Revelation 11
Revelation Chapter 11
(8/21/23 note – Remember that John is about to prophesy AGAIN. Remember that the word is palin, where we get palindrome. I have no idea today, but I would not be AT ALL surprised if this chapter begins at the Sixth or Seventh Seal, and works its way back to the first! If that happens, I will…. I will love the Lord my God with all my heart soul and mind, because he is God, and because he has let me see such a thing as this! Here is the verse from Chapter 10: 11 And I was told, "You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings." [Rev 10:11 ESV])
Chapter 10 ends with a sort of "renewed" mission for John. We ought to see this as a "closing out" of what came before, and an "opening" of something else – either narrative format, change from chronological to topical, that sort of thing. This seems like a strange time to do this because the 6th Trumpet has sounded, but not the 7th. We might well wonder if the idea is that the 6th Trumpet encompasses quite a bit of time, just as we think the 6th Seal included many many events. The 6th Seal included the signs in the heavens and a great earthquake, I believe it holds the rapture. Those left on earth pray to be hidden away from the wrath that is coming, the 144,000 are sealed, and I believe the bema judgment of the church takes place in heaven. This is followed by rejoicing when tears are forever wiped away. The Great Tribulation spoken of by Christ in Matt 24 has come to an end as the church is raptured out. Also, if our timeline is correct, the MoL has come to power and been recognized by the church, even though we cannot “dig that out” specifically in the events so far described. Also, so far, I have seen no reference to a 3 1/2 year time period anywhere in Revelation. Not yet.
John to measure the temple, except the court of the Gentiles. So at this time, there will be a temple. It will be in use. The Gentile nations will "trample" the outer court for 42 months. (Because the church will still be here for the first 3 ½!!!) 2022 - Vs 1, John is to measure the Temple and the altar with a staff. No measurements are given - we don't have his results. What does Ezekiel say about the court of the Gentiles? Wasn't there something about not even measuring it because it didn't matter? I can't find it now. I know it's there, but I cannot re-read all of those chapters this morning just to find it. 2022 - "but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months." [Rev 11:2 ESV] This seems to be talking about the inner court, right outside the Temple proper, and the court that has the altar. What this would seem to be talking about is the last 42 months, while the beast is running things. He will set himself up to be worshiped, even in the Temple of God. This implies that by the middle of the 7 years, there will be a Temple, rebuilt, somewhere. Interesting that it does not say they are in Jerusalem. But it does say "holy city". Surely that refers to Jerusalem. So either the Temple is indeed in Jerusalem, or we have to read this sentence as talking about the Temple in one place, with it's court in that place given to the nations, while in Jerusalem - which is a different place - the nations will be trampling. This seems to be a very far stretch to get at what I want this to say. It clearly does not say this...or at least it does not say this clearly! So for this year, let's say that the Temple has been rebuilt, in Jerusalem, but now with the Antichrist wanting to be worshiped, he has "occupied" the Temple, and welcomed all his worshipers from all the nations to enter the court of the Temple for the duration of his occupancy. This, I think, is the simplest reading. Then vs 3...
2023 - I think these first are saying that the MoL has taken up residence in the temple. John wants us to know that the temple will be rebuilt already when the MoL appears. As persecution of the church begins, SOME Gentiles - perhaps with a mark on their hands or foreheads, will come to worship the beast. The Gentiles - all unsaved, and once they have the mark, all beyond salvation, will come and worship in this court. That makes sense.
Two witnesses to prophesy in sackcloth 1260 days (42 lunar months of 30 days each), and have power to prevent rain and so on. John MacA Study Bible says they prophesy during the second 3 1/2 years of tribulation, when Antichrist will be visibly in power.
8/21/23 - Found this. It might be useful here: 14 Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth." [Zec 4:14 ESV]. Then it again, it doesn’t provide a lot of information beyond being a direct quote. I don’t think Zechariah ever figured out what they represented. Here is what it goes with: 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. [Rev 11:4 ESV]. Three names for these two. The Two Anointed Ones, The Two Olive Trees, The Two Lampstands. All seem to be about The Two Witnesses we see in Rev. 11. How do they all fit together? What are they telling us when they are combined???
2022 - As it reads, it is hard to put this 1260 days anywhere except the last 3 1/2 years. 3*365 is 1277.5, so there are 17.5 days unaccounted for so far. IF they are to testify for 1260 days, for the last 3.5 years, then when is the last battle, which takes place when Christ returns with his army? Once they are killed, they lay in the street for 3 1/2 days. Subtract that from 1277.5 and you have exactly two weeks for these other events. But I am getting ahead. For now, they are "going to" testify for 1260 days. 2022 - Note this. If we, and MSB, are correct that they prophecy for the remainder of Great Tribulation, then they overlap all the 7's that are still to come. And if we take from Rev 13 that Antichrist will be recognized by the church before the rapture, and that Antichrist will be in power 42 months - these same, or very nearly these same 42 months that the witnesses will testify, AND we see that the trumpets begin sounding AFTER the sixth seal, and so in the last 42 months, then it is exceedingly difficult to say that the trumpets are concurrent with any of the seals. They do not overlap at the fourth trumpet. Can we take the position that the trumpets - or maybe the sixth trumpet because we are seeing so much happen within it - covers very nearly the whole 3 1/2 years? So how would this work... Very definitely the trumpets are handed out AFTER the Lamb opens the seventh seal. The rapture was in the sixth seal. Power over the earth was given to the Lamb when the book with those seals was passed from theos to christos. Tribulation was relatively mild, because the Church is still on earth. I think this justifies separating the seals from the trumpets entirely as to chronology. The Trumpets herald the beginning of Great Tribulation. Can we say that trib and great trib are exactly 3.5 years each in duration? I don't think so. My thoughts just will not "organize" this morning...Perhaps the first six seals take less than 3 1/2 years. But somewhere along there...no that does not work. That statue must be in the temple before the rapture. So it must be there during the sixth seal. The 42 month reign of the one who utters great blasphemy must be marked by some event at exactly 42 months in, with 42 months to go. Do we know what that marker is? If we say it is the statue, erected on that day and declared as the mandatory object of worship, then things fit, before and after. Church comes out at 42 months, at the opening of the 6th seal. Once they are out, then more horrific judgments can begin. The seventh seal silence signals a sea change in vengeance against sinners. The trumpets begin the wrath. The first four trumpets are judgments on the earth. The earth becomes a very inhospitable place, and the haves are sharply divided from the have nots. Crops are destroyed, the oceans' productivity severely reduced along with the means of harvesting what is there, fresh water becomes a rare commodity - crops can't be irrigated, people die of thirst, and then photosynthesis of even those crops which survive to this point, and can be watered, become almost impossible to mature and produce edible food. The basic essentials of life that God had always provided - even to the sinners of Noah's day - are now cut off. These four trumpets could happen in a day - almost seem like they would need to happen in a day, but escalating results, a spiral into want, into hunger and thirst, where the beast has control of the food supply, and all must look to him. Into this, the 5th trumpet sounds and the locusts begin to torture the population. They were already starving and now they are in pain, danger, terror of supernatural creatures. We know from Rev 13, and from the 6th seal, that the beast is in power as the locusts begin to sting, yet he will be powerless to stop the locusts. Yet he will control all the food. It is likely that as the food supply is devastated at the first trumpet, the mark of the beast will be rolled out. This is the source of his power. THEN, we get the sixth trumpet. It starts in 9:13. The seventh does not sound until 11:15. Much happens in the sixth. First, the four angels at the Euphrates are released. Second, they martial their troops, 200 million strong, on horseback. Horses have to eat. We discussed those breastplates earlier. Third, these troops, under the four angels, begin killing. Putting down revolts, uprisings, insurrections as increasingly desperate people try to access the dwindling food supply. Fourth, the Seven Thunders sound. Fifth, the prophecy that the 7th trumpet WILL at last reveal the mystery of God. Sixth, the scroll must be consumed. Seventh, in 10:11, the stage is "reset" for MUCH more to come. Eighth - see below - the two witnesses appear. We know that the locusts were around for 5 months. That leaves 37. 9:12 tells us that the locusts end before the four angels are loosed. 9:20 tells us that once all these are killed, and presumably the planet is brought to heel under the power of the beast, people still do not repent, nor turn from worshiping the desolation or the blasphemer, or the beast or the dragon. They still follow these...because they still have to eat. I find no clue as to how long it will take to kill 1/3 of the earth. (And remember, from 6:8 that a quarter were killed BEFORE the rapture! Now a third of what was left.) Then, still in the sixth trumpet, we have all seven thunders sounding. All seven thunders - whatever they are - play out. The way 10:3 is worded, it is possible that all 7 sound together. But we know from 10:4 that they both begin and end within the 6th trumpet. In 10:7, we have a "prophesy" that the 7th trumpet is coming, and that in the "days", plural, of that trumpet the "mystery of God" will be fulfilled. The implication is that the 7th trumpet event(s) will take time. It will not be instantaneous. Perhaps the events of the 7th Trumpet encompass the remainder of the less than 37 months remaining. BUT, before all that, the scroll with all seven seals opened, indicating that all the scroll (seal) judgments have run their course, must be eaten. Sweet that justice is being dispensed, bitter that so many have died. Then, what I think signals a new Revelation. John is told, after he has eaten, that there is still much for him to prophesy. There is still a lot that is going to be revealed about this time period. We will see that the upcoming prophecy of the two witnesses must "go back" in time chronologically to the beginning of Great Tribulation, the last 42 months. SO. Perhaps we are also seeing the Temple measured, as it stood at the beginning of the 42. Maybe that is why this is here. This temple is the scene of events concerning the two witnesses, as the scene plays out over the remainder of Great Tribulation. This is where they will be. How much falls into place chronologically and geographically when we see this as the reason for measuring the Temple. NEXT, a part of the Temple is to be measured. It had to already be there at the sixth seal. Only now is it to be measured. Why would that be? It says those who worship there are also to be measured, not just the physical construction that is the temple. (That is brings me up to where I was when I just couldn't move forward for confusion this morning. I think the East Texas time kept me from really putting things together in my mind, and this section has allowed me to go back and recapitulate what has transpired up to now. It feels organized. I am well into my third hour, and at best, I have covered 3 verses in Chapter 11. But I covered a LOT of verses in 6-9 to get back to here. Perhaps eating a little, as I did earlier, gave me the jump start I needed. That would be a good thing to remember.)
2022 - I think we have to see vs 3 as the eighth item in the list of things that happen during the sixth trumpet, BUT, they are not eighth chronologically. They will be active 42 months, so they must begin BEFORE the first trumpet, and remain through all that is to transpire. They are not killed until the 42 months is up. They testify then, for the entire 42 months. So, we see for the first time that we have "backed up" from the prophesy of the 7th trumpet and the eating of the scroll - the last events of chapter 10, to something BEFORE the first trumpet, and which will lay out over the entire 42 months. They will be near/at/in the Temple, which is why it is important to measure the temple. These measurements would also, I think, either tie this temple to Ezekiel's Temple in chapters 40-something of that book, or establish that is not that temple but some other. The measurements of the temple fix the location of the three witnesses. If we can find something definite about where they are - and I think we will see that later - then we will know where this temple stands.
2022 - The witness are called the two olive trees and the two lampstands, as if this will remind us of where we have seen these two before represented. In the ESV, this verse - 11:4 - is the only place the word "olive" is used in Revelation. The word is used 12 other times in the NT. In 9 of those, it is used in the phrase "Mount of Olives". Paul uses it twice in Romans in his analogy of wild and cultivated olive trees being grafted together. And James uses it once to talk about how fig trees do NOT grow olives. We are what we are. So let's assume, without following out the reference to "two lampstands", that we should recognize these terms from the Old Testament, not the New. I did an OT search, and just look at what I found! "And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left."" [Zec 4:3 ESV] "And I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"" [Zec 4:4 ESV] "Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord."" [Zec 4:5 ESV] "Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts." [Zec 4:6 ESV] "Then I said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?"" [Zec 4:11 ESV] "And a second time I answered and said to him, "What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?"" [Zec 4:12 ESV] "He said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord."" [Zec 4:13 ESV] "Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth."" [Zec 4:14 ESV] Zechariah didn't know what they were either, and had to ask twice to get a usable explanation. A lampstand with seven lamps. Perhaps the lampstand is Michael, chief of all the angels in heaven, and the seven lamps are the seven spirits of God, who do his will in the seven dominions. Do we ever hear of an angel being anointed? Not that I recall...so that would make the two anointed ones mortal men. Who would they be? Word search on anointed comes up with Aaron, first, as high priest: "And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him to consecrate him." [Lev 8:12 ESV]. Also this verse: "These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests." [Num 3:3 ESV]. Priests were anointed, always. So one of the witnesses is a priest, perhaps a high priest, perhaps Aaron himself. Ahhh...would Melchizedek be the other? But there is this verse: "And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever." [1Sa 2:35 ESV]. In this verse, God has told Eli that Hophni and Phinehas are not acceptable. So someone else will become high priest, and that high priest will go in and out before his anointed. Perhaps both King and High priest are anointed. Aaron and David? It was surely not Saul, from whom God removed his anointing. I think Aaron and Melchizedek make sense too. What about the two lampstands? There was only one lampstand in the tabernacle. Only one in Solomon's Temple. Hmm...Perhaps each of the witnesses, be they two priests or priest and king, has a corresponding angel in the spiritual realm, and the lampstands represent these "assigned guardians"? Look at vs 5... "And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed." [Rev 11:5 ESV]. If anyone would harm "them", the anointed ones, then fire comes from their - the lampstands - mouth to consume them. So angels protect the anointed. Then the next powers mentioned. See how the next powers mentioned seem attributed to a different source than the fire? Vs 6: "They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire." [Rev 11:6 ESV]. "their prophesying". Men prophesy. The anointed prophesy. Men shut off the rain. Men turn water to blood, men cause plagues. We have seen these things before. But fire from heaven, that is a spiritual, not a fleshly matter. This is how I corroborate the idea that the two lampstands are corresponding angels to the two anointed ones.
2023 - In light of the word study on 3.5's above, these are men. These are people. They are standing in the temple during that last 3.5 yrs, confronting those who come to worship the MoL in the Temple of God. You know the MoL wants them dead - but he is powerless. And any "pilgrim" who bothers them is burnt to a cinder. And to drive their point home, they send these plagues and droughts on the whole world, so that those afflicted by these things "hate" those who make a pilgrimage to the Temple, and aggravate these. The elite will hate the witnesses, because they are "nothing", and yet they create this "rebellious" situation at the place where the apostate go to worship...and they cannot be stopped. They witness in the face of utter hostility. Who did this before? Noah? Daniel? Job? How would we put Enoch or Moses in here? It may be none of them. These two may be alive and well in 70th, and be called to this ministry. This could be a couple of the 144,000. The rest are off converting Jews to Christianity, but these two go to the home base of the enemy. Could easily be that.
Then they will be killed by the beast from the pit, and lay in the street 3 1/2 days. The earth will rejoice that they are dead. If this is Enoch and Elijah, they never died. They do now, as it is appointed to man once to die, and then they will rise in their new bodies, as those at the rapture. BUT, MSB says more likely Moses and Elijah, and the note on 11:5,6 gives 6 reasons to think so. 2023 - Isn't the beast from the pit Abaddon or Apollyon? Yes, in Rev 9:11. So this king of demons is still around at the end.
2022 - But...what about this previous verse: "They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon." [Rev 9:11 ESV] Compare to what we just read: "And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them," [Rev 11:7 ESV] Why is this not the same beast? Where did I get that "first of 36"? There are a LOT of beasts mentioned in Revelation. Why would we think all 36 times refer to the same one? An ESV word search today says "beast*" occurs 40 times in 32 verses in Revelation. Without the plural, 39 times in 31 verses. So Maybe MSB gave me the 36. In any case, there is no way all of these refer to a single beast. Therefore, very possibly this beast that kills the witnesses is the one who led the locusts.
Their time will be during the sixth trumpet, and that period is given as 1260 days - 3 1/2 years. The whole trib and great trib are 7 years. This means that the seals and trumpets so far have used up less than 3 1/2 years, because much is left to come. We know that events are still chronological though, because vs 14 says the second woe has passed, and verse 15 opens the seventh trumpet. So all that the two witnesses do is encompassed in the sixth trumpet. That one trumpet judgement lasts 3.5 years, and the note in MSB implies that all we are going to be told about antichrist will take place during that same time? So if we are not going on to the seventh trumpet, anything we learn about antichrist will have to be as "flashback". I don't think BTN makes any allowance for flashback.
The beast of 11:7, mentioned here for the first of 36 times, per MSB, is the antichrist, up from the bottomless pit. (2022 - No...I don't think so at all at this point. Antichrist was not in the bottomless pit. Since up above I found that "beast" is used 39 times, MSB must believe that 36 of those refer to the Antichrist. There is the beast of the earth, the second beast from the earth, that's two others, and then what is the third one? Well...how about this one, that came up from the pit? This is Abaddon. So maybe the other 36 do refer to Antichrist, but I will be surprised if that is so. Well...I already disagree that this one in 11:7 refers to Antichrist. If it was Antichrist, and could kill them, why did he let them go on for 42 months? The beast of the earth is a man, incapable of killing the witnesses. We have seen what happens to men who try to kill them. Only Satan or his angels could do this. I have no theory as to why they weren't killed by Abaddon before this.)
2022 - vs 8, "and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified." [Rev 11:8 ESV] Pretty unequivocal now that this is Jerusalem, since there is no doubt at all that Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem. This verse means the witnesses bodies lay in Jerusalem, that Jerusalem is symbolically called both Sodom and Egypt (wow. That is quite interesting. If we are told this, then perhaps we will later need it to unlock some passages. Note that it is not symbolically called Babylon.) One other possibility here...they might have testified before some false Temple constructed by Antichrist elsewhere, but be brought to Jerusalem for display and for Abaddon to brag about his victory over them in the same place Christ died. Sort of saying "Abaddon killed Jesus in Jerusalem, and now his witnesses are dead also!" This would have to be true if that Temple is elsewhere...as I want it to be, but which claim is becoming less and less tenable. 2023 - If Jerusalem is Egypt and Sodom, then it is not Babylon. So we know pretty certainly I think that Babylon is a completely different place.
Then they rise from the dead and are called to heaven. 2023 - They go up in a cloud, like Jesus when he left. But note that they do nor raise themselves, the breath of God raises them. But they ascend as did Jesus, when he came as the light, with the message that would save! It is also like they get their own rapture sort of.
2022 - This verse: "But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them." [Rev 11:11 ESV] Sounds a bit like this: "Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live." [Eze 37:5 ESV] "And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the LORD."" [Eze 37:6 ESV] But in that passage, when the breath goes in, it is from the four winds, and there is an exceedingly great army...not just two men. The similarity, however, is unmistakable. Hmm...the witnesses prophesy for 42 months. We are very nearly at the end of Great Tribulation. A battle is coming. Perhaps the symbolism here is that God will raise the dead of Israel and restore the military might of his people, in time for the coming battle. There just really seems to be some connection here to Ezekiel's prophecy.
An earthquake when they go destroys a tenth of the city and 7000 die. The rest fear and give glory to God in heaven. This is the first time we've seen this glory toward God. Per MSB, this will be Jews truly repenting. This is a key fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy (12:10, 13:1) and Paul's (Ro 11:25-27). End of sixth trumpet, second woe. 2023 - Finally!!! Thought the 6th would never end!!!
2022 - This verse: "The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come." [Rev 11:14 ESV] So. The second woe was the sixth trumpet. The sixth trumpet has taken us to the end of the witnesses who prophesy for 42 months. The second woe ends almost on top of the end of Great Tribulation. So the Seventh Trumpet is coming at the end of the dominion of Satan on the earth, and at the opening of Jesus' earthly dominion. What a good place to put the revealing of the mystery of God... 2023 - Yes, this deserves some emphasis. If we are trying to put a clock on all this, the sixth does not end until the witness had done their 1260 days, have lain dead for 3.5 days, then arisen and gone to heaven. We are indeed at the end of the end.
Seventh trumpet sounds, Christ's eternal kingdom proclaimed. (Just as foretold by that angel back in 10:7. The mystery is that the conquering King is a second appearance of Christ on earth, this time in his glorified body, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. THIS is where that part occurs. THIS explains Jesus saying "My kingdom is not of this world" for 2000+ years, but at the seventh trumpet, his Kingdom in this world will at last be established.)
2022 - Vs 18 has to be picked apart, so much is there: "The nations raged, but your wrath came, This is about the sixth seal. Wrath came in Rev 6:17. and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, This is the rapture, the bema judgment, the rewards in heaven. and for destroying the destroyers of the earth."" [Rev 11:18 ESV] This last phrase seems to point to the overpowering of Satan and his forces in the last battle, and the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. All here, in this one verse. Here is the mystery, here is the bema, here is the victory.
Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. Revelation 11:19 NKJV Since that beast back in vs 7 is, according to MSB, the antichrist, and since 3 1/2 years have now elapsed, we must surely be getting to the end of the great tribulation. The tide is now going to turn forever against Satan, Antichrist, and all the unbelievers left on the earth. This turning of the tide begins here, in vs 15, with the proclamation of Christ as ruler of all by loud voices from heaven. The twenty four elders fall and worship. If they represent the church, then this would include, I think at least, all the glorified saints taken out at the rapture.
2023 - SUMMARY. The Seventh sounds. The LAST trump. I believe these verses say that AT THIS POINT, Kingship over the earth is handed over to Jesus. The scroll with seal began these events, and now he assumes his place as King on earth. Vss 17,18 are a recapitulation of all that has happened during this 70th week. This is a praise, a song, and not a chronology. We see the lightning and thunder again, signs associated with decrees coming directly from Theos.
We are near the end of Great Tribulation, but only halfway through Revelation.
2021 - Having a bit of a hard time fitting this in like this. MacArthur's version above makes the sixth trumpet start at just about the middle of Trib/Great Trib, and these witnesses show up pretty much concurrent with that trumpet. And this Temple needs to be measured, using a prepared measuring rod. When did the temple get built? The Gentiles will have use of the Temple Court for 3 1/2 years. The part where Gentiles trample the Temple court for 3 1/2 years comes in the same paragraph as the two witnesses prophesying for 3 1/2 years. So...what if the world ruler built the temple for the exclusive use of the Jews during the first part of the 70th week, but in the middle, opens it up - at least partially - to the Gentiles, and the response to this is the two witnesses proclaiming the truth of what is happening? You really have to do something here, because vs 14 says the second woe is over and the third is coming soon. Those are equivalent to trumpets 6 and 7. And that second woe is "over" when the two witnesses, who were killed by the beast, stand back up and get called to heaven. Then you have vs 15 - the one after 14, which said the second woe was finally over - saying this: 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." [Rev 11:15 ESV] If we don't take MacArthur's sequence, then how is it that Jesus assumes his kingdom after the second woe, if there is still 3 1/2 more years until he comes? Because that's what you have to say.
On the other hand, rather a lot does seem to be happening during the sixth trumpet. It sounded in Chapter 9, and here we are in 11, before the seventh sounds. It would take a long while to kill 1/3 of mankind from horseback. We can make an argument that the 5th trumpet's creatures are loosed to do their damage for five months, but so far we have not been told that the 200 million have stopped what they're doing. Let's make some observations - without trying to figure out the chronology:
Beginning with the first seal and going through the 6th trumpet, everything seems to fit easily into chronological order.
Fifth trumpet starts like this: 1 And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. [Rev 9:1 ESV], and then we have this:
14 The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come. 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." [Rev 11:14-15 ESV] So is it more plausible that everything from 9:1 to 11:15 happens during the sixth trumpet, or to think that inside these brackets is an "aside", a "flashback", a "focus on what has been happening in Jerusalem", or maybe it's a "summary of what has gone on since the 70th week began"?
John is commanded to "Rise and measure", which seems like a present imperative.
The "nations" will trample the holy city for forty-two months. This looks like future tense.
The two witnesses "will prophesy" for 1260 days (42 lunar months) or 3.5 years. This also seems like future tense. MSB does not discuss the tense in any of these. It could be that the Temple was to be measured right away, and these other two events "begin" after the 6th and before the 7th, but are not entirely contained within them. And yet...the whole epiphany of the two witnesses seems to be discussed here. Is it anywhere else?
This verse: 7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, [Rev 11:7 ESV] Seems to be future tense. ALSO, who is this beast? Is he the one that MSB says we'll hear about 36 total times in Revelation? Or is this a different one, a very powerful one indeed, but not the beast we hear about in Chapter 13?
11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. [Rev 11:11 ESV] This seems to be past tense, as if this is already over before the 7th trumpet sounds! It could be construed to bring the whole story of the two witnesses into the time frame of the 6th trumpet. It stays in past tense until this verse, which closes the 6th trumpet: 14 The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come. [Rev 11:14 ESV] This puts the 6th trumpet clearly in the rear view mirror. So if we go strictly by the verb tenses - and why wouldn't we since they are so clear - at the time John is told to measure the temple all the two witness events have yet to begin. But they are going to begin. Between vss 10 and 11, time catches up with the narrative and instead of looking forward to what they will do, John is looking back at what they did. We look forward to their ministry, and we look back at their supernatural resurrection and ascension. The Law looked forward to what Jesus would do, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ looks back at his death and resurrection. Just as we see here. A type comes before. What is it called when it comes after?
This verse: 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." [Rev 11:15 ESV]. If we place this anywhere but very near the end of the 70th week, then we have Jesus presiding over an earth filled with unregenerate, ungrateful, angry, spiteful people for some period of time until he ultimately wipes out all the bad guys and sits on the throne. I guess this is a possibility. He would also be presiding over the "recovery" of the blood descendants of Abraham as they finally recognize their Messiah and return to him in numbers. Perhaps from here on Jesus will supernaturally protect all who believe in him, who are predestined to believe in him. Maybe it is in that sense that the world becomes his kingdom.
So. In any case, I am pretty much forced at this point to make a huge overhaul of my "time sense" of the 70th week. It could be that the seals and the first 5 trumpets go quite quickly, and the 7th trump takes up half the week, and then the rest of Revelations goes pretty fast. We don't really have any bookends in time for that 1260 day long (at least) 6th trumpet. But it surely looks here like it goes pretty long.
Perhaps Satan himself rises up at this point, seeing that Jesus is assuming full control of what previously was the realm of the Prince of the Power of the Air, and that explains why Chapter 12 begins as it does. There may not be much time left in the 70th week, but at this point, with his kingdom given to another, he will likely be quite desperate.
2022 - Last verse of 11: "Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail." [Rev 11:19 ESV] These seem to be signs of the change of dominion, from Satan to Jesus. Compare this verse to 8:5, which came just before the trumpets: "Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake." [Rev 8:5 ESV] These are all the same. Perhaps, once again, the scene is being set for the next visions/prophecies. First, we see that we are looking into heaven - into the spiritual realm. The signs tell us we are back at the seventh seal, just before the first trumpet, and we are going to see yet another superposition of events, just as we went backwards to lay out the time of the anointed ones superimposed on the last 42 months. This is yet another layer on top of the underlying events of the last 42 months. It surely does seem to connect. But does it connect just like that? Looking ahead a little, I see Chapter 13 right around the corner, and I believe the events of 13 must precede, or at least connect directly with the events inside the sixth seal. So with 13 still two chapters away, we ought to be connecting to somewhere before the sixth seal shouldn't we? Or....Perhaps we are now going to look at the spiritual realm as things played out there during the trumpet judgments. There is no real reason to impose a condition that the events in heaven would connect chronologically on man's terms with events in heaven. I really hope that's not what seems most likely as I continue. I think it ought to be pretty seamless, and require not stretching of perceptions to all work out. Hmmm...God's temple in heaven takes us all the way back to chapter 4! To before the Tribulation, much less wrath. The signs tell us that significant events are about to be revealed. They tell us that something is beginning. But they are not necessarily telling us that we are going back to the last time we saw these signs. If it was that, the signs would come first. What we see first in 11:19 is the scene in heaven, just as we saw it in 4:1. That is where we are going!