Interpreting Revelation 11

War with the beast

Revelation 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.

This is the world's war against the Bible and the Spirit of God; there are several ways that this war is waged. In some countries direct persecution eliminates Christian faith.

In others the state controls religion.

Critical scholarship has destroyed the credibility of the scriptures in the minds of many. False doctrines have also discredited the truth of scripture.

The dead bodies in the street

The two witnesses are the scriptures, and the Spirit of God. Moses and Elijah are symbols, Moses representing the scriptures, Elijah the Spirit. The world (represented by the beast from the bottomless pit) makes war against them and kills them. The scriptures have been discredited by the critical scholars of the world, and flawed interpretations, and commercial interests, and "killed". People rejoice over this. They are glad because the two witnesses torment those who dwell on the earth, when they are convicted of sin.

Revelation 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.

What is the great city? Not Jerusalem, as Jesus was crucified "without the gate." [Hebrews 13:12] The "spiritual" name of the city is Sodom or Egypt, both places from where God's people escaped. This suggests John refers to mystical Babylon, or the world. And Bibles are present, in courts, and libraries, and motels, and are studied in many schools, etc. So they are widely available. Its message has been ridiculed, and discredited, in books, newsgroups, and on TV for example.

Revelation 11:9-10
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.
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.

Isn't this describing the present status of the scriptures and the Spirit? Bibles are still studied and discussed in public. They are published and sold in huge numbers, argued about in newsgroups, and they are still used for taking oaths in court. They are like corpses left unburied in the street! But they have been killed, by the beast from the bottomless pit. Critical scholarship kills the scriptures. It attempts to discredit them, and it denies prophecy.

Here is an explanation of the death of the two witnesses and their corpses left lying in the street, from James Burton Coffman's Commentary on the prophecy in Revelation 11.

What is indicated is the attractiveness and acceptability of the witness of the "dead" churches.

"Here is pictured the church accommodating herself to the ways of the world, proclaiming no unpleasant doctrine, demanding no painful sacrifices, and with the world hailing with satisfaction the prospect of an easy yoke and the cheap purchase of both time and eternity." F60

Only this kind of a dead corpse would be allowed indefinitely a favored location on Broadway. Preachers and commentators indicating by every word they write or speak that they do not believe the Bible to be God's word at all have indeed "killed it" of any significance for those who are deceived by them; but do they "bury it" or even allow it to be buried? Certainly not. They continue to devote their lives to writing and talking about it.

"How great is the delusion of the church, when her silver is turned to dross, her wine to water, and when her voice no longer torments them that dwell upon the earth." F61

Many excellent examples of this phenomenon are visible in those scholarly enemies of the New Testament who deny, absolutely, that it is an inspired, divine revelation from God, but who nevertheless devote their whole lives to writing and lecturing about it.

The two quotations that are included here, F60 and F61, are from: Charles H. Roberson, Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas: P. D. Wilmeth, P.O. Box 3305, 1957), p. 74 & 75.

But these two witnesses revive, and stand on their feet.

Jesus promised, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled!

Below are comments by Charles D. Alexander in his Revelation Spiritually Understood, on the reviving of the two witnesses.

The spirit of life from God entering into the fallen witnesses so that they stand upon their feet once more to the terror of those who had been rejoicing in their death, has an obvious connection with the prophecy of Ezekiel 37 - the resurrection of the dry bones of the house of Israel after the Babylonian captivity: "Come from the four winds O breath, and breathe upon these slain that they may live ..." The word used for "breath" here is the same as for Spirit in Genesis 1:2, "The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters ...."

As Ezekiel prophesied "the breath came into them and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army". (chap. 37:10) Compare the words in verse 11 of our chapter in Revelation, "the spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood upon their feet."

As the OT church was given into the hand of the Babylon foe till God's time of deliverance came, so in the history of the Christian Church, the power of this world is often permitted for a season to appear to triumph over the church of Christ, until in the pleasure of God the church is revived and stands upon its feet once more. The same expression, "the Spirit of life" is used by Paul in Romans 8:2 - "The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."

In short we have here the resuscitation of the gospel testimony in the world after it has been apparently extinguished.

The ascending to heaven in a cloud is symbolic of the elevation of the Lord's people and their testimony above the power of this world, and is an emblem of the final triumph of the kingdom of Christ at the end of time when the redeemed church is completed, and exalted with Christ to the eternal throne.

See Revelation 4:1. The voice "Come up hither", is the voice of Christ. The church and her witnesses will "ascend to heaven in a cloud" and their enemies will behold them - seated in glory around the throne, clothed in white raiment and palms in their hands, singing the new song of eternal redemption accomplished. "And there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." The tables are turned and the world's verdict upon Christ's people is reversed. The "ascending to heaven in a cloud" is similar to the ascension of the LORD.

The church needs to acknowledge its spiritually "dead" condition. It is certainly "scattered," as Daniel described in Daniel 12:7: "when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished." Tens of thousands of denominations have fulfilled this.

Prophecy fulfilled, and understood, vindicates the scriptures, and the Spirit of God.

The 1,260 days

The 1,260 days of the ministry of the two witnesses spans the entire church age, from the first century to now. It is the same as the "time, times, and a half," when the saints are dominated by the "little horn," with "eyes like the eyes of a man," or a human viewpoint. [Daniel 7:25]

It is the period when the saints are scattered. [Daniel 12:7]

It is the time when the holy city is trodden under foot by Gentiles, Revelation 11:2. This holy city is the church. This implies the saints are the "temple" and the true Israel.

It is the time when the church flees to the wilderness where she is nourished. [Revelation 12:6, 14]

It is the last half of the 70th week, the period when Christ confirms his covenant with his church [Daniel 9:26-27]