Revelation Chapter 11

A. The Temple of God

1. Revelation 11:1, John Is Instructed to Measure the Temple, the Altar, and the Worshippers

Revelation 11:1, “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.”

John is given a reed like unto a rod and commanded to rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. This action is not random. In Scripture, measuring often carries theological meaning. It may communicate ownership, divine authority, judgment, preservation, or preparation. The one who measures demonstrates that the thing being measured is known, claimed, and subject to the authority of the one who commands the measuring. In Revelation 11:1, the temple is measured because God knows exactly what belongs to Him, He knows exactly what is taking place in Jerusalem, and He remains sovereign over the events of the Tribulation.

The command to measure the temple has an Old Testament background, especially in Ezekiel chapters 40 through 43, where the prophet Ezekiel is shown a future temple and its dimensions are carefully measured. The temple in Ezekiel is best understood from a literal, grammatical, historical, and prophetic perspective as the millennial temple, which will stand during the earthly reign of Christ. Revelation 11 seems to refer to a temple that exists before that millennial temple, during the Tribulation period. Yet the similarities are important because both passages show that God is not vague about His sanctuary, His worship, His people, or His prophetic program.

Ezekiel 40:17, “Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement.”

Ezekiel 40:18, “And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement.”

Ezekiel 40:19, “Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northward.”

In Ezekiel, the measuring of the temple emphasizes divine order, holiness, and future restoration. God is not presenting a loose spiritual idea, He is giving dimensions, locations, courts, chambers, gates, and measurements. That level of detail supports a literal understanding. The same principle matters in Revelation 11:1. John is not merely told to think about the church symbolically. He is told to measure the temple, the altar, and those who worship therein. The specificity of the command points toward a real temple, real worshippers, and a real prophetic setting.

There are also other biblical examples of measuring. In Zechariah chapter 2, a man measures Jerusalem. That scene is connected with God’s future purpose for the city, including His protection, His presence, and His glory in the midst of Jerusalem. Measuring Jerusalem shows that God has not abandoned the city, and that He still has covenant purposes tied to it.

Zechariah 2:1, “I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.”

Zechariah 2:2, “Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.”

Zechariah 2:3, “And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,”

Zechariah 2:4, “And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:”

Zechariah 2:5, “For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.”

This passage is important because it shows that measuring is not merely a construction detail. It is a prophetic act. Jerusalem is measured because God has determined its future. Even if enemies surround it, God Himself will be its wall of fire and its glory. That same prophetic logic helps explain Revelation 11:1. During the Tribulation, Jerusalem will again become the center of world attention, satanic opposition, false worship, divine judgment, and divine testimony. God commands the measuring because He is still in control of the city, the temple, the altar, and those who worship there.

In Revelation 21, the New Jerusalem is also measured. Again, the point is not that God needed information. God knows all things. The measuring reveals perfection, order, divine ownership, and the certainty of God’s completed plan.

Revelation 21:15, “And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.”

Revelation 21:16, “And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs: the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.”

Revelation 21:17, “And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.”

From Ezekiel, Zechariah, Revelation 11, and Revelation 21, a consistent biblical pattern emerges. God measures what He owns, what He governs, what He preserves, and what He has appointed for His purposes. Measurement is never a sign that God is uncertain. It is a sign that God is exact.

The idea of measuring can also communicate ownership and authority. Habakkuk 3:6 says that the Lord stood and measured the earth. The thought is not that God lacked knowledge of the earth’s size. The point is that the earth belongs to Him, and He may judge it, shake it, divide it, or rule it as He pleases.

Habakkuk 3:6, “He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.”

This directly supports the larger theme of Revelation. God is in charge. The world may appear chaotic during the Tribulation. The Antichrist may appear powerful. Nations may rage. Satan may act with ferocity because he knows his time is short. Yet God remains sovereign. He measures, He limits, He judges, He preserves, and He fulfills His word.

Revelation 11:17 again uses the title Almighty for God. The Greek word commonly translated Almighty is pantokrator, meaning the One who rules over all, the One who has authority over everything. This title is used repeatedly in Revelation because the book is not ultimately about Satan’s rage, the Antichrist’s kingdom, or man’s rebellion. It is about the unveiling of Jesus Christ and the sovereign rule of God over history.

Revelation 11:17, “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.”

This is one of the mighty themes of Revelation. God is in charge. The temple in Revelation 11 will be the scene of great horror and great glory. It will be connected to false worship, satanic deception, Jewish unbelief, prophetic witness, divine judgment, and the eventual triumph of God. Yet none of it escapes the hand of God. He is Almighty. He has His hand on everything.

The identity of the temple in Revelation 11 is an important interpretive issue. Some understand the temple symbolically as the church. There is a biblical basis for describing the church as a temple in a spiritual sense. Paul teaches that believers are built together as a holy temple in the Lord.

Ephesians 2:19, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”

Ephesians 2:20, “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;”

Ephesians 2:21, “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:”

Peter also describes believers as living stones being built up as a spiritual house.

1 Peter 2:5, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

These passages are true and important. The church is indeed the spiritual temple of God in this present age. Believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, joined to Christ, and built together into a spiritual house. However, that truth does not require Revelation 11:1 to be interpreted as the church. Scripture may use temple imagery for the church in one context while also speaking of a literal temple in another context. The interpreter must let each passage speak according to its grammar, context, and prophetic setting.

There are serious problems with making the temple in Revelation 11 a symbol of the church. If the temple is the church, why is John told to measure it? What exactly does the altar represent in that symbolic system? Who are those who worship there if the temple itself already represents believers? What is the meaning of the court that is later distinguished from the measured area? The details become strained when the temple is spiritualized. The passage has too much concrete detail to fit comfortably with a generalized picture of the church as God’s spiritual temple.

The more natural and straightforward interpretation is that Revelation 11 refers to a real Jewish temple on the earth, in Jerusalem, during the Tribulation period. This fits the prophetic framework found in Daniel, Matthew, and 2 Thessalonians. Daniel prophesied that a coming ruler would confirm a covenant and then break it, causing sacrifice and oblation to cease. That requires a functioning sacrificial system. A functioning sacrificial system points to a rebuilt temple.

Daniel 9:27, “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

Daniel also speaks of the sanctuary being polluted, the daily sacrifice being taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate being set up.

Daniel 11:31, “And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.”

Daniel 12:11, “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.”

These verses are difficult to interpret honestly without some form of sanctuary, sacrifice, and desecration. A purely symbolic interpretation does not handle the details plainly. Daniel speaks of sacrifice being stopped and an abomination being set up. The most direct reading is that a future temple will exist, sacrifices will be resumed, and the Antichrist will defile that temple.

Jesus Himself referred to the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet. He placed it in a future setting connected with the end of the age and the great tribulation.

Matthew 24:15, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, let him understand:”

Matthew 24:16, “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:”

Matthew 24:21, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

Jesus identifies the abomination of desolation as something that will stand in the holy place. In a Jewish prophetic context, the holy place naturally refers to the temple. Jesus then tells those in Judea to flee, connecting the event to a real location, real people, and real danger. He also connects it with a period of unparalleled tribulation. This strongly supports the view that Revelation 11 involves a literal temple in Jerusalem during the future Tribulation.

Paul also teaches that the man of sin will sit in the temple of God, presenting himself as God. This again points toward a specific future act of blasphemous desecration.

2 Thessalonians 2:3, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;”

2 Thessalonians 2:4, “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”

Paul’s language is plain. The man of sin opposes God, exalts himself above all that is called God or worshipped, and sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. This harmonizes with Daniel and Jesus. Daniel says sacrifice will be stopped and the abomination will be set up. Jesus says the abomination will stand in the holy place. Paul says the man of sin will sit in the temple of God. Revelation 11 shows John measuring the temple of God. These passages fit together naturally when understood as referring to a future rebuilt Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

Some spiritualize the abomination of desolation by saying it refers to idolatrous worship established in the hearts of God’s people, since believers are called God’s temple in other passages. That interpretation is weak because it does not adequately account for the details. In what sense could those who worship the Antichrist be called God’s temple? If the Antichrist is Satan’s emissary, and if his worship is open rebellion against God, then describing his followers as God’s temple creates theological confusion. The simpler and stronger interpretation is that Daniel, Jesus, Paul, and John are pointing to a real temple that will exist in Jerusalem during the end times.

This does not mean that temple worship during the Tribulation will be spiritually acceptable to God. Christians believe that all sacrifice for sin was finished at the cross. The death of Jesus Christ is final, sufficient, and complete. Any attempt to reinstitute sacrifice for sin after Calvary denies the finished work of Christ. The future temple may be prophetically significant without being spiritually approved as a means of salvation. God can use the existence of that temple within His prophetic plan while still rejecting any sacrifice that pretends to add to or replace the blood of Christ.

The New Testament is clear that Christ’s sacrifice is sufficient and final. The believer does not look to bulls, goats, temple rituals, or priestly ceremonies for forgiveness. Salvation is grounded in the once for all work of Jesus Christ. The rebuilt temple will matter prophetically, but it will not restore the Old Covenant sacrificial system as a legitimate means of atonement before God.

The current interest among some Jewish groups in rebuilding the temple is therefore prophetically significant. There are Jewish people who are deeply committed to seeing a temple rebuilt and sacrifices resumed. The Temple Institute in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem has worked for years to prepare vessels, garments, instruments, and educational material related to a future temple. There are also Jewish activists and organizations committed to reestablishing Jewish worship on the Temple Mount. Some have trained men for priestly service and studied how sacrifices would be conducted if the temple were rebuilt.

At the same time, it is important to keep perspective. Most Jewish people, whether religious or secular, are not consumed with rebuilding the temple. Many do not care about it. Others may oppose it for political, religious, or practical reasons. The Temple Mount is one of the most sensitive religious and geopolitical locations in the world. Rebuilding a temple there would create enormous conflict. Animal sacrifice would also face opposition in the modern world, including from animal rights activists and secular authorities. Yet there remains a small, determined, and highly motivated group that longs to see the temple rebuilt. From a prophetic standpoint, that matters.

Christians who take Bible prophecy literally naturally pay attention to these developments. The existence of Jewish temple preparations does not prove that the temple will be rebuilt tomorrow, but it does show that the idea is no longer theoretical. Israel is back in the land as a nation. Jerusalem is under Jewish control. Temple vessels have been prepared. Priestly training has been discussed and pursued. The religious desire exists among some Jews. The political obstacles are massive, but the prophetic groundwork is visible.

Still, the Christian must not confuse prophetic excitement with theological approval of renewed sacrifice. The basic impulse behind rebuilding the temple, if it is for sacrifice for sin, is not pleasing to God. The finished work of Jesus Christ cannot be improved upon. The veil was rent, access to God was opened through Christ, and the believer’s forgiveness rests entirely on the blood of the Lamb. A rebuilt temple may fulfill prophecy, but sacrifice for sin after the cross would be a denial of Christ’s sufficiency.

Orthodox Jews often believe that Messiah will rebuild the temple. That expectation could become a dangerous opening for deception. Jesus warned that Israel rejected Him, though He came in His Father’s name, but would receive another who comes in his own name.

John 5:43, “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”

This verse is especially sobering in light of end times prophecy. Jesus came as the true Messiah and was rejected by the nation’s leadership. A future false messiah, the Antichrist, will come in his own name and will be received by many. If Orthodox Jewish expectation includes the idea that Messiah rebuilds the temple, then the Antichrist could exploit that expectation. He may initially present himself as a deliverer, peacemaker, and protector of Jewish interests. Yet in the middle of the Tribulation, he will reveal his true character by desecrating the temple, stopping sacrifice, and exalting himself as God.

Revelation 11:1 therefore fits within a larger prophetic structure. Daniel foretells the covenant, the stopping of sacrifice, and the abomination of desolation. Jesus warns that the abomination will stand in the holy place and that those in Judea must flee. Paul says the man of sin will sit in the temple of God and declare himself to be God. John is told to measure the temple, the altar, and those who worship therein. Taken together, these passages point to a literal future temple in Jerusalem during the Tribulation period.

The measuring of the temple also reminds the reader that God is not reacting to history. He is ruling over it. Even when evil seems to advance, it is still limited by God’s decree. The Antichrist will not seize one inch more authority than God permits. Satan will not rage one day longer than God allows. Jerusalem will not be forgotten. Israel will not be erased. The temple will not be outside God’s knowledge. The worshippers will not be hidden from His sight. God measures because God owns, God judges, God preserves, and God fulfills His prophetic word.

2. Revelation 11:2, The Outer Court of the Temple

Revelation 11:2, “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.”

The command in Revelation 11:2 continues the measuring scene from Revelation 11:1, but now John is told not to measure the outer court. The temple, the altar, and those who worship therein are measured, but the court outside the temple is deliberately excluded. This distinction matters. God is making a separation between what is measured and what is left unmeasured. The measured area indicates divine ownership, recognition, and preservation within God’s prophetic purpose. The unmeasured outer court is excluded because it has been given unto the Gentiles.

The phrase “the court which is without the temple” refers to the area outside the inner sanctuary complex. In the historical temples of Israel, there were distinct areas associated with worship, approach, priestly service, and access. The outer court was farther removed from the central sanctuary and altar. In Revelation 11:2, John is told to leave this court out, meaning he is not to include it in the measured portion. The reason is plainly given, “for it is given unto the Gentiles.” This indicates that Gentile control, Gentile presence, or Gentile domination will be allowed in this area during this prophetic period.

The fact that the outer court is “given unto the Gentiles” fits the larger prophetic picture of Jerusalem during the Tribulation. Jerusalem will be the center of intense conflict. The rebuilt temple will be present, but the city will also be under Gentile pressure and domination. This is not a peaceful millennial scene. This is a Tribulation scene. The temple exists, worship is taking place, and yet Gentile powers are trampling the holy city. God is allowing Gentile domination for a fixed period of time, but He is not surrendering His authority over Jerusalem. The trampling is real, but it is limited.

There may also be a practical prophetic implication related to the Temple Mount itself. The Islamic Dome of the Rock currently stands on the Temple Mount and has long been one of the most contested religious sites in the world. Many have assumed that the Dome of the Rock stands on the exact location of the former Jewish temple. If that assumption is correct, rebuilding a Jewish temple in that location would require the removal of the Dome of the Rock, which would almost certainly provoke massive religious and geopolitical conflict. However, some research has suggested that the original temple may have stood north of the Dome of the Rock. If that view were correct, then a rebuilt temple could theoretically stand on or near the ancient temple site while the Dome of the Rock remained within the outer court area.

This possibility may help explain the wording of Revelation 11:2. John is told to leave out the outer court and not measure it because it is given unto the Gentiles. If the Dome of the Rock or another Gentile controlled religious structure were located within the outer court area of a rebuilt temple complex, then this command would make remarkable sense. The inner temple and altar would be measured, but the outer court would remain outside the measured area because it belongs, in that period, to Gentile control. This explanation is not certain because the exact location of the ancient temple remains debated. Still, it is a reasonable possibility within a literal interpretation of the passage.

When Rome destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70, the destruction was severe. The temple was torn down, the city was devastated, and the clear foundations of the ancient temple became difficult to identify with certainty. Jesus had already prophesied the destruction of the temple.

Matthew 24:1, “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.”

Matthew 24:2, “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

This prophecy was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. That destruction was so complete that later generations have debated the exact location of the former temple structure. This historical reality helps explain why there is disagreement today over whether the Dome of the Rock stands directly over the old temple site or whether the temple may have stood elsewhere on the mount. The matter is not settled beyond dispute.

If the temple stood north of the Dome of the Rock, and if a future temple is rebuilt on that original site, then the Dome of the Rock could fall within the outer courts rather than on the precise location of the sanctuary itself. In that case, Revelation 11:2 would fit the arrangement with striking precision. John measures the temple and the altar, but the outer court is left out because it has been given to the Gentiles. Again, this interpretation should be stated carefully. It is possible and prophetically interesting, but it is not absolutely proven. The text itself does not mention the Dome of the Rock by name. The text simply says that the outer court is not measured because it has been given unto the Gentiles.

The main point of the verse is not architectural speculation, but prophetic control. God distinguishes between the temple and the outer court. God determines what is measured and what is excluded. God allows Gentile trampling, but only for the time He has decreed. Even in a period of great satanic pressure and Gentile domination, God’s hand remains over the prophetic process.

The second major statement in Revelation 11:2 is that “the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.” The holy city is Jerusalem. Scripture repeatedly treats Jerusalem as uniquely set apart in God’s covenant and prophetic program. Even when Jerusalem is rebellious, judged, invaded, or trampled, it remains the city tied to God’s promises concerning Israel, David, Messiah, and the coming kingdom.

Nehemiah 11:1, “And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.”

Isaiah 52:1, “Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion, put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.”

Matthew 4:5, “Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,”

These passages show that “the holy city” is a recognized biblical description of Jerusalem. Revelation 11:2 therefore speaks of Jerusalem being trampled by Gentile powers. This is not a vague reference to the church being persecuted. It is a prophetic statement concerning the city of Jerusalem during a specific period of end times oppression.

The phrase “tread under foot” carries the idea of trampling, domination, contempt, and humiliation. A.T. Robertson explained that the expression means “to trample with contempt.” That meaning fits the context. Jerusalem will not merely be occupied. It will be treated with contempt by Gentile powers. The city beloved in God’s covenant purposes will be dishonored, oppressed, and trampled under the authority of rebellious nations and the Antichrist’s system.

This trampling of Jerusalem also connects with Jesus’ teaching in Luke 21. Jesus spoke of Jerusalem being trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Luke 21:24, “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

Luke 21:24 gives the broad historical principle. Jerusalem would be under Gentile domination until the times of the Gentiles reach their appointed conclusion. Revelation 11:2 focuses on a specific final period of Gentile trampling during the Tribulation, lasting forty two months. This is the final and most intense expression of Gentile contempt for Jerusalem before the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom.

The forty two months equal three and one half years. In prophetic reckoning, this corresponds to 1,260 days and to “a time, and times, and half a time.” Revelation repeatedly uses these equivalent time expressions. The repetition shows that this is not a vague period. God gives a fixed duration.

Revelation 11:3, “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.”

Revelation 12:6, “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”

Revelation 12:14, “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”

Revelation 13:5, “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”

These passages fit together. Forty two months, 1,260 days, and a time, times, and half a time all point to the same general period of three and one half years. In the prophetic structure of Daniel and Revelation, this period is especially associated with the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week, when the Antichrist breaks his covenant, stops sacrifice, desecrates the temple, persecutes Israel, and exercises blasphemous authority.

Daniel gives the foundational prophecy for this final seven year period. The coming prince will confirm a covenant with many for one week, and in the midst of the week he will cause sacrifice and oblation to cease.

Daniel 9:26, “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”

Daniel 9:27, “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

The “one week” in Daniel 9:27 is best understood as a seven year period. In the middle of that seven year period, the Antichrist breaks the covenant and causes sacrifice to cease. That middle point divides the final seven years into two halves of three and one half years each. Revelation 11:2’s forty two months fits naturally with the last half of that seven year period.

The trampling of Jerusalem by Gentiles likely takes place during this last half of the final seven years. This is the time when the Antichrist’s true character is revealed. He no longer appears merely as a political genius, peacemaker, or covenant maker. He becomes openly blasphemous, violently anti God, and fiercely hostile toward Israel. His fury is poured out against the Jewish people, especially after his desecration of the temple.

Revelation 12 describes this persecution in symbolic language. The woman represents Israel, and the dragon represents Satan. When Satan sees that he is cast down, he persecutes the woman who brought forth the man child. This aligns with the final Tribulation persecution of Israel.

Revelation 12:13, “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.”

Revelation 12:14, “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”

Revelation 12:15, “And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.”

Revelation 12:16, “And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.”

Revelation 12:17, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

This passage explains the spiritual force behind the trampling of Jerusalem and the persecution of Israel. The ultimate enemy is Satan. The human instrument will be the Antichrist and his Gentile world system. Satan’s rage against Israel is tied to God’s covenant program, the coming kingdom, and the fact that Messiah came through Israel. Satan cannot overthrow God, so he attacks what God has chosen, what God has promised, and what God will use in His prophetic plan.

Jesus also described this same period in Matthew 24. When the abomination of desolation stands in the holy place, those in Judea are to flee. This marks the beginning of a period of unparalleled tribulation.

Matthew 24:15, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, let him understand:”

Matthew 24:16, “Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:”

Matthew 24:17, “Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:”

Matthew 24:18, “Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.”

Matthew 24:19, “And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!”

Matthew 24:20, “But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:”

Matthew 24:21, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

Matthew 24:22, “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.”

Matthew 24:23, “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.”

Matthew 24:24, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

Matthew 24:25, “Behold, I have told you before.”

Matthew 24:26, “Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not.”

Matthew 24:27, “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Matthew 24:28, “For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.”

Matthew 24:15 through 28 fits the same prophetic period described in Revelation 11:2. The holy city is trampled. The temple is present. The abomination stands in the holy place. Judea is in danger. The persecution is severe. False messiahs and false prophets arise. Deception increases. Yet the period is limited by God. Jesus said that the days would be shortened for the elect’s sake. Revelation says the trampling lasts forty two months. God sets the boundary.

This is a major point of comfort in a terrifying passage. The Gentiles tread Jerusalem underfoot, but they do not do so forever. The Antichrist rages, but only within the time God permits. Satan persecutes Israel, but he cannot cancel God’s covenant promises. The holy city is trampled, but it is still called the holy city. That phrase itself is significant. Even under Gentile contempt, Jerusalem remains prophetically set apart. Man may trample it, but God has not abandoned it.

The word “given” is also important. The outer court “is given unto the Gentiles.” This means Gentile control is permitted by God. It is not outside divine sovereignty. The same kind of language appears elsewhere in Revelation when authority is given for a limited time. The beast is given authority to continue forty two months, but that authority is not ultimate. It is permitted, temporary, and judged.

Revelation 13:5, “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”

The Antichrist’s authority is real, but it is borrowed. It is permitted, but it is not independent. He may speak blasphemy, persecute the saints, deceive the nations, and trample Jerusalem through his Gentile system, but he cannot break the decree of God. Revelation never presents evil as equal to God. Satan is powerful, but he is not sovereign. The Antichrist is terrifying, but he is not Almighty. The nations may trample, but they cannot possess what God has promised forever.

Revelation 11:2 also preserves the distinction between Israel, Jerusalem, the Gentiles, and the church. A plain reading of the passage does not erase these categories. Jerusalem is the holy city. The Gentiles are the trampling powers. The temple is connected to Jewish worship and prophetic fulfillment. This fits a literal, dispensational understanding of the end times. God still has a program for Israel. The church does not replace Israel, and Jerusalem is not reduced to a symbol of the church. God’s promises to Israel will be fulfilled literally, nationally, and covenantally, even though Israel must pass through severe judgment and refinement before receiving her King.

The trampling of Jerusalem by Gentiles also shows the final stage of Gentile dominion that began in the Old Testament prophetic framework. Daniel revealed successive Gentile empires that would dominate Israel and Jerusalem. Those empires culminate in the final kingdom of the Antichrist, which will be destroyed by the coming of the Son of man.

Daniel 7:13, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.”

Daniel 7:14, “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

The Gentiles may tread the holy city underfoot for forty two months, but the Son of man will receive an everlasting dominion. This is the contrast. Gentile domination is temporary. Christ’s kingdom is eternal. The Antichrist’s reign is measured in months. Christ’s reign has no end.

The same truth appears in Luke 1, where Gabriel announces that Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob forever. This promise has not been canceled or spiritualized away.

Luke 1:31, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.”

Luke 1:32, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:”

Luke 1:33, “And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

The trampling of Jerusalem in Revelation 11:2 must therefore be understood in light of the coming reign of Christ. Jerusalem will be humiliated before it is exalted. Israel will be persecuted before she is delivered. The Antichrist will desecrate before Christ cleanses and reigns. Gentile contempt will reach its peak, but it will also reach its end.

The forty two months are therefore both a period of judgment and a countdown to deliverance. For the unbelieving world, it is a time of rebellion, blasphemy, deception, and violence. For Israel, it is a time of severe persecution and refinement. For Satan, it is a time of rage because his time is short. For God’s prophetic plan, it is a fixed period moving toward the visible return of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 11:2 teaches that God permits the Gentiles to tread the holy city underfoot, but He does not permit them to do so indefinitely. The temple is measured. The outer court is excluded. Jerusalem is trampled. The time is fixed. The Antichrist’s fury is real. Satan’s hatred is real. Gentile contempt is real. Yet God’s sovereignty is greater than all of it. The same God who measures the temple also measures the time of Jerusalem’s trampling.

B. The Two Witnesses

1. Revelation 11:3-6, The Ministry of the Two Witnesses

Revelation 11:3, “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.”

Revelation 11:4, “These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.”

Revelation 11:5, “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.”

Revelation 11:6, “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 among the most striking figures in the Book of Revelation. They appear during the Tribulation as God’s specially empowered prophetic servants. Their ministry is public, supernatural, authoritative, and confrontational. They do not represent vague religious influence or symbolic moral testimony. They are presented as real witnesses, real prophets, and real men who minister during a definite period of time, one thousand two hundred and threescore days, which is 1,260 days, or three and one half years.

The Lord calls them “my two witnesses.” This phrase is important. They belong to God. They are not self appointed religious reformers. They are not political activists. They are not merely religious teachers trying to gain a following. They are God’s witnesses, raised up by divine appointment and empowered by divine authority. In a world dominated by deception, blasphemy, Antichrist worship, and Gentile trampling of Jerusalem, God will still have faithful men speaking His word. The Antichrist will not be allowed to control the prophetic narrative. Satan will not be allowed to silence divine testimony until God’s appointed time is complete.

The word “witnesses” means they testify to what is true. In Scripture, a witness is one who bears testimony. The two witnesses will testify to God’s truth in the face of global rebellion. Their testimony will likely include judgment, repentance, the true identity of Jesus Christ, the guilt of the unbelieving world, the deception of the Antichrist, the coming kingdom, and the certainty that the God of Israel still reigns. They stand as a direct contradiction to the lies of the Beast system.

Their ministry is described as prophetic, “they shall prophesy.” Prophecy in Scripture is not limited to predicting future events, although it often includes that. Prophecy also involves speaking the word of God with divine authority. The prophets exposed sin, rebuked idolatry, called men to repentance, announced judgment, and pointed to the purposes of God. The two witnesses will do the same during the darkest period of human history. Their message will not be soft, diplomatic, or popular. It will be a direct word from God in an age that hates God.

They are clothed in sackcloth. Sackcloth in Scripture is associated with mourning, grief, repentance, humiliation, and judgment. Their clothing matches their message. They are not dressed like royal ambassadors celebrating peace on earth. They are clothed like prophets of mourning because the world is under judgment and Jerusalem is being trampled. Their appearance itself becomes a sermon. They preach repentance, and their sackcloth demonstrates the seriousness of sin and the nearness of divine wrath.

Jonah 3:5, “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.”

Jonah 3:6, “For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.”

Jonah 3:7, “And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:”

Jonah 3:8, “But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.”

Jonah 3:9, “Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?”

The sackcloth of the two witnesses should be understood in the same general biblical category. It is connected to repentance and judgment. These men do not minister in an age of spiritual softness. They minister when the world is hard, rebellious, blasphemous, violent, and deceived. Their sackcloth announces that men ought to humble themselves before God.

Their ministry is effective because God says, “I will give power unto my two witnesses.” Their power is not natural charisma. It is not clever communication. It is not political influence. It is not media control. It is divine power. God empowers them to prophesy, protects them from their enemies, and enables them to perform supernatural signs of judgment. They serve with such power that the world cannot stop them until their testimony is finished.

The duration of their ministry is one thousand two hundred and threescore days. This is the same prophetic time period associated with three and one half years. Revelation repeatedly refers to this period by different expressions, including 1,260 days, forty two months, and a time, times, and half a time. This shows that the ministry of the two witnesses is tied to the final prophetic timetable of the Tribulation.

Revelation 11:2, “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.”

Revelation 12:6, “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”

Revelation 12:14, “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”

Revelation 13:5, “And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”

The repetition of this period is not accidental. God is marking off the final three and one half years with precision. Gentiles trample the holy city for forty two months. The Beast is given authority for forty two months. Israel is protected for 1,260 days. The two witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days. The point is clear, even when evil is unleashed, God is still measuring the time. The Antichrist’s reign is limited. Satan’s fury is limited. Gentile trampling is limited. The witnesses’ ministry is appointed, protected, and completed according to God’s schedule.

Revelation 11:4 says, “These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.” This description reaches back to Zechariah chapter 4. In Zechariah’s vision, the prophet sees a candlestick with a bowl upon the top of it, seven lamps, and two olive trees beside it. The picture is one of continual supply. The lamps are supplied by oil from the olive trees. Oil in Scripture commonly represents the ministry and power of the Holy Spirit. The image teaches that the work of God cannot be accomplished by human might, political strength, military force, or fleshly energy. It must be accomplished by the Spirit of God.

Zechariah 4:2, “And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:”

Zechariah 4:3, “And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.”

Zechariah 4:6, “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Zechariah 4:14, “Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

In Zechariah’s day, this vision had an immediate connection to Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the governor. They were raised up by God in the restoration period after the Babylonian captivity. Zerubbabel had a role in rebuilding the temple, and Joshua represented priestly service. The message was that God’s work would not be completed by human strength alone, but by the Spirit of the Lord. The two anointed ones in Zechariah stood in relation to God’s purpose for Israel, temple restoration, and covenant worship.

The two witnesses in Revelation 11 are described with the same imagery because they also stand before God and serve as empowered witnesses during a time of prophetic crisis. They are like lampstands because they bear light in a dark world. They are like olive trees because their ministry is supplied by divine power. They stand before the God of the earth because their authority is not local, regional, political, or merely religious. They are servants of the sovereign God who rules the whole earth.

The phrase “standing before the God of the earth” is especially fitting in Revelation 11. The world during the Tribulation will increasingly recognize the Antichrist’s system, worship the Beast, and submit to satanic deception. Yet the two witnesses stand before the true God of the earth. The earth does not belong to Satan. The earth does not belong to the Antichrist. The earth does not belong to the Gentile powers trampling Jerusalem. The earth belongs to the Lord.

Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”

The two witnesses are therefore God’s representatives in a rebellious world. They are not merely defending religious tradition. They are declaring the authority of the God who owns the earth. Their witness confronts the false claim of the Beast. The Antichrist will demand worship, but the two witnesses stand before the God of the earth and testify that only the Lord is sovereign.

The picture of olive trees and lampstands also gives an important principle for all witness. A man cannot be a true witness for God unless he first has something to witness. A witness must know the Lord personally. He must have encountered the truth of God. He must bear testimony from the reality of God’s revelation, not from empty religious theory. The two witnesses will speak from divine commission and divine power. They are not merely repeating tradition. They are prophesying by the authority of God.

The second principle is that a true witness must be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Human ability alone cannot do spiritual work. Eloquence cannot replace the Spirit. Boldness cannot replace the Spirit. Education cannot replace the Spirit. Organization cannot replace the Spirit. The two witnesses will minister in the most hostile spiritual climate the world has ever seen, and they will endure because they are supplied by God. The imagery of oil flowing to the lamps pictures continual, abundant supply. God gives them what they need for the full duration of their calling.

The description also shows that Revelation draws deeply from the Old Testament. The Book of Revelation is not disconnected from the Hebrew prophets. It gathers the language, imagery, symbols, judgments, temple themes, kingdom promises, and prophetic expectations of the Old Testament and brings them to their final fulfillment in Christ. The two witnesses are understood properly only when Zechariah, Moses, Elijah, Daniel, and the prophetic structure of Israel’s future are allowed to inform the passage.

Revelation 11:5 describes their protection. “And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies.” This is supernatural divine defense. Their enemies will want to harm them. The passage does not say opposition might arise. It assumes hostility. “If any man will hurt them” indicates that men will desire to injure, stop, silence, and kill them. The world will hate their message because it hates the God who sent them.

The fire proceeding out of their mouth may be understood as a literal supernatural judgment, or as a judgment connected directly to their spoken prophetic word. Either way, the result is plain. Their enemies are devoured. The same verse repeats the warning, “and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.” God will not permit their enemies to stop their ministry before the appointed time. The protection is absolute until their testimony is finished.

This recalls the ministry of Elijah, especially in 2 Kings 1, when fire came down from heaven and consumed soldiers sent by the wicked king Ahaziah. Elijah was God’s prophet, and those who came against him in contempt for God’s word encountered judgment.

2 Kings 1:9, “Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.”

2 Kings 1:10, “And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.”

2 Kings 1:11, “Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.”

2 Kings 1:12, “And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.”

The connection to Elijah is strong because Revelation 11:6 also says the two witnesses have power to shut heaven so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy. Elijah was the prophet through whom God shut the heavens during the reign of Ahab. James says Elijah prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

James 5:17, “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”

James 5:18, “And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”

The length of Elijah’s drought, three years and six months, is especially notable because the two witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days, also three and one half years. This strengthens the Elijah pattern. The two witnesses minister in the spirit and power of prophetic confrontation. Like Elijah, they confront apostasy, idolatry, corrupt power, and national rebellion. They are not religious entertainers. They are prophets of judgment.

The Old Testament account of Elijah’s drought begins in 1 Kings 17. Elijah announces that there will be no rain except according to his word.

1 Kings 17:1, “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”

That same kind of authority appears in Revelation 11:6. The two witnesses have power to shut heaven. Their prophetic ministry is accompanied by judgment on the natural order. Rain is withheld. Drought comes. The earth feels the consequences of rejecting God. This is fitting during the Tribulation, when God’s judgments fall upon a world that refuses to repent.

Revelation 11:6 also says they have “power over waters to turn them to blood.” This clearly recalls Moses and the plagues of Egypt. When Pharaoh resisted the word of the Lord and refused to let Israel go, God turned the waters of Egypt into blood through Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 7:17, “Thus saith the LORD, 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.”

Exodus 7:18, “And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.”

Exodus 7:19, “And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood, and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.”

Exodus 7:20, “And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.”

Exodus 7:21, “And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.”

The connection to Moses continues because Revelation 11:6 says the two witnesses have power “to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.” Moses was the prophet through whom God struck Egypt with plague after plague. Those plagues were not random disasters. They were covenant judgments, public demonstrations that the God of Israel is the true God and that the gods of Egypt were powerless before Him. In Revelation 11, the two witnesses will again bring plague judgments upon a rebellious world system.

The plagues of Exodus included water turned to blood, frogs, lice, flies, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and the death of the firstborn. These judgments humbled Egypt and exposed Pharaoh’s rebellion. Revelation’s judgments likewise humble the world and expose the Antichrist’s kingdom as doomed before God.

Exodus 9:14, “For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.”

This verse expresses the purpose of plague judgment. God reveals that there is none like Him in all the earth. Revelation 11:6 says the two witnesses stand before the God of the earth, and then they smite the earth with plagues. The connection is plain. Their judgments are not tricks. They are divine demonstrations that the Lord is God over the earth.

The comparison to Moses and Elijah has led many interpreters to believe the two witnesses may literally be Moses and Elijah. Moses represents the law and the Exodus plagues. Elijah represents the prophets, drought, and fire from heaven. Both appeared with Christ at the Mount of Transfiguration.

Matthew 17:1, “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,”

Matthew 17:2, “And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.”

Matthew 17:3, “And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.”

Moses and Elijah appearing with Christ in glory is significant. Moses is associated with the law. Elijah is associated with the prophets. Together they represent the testimony of the Old Testament pointing to Christ. Their appearance at the Transfiguration previewed kingdom glory and confirmed that Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. Because Revelation 11 contains signs connected to Moses and Elijah, many believe they are the two witnesses.

Malachi also prophesied that Elijah would be sent before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

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, “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.”

This makes Elijah a strong candidate. The prophecy says Elijah will come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah, but he was not Elijah in person.

Luke 1:17, “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the father to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

John 1:21, “And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.”

John the Baptist fulfilled an Elijah like role at Christ’s first coming, but Malachi’s prophecy may still point to Elijah’s personal return before the day of the Lord. Revelation 11’s connection to Elijah’s signs supports that possibility.

Moses is also a strong candidate because of the plagues and the turning of water into blood. However, some have suggested Enoch instead of Moses because Enoch and Elijah did not experience death in the normal way. Hebrews states that Enoch was translated and did not see death.

Genesis 5:24, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

Hebrews 11:5, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”

Elijah also was taken up without ordinary death.

2 Kings 2:11, “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.”

Because Hebrews says it is appointed unto men once to die, some argue that Enoch and Elijah must return as the two witnesses and then die in Revelation 11.

Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

That view is possible, but the stronger contextual evidence in Revelation 11 points more toward Moses and Elijah because the miracles specifically match their ministries. The text itself does not name the witnesses, so certainty should be avoided. What is certain is that they are two real men, divinely empowered, prophetically commissioned, and supernaturally protected until their ministry is finished.

The grammar of Revelation 11:3 through 6 also supports that the two witnesses are two men. The nouns and pronouns used for them are masculine. The passage speaks of “they,” “these,” and “them” in a way that identifies personal male witnesses, not institutions, movements, abstract principles, or symbolic communities. This matters because some try to make the two witnesses symbolic of the Old and New Testaments, Israel and the church, the law and the prophets, or some general witnessing body. But the passage presents them as two specific male prophets who act, speak, are attacked, kill their enemies, perform signs, finish their testimony, are killed, have bodies, lie in the street, and are raised from the dead. That is personal language, not merely symbolic language.

Revelation 11:5 says that if anyone wants to harm them, that person must be killed in the same manner. This shows the invincibility of God’s servants until God’s appointed time. No assassin, soldier, mob, government, demonically inspired faction, or Beast system can stop them before God permits it. Their protection is not because they are physically untouchable by nature, but because God has decreed the duration of their witness. When God gives a man a task, no enemy can stop him before the task is complete.

This is a repeated biblical principle. God’s servants are immortal until their work is done. That does not mean they will never suffer. It does not mean they will never die. The two witnesses themselves will eventually be killed. But they cannot be killed early. Their enemies cannot shorten their assignment. God controls both the ministry and the moment of their death.

The phrase “as often as they will” in Revelation 11:6 shows the extraordinary scope of their delegated authority. They have power to shut heaven, turn waters to blood, and strike the earth with all plagues as often as they will. This does not mean they act independently from God’s will or selfishly abuse power. As true prophets, their will is aligned with God’s command. Their judgments are expressions of divine authority. They are not magicians performing wonders to impress men. They are prophets administering judgment under God’s commission.

Their ministry also exposes the hardness of the human heart during the Tribulation. One might think that such supernatural signs would lead the world to repentance. Yet Revelation repeatedly shows that many will refuse to repent even under obvious divine judgment.

Revelation 9:20, “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of the hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:”

Revelation 9:21, “Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”

This helps explain why the world hates the two witnesses. Their ministry removes excuses. Their preaching tells the truth. Their signs demonstrate divine power. Their judgments show that God is real, holy, and sovereign. Yet hardened sinners often hate the light rather than come to it.

John 3:19, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

John 3:20, “For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

The two witnesses will shine as lampstands in the darkest hour of history, and the world will hate them because their testimony exposes evil. Their ministry is therefore both merciful and judicial. It is merciful because God is still speaking, still warning, still calling men to repentance. It is judicial because rejecting such testimony deepens guilt and confirms rebellion.

Their sackcloth also shows that true ministry in a wicked age is not entertainment. These men do not flatter the age. They mourn over it. They do not accommodate the Antichrist system. They rebuke it. They do not blend in with the world. They stand apart from it. Their clothing, message, power, and judgments all declare that the world is under the wrath of God and must repent.

This is also why the two witnesses are connected to lampstands. A lampstand gives light. In Revelation 1, lampstands are used for the churches, because the churches are to bear witness to Christ in this present age.

Revelation 1:20, “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven candlesticks: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.”

In Revelation 11, the two witnesses are also called candlesticks, or lampstands, because they bear divine light during the Tribulation. The church age witness and the Tribulation witness are distinct, but the principle remains, God places His light in a dark world. Men may hate the light, but they cannot extinguish it until God’s appointed purpose is complete.

The two witnesses also stand in contrast to the false prophet and the Antichrist. The Beast system will have false signs, false worship, false authority, and false claims. The two witnesses will have true prophetic authority, true divine power, and true testimony. Revelation presents a conflict of witness. Satan has his counterfeit messengers. God has His true prophets. The world must choose between the lie and the truth.

Their ministry also serves Israel’s prophetic restoration. Because they minister in Jerusalem during the period when the holy city is trampled and the temple is present, their witness is closely tied to Israel. They call attention to the God of Israel, the prophetic word, the coming judgment, and the true Messiah. Their ministry likely plays a role in preparing a remnant to recognize the deception of the Antichrist and ultimately turn to the Lord.

The two witnesses are therefore not a side issue in Revelation 11. They are central to the chapter’s prophetic movement. The temple is measured. The outer court is given to the Gentiles. The holy city is trampled. Then God raises up two witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 days. Where Gentile contempt increases, divine testimony increases. Where the Antichrist system darkens the world, God lights two lampstands. Where Satan seeks control, God sends prophets who cannot be stopped.

This passage also teaches that God’s testimony continues even in judgment. The Tribulation is not merely punishment. It is also proclamation. God judges, but He also warns. God pours out wrath, but He also sends witnesses. God allows deception, but He also provides truth. The two witnesses demonstrate that even in the darkest days, God remains righteous, merciful, and sovereign.

The ministry of the two witnesses is prophetic, mournful, Spirit empowered, protected, miraculous, confrontational, and limited to God’s appointed duration. They prophesy. They wear sackcloth. They stand as olive trees and lampstands before the God of the earth. They are supplied by the Spirit. They are protected by fire. They shut heaven. They turn waters to blood. They strike the earth with plagues. They bear witness in Jerusalem while the holy city is being trampled. They are two real men, and they serve until God says their testimony is finished.

2. Revelation 11:7-10, The Death of the Two Witnesses

Revelation 11:7, “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.”

Revelation 11:8, “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.”

Revelation 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.”

Revelation 11:10, “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.”

The death of the two witnesses comes only after their ministry is complete. Revelation 11:7 begins with the words, “And when they shall have finished their testimony.” This phrase is essential to understanding the passage. The beast does not kill them before God’s appointed time. Their enemies do not silence them early. Satan does not shorten their assignment. The Antichrist system cannot interrupt God’s prophetic schedule. These two prophets minister for the full duration appointed by God, and only when their testimony is finished are they permitted to be overcome and killed.

This is one of the strongest statements in the passage concerning the sovereignty of God over the lives of His servants. The two witnesses have powerful enemies, but those enemies are restrained until God’s purpose is complete. Revelation 11:5 already showed that anyone who tries to harm them before the appointed time is destroyed. Fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. But in Revelation 11:7, when their testimony is finished, God permits the beast to make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. Their death is not a defeat of God’s plan. Their death is part of God’s plan.

This gives a powerful principle for faithful service. God’s servants cannot be removed from this earth until their testimony is finished. This does not mean believers will never suffer. It does not mean faithful men will never be persecuted. It does not mean the enemy will never be allowed to attack. The two witnesses are eventually killed. But it does mean the devil does not have final authority over the life and death of God’s servants. The Lord rules over the length, scope, and completion of a man’s calling.

Psalm 31:15, “My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.”

Job 14:5, “Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;”

John 7:30, “Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.”

John 8:20, “These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him, for his hour was not yet come.”

Even in the earthly ministry of Jesus, His enemies could not arrest or kill Him until the appointed hour. They hated Him, plotted against Him, and desired His death, but they could not act successfully until God’s time. The same principle applies here in a lesser way to the two witnesses. Their enemies hate them from the beginning, but they cannot destroy them until their testimony is complete.

There is also an important distinction between being a witness and giving testimony. A witness is what a person is. Testimony is what a witness gives. The two witnesses are God’s witnesses by identity, calling, and divine appointment. Their testimony is the message they proclaim, the prophetic witness they give, and the truth they declare before the world. Their identity precedes their activity. They are witnesses, therefore they testify.

This matters for all believers. A Christian does not merely do witnessing as an occasional activity. A Christian is a witness by virtue of belonging to Christ. His life, words, conduct, convictions, and public confession should bear testimony to the Lord. The two witnesses are an extraordinary end times example of this principle. They are witnesses in the fullest prophetic sense, and they give testimony until that testimony is complete.

Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

The Lord did not merely tell His disciples to perform an occasional task of witnessing. He said, “ye shall be witnesses unto me.” Witness is bound to identity. The two witnesses of Revelation 11 are God’s appointed prophetic witnesses, and their testimony is inseparable from who they are before God.

Revelation 11:7 says that the beast ascends out of the bottomless pit. This beast makes war against the two witnesses, overcomes them, and kills them. The bottomless pit has already appeared in Revelation 9, where a demonic locust plague comes from the abyss and a king rules over them.

Revelation 9:1, “And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.”

Revelation 9:2, “And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.”

Revelation 9:11, “And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.”

The beast who ascends out of the bottomless pit is connected with the satanic and demonic realm. Revelation later develops the beast more fully as the Antichrist, the final world ruler empowered by Satan. The connection with the bottomless pit shows that his power is not merely political or military. It is hellish. His authority is energized by the kingdom of darkness.

Revelation 13:1, “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.”

Revelation 13:2, “And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of the bear, and his mouth as the mouth of lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.”

The dragon gives the beast his power, seat, and great authority. Revelation 12 identifies the dragon as Satan.

Revelation 12:9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

Therefore, when Revelation 11:7 says the beast ascends out of the bottomless pit and kills the two witnesses, the passage shows a direct collision between God’s prophetic witnesses and Satan’s final world system. The beast acts as the instrument of satanic hostility against God’s servants. The world will probably celebrate him as a deliverer because he finally destroys the prophets who tormented them with truth. Yet heaven sees him for what he is, the Beast, empowered by the dragon, connected to the abyss, and destined for judgment.

The beast “shall make war against them.” This language is significant. He does not merely arrest them. He makes war. Their ministry has been so powerful and so threatening to his system that their removal requires warlike action. This could involve military force, state violence, organized persecution, demonic power, or all of these together. The two witnesses are not killed in a quiet corner. Their death is a world event.

The beast “shall overcome them, and kill them.” This is not because he is stronger than God. It is because God permits it after their testimony is finished. Revelation repeatedly shows that evil may appear to overcome temporarily, but its victories are short lived and deceptive. The cross itself looked like defeat to the world, yet it was the very means by which God accomplished redemption. The death of the two witnesses will look like a triumph for the Beast, but it will become another stage in God’s public vindication of His servants.

Colossians 2:14, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”

Colossians 2:15, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

At Calvary, the powers of darkness thought they had won. In truth, Christ triumphed over them through the cross. In Revelation 11, the Beast and the world will think they have triumphed over the two witnesses. But God will soon reverse that celebration publicly.

Revelation 11:8 says, “And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city.” Their bodies are not buried. They are left exposed in the street. This is deliberate humiliation. In the ancient world, leaving a dead body unburied was a profound dishonor. Burial was considered an important act of dignity. To leave bodies in the open was a sign of contempt, disgrace, and victory over one’s enemies.

The world will treat the two witnesses with contempt even after death. Their enemies are not satisfied with killing them. They want to disgrace them. They want their bodies displayed as trophies. They want the world to see that the prophets who tormented them are now dead. This is the hatred of the world toward God’s truth. It is not enough for the wicked to reject God’s message. They often desire to humiliate the messenger.

Scripture recognizes the disgrace of being left unburied.

Psalm 79:2, “The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.”

Psalm 79:3, “Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.”

The refusal to bury the dead bodies of the two witnesses is part of the world’s hatred. It is a public declaration of contempt. Yet this humiliation will become the setting for God’s public vindication. The same bodies that the world mocks will be raised by God before the eyes of their enemies.

The city where their bodies lie is identified as “the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” The final phrase removes the mystery. The city is Jerusalem, because the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified there. More precisely, He was crucified outside the gate of Jerusalem, but in prophetic and geographic identification, Jerusalem is the city connected with His crucifixion.

Hebrews 13:12, “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.”

Luke 23:33, “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one of the right hand, and the other on the left.”

Jerusalem is here described in three sobering ways. It is called Sodom, Egypt, and the great city. These are not compliments. They are spiritual descriptions of the city’s condition during this period. Jerusalem is the holy city by covenant and prophetic designation, but in this moment its spiritual condition is corrupt, compromised, and hostile to God’s witnesses.

It is spiritually called Sodom. Sodom represents immorality, wickedness, arrogance, and brazen rebellion against God. The name Sodom carries the memory of a city so corrupt that God destroyed it with fire and brimstone.

Genesis 13:13, “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.”

Genesis 19:24, “Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;”

Genesis 19:25, “And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.”

To call Jerusalem spiritually Sodom is a severe indictment. It means the city, at that time, will be characterized by moral corruption and rebellion. The city that should be holy will be spiritually defiled. The city associated with the temple, the prophets, the covenants, and the Messiah will have become morally aligned with the kind of wickedness for which Sodom was judged.

The prophetic books sometimes used Sodom language to rebuke Jerusalem’s corruption.

Isaiah 1:9, “Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.”

Isaiah 1:10, “Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.”

Isaiah’s language shows that calling Jerusalem Sodom is not unprecedented. When Jerusalem’s rulers and people become morally corrupt, rebellious, and hypocritical, God can describe them with Sodom language. Revelation 11 uses this same kind of spiritual indictment for Jerusalem during the Tribulation.

Jerusalem is also spiritually called Egypt. Egypt represents oppression, slavery, idolatry, and bondage. In the Old Testament, Egypt was the place where Israel was enslaved before God delivered them by mighty signs and judgments. Egypt also represents the world system that resists God’s command and holds God’s people in bondage.

Exodus 1:13, “And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:”

Exodus 1:14, “And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.”

To call Jerusalem spiritually Egypt means the city, during this time, is associated with oppression and bondage. The city that should be the center of worship and covenant blessing becomes a place where God’s prophets are hated, persecuted, killed, and publicly humiliated. Just as Pharaoh hardened his heart against Moses and the word of the Lord, the world system in Jerusalem hardens itself against the two witnesses.

The connection to Egypt is especially fitting because the two witnesses perform Moses like signs. They have power to turn waters to blood and strike the earth with plagues. As Moses confronted Pharaoh in Egypt, the two witnesses confront the final world ruler and his system. Egypt resisted God’s word through Moses. The Antichrist’s Jerusalem will resist God’s word through the two witnesses.

Jerusalem is also called “the great city.” In Revelation, this phrase is often associated with Babylon, the center of corrupt world power, false religion, luxury, persecution, and rebellion against God.

Revelation 16:19, “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 cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.”

Revelation 17:18, “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.”

Revelation 18:10, “Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city, for in one hour is thy judgment come.”

Revelation 18:16, “And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!”

Revelation 18:18, “And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!”

Revelation 18:19, “And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness, for in one hour is she made desolate.”

Revelation 18:21, “And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it unto the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall great Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.”

By using the term “great city” for Jerusalem in Revelation 11:8, the passage may indicate that Jerusalem’s leadership and public character at that time are spiritually aligned with Babylon’s rebellion. If Jerusalem’s leadership is in league with the Antichrist during the first half of the final seven years, then the titles Sodom, Egypt, and the great city fit with terrible precision. Any city that loves the Antichrist, enters covenantal partnership with him, tolerates his blasphemy, and celebrates the death of God’s prophets can rightly be described as Sodom, Egypt, and Babylon like in character.

This is a sobering warning. A city may have a holy history and still become spiritually corrupt. Jerusalem is the city of David. Jerusalem is where the temple stood. Jerusalem is where the Lord Jesus was crucified and rose again. Jerusalem is tied to the promises of God and the future reign of Messiah. Yet Revelation 11 shows that during the Tribulation, Jerusalem will be so spiritually degraded that God calls it Sodom and Egypt. Sacred history does not excuse present rebellion.

Revelation 11:9 says that people from the peoples, kindreds, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three days and an half. This is global visibility. The whole world, across ethnic, linguistic, and national lines, sees the bodies of the two witnesses lying in the street. This detail is remarkable because for most of history it would have been difficult to imagine how the whole world could visually observe an event in Jerusalem over a three and one half day period. In the modern world, it is not difficult at all.

This may be an indirect prophecy of modern mass communication. With satellite television, global news networks, livestreaming, smartphones, social media, and internet platforms, the world can watch events in Jerusalem in real time. A scene like this could easily be broadcast globally under headlines such as “Live from Jerusalem.” The bodies of the two witnesses could be displayed continuously before the world. What once may have seemed impossible is now technologically ordinary.

This does not mean the prophecy depends on modern technology to be true. God could fulfill it however He chooses. But the modern ability for peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations to see the same event in Jerusalem at the same time shows how literally the passage could be fulfilled. Revelation said long ago what our age now makes easy to understand.

The refusal to allow their bodies to be put into graves deepens the world’s contempt. They are not simply killed, they are publicly shamed. The world wants them displayed. Their corpses become a symbol of the Beast’s apparent victory. The wicked world system turns death into propaganda. It uses the bodies of God’s prophets as proof, in their twisted minds, that the age of prophetic judgment is over.

But this is the blindness of rebellion. The world misreads the moment. It thinks the silence of the prophets means victory over God. In reality, it is only a brief pause before resurrection and greater judgment. The bodies lie in the street for three and one half days, just long enough for the world to celebrate and feel secure in its rebellion.

Revelation 11:10 shows the depth of global hatred toward the two witnesses. “And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another.” This is a grotesque celebration. The earth dwellers treat the death of God’s prophets like a holiday. They rejoice, make merry, and exchange gifts.

The phrase “they that dwell upon the earth” in Revelation often refers to the unbelieving world, those who are settled in rebellion against God and attached to the present evil world system. These are not merely people who happen to live on earth. The phrase carries moral and spiritual weight. They are earth dwellers in the sense that their hopes, loyalties, loves, and worship are bound to the world rather than to God.

Revelation 3:10, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

Revelation 6:10, “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O LORD, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”

Revelation 13:8, “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Revelation 13:12, “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.”

The earth dwellers are the Beast worshippers, the God rejecters, and the Christ haters. They rejoice because the two prophets tormented them. This reveals how depraved the world becomes. Instead of repenting under prophetic preaching, they resent it. Instead of hearing the warnings of God, they hate the messengers. Instead of grieving over their sin, they celebrate the death of the prophets who exposed it.

The celebration includes making merry and sending gifts to one another. The world creates a perverse anti holy day. They treat the death of the two witnesses like a global festival. Donald Grey Barnhouse once told of a Christmas card that used Revelation 11:10 on its cover, which is a terrible misuse of Scripture. The verse is not describing godly joy or Christian celebration. It is describing wicked rejoicing over the murder of God’s prophets. To use this verse as though it supports festive gift giving is to rip the passage violently from its context.

The reason for their celebration is stated clearly, “because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.” Their torment was not unjust cruelty. Their torment came through truth, preaching, judgment, and the call to repentance. The two witnesses tormented the earth dwellers because the wicked could not stand hearing the truth while they loved their lie.

Truth is torment to a man committed to deception. Righteous preaching is torment to a conscience that refuses repentance. The word of God is torment to a world that wants sin without judgment, rebellion without consequence, and Antichrist worship without divine rebuke. The two witnesses tormented them because they would not let the world pretend everything was fine.

This is consistent with the way rebellious men often respond to faithful preaching. Ahab called Elijah the troubler of Israel because Elijah exposed the sin that brought judgment.

1 Kings 18:17, “And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?”

1 Kings 18:18, “And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.”

Ahab blamed Elijah, but Elijah told the truth. The real trouble was not the prophet. The real trouble was Israel’s rebellion, idolatry, and abandonment of God’s commandments. The same pattern appears in Revelation 11. The world blames the two witnesses for tormenting them, but the real problem is not the witnesses. The real problem is the world’s sin, rebellion, and refusal to repent.

The prophets of God are often hated because they disturb sinful comfort. They interrupt false peace. They expose what men want hidden. They declare that God is holy and judgment is coming. The two witnesses do this on a global scale during the Tribulation, and the world despises them for it.

This hatred also reveals the moral insanity of the end times world system. The same world that tolerates blasphemy, idolatry, persecution, and Beast worship cannot tolerate two prophets preaching truth. The same world that follows the Antichrist calls the witnesses tormentors. This is spiritual inversion. Evil is called good, and good is called evil.

Isaiah 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

Revelation 11:10 is a perfect picture of Isaiah 5:20. The world rejoices over murder and calls prophetic truth torment. It celebrates wickedness and hates righteousness. This is not moral confusion only, it is moral rebellion.

The death of the two witnesses also reveals the unity of the unbelieving world against God. Peoples, kindreds, tongues, and nations all see their bodies. Those who dwell on the earth rejoice together. The Beast system creates a kind of global unity, but it is unity in rebellion. It is mankind united against the Lord and against His witnesses.

Psalm 2:1, “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?”

Psalm 2:2, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,”

Psalm 2:3, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”

Revelation 11 shows the same spirit on a global scale. The nations rage against God. The world celebrates the death of His prophets. The Beast makes war against divine witnesses. Yet Psalm 2 also shows how God responds.

Psalm 2:4, “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.”

The world laughs over the dead prophets, but heaven will have the final word. The earth dwellers rejoice for three and one half days, but their celebration is temporary. God’s vindication is coming. The Beast’s victory is brief. The prophets’ humiliation is temporary. The Lord’s authority is eternal.

This passage also demonstrates that miracles alone do not convert the hardened heart. The two witnesses perform astonishing signs. Fire devours their enemies. They shut heaven. They turn waters to blood. They strike the earth with plagues. Yet the world does not repent. The world hates them. This proves that the basic problem of man is not lack of evidence. The problem is sin. Men reject God because they love darkness.

The same truth is seen in the ministry of Jesus. Many saw His miracles and still rejected Him.

John 12:37, “But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:”

The Tribulation world will see undeniable supernatural testimony through the two witnesses, yet hardened men will still refuse repentance. Their rejoicing over the death of the prophets shows that they do not merely lack information. They hate God’s authority.

There is a pastoral warning here. When truth feels like torment, the problem is not with truth. The problem is with the heart. A man who loves sin will resent correction. A man who loves lies will hate truth. A man who loves darkness will curse the light. The two witnesses expose this condition globally.

There is also encouragement here for faithful servants of God. The world’s rejection does not mean the witness has failed. The two witnesses are hated, opposed, mocked, killed, and publicly humiliated. Yet they fully accomplish their testimony. Faithfulness is not measured by popularity. Faithfulness is measured by obedience to God. These men are faithful even though the world hates them.

The ministry and death of the two witnesses also follow the pattern of prophetic suffering. Many of God’s prophets were rejected by the people to whom they preached. Jesus Himself spoke of Jerusalem as the city that killed the prophets.

Matthew 23:37, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent thee, how often would I have gathered children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”

This statement is painfully relevant to Revelation 11. The city where our Lord was crucified becomes the city where the two witnesses are killed. Jerusalem’s history includes the rejection of prophets, the crucifixion of Christ, and during the Tribulation, the murder and public humiliation of these two final prophetic witnesses. Yet God’s covenant purposes for Jerusalem will still stand. The city’s rebellion will not cancel God’s promises.

The description of Jerusalem as Sodom, Egypt, and the great city should therefore be read as a temporary spiritual indictment, not a permanent cancellation of Jerusalem’s prophetic future. Jerusalem is degraded in Revelation 11, but it will be restored under Messiah. The same city trampled by Gentiles will one day be the center of Christ’s earthly reign.

Zechariah 14:8, “And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.”

Zechariah 14:9, “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.”

Zechariah 14:16, “And it shall come to pass, that everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.”

Jerusalem’s darkest hour will not be her final chapter. Revelation 11 shows the city under corruption, compromise, and Gentile influence. Zechariah shows the Lord reigning from Jerusalem. The difference is the return of the King.

The two witnesses die in Jerusalem, but their deaths do not signal the defeat of God’s purposes. Instead, their deaths expose the depravity

of the world, the hatred of the Beast system, and the contempt men have for divine truth. The world celebrates because the prophets are dead. But their celebration is built on ignorance. They do not understand that God is about to raise them and terrify their enemies.

Their bodies lie exposed for three and one half days. The time is short, specific, and humiliating. Three and one half days mirrors, in miniature, the three and one half year period of their ministry and the three and one half year period of the Beast’s final authority. The world’s celebration is brief. God allows the wicked to rejoice just long enough to show what is truly in their hearts.

This passage is therefore not merely about the death of two prophets. It is about the conflict between truth and rebellion, God and Satan, prophetic witness and Beast worship, Jerusalem’s holy calling and her temporary corruption, divine sovereignty and apparent evil victory. The two witnesses are killed, but they are not defeated. Their testimony is finished. Their enemies celebrate too soon. Their bodies lie in the street, but heaven has not forgotten them.

Revelation 11:7 through 10 shows that God’s witnesses may be hated, opposed, humiliated, and even killed, but they cannot be stopped before their work is done. The Beast may overcome them physically, but he cannot erase their testimony. The world may rejoice over their bodies, but it cannot prevent their resurrection. Jerusalem may be spiritually called Sodom and Egypt during this period, but God’s future for the city remains secure. The truth may torment those who love lies, but the truth still stands.

3. Revelation 11:11 through 14, The Reviving of the Two Witnesses

Revelation 11:11, “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.”

Revelation 11:12, “And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in cloud, and their enemies beheld them.”

Revelation 11:13, “And the same hour was there 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.”

Revelation 11:14, “The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.”

After three days and an half, the public humiliation of the two witnesses comes to an abrupt and terrifying end. Their dead bodies have lain in the street of Jerusalem while the world watched, rejoiced, made merry, and exchanged gifts. The earth dwellers treated their death as a global celebration because these prophets had tormented them with truth, judgment, and the call to repentance. Yet their celebration lasts only as long as God permits. After three days and an half, the spirit of life from God enters into them, and they stand upon their feet.

This moment is a public resurrection. The two witnesses are not merely revived in secret. They stand up before those who see them. The same watching world that looked upon their corpses now sees them alive. The same enemies who mocked their death now behold their vindication. The same city that refused them burial now witnesses the power of God over death. This is a direct reversal of the world’s celebration. The Beast may kill the witnesses, but he cannot keep them dead. The world may dishonor their bodies, but it cannot prevent God from raising them.

The phrase “the spirit of life from God entered into them” shows that their reviving is entirely divine. Life comes from God. Resurrection comes from God. Man can kill the body when God permits, but man cannot restore life. Satan can inspire murder, but he cannot command resurrection. The Beast can make war against the witnesses and kill them, but he cannot control what happens after God sends life back into them.

This language recalls the Old Testament picture in Ezekiel 37, where breath enters the dead and they live. Ezekiel’s vision concerns the restoration of Israel, but the life giving imagery helps illuminate Revelation 11. Dead bodies stand because the breath of life comes from God.

Ezekiel 37:9, “Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith Lord GOD, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.”

Ezekiel 37:10, “So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, exceeding great army.”

In Revelation 11:11, the two witnesses stand upon their feet, and great fear falls upon those who see them. That fear is understandable. The world had just celebrated their deaths. Their enemies thought the matter was settled. The Beast appeared victorious. The prophets appeared defeated. But when dead men stand up by the power of God, the illusion of satanic victory is shattered. The world is forced to face the reality that the God whom the witnesses preached is alive, sovereign, and able to overturn death itself.

The fear that falls upon those who see them is not merely surprise. It is terror. Their enemies are horrified and astonished. They realize that their celebration was premature and blasphemous. They realize that the two witnesses were not defeated in any ultimate sense. They realize that the God of heaven has publicly vindicated the very men whom the world despised.

This is a recurring biblical pattern. God often allows His servants to appear defeated for a time, then vindicates them in a way that exposes the arrogance of His enemies. Joseph was cast down before he was raised up. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den before God shut the lions’ mouths. Christ was crucified before He rose from the dead. The two witnesses are killed and humiliated before they are raised and called into heaven. God’s delays are not defeats.

Psalm 37:12, “The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.”

Psalm 37:13, “The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.”

The wicked plot, celebrate, and mock, but the Lord sees the end from the beginning. The enemies of the two witnesses see three and one half days of victory. God sees the full scene, including resurrection, ascension, earthquake, fear, and glory given to the God of heaven.

Revelation 11:12 says, “And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither.” This heavenly command shows that the witnesses are not left on earth after their vindication. The earth was not worthy of them, so God calls them home. They had completed their testimony. They had suffered the hatred of the world. They had been killed by the Beast. Their bodies had been publicly dishonored. Now God summons them upward.

The words “Come up hither” are direct, majestic, and authoritative. The voice comes from heaven, not from earth. Their enemies do not determine their final destiny. The Beast does not own them. The city that hated them does not hold them. The world that watched their dead bodies cannot keep them. Heaven calls, and they ascend.

Their ascension occurs “in a cloud.” This detail carries biblical significance. Clouds often accompany divine presence, heavenly glory, and divine movement. The Lord led Israel with a cloud. The glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. Jesus ascended with a cloud, and He will return with clouds.

Exodus 13:21, “And the LORD went before them by day in pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:”

Acts 1:9, “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and cloud received him out of their sight.”

Acts 1:10, “And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;”

Acts 1:11, “Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go heaven.”

Revelation 1:7, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

The ascension of the two witnesses in a cloud is not identical to the ascension of Christ, because Christ ascended as the risen Lord, the Son of God, and the victorious Redeemer. Yet their ascension is patterned with heavenly vindication. God receives them openly. Their enemies see it. The same enemies who watched their bodies in contempt now watch them ascend in glory. This is public humiliation reversed into public honor.

The phrase “and their enemies beheld them” is critical. God does not take them away in secret. Their enemies must watch. The world saw their death, and now their enemies see their ascension. The Beast’s propaganda collapses before their eyes. The witnesses are not merely alive, they are called to heaven by a great voice and received upward in a cloud. Their enemies are forced to behold what they cannot stop.

This public ascension also proves that the witnesses belonged to God all along. The earth rejected them, but heaven received them. The world called them tormentors, but God called them home. The Beast killed them, but God raised them. Men denied their message, but God vindicated their ministry.

Revelation 11:13 says, “And the same hour was there great earthquake.” The earthquake follows the resurrection and ascension of the two witnesses. It is an act of judgment and divine confirmation. The earth itself shakes under the hand of God. In Scripture, earthquakes often accompany divine visitation, judgment, and the shaking of earthly powers.

Exodus 19:18, “And mount Sinai was altogether on smoke, because the LORD descended upon it fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.”

Psalm 18:7, “Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.”

Hebrews 12:26, “Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more shake not the earth only, but also heaven.”

In Revelation 11:13, the earthquake strikes Jerusalem, and the tenth part of the city falls. This is a severe and specific judgment. It is not merely symbolic fear. It is physical destruction. The city that has just hosted the public humiliation of God’s prophets now experiences immediate judgment from God.

Seven thousand men are killed in the earthquake. The number is specific. God knows the measure of judgment. He knows the city. He knows the dead. This again reinforces the sovereignty of God in Revelation. Nothing is vague to Him. The number of days is measured. The number of months is measured. The number of the slain is measured. The city itself had been measured in relation to the temple, and now judgment falls in measured severity.

The result is that “the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.” The survivors are afraid, and they give glory to God. This is a remarkable response because Revelation often shows hardened sinners refusing to repent even under severe judgment.

Revelation 9:20, “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:”

Revelation 9:21, “Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor their fornication, nor of their thefts.”

Revelation 16:9, “And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.”

In Revelation 11:13, however, the remnant give glory to the God of heaven. The question is whether this is true repentance unto salvation or fearful acknowledgment under judgment. The passage says they were afraid and gave glory to God, but it does not explicitly say they repented unto salvation. It may describe genuine repentance among some. It may describe a terrified acknowledgment that God is real and powerful. The text does not give enough detail to settle the matter absolutely.

In Scripture, giving glory to God can be associated with true worship and repentance, but it can also be an acknowledgment forced by judgment. Pharaoh, for example, occasionally admitted guilt under pressure but did not truly repent in a lasting saving sense.

Exodus 9:27, “And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.”

Exodus 9:34, “And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.”

Exodus 9:35, “And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.”

Therefore, caution is needed. The earthquake moves many to give glory to God, but whether this becomes true repentance unto salvation for all of them remains uncertain. What is clear is that God’s public vindication of the witnesses, followed by the earthquake, forces acknowledgment from the survivors. The God of heaven cannot be ignored.

The title “the God of heaven” is also significant. It appears in the Old Testament especially in contexts where God is acknowledged as sovereign over earthly kingdoms and events.

Daniel 2:19, “Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”

Daniel 2:20, “Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:”

Daniel 2:21, “And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth kings: giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:”

To call Him the God of heaven is to confess that earthly power is not ultimate. The Beast is not ultimate. The city is not ultimate. The nations are not ultimate. The God of heaven rules over time, kings, judgments, life, death, resurrection, and ascension.

Revelation 11:14 says, “The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.” This places the events within the larger sequence of trumpet judgments and woes. The first woe was associated with the fifth trumpet. The second woe is associated with the sixth trumpet and includes the events leading up to this point. The third woe is coming quickly, and it will be connected with the seventh trumpet.

Revelation 8:13, “And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!”

Revelation 9:12, “One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.”

Revelation 11:14, “The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.”

The statement that the third woe comes quickly reminds the reader that Revelation is moving forward toward greater intensity. God has not finished His judgments. The death, resurrection, and ascension of the two witnesses do not end the Tribulation. They mark a major prophetic moment, but the final woe still approaches. The world has seen God’s prophets raised and received into heaven. The city has been shaken. Many have been killed. The survivors are afraid and give glory to God. Yet the final movement of judgment still comes.

The reviving of the two witnesses is therefore one of the most dramatic moments in Revelation. The world’s celebration becomes terror. The prophets’ humiliation becomes vindication. The Beast’s apparent victory becomes public embarrassment. The city’s contempt is answered by an earthquake. The enemies who watched their dead bodies now watch their ascension. The God who sent them proves that His witnesses are never forgotten, even when the world thinks it has silenced them.

This section covered Revelation 11:11 through 14, the resurrection of the two witnesses after three days and an half, the spirit of life from God entering them, their standing upon their feet, the great fear that falls on those who see them, the heavenly command “Come up hither,” their ascension to heaven in a cloud, their enemies beholding them, the great earthquake in the same hour, the fall of a tenth part of the city, the death of seven thousand men, the fear of the remnant, the giving of glory to the God of heaven, the uncertainty concerning whether this response represents true repentance unto salvation, and the announcement that the second woe is past and the third woe comes quickly. Nothing in this section was intentionally skipped.

4. The Identity of the Two Witnesses

The identity of the two witnesses has been debated throughout church history. Many interpreters view the two witnesses symbolically. Some see them as a picture of the entire church during the Tribulation period. Others see them as symbols of the law and the prophets. Others take them as symbolic of Israel and the church, or some general witnessing community. However, the more specific the details of Revelation 11 are taken, the more difficult a symbolic interpretation becomes.

The passage says they prophesy for 1,260 days. They are clothed in sackcloth. They are called two olive trees and two candlesticks. They stand before the God of the earth. Fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. They shut heaven so that it does not rain. They turn waters to blood. They strike the earth with plagues. The Beast makes war against them, overcomes them, and kills them. Their dead bodies lie in the street of Jerusalem. The world sees their dead bodies for three days and an half. Their bodies are not allowed burial. The earth dwellers rejoice and send gifts because the two prophets tormented them. Then the spirit of life from God enters them, they stand, they hear a voice from heaven, and they ascend in a cloud while their enemies watch.

These are not easy details to explain if the witnesses are only symbols. The passage reads most naturally as the account of two real individuals. The most plain and straightforward interpretation is that the two witnesses are two real men raised up by God during the Tribulation. They are not merely institutions, not merely ideas, not merely the Old and New Testaments, and not merely the collective witness of believers. They are personal prophetic servants of God.

This does not mean every detail about their identity is revealed. Scripture does not name them. That fact matters. If God had wanted His people to know their personal names with certainty, He could have told us. Since He did not, their exact identity must not be the central issue. The central issue is their ministry, message, empowerment, protection, death, resurrection, and vindication.

This also calls for caution because there have always been unstable men who imagine themselves to be one of the two witnesses. Every age seems to produce religious eccentrics who claim some prophetic identity for themselves. That kind of self appointment should be rejected. The two witnesses of Revelation 11 are not self identified internet prophets, religious attention seekers, or modern men trying to force themselves into the text. They are appointed by God, empowered by God, protected by God, killed only when God permits, raised by God, and called to heaven by God. No man becomes one of the two witnesses by claiming the title.

The leading candidates from the past are generally Elijah, Moses, and Enoch. Some also believe the two witnesses may not be returning Old Testament figures at all, but two future believers who minister in the spirit and power of these great men. This is possible because John the Baptist came in the spirit and power of Elijah without being Elijah personally.

Luke 1:17, “And he shall go before him in spirit and power of Elias, to turn hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom the just; to make ready people prepared for the Lord.”

John the Baptist was not Elijah in person, yet he ministered in the spirit and power of Elijah. His ministry had an Elijah like character. He preached repentance, confronted sin, lived apart from worldly luxury, and prepared the way of the Lord. Therefore, it is possible that the two witnesses may be two future prophets who minister in the spirit and power of Moses and Elijah, even if they are not Moses and Elijah personally.

There is a reference often connected to this issue in Matthew 17, where Jesus speaks of Elijah coming and of John the Baptist’s Elijah like role. The reference sometimes appears mistakenly as Matthew 7:12 through 13, but the passage dealing with Elijah and John the Baptist is Matthew 17:12 through 13.

Matthew 17:12, “But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.”

Matthew 17:13, “Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.”

This passage shows that John the Baptist fulfilled an Elijah like role at Christ’s first coming. Yet Malachi’s prophecy concerning Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord may still point beyond John to an end times fulfillment. This is one reason Elijah remains one of the strongest candidates for one of the two witnesses.

Some think Enoch is one of the two witnesses because he was carried up to heaven by God and did not die in the ordinary way. Genesis 5:24 is the key verse on Enoch’s translation. Genesis 5:25 follows immediately after and moves to Methuselah, but Genesis 5:24 is the verse that directly states God took Enoch.

Genesis 5:24, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.”

Genesis 5:25, “And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:”

Hebrews also explains that Enoch was translated so that he should not see death.

Hebrews 11:5, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had testimony, that he pleased God.”

The argument for Enoch is based mainly on the fact that he did not die, combined with the fact that the two witnesses do die in Revelation 11. Some reason that because Enoch was taken without death, he must return and die as one of the witnesses. This view is possible, but the connection is not as strong from the immediate context of Revelation 11 as the connections to Moses and Elijah. Enoch’s ministry in Genesis is not associated with fire from heaven, drought, water turned to blood, or plagues. His translation is significant, but his signs do not match the signs of Revelation 11.

Some think Elijah is one of the witnesses for several strong reasons. First, his ministry resembles the ministry of the two witnesses. Elijah called down fire in judgment, and Revelation 11 says fire proceeds from the mouth of the witnesses and devours their enemies.

2 Kings 1:10, “And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and fifty.”

2 Kings 1:12, “And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.”

Second, Elijah’s ministry included shutting heaven so that it did not rain. Revelation 11 says the two witnesses have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy.

James 5:17, “Elias was man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”

James 5:18, “And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”

Third, Elijah was carried up to heaven without ordinary death.

2 Kings 2:11, “And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, appeared chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by whirlwind into heaven.”

Fourth, it is specifically prophesied that Elijah will return before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

Malachi 4:5, “Behold, I will send you Elijah prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:”

Malachi 4:6, “And he shall turn the heart of fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite earth with curse.”

Fifth, Elijah had a unique conference with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration. He appeared with Moses when Christ’s glory was revealed.

Matthew 17:1, “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,”

Matthew 17:2, “And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as sun, and his raiment was white as the light.”

Matthew 17:3, “And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.”

Matthew 17:4, “Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one Moses, and one for Elias.”

Matthew 17:5, “While he yet spake, behold, bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold voice out of cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”

Matthew 17:6, “And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.”

These reasons make Elijah a very strong candidate. His signs match the passage. His translation into heaven is unique. His return is prophesied. His appearance with Christ at the Transfiguration connects him to kingdom glory and the end times expectation of Israel.

Some think Moses is one of the witnesses for several strong reasons as well. First, the ministry of Moses resembles the ministry of one of the witnesses because Revelation 11 says they have power over waters to turn them to blood. Moses, through Aaron, turned the waters of Egypt into blood by the command of God.

Exodus 7:20, “And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in sight of Pharaoh, and in sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.”

Exodus 7:21, “And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and Egyptians could not drink of the water of river; and there was blood throughout all land of Egypt.”

Second, Moses was the prophet through whom God struck Egypt with plagues. Revelation 11 says the witnesses have power to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will. This is a direct Moses like pattern.

Exodus 9:14, “For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that mayest know that there is none like me in all earth.”

Third, God seems to have had a special purpose concerning the body of Moses, because Jude records that Michael the archangel disputed with the devil about it.

Jude 1:9, “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”

The dispute over the body of Moses is mysterious. Scripture does not explain all the details. However, it does show that Satan had some interest in Moses’ body, and that Michael opposed him. This has led some to believe God has a future purpose involving Moses. That possibility is not certain, but it is one reason Moses is often considered as a candidate for one of the two witnesses.

Fourth, the enemies of Moses were destroyed by fire in Numbers 16. Korah and his company rebelled against God’s appointed authority through Moses and Aaron, and judgment fell.

Numbers 16:35, “And there came out fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.”

This fire judgment connects broadly with Revelation 11:5, where fire proceeds from the witnesses and devours their enemies. Moses’ ministry, like Elijah’s, included severe divine judgment against rebellion.

Fifth, Moses also appeared with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration. This is significant because Moses and Elijah together represent the law and the prophets, and both appeared with Christ in glory.

Matthew 17:1, “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,”

Matthew 17:2, “And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as sun, and his raiment was white as the light.”

Matthew 17:3, “And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.”

Matthew 17:4, “Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one Moses, and one for Elias.”

Matthew 17:5, “While he yet spake, behold, bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold voice out of cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”

Matthew 17:6, “And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.”

Moses and Elijah are the two strongest candidates because their ministries best match the signs in Revelation 11. Moses is associated with plagues and waters turned to blood. Elijah is associated with drought and fire from heaven. Both stand with Christ at the Transfiguration. Both are central prophetic figures in Israel’s history. Both are tied to judgment, covenant testimony, and the authority of God over rebellious rulers.

Some believe the two witnesses must be Enoch and Elijah because neither died a natural death and because Hebrews 9:27 says it is appointed unto men once to die.

Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this judgment:”

That argument needs correction. Hebrews 9:27 states the general principle of human death and judgment, not an absolute rule with no exceptions in redemptive history. The Bible itself gives exceptions. Enoch did not die. Elijah did not die in the ordinary way. Lazarus died, was raised from the dead, and later apparently died again. Others were also raised from the dead and later died again. Therefore, Hebrews 9:27 cannot be used to insist that every individual must die exactly one time with no exceptions whatsoever.

Lazarus is a clear example. Jesus raised him from the dead.

John 11:43, “And when he thus had spoken, he cried with loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.”

John 11:44, “And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.”

Lazarus was truly dead and truly raised. Yet Lazarus did not receive a glorified resurrection body at that time. He returned to mortal life and later died physically. That does not disprove Hebrews 9:27. It simply shows that Hebrews 9:27 is giving the general principle of death and judgment, while Scripture records rare exceptions according to the sovereign purpose of God.

The rapture of the church is another major exception. Believers alive at the coming of Christ for His church will not pass through ordinary physical death. They will be changed and caught up.

1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with shout, with voice of archangel, and with trump of God: and dead in Christ shall rise first:”

1 Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in air: and so shall we ever be with Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:51, “Behold, I shew you mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”

1 Corinthians 15:52, “In moment, in twinkling of eye, at the last trump: for trumpet shall sound, and dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

The church alive at the rapture will not die before being caught up. That fact alone proves that Hebrews 9:27 should not be pressed into an absolute law that every individual without exception must die exactly once. Hebrews 9:27 teaches the normal order, death followed by judgment. It does not deny God’s right to make exceptions.

Therefore, the argument that Enoch and Elijah must be the two witnesses because they have not yet died is not a strong argument. There may be other reasons to consider Enoch and Elijah, especially their translation into heaven, but Hebrews 9:27 is not a sound reason by itself. The better argument for Elijah is the direct prophetic promise in Malachi and the strong resemblance between Elijah’s ministry and the signs of Revelation 11. The better argument for Moses is the resemblance between his ministry and the plagues described in Revelation 11.

It is also possible that the two witnesses are not Moses, Elijah, or Enoch personally, but two future prophets who come in the spirit and power of these men. This would fit the pattern of John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah. The Lord is fully able to raise up two men during the Tribulation and empower them with Moses like and Elijah like signs without making them the literal return of Moses and Elijah. The passage does not require their names to be known.

The wisest conclusion is to affirm what the text clearly says and be cautious where the text is silent. The two witnesses are two real men. They are God’s witnesses. They prophesy for 1,260 days. They are clothed in sackcloth. They stand before the God of the earth. They are empowered like the olive trees and lampstands of Zechariah 4. They have supernatural authority to bring judgment. They are protected until their testimony is finished. They are killed by the Beast. Their bodies lie in Jerusalem. The world sees them and celebrates. God raises them. They ascend to heaven in a cloud. Their enemies behold them. An earthquake follows, and many give glory to the God of heaven.

Their exact personal names are not revealed, so their identity cannot be treated as the main point. The main point is that even during the darkest days of the Tribulation, God will have faithful prophetic witnesses on the earth. The Antichrist will have his system, but God will have His men. The Beast will have power for a time, but God’s witnesses will complete their testimony. The world will hate the truth, but the truth will not be silenced before God’s appointed time.

C. The Seventh Trumpet

1. Revelation 11:15, The Seventh Trumpet Finally Sounds

Revelation 11:15, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

The seventh angel sounds the seventh trumpet, and heaven erupts with great voices. This is a major turning point in the Book of Revelation. The seventh seal was followed by solemn silence in heaven, but the seventh trumpet is followed by loud heavenly proclamation. The silence of the seventh seal prepared the way for judgment. The sounding of the seventh trumpet announces the certainty of the kingdom. Heaven does not speak timidly. Heaven does not wonder whether God will succeed. Heaven declares the final outcome with absolute confidence, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

Revelation 8:1, “And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.”

The contrast between Revelation 8:1 and Revelation 11:15 is striking. The seventh seal brings silence because the judgments about to unfold are fearful, weighty, and solemn. The seventh trumpet brings great voices because the end is now certain, the kingdom is announced, and the reign of Christ is proclaimed. Heaven understands what earth refuses to accept. The kingdoms of this world do not belong ultimately to Satan, the Beast, corrupt rulers, rebellious nations, or fallen men. They belong to the Lord and to His Christ.

The proclamation says, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ.” This announces the transfer of world dominion to its rightful King. The world’s kingdoms have long been marked by rebellion, idolatry, bloodshed, oppression, arrogance, and satanic influence. Human government, even at its best, is limited and corrupted by sin. At its worst, it becomes openly beast like, blasphemous, and hostile to God. Revelation 11:15 announces that the whole world order will come under the direct reign of God and His Messiah.

This is the answer to the prayer Jesus taught His disciples.

Matthew 6:9, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

Matthew 6:10, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

Revelation 11:15 announces the certainty of that prayer’s fulfillment. The kingdom will come. The will of God will be done in earth as it is in heaven. This is not merely an inward spiritual experience. It is not merely the spread of Christian influence. It is the actual reign of God and His Christ over the kingdoms of this world. The same earth that has been trampled by Gentile powers will come under the rule of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The phrase “our Lord, and of his Christ” identifies the Father and the Son in the work of kingdom rule. “Christ” means Messiah, the Anointed One. The kingdom belongs to God, and it is administered through His anointed King, the Lord Jesus Christ. This fulfills the promises of the Old Testament concerning the Son of David who will reign over Israel and the nations.

Psalm 2:6, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.”

Psalm 2:7, “I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.”

Psalm 2:8, “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”

Psalm 2:9, “Thou shalt break them with rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

Psalm 2 is foundational for understanding Revelation 11:15. The nations rage against the Lord and against His anointed, but God has already appointed His King. The Father gives the nations to the Son as His inheritance. Revelation 11:15 announces the certainty of that inheritance being claimed. The kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of the Lord and of His Christ.

Daniel also saw this kingdom. The Son of man receives dominion, glory, and a kingdom that will not pass away.

Daniel 7:13, “I saw in night visions, and, behold, one like Son of man came with clouds of heaven, and came to Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.”

Daniel 7:14, “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

Revelation 11:15 is the heavenly announcement of Daniel 7 moving toward its full manifestation. The Son of man will receive universal dominion. All peoples, nations, and languages will serve Him. His dominion will not pass away. His kingdom will not be destroyed. This stands in direct contrast to every human empire. Babylon fell. Medo Persia fell. Greece fell. Rome fell in its ancient form. The final Beast kingdom will fall. But Christ’s kingdom will remain forever.

The wording of Revelation 11:15 carries certainty. The proclamation says the kingdoms “are become” the kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ. From the standpoint of earthly chronology, the full visible reign of Christ has not yet appeared at this precise moment in the sequence. More judgments still unfold. The Beast still acts. The bowls are still poured out later. Babylon still falls later. Christ visibly returns later in Revelation 19. Yet heaven speaks as though the kingdom transfer has already occurred because the result is absolutely certain.

This is a common prophetic manner of speaking. God often speaks of future events with such certainty that they are described as accomplished. When God declares a matter, it is as sure as done. Heaven is not guessing. Heaven is not hoping. Heaven knows the decree of God cannot fail. The seventh trumpet sets the final movement in motion toward the visible establishment of Christ’s reign.

This explains how there can be such joy when the King is not yet visibly reigning in full on earth. The joy anticipates the certain result. When a successful political campaign realizes victory on election night, the supporters rejoice even before the candidate is installed into office. The outcome has been secured, and the installation is only a matter of time. That earthly illustration is limited, because human elections can be disputed, corrupted, or reversed in ways God’s decree cannot. But the basic idea helps. Heaven rejoices because the kingdom is certain, the outcome is secured, and the reign of Christ is inevitable.

The proclamation ends, “and he shall reign for ever and ever.” This is the permanent triumph of Christ. His reign will not be temporary, unstable, or dependent on human permission. He will reign forever and ever. The millennial kingdom will be the earthly manifestation of His reign over the nations, and His eternal reign will continue beyond the millennial kingdom into the eternal state. Christ’s authority is everlasting.

Luke 1:31, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth son, and shalt call his name JESUS.”

Luke 1:32, “He shall be great, and shall be called Son of the Highest: and Lord God shall give unto him throne of his father David:”

Luke 1:33, “And he shall reign over house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”

Gabriel’s announcement to Mary agrees perfectly with Revelation 11:15. Jesus will receive the throne of His father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will have no end. This is not a vague spiritual metaphor. It is a kingdom promise tied to David, Israel, Messiah, and the eternal reign of Christ. Revelation 11:15 announces the heavenly certainty of this promise.

This verse also exposes the false confidence of worldly rulers. The kingdoms of this world act as though they belong to man. Rulers speak as though sovereignty rests finally in human institutions, military force, economic systems, political parties, global organizations, and popular approval. Revelation says otherwise. The kingdoms of this world are temporary tenants under divine judgment. The rightful owner is coming to claim what is His.

Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”

The earth belongs to the Lord already by creation. It will belong to Christ visibly by conquest and kingdom rule. Satan may be called the god of this world in relation to this present evil age and its unbelieving system, but he is never the rightful owner. He is a usurper. The Beast is a usurper. Rebellious nations are usurpers. Revelation 11:15 announces that the usurpation will end.

2 Corinthians 4:4, “In whom god of this world hath blinded minds of them which believe not, lest light of glorious gospel of Christ, who is image of God, should shine unto them.”

Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers in this present world system, but he does not own the earth in any ultimate sense. His dominion is temporary, permitted, and judged. Christ’s reign is rightful, holy, and eternal. The seventh trumpet declares that the kingdoms of this world will no longer continue in rebellion forever. They become the kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ.

This is one of the most glorious proclamations in Revelation because it summarizes the goal of redemptive history. God created the earth. Man fell into sin. Satan usurped influence over the world system. Nations rebelled. Israel was chosen. Messiah came, was rejected, crucified, raised, and exalted. The church bears witness in this age. Israel will pass through the Tribulation. The nations will rage. The Beast will rise. But the end is not Beast worship, satanic rule, global rebellion, or human chaos. The end is the reign of Christ.

This section covered Revelation 11:15, the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the contrast between the silence of the seventh seal and the loud voices of the seventh trumpet, the heavenly proclamation that the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ, the certainty carried in the announcement, the anticipation of Christ’s coming reign before its full visible manifestation, the connection to Matthew 6:9 through 10, Psalm 2:6 through 9, Daniel 7:13 through 14, Luke 1:31 through 33, and the declaration that Christ shall reign forever and ever. Nothing in this section was intentionally skipped.

2. Revelation 11:16 through 18, The Twenty Four Elders Worship God

Revelation 11:16, “And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,”

Revelation 11:17, “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.”

Revelation 11:18, “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and time of dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants prophets, and to saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.”

After the seventh trumpet sounds and heaven proclaims the coming reign of the Lord and His Christ, the twenty four elders fall on their faces and worship God. Their response is not casual admiration. They fall before Him in reverent worship. These elders have appeared earlier in Revelation as enthroned worshippers before God, and here they respond to the certainty of the kingdom with thanksgiving, adoration, and prophetic praise.

Their posture is important. They fall upon their faces. Heavenly beings who understand the majesty of God do not treat worship lightly. The closer one gets to the throne, the less room there is for pride, self importance, or casual irreverence. The elders sit on thrones, yet when God’s kingdom purposes are announced, they leave the posture of enthroned honor and take the posture of humbled worship. Their crowns, thrones, and status do not prevent them from bowing low before the Lord.

Revelation 4:10, “The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before throne, saying,”

Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for pleasure they are and were created.”

The worship of the elders in Revelation 11 continues the pattern seen in Revelation 4. God is worthy because He is Creator. God is worthy because He is sovereign. God is worthy because He takes His great power and reigns. True worship recognizes who God is and responds accordingly.

The elders say, “We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty.” Their worship begins with thanksgiving. They thank God not merely because the kingdom has already appeared in its visible fullness, but because the hour has come for it to take place. The decisive movement has begun. The events are now permanently set in motion. Heaven gives thanks because the reign of God is no longer spoken of only as future expectation, but as an imminent certainty in the unfolding of Revelation’s judgments.

This thanksgiving is prophetic. The elders praise God for what is about to be fully manifested. They speak of impending events that will be described more fully later in Revelation. Judgment, reward, wrath, and destruction are announced here, then unfolded in greater detail in the chapters that follow. The seventh trumpet does not end the book immediately. It opens the final movement toward the consummation.

The title “Lord God Almighty” is central. God is not merely a distant deity watching events unfold. He is Almighty. He is the One with all power, the One who rules over all, the One whose authority cannot be overthrown. Revelation repeatedly uses this title because the book displays God’s absolute sovereignty over judgment, salvation, nations, angels, demons, Satan, the Beast, time, creation, and the kingdom.

Revelation 1:8, “I am Alpha and Omega, beginning and ending, saith Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, Almighty.”

Revelation 4:8, “And four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”

Revelation 15:3, “And they sing song of Moses servant of God, and song of Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”

The elders address Him as the One “which art, and wast, and art to come.” This emphasizes God’s eternal existence and unchanging sovereignty. He is not bound by time. He is not a ruler who rises and falls. He is not dependent on historical conditions. He is the One who is, who was, and who is to come. His reign is rooted in His eternal being.

The elders then say, “because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.” God has always possessed all power. He does not become Almighty at the seventh trumpet. The point is that He now takes His great power in active kingdom rule. He moves from patient restraint into open reign. Throughout history, God has allowed human rebellion to run its course within limits. At the seventh trumpet, heaven announces that the time has come for God’s direct royal authority to be manifested in judgment and kingdom.

This does not mean God was ever absent or weak. It means He now acts to bring the rebellion of the nations to its appointed end. He takes His great power and reigns. The kingdoms of this world are being brought under the authority of Christ. Heaven thanks God because His long promised rule is now being openly asserted.

Revelation 11:18 says, “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come.” The nations are angry because God comes to rule. This is one of the clearest statements about the heart of the unbelieving world. The nations do not merely misunderstand God. They resist His rule. They resent His authority. They are angry because His kingdom threatens their autonomy, their idols, their rebellion, and their claim to rule themselves.

This matches Psalm 2, where the nations rage against the Lord and against His anointed.

Psalm 2:1, “Why do heathen rage, and people imagine vain thing?”

Psalm 2:2, “The kings of earth set themselves, and rulers take counsel together, against LORD, and against his anointed, saying,”

Psalm 2:3, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”

The nations rage because they want freedom from God’s rule. They do not want His bands. They do not want His cords. They do not want His law, His Christ, His judgment, or His kingdom. Revelation 11:18 shows the same rebellion at the end of the age. The nations are angry because God is no longer permitting their rebellion to continue unchecked.

Jesus illustrated this attitude in the parable of the nobleman in Luke 19. The citizens hated the nobleman and said they would not have him reign over them.

Luke 19:14, “But his citizens hated him, and sent message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.”

That sentence captures the rebellious heart of the world. “We will not have this man to reign over us.” The world may tolerate religion as long as it is decorative, private, harmless, sentimental, or subordinate to man’s desires. But surrender to God is intolerable to the nations of this world. Men will tolerate a god they can manage. They will tolerate ceremonies, traditions, moral slogans, and religious language. But they hate the reign of the living God when it demands repentance, obedience, and submission to Christ.

This is why the nations are angry. The issue is rule. The world does not want Christ as King. It wants Christ reduced, ignored, mocked, privatized, redefined, or replaced. But Revelation 11:15 through 18 announces that Christ will reign whether the nations approve or not. The kingdom does not arrive by democratic permission. It arrives by divine right.

God’s response to the anger of the nations is wrath. “The nations were angry, and thy wrath is come.” God’s punishment matches the crime. There is nothing arbitrary, petty, or unjust about His wrath. The nations rage against Him, reject His Christ, persecute His servants, corrupt the earth, worship the Beast, and destroy what God created. God responds with righteous wrath. His wrath is holy, measured, just, and deserved.

The wrath of God is not like sinful human anger. Human anger is often selfish, rash, proud, and uncontrolled. God’s wrath is His settled holy opposition to evil. It is the necessary response of a righteous God to rebellion, blasphemy, idolatry, injustice, and bloodshed. Revelation does not apologize for divine wrath. It presents divine wrath as righteous and necessary.

Romans 1:18, “For wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold truth in unrighteousness;”

Revelation 15:4, “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”

God’s judgments are righteous because He is holy. When the nations are angry at God’s rule, God’s wrath comes against the nations. The punishment fits the rebellion.

Revelation 11:18 also says that “the time of the dead” has come, “that they should be judged.” The seventh trumpet announces the coming time of judgment. This includes the judgment of the wicked dead, which will be fully described later at the great white throne.

Revelation 20:11, “And I saw great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face earth and heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”

Revelation 20:12, “And I saw dead, small and great, stand before God; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is book of life: and dead were judged out of those things which were written in books, according to their works.”

Revelation 20:13, “And sea gave up dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.”

Revelation 20:14, “And death and hell were cast into lake of fire. This is second death.”

Revelation 20:15, “And whosoever was not found written in book of life was cast into lake of fire.”

The time of judgment is certain. Men may escape human courts. They may conceal crimes. They may revise history. They may be praised by the world while guilty before God. But the dead will be judged. The books will be opened. The judgment will be according to truth. No one will manipulate that courtroom. The Judge of all the earth will do right.

Genesis 18:25, “That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay righteous with wicked: and that righteous should be as wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not Judge of all earth do right?”

The answer is yes. The Judge of all the earth will do right. Revelation 11:18 announces that the time of judgment has come.

But the seventh trumpet does not announce only wrath and judgment. It also announces reward. God will reward His servants the prophets, the saints, and those who fear His name, small and great. This shows the perfect balance of God’s justice. He judges the wicked and rewards the faithful. He destroys destroyers and honors servants. He does not forget His people.

The prophets are specifically mentioned because they bore God’s word in hostile times. Many prophets were rejected, mocked, persecuted, and killed. The two witnesses themselves have just been killed, raised, and called into heaven. God remembers His prophets. Their service was not wasted. Their suffering was not unseen. Their testimony will be rewarded.

Matthew 5:11, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.”

Matthew 5:12, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward heaven: for so persecuted they prophets which were before you.”

The saints are also rewarded. The word refers to those set apart unto God. In Revelation, the saints include those who belong to the Lord and remain faithful under pressure. During the Tribulation, many saints will suffer greatly under the Beast system. The world may despise them, but God will reward them.

Revelation 13:7, “And it was given unto him to make war with saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”

Revelation 14:12, “Here is patience of saints: here are they that keep commandments of God, and faith of Jesus.”

The Beast may make war against the saints, but God will reward the saints. Earthly defeat under persecution is not ultimate defeat. Faithfulness will be vindicated.

The elders also mention “them that fear thy name, small and great.” This phrase is beautiful because it includes all faithful people, regardless of earthly rank. Small and great alike are remembered by God. The unknown believer is not forgotten. The poor saint is not overlooked. The obscure servant matters to God just as surely as the prophet whose name is known. God’s reward is not based on celebrity, social class, office, wealth, or human applause. It is based on faithfulness before Him.

Psalm 115:13, “He will bless them that fear LORD, both small and great.”

This directly matches the language of Revelation 11:18. God blesses those who fear Him, both small and great. In a world obsessed with status, God remembers the humble. In a world that rewards compromise, God rewards faithfulness. In a world that persecutes the righteous, God honors those who fear His name.

Revelation 11:18 ends with the statement that God will “destroy them which destroy the earth.” This is a fitting judgment. Those who destroy the earth are themselves destroyed. This includes more than environmental damage, though human abuse of creation is not outside God’s concern. In the context of Revelation, destroying the earth includes corrupting the earth morally, spiritually, politically, religiously, and physically. The Beast system destroys through idolatry, violence, blasphemy, persecution, deception, immorality, and war. God destroys the destroyers.

The punishment matches the crime. The nations are angry, and God’s wrath comes. The destroyers destroy the earth, and God destroys the destroyers. This is not arbitrary punishment. It is righteous recompense.

Galatians 6:7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

The world sows rebellion and reaps wrath. The Beast system sows destruction and reaps destruction. God is not mocked.

This also corrects a modern misunderstanding. Man often speaks of saving the earth while rebelling against the Creator of the earth. But no man truly honors creation while dishonoring the Creator. The deepest destruction of the earth comes from sin. Sin corrupts man, society, worship, government, family, justice, and stewardship. A world that rejects God cannot ultimately preserve what belongs to God. Revelation 11:18 shows that God Himself will deal with those who destroy the earth.

The worship of the twenty four elders therefore summarizes the coming resolution of history. God takes His great power and reigns. The nations are angry. God’s wrath comes. The dead are judged. The prophets, saints, and God fearing servants are rewarded. The destroyers of the earth are destroyed. This is the fitting time for judgment, reward, and destruction. Heaven thanks God because His righteous rule is being openly established.

This passage is also a direct rebuke to the idea that history is aimless. Revelation presents history as moving toward divine judgment and kingdom. The nations may rage. The Beast may rise. Jerusalem may be trampled. The witnesses may be killed. But the seventh trumpet announces that God’s plan is not failing. The kingdom is coming. Christ will reign. The dead will be judged. The faithful will be rewarded. The wicked will be destroyed.

This should strengthen believers because it reminds us that God’s justice may seem delayed, but it is never denied. The prophets may wait for reward. The saints may suffer. Those who fear God may be small in the eyes of the world. The nations may appear powerful. The wicked may appear successful. But Revelation 11:16 through 18 pulls back the curtain and shows heaven’s perspective. God has taken His great power and reigned.

The world’s anger against God should not surprise believers. The nations were angry then, and the nations are angry now whenever God’s authority confronts human pride. The world can tolerate a domesticated religion. It can tolerate spiritual language that never commands repentance. It can tolerate ceremonial faith that never challenges sin. But the reign of God is intolerable to the rebellious heart. The issue is not merely religion. The issue is surrender. The issue is whether man will bow to God.

Jesus Christ will not reign as a consultant, mascot, philosopher, or symbolic religious figure. He will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Revelation 19:15, “And out of his mouth goeth sharp sword, that with it he should smite nations: and he shall rule them with rod of iron: and he treadeth winepress of fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”

Revelation 19:16, “And he hath on vesture and on his thigh name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

That is why the nations are angry. Christ’s reign is absolute. He will not negotiate His throne with rebels. He will not share His glory with idols. He will not permit the Beast system to continue. He will rule.

The elders worship because this is good news. It is good news that evil does not win. It is good news that the nations do not rule forever. It is good news that dead saints will be vindicated. It is good news that prophets will be rewarded. It is good news that small and great who fear God are remembered. It is good news that the destroyers of the earth will be destroyed. It is good news that the Lord God Almighty reigns.

3. Revelation 11:19, The Temple in Heaven Is Opened

Revelation 11:19, “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and earthquake, and great hail.”

Revelation 11:19 closes this section with a heavenly scene of extraordinary weight and majesty. After the sounding of the seventh trumpet, after the announcement that the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, after the worship of the twenty four elders, after the declaration of wrath, judgment, reward, and destruction, John now sees the temple of God opened in heaven. The scene moves the reader from earth’s rebellion to heaven’s sanctuary, from the rage of the nations to the throne of God, from the corruption of the world to the covenant faithfulness of the Lord.

The temple of God is opened in heaven. This shows that the earthly temple, even when rebuilt and functioning in the Tribulation, is not the final reality. The earthly temple is important prophetically, but heaven contains the true sanctuary. The heavenly temple is the place of divine authority, holiness, worship, judgment, and covenant faithfulness. What happens on earth is governed from heaven. The kingdoms of this world may rage, the Beast may rise, Jerusalem may be trampled, and the nations may rebel, but the temple of God in heaven is opened, and from heaven comes the final resolution of history.

The opening of the heavenly temple also shows access to the place from which God’s judgments proceed. Revelation repeatedly presents heavenly scenes before earthly judgments, because earth’s events are not random. They are decreed, directed, and permitted from the throne of God. The judgments that fall in Revelation do not arise from blind disaster, natural chaos, or political accident. They proceed under divine authority. The opening of the temple reveals that the final movements of judgment are holy, covenantal, and throne centered.

John sees “the ark of his testament” in the temple. This is one of the most significant details in the verse. The ark of the covenant in the Old Testament was the central symbol of God’s throne presence among Israel. It was placed in the Holy of Holies, behind the veil, where the high priest entered once a year on the Day of Atonement with blood. The ark represented the meeting place between God and His covenant people, the place where mercy and judgment met, the place where God’s holiness was displayed, and the place where atonement was connected to covenant relationship.

Exodus 25:10, “And they shall make ark of shittim wood: two cubits and half shall be the length thereof, and cubit and half the breadth thereof, and cubit and half the height thereof.”

Exodus 25:11, “And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it crown of gold round about.”

Exodus 25:16, “And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.”

Exodus 25:17, “And thou shalt make mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and half shall be the length thereof, and cubit and half the breadth thereof.”

Exodus 25:18, “And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of mercy seat.”

Exodus 25:21, “And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.”

Exodus 25:22, “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon ark of testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”

The ark was called the ark of the testimony because it contained the testimony of God, including the tablets of the law. It was also called the ark of the covenant because it was tied to God’s covenant relationship with Israel. In Revelation 11:19, the ark is seen in heaven and is called the ark of His testament, or covenant. This emphasizes God’s faithfulness. The world has not canceled God’s covenant. The rage of the nations has not overthrown God’s promises. The Beast has not defeated God’s plan. Israel’s failures have not exhausted God’s mercy. Heaven reveals the ark of His covenant because God remembers what He has sworn.

The ark points to God’s throne. In the Old Testament, the ark was associated with the enthroned presence of the Lord above the cherubim. It was not an idol, nor was it a magical object. It was the appointed symbol of God’s throne presence among His people. The mercy seat above the ark was the place where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement. There, God’s holiness, covenant, judgment, and mercy were displayed in one sacred image.

Leviticus 16:14, “And he shall take of blood of bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon mercy seat eastward; and before mercy seat shall he sprinkle of blood with his finger seven times.”

Leviticus 16:15, “Then shall he kill goat of sin offering, that is for people, and bring his blood within vail, and do with that blood as he did with blood of bullock, and sprinkle it upon mercy seat, and before mercy seat:”

Leviticus 16:16, “And he shall make atonement for holy place, because of uncleanness of children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for tabernacle of congregation, that remaineth among them in midst of their uncleanness.”

This Old Testament background matters because Revelation 11:19 is not merely showing a mysterious object. It is showing the heavenly reality behind God’s covenant faithfulness, His throne authority, and His righteous judgment. The ark of His covenant is seen because the final resolution announced in the seventh trumpet comes from God Himself. The kingdom comes from His throne. The wrath comes from His holiness. The reward comes from His faithfulness. The judgment comes from His righteousness. The destruction of the destroyers comes from His authority over the earth.

The ark also emphasizes grace and vengeance in proper biblical balance. It is the symbol of God’s faithfulness in bestowing grace on His people and inflicting vengeance on His enemies. This is not a contradiction. God’s covenant faithfulness means He preserves His people, fulfills His promises, and shows mercy according to His word. That same covenant faithfulness also means He judges the enemies of His people and destroys those who oppose His kingdom. A holy God cannot be faithful to His covenant and indifferent to evil.

The ark being seen in heaven is especially important after the announcement in Revelation 11:18 that God will reward His servants and destroy those who destroy the earth. The ark assures the reader that God’s actions are covenantally faithful. He does not act in random rage. He acts according to His holy character, His promises, His law, His mercy, and His justice. The nations may be angry, but God is righteous. The world may accuse God, but heaven reveals His covenant throne.

This also connects to Israel. The ark of the covenant was not originally given to the nations in general. It was given in connection with Israel’s covenant worship. Its appearance in Revelation 11 strengthens the truth that God has not finished with Israel. The Tribulation is not merely about global judgment. It is also about God’s final dealings with Israel, Jerusalem, the temple, the nations, and the coming kingdom of Messiah. The heavenly ark reminds the reader that the God who made covenant promises will keep them.

Romans 11:1, “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am Israelite, of seed of Abraham, of tribe of Benjamin.”

Romans 11:2, “God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,”

Romans 11:25, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until fulness of Gentiles be come in.”

Romans 11:26, “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:”

Romans 11:27, “For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”

Paul says God has not cast away His people. Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles comes in, and God will fulfill His covenant concerning Israel’s salvation. Revelation 11:19 fits that same covenant framework. The ark of His covenant is seen in heaven because the God of Israel is still faithful. The final judgments of Revelation are not detached from covenant history. They are part of God’s final movement toward the kingdom promised through the prophets.

The ark also points backward to the wilderness tabernacle and the temple, but it points forward to Christ. The mercy seat was the place of atonement, and Christ is the true fulfillment of what the mercy seat pictured. In Him, God’s justice and mercy meet perfectly. The blood of animals could never finally take away sins, but those sacrifices pointed forward to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 9:3, “And after second veil, tabernacle which is called Holiest of all;”

Hebrews 9:4, “Which had golden censer, and ark of covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and tables of covenant;”

Hebrews 9:5, “And over it cherubims of glory shadowing mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.”

Hebrews 9:11, “But Christ being come high priest of good things to come, by greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;”

Hebrews 9:12, “Neither by blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

The earthly ark belonged to the earthly tabernacle and temple system, but Christ entered the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands. Therefore, the heavenly temple in Revelation 11:19 is consistent with the teaching of Hebrews. The earthly sanctuary was patterned after heavenly realities. The real authority, the real throne, and the ultimate covenant faithfulness are in heaven.

Hebrews 8:1, “Now of things which we have spoken this is sum: We have such high priest, who is set on right hand of throne of Majesty in heavens;”

Hebrews 8:2, “A minister of sanctuary, and of true tabernacle, which Lord pitched, and not man.”

The temple opened in heaven in Revelation 11:19 is therefore the true heavenly sanctuary. The ark seen there is not presented as a lost earthly artifact recovered by men. It is the heavenly ark of God’s covenant, connected to His throne, His faithfulness, His holiness, and His judgment.

After the ark is seen, there are lightnings, voices, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. These phenomena are signs of divine presence and judgment. They are not mere atmospheric effects. They accompany the manifestation of God’s majesty. Revelation has already used similar language around the throne.

Revelation 4:5, “And out of throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before throne, which are seven Spirits of God.”

Revelation 8:5, “And angel took censer, and filled it with fire of altar, and cast it into earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and earthquake.”

The repetition of lightnings, voices, thunderings, and earthquake shows that judgment proceeds from the throne. The God who reigns in heaven shakes the earth. The opening of the heavenly temple is not sentimental. It is majestic, terrifying, and judicial. Heaven is not merely a place of comfort. It is the throne room of the holy God.

The lightnings, voices, thunderings, earthquake, and great hail are also reminiscent of God’s manifested presence at Mount Sinai. When the Lord descended upon Sinai, there were thunderings, lightnings, a thick cloud, and the sound of a trumpet. The mountain quaked greatly. The people trembled because God’s presence was manifest in holiness and power.

Exodus 19:16, “And it came to pass on third day in morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and thick cloud upon mount, and voice of trumpet exceeding loud; so that all people that was in camp trembled.”

Exodus 19:17, “And Moses brought forth people out of camp to meet with God; and they stood at nether part of mount.”

Exodus 19:18, “And mount Sinai was altogether on smoke, because LORD descended upon it in fire: and smoke thereof ascended as smoke of furnace, and whole mount quaked greatly.”

Exodus 19:19, “And when voice of trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by voice.”

The connection to Sinai is deliberate in tone and imagery. Sinai was the place where God manifested His holiness, gave His law, and entered covenant relationship with Israel. Revelation 11:19 shows the heavenly temple opened and the ark of His covenant seen, accompanied by signs that recall Sinai. The God who spoke at Sinai is the God who judges in Revelation. The God who made covenant is the God who fulfills covenant. The God whose presence caused the mountain to quake is the God whose judgments will shake the earth.

Great hail is also a sign of severe divine judgment. In Egypt, hail was one of the plagues by which God judged Pharaoh and demonstrated His supremacy.

Exodus 9:22, “And LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of field, throughout land of Egypt.”

Exodus 9:23, “And Moses stretched forth rod toward heaven: and LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran along upon ground; and LORD rained hail upon land of Egypt.”

Exodus 9:24, “So there was hail, and fire mingled with hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all land of Egypt since it became nation.”

Hail also appears later in Revelation as part of final judgment.

Revelation 16:21, “And there fell upon men great hail out of heaven, every stone about weight of talent: and men blasphemed God because of plague of hail; for plague thereof was exceeding great.”

The presence of great hail in Revelation 11:19 points forward to the intensifying judgments still to come. The seventh trumpet has sounded, but the final judgments are not yet exhausted. The temple is opened. The ark is seen. The phenomena of judgment appear. The third woe is coming. Heaven has announced the kingdom, but earth must still be judged before that kingdom is fully manifested.

This verse also brings together grace and judgment. The ark speaks of covenant, mercy, faithfulness, and God’s throne. The lightnings, voices, thunderings, earthquake, and great hail speak of holiness, majesty, and judgment. The same God who keeps covenant also judges rebellion. The same throne that secures mercy for His people sends wrath upon His enemies. A biblical view of God must hold both truths together. God is gracious, and God is holy. God remembers His covenant, and God destroys those who destroy the earth.

The opening of the temple in heaven also reminds believers that the visible world is not ultimate. Earthly events often seem chaotic, but heaven is ordered. Earthly kingdoms rage, but heaven reigns. Earthly temples may be corrupted, defiled, destroyed, or rebuilt under flawed motives, but the heavenly temple stands pure. Earthly rulers make war, but heaven decrees the end. The ark of His covenant is not lost in heaven. God’s faithfulness is intact.

This is especially important at this point in Revelation. The chapter has shown the measuring of the temple, the trampling of the holy city, the ministry of the two witnesses, their death, their resurrection, their ascension, an earthquake in Jerusalem, and the sounding of the seventh trumpet. The final verse lifts the eyes fully upward. The ultimate explanation is not found in Jerusalem’s streets, the Beast’s war, the nations’ rage, or the earth’s rebellion. The ultimate explanation is found in the opened temple of God in heaven.

The ark of His covenant seen in heaven declares that God has not forgotten His word. He remembers His covenant with Israel. He remembers His servants. He remembers His prophets. He remembers His saints. He remembers those who fear His name, small and great. He remembers the blood of the martyrs. He remembers the blasphemies of the Beast. He remembers the rebellion of the nations. He remembers the destroyers of the earth. He will act in perfect faithfulness.

Psalm 89:34, “My covenant will I not break, nor alter thing that is gone out of my lips.”

That verse captures the theological force of the ark in Revelation 11:19. God does not break His covenant. He does not alter what has gone out of His lips. The heavenly ark is the sign that the kingdom promises, judgment warnings, and covenant commitments of God remain firm.

The final scene of Revelation 11 is therefore both comforting and terrifying. It is comforting for the servants of God because the ark of His covenant is seen. God is faithful. His throne is secure. His promises stand. His kingdom is coming. It is terrifying for the enemies of God because the opened temple is accompanied by lightnings, voices, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. The God of covenant is also the God of judgment.

Revelation 11:19 prepares the reader for the next great movement of the book. Heaven has declared the kingdom. The elders have worshipped. The ark has been seen. The phenomena of divine judgment have appeared. The stage is set for the continuing conflict between God and Satan, Israel and the dragon, the saints and the Beast, heaven’s decree and earth’s rebellion. Yet the end has already been announced, Christ shall reign forever and ever.