CHAPTER 11
VERSE 1: (Chapter 11)
​JOHN, RISE and MEASURE
"And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the Angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein."
A "reed" is a measuring tool that measures about ten feet. That is why this verse says it is "like unto a rod". It is very long. The Lord tells John to "Rise". The Lord tells us to "Rise" too. He tells us to get moving and work for Him. In John 9:4 Jesus says: "...the night cometh, when no man can work". There will come a time when we will not be able to 'work' for the Lord. It may be the dark days of hardships, or it may be our own health. It is wise to live each day in service for our Lord.
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The Lord had lots of work for John. John had to measure "the temple of God." He had to measure the "altar" which represents the Sacrifice that Jesus made for our sins.
The age of John, when he when he was sent as a prisoner to the Isle of Patmos, was in his 80's. John was now a seasoned 'senior citizen'. Not only was John given the large job of measuring the whole temple of God and the altar, but he was to "measure" "them that worship therein". He was not to "measure" each person physically. John was to count them all. He was to "measure" how many people can worship in there at one time. This is just like a business is required to have a building capacity number - the amount of people allowed to be inside at one time. Usually, the fire department sets this standard in our cities.
​John did exactly as he was instructed. He did a great job, especially for being a 'senior citizen' who had been malnourished and physically neglected in a baren prison on the Isle of Patmos for almost six years. Don't forget that John had an attempt made on his life just before they put him in prison in Patmos. The leaders of Ephesus tried to boil John alive in a pot of oil (Revelation 1:1).
Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps & Time Lines is a very helpful tool. It provides many proofs of the accuracy of the Bible. It tells what archaeologists have found today that support biblical facts. This book also shares other very interesting facts like how the sundial was used and calibrated to tell time and seasons. Their charts tell about when the Roman army invasion of Jerusalem and the sacred temple items taken. It is packed full of many useful and intriguing facts and charts.
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VERSE 2: (Chapter 11)
​​MEASURE NOT the COURT
"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months."
The Lord now instructs John not to measure the court. The court is the large area that surrounds the temple. God has a specific plan for this area. God will allow all the Gentiles to walk here. King Solomon built the first temple of God's around 1014 BC and finished it up around 1003 BC. Gentiles were never allowed into the inner areas of Solomon's temple, even during Jesus' time here on earth. There was a separation between Jews and the Gentiles.
The Lord says: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." ( 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
The Lord wants His children to live a life separated from sin. Christians should not be hanging around 'friends' who want to hang out in bars. But Christians should be caring enough to tell their friends the gospel = how Christ died and rose again for their sins.
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VERSE 3: (Chapter 11)
​​GOD's TWO WITNESSES
"And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
The Lord is revealing to us here that, during the first half of the Tribulation Period, He is going to give power to two of His special "witnesses". 'Witness' means to proclaim. These "two witnesses" will proclaim the gospel to the people who are still alive. These two chosen "witnesses" will be the strongest witnesses ever put on this earth, except for Christ Himself. They will witness a "thousand and two hundred and threescore days". This equals 3 1/2 years. Remember, the Tribulation Period lasts 7 years. These "two witnesses" will be down here on this earth sometime in the middle of the Tribulation Period. And it's NOT going to be any 'peachy cream' preaching!
These "two witnesses" of God's are going to have mighty power to preach the gospel to everyone on the earth. The Lord Jesus Himself spoke of the first half of the Tribulation in Mark 13:8-13: "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginning of sorrows. But take heed to yourselves; for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. God is giving one last, powerful offer to allow people to get saved. Most will not, but those who refuse will never be able to say that they were never told! For three and a half years, the gospel will go forth with power to all the earth. Keep reading as we describe these two witnesses ...
God's "two witnesses" are going to be clothed in "sackcloth". Sackcloth is a coarse, dark fabric made mostly of goats' hair. It is worn as a sign of extreme grief and repentance (Genesis 37:34; Jeremiah 4:8; Matthew 11:21; Luke 10:13). These "two witnesses" will not be dressed in modern apparel. They won't fit into society. People will laugh and mock at their outfits. They will be made fun of, but these "two witnesses" will still stand in front of all the news cameras and proclaim the judgments of God.​
​​These "two witnesses" will be emphasizing that people need to be extremely sorry for their sins and repent. Repent means to turn away from sin. These "two witnesses" are going to be very powerful, but mankind will keep hardening their hearts.
Who are these "two witnesses"? There are couple main theories on who these "witnesses" are. One theory is that they are Moses and Elijah. Some people believe Moses is one of the "witnesses" because the power these witnesses have duplicate what Moses did in Egypt against Pharoah. Some people also believe this theory because it was Moses and Elijah who appeared with Jesus during the transfiguration (Matthew 17:3-4).
A second theory is that the witnesses are Elijah and Enoch. This theory is believed because neither Elijah nor Enoch died physically. They were both taken up physically into heaven (Genesis 5:23 and 2 Kings 2:11). Another aspect is that both Elijah and Enoch were prophets that pronounced judgment on sin (1 Kings 17:1 and Jude 1:14-15).
MOSES
ELIJAH
ENOCH
God calls these "two witnesses" "Olive Trees" in the next verse as we learn more about them.
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VERSE 4: (Chapter 11)
​​TWO OLIVE TREES
"These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth."
God had told us about "the two olive trees" back in the Old Testament. Zechariah asked the LORD this question of the vision he saw: "...What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?" (Zechariah 4:11) God answers this question in verse 14 of Zechariah 4: "...These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the LORD of the whole earth." The two "Olive Trees" are the "two witnesses" mentioned in verse 3.
Did you know that an Olive Tree thrives best when it find its way down in the crevice of a rock? These "two witnesses" are compared to Olive Trees. They have their roots firmly planted in the Rock of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We know that one of the "two witnesses", one "Olive Tree" will be Elijah. We are told this in Malachi 4:5: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:"
Malachi 4:6 tells us what Elijah will do during this time: "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
We are living in spiritually dark days. Matthew 24:12 tells us: "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold". There is a huge movement taking place where parents cannot get along with their children and children can't seem to get along with their parents. There are parents who are quite demanding and hardheaded. There are more and more young adults holding grudges and hating their parents. More young adults seem to be blaming their parents for how miserable their own lives are. Romans 14:12 says: "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." We will all be held accountable for ourselves. Not how we were treated by others, but by how we treat others whether they are right or wrong.
This issue between parents and their children is going to grow exceedingly worse, especially during the Tribulation Period. Because of this issue, God is going to send down Elijah to try to turn the "heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers". The Olive Branch is universally regarded as an emblem of peace (Genesis 8:11). Elijah is called an "Olive Tree", to try to turn families back to the Lord.
Why is God going to send Elijah to do this job: God told us why in Malachi 4:6: "... lest I (God) come and smite the earth with a curse". God is very angry with this issue between families. He wants it resolved. It is sin. God says in Ephesians 4:32: "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you". "... lest I (God) come and smite the earth with a curse" (Malachi 4:6).
The next few verses tell us about the power these "two witnesses" will have and what the world will do to them.
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VERSE 5: (Chapter 11)
​​DON'T HURT the WITNESSES
"And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed."
God will be giving these two anointed ones the power to breathe fire out of their mouths. This is not talking about the Word of God coming out of their mouths and devouring God's enemies. This verse means there will be literal fire coming out of the "two witnesses" mouths. The proof is in the second half of this verse: "...and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed." In what manner? In the manner of the fire coming out of the "two witnesses" mouths. This will be literal fire causing literal death coming out of the "two witnesses" mouths.
God is warning people ahead of time, 'Do NOT hurt these two witnesses!'. God is sounding out His warning here. God says in this verse: "...if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed". It is not the choice of the "two witnesses" to decide to kill someone or spare someone. It is the command from God. These "two witnesses" MUST obey God, so they MUST kill anyone who tries to hurt them.
Maybe some people will say they didn't know that God told them not to hurt these "two witnesses". But God put it right there in writing for everyone. Others may say that they didn't read it. That doesn't matter either. Leviticus 5:17 says: "And if a soul (person) sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist (know) it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity." God does not accept the excuse of ignorance. He gave us His Bible as His Gift to us. , It's all in there. Why don't you open God's gift, the Bible? That's kind of rude to not open His gift to you. God also gives us preachers. He gives a 'light' in the hearts of everyone. "...which lighteth every man that cometh into the world " (John 1:9). How bright is your "light" shining?
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VERSE 6: (Chapter 11)
​​The WITNESSES' POWER
"These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will."
God had given His prophets these powers before. In 1 Kings 17:1, Elijah prayed and God held back the rain for three and a half years (also see James 5:17). When there is no rain, it causes great famine. Crops won't grow. Animals lack water. Humans lack water.
God had also given His prophets, in the past, the "power over waters to turn them to blood". In Exodus 7:17, God said: "...In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood."
God will give these "two witnesses" power over all plagues. Here is just a partial list of different plagues mentioned in the Bible:
THE PLAGUE OF:
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Blood ( Exodus 7:14-25) The waters of Egypt were turned into blood. Fish died, rivers stank. Lasted for seven days.
Frogs (Exodus 8:1-15) A countless number of frogs came out of rivers and open waters. They covered the land and overran homes and businesses.
Lice (Exodus 8:16-19) All the dust (dirt) of the land of Egypt became lice. Lice were all over man and animals.
Flies (Exodus 8:20-32) Swarms of flies filled the air, filled houses and were all over the ground...bothering both man and animals.
Murrain (Exodus 9:1-7) Murrain is an infectious disease that affects domestic animals. The cattle, sheep, camels, horses, and other animals used for human needs were plagued with murrain. Murrain invades the red blood cells and can be carried by ticks.
Boils (Exodus 9:8-12) A boil is a very painful, pus-filled lump under the skin. It is caused by a bacteria infection. A cluster of boils is called a carbuncle. Cluster of boils connect to each other causing even more infection and pain.
Locust (Exodus 10:3-20) These locusts were not like the ones that will appear during the Tribulation Period. These locusts were mild in comparison to the locusts to come. The locusts during Moses' time ate all the fruit, vegetables, and all the green foliage. The locusts that are to come will be attacking people instead of the vegetation
Darkness (Exodus 10:21-23) There was thick darkness over all of the land of Egypt during the time of Moses. This darkness was so dark that the Egyptians could not go out of their homes. They could not even see a few feet in front of them. It was too dangerous to walk anywhere. They could not even take care of their animals. During the Tribulation Time, Revelation 6:12 tells about the sun becoming black as sackcloth. That's pretty dark.
Death of the first-born (Exodus 11:4-12) Because Pharoah refused to obey God, God killed the oldest child of every Egyptian. The Lord had been long suffering with Pharoah. Pharoah went through all these plagues and still refused to listen to God. God sent plenty of warnings. The first-born would not have died if Pharoah would have surrendered to the Lord. This is how people will be like during the Tribulation Period. In fact, people are like this today. What will it take for you to surrender your heart to God?
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VERSE 7: (Chapter 11)
​​The BEAST ATTACKS
"And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."
These "two witnesses" of God's will only have a certain amount of time on this earth. We ourselves only have a certain amount of time on this earth also. These "two witnesses" have three and a half years to proclaim the Word of God to give people another chance to turn to God. We, as Christians, have a limited amount of time to serve the Lord and tell others about Him. These "two witnesses" will have finished their testimonies in just three and a half years. The Lord has given most of us more time than that. Are you working on your testimony? Are you witnessing for our Lord? Are you running the race? "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain" (1 Corinthians 9:24).
Next, we read: "...the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit". At the end of the three and a half years, when these "two witnesses" have finished warning people, Satan will come up against them. The devil hates it when we tell others about the Lord and what the Bible says. Satan will attack any Christian who will live for the Lord, especially those who are faithful enough to share Christ's salvation with others. 1 Peter 5:8 reminds us to "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour".
We read that the Beast is going to make war against these "two witnesses". Not only is he going to make war with them, but he is also going to get the victory over them. It is going to be a fierce battle. The Beast will "overcome them". The devil will think he has the upper hand. In front of everybody, the Beast will physically kill these "two witnesses" of God's.
These witnesses are going to be hated by almost everyone. Remember, these witnesses have caused everyone who tries to hurt them to die (verse 5). These "two witnesses" have also brought numerous plagues, like the ones mentioned above, upon the whole earth. You can say everyone will logically hate these "two witnesses". These "two witnesses" will cause the people much pain and suffering. The world will want these witnesses dead. The world, even today, does not want to hear about sin and judgment. The world just wants to 'love everybody'. Some people think everyone just needs to get along and be happy. The people during the Tribulation Period will not want these "two witnesses" telling them that they need to repent and turn to God. The world will not want to hear the Word of God.
The Beast is going to kill these "two witnesses". Wait till you see what happens to their bodies in the next few verses! The battle is not over!!!
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VERSE 8: (Chapter 11)
​​TWO DEAD BODIES
"And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified."
So the Beast, in this verse, has now physically killed these "two witnesses". God did not allow Satan to kill these two prophets until after they have finished their testimony. The Beast is going to physically kill these two witnesses in Jerusalem. The Lord was crucified in Jerusalem, in a part called Golgotha which is just outside of Jerusalem's walls (John 19:17). These two witnesses will be killed in the streets of "the great city", Jerusalem, "where also our Lord was crucified".
After the Beast has these two witnesses killed, he is going to purposely let their bodies lay in the populated streets of Jerusalem for everyone to see. Look at the next verse...
VERSE 9: (Chapter 11)
​​EVERYONE SEES the BODIES
"And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves"
Here the Lord reveals to us who all is going to see the dead bodies of these "two witnesses". The Lord tells us that not only do people in Jerusalem see the dead bodies, but the whole world will see them. "...people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies". In other words, many different nationalities of people. People of many different languages and from many different nations shall see the dead bodies of these "two witnesses" of God's. How can this be? Centuries ago, this question may have perplexed people, but today we know this is very easy. We have the internet, we have television, and we have iPhones! We have instant access to all news at any time we desire. There are also alerts that can be sent out about national headlines. The death of these "two witnesses" will definitely go forth on national headline news. Everyone will be seeing the bodies of these "two witnesses" on their social media, lying dead in the streets of Jerusalem.
The bodies of these "two witnesses" are going to lay in the streets for "three days and an half". People all over the world will be able to watch the news and social media and see the bodies lying dead. There will be no doubt that these bodies are indeed dead bodies. God will allow their bodies to lay in the streets to prove to the world that the bodies are truly dead. The bodies of these "two witnesses" will draw worldwide attention.
For three and a half days, no one will put, or be allowed to put, the bodies of these two witnesses in a grave. God controls all events, even bodies lying in the streets. Guess what all the people of the world are going to do during these "three days and an half"? Read on and see ...
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VERSE 10: (Chapter 11)
​​REJOICING by the UNSAVED
"And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
It's a worldwide celebration! The whole earth is rejoicing. People are having parties and "making merry". Everyone is celebrating! It's better than Christmas time! People and nations will be giving gifts to each other. Everyone is happy! This will be a three and a half day long continual party!
The whole world will be rejoicing together because God's "two witnesses" will be dead. The people will think that they cannot be tormented any more. They will feel that they have obtained 'peace'. This will go on for three and a half days. At the end of three and a half days, this happens ....
VERSE 11: (Chapter 11)
​​GREAT FEAR
"And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them."
It will be all over the news. Everyone will be talking about the death of God's "two witnesses". People will be rejoicing because these two Christians will not be able to annoy them anymore. People get annoyed today when someone tries to witness to them about the Lord. Most people don't want to hear that Christ came to die for their sins. They don't want to think of having to spend their forever home in Hell. Those who witness to others do it out of love and care for the unsaved.
The "two witnesses" will come to tell the world about God and His coming judgments. The world will not want to listen to them. So, the world will kill these "two witnesses" just like they have killed other witnesses before them. There will be worldwide rejoicing, and the bodies of the "two witnesses" will lay in the outer courts for all to see. Then this will happen ...
After the three and a half days, "the spirit of life from God" will enter into these "two witnesses". They will open their eyes. The "two witnesses" will get up to their feet. They will stand there for a moment as they look upon all the people. The news media will be covering this shocking event. Others will be on their social media panicking over these "two witnesses" coming back to real life. "Great fear" will come upon the people. They will be terrified. Hopefully, some of the people will realize that what these two witnesses will have said are true. Hebrews 10:31 tells us that: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God".
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VERSE 12: (Chapter 11)
​​The GREAT VOICE
"And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them."
These two witnesses will be standing in the midst of many people. The people will know for certain that these "two witnesses" were definitely dead. These "two witnesses" will look around upon all the people, then they will lift their eyes to the sky as they will hear the "great voice" from God calling them. A great voice from Heaven was heard when John baptized Jesus. Mark 1:11 states: "And there came a voice from heaven, saying". The voice mentioned in Mark 1:11 is not described as a "great voice". God's voice in Mark 1:11 was one of praise. This voice that will sound during the Tribulation time will be one of anger. Anger because the people will kill God's "two witnesses" and they refuse to listen to His Word.
When this "great voice" calls out to His witnesses, God will say to them, "Come up hither". God will have given the people another chance and again the people will refuse Him. God will call His witnesses home to Heaven. Just like Jesus ascended into Heaven, Acts 1:9: "...and a cloud received Him out of their sight", these "two witnesses" will ascend up into "heaven in a cloud" and off of this world.
"And their enemies beheld them" ... God calls these people "enemies". James 4:4 says: "...whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." People living during the Tribulation Period will witness these two prophets rising up into the air and disappearing into the clouds. Great fear will be upon these people. They will know that power of the two witnesses is from God. They will testify to the death of the "two witnesses". They will see with their own eyes these prophets rising up into the air. The people will know in their hearts that more of God's judgment will now be coming because of what they had just did to His two witnesses.
VERSE 13: (Chapter 11)
​​HERE COMES the JUDGMENT
The SECOND WOE
"And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven."
People during this time will hear the "two witnesses" preaching the gospel. The people will see the dead bodies of the witnesses laying in their streets. The people will see the two witnesses literally rising into the clouds. Then, as everyone is talking about this latest event, a "great earthquake" will shake their entire city. This earthquake will be so devastating that it will cause one tenth of the city to collapse. Picture one tenth of your city falling into shambles as the ground shakes profusely! This earthquake is going to be so awful that "seven thousand" people will die in it.
People will refuse to submit to God's Word. Numbers 16 gives the account of people during B.C. 1471, who did not want to submit to God's authority. Numbers 16:30-33 is where Moses said to the people: "But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD. And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation." This earthquake caused great fear upon these people. The "great earthquake" that will take place during the Tribulation Time will cause people who mock God's two witnesses to perish in this "great earthquake". There will be "seven thousand" people killed. The people that survive this "great earthquake" will give "glory to the God of heaven". We need to fall on our faces today and ask God to forgive us!
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VERSE 14: (Chapter 11)
​​​The SECOND WOE is PAST
The THIRD WOE will COME
"The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly."
There will be three "Woes" during the Tribulation Period. The First Woe will be those horrible looking locusts that will hurt people which we studied in Chapter 9. The Second Woe will be the "great earthquake' that will destroy one tenth of the city because people will refuse to listen to God's Word that will be preached by His "two witnesses" that will leave in a cloud.
The Second Woe marks the end of the first three and a half years of the Tribulation Period. The first half of the Tribulation Period will end at this point, and the second half of the Tribulation Period will begin. Satan will come on the scene soon. God will use the first three and a half years of the Tribulation Period to give people one last chance to come to Him before Satan is loosed.
Before the Third Woe unfolds, there will be another intermission. We had stopped at the Sixth Angel with the Sixth Trumpet in Chapter 9. Then there is an intermission in Chapter 10 with the "Little Book". This intermission takes our eyes off of the earth for a moment to show us what is going on in Heaven. After this intermission, the "two witnesses" appear and the Second Woe will occur. After the Second Woe, the Seventh Trumpet will sound, and reveals another intermission. This intermission is also of another Heavenly scene. As the Seventh Angel sounds his trumpet, another Heavenly scene unfolds again...
VERSE 15: (Chapter 11)
​​​The SEVENTH TRUMPET SOUNDS
"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever."
The "seventh angel" will sound his trumpet. Then there will be "great voices" heard throughout all of Heaven. All the herald angels will be declaring "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever".
When man sinned in the Garden of Eden, it opened the door for Satan to try to rule the earth. Not only is Satan called the "the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2), but he is also called "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4). When Satan tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, Satan "saith unto Him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me" (Matthew 4:9). Satan has power to give people earthly possessions. He has power to make people as rich as he wants to. He can also make them very poor.
When this Seventh Trumpet sounds, there will be a great victory in Heaven as the kingdoms of the world will be ripped out of Satan's hands totally. The part of this verse that says, "our Lord, and His Christ", verifies John 3:16 that God the Father sacrificed His Son to reclaim the world: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son". Jesus is the Christ, the Sacrifice given by God the Father, to reclaim the world. And "He shall reign for ever and ever" both in Heaven and on the earth. This is what all Heaven will be shouting about when the Seventh Trumpet sounds!
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VERSE 16: (Chapter 11)
​​​The FOUR and TWENTY ELDERS
"And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God."
We learned about these twenty-four elders back in Revelation 4:4. These twenty-four rulers with crowns upon their heads will fall down on their faces and worship God.
There are seven accounts where these twenty-four elders fall down before God recorded in the book of Revelation. They are found in Revelation 4:4; 4:10; 5:8; 5:14; 7:11; 11:16; 19:4. From the very beginning of time, the number seven has indicated perfection and completion.
VERSE 17: (Chapter 11)
​​​The FOUR and TWENTY ELDERS SPEAK
"Saying, We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned."
This verse is what the twenty-four elders are saying to God. They are giving Him thanks, which we should all do too. The 24 elders are acknowledging that God is "Lord God Almighty". They also acknowledge that God is alive and powerful today, "which art", meaning present time. They acknowledge that He has always existed, "and wast", meaning in the past from before time ever was. The twenty-four elders acknowledge and verify that the "Lord God Almighty" will come back to the earth to reclaim it, "and art to come".
The twenty-four elders state that God Almighty is going to come to the earth to reclaim His power over it, "taken to Thee Thy great power". The twenty-four elders declare that God has always "reigned".
The world does not want Christ to reign. They do not want Him to reign in their hearts. They do not want Him to reign on the earth. People are going to get angrier at God as He comes to reclaim His earth. Nations will even get angrier at God.
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VERSE 18: (Chapter 11)
​​​The NATIONS are ANGRY
GOD is GOING to JUDGE
"And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth."
We see here that "the nations were angry" with God. They will be upset because God will send His two witnesses to speak about judgment and salvation. The people will hold a grudge against God because they will think it is His fault for all the famines, earthquakes, and the pain-causing locusts. People will be blaming God for everything. They will be very angry at Him. They will not realize that it is their own sin that is causing God to bring this judgment upon themselves.
God's "wrath is come". Hebrews 10:31 reminds us that "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:30 also states that God says: "...Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord". 2 Thessalonians 1:6 God states: "Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you". The Tribulation Period will be a time of God's wrath upon sin.
This verse continues to inform us that this "is the time of the dead". The verse is not talking about the physically dead. It is talking about people who are spiritually dead. People who have refused to accept Christ as their own Saviour. Anyone can be saved IF they would believe that Jesus died for their sins, repent of their sins, and ACCEPT Him into their heart. Christians were 'dead spiritually' before they asked Christ to come into their hearts.
Ephesians 2:1-5 reveals this: "And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)".
A great definition of 'spiritual death' is found in the Old Scoffield Bible on page 1251. It describes "Spiritual death is the state of .... man still in his sins; Prolonged beyond the death of the body, spiritual death is a state of eternal separation from God in conscious suffering". (Note: Revelation 2:11; 20:6,14; 21:8).
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In this verse, we are told "that they should be judged". Unsaved people will have to appear before God at the 'Great White Throne Judgment'.
There are two distinct judgment thrones in Heaven. One is the "Great White Throne" where the unsaved will be judged. It is not a good thing to stand before the "Great White Throne". Those who will not enter into Heaven will be standing before the "Great White Throne". We will be studying this in Revelation 20.
There is another throne that all Christians must be judged at. It is NOT the "Great White Throne" which we will study more in Revelation 20:11. Christians will stand before the Lord at the "Judgment Seat of Christ". This is told to us in 2 Corinthians 5:10: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." This is where many unsaved people think that God weighs their good works and if their good outweighs their bad works then God will let them into Heaven. This philosophy is NOT true. People get into Heaven ONLY by the blood of Christ. Christians will be rewarded for doing good, but not in order to get saved. It doesn't matter how many good works a person may have, if that person has not accepted the blood of Jesus to cover their sins, then that person will have to spend eternity in Hell. Unsaved people will not receive a reward from God for doing good.
Judgment
The "Judgment Seat of Christ" where saved people will be judged. Every Christian will stand before Jesus when He is sitting on His Judgment Seat. Christians will stand before Jesus and give an account of their life to Him. We are encouraged and warned about this in 2 Corinthians 5:10: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Christians will be held accountable for what they do for the Lord while here on earth. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 verifies this: "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved;" When you read the entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 3, you can see very clearly that this is speaking about Christians, not the unsaved. We should be living everyday for our Saviour. It will be a shameful time if when we give account to our Saviour, Who died for us, and we have nothing to show on how we lived for Him.
The verse we are studying reads: "...Thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great"...
Lastly in this verse, we read "and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth". This is still the twenty-four elders speaking. They are talking to God. They are saying that they are thankful (verse 17) that God is going to "destroy them which destroy the earth". God created this beautiful, perfect earth (Genesis 1:1) for us. Mankind allowed sin to come into our world. Today, we still allow sin in our world. Humans have continually abused God's creation. We have not taken the best care of what He has entrusted to us. But even more important is the fact that we have allowed sin to have dominion over us and our world. We have not put sin out of our own lives, like the sin of lying, adultery, abortion, sodomy, etc., etc., etc., nor have we endeavored to remove these sins out of our world through proper laws. As a result, these sins have dominion over the earth. God will "destroy them which destroy the earth".
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VERSE 19: (Chapter 11)
​​The TEMPLE of GOD is OPENED
"And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail."
A temple is a sacred place. A temple is a place for respect and honor. It holds the highest place of respect and honor.
EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW
The U.S. Supreme Court
In America, we have the Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court has the ultimate responsibility over all other U.S. courts. It is the highest tribunal of our nation. The Supreme Court of the United States has the final declaration of law. These words are written above the main entrance of the Supreme Court Building:
"EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW"
Most of us have been in a smaller court room, whether as a witness or to pay a traffic ticket. A few people have been to higher circuit courts, and even fewer people have been all the way to the Supreme Court. It is nerve wracking enough to go to the lower courts, but it is even more nerve wracking to have to be present in the Supreme Court.
When walking into the Supreme Court, it may feel very overwhelming with its grandeur pillars and marble steps. The courtroom itself seems majestic with its own air of honor and respect. Fear may be felt as the Chief Justice may glance at you. Having all these emotions inside of you, let's imagine one step more. Let's imagine the chief justice is very angry and full of rage. No one wants to even be in his courtroom. Not only is the judge upset, but he is totally out of patience. He has warned and warned the people to change. The judge knows these people continually refuse to change. This is the end. No more leniency. No more mercy. No more allowance.
This is how it will feel when "the temple of God was opened in heaven". God knows He has warned and warned the people to change. God knows these people will refuse to be sorry for their sins and accept His Sacrifice. God will have no more leniency on them.
When God opens His temple, "and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament". The "ark of His testament" is the cross Christ hung on. Hebrews 9:15 tells us: "And for this cause He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions..." When the temple of God opens in Heaven, everyone will see that it is Jesus and His Sacrifice on the cross that saves us. Jesus says in Matthew 26:28: "For this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." God's temple will illustrate John 3:16: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Most people will refuse this Gift from God.
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Psalm 7:11 says: "God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked everyday." When "the temple of God" opens and people see the "testament" of Christ, they will be very afraid. They will be afraid because they will know He is angry with them. People will know that He has warned them over and over. And people will realize that they had refused to accept Christ as their Saviour.
How do we know God is angry with the unsaved? He tells us in this verse ... "and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." It will be a very frightful time for the unsaved. If you think a chief justice would be scary if he yelled or threw his gavel, it will not compare to the "lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." These are all signs of God's anger. Romans 1:18 warns us: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men..." God, in His Holy fury, will rain down greater lightnings than anyone has ever witnessed. His thunderings will be ear shattering. His earthquake will move the entire world and the hail will be very "great" in size. If you are reading this and have not yet asked Christ to come into your heart and be your Saviour, you should definitely do that now. You will not want to go through this and you are not guaranteed tomorrow. "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1).
