The Two Witnesses and the Seventh Trumpet
Revelation 11
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 [3.5 years, “time, times, and half a time”]. 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 [the pit of Death/the Grave] 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 [Jerusalem]. 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.
What are the two witnesses witnessing and prophesying about? What is their purpose?
The message of the prophet is always to call people to repentance. Even during the reign of the AntiChrist and in the midst of God’s judgments, the two witnesses are calling people to turn from their sin and be saved.
Who are these two witnesses?
In Zechariah, we read about the two olive trees who are anointed to serve the Lord
Zechariah 11:11-14 - Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?”
12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”
13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”
“No, my lord,” I said.
14 So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.”
Some possible identities for these two witnesses are Moses and Elijah, since they are the two who appeared with Jesus at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17), or Enoch and Elijah, since these are the two persons in Scripture who went to Heaven without dying first (Genesis 5, 2 Kings 2).
Moses is suggested as the giver of the Law and because the location of his body is unknown (Jude), and Elijah as representing the Prophets.
After 3.5 years, they are killed by the beast that comes up from the Abyss (the Empire with the mortal wound that recovers). After they rise , the seventh trumpet is sounded and Jesus returns on the clouds in glory to raise the dead.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.”
16 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.
18 The nations were angry,
and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name,
both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.
What happens when the seventh trumpet is sounded?
Jesus begins to reign on the earth (v. 15-17), He brings wrath against the nations (v. 18), and He judges the dead (v. 18-19). Again, these three events are spoken of as happening at the last trumpet in Matthew 14, 1 Corinthians 15, and 1 Thessalonians 4.
Footnotes
- Revelation 11:4 See Zech. 4:3,11,14.
- Revelation 11:11 Or Spirit (see Ezek. 37:5,14)
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