People often pay God lip-service when they need Him (Isaiah 29:13).  Yet, when things return back to a state of “their” normalcy, they too return to their sinful actions (Exodus 32:1ff.).  Of course, there are many who constantly call upon God for help, and use His name to gain aid, when they’ve never known the Lord.  These individuals are not gaining an audience with or the aid of our Heavenly Father (Isaiah 59:1-2, John 9:31, Proverbs 15:29, and I Peter 3:12).  Thus, our brief study is not about alien sinners.

Consider those who have obeyed the Gospel of Christ.  They’ve known the way which is of God.  Consider the end of some who become interested in going back to the way things use to be (the life they lived in the flesh before obedience to the call of the Gospel).  When we become Christians, we are suppose to become new creations in Christ Jesus (II Corinthians 5:17).  We are supposed to leave our worldly ways behind us (Romans 12:1-2, James 4:4, and I John 2:15-17).  Some however, like to cling to those things they have left behind.

For those who return back because they’ve “had enough” with God and they want it the way it was, notice what Peter penned by inspiration: “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (II Peter 2:20-22).

There are those who think God is stupid.  They think they can fake repentance and get away with it.  God knows everything (I Samuel 16:7, Psalms 139:1ff., and Hebrews 4:13).  Consider an example of this ignorance.  Pharaoh called upon Moses to stop the storm that God had brought against him as he falsely acknowledged the guilt of his sins and those of his people (Exodus 9:27-28).  Yet, when Moses called upon the Lord and the storm ceased, Pharaoh sinned even more (Exodus 9:34).  There was no change in Pharaoh.  Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he was not about to fulfill the will of God in letting Israel go (Exodus 9:35).  This was no surprise to God or Moses.  Moses even stated that he knew Pharaoh would not begin to truly fear the Lord (Exodus 9:30).

We better never pay lip-service to God.  We will be held accountable for all the things we say, think, and do even if we think they’re in secret (Psalms 44:21, Matthew 12:34-37, Luke 16:15, II Corinthians 5:10, and I John 3:20).  If we tell God that we will or will not do something, we’d better keep our word (Acts 5:1-4 and Revelation 21:8; cf. Hebrews 10:30-31).  – B.A.Y.

Now, after a consoling, yet sobering message for the church with the interlude of chapters 10-11:13, we are now back to the seventh trumpet which is the last of the three woes. Remember that the three woes were the last three trumpets which would affect man personally, and directly, instead of just his environment (8:13).  Just as the opening of the seventh seal was a preview of the seven trumpets, we will now be getting the overview of the seven bowls of wrath.

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.”

• In chapter seven (7:4) the 144,000 (symbolic number representing God’s children) were sealed.
• “Two groups of people are written about in the book of Revelation when you break it down.  Those sealed of God (such as in this context) and those with the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:15-18).  The number of the mark of the beast symbolizes three times imperfection (666; Revelation 13:18), while the 144,000 is 12 x 12 x 10 x 10 x 10.  Twelve is multiplied by itself and then three times the complete number (10).  The two times multiplied number of twelve represents the foundation of Israel (12 tribes) and the foundation of the church (12 apostles).  We have talked about the twenty-four elders and how they represent both dispensations (5:8).  Consider these passages in light of the sealing upon the forehead (Romans 12:2 and Revelation 22:4).”  (Notes on chapter 7)
• The temple at Jerusalem had been destroyed at this point and our context shows this temple to reflect upon the saved; thus we can conclude we are not talking about a physical house of worship.  As we know, the temple of God is the church (I Corinthians 3:16, Ephesians 2:21-22, and I Timothy 3:15).
• The reed would be the word of God as that is what measures us (John 12:48; Hebrews 4:12).
• John here is told to measure the temple.  Take a measurement of the brethren.  John is on the isle of Patmos (1:9), thus we know that he is not going to measure a physical structure in Jerusalem even if it had not been already destroyed

• The Gentiles are outside of the body of Christ, do not measure them.
• Then we see that the holy city (Hebrews 12:22-23) will be trodden under foot by those outside of the temple for the period of forty-two months.  The agent of Satan is given forty-two months to persecute God’s people (13:5).  The forty-two months is the 3 ½ years and 1260 days we will be reading about in the book of Revelation and we see in the book of Daniel (Daniel 7:25).  Remember that numbers are usually not literal in the book of Revelation, but at times they signify something.  The 3 ½ years prophesied here symbolizes half of imperfection or completion.

• For this same period of time God will supply two witnesses to prophesy.  Two is the number of witnesses required by Scripture to establish fact (Deuteronomy 17:2-6 and Matthew 18:15-16).  Thus, it is not necessary and does not seem to fit the context, to conclude that there are only two literal witnesses.  Verses 1 and 10-11 seem to put the scope on the church or on evangelists, and not just two individuals.

• These witnesses are likened unto olive trees and candlesticks before God.  Olive oil was used to produce light in the tabernacle (Exodus 27:20) and they are candlesticks as they will shine and bring forth hope through the Gospel (Philippians 2:15-16).

• What do prophets do?  They preach the word of God.  So, why the image of fire coming out of their mouths to consume?  Consider that the word of God judges (John 12:48) and those whom hurt God’s people and reject the Gospel will pay the price (II Thessalonians 1:7-9).  Consider also the work of discipline among brethren as described by Paul to Timothy as delivering unto Satan those who sin (I Timothy 1:19-20).
• Their power is compared to Elijah’s ceasing the rain (I Kings 17:1) and to what Moses did to Egypt (Exodus 5-12).  These witnesses had the ability to confirm what they were teaching (Mark 16:20).

• They will finish their work and the beast, who is the Devil’s worker (Rome), will defeat them.  We will see that this evil does defeat the saints at one point (Revelation 13:7).  This darkens hope, but one cannot forget that God will and always is victorious, even over Rome (Hebrews 12:28-29 and Daniel 2:44-45).  This is a time in which emperor worship and all other types of horrible things plagued the earth (13:4-5).

• The witnesses of God are destroyed before all.  The spirituality of the Roman controlled city is likened unto Sodom and Egypt.  But, the victory will be short lived.  The witnesses (or the cause / work of the church for the Lord) will be brought back to life after a short period of time.  Rome will rejoice when they think they have accomplished their goal, because the church made them feel uncomfortable and guilty. When Rome would fall, they would see they had not destroyed the church, only forced it underground, and when it emerges, it will be like a resurrection from the dead. The martyrs will then be avenged and be seen as victorious (6:9-10).

• Now we are going to see the Revelation of the Seventh trumpet.  One “woe” ended in Revelation 10:12.  The second has concluded as we read now.

• At the sounding of the seventh trumpet great voices in Heaven proclaim that Christ reigns.  The Lord truly has power [authority] upon earth (Matthew 28:20) and God has always reigned in the kingdoms of men (Daniel 5:18-28 and Revelation 17:14).

• In awe of the demonstration of the power of God, the twenty-four elders (4:4) worshipped Him.  The people of Israel were divided into twelve tribes.  The chosen Apostles of the Lord were twelve.  Thus, the twenty-four seats and overseers symbolize the total representation of the people under both covenants.

• The declare their reason for worship – God reigns.

• It is a blessing to know that God is both a Judge to the unrighteous and a rewarder to the faithful (22:12-14).

• Heaven is opened up and the ark of His testament is seen declaring that God keeps His promises.  While the ark of the covenant in the Old Testament was kept in the holy of holies (I Kings 8:6) and restricted to the High Priest, we as Christians are able to enter the holy of holies because of Christ (Hebrews 10:18-21).
• The scene is genuine as the description of the throne of God is consistent (Revelation 4:5; 16:17-18).
• In chapter twelve we will receive more details.  As we have seen, the book of Revelation often shows the outcome of events and then fills in the blanks of those events.

1. All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise noted.
2. Joseph H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, (Reprint by Hendrickson, 2002, original copyright 1896).