Revelation 11

Revelation 11 continues the interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets that begins with the vision of the mighty angel and the little book in Revelation 10. In verse 15 the seventh trumpet sounds, bringing the section of the trumpet judgments to a close.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 John is given a reed and measures the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. The outer court is given to the Gentiles, and the holy city is trodden under foot for forty-two months.
• Verses 3–6 Two witnesses, clothed in sackcloth, prophesy for 1,260 days. They are called the two olive trees and the two candlesticks. They have power to devour their enemies with fire from their mouths, to shut heaven so that it does not rain, and to turn the waters to blood.
• Verses 7–10 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit kills them. Their bodies lie in the street of the great city for three and a half days. Those who dwell on the earth rejoice over their deaths and send gifts to one another.
• Verses 11–13 The Spirit of life from God enters the two witnesses, and they stand on their feet; hearing a voice say, "Come up hither," they ascend to heaven in a cloud. A great earthquake brings down a tenth of the city, and seven thousand people are killed. The survivors give glory to God.
• Verse 14 The second woe is past, and the third woe is announced.
• Verses 15–18 With the seventh trumpet comes the proclamation that the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of Christ. The twenty-four elders fall on their faces in worship and praise God for his judgment and for the rewarding of his servants.
• Verse 19 The temple of God in heaven is opened, and the ark of the covenant is seen. Lightnings, voices, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail follow.

Key Verses

• Revelation 11:3 "They shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth" — This verse specifies the duration of the two witnesses' ministry and stands at the center of interpretive debate.
• Revelation 11:4 "The two olive trees, and the two candlesticks" — The expression draws on the vision of Zechariah 4.
• Revelation 11:15 "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ" — This verse proclaims in advance the conclusion of the entire Book of Revelation.

Characters and Places

• The two witnesses: They prophesy for 1,260 days, are martyred, rise again, and ascend to heaven. The text does not reveal their names.
• The beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit: The power that kills the two witnesses, connected with the beast of chapter 13.
• The twenty-four elders: A company seated on thrones before God who worship him; they first appear in chapter 4.
• The great city: Spiritually called both Sodom and Egypt. The text describes it as the place "where also our Lord was crucified."

Points for Reflection

• Forty-two months and 1,260 days each equal three and a half years and are commonly linked to "a time and times and the dividing of time" in Daniel 7. Interpretive traditions read this period differently.
• Futurism (including dispensationalism) views it as a literal period of great tribulation immediately preceding the end.
• Preterism views it as referring to events connected with first-century Jerusalem.
• Idealism views it as a symbol of the entire age in which the church bears witness amid suffering.
• There are also several views on the identity of the two witnesses.
• Some identify them as two individuals, on the grounds that the power to shut heaven recalls Elijah and the power to turn water into blood recalls Moses.
• Some of the early church fathers are said to have identified them as Enoch and Elijah.
• Many commentators in the Reformed tradition regard them as a symbol of the witnessing church.
• Some new religious movements have presented their leaders as the two witnesses. Various denominations have addressed such claims in their deliberations on heresy designations.
• The phrase "the Spirit of life from God entered into them" in verse 11 is frequently noted as recalling the vision of the dry bones in Ezekiel 37.

In the Korean Church

Verse 15 is among the texts used in the "Hallelujah" chorus of Handel's oratorio Messiah. In Korean churches, choirs frequently perform this piece at Christmas and Easter.