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I) [Excerpt Of Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 10:8-11]:
(Rev 10:8 NASB) Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I
heard again speaking with me, and saying, "Go, take the book which is open
in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land."
(Rev 10:9 NASB) So I went to the angel, telling him to give
me the little book. And he *said to me, "Take it and eat it; it will make
your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey."
(Rev 10:10 NASB) I took the little book out of the angel's
hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten
it, my stomach was made bitter.
E) [EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE COMMENTARY ON REV 10:8-11]:
(Rev 10:8 NASB) Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I
heard again speaking with me, and saying, "Go, take the book which is open
in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land."
(Rev 10:9 NASB) So I went to the angel, telling him to give
me the little book. And he *said to me, "Take it and eat it; it will make
your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey."
(Rev 10:10 NASB) I took the little book out of the angel's
hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten
it, my stomach was made bitter.
"8-11
John, like Ezekiel, is now commanded to take the prophetic scroll and eat it.
The scroll tasted "as sweet as honey" but was bitter to the stomach.
Receiving the Word of God is a great joy; but since the Word is an oracle of
judgment, it results in the unpleasant experience of proclaiming a message of
wrath and woe (cf. Jer 15:16, 19). The symbolic act of eating the scroll might
also mean that the prophetic message was mixed with joy and comfort as well as
gloom. Mounce, following Bruce, argues that the content of the scroll is
In
any case, the sweetness should not be taken to refer to the joy of proclaiming
a message of wrath, for to all God's prophets this was a sorrowful, bitter task
(Jer 9:1).
The
chief import of chapter 10 seems to be a confirmation of John's prophetic call
as v. 11 indicates: "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations,
languages and kings." This prophesying should not be understood as merely
a recapitulation in greater detail of the previous visions but a further
progression of the events connected with the end. Notice the use of the word
"kings" instead of "tribes" (as in 5:9; 7:9; 13:7; 14:6).
This may anticipate the emphasis on the kings of the earth found in 17:9-12 and
elsewhere.
Notes:
________________________________________
11
The preposition ἐπί (epi) translated correctly "about" in NIV may,
with the dative, also mean "upon," "over,"
"against," "near," "to," "with." The
KJV rendering "before" would not be accurate unless the genitive were
used (BAG, p. 287)."
F) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 10:8-11]:
(Rev 10:8 NASB) Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I
heard again speaking with me, and saying, "Go, take the book which is open
in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land."
(Rev 10:9 NASB) So I went to the angel, telling him to give
me the little book. And he *said to me, "Take it and eat it; it will make
your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey."
(Rev 10:10 NASB) I took the little book out of the angel's
hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten
it, my stomach was made bitter.
"3.
THE EATING OF THE SCROLL (10:8-11)
10:8-11.
John obeyed the angel's instruction to eat the scroll, and though it was sweet
(like honey) in his mouth, it soured in his stomach. The angel then added that
John would prophesy again.
What
does this incident mean? Though no interpretation was given John, it is evident
that in partaking of the book he was appropriating what the book states (cf.
Jer. 15:16). The scroll seems to symbolize the Word of God and divine
revelation in general, for John was told to deliver the Word faithfully.
To John the Word of God was indeed sweet with its revelation of the grace of God and its many precious promises that belong to believers. As such it sharply contrasted with his circumstances on Patmos Island. David stated, "The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb" (Ps. 19:9-10). Though the Word is sweet to believers, it will be bitter to unbelievers when it brings divine judgment on them."
II) [Biblestudymanuals Commentary On Rev 11:1-19]:
(Rev 11:1 NASB) "Then there was given me a measuring rod like
a staff; and someone said, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the
altar, and those who worship in it.
(Rev 11:2 NASB) "Leave out the court which is outside
the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and
they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.
(Rev 11:3 NASB) "And I will grant authority to my two
witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in
sackcloth."
(Rev 11:4 NASB) These are the two olive trees and the two
lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.
(Rev 11:5 NASB) And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows
out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wan5ts to harm them,
he must be killed in this way.
(Rev 11:6 NASB) These have the power to shut up the sky, so
that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have
power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with
every plague, as often as they desire.
(Rev 11:7 NASB) When they have finished their testimony, the
beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them
and kill them.
(Rev 11:8 NASB) And their dead bodies will lie in the street
of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their
Lord was crucified.
(Rev 11:9 NASB) Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues
and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will
not perm(Rev 11:1 NASB) it their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.
(Rev 11:10 NASB) And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice
over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these
two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
(Rev 11:11 NASB) But after the three and a half days, the
breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great
fear fell upon those who were watching them.
(Rev 11:12 NASB) And they heard a loud voice from heaven
saying to them, "Come up here." Then they went up into heaven in the
cloud, and their enemies watched them.
(Rev 11:13 NASB) And in that hour 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.
(Rev 11:14 NASB) The second woe is past; behold, the third woe
is coming quickly.
(Rev 11:15 NASB) Then the seventh angel sounded; 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."
(Rev 11:16 NASB) And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their
thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,
(Rev 11:17 NASB) saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God,
the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and
have begun to reign.
(Rev 11:18 NASB) "And the nations were enraged, and Your
wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward
Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name,
the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."
(Rev 11:19 NASB) And the temple of God which is in heaven was
opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were
flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a
great hailstorm."
(Rev 11:1 NASB) "Then there was given me a measuring rod like
a staff; and someone said, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the
altar, and those who worship in it."
"1
John is given a "reed" (kalamos), or "cane," long and
straight like a "rod," and thus suitable for measuring a large
building or area. (The measuring rod referred to in Ezek 40:5 was about ten
feet long.) The purpose of the reed is to "measure the temple of God and
the altar." Most agree that the principal OT passage in John's mind was
Ezekiel's lengthy description of the measuring of the future kingdom temple
(Ezek 40:3-48:35). Since interpreters are confused about what Ezekiel's vision
means, the ambiguity extends also to John's description. In the ancient world,
measuring was accomplished for shorter lengths by the reed cane (Ezek 40:2ff.)
or, for longer distances, with a rope line (1 Kings 7:23; Isa 44:13). Measuring
with a line may have various metaphorical meanings. It may refer to the promise
of restoration and rebuilding, with emphasis on extension or enlargement Jer
31:39; Zech 1:16). Measuring may also be done to mark out something for
destruction (2Sam 8:2; 2 Kings 21:13; Isa 28:17; Lam 2:8; Amos 7:7-9). In
Ezekiel 40:2ff., this latter sense would be inappropriate. But what does John's
measuring mean?
Since
John is told in v. 2 not to measure the outer court but to leave it for the
nations to overrun, it may be that here in chapter 11 the measuring means that
the temple of God, the altar, and the worshipers (who are to be counted) are to
be secured for blessing and preserved from spiritual harm or defilement. So in
21:15-17, John similarly depicts the angel's measuring of the heavenly city
(with a golden rod), apparently to mark off the city and its inhabitants from
harm and defilement (21:24, 27). As a parallel to the sealing of 7:1-8, the
measuring does not symbolize preservation from physical harm but the prophetic
guarantee that none of the faithful worshipers of Jesus as the Messiah will
perish even though they suffer physical destruction at the hand of the beast
(13:7). Such seems also to be the sense of the measuring passage in 1 Enoch
62:1-5 (Charles, Commentary on Revelation, 1:276).
In
Ezekiel 43:10, the prophet is told to "describe the temple to the people
of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins." The purpose of the
elaborate description and temple measurement in Ezekiel is to indicate the
glory and holiness of God in Israel's midst and convict them of their
defilement of his sanctuary (43:12). Likewise, John's prophetic ministry calls
for a clear separation between those who are holy and those who have defiled
themselves with the idolatry of the beast.
John
is to measure "the temple of God." There are two Greek words used in
the NT for temple. One (hieron) is a broad term that refers to the whole
structure of Herod's temple, including courts, colonnades, etc. (e.g., Matt
4:5; John 2:14). The other (naos) is narrower and refers to the sanctuary or
inner house where only the priests were allowed (Matt 23:35; 27:51; and always
in Rev). While the distinction between the two words is not always maintained
(TDNT, 4:884), yet in this context (11:1) it may be appropriate since the next
verse mentions the outer precinct as a separate entity.
Does
John mean the heavenly temple often mentioned in Revelation (cf. 11:19; 15:5,
8; 16:17), or does he refer to the Christian community as in 3:12: "Him
who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God"? In the
postapostolic Epistle of Barnabas (16:1ff.), the temple is the individual
Christian or alternately the community of Christians as it is in Paul (1Cor
3:16; 6:19; 2Cor 6:16). Since John refers to the "outer court" in v.
2, which is trampled by the nations, it is quite likely that he has in mind not
the heavenly temple of God but an earthly one—either the (rebuilt?) temple in
Jerusalem or, symbolically, the covenant people.
The
word for temple (naos) always refers to the Jerusalem temple in the Gospels
with the single exception of John's Gospel, where it refers to Jesus' own body
(John 2:19-21; cf. Rev 21:22). Outside the Gospels it refers either to pagan
shrines (Acts 17:24; 19:24) or, in Paul's letters, metaphorically to the
physical bodies of Christians or to the church of God (1Cor 3:16; 6:19; 2Cor
6:16; Eph 2:21). In only one case is it debatable whether Paul means the
literal Jerusalem temple or the church (2 Thess 2:4).
While
to take the temple in this verse (11:1) as representing the church in the Great
Tribulation is not without problems, this seems the best view. Other NT usage
outside the Gospels, the figurative usage of temple in John 2:19-21, and his
usage in Revelation all point to the image of the temple representing the
messianic community of both Jews and Gentiles, comparable to his symbol of the
woman in chapter 12 (so Alf, 4:657).
The "altar" would then refer to the huge stone altar of sacrifice in the court of the priests, and the expression "the worshipers" would most naturally indicate the priests and others in the three inner courts (the court of the priests, the court of Israel, the court of the women). These represent symbolically the true servants of God and the measuring symbolizes their recognition and acceptance by God in the same manner as the numbering in chapter 7. The writer of Hebrews likewise speaks of an "altar" that Christians eat from, but that Jewish priests who serve in the temple are not qualified to eat from (Heb 13:10). By this language he speaks of the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the cross utilizing the background of the temple images, as does John.
NOTES
1
A. McNicol has recently argued that 11:1-14 represents a Christian response to
the fall of Jerusalem. He sees the section as reflecting the post-A.D. 70
conflict between Christians and Jews. "Revelation 11:1-14 and the
Structure of the Apocalypse" Restor Quart 22/4 (1979), 193-202.
B) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 11:2]:
(Rev 11:2 NASB) "Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months."
"2
As the "outer court" in the Jerusalem temple was frequented by a
mixed group including Gentiles and unbelievers, so in John's mind the earthly
temple or community of God may involve a part where those who are impure or
unfaithful will be (21:8-22:15). The effect of not measuring this part of the
temple is to exclude it and those in it from spiritual security and God's
blessing, in contrast to the way the measuring secured these things for the
true community. So in measuring the temple, Ezekiel is instructed to exclude
from the sanctuary "the foreigners uncircumcised in heart and flesh"
(Ezek 44:5-9)—viz., pagans who do not worship the true God and whose presence
would desecrate the sanctuary. Previously, John has shown concern over those
who were associated with the local churches but were not true worshipers of
Christ (cf. 2:14-16, 20-25; 3:1-5, 16). When the great test comes, they will
join the ranks of the beast and reveal their true colors.
On
the other hand, while Swete (in loc.) suggests that the outer court is perhaps
the rejected synagogue (cf. 2:9; 3:9), it may be better to understand the
desecration of the outer court as a symbolic reference to the victory of the
beast over the saints which is described in v. 7. Thus by using two slightly
different images, the "temple-altar-worshipers" and the "outer
court-Holy City," John is viewing the church under different aspects.
Though the Gentiles (pagans) are permitted to touch the "outer court"
and to trample on the "Holy City" for a limited time ("42
months"), they are not able to destroy the church because the "inner
sanctuary" is measured or protected in keeping with Christ's earlier
words: "And the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Matt 16:18) (so
Morris, Revelation of St. John, p. 146; Mounce, Revelation, p. 220).
Since
John says the outer court will be "given to the Gentiles," it is
important to establish the best translation of ethne ("Gentiles").
Ethne may have, in the NT, the more general sense of "nations,"
describing the various ethnic or national groups among mankind (e.g., Matt
24:9, 14; Luke 24:47; Rom 1:5; 15:11). In other contexts, it may be used as a
narrower technical term to denote "Gentiles" in contrast to the
Jewish people (e.g., Matt 4:15; 10:5; Luke 2:32; Acts 10:45; Rom 11:11). In
many cases the broader sense may shade off into the narrower, producing
ambiguity.
But
there is another usage of ethne. Just as the Jews referred to all other peoples
outside the covenant as "Gentiles," so there gradually developed a
similar Christian usage of the term that saw all peoples who were outside of
Christ as ethne, including also unbelieving Jews (1Cor 5:1; 12:2; 1 Thess 4:5;
1 Peter 2:12; 3 John 7). Our word "heathen" may parallel this usage
of the word (TDNT, 2:370, n.19). When the sixteen cases of the plural form
(ethne) in Revelation are examined, not once is the sense "Gentiles"
appropriate. Everywhere the ethne are the peoples of the earth, either in
rebellion against God (11:18; 14:8; 19:15; 20:3) or redeemed and under the rule
of Christ (2:26; 21:24, 26; 22:2). There is no good reason why John does not
intend the same sense in 11:2. Nevertheless, the versions reflect the
uncertainty of the translators: Gentiles (KJV, Knox, NEB, NIV) or nations (RSV,
NASB, Ph).
To
sum up, John's words "given to the Gentiles" refer to the defiling
agencies that will trample down the outer court of the church, leading either
to defection from Christ or physical destruction, though all the while the
inner sanctuary of the true believers will not be defiled by idolatry. This
spiritual preservation of the true believers will be accomplished by John's
prophetic ministry, which distinguishes true loyalty to Christ from the
deception of the beast.
The
nations will "trample on the holy city for 42 months." Opinion varies
between the literal and the symbolic significance of the term "the holy
city." The more literal viewpoint sees "the holy city" as the
earthly city of Jerusalem. Support for this is found (1) in the OT's use (Neh
11:1; Isa 48:2; 52:1; Dan 9:24) and Matthew's use of "holy city" for
Jerusalem (Matt 4:5; 27:53), (2) the proximity of the term "the holy
city" to the temple reference (v. 1), and (3) the mention in v. 8 of the
"great citv" that is "where also their Lord was crucified."
Since
Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70, and since Revelation was presumably written
about 95 (cf. Introduction), the more literalistic interpreters hold two views
about the meaning of this reference to the city. Some believe it to refer to
the rebuilt city and temple during the future Tribulation period (Walvoord, p.
177). Others see the city as merely a representative or symbolic reference to
the Jewish people without any special implication of a literal city or temple
(Beckwith, p. 588; Ladd, Commentary on Revelation, pp. 152-53; Rissi, Time and
History, pp. 96f.). But if John does in fact differentiate here between
believing Jews (inner court) and the nation as a whole (outer court), this
would be the only place in the book where he does so. Furthermore, such a
reference at this point in the context of chapters 10 and 11 would be abrupt
and unconnected with the main themes in these chapters, the subject of which is
the nature of the prophetic ministry and the great trial awaiting Christians.
Far
more in keeping with the emphasis of the whole book and of these chapters in
particular is the view that in the mind of John "the holy city," like
the temple, refers to the church. The consistent usage of the expression
"holy city" means the community of those faithful to Jesus Christ,
composed of believing Jews and Gentiles (21:2, 10; 22:19; cf. 3:12; 20:9). It
should also be noted that the name Jerusalem nowhere appears in chapter 11 but
that there is at circumlocution for it in v. 8, "where also their Lord was
crucified," which is prefaced with the word "figuratively"
(pneumatikos, lit., "spiritually"). While the vision of the future
Holy City (chs. 21-22) describes the condition of the city when she has
completed her great ordeal and is finally delivered from the great deceiver,
the present reference is to the people as they must first endure the trampling
of the pagan nations for "42 months."
Does
the trampling (pateo) indicate defilement and apostasy, or does it instead mean
persecution? The word "trample" can metaphorically mean either of
these (BAG, p. 640).
Two
factors favor the latter sense. The time of the trampling is "42
months," which is the exact time John attributes to the reign of the beast
(13:5-7). Furthermore, in Daniel's prophecy the trampling of the sanctuary and
host of God's people by Antiochus Epiphanes (Dan 8:10, 13; 2 Macc 8:2,
katapateo, LXX) is clearly a persecution of the people of God. The apocryphal
Psalms of Solomon relate that the trampling of Jerusalem by the pagans will be
reversed by the Messiah (Pss Sol 17:24, 42-47).
But
what of the term "42 months"? This exact expression occurs in the
Bible only here and in 13:5, where it refers to the time of the authority of
the beast. Mention is also made of a period of 1,260 days (i.e., 42 months of
30 days each) in 11:3 and 12:6. In 12:14 a similar length of time is referred
to as "a time, times [i.e., two times] and half a time." All these
expressions equal a three-and-one-half-year period.
In
the various usages of the terms, "42 months" refers to the period of
oppression of the Holy City and the time of the authority of the beast (11:2;
13:5). As for the "1,260 days," this is the period the two witnesses
prophesy and the time the woman is protected from the dragon's reach (11:3;
12:6). "Time, times and half a time" seems to be used synonymously
for the 1,260 days during which the woman will be protected in the desert
(12:14). We cannot assume that because these periods are equal, they are identical.
On the other hand, the three different expressions may well be literary
variations for the same period. Daniel is generally taken to be the origin of
the terms.
In
Daniel 9:27 a week is spoken of ("seven," NIV), and the context makes
it clear that this is a week of years, i.e., seven years (Glasson, p. 67).
Further, the week is divided in half—i. e., three years and a half for each
division. These half weeks of years are spoken of in Daniel 7:25 as "a
time, times and half a time." Early Jewish and general patristic
interpretation followed by the early Protestant commentators referred this to
the period of the reign of the Antichrist (James A. Montgomery, A Critical and
Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Daniel, ICC [Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark,
1964], p. 314).
In
Daniel 12:7 the identical expression refers to the period "when the power
of the holy people has been finally broken"; in 12:11 the equivalent
period expressed in days (1,290) refers to the time of the
"abomination" and defilement of the temple. Whether or not these
references refer to the second-century B.C. activities of Antiochus Epiphanes
must be left to the exegetes of Daniel; but it is known that the Jews and later
the Christians believed that these events at least foreshadow, if not predict,
the last years of world history under the Antichrist (Glasson, p. 68). Thus
John would have a ready tool to use in this imagery for setting forth his
revelation of the last days.
Glasson,
following the early fathers Victorinus, Hippolytus, and Augustine, suggests
that the first three and a half years is the period of the preaching of the two
witnesses, while the second half of the week is the time of bitter trial when
Antichrist reigns supreme (p. 70). Others believe the expressions are
synchronous and thus refer to the identical period (Swete, p. 131). With some
reservations, the view of Glasson may be followed. The 1,260-day period of
protected prophesying by the two witnesses (11:3-6) synchronizes with the
period of the woman in the desert (12:6, 14). When the death of the witnesses
occurs (11:7), there follows the forty-two-month murderous reign of the beast
(13:5, 7, 15), which synchronizes with the trampling down of the Holy City
(11:2). This twofold division seems to be also supported by Jesus' Olivet
Discourse, where he speaks of the "beginning of birth pains" (Matt
24:8) and then of the period of "great distress" shortly before his
Parousia (Matt 24:21).
Finally,
are the two periods of three and a half years symbolic or do they indicate
calendar years? Not all will agree, but a symbolic sense that involves a real
period but understands the numbers to describe the kind of period rather than
its length is in keeping with John's use of numbers elsewhere (cf. 2:10; 4:4;
7:4). Hence, if we follow the twofold division of Daniel's seventieth week of
seven years, the preaching of the two witnesses occupies the first half, while
the second half is the time of bitter trial when the beast reigns supreme, and
during which time the fearful events of chapters 13-19 take place. Since these
time references are by no means clear, any explanation must be tentative.
C) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 11:1-2]:
(Rev 11:1 NASB) "Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it."
(Rev 11:2 NASB) "Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.
"G.
The two witnesses (11:1-14)
While
it is clear that 11:1-14 continues the parenthetical section begun in 10:1, an
amazing variation of interpretations of this portion of Scripture have been
offered. Alford calls this chapter "one of the most difficult in the whole
Apocalypse" (The Greek Testament, 4:655).
The
best guideline to follow in interpreting this section is to take each fact
literally. In line with this principle, a literal temple will be in existence
during the Great Tribulation, and the city should be considered the literal
city Jerusalem in keeping with its identification in 11:8. The time periods of
42 months (v. 2) and three and one-half days (vv. 9, 11) again should be
considered literally. The earthquake will kill literally 7,000 individuals, and
the two witnesses should be considered as two individual men.
1.
THE MEASURING OF THE TEMPLE (11:1-2)
11:1-2.
John was given a reed, a lightweight rod, to be used as a measuring instrument.
John was instructed to measure the temple and the altar but not the outer
court, meaning he was to measure the holy place and the holy of holies. While
others could come into the outer court, only priests could enter into those two
temple rooms. The explanation was given that this would be under the control of
the Gentiles who would trample on the holy city for 42 months.
Why
should John measure the temple? Measurement is usually taken of one's
possessions, and the temple belonged to God. In a similar way the temple of
Ezekiel 40 was measured and the New Jerusalem was measured (Rev. 21:15-17). The
temple here will be constructed so that orthodox Jews can offer sacrifices
according to the Mosaic Law in the period in the first half of the seven-year
period known as Daniel's 70th week. At the beginning of the 42-month Great
Tribulation, however, the sacrifices will stop and the temple will be
desecrated and become a shrine for the world ruler of the Great Tribulation who
will put an idol in it and proclaim himself to be God (cf. Dan. 9:27; 12:11; 2
Thes. 2:4; Rev. 13:14-15).
John
was also instructed, however, to count the worshipers who came to the temple.
Here the thought seems to be that God will evaluate both the temple and those
in it.
The
tendency of some is to spiritualize the 42-month length of the Great
Tribulation, but this should be taken as a literal period, as confirmed by the
1,260 days of 11:3 which are 42 months of 30 days each. From this it is also
clear that "the times of the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24) will not end
until the second coming of Christ to the earth to set up His kingdom. Though
Jews may possess Jerusalem temporarily, as they have in this century, they will
lose possession in the Great Tribulation.
D) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 11:3]:
(Rev 11:3 NASB) "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."
"3
Perhaps more diversity of interpretation surrounds these two personages than
even the temple in the previous verses. They are called "two
witnesses" (v. 3), "two prophets" (v. 10), and, more
figuratively, "two olive trees and the two lampstands who stand before the
Lord of the earth" (v. 4). Identifications range all the way from two
historic figures raised to life, to two groups, to two principles, such as the
law and the prophets. Tertullian (d.220) identified the two with Enoch and
Elijah.
On
the other hand, Jewish tradition taught that Moses and Elijah would return, and
this view is followed by a number of Christian interpreters. According to
Jochanan ben Zakkai (first century A.D.), God said to Moses, "If I send
the prophet Elijah, you must both come together" (Charles, Commentary on
Revelation, 1:281; also Seiss, J.B. Smith, Gundry; cf. Mark 9:11-13). Beckwith
believes they are two prophets of the future who will perform the functions of
Moses and Elijah (p. 595). Others understand the figures to represent the
church (Primasius [d.552]). In the words of Swete, "The witness of the
church, borne by her martyrs and confessors, her saints and doctors, and by the
words and lives of all in whom Christ lives and speaks, is one continual prophecy"
(p. 132; also Beasley-Murray). Ladd cannot make up his mind between the
witnessing church to Israel and two historical eschatological prophets
(Commentary on Revelation, p. 154). Bruce believes they are symbolic of the
church in its royal and priestly functions ("Revelation," p. 649).
Others identify them as representative of the martyrs (Morris, Revelation of
St. John, p. 147; Caird, p. 134).
More
recently Munck has identified them with the Christian prophets Peter and Paul
(cited by Bruce, "Revelation," p. 649). Rissi sees them as
representatives of the Jewish believers and Gentile believers in the church
(Mathias Rissi, "The Kerygma of the Revelation to John," Int, 22
[January 1968]: 16). Minear understands the two to represent all the prophets
(I Saw a New Earth, p. 99).
Since opinion varies so greatly at this point, it may be wise not to be dogmatic about any one view. Minear's arguments, however, seem more persuasive than the others. The two witnesses represent those in the church who are specially called, like John, to bear a prophetic witness to Christ during the whole age of the church. They also represent those prophets who will be martyred by the beast. Indications that they are representative of many individuals and not just two are that (1) they are never seen as individuals but do everything together—they prophesy together, suffer together, are killed together, are raised together, and ascend together—and all this is hardly possible for two individuals; (2) the beast makes war on them (v. 7), which is strange if they are merely two individuals; (3) people throughout the whole world view their ignominious deaths (v. 9)-something quite impossible if only two individuals are involved; (4) they are described as two "lamps" (v. 4), a figure applied in chapters 1 and 2 to local churches comprised of many individuals. They are "clothed in sackcloth" because they are prophets (cf. Isa 20:2; Zech 13:4) who call for repentance and humility (Jer 6:26; 49:3; Matt 11:21); it was the most suitable garb for times of distress, grief, danger, crisis, and humility. That God himself will appoint, or "give power," to them would encourage the church to persevere even in the face of strong opposition.
NOTES
3 David Hill argues that the two prophets represent the messianic remnant that survives the destruction of unbelieving Israel and that bears within its life the continuing testimony of the Law and the Prophets: "In its readiness to proclaim the truth of God in the face of Jewish unbelief, and even to die for that truth, the entire church is being symbolized." Hill also argues that John, the author of Revelation, while identifying himself with the prophets, sees himself as "unique in his community and as standing closer to the tradition of the Old Testament prophets than the function of the New" ("Prophecy and Prophets in the Revelation of St. John," NTS, 18 [1971-72], 401-18).
E) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 11:4]:
(Rev 11:4 NASB) "These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth."
"4
The reference to the "two olive trees and the two lampstands" is an
allusion to Joshua and Zerubbabel in Zechariah's vision, who were also said
"to serve the Lord of all the earth" (Zech 4:1-6a, 10b-14). The whole
import of Zechariah's vision was to strengthen the two leaders by reminding
them of God's resources and to vindicate them in the eyes of the community as
they pursued their God-given tasks. Thus John's message would be that the
witnesses to Christ who cause the church to fulfill her mission to burn as
bright lights to the world will not be quenched (cf. Rev 1:20; 2:5).
Why there should be two olive trees and two lampstands has been variously answered. Some suggest that "two" is the number of required legal witnesses (Num 35:30; Deut 19:15; cf. Matt 18:16; Luke 10:1-24); others suggest that "two represents the priestly and kingly aspects of the church or the Jewish and Gentile components, etc. Perhaps the dualism was suggested to John by the two olive trees from Zechariah and the two great prophets of the OT who were connected with the coming of the Messiah in Jewish thought, i.e., Moses and Elijah (v. 6); cf. Matt 17:3-4). What Joshua (the high priest) and Zerubbabel (the prince) were to the older community and temple, Jesus Christ is to the new community. He is both anointed Priest and King, and his church reflects this character especially in its Christian prophets (1:6; 5:10; 20:6)."
F) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 11:5]:
(Rev 11:5 NASB) "And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows
out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wan5ts to harm them,
he must be killed in this way."
"5
Here the prophets' divine protection from their enemies is described in terms
reminiscent of the former prophets' protection by God (2 Kings 1:10; Jer 5:14).
Fire is understood symbolically as judgment from God; and since it proceeds
from the witnesses' mouths, we understand that their message of judgment will
eventually be fulfilled by God's power (Gen 19:23f.; 2Sam 22:9; Ps 97:3). Their
Lord gives them immunity from destruction until they complete their
confirmation of God's saving deed in Christ. This assures the people of God
that no matter how many of its chosen saints are oppressed and killed, God's
witness to Christ will continue until his purposes are fulfilled.
G) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 11:6]:
(Rev 11:6 NASB) "These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire."
"6
The words "power to shut up the sky... and power to turn the waters into
blood" clearly allude to the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Moses
(1 Kings 17:1; Exod 7:17-21). There is, however, no need for the literal
reappearing of these two if it is understood that the two witnesses come in the
same spirit and function as their predecessors. Thus Luke interprets the
significance of John the Baptist as a ministry in the "spirit and power of
Elijah" (Luke 1:17). The author of Revelation is simply describing the
vocation of certain Christian prophets, indicating that some follow in the same
tradition as the former prophets of Israel. According to Luke 4:25 and James
5:17, Elijah's prophecy shut up the heaven for "three and a half
years," a curious foreshadowing, perhaps, of the span of time that these
prophets witness (i.e., 1,260 days [v. 3]).
H) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 11:3-6]:
(Rev 11:3 NASB) "And I will grant authority to my two
witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in
sackcloth."
(Rev 11:4 NASB) These are the two olive trees and the two
lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.
(Rev 11:5 NASB) And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows
out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wan5ts to harm them,
he must be killed in this way.
(Rev 11:6 NASB) These have the power to shut up the sky, so
that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have
power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with
every plague, as often as they desire."
"11:3-6.
It was revealed to John that the two witnesses would be empowered by God to
serve as prophets for 1,260 days or 42 months. They would be clothed in
sackcloth and would be called two olive trees and two lampstands.
Numerous
and varied interpretations have been given concerning the two witnesses. Some
have suggested that they are not literal individuals. However, in view of the
fact that they die and are resurrected, the implication is that they are actual
people.
Another
problem is their identification. A common interpretation is that they are Moses
and Elijah because the judgments inflicted by Moses and Elijah in the Old
Testament are similar to those of these two witnesses (11:5-6). Further support
is given the identification of Elijah because of the prediction (Mal. 4:5) that
he will appear "before that great and dreadful day of the Lord
comes." Christ said this prophecy of Elijah was partially fulfilled in His
lifetime (Matt. 17:10-13; Mark 9:11-13; cf. Luke 1:17). And both Moses and
Elijah were involved in the transfiguration (Matt. 17:3), which anticipated the
Second Coming. But a problem with this suggested identity is that Moses had
already died once. Some have identified the two witnesses as Enoch and Elijah
inasmuch as they did not die but were translated (cf. Heb. 9:27).
While
there is room for considerable discussion of these various views, the fact is
that the passage does not identify the two witnesses, and they probably do not
have historic identification.
The
description of the two witnesses as olive trees and lampstands has an Old
Testament background (Zech. 4:2-14). The two witnesses in this passage were
Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the governor. Their connection to the
lampstands was that they were empowered by the Holy Spirit, symbolized by the
olive oil. In a similar way the two witnesses of Revelation 11 will be
empowered by the Holy Spirit.
I) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 11:7]:
(Rev 11:7 NASB) "When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them."
"7 When they finish their witness, the witnesses are killed by the beast from the Abyss. This is the first reference to the "beast" in the book. The abruptness with which it is introduced seems not only to presuppose some knowledge of the beast but also to anticipate what is said of him in chapters 13 and 17. Only here and in 17:8 is the beast described as coming "up from the Abyss" (cf. 9:1), showing his demonic origin. He attacks the prophets (lit., "makes war with them," polemon; cf. 9:7; 12:7, 17; 13:7; 16:14; 19:19; 20:8). This possibly reflects Daniel 7:21: "As I watched, this horn was waging war [polemon, LXX] against the saints and defeating them." This attack is again described in 12:17 and 13:7: "Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring... [the beast] was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them." This is the second and final phase of the dragon's persecution of the Christian prophets and saints."
J) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 11:8]:
(Rev 11:8 NASB) "And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified."
"8
Here we have the place of the attack on the witnesses and the place of their
death: "The street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom
and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified." verse 8 is both full of
meaning and difficult to interpret. At first glance, it seems apparent that
John is referring to the actual city of Jerusalem where Christ died. This
allusion seems obvious. Yet John's terminology also implies more than this. The
city is called the "great city," a designation that refers to Babylon
throughout the rest of the book (16:19; 17:18; 18:10, 16, 18-19, 21). Moreover,
John's use of the word "city," from the very first occurrence in
3:12, is symbolic. In fact, there are really only two cities in the book, the
city of God and the city of Satan, which is later referred to as Babylon. A
city may be a metaphor for the total life of a community of people (Heb 11:10;
12:22; 13:14).
Here
the "great city" is clearly more than merely Jerusalem, for John says
it is "figuratively called Sodom and Egypt." "Figuratively"
comes from the Greek word pneumatikos, which BAG (p. 685) says means
"spiritually, in a spiritual manner, full of the divine Spirit."
Elsewhere in the NT, the word characterizes that which pertains to the Spirit
in contrast to the flesh (1Cor 2:14-15; Eph 1:3; 5:19; Col 3:16; 1 Peter 2:5,
etc.). RSV and NEB translate it "allegorically," which is
questionable, since there is the Greek word allegoreo, which means precisely
that (cf. Gal 4:24); and nowhere else does pneumatikos have this sense. NASB
has "mystically." Closer may be Knox, who renders pneumatikos
"in the language of prophecy," or Minear's "prophetically"
("Ontology and Ecclesiology in the Apocalypse, NTS, 12 [1966], p. 94,
n.1), or Phillips's "is called by those with spiritual
understanding."
The
spiritually discerning will catch the significance of the threefold designation
of this city. It is called "Sodom," which connotes rebellion against
God, the rejection of God's servants, moral degradation, and the awfulness of
divine judgment (cf. Ezek 16:49). In Isaiah's day the rebellious rulers of
Jerusalem were called the rulers of Sodom (Isa 1:10; cf. Ezek 16:46). The
second designation is "Egypt." Egypt, however, is a country, not a
city. It is virtually certain that by John's day, Egypt had become a symbolic
name for antitheocratic world kingdoms that enslaved Israel (K. Jose b.
Chalaphta, "All kingdoms are called by the name of Egypt because they
enslave Israel" [SBK, 3:812]). The third designation is "the great
city,... where also their Lord was crucified" (cf. Matt 23:28-31, 37-38;
Luke 13:33ff.; 21:20-24).
If, as most commentators believe, John also has Rome in mind in mentioning the "great city," then there are at least five places all seen by John as one—Babylon, Sodom, Egypt, Jerusalem, and Rome. (This one city has become, in the eyes of the spiritually discerning, all places opposed to God and the witness of his servants—Sodom, Tyre, Egypt, Babylon, Nineveh, Rome, et al.) Wherever God is opposed and his servants harassed and killed, there is the "great city," the transhistorical city of Satan, the great mother of prostitutes (cf. 17:1ff.). What can happen to God's witnesses in any place is what has already happened to their Lord in Jerusalem. Bunyan's city, called "Vanity Fair," approaches this idea, though not precisely, since John uses actual historical places where this great transhistorical city found its manifestation. Mounce suggests that "the great city in which the martyred church lies dead is the world under the wicked and oppressive sway of Antichrist" (Revelation, p. 227). It is curious that in the Greek the singular noun ptoma ("body") is used for both witnesses in vv. 8-9a, but the plural ptomata ("bodies") is used in 9b. Their dead bodies lie in full public view "in the street." '''
K) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 11:9-10]:
(Rev 11:9 NASB) "Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues
and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will
not perm(Rev 11:1 NASB) it their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.
"9-10 People from every nation—Jew and Gentile—will "gloat over" their corpses and refuse them the dignity of burial. To have his dead body lie in view of all was the worst humiliation a person could suffer from his enemies (Ps 79:3-4; Tobit 1:18ff.). Furthermore, the pagan world will celebrate the destruction of the witnesses and the victory over them by exchanging gifts, a common custom in the Near East (Neh 8:10, 12; Esth 9:19, 22). Thus the beast will silence the witness of the church to the glee of the beast-worshiping world. The time of their silence corresponds in days to the time of their witness in years. It denotes only a brief time of triumph for the beast."
L) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 11:7-10]:
(Rev 11:7 NASB) "When they have finished their testimony, the
beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them
and kill them.
(Rev 11:8 NASB) And their dead bodies will lie in the street
of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their
Lord was crucified.
(Rev 11:9 NASB) Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues
and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will
not perm(Rev 11:1 NASB) it their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.
"3. THE DEATH OF THE TWO WITNESSES (11:7-10)
11:7-10.
With the ministry of the two witnesses ended, God permitted the beast that
comes up from the Abyss (cf. 9:1-2, 11; 17:8; 20:1, 3) to overcome them. The
beast, that is, the Antichrist, is mentioned nine other times in Revelation
(13:1; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 17:3, 13; 19:20; 20:10). After the witnesses were
killed, their bodies were left unburied in Jerusalem, figuratively called Sodom
and Egypt, because of the people's apostasy and rejection of God.
For
three and one-half days the whole world gloated over their dead bodies. This
implies some worldwide display, now made possible by television. Their deaths
were considered a great victory for the world ruler and Satan, and were
celebrated by people sending each other gifts"
M) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 11:11-12]:
(Rev 11:11 NASB) "But after the three and a half days, the
breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great
fear fell upon those who were watching them.
"11-12
The witnesses now experience a resurrection and an ascension to heaven
following their three-and-one-half-day death. In regard to this puzzling
passage, it is generally held that Ezekiel's vision of the restoration of the
dry bones was in John's mind (Ezek 37:5, 10-12). Just as interpretations of
Ezekiel's vision vary, so interpretations of vv. 11-12 of Revelation 11 also
vary. Some hold that the dry bones vision refers to the spiritual quickening of
the nation of Israel (KD, Ezekiel, 2:120). Others, following rabbinic
interpretation and certain church fathers, understand the descriptions to refer
to the physical resurrection of the dead. If the two witnesses represent the
witness of the church, then physical resurrection and ascension could be in mind.
(The summons "Come up here" followed by "they went up to heaven
in a cloud" perhaps points to the Rapture [1 Thess 4:16-17].)
On the other hand, John may be using the figure of physical resurrection to represent the church's victory over the death blow of the beast. In Romans 11:15 Paul uses the figure of resurrection symbolically to depict a great spiritual revival among the Jews in a future day. Here in Revelation 11:12 the reference to the "cloud" may be significant. The "cloud" depicts the divine power, presence, and glory; and yet this is the only instance in the book where strictly human figures are associated with a cloud. This must be significant. The two witnesses share in Christ's resurrection. The cloud is a sign of heaven's acceptance of their earthly career. Even their enemies see them, as they will see Christ when he returns with the clouds (1:7). The events of Christ's return and the ascension of the witnesses seem to be simultaneous. Thus in the two witnesses John has symbolized the model of all true prophets, taking as a central clue the story of Jesus' appearance in Jerusalem and describing the common vocation of appearing in the Holy City (or temple) in such a way that reaction to their work would separate the worshipers of God from the unbelievers in language drawn from the stories of many prophets (Minear, I Saw a New Earth, p. 103)."
N) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 11:11-12]:
(Rev 11:11 NASB) "But after the three and a half days, the
breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great
fear fell upon those who were watching them.
"4. THE RESURRECTION OF THE TWO WITNESSES (11:11-12)
O) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 11:13]:
13 The earthquake is God's further sign of the vindication of his servants (cf. 6:12). But unlike the earthquake under the sixth seal, this one produces what appears to be repentance: "The survivors... gave glory to the God of heaven." The opposite response in 16:9, "they refused to repent and glorify him," seems to confirm that 11:13 speaks of genuine repentance (cf. 14:7; 15:4). Although Ladd (Commentary on Revelation, p. 159) understands the entire chapter as a reference to the conversion of the Jews, since the death, resurrection, and ascension of the two witnesses is more worldwide in scope (vv. 9-10), we may infer that the earthquake is also symbolic of a world-wide event. verse 13 shows that even in the midst of judgment, God is active in the world to save those who repent. If there is such hope in the terrible time of final judgment, how much more now! God has not abandoned the human race, regardless of the recurring waves of unbelief. Neither should we!"
P) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 11:14]:
(Rev 11:14 NASB) "The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly."
"14
All the events from 9:13 to 11:14 fall under the sixth trumpet and are called
the second woe (see comments on 8:13 and on 9:12). Since there are further
judgments (woes) mentioned in this chapter, it is natural to see at the
sounding of the seventh trumpet (vv. 15-19) the third woe taking place. Its
nature is described in the bowl judgments (16:11ff.). Apparently the third woe
will come without further delay. Indeed, the seventh trumpet (v. 15) brings us
to the final scenes of God's unfolding mystery (10:7)."
Q) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 11:13-14]:
(Rev 11:13 NASB) "And in that hour 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.
"5. THE RESULTING JUDGMENT OF GOD ON JERUSALEM (11:13-14)
R) [Expositor's Bible Commentary On Rev 11:15-19]:
(Rev 11:15 NASB) Then the seventh angel sounded; 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."
(Rev 11:16 NASB) And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their
thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,
(Rev 11:17 NASB) saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God,
the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and
have begun to reign.
(Rev 11:18 NASB) "And the nations were enraged, and Your
wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward
Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name,
the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."
"4.
Sounding of the seventh trumpet (11:15-19)
15
The seventh trumpet sounds, and in heaven loud voices proclaim the final
triumph of God and Christ over the world. The theme is the kingdom of God and
of Christ—a dual kingdom eternal in its duration. The kingdom is certainly a
main theme of the entire Book of Revelation (1:6, 9; 5:10; 11:17; 12:10; 19:6;
20:4; 22:5). This kingdom involves the millennial kingdom and its blending into
the eternal kingdom (chs. 20-22). The image suggests the transference of the
world empire, once dominated by a usurping power, that has now at length passed
into the hands of its true owner and king (Swete). The present rulers are
Satan, the beast, and the false prophet. The announcement of the reign of the
king occurs here, but the final breaking of the enemies' hold over the world
does not occur till the return of Christ (19:11ff.).
Verses
15-18 are reminiscent of Psalm 2. The opening portion of this psalm describes
the pagan nations and kings set in opposition to God and his Messiah (Anointed
One). Then there follows the establishment of the Son in Zion as the Sovereign
of the world and an appeal to the world rulers to put their trust in the Son
before his wrath burns. John does not distinguish between the millennial
kingdom of Christ and the eternal kingdom of the Father (but cf. 3:21) as Paul
does (1Cor 15:24-28). This should be viewed as a difference merely of detail
and emphasis, not of basic theology. Furthermore, in John's view this world
becomes the arena for the manifestation of God's kingdom. While at this point
the emphasis is on the future visible establishment of God's kingdom, in John's
mind that same kingdom is in some real sense now present; and he is
participating in it (1:9).
16-17
As the other features in these verses are anticipatory, so the expression
"have begun to reign" looks forward to the millennial reign depicted
in chapter 20. Significantly, the title of God found earlier in the book, `who
is, and who was, and who is to come" (1:8; 4:8), now is "who is and
who was." He has now come! God has taken over the power of the world from
Satan (Luke 4:6).
18
This passage contains a synopsis of the remaining chapters of Revelation. The
nations opposed to God and incited by the fury of the dragon (12:12) have
brought wrath on God's people (Ps 2:1-3). For this, God has brought his wrath
upon the nations (14:7; 16:1ff.; 18:20; 19:19b; 20:11-15). The time (kairos,
"season") has now come for three further events: the judgment of the
dead (20:11-15); the final rewarding of the righteous (21:1-4; 22:3-5); and the
final destruction of the destroyers of the earth (Babylon, the beast, the false
prophet, and the dragon) (19:2, 11; 20:10).
In
Revelation there are three groups of persons who receive rewards: (1) God's
"servants the prophets" (cf. 18:20; 22:9); (2) the "saints"
(perhaps the martyrs; cf. 5:8; 8:3-4; 13:7, 10; 16:6; 18:20, 24; or simply
believers in every age, cf. 19:8; 20:9); and (3) "those who reverence
[God's] name" (cf. 14:7; 15:4). In whatever way these groups are denoted,
it is important to note that in Revelation the prophets are specially singled
out (16:6; 18:20, 24; 22:6, 9).
19
In the heavenly temple John sees the ark of God's covenant. In the OT the ark
of the covenant was the chest that God directed Moses to have made and placed
within the holiest room of the tabernacle sanctuary (Exod 25:10-22). He was
directed to put in the ark the two tables of the Decalogue—the documentary
basis of God's redemptive covenant with Israel (Exod 34:28-29). It is presumed
that the ark was destroyed when Nebuchadnezzar burned the temple in 586 B.C.
There was no ark in the second temple Jos. War V, 219 [v.5]).
A
Jewish legend reported in 2Macc 2:4-8 indicates that Jeremiah hid the ark in a
cave on Mount Sinai until the final restoration of Israel. There is no reason,
however, to believe that John is alluding in v. 19 to this Jewish tradition,
since he is clearly referring to a heavenly temple and ark, which is symbolic
of the new covenant established by the death of Christ. As the way into the
holiest was barred under the old covenant to all except the high priest, now
full and immediate access for all, as well as a perfect redemption, has been
secured by Christ's death (Heb 9:11-12; 10:19-22).
In
v. 19 the kingdom of God is seen retrospectively as having fully come. Yet its
coming will be elaborated in chapters 20 to 22. Prospectively, this sight of
the ark of the covenant also prepares us for the following chapters, which
concern the faithfulness of God to his covenant people. As the ark of the
covenant was the sign to Israel of God's loyal love throughout their wilderness
journeys and battles, so this sign of the new covenant will assure the
followers of Christ of his loyal love through their severe trial and the attack
by the beast. "Flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder"
call our attention to God's presence and vindication of his people (cf.
comments on 6:12; and on 8:5).
Notes
________________________________________
15-19 Elisabeth S. Fiorenza has argued that the author of Revelation does not seek to comfort the persecuted Christian community with reference to past and future history (as in the Jewish apocalyptic literature) but with reference to the eschatological reality of God's kingdom. She sees this main theme briefly but precisely expressed in the hymn in 11:15-19 and presents an outline for structuring the whole book around this concept ("The Eschatology and Composition of the Apocalypse," CBQ, 30 [1968], 537-69)."
S) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 11:15-19]:
(Rev 11:15 NASB) Then the seventh angel sounded; 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."
(Rev 11:16 NASB) And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their
thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,
(Rev 11:17 NASB) saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God,
the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and
have begun to reign.
(Rev 11:18 NASB) "And the nations were enraged, and Your
wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward
Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name,
the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."
"H. The sounding of the seventh trumpet (11:15-19)
11:15.
Though the full results from the sounding of the seventh... trumpet are only
introduced here and not brought to finality (as they will be in chap. 16), the
introduction of the seventh trumpet itself is dramatic. As the trumpet sounded,
voices were heard in heaven: The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of
our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever. (Cf.
predictions of the earthly kingdom of Christ in Ezek. 21:26-27; Dan. 2:35, 44;
4:3; 6:26; 7:14, 26-27; Zech. 14:9.) The fact that this will be fulfilled at
the Second Coming makes it clear that the period of the seventh trumpet
chronologically reaches to Christ's return. Therefore the seventh trumpet
introduces and includes the seven bowl judgments of the wrath of God revealed
in chapter 16. In contrast with previous trumpets where a single voice was
heard, here a mighty chorus from heaven joined in the proclamation.
11:16-18.
After this announcement, the 24 elders, who appear frequently (4:4, 10; 5:5-6,
8, 11, 14; 7:11, 13; 11:16; 14:3; 19:4) and who were seated on their thrones
before God, were seen by John as falling on their faces to worship God. Their
song of praise indicates that the time had come for God to judge the nations,
to judge the dead, and to reward God's servants.
God
was described as the Almighty (pantokratōr; also used in 1:8; 4:8; 15:3; 16:7,
14; 19:6, 15; 21:22), eternal (who is and who was; cf. 1:8; 4:8), and
possessing power (dynamin) (11:17). In general their hymn of praise anticipates
the second coming of Christ and the establishment of His rule on earth.
11:19.
The chapter closes with another dramatic incident. John wrote, Then God's
temple in heaven was opened. At the same time John was able to look into the
temple where he saw the ark of His covenant. This refers to the heavenly temple
rather than to a temple on earth. The corresponding results in the earth,
however, included lightning... thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm
(cf. 8:5).
The
dramatic introduction of the events relating to the seventh trumpet concluded
here and will be resumed in chapter 16. Chronologically the time was close to
Christ's second coming."