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The Revelation · New Testament

Revelation 11

Revelation 11: the two witnesses and the seventh trumpet

General context

John is given a reed and told to measure the temple of God, the altar and the worshippers, but to leave out the outer court, which is given to the Gentiles, and the holy city is to be trodden forty and two months. Two witnesses are given power to prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days in sackcloth; the text calls them the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, and describes fire from their mouths and power over rain, waters and plagues. When their testimony is finished the beast from the bottomless pit makes war on them, overcomes them and kills them, and their bodies lie unburied in the street of the great city for three days and a half while people look on, rejoice and send gifts. After three days and a half the Spirit of life enters them, they stand, and a voice calls them up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies watch. An earthquake in the same hour destroys a tenth of the city and kills seven thousand, and the rest give glory to God. The seventh angel then sounds, voices in heaven announce a kingdom, the elders give thanks, and the temple in heaven is opened.

Cited passages: Revelation 11:1, Revelation 11:2, Revelation 11:3, Revelation 11:4, Revelation 11:5, Revelation 11:6, Revelation 11:7, Revelation 11:8, Revelation 11:9, Revelation 11:10, Revelation 11:11, Revelation 11:12, Revelation 11:13, Revelation 11:14, Revelation 11:15, Revelation 11:16, Revelation 11:17, Revelation 11:19

Revelation 11 (KJV)

1And 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.

2But 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.

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

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

5And 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.

6These 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.

7And 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.

8And 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.

9And 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.

10And 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.

11And 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.

12And 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.

13And 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.

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

15And 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.

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

17Saying, 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.

18And 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.

19And 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.

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Historical context

The two witnesses are never named. The text identifies them only by image, "These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth", and by what they can do. It gives them no tribe, era or personal history. A figure called the beast appears here, introduced as "the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit" and left otherwise undescribed. The same word is used earlier in the book for the four beasts around the throne at 4:6, which are a different group. The city where the bodies lie is given a gloss by the text itself, "the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified", and no other name is supplied for it. Three spans are stated, forty and two months, a thousand two hundred and threescore days, and three days and an half, and the text neither equates nor converts them. The dead are counted plainly: "in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand". The words of the heavenly voices and of the elders are quoted as their speech, not as narration.

Cited passages: Revelation 11:2, Revelation 11:3, Revelation 11:4, Revelation 11:7, Revelation 11:8, Revelation 11:13, Revelation 11:15, Revelation 11:17, Revelation 4:6

Literary context

The chapter opens with an act of division, measuring one area and leaving another out, and the rest of it keeps sorting what is protected from what is exposed. The two witnesses are invulnerable until a stated point, "when they shall have finished their testimony", and then killed. Their story is told twice over in reverse: killed, unburied, mocked, then raised, standing, taken up, with the phrase "three days and an half" repeated on each side of the turn. The call "Come up hither" repeats the words used to John at 4:1. The seventh trumpet, announced back in chapter 8, brings speech before anything else, first great voices and then the elders' thanksgiving, which reworks the recurring formula as "which art, and wast, and art to come". The chapter then ends by opening the heavenly temple, with lightnings, voices, thunderings, an earthquake and great hail, which sets a stage rather than closing the scene.

Cited passages: Revelation 11:1, Revelation 11:2, Revelation 11:7, Revelation 11:9, Revelation 11:11, Revelation 11:12, Revelation 11:15, Revelation 11:17, Revelation 11:19, Revelation 4:1

Key moments

  1. Measuring and leaving out (Revelation 11:1). John is told to measure the temple, the altar and the worshippers.
  2. Two witnesses in sackcloth (Revelation 11:3). They are given power to prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
  3. The beast kills them (Revelation 11:7). The beast from the bottomless pit overcomes and kills the witnesses once their testimony is finished.
  4. Bodies in the street (Revelation 11:8). Their bodies lie in the great city the text calls spiritually Sodom and Egypt.
  5. They stand again (Revelation 11:11). After three days and a half the Spirit of life enters them and they rise.
  6. The seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:15). Voices in heaven announce that the kingdoms of this world have become the Lord's.
  7. The temple opened (Revelation 11:19). The heavenly temple is opened and the ark of his testament is seen.

For reflection

Three verses after people rejoice over the two dead bodies and send gifts, a remnant is said to be afraid and to give glory to the God of heaven. What do you make of a text that reports both responses and explains neither?

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