Revelation 11:1-14

The Two Witnesses

1 I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers.
2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.
3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
4 They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”[a]
5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.
6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.
8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.
9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.
10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
11 But after the three and a half days the breath[b] of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.
12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.

Revelation 11:1-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 11

This chapter contains the order to measure the temple of God; an account of the two witnesses, their prophesying: and power, their slaying, resurrection, and ascension to heaven, with what followed upon it; and the sounding of the seventh trumpet, and the effects of that. A measuring rod is given to John, with an order to rise and measure the temple, altar, and worshippers, and to leave out the outer court, which was to be given to the Gentiles, who tread the holy city under foot forty and two months, Re 11:1,2, the same date with the 1260 days the witnesses prophesy in sackcloth, Re 11:3, who are compared to two olive trees and to two candlesticks, and are said to stand before God, Re 11:4, and who are further described by their power to destroy those that hurt them with fire that proceeds out of their mouths; to shut the heaven, that it rain not during their prophecy; to turn water into blood, and smite the earth with all manner of plagues at pleasure, Re 11:5,6; but when the time of their prophecy and testimony is expired, their enemies will have the advantage of them; the antichristian beast of Rome, described by the place of his ascent, the bottomless pit, will fight against them, overcome, and kill them; their dead bodies will be exposed publicly within the Roman jurisdiction, and not suffered to be interred; and their enemies will make a public and general rejoicing over them, Re 11:7-10; but after a short space of time they will revive, and stand upon their feet, to the surprise of all spectators; and being invited by a voice from heaven, will ascend thither, in the sight of their enemies; upon which will be an earthquake, in which the tenth part of the city of Rome will fall, and seven thousand men be slain; which will cause consternation in the rest, and put them upon giving glory to God, Re 11:11-13; and this will put an end to the second woe, and the third will quickly follow, Re 11:14, which is the sounding of the seventh trumpet; the effects of which are, voices heard in heaven, declaring that the kingdoms of the world are become Christ's, and that he shall reign for ever and ever, Re 11:15; upon which the four and twenty elders, that sat on their seats before God, congratulate him, worship, and give thanks unto him, at the Lord God Almighty and eternal; partly because of his visible power and kingdom he now takes to himself; and partly because the time of avenging his people that had suffered for him upon the nations, which makes them angry, was now come; as also because now would be given rewards to all his prophets, saints, and those that feared him, as well as antichrist and his followers would be destroyed, Re 11:16-18; and other effects of this trumpet are, the opening of the temple of God in heaven, a sight of the ark of the testament, lightnings, voices, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail, Re 11:9.

Cross References 33

  • 1. Ezekiel 40:3; Revelation 21:15
  • 2. Ezekiel 40:17,20
  • 3. Luke 21:24
  • 4. S Revelation 21:2
  • 5. ver 3; Daniel 7:25; Daniel 12:7; Revelation 12:6,14; Revelation 13:5
  • 6. Revelation 1:5; Revelation 2:13
  • 7. S ver 2
  • 8. Genesis 37:34; 2 Samuel 3:31; Nehemiah 9:1; John 3:5
  • 9. Psalms 52:8; Jeremiah 11:16; Zechariah 4:3,11
  • 10. Zechariah 4:14
  • 11. 2 Samuel 22:9; 2 Kings 1:10; Jeremiah 5:14; Revelation 9:17,18
  • 12. Numbers 16:29,35
  • 13. S Luke 4:25
  • 14. ver 3
  • 15. Exodus 7:17,19; Revelation 8:8
  • 16. Revelation 13:1-4
  • 17. S Luke 8:31
  • 18. Daniel 7:21; Revelation 13:7
  • 19. Revelation 16:19
  • 20. Isaiah 1:9; Jeremiah 23:14; Ezekiel 16:46
  • 21. Hebrews 13:12
  • 22. S Revelation 13:7
  • 23. Psalms 79:2,3
  • 24. S Revelation 3:10
  • 25. Nehemiah 8:10,12; Esther 9:19,22
  • 26. ver 9
  • 27. Eze 37:5,9,10,14
  • 28. Revelation 4:1
  • 29. 2 Kings 2:11; Acts 1:9
  • 30. S Revelation 6:12
  • 31. Revelation 14:7; Revelation 16:9; Revelation 19:7
  • 32. Revelation 16:11
  • 33. S Revelation 8:13

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. See Zech. 4:3,11,14.
  • [b]. Or "Spirit" (see Ezek. 37:5,14)
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