Revelation 11
CHAPTER 11
The two witnesses
And there was given to me a reed like a measuring rod, and I was told: Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those that worship therein. 2 But the court which is outside the temple, do not measure it. For it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty two months 3 And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. 4 These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, standing before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone desires to hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies, and if anyone shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed. 6 These have the power to shut the heaven so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they shall desire. 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss shall make war with them and overcome them and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 And from among the peoples, tribes, tongues and nations do men look upon their dead bodies for three and a half days, and they will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10 And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them and make merry, and they shall send gifts to each other, because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth. 11 And after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon those that saw them. 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying to them: Come up here! And they went into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 And in that hour there was a great earthquake and the tenth part of the city fell; and there were killed in the earthquake seven thousand persons, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe comes quickly.
The seventh Angel
15 And the seventh angel blew his trumpet and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said: The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 16 And the twenty four elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshiped God, saying: 17 We give You thanks O Lord God, the Almighty, who is and who was; because You have taken Your great power and have reigned. 18 And the nations were angry, and Your anger came, and the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give reward to Your servants the prophets and to the saints, and to those that fear Your Name, the small and the great, and to destroy those that destroy the earth.
19 And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His covenant, and there followed lightnings, voices, thunders, an earthquake and great hail.
Commentary
11:2 42 months is the same as 1260 days or three and a half years, all time periods which occur in the various prophecies of the last days. It could be that there will be a literal three and a half years of tribulation immediately before Christ’s return; and it’s possible that if this tribulation is largely spiritual, that this period has already begun.
11:6 Closing the skies through prayer is an allusion to the work of Elijah, who prayed and stopped rain coming for three and a half years (James 5:17). The same period of 42 months is in view here too (v. 2). This suggests that there will be an Elijah ministry in the last days, seeking to prepare Israel to accept their Messiah (Mk. 9:12; Malachi 4:5).
11:15 The Kingdom of God will subsume the kingdoms of men; therefore, the Kingdom of God shall come literally on this earth at Christ’s return.
