Revelation Study Week 24 11:1-13

Review:

Chapter 1 - John on Patmos and Vision of Christ in Glory

Chapter 2 - Letters to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira

Chapter 3 - Letters to Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea

Chapter 4 - Vision of God’s Throne

Chapter 5 - Seven Seal Book opened by the slain Lamb

Chapter 6 - First six seals opened

Seal 1-4: the four horsemen

Seal 5: Soul under the altar

Seal 6: Cosmic Disturbances

Chapter 7 - 144,000 Sealed and Great Multitude in Heaven

Chapter 8&9 - First 6 Trumpets

Trumpet 1: 1/3 Vegetation struck

Trumpet 2: 1/3 sea struck

Trumpet 3: 1/3 rivers struck

Trumpet 4: 1/3 heaves struck

Trumpet 5: Locust torment for 5 months - FIRST WOE

Trumpet 6: 1/3 mankind killed

Chapter 10 - Mighty Angel with the little book

Revelation 11:1-13

Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Come and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample over the holy city for forty-two months.

3 And I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days, wearing sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes; anyone who wants to harm them must be killed in this manner. 6 They have authority to shut the sky, so that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.

7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that is prophetically called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days members of the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb; 10 and the inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and celebrate and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to the inhabitants of the earth.

11 But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and those who saw them were terrified. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies watched them. 13 At that moment there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe has passed. The third woe is coming very soon.

Vs 1 & 2 - Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Come and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample over the holy city for forty-two months.

We see here John was given a measuring stick to measure the temple, the altar, and the worshippers. The measuring stick here represents ownership. Something that God is going to protect.

The outer courts will be trampled on by the nations for a period of 42 months (3.5 years)

This does not have God’s protection and for three and a half years will suffer God’s wrath.

Vs 3-6 - 3 And I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days, wearing sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes; anyone who wants to harm them must be killed in this manner. 6 They have authority to shut the sky, so that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.

These verses give us the purpose for the two witnesses…prophesy

They will speak forth (prophesy) God’s Truth...

The purpose of a witness is to confirm what is true.

Who are they?

Many Jews believe them to be Moses and Elijah

Some say Enoch and Elijah

Some say Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the governer from Zechariah 4:2-6

Ultimately who they are is not as important as their purpose…to speak God’s truth

They will be wearing sackcloth to show the sorrow and mourning for the sins of the nations.

They can’t be harmed, and they have the power of the plagues. As a result they blamed for the plagues and people will desire their death

Vs 7-10 - 7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that is prophetically called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days members of the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb; 10 and the inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and celebrate and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to the inhabitants of the earth.

Because of their witness to the things that are happening, they will be killed.

Beast from the bottomless pit? The Anti-Christ.

The word beast here simply means animal. but can be understood to be wild animal of sorts.

The great city called Sodom and Egypt. Vs 8 could also be read:

Their dead bodies (corpses) will lie in the main street of that important city where people crucified their Lord. People have given that city the symbolic name of Sodom or Egypt.

Vs 11-13 - 11 But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and those who saw them were terrified. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies watched them. 13 At that moment there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Their death will not be final, for they will be raised to life because “God breathed life into them.”

14 The second woe has passed. The third woe is coming very soon.