Temple of God
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.
This is a rebuilt temple, that will be in place when the antichrist rules. There are plans now to rebuild the temple and to once again have animal sacrifices. The sacrifices are not God's will, for Jesus was the last accepted sacrifice; the shedding of blood for our sins. The angel said rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. Measuring represents God's knowledge of every detail. He is both creator, designer and judge of a perfect justice and measure.
Isa 40:10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
Isa 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Isa 40:12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
Isa 40:13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?
Isa 40:14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?
Isa 40:15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
The temple place was thought to be where the Dome of the Rock, the Muslim worship place is. Because the original temple foundation was mostly removed by the Romans, some believe that the actual location will be north of this mosque. This temple will be taken over by the antichrist who sets himself up as the Messiah.
Mark 13:14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
This will be the final week of Daniel's seventy week prophecy.
Dan 9:27 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, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
2 Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2 Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2 Th 2:4 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, showing himself that he is God.
This falling away is after the deception of a man of sin. Daniel speaks of this man who comes promising peace, but instead sets himself up to be worshipped as a god in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.
This man of sin has many other titles in the Scriptures. He is called the little horn the Daniel 7:8. He is the king of fierce countenance of Daniel 8:23. He is the Prince that shall come of Daniel 9:26. He is the willful king of Daniel 11:36-45. He is the one who comes in his own name in John 5:43. And here, he is known as the son of perdition, the man of sin, the lawless one (2 Thessalonians 2:3 and 2:8). (Guzik)
Rev 11:2 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.
The dome of the rock may actually be located on the court of the Gentiles. The outer courts will be under non Jewish rule for forty-two months, the final three and a half years of the last week of years. And then the Lord shall come, destroying the destroyers and gathering his people to himself. Other things will occur before this happens. Two witnesses of God will arrive in Jerusalem.
The Two Witnesses
Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
The angel speaks the message of Jesus about two witnesses. Who are these witnesses? Their ministry is prophetic, they are to speak the words given to them by God for 1260 days or three and a half years, the same time that Jerusalem will be inhabited by Gentiles. They will be dressed in sackcloth, which is the clothing of repentance, so their message must be of warning and repentance.
Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
These are two olive tees, Holy Spirit filled Jewish men, and two candlesticks, they will speak truth and light before God.
Zec 4:12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?
Zec 4:13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
Zec 4:14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.
The two men referred to in Zechariah were Joshua and Zerubbabel.
Rev 11:5 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.
Perhaps they spoke the fiery judgment of God; the power of God's word spoken by the Spirit of God. Jesus said these words could not be resisted..
Luke 21:15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
Rev 11:6 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.
Elijah the prophet had power to cause the rain to stop and Moses was used to bring plagues to Egypt and to turn the waters to blood. These two men were like Elijah and Moses, as John the Baptist was like Elijah. They will be actual people representing prophesy and the law; convicting of sin, preaching the righteousness of Jesus Christ to a sinful people, warning them of a coming judgment.
The grace of God was available to anyone who repented and came to Jesus, they would receive God's protection, but those who opposed the two men sent from God, by the word of these two witnesses plagues would come on the earth as in the time of Moses. Plagues should make the people cry out to God. Perhaps these were the trumpet judgments spoken of earlier.
Witnesses Revived
Rev 11:7 And 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.
Rev 9:11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
Apollyon would kill them, probably through the antichrist, so these were not immortal glorified beings, as the real Moses and Elijah; these were not yet glorified. Remember the witnesses had power given to them for protection and for judgment, so apparently God allowed them to be slain, as Jesus allowed himself to be slain for a purpose.
Rev 11:8 And 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.
On the streets of Israel, in or near Jerusalem, where our Lord was crucified. The Holy City had become worldly and evil, with sexual perversion, because of the people who worshipped the antichrist. There would be open homosexuality. Already they are converging on Jerusalem. That spirit is unleashed in all nations, it is the opposite of holiness and obedience to God.
Rev 11:9 And 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.
The unburied bodies, is a show of disrespect and a seeming victory for evil people. They thought that Satan had overcome the people of God.
Rev 11:10 And 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.
Sending gifts and greeting cards with lewd messages, rejoicing that good had been destroyed.
Isa 5:14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
Isa 5:15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:
Rev 11:11 And 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.
As Christ was risen on the third day, the life giving spirit of God entered into them, they were revived and great fear fell upon them which saw him. It may have seen around the world in newscasts.
Rev 11:12 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.
A great voice from heaven bidding them to come up. They went up in a cloud as the church was raptured; and their enemies left behind. Were these two ministers symbolic of the witness of the church? Perhaps, but these appear to be actual servants of God who had great power, as Jesus, they died and were resurrected. Never was the church commanded to curse the earth, as these men were given power to do. The old testament men of God were given such powers, Moses and Elijah, these were types of the old testament saints, people that those of the old covenant would recognize and obey.
Rev 11:13 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.
God's wrath poured out, with the purpose of driving more to repentance. The remnant, those who come out of the worlds evil, the repented and gave glory to the God of heaven. What will it take to change a stubborn sinful heart?
Rev 11:14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
Two woes and a third on it's way, quickly it will come.
The Seventh Trumpet
Rev 11:15 And 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.
The seventh trumpet sounds announcing the soon triumphant return of the Lord Jesus Christ, to rule over the nations. His rule is everlasting.
Psa 146:10 The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.
Rev 11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 11:17 Saying, 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.
At last the beginning of the everlasting reign of God. His Son will return to earth for a thousand years to rule over the nations.
Rev 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou 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.
The end is near. At the end of the thousand year reign would be the judgment of the wicked. Rewards would be given by Jesus to his faithful, they shall not see the wrath of God. The wicked would be eternally separated from God and heaven; no more sin, no more death.
Rev 11:19 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 thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
The ark of his testament is in the heavenly temple, representing God's faithfulness. Here is a revelation and a view into heaven not previously seen. With the event there were lightenings and voices. On earth there were, or will be, thunderings and an earthquake, and great hail, perhaps such as occurred with Moses on Mt. Sinai at the giving of the law. Now it is God's grace we celebrate.
Exo 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
We fear God in love, not fearing judgment, but respecting His power and Glory. He created us and all there is from nothing; now that really is something to praise him for.
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