Revelation 11

A reed is given to the angel to measure the temple 2 but not the court 3 Christ giveth unto his two witnesses power to prophesy and inflict plagues upon their enemies 7 the beasts cometh out of the bottomless pit and killeth the witnesses 9 whereat the nations rejoice 11 but after three days and a half they revive 12 and are taken up in heaven13 after which followeth an earth quake and hurt upon the great city 15 seventh angel sounded and the kingdoms become God’s and Christ’s16 whereupon the twenty and four elders praise God 18 and he wrath of God cometh upon the nations but the prepared reward is given to the saints 19 the temple of God in heaven is opened.

1. And there was given a reed like unto a measuring reed and the angel stood and said arise and measure the temple of God [that is limit the truth church wherein God is worshipped aright and separate it from others that is the greatest multitude and which though they bear the title of it yet are not so in did and in truth in this vision represented in this chapter is by the reparation of the temple set forth the restoration of the decayed worship of God in the church of Christ through the straighter limits after that the same was subverted by the tyranny of the antichrist in part foretold already in the foregoing ninth chapter and this vision is taken out of Ezekiel 40:3 etc. whereby the like measuring and that greater breadth and that the temple was formerly is signified the restoration of the church which before was fallen to decay and which by Christ should be restored again in a large compass throughout the world] and the altar and them that worship therein [this altar was two fold in the temple namely the altar of burning offering which stood before the temple in the priest court were the offering of the atonement and thankfulness where perfomed with the worshippers are also measured here to be set up again because there were two fundamental points of Christian faith were under the kingdom of antichrist and most darkened and subverted to wit first cause of reconciliation of our sins before God,, which the scripture also placeth only in Christ and his sacrifice whereas the same under the antichrist is sought in private merit ,pardon , purgatory, going on pilgrimages to saints and such like superstition secondly the true invocation of the only God by the only mediator Christ whereas the same invocation is antichrist kingdom is divided among many patrons and patronesses as is well known these are then here alone the true worshippers before God which keep alone close to God and Christ in their sanctuary. And these are likewise alone the true priest of the new testament though they are fewer in number and somewhat more removed from the sight of the of the world and not those that are in open courts exercise their superstitious service worships in greater assemblies.]

2. And the court which is without the temple [some copies have it which is within the temple namely in respect of the outermost wall of the temple] leave out [Gr cast out without] and measure it not for it is given unto the Gentiles [so are all those called that are used heathenish practice by committing idolatry in their worships performed unto God although the Greek signifieth also nations in general] and the holy city shall they tread under foot [that is the visible church which was typified by Jerusalem which is now taken and trodden under foot by idolaters because they should come with the title of that temple and of these holy church and persecute the true church . So that the outer court are meant those which have most devotion and respect under the men of the antichrist and their clergy as they speak and holy city is meant the whole multitude that belong thereunto and also boast of this title no otherwise and those of Jerusalem used formerly to do even when they persecuted Christ and his true members] two forty months [this time is meant by the whole time of the antichrist dominion but the account of the beginning and the end this time is diversely taken as shall be noted on the next verse but the safest is that we do expect the accomplishment thereof with patience.]

3. And I will give power unto my two witnesses and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score days clothed with sacks [some are opinion that by these two witnesses are meant Enoch and Elias which for this space of two and forty months and of the thousand and two hundred and three scores day that is about for three days that is about three and a half years before the end of the world should prophesy against antichrist and after that be killed by him and to whom according to the letter should happen all that is here related in the text in the verse following and this opinion is urged by many in these days to darken antichrist and kingdom which now for a long time hath been known in the world but besides that is absurd that the holy ghost of the revelation should come to pass by those things that consequently should come to pass hereafter wherein the church of Christ suffered so many changes and straight way come to the four last years of the world it is impossible that the antichrist kingdom within the compass of three years and a half should be set up and perfume all things through our the whole world that in word of God are afore told of him and his kingdom it is also repugnant of the word of God that the saints should descend from heaven with their heavenly bodies to be killed here or that they should come and preach again in this world as Abraham testifieth Luke 16:29 or also that they should in the space of three years and half prophesy among all nations or that their bodies within the space of three days properly so called and an half should thus seen by the nations kindred and languages and that they that dwell upon the earth should rejoice thereat and send presents to one another as here is said in next text therefore both thing itself and time must necessarily be here prophetically and figuratively understood namely of such days as signify whole years as Ezekiel 4:5 and Daniel 9:24 which years by some begun from six hundred and six when the bishop of Rome did assume the title of bishop of the universal Christian church (which belongeth only to Christ) and idolatry did most begin to brake in among Christians . though others begin these years somewhat earlier name from the destruct of old Rome and from his dominion under the goathes about the year of the hundred and twelve but this opinion being left once as was said on the second verse the raising of the two witnesses is fitly understood of some eminent teachers whom God within that space of time out of the kingdom of the antichrist did here and there and divers time raise up in his church to discover that oppose this dominion and idolatry who are therefore it was said to disclothed with sacks because in mean garment and in a sad and mournful countenance they opposed the pride of the arrogance of the antichrist of the kingdom and therefore are called two because they should be but yet enough to testify the truth unto men sith all truth consisteth in two or three witnesses Deuteronomy 9:15 and because God commonly was wont to use two such excellent witnesses for the restoration of the decayed doctrine as here in the words following the first respect is had to Joshua and Serubabel who set up the worship of God after the activity of Babel in the 4 verse and to Moses and Aaron which did the same in the wilderness and to Elias and Eliseus which did the same in the Achab and other worshippers of Baal whereunto respect is had here in verse 5 and six two may also be there called two because they only produce the doctrine o the old and new testament for confutation of the popery as the witnesses of the truth and whereby effectually convinced others such were Weldus and Peter Bruis in France Wicklif and Pourneus in England John Hus and Jerome of Prague in Boheima in Germany who also were put to death for it I the council of the Constance and with joy of all the company gathered out of divers nations and tongues burnt till it pleased God afterwards to raise the Luther and the Malancthon in Germany Zwinglius and Oecolumpadius in Switzerland Farelleus and Calvin in France and more others in their stead with more efficacy have prepared the testimony and have preferred a great testimony and have caused a great part of great Babel to fall of whose total ruin and destruction shall be prophesied hereafter.]

4. These are the two olive tree and two candle sticks which stand before the God of the earth [this example is taken of Zachariah’s vision chapter 4.2,3,4 where Joshua the high priest and Serubabel the prince are thus typified because they were instruments where by the oil of eh holy ghost and the light of his word were effectual for the restoration of the ruined temple and worship of God in Israel after the captivity of Babel.]

5. And if any man will hurt them a fire shall proceed out of their mouth and shall devour their enemies [this hath respect to the example of Moses in Rebellion of Corab with the compliances Numbers 16.35and to the example of Elias against the soldiers that came to apprehend him 2Kings 1.10 whereby all manner of plagues are understood which God sent upon the enemies of the prophets it may also be understood of the fire of Gods threatening against obstinate sinners as appeareth Jeremiah 5:14] and if any man will hurt them and thus must be killed.

6. These have power to shut heaven that no rain might rain in the days of their prophesying [this likewise hath respect of Elias 1 Kings chapter 17 whereby either the outward plagues of draughts and famines may be understood or also with the holding of the working of Gods spirit for the ingratitude of men as Paul testifieth 2Thessalonians 2.11 that God shall send them a power of error that they should believe a lie because they received not the love of truth they may be saved] they have power over the waters to turn them into blood [that is hath also respect to the example of Moses and Aaron which punished the Egyptians that oppose them and their expectations with this and other plagues as God also sent with divers mischief for such causes upon the obstinate Christian] and to smite the earth with all manner of plagues as often as they will.

7. And when they shall have finished their testimony [namely everyone his in his appointed time while the dominion of the antichrist lasted] the beast that cometh up out of the bottomless pit[that is antichrist with his spiritual dominion who chapter 9.11 is called Abaddon or destroyer of whom a further description will follow in chapter 13] shall make war against them and shall overcome them shall kill them.

8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the streets [or in the wild open place this is also property of this Romish Hierachy or spiritual dominion that such as they account Hereticks they hand them upon gallowses and break them upon wheels ad throughout their whole dominion deny them burial especially in their consecrated places and offer all manner of infamy and reproach unto their names after their decease] of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord were crucified [hereby is meant the city of Rome with her dominion as the angel himself sufficiently declareth below chapter 17 verse9,18 which is spiritually Sodom because of the uncleanness that reigneth there and Egypt by reason of the oppression of Gods people and where also our lord is said to have been spiritually crucified because as Christ himself was crucified by the Roman deputy so is here crucified yet daily in his members of the Roman tyranny.]

9. And the ma of the people and the kindred and language and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be laid in graves.

10. And they that dwell upon the earth [that is earthly man that apply themselves to earth] they shall rejoice over them and shall make merry and they shall send gifts one to another [namely in token of joy as Ester 9 verse 19.22] because these two prophets had tormented them that dwell upon the earth [that is hath touched and vexed their consciences with their sermons writings and exhortations that they could not go on so quietly in their superstitions and sins of which they seemed to be freed by death .]

11. And after these three days and a half a spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood upon their feet [that is after a short time that these witnesses were killed by the violence and public judgment of the antichrist and his compliers seemed to have lost their respect amongst men God again raised up other in their stead which were moved by the same spirit as the power o Elias Luke 1 verse17] and great fear fell upon which saw them.

12. And they heard a great voice from heaven which said unto them come up hither and they ascend up to heaven in the cloud and their enemies beheld them [some understand this of the salvation of the prophet or witnesses of Christ who as Christ their head ascended into heaven in a cloud & as Lazarus his soul was carried by the angels into Abraham bosom so they likewise from much infamy and affliction by earth and went up to heaven to be there comforted and glorified till at the last day in the view of their prosecutors they shall be taken up both in body and soul in clouds to heaven to meet Christ 1Thesallonians 4.17 others understand it of greater power and glorification of those witnesses by those that succeed in their place as such kind of phrase is taken Isaiah 14 on verse 3,19 and elsewhere also which hath also been done and performed and is still performed by others that followed them and who have likewise been strengthened by the civil powers in Germany, France, England, Scotland, Switzerland, the low countries and the other parts of the low countries and the other parts of the world not with standing all the powers of the antichrist.]

13. And in that same power was there a great earth quake [that is great troubles and commotion of men in the world as well of antichrist and of opposed the witnesses as of others that received and maintained their testimonies and experience their testified in former ages and yet testifieth in this age] and the tenth part o the city fell [that is a great part of the Romish and the antichristian hierarchy fell off from antichrist] and in the earthquake there slain seven thousand names of men[some understand this to be meant of men of name and respect such as the king princes and prelates teachers and the like which perish in sundry wars which they waged by the antichrist] and the residue were aforesaid and gave glory to the God of heaven [that is great part of the dominion fell off from him were daily more converted to the purity of the gospel by their example till the final ruin of this great city with seven mountains and their false prophets shall follow whereof shall be prophesied in the following chapters.]

14. The second war is past behold the third war cometh quickly.

15. And the seventh angel founded [that which followed upon the trumpet is most fitly understood of setting up o the kingdom of God and his Christ in heaven after the end of the world which doth there and agree with the last word of the 15 verse and with the 18 and 19 verses and with the order that is kept in visions meeteth with the end of the world with the prediction as was also testified before chapter 10.7] and there were great voices in heaven [namely of joy which was among the holy spirit in heaven as followeth] saying the kingdom of the world are become our Lords and his Christ ] that is are now under his governments after that they were all subdued and brought under foot that opposed them see 1Corinthians 15.24] and be shall reign as king of evermore.

16. And the four and twenty elders which sit before God in their throne fell down on their faces and worshipped God.

17. Saying we thank thee Lord almighty which is and which was and which shall come for that thou hast received thy great power and hast reigned as king.

18. And the nations wee angry and the wrath were come [the nations wee angry namely hereto fore against Christ and his kingdom but now the time has come and thou shalt execute thy punishment in thy just wrath such] and the time of the dead to be judged and to give reward unto their servants the prophets [among whom also the apostle and the evangelists of the new testament are also comprehended] and to the saints [among whom also true teachers and martyrs are comprehended] and them that fear thy name [herby are all believers] to the small and to the great and to destroy them which destroyed the earth [namely by the force of persecution by false doctrines and evil examples see chapter 19.2]

19. And the temple of God was open in heaven and the ark of the covenant was seen in his temple and they were lightning and voices and thunderclaps and earth-quakes and great hail [by the opening of the temple in heaven is most conveniently understood the glorification of the church itself in heaven and by the ark of his covenant and the glorious beholding of Christ our mediator in it whereof the ark was a type and by the thunder and lightning c the tokens of his wrath against unbelievers.]