Sunday, August 17 – Revelation 11, 12
1. Who are the two witnesses of Revelation 11:3?
2. Who does the woman in Revelation 12 represent?
3. What characterizes God’s people in the time of the end? (Revelation 12:17)
At the end of chapter 10, John is instructed to deliver a message to the entire world. The message to be shared is detailed in the following chapters.
At the start of chapter 11, John is given a measuring reed and instructed to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those worshiping there.
I quote the Andrews Bible Commentary on Revelation 11:1:
“John received a measuring reed and was commanded to ‘measure’ the temple of God, the altar, and the worshipers, a word that in the Bible means to ‘evaluate’ or ‘judge’ metaphorically (2 Cor. 10:12). In the OT, the Hebrew word madad is used to express God’s act of judging the sins of His people (Is. 65:7), and in the NT, the Greek word metron is used to designate the final judgment (Matt. 7:2). This scene echoes Ezekiel’s vision in which the prophet saw a divine person measuring the temple for the purpose of restoring it (Ezek. 40–43). In light of Ezekiel’s vision, the measuring of the temple in Revelation is related to the restoration of the temple.” Andrews Bible Commentary, Rev. 11:1
On the application of this passage to the investigative judgment, the Commentary continues:
“The temple that John was to measure is the temple in heaven. In the OT, the temple, altar, and worshipers are only mentioned together in connection with the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:16-19, 30-31), which was the annual day of judgment when God ultimately dealt with the sins of His people. This concept is the backdrop of Revelation 11:1. It shows that the measuring here refers to the judgment, which is to take place prior to the Second Coming (14:7). It will concern God’s people exclusively, who are the worshipers in the temple, and its purpose will be to determine who has been faithful to the Lord and who has not.” Andrews Bible Commentary, Rev. 11:1
Verses 2 and 3 mention a period of 42 months and 1,260 days, which refer to the same span of time. During this time, the holy city is trampled and the two witnesses prophesy clothed in sackcloth.
First, on the identity of the two witnesses, the Andrews Bible Commentary states:
“Who are these two witnesses? They represent the Bible (the OT and NT) as well as God’s people in the OT and NT (see the use of the terms ‘witness’ and ‘testimony’ or ‘testify’ in Matt. 24:14; John 5:39).” — Andrews Bible Commentary, Rev. 11:3–6
About the time, I quote the same commentary:
“In Revelation, the time period of forty-two months (Rev. 11:2; 13:5) is the same as a time, times, and half a time (Dan. 7:25; cf. 12:7; Rev. 12:14) and 1,260 days (Rev. 11:3; 12:6) in Daniel.” Andrews Bible Commentary, Rev. 11:2
This was a period of persecution against biblical truth and the church, beginning in A.D. 538 when the pope established religious and civil authority in Rome, and ending in 1798 when the pope was taken captive by a French general and stripped of political and civil power.
Revelation 12 offers a broad vision of the major struggle between good and evil, from Satan’s rebellion in heaven to the end of time. The scenes include:
• Rebellion and conflict in heaven, resulting in the expulsion of Satan and one-third of the angels (vv. 7–9)
• Satan’s effort to kill baby Jesus through Herod and Roman authority (vv. 4, 5))
• God’s protection of the church during medieval persecution (vv. 6, 13, 14)
• Ongoing persecution and divine providence guiding the church to safety in North America (vv. 15, 16)
• Satan’s final assault against God’s end-time people (v. 17)
Revelation 12:17 lays the groundwork for the visions in Revelation 13. The angel in Revelation 19:10 tells John that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
May the Lord grant you the grace to be part of His people in the last days and keep you faithful amid the enemy’s attacks.