Chapter ten and the first part of chapter eleven are an insertion between the sixth and seventh trumpets. In chapter ten we have a clear vision of Christ coming back to take possession of the earth. In chapter eleven we have a vision crucial to the prophecy of this book. As we consider this vision, three main items must be kept in mind: the time, the place, and the people. The length of time covered in this vision is forty-two months (v. 2). These forty-two months are twelve hundred and sixty days (v. 3). Undoubtedly, this is a reference to the verses in the book of Daniel where there is mention of the three and a half years, the second half of the last of the seventy weeks (Dan. 12:7; 7:26; 9:27). In Revelation we have the fulfillment of what is mentioned in Daniel. The place in this vision is the city of Jerusalem, which, according to the book of Daniel, will be given over to the Gentiles, mainly to Antichrist. When Antichrist breaks the agreement made with Israel for seven years (Dan. 9:27), he will persecute the Jews and force them to discontinue the worship of God (Rev. 13:7; Dan. 7:21; 8:11-12). From the side of Antichrist, he will seize control of Jerusalem, but from God’s side, God will give Jerusalem over to him. This means God will allow Antichrist to do whatever he desires to the city of Jerusalem.
During these forty-two months in the city of Jerusalem, there will be the two witnesses, who are the two olive trees and two lampstands and who, clothed in sackcloth (vv. 3-4), will prophesy. As we shall see, these two witnesses will not be new people, but two who were present in Old Testament times — Moses and Elijah. In Revelation 11 these two witnesses “stand before the Lord of the earth” (v. 4). As we come to this portion of the Word, we must keep these three things in mind — the time, the place, and the witnesses.
Verse 2 says that the nations “will trample under foot the holy city forty-two months.” At the end of this age, Antichrist will make a firm covenant with the Jews for a week (seven years), which will be the last week of the seventy weeks God appointed for the Jewish nation in Dan. 9:24-27. In the middle of the last week (that is, after the first half of the seven years), Antichrist will break the covenant and will destroy the worship of God (Dan. 9:27). Then he will blaspheme God and persecute His people for three and a half years (Rev. 13:5-7; Dan. 7:25; 12:7), which will be the forty-two months, the twelve hundred sixty days, mentioned here and the last half of the last week in Daniel 9:27, when Antichrist will also destroy the holy city Jerusalem. According to Matt. 24:15, 21, these last three and a half years must be the time of the great tribulation.
In verses 1 and 2 we read of the treading of Jerusalem: “And there was given to me a reed like a rod, and he said, Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship in it. And the court which is outside of the temple cast out and do not measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample under foot the holy city forty-two months.” A reed is for measuring (Rev. 21:15; Ezek. 40:3; 42:16-19), whereas a rod implies punishment (Prov. 10:13; Isa. 10:5; 11:4). Hence, “a reed like a rod” here indicates measuring with punishment. To measure is to sanctify, to preserve, and to possess (Num. 35:2, 5; Ezek. 45:1-3; 42:15, 20; 48:8, 12, 15). The altar in verse 1 refers to the golden altar of incense, because it is with the temple, not the brass altar of sacrifice in “the court which is outside of the temple” (v. 2). The court in verse 2 is on the earth. The holy city here refers to the earthly Jerusalem (Isa. 52:1; Matt. 27:53).
The apostle John was told to measure the temple of God and the altar. Undoubtedly, this is the temple and altar in the heavens. This measuring indicates that the heavens will be preserved from being damaged. During these three and a half years, heaven will be preserved because Satan will be cast out of heaven and down to earth. Because the man-child will have been raptured to heaven, there will no longer be any place for Satan there. Wherever the overcomers are, there is no room for Satan. The overcomers will fight upward into heaven, and, once there, war will rage between them and Satan. Satan will be defeated and cast down to earth. Then Christ and the overcomers will fight downward to the earth until they reach Armageddon and destroy the army of Antichrist. In the last three and a half years there will be no trace of Satan in heaven, and heaven will be wholly preserved. At that time, Satan, Antichrist, and the false prophet, a devilish company, will be on earth doing everything possible to corrupt it.
While the temple of God in heaven will be measured, “the court which is outside of the temple” will be “cast out” and not measured (v. 2) “because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample under foot the holy city forty-two months.” Here we see that the earthly temple, Jerusalem on earth, will be given over to destruction by Antichrist and the nations.
Now we come to the testimony of the two witnesses (Rev. 11:3-12). All Bible students agree that one of the two witnesses is Elijah. But there is some disagreement over the identity of the other, whether he is Enoch or Moses. Some argue in favor of Enoch because, besides Elijah, he is the only one who never died. According to Heb. 9:27, it is appointed to man to die once. These who hold this view say that since Enoch and Elijah never died, they must be the two witnesses who will die once during the great tribulation. Because Moses already died, he cannot die the second time. But what about Lazarus? Contrary to this way of thinking, he died, was resurrected, and then died again. Why do we say that the two witnesses are Moses and Elijah? We say this because this claim is strongly based upon the facts of the Bible. The Bible reveals that Moses and Elijah are the two witnesses of God. What they do in 11:5 and 6 is just like the deeds of Moses and Elijah (Exo. 7:17, 19; 9:14; 11:1; 2 Kings 1:10-12; 1 Kings 17:1). Moses changed water into blood, and Elijah called down fire from heaven. Therefore, according to their ministry, the two witnesses must be Moses and Elijah. Furthermore, they appeared before the Lord on the mount of transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-3). Moses, representing the law, and Elijah, representing the prophets (Luke 16:16), both testify for God. The Old Testament is composed with writings representative of these two men, the law and the prophets. The law was given through Moses, and Elijah was the leading prophet. Hence, the Old Testament was called “the Law and the Prophets” (Luke 16:16). These two ministries have always been God’s testimony. For centuries, the law represented by Moses and the prophets represented by Elijah have been God’s witnesses on earth. Elijah’s mission was predicted (Mal. 4:5; Matt. 17:11).
These two witnesses are the two olive trees, the two lampstands, and the two sons of oil standing before the Lord of the earth (v. 4; Zech. 4:3, 11-12, 14). Verse 4 says, “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth.” The olive trees mentioned in verse 4 produce oil for the lamps, and the lampstands give light with the oil of the olive trees. Zechariah 4:14 says that they are the “two sons of oil, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth” (Heb.). They are called the sons of oil because they are full of oil; they are full of the Spirit. Hence, they have several names — the two witnesses, the two lampstands, the two olive trees, and the two sons of oil. In the church age, the churches are the lampstands for God’s testimony (1:20), but in the last three and a half years of this age, the two witnesses will be the lampstands for God’s testimony.
The thousand two hundred and sixty days in verse 3 are the forty-two months mentioned in verse 2, the period of time when Antichrist blasphemes God (13:5-6) and persecutes His people (12:6, 14). While he exercises his evil power and persecution, the two witnesses prophesy, speak for God, and testify against the evil doings of Antichrist. During the great tribulation, the persecution will be severe and fierce. Because of this, God will send back Moses and Elijah who, being full of the Spirit, will strengthen the Jews who will be forced by Antichrist to give up their religion. They will also strengthen the saints left in the great tribulation. According to Revelation 14, immediately after the rapture of the firstfruit, Antichrist will persecute God’s people and compel them to worship him and his image (14:9-12). At this time, the two witnesses will strengthen God’s people. Simultaneously, an angel “flying in mid-heaven” will preach “an eternal gospel” (14:6). This gospel, which is different from the gospel of life or the gospel of the kingdom, will charge people to fear God, implying that they should not persecute His people, and to worship Him, implying that they should not worship Antichrist. Thus, during the great tribulation, there will be two kinds of strengthenings: the strengthening by the two witnesses and the strengthening by the preaching of the eternal gospel.
Verse 3 says, “And I will give authority to My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth” (v. 3). Sackcloth is a symbol of mourning (2 Sam. 3:31). These two witnesses will wear funeral clothes as a warning to people. They will not preach the gospel of gladness, but will warn people to stay away from God’s judgment and from the worship of Antichrist.
Verse 5 says, “And if anyone desires to injure them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone desires to injure them, thus must he be killed.” Unlike them, we do not have this power, and in our preaching we do not kill people or burn them. But these two witnesses will be able to say, “If you attempt to injure us, you will be burned and killed.”
Verse 6 says, “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.” To shut heaven that no rain may fall resembles what Elijah did (1 Kings 17:1; Luke 4:25). To turn the waters into blood and to smite the earth with plagues resembles what Moses did (Exo. 7:17, 19; Exo. 9:14; 11:1).
In His wisdom, God will allow these two witnesses to be defeated temporarily. Verse 7 says, “And when they have completed their testimony, the beast who comes up out of the abyss shall make war with them and shall overcome them and kill them.” The beast here is Antichrist, who will come up out of the abyss (17:8) and out of the sea (13:1) and who will make war with the two witnesses and with the saints (13:7). Eventually, even the two strongest witnesses will be killed by the persecution under Antichrist. At that time, Antichrist will not only be fighting against man but also against God. He will continue to fight against God until Christ comes with His overcomers to fight against him directly. There will actually be a person on earth who will fight directly against God. Christ, the embodiment of God, will descend with an army of overcomers to fight against Antichrist, “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thes. 2:3). The last three and a half years will be a war between rebellious mankind under the leadership of the beast, “the man of lawlessness,” and the Creator. This will force God to come and fight directly, physically, in Christ with all His overcomers.
Verses 9 and 10 say, “And those of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations see their corpses three and a half days, and they will not allow their corpses to be placed in a tomb. 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.” Their corpses will not be buried but will be left on the street of the great city, where their Lord was crucified, for a show of shame. The “great city” refers to “the holy city” in verse 2, which is the earthly Jerusalem and which will spiritually become Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. In the restoration of the nation of Israel, which began in 1948, the Jews returned to their father’s land in unbelief. They will become as sinful as Sodom (cf. Isa. 1:9-10; 3:9; Jer. 23:14) and as worldly as Egypt (cf. Ezek. 23:3, 8, 19, 27) until the return of Christ, their Messiah, when “all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:26). The most worldly people are found in the little nation of Israel. At the end of this age, in the eyes of God, Jerusalem will be as sinful as Sodom and as worldly as Egypt. Because of this, God will give up this city for the last three and a half years. God will seem to say, “Let her go. I will give her into the hands of Antichrist that he may do whatever he pleases to this sinful and worldly Jerusalem.”
In A.D. 70 Titus, the prince of Rome, destroyed the city of Jerusalem. Both in Daniel and in the New Testament, that prince was a type of Antichrist. Daniel 9:26-27 considers the two as being one. If you read Daniel 9 carefully, you will see that there will be two destructions of Jerusalem. The first was by Titus and the second will be by Antichrist. In the prophecy of Daniel, the two are mentioned seemingly as one, but actually they are not one. Antichrist will destroy Jerusalem in a way similar to what Titus did. According to principle, the fulfillment of a type is always more complete than the type. This is why the Lord said that the great tribulation will be more severe than anything that has preceded it or that will follow after it. Even in Matthew 24 and Luke 21, the Lord’s prophecy did not clearly distinguish the destruction of Jerusalem under Titus from that under Antichrist. The two are combined. For this reason, the seventy weeks have a long gap between the sixty-ninth and seventieth weeks. There is a long period of suspension until the time of the seventieth week arrives. After the sixty-ninth week, there was a destruction under Titus, and after the gap between the sixty-ninth and the seventieth weeks, there will be the destruction under Antichrist. But in the Bible these two destructions are mentioned nearly as one. At the time of Titus, Jerusalem was sinful, and at the time of Antichrist, it will be even more sinful. Revelation chapter eleven does not even call the city Jerusalem but “the great city,” referring to it as the place where the Lord was crucified (v. 8). The Lord, of course, was crucified neither at Sodom nor at Egypt; He was crucified at Jerusalem. At the time of the persecution and destruction by Antichrist, Jerusalem will have become as sinful as Sodom and as worldly as Egypt. How we need to pray for the Jews that they might repent. Among them there will be the faithful ones — the one hundred forty-four thousand. After the rapture of the two witnesses, the time will be close to the Lord’s coming with His army to defeat Antichrist in the war at Armageddon.
Verse 11 says, “And after the three and a half days, the spirit of life out of God entered into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those beholding them.” That “they stood on their feet” indicates that they were resurrected. Their resurrection is separate from that mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. The Lord Jesus was resurrected after three days, and Lazarus was resurrected after four days. But these two witnesses will be resurrected after three and a half days.
Verse 12 continues, “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.” That “they went up into heaven” indicates that they were raptured. Their rapture is also separate from that predicted in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
Verse 7 says that the two witnesses “completed their testimony.” Their testimony will be for God as the Lord of the earth (v. 4) and against Antichrist. During the great tribulation, the two witnesses will give an adequate testimony for God and against Antichrist (Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Matt. 18:16).
While many will see the resurrection and rapture of the two witnesses, they will not repent. This indicates that we should not trust in miracles. Many hold the wrong concept that others will be convinced by miracles. But these two witnesses, who will be physically killed, will be suddenly and miraculously resurrected and raptured to the heavens. Nevertheless, the people will not repent.
Verse 13 says, “And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and the names of the men who were killed in the earthquake were seven thousand and the rest became terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” The city here refers to “the great city” in verse 8, which is Jerusalem. The tenth part of the city of Jerusalem will fall because of this earthquake, and the rest of the city will be divided into three parts at the last earthquake in 16:19.
Verse 13 says that “the names of the men who were killed in the earthquake were seven thousand.” The phrase “names of men” implies people of renown. They will be seven thousand famous people. At that time, many among the nation of Israel will be people of renown. Seven thousand of them will be killed by this earthquake because they take the lead not to believe in the Lord Jesus. Today, so many Jewish philosophers, doctors, political scientists, and financiers are sinful and worldly, not believing in the Lord Jesus. Today the nation of Israel is absolutely under the control of these people of renown. Nearly none of the Israelites who have a name will believe in the Lord. Recently, I heard that the government of Israel has decided to frustrate all Christian missionary work in Israel. This decision was made by the people of renown. When this earthquake strikes, it will mainly be the famous people who will be killed by it.
This portion of the Word is a window through which we can see the deplorable situation among the Jews at the end of this age. This is why a great persecution will transpire. In whatever the Arab nations attempt to do to destroy the nation of Israel today, they will not succeed, because the Lord takes care of Israel. But this does not mean that the Jews are truly for the Lord. No, they will continue to be sinful and worldly until one day God will say, “I shall give you up. Heaven will be measured, but I shall leave Jerusalem to the hands of Antichrist. He will damage this city more than Titus did.” According to Zechariah 12, this persecution will bring the persecuted Jews to the point of looking to the One whom they pierced. At this juncture, Christ will come back, and all the tribes of the Holy Land will see the very Redeemer they pierced two thousand years ago. When they look upon Him, they will mourn for Him and repent (Zech. 12:10-14). But this mourning will be somewhat late, for, prior to it, many will be slaughtered by Antichrist. This is the word of prophecy. What can we do except pray for them and be prepared for that hour when the Lord will take us away?
After the seven thousand men of renown are killed by this earthquake, the rest of the people will be terrified and will give glory to God. A number of them, if not all, will repent and, at His return to them, will receive the Lord whom they pierced.
