After the sixth trumpet, God sends his last two witnesses. They have authority for three and a half years and in Revelation 11:6 “they have authority over the waters, to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with every plague as often as they wish”. When they are killed, the people of the world celebrate, but after three and a half days, the “the breath of life from God entered into them” and they are called to heaven and ascend in front of all. But here there is a different response, “the rest became terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven”. Then comes the declaration in Revelation 11:15-18 “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever”. Then we find another declaration “the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down” and in Revelation 12:11 And they conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives until death.
My Two Witnesses
Revelation 11:1–6
The temple must have been restored and be in operation here where it says in Revelation 11:1 “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship in it”. There is concern for the temple, for the place, but even more, those that worship.
But this is not the Church. It is not us as Christians, it is the Jews in their home, Israel “God’s elect are symbolized by the sanctuary at Jerusalem (1 Co 3:16, 17, where the same Greek word, “naos,” occurs for “temple,” as here). Literal Israel in Jerusalem, and with the temple restored (Ez 40:3, 5, where also the temple is measured with the measuring reed”1.
Then Revelation 11:2 says “leave out the courtyard … the gentiles … will trample”. There is a key point here, the unbelieving gentile world will continue to be driven but there is one more thing God has planned, in Revelation 11:3-6 “I will grant authority to my two witnesses”. This time of 1260 days is the same as the 42 months in vs. 2 which is also three and a half years using the Jewish 360 day year (see also Daniel 7:25).
No one will be able to stop or stand against these witnesses during this time and they have great authority, not just in Jerusalem, but “to strike the earth”, so across the world in
Revelation 11:6 These have the authority to shut the sky, so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy. And they have authority over the waters, to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with every plague as often as they wish.
When They Have Completed Their Testimony
Revelation 11:7–14
“The beast … will kill them” in Revelation 11:7. And in Revelation 11:9-10 “those who live on the earth will rejoice”, this is a public spectacle and the world is rejoicing in Revelation 11: 10 “because these two prophets tormented those who live on the earth”.
But after three and a half days, their bodies lying in the street, in
Revelation 11:11-12 “the breath of life from God entered into them … And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here,” and they went up into heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them”.
Then there is a great earthquake in Revelation 11:13 “and seven thousand people were killed by the earthquake, and the rest became terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven”. There is a different response here, they gave glory to God. This may be the great awakening of the Jewish people that are living in Israel. As the previous judgments occurred, for example, in Revelation 9:20-21 “the rest of humanity … did not repent”.
“Their conversion forms a blessed contrast to Rev 16:9; and above, Rev 9:20, 21. These repenting (Zec 12:10–14; 13:1), become in the flesh the loyal subjects of Christ reigning over the earth with His transfigured saints2.
In Revelation 11:14 “the second woe has passed”.
The Kingdom of Our Lord
Revelation 11:15–19
The seventh trumpet sounds followed by a declaration in Revelation 11:15-18 “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” and this is followed in Revelation 11:16-18 by a confirming declaration. Then in Revelation 11:19 “the temple of God in heaven is opened”.
A Great Sign Appeared in Heaven
Revelation 12:1–6
This switches the focus from Jerusalem and begins a description of persecution of the church in connection with this period of 1260 days that we find mentioned again in Revelation 12:6. During this time, “the woman designates universally the kingdom of God; the beast, the kingdom of the world. The woman of whom Jesus was born represents the Old Testament congregation of God … As new Jerusalem (called also “the woman,” or “wife,” Rev 21:2, 9–12), with its twelve gates, is the exalted and transfigured Church”3.
There Was War In Heaven
Revelation 12:7–12
In Revelation 12:7-9 “the great dragon was thrown down”. and we find another declaration from heaven in Revelation 12:10-12 “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come”. But it goes on to say, “because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down” and makes this declaration,
Revelation 12:11 And they conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives until death.
Our part as Christians in this generation and until Christ returns is to declare the blood and maintain our testimony as it says in Romans 8:31-39
The Dragon Was Angry
Revelation 12:13–18
In Revelation 12:13-18 the dragon is not able to destroy the church and in Revelation 12:17 the focus of the fight turns to “the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and who hold to the testimony about Jesus” which is us as believers.
Coming Up Out of the Sea
Revelation 13:1–10
The people of the world will be looking for answers and “out of the troubled waves of peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues”4 will rise a ruling power, and in Revelation 13:5 “and authority to act was given to him for forty-two months”. And the dragon, in Revelation 13:2 “gave it his power and his throne and great authority” and in
Revelation 13:7-8 And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given to him over every tribe and people and language and nation. 8 And all those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name is not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.
Coming Up From The Earth
Revelation 13:11–18
In Revelation 13:11 “another beast”, and this beast comes “out of society civilized, consolidated, and ordered, but still, with all its culture, of earth earthy”5.
This beast in Revelation 13:12 “exercises all the authority of the first beast”. And in Revelation 13:14 “he deceives those who live on the earth”. And in Revelation 13:15-16 “caused that all those, unless they worshiped the image of the beast, should be killed. And he causes all people, … that they give them a mark”.
The Lamb Standing On Mount Zion
Revelation 14:1–5
This is the end of the time of grace. All who will, have come. Now, in Revelation 14:1 Jesus stands with those that had been sealed earlier “having left His position “in the midst of the throne,” and now taking His stand on Sion”6.
Study Verses
- Revelation 11:1–6
- Revelation 11:7–14
- Revelation 12:7–12
Today’s Reading
- Revelation 11:1-19
- Revelation 12:1-18
- Revelation 13:1-18
- Revelation 14:1-5
References
- 1. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 575). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
- 2. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 577). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
- 3. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 579). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
- 4. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 582). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
- 5. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 583). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
- 6. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 585). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
