Revelation Chapter 11

 THE BOOK OF REVELATION

~ The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation Chapter 11

 

As the events of chapter 10 are fulfilled, the Bride-Wife of Christ would have gone to the Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the Gospel would then be returned to Israel. Chapter 11 is a continuation of chapter 10. It ushers in the first half of the 70th Week of Daniel right into the prophetic picture.

 

Measuring the Temple of God

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

St. John saw this vision in the year 96 A.D. The Jewish Temple (known as the Second Temple) in Jerusalem had already been destroyed by the Roman prince, Titus, in the year 70 A.D. The temple in the vision is one that will be built in the future. John saw it being built. At the beginning of the 70th Week of Daniel the temple may not be fully complete but the temple and the altar are there, and worshippers are already gathered there. This Third Temple, when it is completed, will be there during the Millennial Reign of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The measuring does not mean a literal measurement but refers to the chastening by the Lord with the “rod” of a “sceptre” (Grk: rhabdos) of judgement. This is God's dealing with Israel. The true elect of Israel are being measured for the soon coming chastening but they shall be saved. However, the court outside is not measured. John was told to “leave out” that portion. This means that the Gentile nations are left out of God's dealing for the time being. They are to be left out — cast out. “And the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months” — the second half of the 70th Week of Daniel's prophecy.

Right at this time a Moslem mosque called the 'Dome of the Rock' is located at the place which, according to Jewish tradition, is supposed to be the exact spot for the altar of the temple. Some Christians believe that that mosque prevents the Jews from rebuilding the temple. However, there are other Jewish and Christian archæologists who believe that the actual original temple site is some 150 feet north of the 'Dome of the Rock' where the entrance of the temple is in alignment with the present Eastern Gate of the City of Jerusalem. Of course, if they want to, the Jews could build the temple now by whatever means that is within their power to do so and on whichever site they believe is the right one. But only if it is in the ordained plan of the Almighty God would God allow it to take place. International religious agreements do not permit one nation to intrude into another nation's religion or trepass on another nation's religious place. So, it would require a miracle that will completely clear the actual temple site for the Jews to rebuild the altar and lay the foundation stone for the temple. At this present time, the world is crying out for peace and safety. “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (1 Thess.5:3). “For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;  And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts” (Hag.2:6-7).

Hallelujah! That's right. God is going to shake the whole earth and He is going to build His Millennial Temple for His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. It will be just around the beginning of the 70th Week. That's right. “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts” (Hag.2:8-9). Amen. The Temple will be built by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts. The Jews will once again be able to offer their sacrifices and oblations like they did in the Old Testament days. However, there will be a group who will recognize the true and real sacrifice — Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, and be sealed with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it” (Zech.4:7). Just as the Second Temple was built out of a mountainous pile of rubbish (cf. Neh.4:2,10) by the Spirit of the Lord under the ministry of the two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, so will the Third Temple also be built by the Spirit of the Lord under the ministry of the Two Witnesses. Amen. No mountain of whatever sort will ever stand in the way of God's Plan just as we see the True Bride of Christ being built out of a mountainous pile of denominational rubbish in these last days. Yes, the denominational builders have tried to do many things but they have rejected the Cornerstone and have placed some `ministerial board' as the head of the church. They may claim to have Jesus Christ as the Head of the church and also the Name of God or Christ. But when it comes to the true Word of God they will simply bypass It. O, how blind are they who do not realize that God has magnified His Word above all His Name! (cf. Psa.138:2).

Nevertheless, God is shaking the whole Church World by the Spoken Word Ministry that He has sent in these last days. His Prophet-Messenger, William Branham spoke the Word of Truth, His Present Ascension Gift Ministers are also speaking the Word of Truth. The Spirit, in giving the revelation of Truth, are taking the “lively stones” (cf. 1 Pet.2:5) out of the denominational mountainous pile of rubbish and placing them positionally in the true “Church” building of the Lord. He has also lifted up the Cornerstone and has placed It as the Headstone (the Apex of the pyramidal House of the Lord). Christ Jesus is the Head of the Church. There's no doubt about it. Grace, grace, grace! Hallelujah!

 

The Two Witnesses

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

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

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

As the 70th Week begins, Two Witnesses of God will appear on the scene and prophesy for 1260 days (3½ years). Truly, they have the Spirit and the Light of the Word in the days that they shall stand upon the earth. The Old Testament prophet, Zechariah, saw them as two olive trees standing on either side of the candlestick which represents the Church in the Church Age (cf. Zech.4). The Church began where the Law (represented by Moses) and the Prophets (represented by Elijah) ended. She was brought up by the Law and the Prophets. But as the Church Age closes out with the translation of the Bride of Christ, after getting her rapturing faith from the voices of the Seven Thunders, the Two Olives Trees will be returned to the Jews (cf. Acts 15:14-16). The Two Olives Trees will be Two Candlesticks shining forth the Light of God in that hour. They will be supernaturally protected from death throughout the 3½ years of their ministry to Israel and to the world. Whosoever shall try to harm or kill them will receive fiery retribution or death itself. Both prophets will be Jewish men anointed of God with the spirits and power of Moses and Elijah. The signs and miracles which they will perform, as described in verse 6 as well as in chapter 8, verses 8 to 12, under the blowing of the first four Trumpets, are patterned after those two great Old Testament prophets of Israel. Read Exodus 7-12 and 2 Kings 1. (There is no Scriptural basis for the belief that Moses and Elijah will return to earth to minister to Israel. There is also nothing in the Bible to support the belief that Enoch will be one of the Two Witnesses.)

Under the ministry of these two prophets God will call out and seal 144,000 Jewish men: 12,000 of each of the twelve tribes of Israel (Rev.7:4-8). He will also chastise Israel for entering into a covenant with the Pope of Rome and certain other nations round about them. For centuries the Pope of Rome has been sitting in his `high chair' in the Vatican City claiming to be the 'Holy Father' of the Church of God. He oversees the religious beastly system of the Roman Catholic Church which treats his teachings and doctrines as the absolute truth. He claims to hold on earth the place of God and that he is infallible. But the Apostle Paul called him the “man of sin…, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thess.2:3b-4). This same personality will be received by the Jews just as Jesus Christ had so prophesied: “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” (Jhn.5:43). Yes, the Pope is no longer looked upon by the Christians and Jews today as one who opposes God as he did in medieval time. For the last four to five decades Satan has succeeded in blinding the eyes of the majority of worshippers around the world. His religious beastly system from Hell is like the woman Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab of Israel, in her days (cf. Rev.2:20; 1 Kgs.16:30-34; 21:25). And “Jezebel” is so full of flattery that both the political and religious nations of the world have been seduced to commit fornication with her (cf. Rev.17:2; 18:3). Today, the Pope is looked upon as a 'man of peace' — the man who could solve the Middle East crises and the world's problems in these last days.

The Pope “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” (Dan.9:27). After 3½ years (1260 days), the Pope will break the covenant and put an end to all Jewish sacrifices and oblations. He will also give orders to kill the Two Witnesses.

Verse 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.

Obviously the prophecies of these Two Witnesses shall cause many sleepless nights for the ungodly men and women who associate themselves with the so-called Holy Roman Church. With the Two Witnesses around to prophesy against him and his church, the Antichrist will not have an easy time in his administration . Though the Roman beast shall “make war against them”, yet no one can lay their hands on the two prophets until they have finished their testimony. Then the Two Witnesses will be at the mercy of the Religious Roman Beast who will give order for them to be executed.

Verse 8:  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

The “great city” of Jerusalem, no longer called Holy Jerusalem, will spiritually be referred to as Sodom and Egypt. Why Sodom and Egypt? Sodom was a city filled with sexual perversion — whoredom. Egypt was the first empire that oppressed and put Israel in bondage and made slaves out of the Israelites. Therefore, Jerusalem will spiritually be likened unto Sodom and Egypt for in that day the “great city” will become the headquarters of spiritual whoredom and spiritual bondage.

Verse 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.

Before the invention of television, it was unimaginable to the human mind how all the nations of the world could ever view the corpses of the Two Witnesses lying in the open space of the city of Jerusalem within a period of three and a half days. This is one of the many Bible prophecies which proves that the Sacred Scriptures are truly inspired and written by the Holy Spirit of the Living God.

Forbidding the bodies of the two prophets to be buried, the Roman beast is holding them in contempt — “just let them rot”, so to speak. By displaying their dead bodies in the street for the world to see, the Antichrist is asserting his claim to supreme power and authority to kill any one who dares to resist him.

Verse 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 sinners rejoice, make merry and give gifts one to another because they will no longer be tormented by the prophetic words and judgements of the two prophets. But their joy is short-lived.

Verse 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.

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

This is a special resurrection; a rapture just for the Two Witnesses when the Spirit of God's Life comes upon them to raise them up and exalt them to Heaven. With these Two Olives Trees taken up into Heaven the sealing of the 144,000 elect is now complete and the merciful Voice of God is silent. And the world will now face the fury of the gates of hell. The “four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree” (Rev.7:1) until the Two Witnesses have sealed the 144,000 servants of God in their foreheads (cf. Rev.7:2-8) will now release the four forces onto the world.

Verse 13:  And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Everytime there is a resurrection an earthquake will take place. This earthquake is so great that it destroys 10 percent of the city and kills 7,000 people. “And the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.” When people are fearful they will give glory to God. But will they repent?

Verse 14:  The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

“The second woe is past” — the Two Witnesses are killed. Though the third woe is not recorded here it actually comes immediately after the second woe. That is when Satan is cast out of heaven and cast down to the earth, meaning, he becomes incarnate as the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition, to make war against the people of God. This is written in Revelation chapter 12. (The first woe is recorded in Revelation 9:1-12. It is when all hell breaks loose and demons are freely running around all over the earth to torment mankind.)

The rest of this chapter shows the 7th Trumpeting Angel blowing his trumpet to herald the coming of the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. The Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ will only come at around the end of the 70th Week of Daniel after the Seven Vials of God's wrath are poured out upon the earth.

 

The Seventh Trumpet

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

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

Verse 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.

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

My, oh my! What a great day that will be — the Day of the Lord! It will be an awesome day “when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day” (2 Thess.1:7-10). Amen.

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

Now, we know that there is no literal temple in Heaven. It only reflects the True Temple of the Living God, the Bride (the True Church) being in Heaven at this point in time and since the middle of the 70th Week of Daniel. And the “Ark of His Testament”, which speaks of God's faithfulness and righteousness in Jesus Christ, is there in the Temple. It shows that the Lord Jesus is also there in His Temple and He has yet to go forth to judge the world in all His glory and power. As long as He is there, there will be mercy for the Woman Israel, the Foolish Virgins and the Faithful Jews to live through that dark hour of the Great Tribulation. That is why there are much activities and excitements in Heaven — “lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail” (cf. Rev.8:5; 16:18; Isa.29:6; Exodus 19-20). But when Daniel's 70th Week has run its course and our Lord Jesus shall get up to judge the world, He will not be there in His Temple, figuratively speaking, to receive anyone, who may want to enter in, until after the wrath of God is poured out upon the earth. This is recorded in chapter 15, verses 5 to 8: “And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: and the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.”

So, we see that the Seventh Trumpet heralds the pouring out of the Seven Plagues that are to come at the end of the second 3½ years of Daniel's 70th Week. And during this period of 42 months, there will be no more grace given to seal in any living soul. No one can be “born again” because God's Spirit will not be given. The only saints on the earth at this time are the Tribulation Saints and the 144,000 Jewish servants of the Lord. The 144,000 Jews are already sealed in before this period of the Great Tribulation. But there will be an element of Israel's true worshippers of Yahweh who will hear the message of the 144,000 but they will have to give their lives for the Word (cf. Rev.6: 9-11). Also, there will be a mortal group of predestinated people spared from death to live in the Millennial Reign of Christ as natural mortal people to re-populate the earth.

Now, we know that there is only one set of Seven Angels that John saw in his visions. The Seven Angels who blow the Seven Trumpets are the same Seven Angels who will pour out the Seven Vials. But they will not have the Seven Vials until they have sounded all Seven Trumpets which are given to them in chapter 8 verse 2: “And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.” Once all the trumpets are blown, the Seven Angels will gather before the Throne of God to wait for their next assignment. And in chapter 15 verses 6 and 7 we read that Seven Vials (or Bowls) are given to them: “And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.” These Seven Vials will be poured out upon the earth at the close of the Great Tribulation period just before the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth with His army of saints. We will continue our study on this in later chapters of the Book of Revelation.

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Revelation Chapter 12 ( click here to continue  )