Revelation 11

Re 11:1-19.

MEASUREMENT OF THE

TEMPLE.

THE

TWO

WITNESSES'

TESTIMONY:

THEIR

DEATH,

RESURRECTION, AND

ASCENSION:

THE

EARTHQUAKE:

THE

THIRD

WOE:

THE

SEVENTH

TRUMPET

USHERS IN

CHRIST'S

KINGDOM.

THANKSGIVING OF THE

TWENTY-FOUR

ELDERS.

This eleventh chapter is a compendious summary of, and introduction to,

the more detailed prophecies of the same events to come in the twelfth

through twentieth chapters. Hence we find anticipatory allusions

to the subsequent prophecies; compare

Re 11:7,

"the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit" (not mentioned

before), with the detailed accounts,

Re 13:1, 11; 17:8;

also

Re 11:8,

"the great city," with

Re 14:8; 17:1, 5; 18:10.

1. and the angel stood--omitted in A, Vulgate, and

Coptic. Supported by B and Syriac. If it be omitted, the

"reed" will, in construction, agree with "saying." So

WORDSWORTH takes it. The reed, the canon of

Scripture, the measuring reed of the Church, our rule of faith,

speaks. So in

Re 16:7

the altar is personified as speaking (compare

Note, see on

Re 16:7).

The Spirit speaks in the canon of Scripture (the word canon is

derived from Hebrew, "kaneh," "a reed," the word here

used; and John it was who completed the canon). So VICTORINUS, AQUINAS, and VITRINGA. "Like a rod," namely, straight: like a rod

of iron

(Re 2:27),

unbending, destroying all error, and that "cannot be broken."

Re 2:27;

Heb 1:8,

Greek, "a rod of straightness," English Version, "a

scepter of righteousness"; this is added to guard against it being

thought that the reed was one "shaken by the wind" In the abrupt

style of the Apocalypse, "saying" is possibly indefinite, put for

"one said." Still WORDSWORTH'S view agrees

best with Greek. So the ancient commentator, ANDREAS OF CÆSAREA, in the end

of the fifth century (compare Notes, see on

Re 11:3, 4).

the temple--Greek, "naon" (as distinguished from

the Greek, "hieron," or temple in general), the Holy

Place, "the sanctuary."

the altar--of incense; for it alone was in "the sanctuary."

(Greek, "naos"). The measurement of the Holy place seems

to me to stand parallel to the sealing of the elect of Israel under the

sixth seal. God's elect are symbolized by the sanctuary at Jerusalem

(1Co 3:16, 17,

where the same Greek word, "naos," occurs for "temple,"

as here). Literal Israel in Jerusalem, and with the temple restored

(Eze 40:3, 5,

where also the temple is measured with the measuring reed, the

forty-first, forty-second, forty-third, and forty-fourth chapters),

shall stand at the head of the elect Church. The measuring implies at

once the exactness of the proportions of the temple to be restored, and

the definite completeness (not one being wanting) of the numbers of the

Israelite and of the Gentile elections. The literal temple at Jerusalem

shall be the typical forerunner of the heavenly Jerusalem, in which

there shall be all temple, and no portion exclusively set apart

as temple. John's accurately drawing the distinction in

subsequent chapters between God's servants and those who bear the mark

of the beast, is the way whereby he fulfils the direction here given

him to measure the temple. The fact that the temple is

distinguished from them that worship therein, favors the view

that the spiritual temple, the Jewish and Christian Church, is not

exclusively meant, but that the literal temple must also be meant. It

shall be rebuilt on the return of the Jews to their land. Antichrist

shall there put forward his blasphemous claims. The sealed elect of

Israel, the head of the elect Church, alone shall refuse his claims.

These shall constitute the true sanctuary which is here measured, that

is, accurately marked and kept by God, whereas the rest shall yield to

his pretensions. WORDSWORTH objects that, in the

twenty-five passages of the Acts, wherein the Jewish temple is

mentioned, it is called hieron, not naos, and so in the

apostolic Epistles; but this is simply because no occasion for

mentioning the literal Holy Place (Greek, "naos")

occurs in Acts and the Epistles; indeed, in

Ac 7:48,

though not directly, there does occur the term, naos, indirectly

referring to the Jerusalem temple Holy Place. In addressing

Gentile Christians, to whom the literal Jerusalem temple was not

familiar, it was to be expected the term, naos, should not be

found in the literal, but in the spiritual sense. In

Re 11:19

naos is used in a local sense; compare also

Re 14:15, 17; 15:5, 8.

2. But--Greek, "And."

the court . . . without--all outside the Holy

Place

(Re 11:1).

leave out--of thy measurement, literally, "cast out"; reckon as

unhallowed.

it--emphatic. It is not to be measured; whereas the Holy

Place is.

given--by God's appointment.

unto the Gentiles--In the wider sense, there are meant here "the

times of the Gentiles," wherein Jerusalem is "trodden down of

the Gentiles," as the parallel,

Lu 21:24,

proves; for the same word is used here [Greek, "patein"],

"tread under foot." Compare also

Ps 79:1;

Isa 63:18.

forty . . . two months--

(Re 13:5).

The same period as Daniel's "time, times, and half"

(Re 12:14);

and

Re 11:3,

and Re 12:6,

the woman a fugitive in the wilderness "a thousand two hundred and

threescore days." In the wider sense, we may either adopt the year-day

theory of 1260 years (on which, and the papal rule of 1260 years, see

on

Da 7:25;

Da 8:14;

Da 12:11),

or rather, regard the 2300 days

(Da 8:14),

1335 days

(Da 12:11, 12).

1290 days, and 1260 days, as symbolical of the long period of the

Gentile times, whether dating from the subversion of the Jewish

theocracy at the Babylonian captivity (the kingdom having been

never since restored to Israel), or from the last destruction of

Jerusalem under Titus, and extending to the restoration of the

theocracy at the coming of Him "whose right it is"; the different

epochs marked by the 2300, 1335, 1290, and 1260 days, will not be fully

cleared up till the grand consummation; but, meanwhile, our duty and

privilege urge us to investigate them. Some one of the epochs assigned

Gentile monarchies during Israel's seven times punishment, will

probably, in the narrower sense

(Re 11:2),

be succeeded by the much more restricted times of the personal

Antichrist's tyranny in the Holy Land. The long years of papal misrule

may be followed by the short time of the man of sin who shall

concentrate in himself all the apostasy, persecution, and evil of the

various forerunning Antichrists, Antiochus, Mohammed, Popery, just

before Christ's advent. His time shall be THE

RECAPITULATION and open consummation of the "mystery of

iniquity" so long leavening the world. Witnessing churches may be

followed by witnessing individuals, the former occupying the longer,

the latter, the shorter period. The three and a half (1260 days

being three and a half years of three hundred sixty days each, during

which the two witnesses prophesy in sackcloth) is the sacred number

seven halved, implying the Antichristian world-power's time is

broken at best; it answers to the three and a half years' period

in which Christ witnessed for the truth, and the Jews, His own people,

disowned Him, and the God-opposed world power crucified Him (compare

Note, see on

Da 9:27).

The three and a half, in a word, marks the time in which the earthly

rules over the heavenly kingdom. It was the duration of Antiochus'

treading down of the temple and persecution of faithful Israelites. The

resurrection of the witnesses after three and a half days, answers to

Christ's resurrection after three days. The world power's times never

reach the sacred fulness of seven times three hundred sixty, that is,

2520, though they approach to it in 2300

(Da 8:14).

The forty-two months answer to Israel's forty-two sojournings

(Nu 33:1-50)

in the wilderness, as contrasted with the sabbatic rest in Canaan:

reminding the Church that here, in the world wilderness, she cannot

look for her sabbatic rest. Also, three and a half years was the period

of the heaven being shut up, and of consequent famine, in Elias' time.

Thus, three and a half represented to the Church the idea of toil,

pilgrimage, and persecution.

3. I will give power--There is no "power" in the

Greek, so that "give" must mean "give commission," or

some such word.

my two witnesses--Greek, "the two witnesses of

me." The article implies that the two were well known at least to John.

prophesy--preach under the inspiration of the Spirit, denouncing

judgments against the apostate. They are described by symbol as "the

two olive trees" and "the two candlesticks," or lamp-stands,

"standing before the God of the earth." The reference is to

Zec 4:3, 12,

where two individuals are meant, Joshua and Zerubbabel, who

ministered to the Jewish Church, just as the two olive trees emptied

the oil out of themselves into the bowl of the candlestick. So in the

final apostasy God will raise up two inspired witnesses to minister

encouragement to the afflicted, though sealed, remnant. As two

candlesticks are mentioned in

Re 11:4,

but only one in

Zec 4:2,

I think the twofold Church, Jewish and Gentile, may be meant by the two

candlesticks represented by the two witnesses: just as in

Re 7:1-8

there are described first the sealed of Israel, then those of all

nations. But see on

Re 11:4.

The actions of the two witnesses are just those of Moses when

witnessing for God against Pharaoh (the type of Antichrist, the last

and greatest foe of Israel), turning the waters into blood, and

smiting with plagues; and of Elijah (the witness for God

in an almost universal apostasy of Israel, a remnant of seven thousand,

however, being left, as the 144,000 sealed,

Re 7:1-8)

causing fire by his word to devour the enemy, and

shutting heaven, so that it rained not for three years and six

months, the very time (1260 days) during which the two witnesses

prophesy. Moreover, the words "witness" and "prophesy" are usually

applied to individuals, not to abstractions (compare

Ps 52:8).

DE BURGH thinks Elijah and

Moses will again appear, as

Mal 4:5, 6

seems to imply (compare

Mt 17:11;

Ac 3:21).

Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ at the Transfiguration, which

foreshadowed His coming millennial kingdom. As to Moses, compare

De 34:5, 6;

Jude 9.

Elias' genius and mode of procedure bears the same relation to the

"second" coming of Christ, that John the Baptist's did to the first

coming [BENGEL]. Many of the early Church thought

the two witnesses to be Enoch and Elijah. This would avoid the

difficulty of the dying a second time, for these have never yet

died; but, perhaps, shall be the witnesses slain. Still, the turning

the water to blood, and the plagues

(Re 11:6),

apply best to "Moses (compare

Re 15:3,

the song of Moses"). The transfiguration glory of Moses and

Elias was not their permanent resurrection-state, which shall not be

till Christ shall come to glorify His saints, for He has precedence

before all in rising. An objection to this interpretation is that those

blessed departed servants of God would have to submit to death

(Re 11:7, 8),

and this in Moses' case a second time, which

Heb 9:27

denies. See on

Zec 4:11, 12,

on the two witnesses as answering to "the two olive trees." The two

olive trees are channels of the oil feeding the Church, and symbols of

peace. The Holy Spirit is the oil in them. Christ's witnesses, in

remarkable times of the Church's history, have generally appeared in

pairs: as Moses and Aaron, the inspired civil and religious

authorities; Caleb and Joshua; Ezekiel the priest and Daniel the

prophet; Zerubbabel and Joshua.

in sackcloth--the garment of prophets, especially when calling

people to mortification of their sins, and to repentance. Their very

exterior aspect accorded with their teachings: so Elijah, and John who

came in His spirit and power. The sackcloth of the witnesses is

a catch word linking this episode under the sixth trumpet, with the

sun black as sackcloth (in righteous retribution on the

apostates who rejected God's witnesses) under the sixth seal

(Re 6:12).

4. standing before the God of the earth--A, B, C, Vulgate,

Syriac, Coptic, and ANDREAS read "Lord" for

"God": so

Zec 4:14.

Ministering to

(Lu 1:19),

and as in the sight of Him, who, though now so widely disowned on

"earth," is its rightful King, and shall at last be openly recognized

as such

(Re 11:15).

The phrase alludes to

Zec 4:10, 14,

"the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth." The

article "the" marks this allusion. They are "the two candlesticks," not

that they are the Church, the one candlestick, but as its

representative light-bearers (Greek, "phosteres,"

Php 2:15),

and ministering for its encouragement in a time of apostasy.

WORDSWORTH'S view is worth consideration, whether

it may not constitute a secondary sense: the two witnesses, the

olive trees, are THE TWO TESTAMENTS ministering their testimony to the

Church of the old dispensation, as well as to that of the new, which

explains the two witnesses being called also the two

candlesticks (the Old and New Testament churches; the candlestick

in

Zec 4:2

is but one as there was then but one Testament, and one Church,

the Jewish). The Church in both dispensations has no light in herself,

but derives it from the Spirit through the witness of the twofold word,

the two olive trees: compare Note, see on

Re 11:1,

which is connected with this, the reed, the Scripture

canon, being the measure of the Church: so

PRIMASIUS [X, p. 314]: the two witnesses preach in

sackcloth, marking the ignominious treatment which the word, like

Christ Himself, receives from the world. So the twenty-four elders

represent the ministers of the two dispensations by the double twelve.

But

Re 11:7

proves that primarily the two Testaments cannot be meant; for these

shall never be "killed," and never "shall have finished their

testimony" till the world is finished.

5. will hurt--Greek, "wishes," or "desires to hurt them."

fire . . . devoureth--(Compare

Jer 5:14; 23:29).

out of their mouth--not literally, but God makes their inspired

denunciations of judgment to come to pass and devour their

enemies.

if any man will hurt them--twice repeated, to mark the

immediate certainty of the accomplishment.

in this manner--so in like manner as he tries to hurt them

(compare

Re 13:10).

Retribution in kind.

6. These . . . power--Greek, "authorized

power."

it rain not--Greek, "huetos brechee," "rain shower

not," literally, "moisten" not (the earth).

smite . . . with all plagues--Greek, "with

(literally, 'in') every plague."

7. finished their testimony--The same verb is used of Paul's

ending his ministry by a violent death.

the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit--Greek,

"the wild beast . . . the abyss." This beast was not

mentioned before, yet he is introduced as "the beast," because

he had already been described by Daniel

(Da 7:3, 11),

and he is fully so in the subsequent part of the Apocalypse, namely,

Re 13:1; 17:8.

Thus, John at once appropriates the Old Testament prophecies; and also,

viewing his whole subject at a glance, mentions as familiar things

(though not yet so to the reader) objects to be described hereafter by

himself. It is a proof of the unity that pervades all Scripture.

make war against them--alluding to

Da 7:21,

where the same is said of the little horn that sprang up among

the ten horns on the fourth beast.

8. dead bodies--So Vulgate, Syriac, and

ANDREAS. But A, B, C, the oldest manuscripts, and

Coptic read the singular, "dead body." The two fallen in one

cause are considered as one.

the great city--eight times in the Revelation elsewhere

used of BABYLON

(Re 14:8;

16:19; 17:18; 18:10, 16, 18, 19, 21).

In

Re 21:10

(English Version as to the new Jerusalem), the oldest

manuscripts omit "the great" before city, so that it forms no

exception. It must, therefore, have an anticipatory reference to the

mystical Babylon.

which--Greek, "the which," namely, "the city

which."

spiritually--in a spiritual sense.

Sodom--The very term applied by

Isa 1:10

to apostate Jerusalem (compare

Eze 16:48).

Egypt--the nation which the Jews' besetting sin was to lean

upon.

where . . . Lord was crucified--This identifies the

city as Jerusalem, though the Lord was crucified outside of the

city. EUSEBIUS mentions that the scene of

Christ's crucifixion was enclosed within the city by Constantine; so it

will be probably at the time of the slaying of the witnesses. "The

beast [for example, Napoleon and France's efforts] has been long

struggling for a footing in Palestine; after his ascent from the

bottomless pit he struggles much more" [BENGEL].

Some one of the Napoleonic dynasty may obtain that footing, and even be

regarded as Messiah by the Jews, in virtue of his restoring them to

their own land; and so may prove to be the last Antichrist. The

difficulty is, how can Jerusalem be called "the great city," that is,

Babylon? By her becoming the world's capital of idolatrous apostasy,

such as Babylon originally was, and then Rome has been; just as she is

here called also "Sodom and Egypt."

also our--A, B, C, ORIGEN,

ANDREAS, and others read, "also their."

Where their Lord, also, as well as they, was slain. Compare

Re 18:24,

where the blood of ALL slain on

earth is said to be found IN BABYLON, just as in

Mt 23:35,

Jesus saith that, "upon the Jews and JERUSALEM"

(Compare

Mt 23:37, 38)

shall "come ALL the righteous blood shed upon

earth"; whence it follows Jerusalem shall be the last capital of the

world apostasy, and so receive the last and worst visitation of all the

judgments ever inflicted on the apostate world, the earnest of which

was given in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. In the wider sense, in

the Church-historical period, the Church being the sanctuary, all

outside of it is the world, the great city, wherein all the martyrdoms

of saints have taken place. Babylon marks its idolatry,

Egypt its tyranny, Sodom its desperate corruption,

Jerusalem its pretensions to sanctity on the ground of spiritual

privileges, while all the while it is the murderer of Christ in the

person of His members. All which is true of Rome. So VITRINGA. But in the more definite sense,

Jerusalem is regarded, even in Hebrews

(Heb 13:12-14),

as the world city which believers were then to go forth from, in order

to "seek one to come."

9. they--rather, "(some) of the peoples."

people--Greek, "peoples."

kindreds--Greek, "tribes"; all save the elect (whence it

is not said, The peoples . . . but [some] of the

peoples . . . , or, some of the peoples

. . . may refer to those of the nations

. . ., who at the time shall hold possession of Palestine

and Jerusalem).

shall see--So Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic. But A,

B, C, and ANDREAS, the present, "see," or rather

(Greek, "blepousin"), "look upon." The prophetic present.

dead bodies--So Vulgate, Syriac, and

ANDREAS. But A, B, C, and Coptic, singular,

as in

Re 11:8,

"dead body." Three and a half days answer to the three and a half years

(see on

Re 11:2, 3),

the half of seven, the full and perfect number.

shall not suffer--so B, Syriac, Coptic, and

ANDREAS. But A, C, and Vulgate read, "do

not suffer."

in graves--so Vulgate and PRIMASIUS.

But B, C, Syriac, Coptic, and ANDREAS,

singular; translate, "into a sepulchre," literally, "a

monument." Accordingly, in righteous retribution in kind, the

flesh of the Antichristian hosts is not buried, but given to all

the fowls in mid-heaven to eat

(Re 19:17, 18, 21).

10. they that dwell upon . . . earth--those who belong

to the earth, as its citizens, not to heaven

(Re 3:10; 8:13; 12:12; 13:8).

shall--so Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic. But A, B,

and C read the present tense; compare Note, see on

Re 11:9,

on "shall not suffer."

rejoice over them--The Antichristianity of the last days shall

probably be under the name of philosophical enlightenment and

civilization, but really man's deification of himself. Fanaticism shall

lead Antichrist's followers to exult in having at last seemingly

silenced in death their Christian rebukers. Like her Lord, the Church

will have her dark passion week followed by the bright resurrection

morn. It is a curious historical coincidence that, at the fifth Lateran

Council, May 5, 1514, no witness (not even the Moravians who were

summoned) testified for the truth, as HUSS and

JEROME did at Constance; an orator ascended the

tribunal before the representatives of papal Christendom, and said,

"There is no reclaimant, no opponent." LUTHER, on

October 31, 1517, exactly three and a half years afterwards, posted up

his famous theses on the church at Wittenberg. The objection is, the

years are years of three hundred sixty-five, not three hundred sixty,

days, and so two and a half days are deficient; but still the

coincidence is curious; and if this prophecy be allowed other

fulfilments, besides the final and literal one under the last

Antichrist, this may reasonably be regarded as one.

send gifts one to another--as was usual at a joyous festival.

tormented them--namely, with the plagues which they had power to

inflict

(Re 11:5, 6);

also, by their testimony against the earthly.

11. Translate as Greek, "After the three days and

an half."

the Spirit of life--the same which breathed life into

Israel's dry bones,

Eze 37:10, 11

(see on

Eze 37:10, 11),

"Breath came into them." The passage here, as there, is closely

connected with Israel's restoration as a nation to political and

religious life. Compare also concerning the same,

Ho 6:2,

where Ephraim says, "After two days will He revive us; in the third

day He will raise us up, and we shall live in

His sight."

into--so B and Vulgate. But A reads (Greek, "en

autois"), "(so as to be) IN them."

stood upon their feet--the very words in

Eze 37:10,

which proves the allusion to be to Israel's resurrection, in

contrast to "the times of the Gentiles" wherein these "tread under foot

the holy city."

great fear--such as fell on the soldiers guarding Christ's tomb

at His resurrection

(Mt 28:4),

when also there was a great earthquake

(Re 11:2).

saw--Greek, "beheld."

12. they--so A, C, and Vulgate. But B, Coptic,

Syriac, and ANDREAS read, "I heard."

a cloud--Greek, "the cloud"; which may be merely the

generic expression for what we are familiar with, as we say "the

clouds." But I prefer taking the article as definitely alluding to

THE cloud which received Jesus at His ascension,

Ac 1:9

(where there is no article, as there is no allusion to a previous

cloud, such as there is here). As they resembled Him in their three and

a half years' witnessing, their three and a half days lying in death

(though not for exactly the same time, nor put in a tomb as He was), so

also in their ascension is the translation and transfiguration of the

sealed of Israel

(Re 7:1-8),

and the elect of all nations, caught up out of the reach of the

Antichristian foe. In

Re 14:14-16,

He is represented as sitting on a white cloud.

their enemies beheld them--and were thus openly convicted by God

for their unbelief and persecution of His servants; unlike Elijah's

ascension formerly, in the sight of friends only. The Church caught up

to meet the Lord in the air, and transfigured in body, is justified by

her Lord before the world, even as the man-child (Jesus) was "caught up

unto God and His throne" from before the dragon standing ready to

devour the woman's child as soon as born.

13. "In that same hour"; literally, "the hour."

great earthquake--answering to the "great earthquake" under the

sixth seal, just at the approach of the Lord

(Re 6:12).

Christ was delivered unto His enemies on the fifth day of the week, and

on the sixth was crucified, and on the sabbath rested; so it is

under the sixth seal and sixth trumpet that the last suffering of the

Church, begun under the fifth seal and trumpet, is to be consummated,

before she enters on her seventh day of eternal sabbath. Six is

the number of the world power's greatest triumph, but at the same time

verges on seven, the divine number, when its utter destruction

takes place. Compare "666" in

Re 13:18,

"the number of the beast."

tenth part of the city fell--that is, of "the great city"

(Re 16:19;

Zec 14:2).

Ten is the number of the world kingdoms

(Re 17:10-12),

and the beast's horns

(Re 13:1),

and the dragon's

(Re 12:3).

Thus, in the Church-historical view, it is hereby implied that one of

the ten apostate world kingdoms fall. But in the narrower view a tenth

of Jerusalem under Antichrist falls. The nine-tenths remain and become

when purified the center of Christ's earthly kingdom.

of men--Greek, "names of men." The men are as accurately

enumerated as if their names were given.

seven thousand--ELLIOTT interprets seven

chiliads or provinces, that is, the seven Dutch United Provinces

lost to the papacy; and "names of men," titles of dignity, duchies,

lordships, &c. Rather, seven thousand combine the two mystical

perfect and comprehensive numbers seven and thousand,

implying the full and complete destruction of the impenitent.

the remnant--consisting of the Israelite inhabitants not slain.

Their conversion forms a blessed contrast to

Re 16:9;

and above,

Re 9:20, 21.

These repenting

(Zec 12:10-14; 13:1),

become in the flesh the loyal subjects of Christ reigning over

the earth with His transfigured saints.

gave glory to the God of heaven--which while apostates, and

worshipping the beast's image, they had not done.

God of heaven--The apostates of the last days, in pretended

scientific enlightenment, recognize no heavenly power, but only

the natural forces in the earth which come under their observation. His

receiving up into heaven the two witnesses who had power

during their time on earth to shut heaven from raining

(Re 11:6),

constrained His and their enemies who witnessed it, to acknowledge

the God of heaven, to be God of the earth

(Re 11:4).

As in

Re 11:4

He declared Himself to be God of the earth by His two witnesses,

so now He proves Himself to be God of heaven also.

14. The second woe--that under the sixth trumpet

(Re 9:12-21),

including also the prophecy,

Re 11:1-13:

Woe to the world, joy to the faithful, as their redemption draweth

nigh.

the third woe cometh quickly--It is not mentioned in detail for

the present, until first there is given a sketch of the history of the

origination, suffering, and faithfulness of the Church in a time of

apostasy and persecution. Instead of the third woe being detailed, the

grand consummation is summarily noticed, the thanksgiving of the

twenty-four elders in heaven for the establishment of Christ's

kingdom on earth, attended with the destruction of the

destroyers of the earth.

15. sounded--with his trumpet. Evidently "the

LAST trumpet." Six is close to

seven, but does not reach it. The world judgments are complete

in six, but by the fulfilment of seven the world kingdoms

become Christ's. Six is the number of the world given over to

judgment. It is half of twelve, the Church's number, as three

and a half is half of seven, the divine number for completeness.

BENGEL thinks the angel here to have been

Gabriel, which name is compounded of El, GOD, and Geber, MIGHTY MAN

(Re 10:1).

Gabriel therefore appropriately announced to Mary the advent of the

mighty God-man: compare the account of the man-child's

birth which follows

(Re 12:1-6),

to which this forms the transition though the seventh trumpet in time

is subsequent, being the consummation of the historical episode, the

twelfth and thirteen chapters. The seventh trumpet, like the seventh

seal and seventh vial, being the consummation, is accompanied

differently from the preceding six: not the consequences which follow

on earth, but those IN HEAVEN, are set before us,

the great voices and thanksgiving of the twenty-four elders in

heaven, as the half-hour's silence in heaven at the seventh seal,

and the voice out of the temple in heaven, "It is done,"

at the seventh vial. This is parallel to

Da 2:44,

"The God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall

never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people,

but it shall break to pieces all these kingdoms, and it shall

stand for ever." It is the setting up of Heaven's sovereignty

over the earth visibly, which, when invisibly exercised, was rejected

spiritual shall then cease. There will be no beast in opposition to the

woman. Poetry, art, science, and social life will be at once worldly

and Christian.

kingdoms--A, B, C, and Vulgate read the singular, "The

kingdom (sovereignty) of (over) the world is our Lord's

and His Christ's." There is no good authority for English

Version reading. The kingdoms of the world give way to

the kingdom of (over) the world exercised by Christ. The

earth-kingdoms are many: His shall be one. The appellation

"Christ," the Anointed, is here, where His kingdom is

mentioned appropriately for the first time used in Revelation. For it

is equivalent to KING. Though priests and prophets

also were anointed, yet this term is peculiarly applied to Him

as King, insomuch that "the Lord's anointed" is His title as

KING, in places where He is distinguished from the

priests. The glorified Son of man shall rule mankind by His

transfigured Church in heaven, and by His people Israel on earth:

Israel shall be the priestly mediator of blessings to the whole world,

realizing them first.

he--not emphatic in the Greek.

shall reign for ever and ever--Greek, "unto the ages of

the ages." Here begins the millennial reign, the consummation of "the

mystery of God"

(Re 10:7).

16. before God--B and Syriac read, "before the throne

of God." But A, C, Vulgate, and Coptic read as

English Version.

seats--Greek, "thrones."

17. thanks--for the answer to our prayers

(Re 6:10, 11)

in destroying them which destroy the earth

(Re 11:18),

thereby preparing the way for setting up the kingdom of Thyself and Thy

saints.

and art to come--omitted in A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac,

CYPRIAN, and ANDREAS. The

consummation having actually come, they do not address Him as they did

when it was still future, "Thou that art to come." Compare

Re 11:18,

"is come." From the sounding of the seventh trumpet He is to His people

JAH, the ever present Lord,

WHO IS, more peculiarly than

JEHOVAH "who is, was, and is to come."

taken to thee thy great power--"to Thee" is not in the

Greek. Christ takes to Him the kingdom as His own of

right.

18. the nations were angry--alluding to

Ps 99:1,

Septuagint, "The Lord is become King: let the peoples become

angry." Their anger

is combined with alarm

(Ex 15:14;

2Ki 19:28,

"thy rage against Me is come up into Mine ears, I will put My

hook in thy nose," &c.). Translate, as the Greek is the same.

"The nations were angered, and Thy anger is come." How

petty man's impotent anger, standing here side by side with that

of the omnipotent God!

dead . . . be judged--proving that this seventh

trumpet is at the end of all things, when the judgment on Christ's foes

and the reward of His saints, long prayed for by His saints, shall take

place.

the prophets--as, for instance, the two prophesying

witnesses

(Re 11:3),

and those who have showed them kindness for Christ's sake. Jesus shall

come to effect by His presence that which we have looked for long, but

vainly, in His absence, and by other means.

destroy them which destroy the earth--Retribution in kind

(compare

Re 16:6;

Lu 19:27).

See on

Da 7:14-18.

19. A similar solemn conclusion to that of the seventh seal,

Re 8:5,

and to that of the seventh vial,

Re 16:18.

Thus, it appears, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven

vials, are not consecutive, but parallel, and ending in the same

consummation. They present the unfolding of God's plans for bringing

about the grand end under three different aspects, mutually

complementing each other.

the temple--the sanctuary or Holy place (Greek,

"naos"), not the whole temple (Greek,

"hieron").

opened in heaven--A and C read the article, "the temple of God

"which is" in heaven, was opened."

the ark of his testament--or ". . . His

covenant." As in the first verse the earthly sanctuary was

measured, so here its heavenly antitype is laid open, and the

antitype above to the ark of the covenant in the Holiest Place

below is seen, the pledge of God's faithfulness to His covenant in

saving His people and punishing their and His enemies. Thus this forms

a fit close to the series of trumpet judgments and an introduction to

the episode (the twelfth and thirteen chapters) as to His faithfulness

to His Church. Here first His secret place, the heavenly sanctuary, is

opened for the assurance of His people; and thence proceed His

judgments in their behalf

(Re 14:15, 17; 15:5; 16:17),

which the great company in heaven laud as "true and righteous." This

then is parallel to the scene at the heavenly altar, at the close of

the seals and opening of the trumpets

(Re 8:3),

and at the close of the episode (the twelfth through fifteenth

chapters) and opening of the vials

(Re 15:7, 8).

See on

Re 12:1,

note at the opening of the chapter.