Rev 11:3-6 | KingComments | STEP | . Although it is not said in plain words, it seems that this chapter tells about the contents of the little book from the previous chapter. The scene is Jerusalem with the temple of God. The temple is called “the temple of God”, because God takes into consideration the true worshipers who draw near to Him there. But in reality it is the temple of the antichrist, which was built in unbelief and where the antichrist will place an image of the beast from the sea during the three and a halve years of the great tribulation ( ; ). It is most likely that this image will be placed in the court of the temple and not in the building itself. The court is also allowed for the people to enter. Because of the image of an idol that is placed there, the court is not measured. This temple is next to the last temple of all temples that have been built in the course of time on earth. We read in Scripture about five earthly temples: 1. the temple of Solomon (1 Kings 7; was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC); 2. the temple of Zerubbabel (Ezra 3; 6; was robbed later and consecrated to Jupiter by Antiochus Epiphanes in 168 and 170 BC; 3. the temple that was built by Herod ( ; its construction was started in 17 BC and it was destroyed by the Romans in 70); this temple is by the way not a completely new temple, but an enlargement of the temple of Zerubbabel; 4. the temple built for the antichrist ( ) and 5. the temple of Christ (Ezekiel 40-48). For the sake of completeness I point out that the New Testament still speaks of three spiritual temples: the body of the Lord Jesus ( ), the body of the believer ( ), and the church ( ). Finally, we read in Revelation 11 about a temple of God in heaven ( ) and in Revelation 21 that God Himself and the Lamb is called the temple of the new Jerusalem ( ). As with eating the little book John must also actively participate in the events here. He is ordered to get up and measure some matters. Therefore “a measuring rod like a staff” is given him. This ‘measuring rod’ is to define the border of what especially belongs to God; it defines His ownership (cf. ; ; ). The temple is His, the altar is His and those who worship Him in the temple are His. The measuring rod like a staff represents the support, which faith finds in the thought that God also in times of darkness makes clear what is His and who belong to Him. . John is not allowed to measure the court. He even has to reject it. That is, because the court does not belong to God. He has no connection with it, for the nations have got access to it, because the antichrist has made a covenant with them ( ). With “the holy city” Jerusalem is meant. During a period of forty-two months – that is three and a half years, the duration of the great tribulation – Jerusalem will be in the hands of these unholy allies. They will trample underfoot and profane the city in such a way that in the (court of the) temple which is built for the antichrist, a gruesome idol of the Roman emperor will be placed. . Despite the domination of the pagans and the pressure of the antichrist, God will conceive a powerful testimony in Jerusalem. Many will have fled from Judea, that is the region around Jerusalem, to the mountains ( ), but in the city itself there will be a remnant of worshipers ( ). In the midst of it God will raise up two witnesses whom He calls “My two witnesses”. That it is two witnesses means it is reliable and acceptable testimony ( ; ). Many will repent through their testimony ( ). They will pass through the city “clothed in sackcloth”. The sackcloth is a sign of mourning because of the miserable situation the people are in (cf. ; ). It also supports the seriousness of the message which is an appeal for repentance. They will warn and point out to the people who want to enter the temple to worship the image of the beast that Christ is coming soon. You also see with John the baptist that his clothing was fitting to the seriousness of his preaching ( ) and how he finally had to pay with his life for this preaching ( ). The duration of their preaching is indicated in days, probably to make clear and to emphasize that their preaching is heard every day. This indication also makes clear how valuable each day is to God that a testimony of Him is given on earth. Another thought attached to that is that these twelve hundred and sixty days are again the same period of the great tribulation. Twelve hundred and sixty days is three and a half years. Because the testimony is given under the greatest possible tribulation, it is counted in days. God counts the days of His tested and persecuted witnesses. Because He has given power to His two witnesses the enemies cannot do anything until God allows them to. . The witnesses are compared with “the two olive trees and the two lampstands” ( ). As ‘the two olive trees’ they show the full power of the Holy Spirit, of Whom oil is a picture, and as ‘the two lampstands’ they spread Divine light as a testimony in the darkness that then prevails on earth.. They stand “before the Lord of the earth” ( ), that is, their testimony concerns the Lord Who stands on the earth and on the sea and Who will soon assert His right over it. . As long as they have to testify, no one can harm them. Every attack will be paid with the lives of the attackers because the witnesses have the fire of God at their disposal. That fire comes out of their mouth and it consumes every enemy that wants to harm them to eliminate them and gag them so that they no longer testify. This course of action makes clear that it is a totally different time than the time in which we now live. Instead of consuming our enemies who want to harm us when we testify to our Lord, we should bless them. The Lord rebukes John and James when they suggest to Him to command fire to come down from heaven to consume the village of the Samaritans because He is not welcome there ( ). . The witnesses have even more power. As often as they desire they can shut heaven, they can turn water to blood and they can strike the earth with all kinds of plagues. If you know anything of the Old Testament history, particularly the histories in which Moses and Elijah play a role, you will recognize them in these plagues. These manifestations of power you find in particular with these two greatest prophets of the Old Testament. “The power to shut the sky” you find with Elijah ( ) and the “power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague” you find with Moses ( ; Exodus 8-10). Elijah testified before God’s people who had become apostate. Moses testified before the enemy of God’s people, namely Egypt. Elijah and Moses are more often mentioned together. In that sense you find them both with the Lord on the mountain of transfiguration, where they, as it were, get a foretaste of the millennial kingdom of peace ( ). Also Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, speaks about Moses and Elijah as persons who in the last days will perform once more ( ; cf. ; ). That is not so much about their performance in person, but a performance that highlights the characteristics of their services. . When the time of their testimony determined by God, is over, they are killed. This also happened to the Lord Jesus, Who was delivered only when His time had come, not one hour earlier. They are killed by the beast. About the beast you will be informed in detail in Revelation 13. It may look strange that the beast will make war with two men. But there are more examples that an army was sent out to capture one single man. You see this for example with Elijah being besieged several times by a small army ( ), with Elisha in Dothan ( ) and even more with the Lord Jesus in Gethsemane ( ). The witnesses have shown their power and that makes clear to the beast that he is dealing with very dangerous individuals. . When the two witnesses are killed, their dead bodies will lie ”in the street of the great city”. From the addition “where also their Lord was crucified” it becomes clear that it is about Jerusalem. But that name is not mentioned. The names that are mentioned indicate the spiritual decay of the city, where the city spiritually has landed. It has become similar to Sodom and Egypt. Jerusalem is ‘Sodom’ because of its corruptness and ‘Egypt’ because of its oppressing God’s people. This total wickedness has shown its pinnacle in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. The two witnesses are killed, after bearing their testimony, in the same place where their Lord bore His testimony and was killed. They suffer His fate and share in it. Now read Revelation 11:1-8 again. Reflection: What does God allow His two witnesses to perform?

‏ Revelation of John 11:3-6

The Two Witnesses

Rev 11:1. Although it is not said in plain words, it seems that this chapter tells about the contents of the little book from the previous chapter. The scene is Jerusalem with the temple of God. The temple is called “the temple of God”, because God takes into consideration the true worshipers who draw near to Him there. But in reality it is the temple of the antichrist, which was built in unbelief and where the antichrist will place an image of the beast from the sea during the three and a halve years of the great tribulation (Rev 13:14-15; 2Thes 2:4).

It is most likely that this image will be placed in the court of the temple and not in the building itself. The court is also allowed for the people to enter. Because of the image of an idol that is placed there, the court is not measured.

This temple is next to the last temple of all temples that have been built in the course of time on earth. We read in Scripture about five earthly temples:

1. the temple of Solomon (1 Kings 7; was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC);

2. the temple of Zerubbabel (Ezra 3; 6; was robbed later and consecrated to Jupiter by Antiochus Epiphanes in 168 and 170 BC;

3. the temple that was built by Herod (Jn 2:20; its construction was started in 17 BC and it was destroyed by the Romans in 70); this temple is by the way not a completely new temple, but an enlargement of the temple of Zerubbabel;

4. the temple built for the antichrist (2Thes 2:4) and

5. the temple of Christ (Ezekiel 40-48).

For the sake of completeness I point out that the New Testament still speaks of three spiritual temples: the body of the Lord Jesus (Jn 2:21), the body of the believer (1Cor 6:19), and the church (1Cor 3:16). Finally, we read in Revelation 11 about a temple of God in heaven (Rev 11:19) and in Revelation 21 that God Himself and the Lamb is called the temple of the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:22).

As with eating the little book John must also actively participate in the events here. He is ordered to get up and measure some matters. Therefore “a measuring rod like a staff” is given him. This ‘measuring rod’ is to define the border of what especially belongs to God; it defines His ownership (cf. Psa 16:6; Zec 2:1-5; Rev 21:15-17). The temple is His, the altar is His and those who worship Him in the temple are His. The measuring rod like a staff represents the support, which faith finds in the thought that God also in times of darkness makes clear what is His and who belong to Him.

Rev 11:2. John is not allowed to measure the court. He even has to reject it. That is, because the court does not belong to God. He has no connection with it, for the nations have got access to it, because the antichrist has made a covenant with them (Dan 9:26-27). With “the holy city” Jerusalem is meant.

During a period of forty-two months – that is three and a half years, the duration of the great tribulation – Jerusalem will be in the hands of these unholy allies. They will trample underfoot and profane the city in such a way that in the (court of the) temple which is built for the antichrist, a gruesome idol of the Roman emperor will be placed.

Rev 11:3. Despite the domination of the pagans and the pressure of the antichrist, God will conceive a powerful testimony in Jerusalem. Many will have fled from Judea, that is the region around Jerusalem, to the mountains (Mt 24:16), but in the city itself there will be a remnant of worshipers (Zep 3:12). In the midst of it God will raise up two witnesses whom He calls “My two witnesses”. That it is two witnesses means it is reliable and acceptable testimony (Deu 19:15; 2Cor 13:1). Many will repent through their testimony (Dan 12:10).

They will pass through the city “clothed in sackcloth”. The sackcloth is a sign of mourning because of the miserable situation the people are in (cf. Joel 1:13; Jer 4:8). It also supports the seriousness of the message which is an appeal for repentance. They will warn and point out to the people who want to enter the temple to worship the image of the beast that Christ is coming soon. You also see with John the baptist that his clothing was fitting to the seriousness of his preaching (Mt 3:4) and how he finally had to pay with his life for this preaching (Mt 14:5 ; 10).

The duration of their preaching is indicated in days, probably to make clear and to emphasize that their preaching is heard every day. This indication also makes clear how valuable each day is to God that a testimony of Him is given on earth. Another thought attached to that is that these twelve hundred and sixty days are again the same period of the great tribulation. Twelve hundred and sixty days is three and a half years. Because the testimony is given under the greatest possible tribulation, it is counted in days. God counts the days of His tested and persecuted witnesses. Because He has given power to His two witnesses the enemies cannot do anything until God allows them to.

Rev 11:4. The witnesses are compared with “the two olive trees and the two lampstands” (Zec 4:1-14). As ‘the two olive trees’ they show the full power of the Holy Spirit, of Whom oil is a picture, and as ‘the two lampstands’ they spread Divine light as a testimony in the darkness that then prevails on earth.. They stand “before the Lord of the earth” (Psa 24:1), that is, their testimony concerns the Lord Who stands on the earth and on the sea and Who will soon assert His right over it.

Rev 11:5. As long as they have to testify, no one can harm them. Every attack will be paid with the lives of the attackers because the witnesses have the fire of God at their disposal. That fire comes out of their mouth and it consumes every enemy that wants to harm them to eliminate them and gag them so that they no longer testify.

This course of action makes clear that it is a totally different time than the time in which we now live. Instead of consuming our enemies who want to harm us when we testify to our Lord, we should bless them. The Lord rebukes John and James when they suggest to Him to command fire to come down from heaven to consume the village of the Samaritans because He is not welcome there (Lk 9:53-56).

Rev 11:6. The witnesses have even more power. As often as they desire they can shut heaven, they can turn water to blood and they can strike the earth with all kinds of plagues. If you know anything of the Old Testament history, particularly the histories in which Moses and Elijah play a role, you will recognize them in these plagues. These manifestations of power you find in particular with these two greatest prophets of the Old Testament. “The power to shut the sky” you find with Elijah (1Kgs 17:1) and the “power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague” you find with Moses (Exo 7:14-25; Exodus 8-10). Elijah testified before God’s people who had become apostate. Moses testified before the enemy of God’s people, namely Egypt.

Elijah and Moses are more often mentioned together. In that sense you find them both with the Lord on the mountain of transfiguration, where they, as it were, get a foretaste of the millennial kingdom of peace (Mt 17:3). Also Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, speaks about Moses and Elijah as persons who in the last days will perform once more (Mal 4:4-6; cf. Mt 11:14 ; Mt 17:11-12; Lk 1:17). That is not so much about their performance in person, but a performance that highlights the characteristics of their services.

Rev 11:7. When the time of their testimony determined by God, is over, they are killed. This also happened to the Lord Jesus, Who was delivered only when His time had come, not one hour earlier. They are killed by the beast. About the beast you will be informed in detail in Revelation 13.

It may look strange that the beast will make war with two men. But there are more examples that an army was sent out to capture one single man. You see this for example with Elijah being besieged several times by a small army (2Kgs 1:8-14), with Elisha in Dothan (2Kgs 6:11-14) and even more with the Lord Jesus in Gethsemane (Mt 26:47). The witnesses have shown their power and that makes clear to the beast that he is dealing with very dangerous individuals.

Rev 11:8. When the two witnesses are killed, their dead bodies will lie ”in the street of the great city”. From the addition “where also their Lord was crucified” it becomes clear that it is about Jerusalem. But that name is not mentioned. The names that are mentioned indicate the spiritual decay of the city, where the city spiritually has landed. It has become similar to Sodom and Egypt. Jerusalem is ‘Sodom’ because of its corruptness and ‘Egypt’ because of its oppressing God’s people. This total wickedness has shown its pinnacle in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus.

The two witnesses are killed, after bearing their testimony, in the same place where their Lord bore His testimony and was killed. They suffer His fate and share in it.

Now read Revelation 11:1-8 again.

Reflection: What does God allow His two witnesses to perform?