Revelation 11 explained: Two Witnesses and the Seventh Trumpet

Measuring the temple (vv. 1-2)

John is handed a measuring rod and told to measure God's temple, its altar and its worshipers, but to leave out the outer court, which the nations will trample for 42 months, three and a half years, echoing the limited time of trouble in Daniel. Many read the measuring as God marking his people as protected inwardly while they suffer outwardly, while others expect a real temple in a future Jerusalem.

The two witnesses (vv. 3-6)

Two witnesses dressed in sackcloth, rough cloth worn in mourning, preach for 1,260 days with powers like Elijah's over the rain and Moses' over water and plagues, and fire from their mouths kills anyone who tries to harm them, which many read as their words of judgment coming true. Some Christians expect two real prophets at the end of history (many early writers named Enoch and Elijah, others Moses and Elijah), while many see the faithful church, since the olive trees and lampstands come from Zechariah 4 and lampstands stand for churches in 1:20.

Killed and left unburied (vv. 7-10)

When their work is done, the beast from the Abyss, a power set against God described more fully in chapter 13, kills them, and people leave their bodies in the street for three and a half days, a grave insult then, and celebrate by sending each other gifts. The city is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt for its evil and cruelty, and the mention of where their Lord was crucified points to Jerusalem, yet Revelation elsewhere calls Babylon (often read as Rome) the great city, so many take it as the whole world opposed to God.

Raised and taken up (vv. 11-13)

After three and a half days God's breath of life enters them, as in Ezekiel's vision of dry bones coming to life, and they go up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies watch, which Christians read as following the pattern of Jesus' death, rising and ascension. An earthquake then brings down a tenth of the city and kills 7,000 people, and the survivors give glory to God, which some read as real repentance, unlike those who refused in 9:20-21, and others as fear alone.

The seventh trumpet (vv. 14-18)

The second of three announced disasters, called woes, is past and the third is coming soon, and the last trumpet brings loud voices in heaven saying that rule over the world now belongs to God and his Messiah, his anointed king, forever. The twenty-four elders praise God as the One who is and who was, likely no longer adding 'is to come' as in 4:8 because he has now begun to reign, and they name the time to judge the dead, reward his servants and destroy those who destroy the earth.

Heaven's temple opened (v. 19)

God's temple in heaven opens to show the ark of the covenant, the sacred chest that held the stone tablets of the law and stood for God's presence and promises, lost most likely when Babylon destroyed Jerusalem centuries before. Lightning, thunder, an earthquake and hail follow, recalling God's appearing at Mount Sinai and closing this series of seven as similar storms close others in the book (8:5, 16:18).

Key verse: Revelation 11:15

Where Christians differ

Christians differ on whether this chapter forecasts events just before the end of history (common among many evangelical Protestants), describes first-century Jerusalem and Rome, traces the course of church history (popular with older Protestant readers), or pictures the faithful church's witness and suffering in every age.

Something to think about

When someone delivers an unwelcome message, how can you tell whether people reject it because it is wrong or because it is hard to hear?