil.
Apocalyptic writing contains many symbols, some of which became standardised, like the use of this monster of the ocean to denote oppressive political powers, which appears in various guises in Dan. 7 and in Rev 13 and 17.
Three and a half days – A short period, compared with the three and a half years spoken of elsewhere.
This gazing of unbelievers on the bodies of the martyrs:
‘suggests a global confrontation between the witnessing church and the unbelievers.’ (Schnabel)
11:12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them: “Come up here!” So the two prophets went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies stared at them. 11:13 Just then a major earthquake took place and a tenth of the city collapsed; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
11:14 The second woe has come and gone; the third is coming quickly.
The Seventh Trumpet, 15-19
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 will reign for ever and ever.”
The Lord’s reign will be
(a) universal;
(b) everlasting;
(c) righteous.
11:16 Then the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and worshiped God 11:17 with these words:
“We give you thanks, Lord God, the All-Powerful,
the one who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.
11:18 The nations were enraged,
but your wrath has come,
and the time has come for the dead to be judged,
and the time has come to give to your servants,
the prophets, their reward,
as well as to the saints
and to those who revere your name, both small and great,
and the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
11:19 Then the temple of God in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant was visible within his temple. And there were flashes of lightning, roaring, crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
The temple of God in heaven was opened – ‘expressing the final visibility and openness of the presence of God when he comes.’ (Ian Paul)
The ark of his covenant was visible within his temple – This is
‘not the earthly ark but its heavenly prototype. Its disclosure, taken with the opening of the sanctuary, will show that the way into God’s presence is open wide (cf. Heb. 10:19). In the earthly sanctuary the curtain permanently screened off the ark, thus making it clear that people had no rights of access (cf. Heb. 9:8). But Christ in his work for us has changed all that and now the way is wide open.’ (Morris)
‘Let there be no false pity for the unrepentant’, writes Wilcock:
‘The fond hope that God might give them one more chance after death is contrary both to Scripture and to reason. If this life is the time of testing, the opportunities of this life are as complete as any man could wish for, and we have seen to what lengths God will go to warn them. If they hear not Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded though one rise from the dead. If they hear not the first six Trumpets, neither will they repent when Trumpet 7 ushers in eternity. For by that time the bent of their heart is established beyond redemption. ‘He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: he that is filthy, let him be filthy still’ (22:11, AV).’ (Wilcock)
Wilcock adds:
‘God forbid that we should pray for the punishment of particular individuals, of whose standing before God we know little. For all we know, he who seems to us most evil may, like Paul, be intended for a dazzling trophy of grace (1 Tim. 1:15 f.), and he who seems set for heaven may be an emissary of hell (2 Cor. 11:13 f.). But as we ought to pray that where there is a real work of grace in the heart it should be fostered, so we ought to cry to God that where there is irredeemable wickedness it should not go unpunished…We must pray for justice to be done. And it will be done: the maximum of justice, with the maximum of mercy: for in the plan of God righteousness and peace have kissed each other (Ps. 85:10)’