REVELATION 11
Truth Squared Equals Torment

It has been universally assumed that the two witnesses are a part of the Tribulation. However, everything about them and their ministry maintains that they are a part of the Wrath of God. Everything in Revelation 10 was preparatory for John, getting him ready for that time, and then Revelation 11 shows him as one of the two witnesses at work—and solidly anchored—in the Wrath of God. They are a part of the sixth trumpet of wrath, and to try and detach them from that is to distort the Word of God. They are resurrected human beings, which is evidenced by the powers they possess. They take part in the same Resurrection as the rest of the body of Christ. God does not bestow the kind of powers that these two possess upon any of His ministers of reconciliation until the door of salvation has been closed.

The first half of Revelation 11 is about the two witnesses of God who will be in Jerusalem prophesying against the inhabitants of the earth while God’s wrath is being poured out. They are a part of the second woe,which concludes in verse 13 of this chapter as soon as the two witnesses are taken up into heaven.After they are taken from the earth, verse 14 immediately declares that the second woe is past and the third woe is coming quickly. These two men are the only servants of God that we know for sure are on the earth during the time of God’s wrath. They are not left-behind saints, but rather, God places them back on the earth for a three-and-one-half year time of prophecy during the midpoint of the Wrath of God. They may very well be the only ones who will be worshipping in the temple at this time. Daniel 8:14 informs us that the temple will be cleansed after 2300 days, and these prophets are the ones who cleanse it. The Antichrist enters the temple 75 days before the Tribulation begins and stops the daily sacrifice. He controls it for the entire 1260 days of the Tribulation. And he continues to control the temple for another 965 days after the Tribulation ends for a total of 2300 days. The Abomination of Desolation will then be removed, and the Antichrist will be barred from entering the temple for three-and-one-half years while God’s two witnesses are at work dispensing the Wrath of God. The courtyard, however, is given over to the Gentiles to tread underfoot.

During the Tribulation, which is the second half of Daniel’s seventieth week, the Antichrist controls and inhabits the temple of God, and he has the Abomination of Desolation set up in the temple near the end of that time. The two witnesses do not occupy the temple of God alongside the Antichrist during the Tribulation, and it does not need to be cleansed before the Antichrist enters it. Furthermore, since the Antichrist gains control of the temple and stops the daily sacrifice 75 days before the Tribulation begins, that effectively bars us from trying to place the two witnesses into the first half of Daniel’s seventieth week. They are, in fact, participants in the Wrath of God. The two witnesses actually drive the Antichrist from the temple several years after the Tribulation is abruptly halted by the Rapture of the Church and the initial onslaught of the Wrath of God is poured out. They begin their testimony of torment against the inhabitants of the earth after they kick the Antichrist out. Nowhere are we told that their testimony is an evangelistic outreach, only that they smite the earth with plagues as often as they like. At the end of their three-and one-half year testimony, they are killed by the Antichrist, brought back to life by God and then raised back up into heaven once more. God predetermines that they must relinquish their lives a second time, and then He raises them back to life a second time. This creates a sense of false hope for the world, but it is as short-lived as the short death of the two witnesses. After three-and-one-half days, they stand on their feet again and wave bye-bye to those who are celebrating their death.

Revelation 11:1-6

1 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.

2 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. (3 1/2 years)

3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. (1260 days or 3 1/2 years using only 30-day months)

4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

5 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.

6 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.

The two witnesses are called olive trees and candlesticks that stand before the God of the earth. Olive trees are truly miraculous plants. They have regenerative cells that keep them alive and healthy for centuries. Many olive trees in the Mediterranean area are reported to be hundreds and even thousands of years old. They are trees of life, although not as potent as the tree of life that stood in the midst of the Garden of Eden. In Revelation 22:2, the tree of life that grows in the New Jerusalem bears twelve different fruits and has leaves for the healing of the nations, making it much different and far superior to the olive tree. However, the similarities are very striking.

The olive is considered a fruit, and it is the only fruit that produces oil. The fruit by itself adds health and vitality to those who consume it, while foods cooked in the oil actually become healthier for human consumption. The oil has been used medicinally, both topically and internally, to combat different diseases. Some people take a daily sip of it for their health. One of the effects of olive oil intake is reduced body fat, which in itself is a major boost to one’s health. The leaves of the olive tree can be brewed into one of the most powerful antioxidant teas known to man.

The candlesticks are actually candleholders. They’re not of much use by themselves, but when you place a candle on top, they provide light to see by. The two witnesses hold out the light of heaven as they speak the words of God. As the primary writers of the end-times prophecies, John and Daniel are the candlesticks who hold a light up to the future. They shine a light of hope into the hearts and minds of those who would otherwise see only gloom and despair. Through their prophecies, we can see that there is a path to the future that includes abundant life, and their light shines bright upon all of the troubles and pitfalls we will encounter along the way. That light is also a beacon of warning to all who would otherwise live for this life only.

During the time of their prophecy, the world will be inhabited by those who have already rejected the light because they love darkness instead and, therefore, their prophecies will be torment to those people. There may be an outreach component to the message they bring during the Wrath of God. However, we are not really told that. In Revelation 9:4, the stinging locust of the fifth seal are instructed to go after only those who have not the seal of God in their foreheads. That’s not an indirect reference to the 144,000 who have the seal of God in their foreheads but have already been taken to heaven with the rest of the Church in the Rapture. It seems to suggest that there is some form of repentance and salvation during the Wrath, even though the age of grace has already come to an end. People may seal themselves with the same seal that the 144,000 received before they were taken away, or the same angels may come to do the sealing whenever someone does call upon the Lord. On the other hand, those who have the mark of the beast are the primary target of God’s wrath, and they will be totally eliminated before the Wrath reaches its conclusion.

The beast, mentioned in verse 7 below, is the Antichrist who will kill the two witnesses, but only after they finish the job they were sent to do. As a part of the second woe, which the two witnesses have a shared part in, the Euphrates River is dried up to make the way clear for the kings of the East to come to the Battle of Armageddon. The first stop for the armies may very well be at the temple of God to silence the two witnesses.

One thing that the two witnesses—John and Daniel—will do is ask, “Why didn’t you believe us back when you had a chance?” They will follow that up with a great big “I told you so” to a world that has rejected the goodness of God and ignored the warnings of a judgment to come. They will then enlighten the world regarding what else lies in wait for them as the Wrath of God reaches closure. They could be delivering a warning and a message of hope to those who remain on the earth to not follow the beast or take his number if they want to survive God’s wrath and be left standing after the return of Jesus Christ at Armageddon. They will more than likely have the seal of God in their own foreheads and instruct others that this is the mark they need to take if they are going to take any.

Some people believe that Enoch and Elijah are the two witnesses because they were both taken by God without experiencing death. Hebrews 9:27 asserts, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” While that is true, it is also true that many saints will still be living and breathing at the return of Jesus Christ for His Church. They are not going to suddenly drop dead at the appearing of the Lord just because it is appointed unto all to die and, therefore, they must die before they can be raptured. Not hardly! They are going to be changed to incorruptible beings at the sounding of the last trump, even as those saints who have already died are raised out of the ground.

The two witnesses are described in superhuman terms, and because the Resurrection has already taken place before the two witnesses prophesy as a part of the Wrath of God, that would make just about anybody qualified for this job. For John and Daniel, their judgment would already be determined because they have already died once, and therefore, the life that they already lived would determine their judgment. It would be impossible for them to fall away during their prophecy of the end-times because they are resurrected saints. On the other hand, if Enoch and Elijah are the two witnesses, by using the argument that they are the only two who were taken to heaven without dying, they would face double jeopardy if they were placed on the earth a second time so that they could finally die—if you have to die once before your fate is sealed. More likely, God raptured these two just like He will rapture the Church in the end because their work was done and He was so pleased with them that He put them through the express checkout line—not because He was going to send them back but because He wanted to give them a special blessing for the great faith they exhibited during their lives. If you’ll recall, 1 Corinthians 15:50 declared that flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God. If that is so, and it is, we know Enoch and Elijah could not possibly be up in heaven walking around in flesh-and-blood bodies waiting to come back and die.

Neither of these dynamic duos should have to die since the Resurrection is already past, but die they will if they are the chosen two who carry out this mission. Because Jesus has gained full control over death at the Resurrection, you would think they wouldn’t have to die at all, but God has allowed their bodies to lie in the streets for three-and-one-half days so that the world might celebrate a hollow victory and then taunt them as He raises them up again. In truth, it really matters little who the two witnesses are because this is part of the sixth trumpet judgment, and God can use whomever he desires to prophesy. Let it suffice to say that there is more than one possibility; however, John and Daniel—the two persons who received the bulk of revelation concerning the end-times—were given special insights and directives that almost assuredly places them back on the earth at the end of time.

Jesus does not return at Armageddon for a second Rapture; He returns at Armageddon to destroy those who have amassed there with weapons of war and to take control of the earth. He accomplishes these goals by completely annihilating the armies that have gathered to resist His unwanted intrusion, and then He brings the remaining occupants of the earth under His submission. He has come to live on the earth, which eradicates any need for a second Rapture. Nobody’s going anywhere after He returns the second time. He will set up His Millennial Reign and, with a rod of iron, rule over all who survive. Revelation tells us in several places that those who experience the Wrath of God lack a repentant heart. That is, after all, why they are being punished in the first place. Those who survive may have nothing more than just enough sense to back off and suppress their hatred, or perhaps, they do have some type of awakening in their souls that doesn’t quite get them saved but makes them realize they are getting what they deserve. Or, it could be that they are too old, too young, too lazy or too busy with other things to bother with joining the armies of the beast. Whatever the reason, their lives are spared. During what must surely be a full seven-year period, multitudes of infants will doubtless be born who will grow into Christ-loving adults during the Millennial Reign.

Before the Battle of Armageddon can take place, the sixth judgment must be completed and the seventh trumpet and vial must be released. The sixth judgment does not end until verse 14 (see scripture below) after the two witnesses are slain and then taken into heaven. After suffering so much of the Wrath of God, many of those who remain on the earth are not repenting but just waiting for the opportunity to slay the two witnesses. Verse 10 discloses the fact that the prophecy of the two witnesses actually torments the remnants of the earth. Now they are ready to silence them through death. Verse 7 declares that the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will lead the armies, some of which have been present in Israel since the beginning of the Tribulation, to make war against the two witnesses. Two against hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions. It’s not a very fair war, but Satan is never fair. Revelation 17:8 reaffirms that the beast actually ascends out of the bottomless pit. We are going to look at that in more depth (pun intended) later on. The beast is the Antichrist, and he is being restrained at this moment in the bottomless pit.

Revelation11:7-8

7 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.

8 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.

The “great city” is referring to Babylon which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt. All of these places symbolize the bondage and sin for which Jesus died. Egypt represents bondage. After the Israelites were delivered from the bondage of Egypt, they continually turned their hearts back to that bondage rather than receive the freedom God had given them. (Isn’t that like some of us today?) Sodom represents unbridled sins of the flesh. The people of Sodom, wanting to have their way with the angels that came in to deliver Lot’s family, “wearied themselves to find the door” after the angels smote them with blindness (Genesis 19:11). Even after being stricken with blindness, they were so driven by lust for new flesh that they could not give up trying to enter the house to get at these new men. Babylon represents the pride and arrogance of all those who, through any means possible, sow to themselves and hoard wealth for their own sensual pleasures while they persecute the poor and needy and righteous. Babylon is called the “great city” in Revelation 14:8; 16:9; 17:18; 18:10,16,18-19,21. Together, Babylon, Sodom and Egypt represent the fullness of sin that nailed Jesus to the cross.

Jesus was slain in Jerusalem, which, although it is meant to be a mirror of the heavenly city, also represents religion in a worldly and fleshly manner, law that convicts rather than pardons, brings bondage rather than liberty and judgment rather than grace. In a very real sense, our Lord was crucified in all these places and wherever sin is found. The heavenly Jerusalem is also called the “great city,” and the holy Jerusalem as well. In verse 2 above, the earthly Jerusalem is called the holy city even though the Gentiles are allowed to tread upon the courtyard of the temple and the rest of the city. The presence of the two witnesses in the temple of God and the decree of holiness by God are what make it holy, even though at times the holy city has been corrupted. God has chosen to put His name there and declare it holy. That is enough to make it holy, despite the fact that legalism, reprobate Jews, angry heathen and the Antichrist himself will at times pollute the city and the temple. The two witnesses will be slain in Jerusalem, the holy city, and their bodies will be carried to great Babylon, the great city, for all the world to see and to celebrate their deaths.

Revelation 11:9-11

9 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.

10 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.

11 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.

God’s people, who are gathered from all nations, kindreds and tongues, were removed from the earth right before His wrath was released. Now, in the very depths of that wrath, people from every kindred, nation and tongue who are left on the earth are having a party—a global celebration with gifts, party hats and balloons because they have been liberated from the torment of the two saints who spoke the truth of God to them. There’s no repentance, no sorrow, no guilt over the murder of the saints, only rejoicing over their brutal slaying. The party ends suddenly, however, after three-andone- half days as the two witnesses get to their feet again and receive their own personal rapture. They are raptured in the same exact manner as Jesus when He received His own personal rapture after His resurrection in Acts 1:9. And they are raptured exactly as the rest of the Church will be when Jesus returns for His people. In all three of these raptures, those involved are received up into the clouds while everyone present watches on.

Revelation 11:12-13

12 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.

13 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.

Not to be mistaken for praise, the only glory these people give to God is their acknowledgement that all these events, including the earthquake, originated from Him. A tenth of the city and 7000 men are destroyed in this earthquake, but another earthquake of much greater severity is yet to come after the seventh angel sounds his trumpet. Verse 14 declares that not until after the two witnesses are slain, raised up, and taken back into heaven will the second woe be past. The statement of verse 14 was not placed there inadvertently. The second woe, which is the sixth trumpet and vial combined, does not end after the Euphrates River is dried up and the 200 million horsemen of chapter 9 complete their slaughter of one third of mankind. The two witnesses, with their three-and-one-half years of ministry, are firmly anchored in the second woe. There are only three ways to remove them from between the sounding of the sixth trumpet and the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The first is dynamite and that probably won’t do it. The second is a statement somewhere else in the Bible that “irrefutably” pulls them out of this context and places them somewhere else; however, there is no such statement to this effect. And the third is for convenience sake to make it fit one’s own personal interpretation of Scripture. That is more dangerous than using dynamite, and it should not be done. God placed them within the confines of the sixth trumpet as part of His wrath because that is where they belong and that is where they will stay. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

Revelation 11:14

The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

The sounding of the seventh and final trumpet signals the final chapter of God’s wrath and the final end of this world system, where Satan reigns as god of the earth. The final trumpet of the Wrath of God should not be confused with the final trump that sounds at the end of the age of grace when God sends Jesus to gather His people out of the earth and begins punishing those who are left behind because they have rejected Him. The Millennial Reign—where God gains back full control of the earth and locks Satan away for a thousand years—is about to begin but not before the Battle of Armageddon. The following verse tells us that Jesus will put down all rule, power and authority. He completes this when He rides back to the earth on His white battle stallion. He appears with His saints in the skies over Israel and defeats the armies that await His arrival, then He begins to rule.

1 Corinthians 15:24

Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

When the final trumpet of the Wrath of God sounds, a great voice proclaims that Jesus will now be the Ruler of all the earth forever and ever. The last part of verse 18 declares that He will destroy those who destroy the earth.Verses 16 through 18 cannot be counted on as any type of chronological outline, however. The 24 elders are worshipping God with their mouths, and they are just speaking out in no particular order the many things that make up the final salvation of God for which they are thankful.

Revelation 11:15-19

15 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.

16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

17 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.

18 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.

19 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.

As you read about the final vial, you’ll notice the exact same things are happening there as what we read in the seventh trumpet in the above scriptures. The temple of God is open, and there is a declaration that the end has come (verses 15 above and verse 17 below) for those who destroy the earth (verses 18 above and verse 19 below), and there are voices, thunders, lightnings, a great earthquake, and giant hail (verse 19 above and verses 18 & 21 below). This again shows us that the trumpets and vials are different revelations of the same events.

Revelation 16:17-21

17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.

20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

God speaks! The voice from the throne is God declaring an endto Satan’s rule. But, waitÉ, it doesn’t just suddenly end. There are still the three frog-like evil spirits that came out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet that went to gather the kings of the earth to bring them to the Battle of Armageddon. The Euphrates River dries up to make the way clear. In verse 13 of this chapter, a tenth of the city of Babylon fell, killing 7000 men—that was the first earthquake. The second earthquake was mentioned after the final trumpet and vial. In Revelation 16:19, the city is split into three parts, and the cities of other nations will fall also. But the worst is yet to come for Babylon. There are no more earthquakes; however, in chapters 17 and 18, the city of Babylon will be utterly burned to the ground before the Battle of Armageddon ever takes place.

Revelation 11 ends here, and so does the sequence of events. When we begin Revelation 12, we are starting the whole sequence of events over again but from a much earlier time. The Book of Revelation repeats the same theme and sequence of events three times: the world experiences the Great Tribulation while the Church is still around, much of the persecution is aimed at Christians and Jews and afterwards, Jesus raptures His Church before the Wrath of God begins to fall on the remaining occupants of the earth. Only after we are gone can the Wrath of God begin to fall. That is exactly what we saw in Matthew 24: Tribulation—Rapture—Wrath. In chapters 6-11, we saw this end-times sequence of events unfold as the seals of the Book of Revelation were opened to reveal the Tribulation, followed by the Rapture and then the Wrath of God. In chapters 12-17, the whole sequence is repeated but from a much earlier time and with a much greater focus on Israel. In chapters 6-11, we were looking down upon the whole earth, with the Middle East being the one third that is targeted for the main thrust of God’s wrath. In chapters 12-17, we are not looking at the entire earth any more; instead, we are looking only at the one third that is directly in the cross-hairs of God’s wrath—the area surrounding the Middle East. Chapters 12-17 will again take us right up to the time just before the destruction of Babylon, the Battle of Armageddon and the completion of God’s plan of redemption and restoration. The only bump in the road is Revelation 14:6-20 where God uses only fifteen verses to give us the entire sequence of events once again. Verses 6-7 show the gospel being preached. Verse 8 shows the fall of Satan’s domain in heaven just prior to his being cast out to the earth; verses 9-13 show the Tribulation; verses 14-16 show the Rapture; and finally, verses 17-20 show the judgment of wrath that culminates with the Battle of Armageddon. Chapters 18-22 can be added to the end of any one of the three chronological sets of Scripture to finish out the story of the end-times.

Think about it!

­Does this chapter speak in any way about redemption to those who hear the two witnesses?

­What is the response of those who hear the two witnesses?

­Are they a part of the second woe?

­Are they a part of the Tribulation or the Wrath?

~Selah~For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Romans 1:18

©
Copyright 2004 RevelationStation.com

All rights reserved.