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"And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to trumpet" (Rev. 8:6).
The seven angels are now ready to sound the trumpets.
"And the first trumpeted, and there was hail and fire mingled with blood, and it was cast to the earth; and the third part of the earth was burned up, and the third part of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up."
God's judgment begins from afar. Progressively, it turns to man. God's judgment begins with the things outside of man, for God still hopes that man will repent.
This trumpet appears to cast fire on the earth, and one third of the trees on the earth are burned like wood. In the Old Testament, after the priests burned the sacrifices, the blood was poured out. Hence, both fire and blood are here. This fire will burn all the way into the abyss.
One third of the green grass and the trees are burned. This indicates that God will first destroy the beauty of nature.
"And the second angel trumpeted, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood, and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea and had life died, and the third part of the ships were destroyed."
The calamity of this trumpet causes marine commerce to lose one third of its business. (Psalm 46:2 says, "...though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.") This trumpet damages the sea.
"And the third angel trumpeted, and a great star fell out of heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers and upon the springs of waters. And the name of the star is called Wormwood; and the third part of the waters became wormwood, and many of the men died from the waters because they were made bitter."
The first trumpet is with fire. The second trumpet is also with fire. The third trumpet is still with fire. God remembers the covenant which He made with Noah and will not judge the earth with water. "Wormwood" means bitter (Jer. 9:13-15; 23:14-15; Lam. 3:15). This trumpet damages the fresh water.
"And the fourth angel trumpeted, and the third part of the sun and the third part of the moon and the third part of the stars were smitten, so that the third part of them would be darkened and the day would not appear for the third part of it, and the night likewise."
The light of the sun, the light of the moon, and the light of the stars are all dimmed. The heavenly bodies are all changed, and the world is darkened. However, God does not smite the entire sun, moon, or stars because He remembers His own word in Genesis 8:22. The calamities of the seals are general, while the calamities of the trumpets are specific and definite. Today the seals have been fulfilled or are being fulfilled, but the time of the trumpets has not yet come. Not one trumpet has sounded yet.
"And I saw, and I heard an eagle flying in mid-heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to those who dwell on the earth because of the remaining trumpet sounds of the three angels who are about to trumpet!" (Rev. 8:13).
The seven seals are divided into four and three. The seven trumpets are also divided into four and three. The first four trumpets are merely calamities. The last three trumpets are trumpets of woes (9:12; 11:14). The first four trumpets are not directed specifically at man, but only touch man indirectly. The last three trumpets, however, touch man directly. The eagle is just an eagle and is not a sign, for even Balaam's donkey was able to speak. "Those who dwell on the earth" are different from those who are sojourners on the earth.
The great tribulation may begin from the fifth trumpet because the fifth trumpet is the trumpet of woe and is close to the seventh trumpet.
"And the fifth angel trumpeted, and I saw a star out of heaven fallen to the earth, and to him was given the key of the pit of the abyss."
This star cannot be interpreted literally like the star in 8:10 because the star here was given the key of the pit of the abyss. Who is this star? It is Satan himself. "A star out of heaven fallen to the earth." This corresponds with the casting down in 12:9. In the Bible, stars refer to messengers. Job 38:7 says, "When the morning stars sang together, / and all the sons of God shouted for joy." This clearly tells us that stars signify the angels in heaven. Since this star has fallen, it must not be a good star. It is he who transfigures himself into an angel of light for the purpose of deceiving others (2 Cor. 11:14).
All the three and a half years spoken of in Revelation begin at the same time and end at the same time. Revelation 11:2-3, 12:6-14, and 13:5 all happen at the same time. This star must fall before the start of the forty-two months (before the great tribulation) because it falls at the fifth trumpet. The seventh trumpet is also sounded before the start of the forty-two months.
"And he opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit."
The word "abyss" means "the depth." The abyss means the deepest pit. What is this abyss? It is the dwelling place of the devil. Luke 8:28 and 31 tell us that it is the place where the devil suffers. Because the devil is here, suffering is here. When the devil comes to the world, this world becomes the devil's world. The falling of the star here corresponds with Luke 10:18, which was the verdict of the casting down of Satan. Here in Revelation 9:1 we have the execution of the casting down of Satan. While Satan is restricted, the pit of the abyss remains closed.
The smoke indicates that there is fire. It is difficult to say how the abyss is opened. Deuteronomy 29:23 says, "And that all its land is sulphur and salt, a burning waste; that it is not sown, nor does it sprout, nor does any vegetation come up in it; that it is like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, which Jehovah overthrew in His anger and burning wrath." The condition here is similar to the prophecy in Revelation 9:2. Concerning the "smoke," one can refer to Revelation 18:8-9, 18 and 19:3. In Revelation 8:12 the heaven lost one third of its light. Here in 9:2 it has become completely darkened. In the former case, it was caused by the diminishing of the light bearers themselves. Here it is caused by the darkening of the smoke.
"And out of the smoke came forth locusts to the earth, and to them power was given, as the scorpions of the earth have power."
"Locusts." This kind of locust is not the ordinary kind of locust because:
(1) According to Revelation 9:4, these locusts do not eat the trees and the shrubs like ordinary locusts do. Moreover, ordinary locusts do not harm men, but these do.
(2) They have power like the scorpions (9:3), and their torment is like that caused by the scorpions (v. 5). From verses 7 through 10 we can tell that their appearance is very peculiar and not like the ordinary locusts.
(3) Exodus 10:14 says that there will never again be locusts like the ones that are there.
(4) Proverbs 30:27 says that the locusts have no king, but the locusts here have a king.
(5) They come out of the pit of the abyss. The abyss is not an ordinary dwelling, but the dwelling place of the devil.
These locusts are probably a kind of special creature. We can see this from the following:
(1) Revelation 9:3, 7, and 10 say that they have power like the scorpions and that they are like horses with tails like scorpions, and stings. Revelation 9:19 says that "the power of the horses are in their mouth and in their tails." Luke 10:17 through 19 says that the Lord has given the believers authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions. The Lord's cross has pronounced Satan cast down. Revelation 9:1 is the execution of the casting down of Satan.
(2) They are possessed by the demons. This is why they are so special.
The earth was originally created for man, while the abyss is reserved for the demons. The word "deep" in Genesis 1:2 is translated by the Septuagint as "the immeasurable depth," which is the same as the abyss. This is where the demons live. On the second day, when God divided the waters which were under the air from the waters which were above the air (Gen. 1:7-8), some demons drifted to the air. Hence, the air also became the dwelling place of the demons (Eph. 6:12). The sea may be the entrance to the abyss. Revelation 20:13 says that the sea will give up its dead. It is one thing for death and Hades to give up the dead, and it is another thing for the sea to give up its dead. The dead in the latter case are the ones who died before Genesis 1:2. Romans 10:7 tells us that the Lord Jesus once went into the abyss.
"And it was said to them that they should not harm the grass of the earth or any green thing or any tree, but men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And it was given them that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man."
From this we can see that these locusts have spiritual (supernatural) knowledge, for they can receive orders and can identify those who have been sealed by God. (The seal in Revelation 7:2-8 should be a kind of hidden sign of God.) God orders them not to harm those who are sealed, but He has not specifically ordered them to harm others. From the words "they should not kill them" in verse 5, we can see that the harming of the unsealed ones in verse 4 is something to which God only acquiesces.
The tail of a scorpion has a sting. This sting is sharp and hollow. Within the sting of these scorpions there is a poison which can torment men for five months. The "scorpion" is used in the Old Testament as an idiom (2 Chron. 10:11).
"And in those days men will seek death and shall by no means find it; and they will long to die, and death flees from them."
To "long to die" is to desire to die, while to "seek death" is to try to find a way to die. Today death seeks out men, but in the future, men will seek for death. They would rather seek for death than repent.
"And the locusts were like horses prepared for war, and on their heads there were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were like faces of men. And they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots of many horses rushing into war. And they have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to harm men for five months."
The appearance of the locusts is like horses prepared for war. They have crowns like gold and breastplates like those of iron. These are for their own protection. This means that men will try their best to withstand them.
"They have a king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon; and in Greek he has the name Apollyon."
The king in this verse is Antichrist. The star in 9:1 is Satan himself. Revelation 11:7 speaks of "the beast who comes up out of the abyss," and 13:1 speaks of "a beast coming up out of the sea." This shows that the abyss is under the sea.
"Abaddon" is the name of a place. The word "destruction" in Proverbs 15:11, 27:20, and Job 26:6 is "Abaddon" in the original language. "Apollyon" is the name of a person; it means the destroying one (Jer. 4:7; 6:26; Isa. 16:4; Dan. 8:24-25; 9:26; 11:44). The name of the messenger from the abyss comes from his place of origin and his conduct.
"The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are yet coming after these things."
In reading the first woe, we have to pay attention to two things: (1) Satan is cast down from heaven, and (2) Antichrist has come out from the abyss. In the first woe he appears on the earth. The forty-two months will be the time for him to actually reign.
"And the sixth angel trumpeted, and I heard a voice out of the four horns of the golden altar which is before God."
"A voice out of the four horns of the golden altar which is before God." Some say that this is God answering the prayers of the saints, but there are errors in saying this:
(1)God's answer to prayers should start before the blowing of the first trumpet, that is, in Revelation 8:3, when the incense came with the prayers out of the golden altar. (The golden altar is the incense altar in the sanctuary.)
(2)The voice does not come out of the golden altar but out of the four horns of the golden altar. If it were an answer to prayers, the voice should come out of the golden altar itself, since incense is burned in the middle of the altar and not on the four horns. In the Old Testament, only the blood of the sin offering was put upon the four horns of the golden altar (Lev. 16:18). Hence, "a voice out of the four horns of the golden altar which is before God" means that God's judgment of man is based on the work of the Lord Jesus. God judges because man does not receive the gospel and does not believe. This is God's voice, for only God is behind the incense altar.
"Saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."
This river will become the boundary of Israel in the future (see Deut. 1:7; 11:24). Israel's future boundary will certainly reach the great river Euphrates. Historical fact shows that when Rome was prosperous, her eastern boundary reached only as far as the great river Euphrates. As soon as the fifth trumpet is sounded, Antichrist will appear, and as soon as the sixth trumpet is sounded, war will come. Perhaps at this point the four released angels will enter the territory of Rome and war against her. Antichrist will establish his kingdom.
Although one would dare not say that Ezekiel 38:1-3, 5-6, 10-12, 15-18; 39:1-3, 11 refers definitely to the sixth trumpet in Revelation 9, neither can one say that they are unrelated. It can be said that Ezekiel 38 and 39 are completely fulfilled from the beginning of the sixth trumpet in Revelation 9 through the sixth bowl in Revelation 16.
We still do not know what the name of the place "Magog" in Ezekiel 38:2 refers to. Most know that Rosh refers to Russia, Meshech is Moscow, and that Tubal is a city called Tobolsk in Russia. Perhaps in the future the four angels of the great river Euphrates will lead the soldiers of these four places to fight the war (Ezek. 38:15). Also, these countries, Persia, Ethiopia, and so forth, are neighboring countries of the great river Euphrates. The sixth trumpet in Revelation 9 tells us of their victory, whereas the sixth bowl in Revelation 16 tells us of their defeat.
"And the four angels were released, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year that they might kill the third part of men."
These four angels like to kill. Once they are loosed, they go out to kill people. God does not command them to do so. He only releases them; they go out to kill. They are killers by nature. Every event in the prophecy is well-prepared in advance and then executed when the time comes. "The hour and day and month and year." Not only are the day and month and year ordained, but also the hour.
The "third part" of the first through fourth trumpets is limited to the earth, the sea, the rivers, and the hosts in the heavens, but the "third part" of the sixth trumpet reaches men directly. The fourth seal kills the "fourth part" of men throughout the twenty centuries, but the "third part" of men that the sixth trumpet kills are killed within a short period of time.
"And the number of the armies of horsemen was two hundred million; I heard their number."
No other country in the world produces more horses than Russia. Moreover, Russia exhausts her ability to have more horses. Persia, Egypt, Ethiopia, and so forth are also horse-producing countries. Horses are good for fighting and are not afraid of guns or artillery. In the future these ones will lead the army of horsemen to war.
"And thus I saw the horses in the vision and those sitting on them, having breastplates of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone."
Those who ride the horses have breastplates of three colors: fire, hyacinth, and brimstone. The breastplates are for self-protection. The horsemen do not fight, but merely direct the horses in the direction they should go. Even if they are human, those riding the horses must be particularly possessed by demons.
"By these three plagues the third part of the men were killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone proceeding out of their mouths."
Fire burns, smoke suffocates, and brimstone stinks. All three belong to hell (Rev. 19:3; 21:8). Those who kill are not the horsemen but are the horses themselves. Out of the mouths of the horses proceed fire and smoke and brimstone, by which the third part of men are killed. Therefore, it is the mouths of the horses that cause men to die.
"For the power of the horses are in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and had heads, and with them they harm men."
The horses' tails are like serpents with heads, and with them they hurt men. It seems that Deuteronomy 28:49-57 supplements what the sixth trumpet does not say.
"And the rest of the men, who were not killed by these plagues, still did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship the demons and the idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders or of their sorceries or of their fornication or of their thefts."
God permits the plagues to come upon men in this way in order to call them to repent. But the men refuse to repent, and instead, they commit six kinds of sins. These six sins are worshipping demons and idolatry, which offend God, and murder, sorcery, fornication, and theft, which offend men. The sixth seal speaks of men's fear of God's wrath; the sixth trumpet speaks of men's fierceness. As soon as the sixth seal ends, there is an insertion. The same is true as soon as the sixth trumpet ends.
God abhors two kinds of sins: (1) worshipping idols and (2) worshipping demons. (According to Mr. Panton's research, in London alone, there were more than forty such cases. Examples were: the beseeching of spirits in a garden, the worshipping of the serpent in a Sunday School, and so forth.) To worship demons is to worship what God has created, while to worship idols is to worship what man has made. Revelation 9:20 says that there are three things the idols cannot do, but it does not say that they cannot speak. This is because in Revelation 13:15 the idol can speak. All sins stem from a failure to know God. Romans 1:24-32 is the footnote to this.
"And I saw another strong Angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon His head, and His face was like the sun, and His feet like pillars of fire."
This strong Angel refers to the Lord, because:
(1) The Lord is manifested here as the Angel, the position He takes in the Old Testament.
(2) He is in the midst of a cloud, or clothed with a cloud; He is not riding on top of it (Matt. 24:30). Since the Lord sets Himself in the clouds, this is still the time of mystery, for He has not yet manifested His glory.
(3) In Revelation 4:3, a rainbow surrounds the throne. In 10:1 a rainbow is upon the Lord's head. Since the Lord is clothed with a cloud, the rainbow is certainly in the cloud also. Although the rainbow signifies that the Lord remembers grace and mercy, the fact that He is in the cloud means that such remembrance is still a mystery and is not yet manifested.
(4) "His face was like the sun." This manifests His glory, though at this time He is still in the cloud.
(5) "His feet like pillars of fire." This indicate steadfastness (Gal. 2:9; Jer. 1:18). "Fire" signifies the holiness and righteousness of God (Exo. 19:18; Heb. 12:29).
"And He had in His hand a little opened scroll. And He placed His right foot on the sea and the left on the land."
"His right foot on the sea and the left on the land." The Lord's head faces upward toward the heavens and does not bear direct relationship with the earth. The Lord places His two feet as pillars of fire upon the sea and the earth. This means that He casts fire upon the sea and the land, signifying His judgment of them with the holiness and righteousness of God. To "place" means to claim. Whatever the Lord places His feet upon, He claims for Himself (Deut. 11:24; Psa. 8:6).
"A little opened scroll." Some say that this little scroll refers to the Old Testament. Others say that it is the prophecy concerning the Jews in the Old Testament. Still others say that it refers to Revelation 11—22. However, none of these is acceptable. There is much evidence to show that this scroll is the scroll spoken of in chapter five:
(1) According to Revelation 5:3-7, when the scroll is in the hands of the Lamb, it is not yet open. In Revelation 10:2 it is in the Angel's hand and it is open.
(2) Because in 5:1-3 the scroll is tightly sealed, nothing is said about its being large or small. In 10:2 it has been opened. One can now know what it is like and can thus say that it is a little scroll.
(3) In Revelation 10:9-10, John eats this little scroll, meaning that God has revealed the things to him.
(4) The "days" in Revelation 10:7 is "a period" in the original text. As soon as the seventh trumpet is blown, the mystery of God is over and becomes manifest. When the seventh seal is opened, the scroll is still unopened because the seventh seal produces the seventh trumpet. The seventh trumpet must first be blown before the scroll can be opened. Hence, as soon as the seventh trumpet is blown, the mystery is completed.
(5) In Revelation 10:2, 7, and 8, John foresees the scroll being opened in the vision. But this does not mean that the scroll is opened at the time of the sixth trumpet.
(6) Revelation 10:11 says to "prophesy again." From this we see that the prophecy is divided into two sections. Just as the little scroll is divided into two sections, so the prophecy of Revelation is divided into two sections. The little scroll begins to open as soon as the seventh trumpet is blown. Hence, the first section extends from the first seal to the blowing of the seventh trumpet, and the second section follows from the seventh trumpet to the new heaven and new earth. At the blowing of the seventh trumpet, there are the plagues of the seven bowls. How do we know that the second section of the little scroll not only covers the kingdom and the new heaven and new earth, but also the seven bowls? Revelation 10:10 says that as soon as John has eaten the little scroll, his stomach becomes bitter and his mouth sweet. There is bitterness as well as sweetness.
The scroll is opened only when the seventh trumpet is blown. This means that the first section of the little scroll is closed, whereas the second section is open. Consequently, the first section of this book's prophecy is a mystery. It extends from the first seal to the blowing of the seventh trumpet, that is, from 6:1 through 11:19, because 10:7 clearly says that when the seventh trumpet is blown, the mystery of God is finished. Revelation 11:15 also says clearly that as soon as the seventh trumpet is blown, the kingdom will come. Hence, the second section is open; it extends from the seventh trumpet (yet not including the blowing of it) on through the new heaven and new earth, that is, from 12:1 through 22:21.
The judgments of the seven seals and of the seven trumpets are the procedure for opening the scroll; this brings in the kingdom and also eternity.
"And He cried out with a loud voice just as a lion roars. And when He cried out, the seven thunders uttered their own voices."
"The seven thunders." In the original text, this refers to something definite. This voice of thunders is often heard in Revelation. It is the outpouring (the utter release) of God's wrath. "As a lion roars." This speaks of God as the King of the whole world, with a voice of judgment that causes men to tremble when they hear it.
"Seal the things which the seven thunders spoke, and do not write them."
"Seal the things..., and do not write them." John was writing while he was seeing. What God did not want men to know, He would not have written down. From this we see that what God allows John to write is what man should know and understand.
"And the Angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up His right hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there shall be delay no longer."
"The things in it" include not only the dead, but also the living. (There are angels in the heavens, men on the earth, and spirits in the sea.) "Swore" means that we are once again back to the Old Testament because in the New Testament one should not swear (Matt. 5:34-37).
"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he is about to trumpet, then the mystery of God is finished, as He has announced the good news to His own slaves the prophets."
As soon as the seventh trumpet is blown, the mystery is over.
"And the voice which I heard out of heaven, I heard again speaking with me and saying, Go, take the opened scroll in the hand of the Angel who is standing on the sea and on the land. And I went to the Angel and told Him to give me the little scroll. And He said to me, Take it and devour it, and it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey. And I took the little scroll out of the hand of the Angel and devoured it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth; and when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. And they said to me, You must prophesy again over many peoples and nations and tongues and kings."
God commands John to devour the little scroll. This shows that God is eager to tell us the following facts. This agrees somewhat with Revelation 1:1-2. "Bitter" indicates bitterness (Ruth 1:20), and "sweet" indicates joy (Psa. 119:103).
"And there was given to me a reed like a rod, and someone said, Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship in it."
What does "measure" mean? By reading Numbers 35:2, 5; Ezekiel 45:1-3; 42:15-20; and 48:8, 12, 15, we know that "measure" means protection, separation unto God. What does "a reed like a rod" mean? Revelation 21:15 through 17 speaks only of a golden reed for measuring. It does not mention a reed like a rod for measuring because, by the time of the new heaven and new earth, sin, Satan, Antichrist, and the false prophet have all been thrown into the lake of fire. Therefore, all is peaceful. The measuring in Revelation 11:1 means punishment (Prov. 10:13; Psa. 89:32). Everything within the measure of the rod is holy and is protected by God; everything beyond the measure of the rod is in danger and is of the world.
"The temple of God." Is this temple heavenly or earthly? It is a heavenly temple because: (1) this book emphasizes the heavenly temple (Rev. 11:19; 16:17), and (2) in the future the temple on the earth will be defiled by idols. How could God protect it and say that it is holy?
"The altar." This is the incense altar and not the altar of sacrifice because 11:2 says that the court which is outside the temple is not measured. The altar of sacrifice is in this court. This court is not measured, but the altar is measured. Hence, it is clear that this altar is within the temple, and only the incense altar is within the temple. This is also made clear by the phrase "and those who worship in it," which is mentioned after "the altar." Thus, this is obviously the incense altar. To measure the people who worship in the temple means that God protects only those who are raptured.
"And the court which is outside the temple cast out and do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months."
"The court which is outside the temple" is the temple on the earth. The heavenly temple is the temple itself. In ancient times, the Jews had a central holy temple. Even though the kings established great high places to worship God, all the other kings who revived the kingdom abolished these great high places. God does not want what man establishes. Even during the transitional period, when the Gentiles were called unto the Lord, the Jews who became Christians still went up to the holy temple to worship God (Acts 2:46; 3:1; 5:20).
In the Old Testament age, there was one central holy temple. But in the New Testament age, there is no physical sanctuary, for in the New Testament we are to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). It is in the heavenly Holy of Holies that one worships God (Heb. 10:19-22). How did God destroy the temple on the earth in order to make people worship Him in the heavenly temple? The Lord Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice to God. Once He died, the offering of sacrifices stopped (Heb. 10:5-18), and furthermore, a number of years later the Romans destroyed the holy temple. Hence, there is no longer a holy temple on the earth. But here there is a temple on the earth again; thus, it is a return to the Old Testament. Matthew 24:15 refers to "the abomination of desolation...standing in the holy place." The "abomination" refers to an idol. "The holy place" will have idols during the time of the great tribulation (2 Thes. 2:2-4; Rev. 13:14).
"The holy city" is Jerusalem (Matt. 4:5). Those who worship in the heavenly temple are the people spoken of in Revelation 7:9-17. "Trample" is the same as what is mentioned in Luke 21:24. The Gentiles will trample Jerusalem for forty-two months.
"And I will cause My two witnesses to prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."
Who are these two witnesses? Some say that they signify Christendom, some say that they signify a certain sect, and some say that they signify the gospel preached by Christians. None of these have sufficient justification for the following reasons:
(1) These two witnesses wear sackcloth. Is it possible that they signify a group?
(2) Their miracles in Revelation 11:5-6 are for self-defense and result in killing. They are not like the miracles performed during the gospel age, which are for saving people.
(3) Revelation 11:9 speaks of their corpses. One cannot say that these corpses signify a group; much less can they refer to the gospel.
These two witnesses are simply two witnesses because: (1) witnesses have to be men (Acts 1:8); (2) they wear sackcloth; (3) they are killed; (4) they have corpses; and (5) they are prophets.
Who then are these witnesses? Some say they are Elijah and Moses. They say this because Revelation 11:6 says that they can cause the heaven to stop raining, as was done by Elijah (1 Kings 17:1), and they can turn water into blood, as was done by Moses. But this interpretation is based only on what these two persons have done. Hebrews 9:27 says that it is reserved for men to die once. Moses died once already. How could he die again? Thus, Moses cannot be included here.
In the original text, "two witnesses" is preceded by the definite article. This seems to indicate that one would know who these two people are immediately upon reading it. The words in Revelation 11:4 are quoted from Zechariah 4:2-3, 5, 11, and 14. "Stand" in Revelation 11:4 signifies living. When a man is tired, he sits down; when he is sick, he lies down; and when he dies, he falls down. These two persons stand before the Lord of the earth. The whole Bible mentions only two persons who did not die; they are Enoch and Elijah. These two alone stand before the Lord. (It is said that an apocrypha written by John states that Enoch and Elijah will come back.) "Two witnesses." Two is the number specified in the Bible for witnessing (Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Matt. 18:16). "Sackcloth" has the meaning of bitterness. The New Testament does not command us to wear sackcloth, but in the Old Testament there was such a commandment (Isa. 22:12; Joel 1:13). What the two witnesses preach is judgment, not the gospel. Enoch preached judgment (Jude 14-15), and Elijah was a prophet who wielded a sword (1 Kings 18:40; 2 Kings 1:10, 12). They preach sad news, not glad tidings.
In the three and a half years of the great tribulation, even if Christians remain, it will be impossible for them to preach the gospel because they will no longer be able to escape tribulation.
"These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth."
"Olive trees" produce oil and the "lampstands" give light. There is oil, and there is light. The olive trees and the lampstands were standing at the time of Zechariah (Zech. 4:11-14), they were standing when John was writing the book of Revelation, and they are still standing now. The words translated "anointed ones" (see Zech. 4:14, KJV), when translated directly from the original, are "sons of oil." This means that these two persons are filled with the Holy Spirit.
"The Lord of the earth." The Jews have their kingdom. In Genesis 14:22, God is the possessor of heaven and earth. After the Jews lost their kingdom, God was known only as the God of the heavens (Dan. 2:18, 28, 37, 44). Now He is again called the Lord of the earth, for He has returned to His Old Testament position and has again acknowledged the Jews.
What kind of people are these two witnesses? Perhaps they are those who sell the oil to the five foolish virgins (Matt. 25:1-2, 8-10a), or perhaps they are those who give a little help to the persecuted ones during the time of the great tribulation (Dan. 11:34).
"And if anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone desires to harm them, thus must he be killed."
These two oppose the whole world and Antichrist. "If anyone desires to harm them, thus must he be killed." We see that these two persons must know even the evil thoughts that arise in people's hearts. They witness with force; thus, they are not preaching the gospel. They perform miracles only to protect themselves and to support the Jews and the remaining Christians during the great tribulation. The miracles are not for saving people.
"These have the authority to shut heaven that no rain may fall during the days of their prophecy; and they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood and to smite the earth with every plague as often as they desire."
"Rain" signifies God's grace because God sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matt. 5:45). "No rain" means that God withdraws His grace.
"And when they have completed their testimony, the beast who comes up out of the abyss will make war with them and will overcome them and kill them."
The beast or the wild beast signifies Antichrist. The word "beast" is mentioned thirty-six times in this book. Thirty-six is six times six, six being the number of man. The very name of the wild beast signifies his personality, work, and all that he has. (The Lamb is mentioned twenty-eight times in this book. Twenty-eight is seven times four. This special name signifies the Lord's personality, work, and perfect relationship with both God and man.)
This beast comes up out of the abyss. Revelation 13:1 says that the beast comes up out of the sea. Thus, the abyss is below the sea. The abyss is the dwelling place of the devil. One who comes up out of the abyss must be a resurrected person. According to Revelation 17:8, we know that the beast will have died and resurrected. The authority of the two witnesses enables them to kill people at will, but they cannot kill the beast because he is a resurrected beast.
"And their corpses will be on the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified."
From the physical point of view, "the great city" is Jerusalem, but according to its spiritual meaning, this is Sodom (the place famous for its sin) and Egypt (the place that opposes God). Historically, it is the place where the Lord was crucified. The manner of the death of these two witnesses may be similar to the crucifixion of the Lord, because verse 8 says, "Where also their Lord was crucified." The word "also" emphasizes that their death was just like the kind of death that the Lord suffered in crucifixion. This corresponds with the crucifixion of the prophets in Matthew 23:34-35.
"And those of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations see their corpses for three and a half days, and they will not allow their corpses to be placed in a tomb."
"Those of the peoples and tribes and tongues" means that representatives from all peoples and tribes and tongues come to visit. These two persons become the common enemies of mankind, so when the nations hear that they have been killed, they come to see what has happened. According to Joel 3:1-2 and Zechariah 12:3 and 14:2, people from every nation come to Jerusalem at this time.
The "three and a half days" fall between three and four days. These are neither like the Lord who did not see corruption for three days (John 2:19; Acts 2:30-31) nor like Lazarus who began to stink after four days (John 11:17, 39). The three days, the four days, and the three and a half days are recorded by John alone.
"And those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them and make merry; and they will send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth."
The message spreads everywhere, and these are the reactions. The sending of gifts indicates their extreme rejoicing. There is such rejoicing probably because (1) the people's flesh has been tormented and (2) their consciences have also been tormented.
"And after the three and a half days, the breath of life out of God entered into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those beholding them."
Resurrection is the work of the Spirit. That "they stood on their feet" indicates that they are now living. (In 11:8 the dead bodies are lying down.) The "fear" is probably caused by two reasons: (1) the immediate reason is that they are seen to have come alive all of a sudden; (2) the remote reason is that since they have had such authority in the past, what will these two now do since they have resurrected? "Great" here is the same word in the original text as "great" in 11:8 and 11:13.
"And they heard a loud voice out of heaven saying to them, Come up here. And they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them."
The "cloud" here and the "cloud" in 10:1 of this book both refer to the same thing. The Lord's ascension was beheld only by His disciples; however, the ascension of these witnesses is beheld even by their enemies. This allows the latter to know that only God is God.
"And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and seven thousand men were killed in the earthquake, and the rest became terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is coming quickly."
"The city" here is the city of Jerusalem. In the original, "seven thousand men" is seven thousand men of renown. The whole book of Revelation records only four earthquakes: (1) In 6:12, at the time of the sixth seal; (2) in 8:5; (3) in 11:13; and (4) in 11:19. (The earthquake in Revelation 16:18 is the same as the one in 11:19 because the order of events is the same: a loud noise, lightnings, voices, thunders, an earthquake, and finally, great hail.)
To become "terrified" does not mean to repent. They merely acknowledge that this is God's doing because 16:11 clearly says that they would not repent (cf. Exo. 8:18-19; 1 Sam. 6:5-6 and Josh. 7:19).
This is the end of the inserted visions.
"And the seventh angel trumpeted; 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 forever and ever. And the twenty-four elders who sit before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshipped God, saying, We thank You, Lord God the Almighty, He who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have reigned. And the nations became angry, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to give the reward to Your slaves the prophets and to the saints and to those who fear Your name, to the small and to the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."
This portion concerns the results of the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The plagues of the seven bowls are the plagues that occur at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. This is the third woe spoken of in 11:14. After 11:16 the seats of the twenty-four elders are not mentioned again because the kingdom has arrived. Furthermore, after 19:4 the elders themselves are not mentioned again because they have resigned their position of ruling the universe.
The "wrath" in 11:18 refers to the plagues of the seven bowls. In verse 18 only three kinds of people receive the reward: (1) "Your slaves the prophets" (There are prophets in the New Testament too. These are those who have spiritual gifts.); (2) "the saints"; and (3) "those who fear Your name." (In the Old Testament time, there were people who feared God, but this designation does not apply to those in the church age. The people who fear God at this time are probably those Gentiles who enter into the kingdom to be the common citizens.)
"Those who destroy the earth" probably refer to: (1) those who build up the religious Babylon (the people of the Roman Catholic Church); (2) those who worship the image of the beast and follow him (those in Revelation 13:14); and (3) those in Revelation 20:7-9.
"And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple; and there were lightnings and voices and thunders and an earthquake and great hail."
This verse and Revelation 16:17 through 21 are concurrent, for both show us the situation at the end of the third woe.
