Revelation 11

Revelation 11:1-13

In this chapter we have an account, 1. Of the unspiring read given to the apostle to take the description of the temple, ver. 1, 2. 2. Of the two witnesses of God, ver. 3—14. 3. Of the founding of the seventh trumpet, and what followed upon it, ver. 14, &c.

1. AND there was given me a reed ’like unto a rod,’ and the angel stood, saying, Rife, 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.’ 3. And I will give power unto my two witnesses,’ and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threefores days clothed in sackcloth. 4. These are the two olive-trees,’ and the two candlesticks’ standing before the God of the earth. 5. And 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. 6. These 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. 7. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast’ that ascended out of the bottomless pit, shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the streets of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt,’ where also our Lord was crucified. 9. And they of the people, and kindreds, and tongues, and nations, shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make mercy, and shall send gifts’ one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 11. And after three days and a 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. 12. And 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. 13. And 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.

A general description is here given of the state both of the true and the antichristian church, during 1260 years, from the time that the temporal power of the pope arose about 75%.

1. John is commanded to measure the temple of God, and the altar, and the worshippers; for in the world of times, and the darkest days, God would still maintain his church, and some should be preserved from the general apocrisy, a remnant accoering to the election of grace. The water court he may not measure, that is left to the Gentiles; those indeed who profess to bear the Christian name, but by the idolatry, Superstitions, and frauds which they encourage and maintain, are returned in reality to the worship of Paganism, Popery being heathenism revived: and during forty-two months, or 1260 years, these Gentile Papists shall tread the holy city under foot, and exercise their tyrannical government over the prophecies of the Christian name.

2. During the prevalence of the antichristian tyranny, God will not leave the world without warning, nor the corruption of his worship without witness; a succession of faithful ministers shall exist, a few indeed, how sinners of but as ever, and indeed in lockdown, deeply satisfied with the miseries of the church, and the persecutors of the faithful trumpet. These are the two abhorities, &c. like Zerafshal and Joshua (Zack. iv. 6-14.) whom God will supply with the continual influences of his grace, and endorse them with light and and to remonstrate upon the corruptions of the antichristian church. And if any attempt to hurt them, the word of the Lord, which procumbens out of their mouths as far, denounces spiritual and eternal death upon them. These have power, like Elijah, to shut up heaven, and to bring the beautiful plagues, like those of Egypt, on their enemies; were the spiritual plagues of a famine of the word, obduracy of honor, and all the dreadful judgments that, in answer to their prayers, God will indict on their persecutors, and which they denounce upon them, not from a spirit of revenge, but for the abhorization of God’s injured honour.

3. The witnesses shall be slain, while they are performing their testimony, though God will always raise up others, and avenge their blood on their persecutors; and their dead bodies shall be forbid burial, and be inflicted in the streets of that great city, spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified, Rome papal being notorious for filthiness as Sodom, like Egypt, the cruel oppressor of God’s people, and red with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, which is, as it were, which to crucify him.

Some suppose that this saying the witnesses by the antichristian beall, and his adherents, is yet to come, and that the three days and half, v. 9. refer not to the time and times and half time, or 1200 years, the whole period of popery, but to some more dreadful persecution, and general prevalence of the power of antichrist, which towards the close of this period will be permitted, and for a short space the inhabitants of the papal countries will congratulate each other, as if they had now finally triumphed over those who troubled their consignees with remonstrances against their impieties, idolatries, and all their abominations.

4. After three days and half, at the close of the period of 1200 years, the witnesses are miraculously rushed to life, to the terror of their enemies; not the same extortion, but others, endued with their spirit, boldness, and zeal; and God, in testimony of his approbation, caught them up to heaven in the light of their enemies, not literally, but figuratively; he exalted them to a state of eminent dignity and safety, above all the malice of their foes; and thereupon a great earthquake shook down great part of the city of the beall, and seven thousand men were slain; a vast number of his dependents and abettors, men of more and influence fell, and his jurisdiction was in part demolished; which the remnant, affrighted by these predigers, announced their idolatries and Superstitions, and, converted to the faith of Jesus, glorified God. Note, (1.) The enemies of God’s witnessing servants shall one day, with confusion, behold their exultation, and know that God hath sent them. (2.) When God’s judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants thereof should learn righteousness; and they who fly to God for refuge, and give him glory, shall be saved from fear of evil.

5. The second wo is past, and behold, the third wo cometh quickly. 15. And the seventh angel founded, 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. 16. And the four and twenty elders which far before God on their feats, fall upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17. Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God almighty, which art, and waft, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. 18. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged, and that thou shouldst give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great, and shouldst destroy them which destroy the earth. 19. And 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 thundrings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Revelation 11:14-19

The seventh trumpet sounds, and lo, the third and last wo is denounced, when the Mahometan and Papal powers, the eastern and western antichrists are to be utterly destroyed. On which,

1. Loud acclamations of joy fill all the courts of heaven; the will-to-the time is come when Jesus shall erect his throne, and all nations shall bow before the empire of his grace, and become a willing people in the day of his power, evening him as their rightful King, who shall reign over his redeemmt for ever and ever. And for this the four and twenty elders pour-forth their

thanks to the Lord, and in humble education, profusion themselves before his church, infirming people to the annual and abruptly Jesus, that he hath now signally made bare his arm, averaging the deaths of his martyrs’ servants, and in return for the indignation known by the antichristian persecutors, pouring death his state of wrath upon them; which his faithful ministers and people now oppose their glorious reward; they for their loss become their foothold, and enjoy peace, comfort, mutual communion; and the true liberty of all gospel ordinances in their highest purity. And every gracious God, looking forward to this happy nation, cannot but pray that God would hail it in his good time.

2. The temple of God was opened in heaven; the exercise of the true evangelical worship was now restored, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his followers, astounding the peculiar manifestations of God’s presence to all his people, the boldness that they will have to approach the beliefs of all, and the same communion which they shall enjoy with their Lord, during him, as it were, face to face.

3. And there were lightnings, and voices, and thundrings, and an earthquake, and great hail, as if the dissolution of all things was at hand; intimating the entire demolition which she church’s enemies. Note, Though the struggle be long and flurry, the gospel shall be finally triumphed, and the truth at last prevail over all opposition.