Greetings fellow Eschatologists! It’s time to begin a new series from the book of Revelation. We’re going to be looking at chapters 10 and 11. In this five-part series, we’re going to examine what the Bible has to say about the two witnesses… who their identities might be, what their ministry will be, when their ministry will begin, when their ministry will end, and how they will die. And how they will come back to life! This series is choc-a-block with fascinating details! If interested, keep reading.
REVELATION 10 AND 11
First in a Five-Part Series
By Karen Thompson
JOHN’S PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Revelation chapters 10 and 11 contain the details about the two witnesses sent by God to prophesy during Antichrist’s reign of terror. The telling of the two witnesses is placed between the sixth and seventh trumpets. Their ministry begins in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week and ends after 1,260 days, or three and one-half years. These chapters tell the beginning and ending of the ministry of the two witnesses.
Before John tells us about the two witnesses in chapter 11, he first tells us in chapter 10 about a personal experience he had while he was being shown the vision. The vision being revealed to John is about future events, events that take place in the end times. The vision began when John heard a voice from heaven saying, “Come up hither, I will shew thee things which must be hereafter” (Rev. 4:1). Upon hearing the voice, John was taken to the throne room of God where he experienced the vision of “things which must be hereafter,” meaning future events. As the vision unfolded, a curious thing happened. It was suddenly interrupted by a “mighty angel.” This is when John had a personal experience right in the middle of a vision of end time events.
It’s an extraordinary experience. But as extraordinary as it is, most people usually skim past it when studying Revelation, because they think it is irrelevant to end times. Therefore, they don’t give any time to its study. John’s personal experience takes place right in the middle of the telling of the sixth trumpet judgment (the second woe), between the army of the 200-million horsemen and the two witnesses.
When I initially read John’s personal experience, there were a number of things that seemed odd about it. The whole thing puzzled me. I had so many questions. First of all, why in the world is John even having a personal experience right in the middle of a vision about end times? The Lord was in control of this vision, so why didn’t He wait until after He showed John the vision of end times before He ministered to John personally? And why did John include his personal experience in his writings of the revelation of end times? After all, the things John was being shown at that point were things that were going to happen in the distant future, in the end times. So, again, why include his personal experience in his writings about end times.
Do you see what I mean about it being odd? Why is a personal experience about John inserted into a vision about what will happen in the end times? I remind you: this is the part of the vision that has to do with the future. When John was taken up to the throne room of heaven, he heard a voice say, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place in the future” (Rev. 4:1 Amp.). So everything that happened after that in the vision has to do with the future end times. So I ask again, why is John’s personal experience inserted in the vision of what is to happen during the future end times? These are interesting questions to consider, but for now, let’s briefly look at John’s personal experience and then we’ll come back to it for study.
The Angel That Roars and the Seven Thunders
Rev. 10:1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, 3 and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. 5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, 6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: 7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
John described the appearance of another mighty angel that came down from heaven. Notice John said “another” angel. Who was the other angel John was referring to? It had to have been the angel he described as a star that was given the key to the bottomless pit. This angel had to have just come from the presence of God because he is burning brightly. John described the angel as “clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire…” (v. 1). Not only is the angel clothed with a cloud (which is the glory of God) but his face and legs looked like fire.
Verse two saysthe angel “had in his hand a little book open.” As noted before, if a heavenly book is opened, it usually denotes some kind of judgment is about to be administered. John described the position in which the angel stood: “and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth…” (v. 2) Then John said the angel “cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices” (v. 3). The angel cried with a loud voice, like a roar. We aren’t told what the angel roared; we only know that his roar set off the seven thunders. Notice it said seven “thunders,” not seven voices. These seven thunders had voices. The Greek word translated as thunders is bronte and it is akin to “roar.”1 So just like the angel that roared with a loud voice, these seven thunders also roared their utterance. We aren’t told whether the seven thunders are seven angels, but we know they are some kind of being because they have voices. John was about to write down what the thunders said, but the angel stopped him and told him to “seal up” what he heard them say (v. 4). The term “seal up” meant that John was not to tell what the seven thunders said, but to keep it a secret. What is interesting is that John is the only person who knows what the angel roared that set off the seven thunders, and he is the only person that knows what the seven thunders roared!
A Prophetic Roar That Announces the End
Let’s talk a little about verse three when it says the angel roared: “And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth…”The angel roared like a lion. This roar is God’s roar! And it is a fulfillment of a prophetic word in Joel chapter three, which is a prophecy about the battle of Armageddon and the restoration of Israel. Joel 3:15 talks about one of the trumpet judgments saying the sun and moon will be darkened and the stars withdraw their shining. Then verse 16 says, “The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake.”
Several Old Testament verses tell us that roaring is something you do before you enter battle against your enemy! For instance, Psalm 74:4 says, “Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations….” Jeremiah 25:30 talks about the Lord roaring in battle: “Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high … he shall mightily roar upon his habitation….” The angel’s ferocious lion-like roar is directed to the enemies of God. The message? The battle is on!
At this point, I’d like to insert an observation about the angels we read about in the events of Revelation. Christian pastors often encourage their congregations to get involved in the work of the ministry by saying, “We are the Lord’s hands and feet and His mouth. He uses us to do His work on the earth. We are His army.” In the unseen realm, this same thing is true regarding angels. In the unseen realm, the angels are God’s hands and feet and His mouth. They are His army. If you haven’t already noticed, when the Lord wants something done in the unseen realm, the angels do it. In fact, in the very first verse of the book of Revelation, John told us that it was an angel that came to show the vision to him. And here in verse three, when the angel roared, he was roaring for God. He was a messenger of God, and his message from God was a roar! Going forward, it will fascinate you to observe how the angels are tasked in doing the Lord’s work in all the things that must be done in the unseen realm in order for the events of Daniel’s 70th week to be fulfilled.
The Angel Makes a Proclamation About the Seventh Trumpet
After the angel roared, John said, “And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein…” (vv. 5–6). This angel is the same angel that “cried with a loud voice,” that sounded like a roar. This angel is a herald sent by God to speak on His behalf. The angel spoke in the name of the God of all creation—who created the heaven, the sea, and the earth.
First of all, I want to point out how the angel’s words match his physical stance. John said the angel lifted up his hand toward heaven, placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the earth (v. 2). When the angel was physically positioned thusly, he then spoke in the name of the God of all creation—the God who created the heavens, the sea, and the earth! I don’t know about you, but these little details fascinate me.
Next, let’s look at verse seven. The angel makes a momentous proclamation regarding the seventh trumpet! The angel lifted up his hand to heaven and swore by Him that lived forever and ever that “there should be time no longer. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets” (vv. 6b–7). After the seventh trumpet is blown, the angel said “there should be time no longer,” meaning there would be no delay, no more waiting. At the sound of the seventh trumpet, the mystery of God, His secret and hidden plans that He declared to His prophets, would be finished! Finished! So significant is this announcement that the angel swore it under oath. He even raised his hand toward heaven and swore by God!
Not only is this scenario filled with drama and significance, but it causes one to be filled with anticipation at the sound of the seventh trump! We aren’t even done hearing about the sixth trumpet, the second woe, and this angel is giving John a heads up about the events that will take place at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. At this point, we don’t know what happens at the seventh trumpet. We just know that the mystery of God will be finished. Everything that God prophesied through His prophets will have come to pass.
John Eats the Little Book
Rev. 10:8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. 9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. 10 And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Right after the angel made his declaration about the seventh trumpet, John’s personal experience begins. John, again, heard the voice from heaven speak to him saying, “Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel” (v. 8). John approached the angel and said, “Give me the little book.” In response, the angel said to John, “Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey” (v. 9). When he ate the book, it did, indeed, taste like honey in his mouth but became bitter in his stomach just like the angel said it would. Then the angel charged John with a spiritual commission: “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings” (v. 11).
John Instructed to Measure the Temple
Rev. 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. 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.
John’s personal experience is extended into chapter 11. After John heard the seven thunders, and after he heard the angel’s proclamation about the seventh trumpet, and after he had eaten the book in the angel’s hand, and after the angel commissioned John to prophesy before many peoples, nations, and tongues, and kings, he then received new instructions. Right after the angel gave John his commission to speak to nations and kings, he then gave John a reed-like rod and told him, “Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein” (v. 1).
Why did the angel tell John to measure these things? What does measuring the temple have to do with end times? And why is John the one doing the measuring? In the verses following, we learn the reason why John measured these things was for the purpose of designating where Antichrist could and could not tread with regard to Jerusalem. It’s God’s way of setting boundaries for Satan, limiting his access and power.
First, the angel told John what to measure—the temple, the altar, and the people that worshiped in the temple. Then the angel told John what not to measure:“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” (v. 2). John was not to measure the court outside the temple because it was to be given over to the Gentiles. And by Gentiles, the angel was referring to Antichrist and his army. But the temple, the altar, and the people who worship inside the temple will not be given to the Gentiles. The measuring was to designate what and where Antichrist could and could not trample. Antichrist would not be able to enter the temple.
The last part of verse two says the holy city would be “tread under foot.” First of all, what city is the holy city? Jerusalem, of course, is the holy city. Second, the phrase “tread under foot” means to oppress or to trample upon. What the last part of verse two is saying is that Jerusalem would be oppressed, trampled, or overrun by Gentiles for “forty and two months,” which is three and one-half years. What this is referring to is Antichrist’s invasion of Jerusalem in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week. For the last half of the seven years, Jerusalem will be under the control of Antichrist. Verse two tells us that even though Antichrist and his army will take control of Jerusalem, they will not be allowed to “trample under foot” the temple, the altar, and those that worship in the temple—the things that John measured.
All in all, John’s personal experience included him hearing the seven thunders, hearing the angel’s proclamation about the seventh trumpet, taking the book out of the angel’s hand and then eating it, the angel charging John with a commission to prophesy before many peoples, nations, and tongues, and kings, and then lastly, he was given a reed-like rod and told to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those that worshiped in the temple. After John was told to measure the temple, his personal experience seems to have ended there. John then abruptly changed the subject and began to talk about the two witnesses.
The Temple Rebuilt
It is estimated that John wrote the book of Revelation somewhere after 96 AD.2 This was after Jerusalem and the temple had already been destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. So it seems odd that John is being told in this vision to measure the temple. There was no temple to measure! In fact, there still isn’t a temple to measure. Two thousand years have passed since John’s vision, and the temple has yet to be rebuilt. Bible prophecy skeptics pounce on verses like this and use them to denounce the book of Revelation as pseudo prophecy.
Eschatologists believe the Jewish people will have the opportunity to build a temple because of verses like the one we just read. Another verse speaking about a future temple is 2nd Thessalonians 2:3–4: “…and that man of sin be revealed, 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.” In these verses, Antichrist is being referred to as “the man of sin, the son of perdition.” He will at some point be able to enter the temple and declare himself to be God. In order for this verse to be fulfilled, there will have to be a temple for him to enter. Let’s look at another verse that talks about a future temple. Daniel 9:27 says, “And he 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….” He, meaning Antichrist, will confirm the covenant for one week. But in the middle of the week, he will cause the sacrifice and oblation (offerings) to cease. In order for this verse to be fulfilled, there will have to be a temple and outer court in which Antichrist can stop the sacrifice and oblation.
The fact that there is not yet a temple does not faze believers. After all, the Bible is full of prophesies about how God would gather the Jews back to Israel in the end times. And for nearly two thousand years, there was no nation of Israel. But in 1948, there was an Israel. And since then, Jewish people from all over the world have been making aliya to their promised homeland.
It will be the same with the temple; an opportunity will come for the Jewish people to build a temple. Even at this very moment, every object needed for the temple has already been created. All that is needed is the temple. The opportunity will come. No doubt. As already stated, it is believed the temple will be built during the first half of Daniel’s 70th week, during the time of peace.
When the temple is finally rebuilt, the invading Gentiles, Antichrist’s army, will not be allowed to trample underfoot the temple, or touch the altar, or harm those who worship in the temple. Those are the three things that will not be given to the invading Gentiles. So who is going to stop Antichrist from trampling the temple? Enter the two witnesses.
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