Revelation 11 - Old & New Testament Restoration Commentary - Bible Commentaries

Verses 1-2

Rev 11:1-2

2. THE MEASURING THE TEMPLE,

ALTAR, AND WORSHIP COMMANDED

Revelation 11:1-2

1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and one said, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.--In the preceding chapter the symbolic scenes were transferred from heaven to earth. This vision is also upon the earth. As John himself became a part of the vision of the little book, so he is a part of this vision. There appear before him the temple, altar, and worshipers with instruction to measure the three. While the old temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed for more than a quarter of a century, yet there was no more forceful way for John to understand the lessons than through that picture. Jewish minds had been accustomed for centuries to the temple system of worshiping God. Besides, before its destruction it had been used as a type of the church. (1 Corinthians 3:16.) Even the tabernacle. which preceded the temple was definitely made, in its two parts, to represent the church and heaven. (Hebrews 9:1-9; Hebrews 9:24.) John’s being told to measure the temple, altar, and worshipers in the symbol meant that when the time arrived that this vision applied the church, the worship, and worshipers were to be measured. Once more we have in this text an example of a symbolic passage which contains both figurative and literal expressions. The words temple and altar are figurative; the word worshipers is literal. Measurements to be correct and valuable must be made by standard and accurate implements. In this case John was given a reed like a rod, something both accurate and convenient. Note that it was given him, not something he made; it must have been given by the angel, not by men. Since the purpose of measuring, according to verse 2, was to determine what was approved or acceptable to God, then the measuring instrument had to be of divine make. This was nothing else than the New Testament teaching that already had been given by the apostles. As it was perfect (2 Timothy 3:16-17), nothing else was allowed as a standard (Galatians 1:8-9).

2 And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations --Since the word Gentiles means "nations," there is no difference between the King James and the Revised in meaning. The Gentiles could enter the outer court of the Jewish temple, but not the temple itself. In fact, only consecrated priests could enter that building. The altar referred to is the golden altar of incense inside the holy place of the temple. The Jewish priests were typical of Christians. (1 Peter 2:5.) As John in the symbol was told to measure the worshipers (priests) so in the thing represented only those professing to worship God were to be measured. The reason for this is that at the time the measuring was to be done the religious world was in a hopeless state of apostasy. The purpose of applying God’s word to such false religions was twofold first, to show that they were false; second, to show honest souls how to worship God in spirit and in truth. It was unnecessary to measure the irreligious; if they wanted to be saved, the law was in God’s word already. But false teaching needed to be measured to show it a perversion of divine truth.

and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.--The material temple was in Jerusalem, the Jewish capital, and was considered a holy city. Like the temple, it is also a type of the church. (Galatians 4:26; Hebrews 12:22.) The final state which we call heaven is referred to as the "holy city, new Jerusalem." (21:2.) The words could not mean literal Jerusalem, for that has been "trodden down" by Gentiles practically all the time since it was taken by the Romans in A.D. 70 till the present, which is more than 1,260 years. To be trodden under foot would be fulfilled when Gentiles would corrupt and devastate the church. This had already been done when the measuring of the temple began with the Reformation. How long the church had thus been corrupted by worldly influences is stated here to have been "forty and two months." If taken literally, it would be three and one-half years or 1,260 days. This would be entirely too short a time to correspond with the period when the church was corrupted by worldly and human devices. With the yearday theory the time was 1,260 years. This is substantially the length of time that Roman Catholicism ruled with absolute authority, and therefore the time that religious corruptioncompletely permeated church life.

It would not affect the argument if the exact date when the period began and ended could not be ascertained; the facts would still be true. The period evidently refers to the time during which the church was completely under the domination of the papacy; or, from the time the bishop of Rome became head of the church (pope) till his power was broken by the Reformation.

Commentary on Revelation 11:1-2 by Foy E. Wallace

The measuring of the temple—Revelation 11:1-2.

The contents of the eleventh chapter are a continuation of the scenes of the interlude, or intermediate visions, between the sixth and seventh trumpet announcements. The things narrated belong to the days of the voice of the seventh angel--the end of the Jewish state or political dispensation. The siege and fall of Jerusalem was at hand.

The pronouncement of chapter 10 that there should be time no longer had been made. The eleventh chapter presents intervening scenes of measuring the temple, for the preservation of the “holy seed,” the “true Israel,” the “one hundred forty-four thousand,” the “innumerable host,” the “remnant according to the election of grace,” and the “sealed number”--representative of all spiritual Israel, the whole faithful church, and the true spiritual temple in contrast with the old temple which though still standing, was measured for destruction. The old Jerusalem, the apostate city, was marked for its downfall.

1. A reed like a rod: The indication is that this reed was given to John in the same manner and, hence, by the same One by whom the book was given to him in chapter 10:9. And the angel that commanded him to measure the temple is the same angel that commanded him to eat the book. The use of the article the angel, rather than an angel, or another angel, designates the angel as Christ himself, as shown in the notes on the preceding chapter.

The reed was like a rod. The measuring reed was six cubits, about three yards in length. This measuring reed was like a rod, signifying the authority of its giver, the angel. In the psalm-prophecy of Christ, David said: “I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion . . . I will declare the decree . . . thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee . . . I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron.” (Psalms 2:6-9) Again the psalmist said: “Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion.” (Psalms 110:1-2) Both of these psalms are applied in the New Testament to the rule and authority of Christ. In that same sense it is used in chapter 2:27, “He shall rule them with a rod of iron"-- the rule of irresistible authority.

The rod was also the symbol of affliction, as signified in the phrase “passing under the rod” of Ezekiel 20:37, and “take his rod away from me,” of Job 9:34.

This measuring reed given to John symbolized the authority of this “mighty angel” (Revelation 10:1), and his power to protect and preserve the true believers.

2. Measure, temple, altar, worship: At the start of the interval between the sixth and seventh seals, the angel announced the purpose of the interlude (Revelation 7:3) as time to seal the servants of God; and in verse 4 he described and defined the number of them which were sealed as being symbolically of all the tribes of the children of Israel. In the same imagery here, in the interval between the sixth and seventh trumpets, the command of the angel to measure the temple, the altar and them that worship is symbolic of the true Israel of God. They were measured for preservation, the holy seed of Israel, spiritual Israel, that should not perish. The measured number here in chapter 11 is the same company of believers as the sealed number of chapter 7. They are the symbolic one hundred forty-four thousand of all the tribes of Israel--of Revelation 7:4 --computed on the basis of twelve times twelve for the twelve tribes, and in the numeral thousand for a symbol of the aggregated whole, complete, total body of true believers, of the spiritual tribes of Israel. (Acts 26:7)

The symbolism of the measuring of the temple is exactly the same, the sealed servants of chapter 7 and the measured worshipers of chapter 11 are the same company, symbolic of the same thing, sealed and measured for the same purpose.

Commentary on Revelation 11:1-2 by Walter Scott

THE TEMPLE AND JERUSALEM.

Revelation 11:1-2. — “And there was given unto me a reed like a staff, saying, Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship in it.And the court which (is) without the temple cast out, and measure it not; because it has been given (up) to the nations, and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty-two months.” “A reed like a staff.” The reed was a measuring instrument, (In Ezekiel 40:3 the measuring rod is applied to the temple; then the city itself is measured (Zechariah 1:16). These both, i.e., temple and city, are for God’s appropriation in millennial times. There seems two distinct thoughts connected with measuring. First, set apart for God, as in the foregoing passages; second, devoted to destruction by God, as Moab (2 Samuel 8:2), Jerusalem (Lamentations 2:8), Israe1 (Amos 7:8; Amos 7:9; Amos 7:17 ).) and is frequently mentioned by the prophets of old. The temple,altar, and worshippers measured by the Seer intimate their appropriation, preservation, and acceptance by God. An angel with a golden reed measures the glorified Church (Revelation 21:15). The Seer with a wooden reed does a like office for the temple. “Like a staff,” or firm rod, signifies the strength, stability, and firmness of the emblematic action referred to.

“Rise and measure.” The Seer had been a passive yet deeply interested spectator of the scenes witnessed under the previous Trumpets, but now that Israel, his own nation, is in question he is commanded to “rise.” He is roused into activity by the divine mandate. It is more than a mere question of posture.

The temple, the altar, the worshippers, all are measured. Christian worship comes in between the suspension of Jewish worship in the past and its resumption in the future. Christians have no place of worship on earth; they enter no earthly temple. The holiest in the sanctuary above is their one and only place of worship (John 4:21; John 4:23; John 4:24; Hebrews 10:19-22); their sacrifices are praise to God and practical benevolence to men (Hebrews 13:15-16). But this is very different from Jewish worship both in the past and in the future. A temple and altar are essential to Jewish worship. While for the force of the figure it is not essential to suppose the existence of a material temple then in Jerusalem, yet prophecy demands the erection of a stone temple, and the reconstruction of the Jewish polity, both secular and religious, during that deeply solemn period between the Translation (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) and the Appearing (Judges 1:14-15).

The Jews as a nation are restored in unbelief both on their part and on that of the friendly nation who espouse their cause (Isaiah 18:1-7). They then proceed to build their temple, (The following are the material temples referred to in the Word of God: Solomon’s (1 Kings 7:1-51), destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, 588 B. C. Zerubbabel’s (Ezra 3:1-13; Ezra 6:1-22)pillaged and dedicated to the heathen god Jupiter by Antiochus Epiphanes, 168 and 170 B.C. Herod’s (John 2:20), reconstructed and almost rebuilt in a style of surpassing magnificence, commenced in the year 17 B.C. Antichrist’s (2 Thessalonians 2:4).to be built by restored Judah. Christ’s millennial temple (Ezekiel 40:1-49), entirely new, grand and capacious. In all, five temples. The Church (1 Corinthians 3:16) and the bodies of believers (1 Corinthians 6:19) are each spoken of as the temple of God. Jerusalem is the only city on earth where a temple of stone is divinely sanctioned. The force of the word “temple” in Revelation 7:15 is that a vast crowd of worshipping Gentiles are recognized; probably these may pray and worship in the literal millennial temple then “a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isaiah 56:7).) and restore, so far as they can, the Mosaic ritual. God is not in this Gentile movement for Jewish restoration, which is undertaken for political ends and purposes. But amidst the rank unbelief of these times there shall be, as ever, a true, godly remnant, and it is this remnant which is here divinely recognized. Gentile oppression and Jewish national apostasy but bring into bold relief the faithful and consequently suffering witnesses of that day, the closing hours of the unbelieving nation’s history. “The temple of God” is so termed, because He owns and accepts the true worshippers found therein. The altar refers to the brazen altar which stood in the court of old. It signifies the acceptance of those who in faith draw nigh to it, of course, as ever, on the righteous and holy ground of sacrifice. As to the moral value of the terms the “temple” would express the worship, and the “altar” the acceptance of the godly remnant of Israel. The unmeasured and rejected court given over to the Gentiles signifies the apostate part of the people, the mass in outward religious profession abandoned by God to the nations, who will wreak their vengeance on the guilty people, spite of the promised assistance of the Beast (Isaiah 28:17-22). The “Court” signifies Judaism in alliance with the Gentiles, and that in its most corrupt and apostate character.

JERUSALEM TRODDEN DOWN.

Revelation 11:2. — “The holy city shall they tread under foot forty-two months.” Jerusalem is here as elsewhere spoken of in its sacred character as “the holy city” (see Nehemiah 11:1; Nehemiah 11:18; Isaiah 52:1; Daniel 9:24, etc.). She is to be trodden under foot for an exactly defined period, forty-two months. This denomination of time is elsewhere spoken of as 1260 days (Revelation 11:3; Revelation 12:6), a time, times, and half a time (Revelation 12:14), It is also referred to in Daniel 9:27 in the expression, “The midst of the week.” Now these periods refer to the last half-week of seven years of Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27). (See separate article. “The Celebrated Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks.”)

The forty-two months during which Jerusalem is trodden down, trampled upon by the Gentiles, are months of thirty days each, thus corresponding to the 1260 days of sackcloth testimony borne by the two witnesses or prophets. Jerusalem’s coming hour of agony is limited to forty-two months. She will have to drink the cup of the Lord’s fury, and drink it for 1260 days. The Gentiles will tread down the people as mire in the streets (Isaiah 10:6, etc.). Even those nations which at first politically befriended the Jew will turn round and glut their vengeance on the restored nation. “They,” Judah restored by Gentile intervention, “shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them” (Isaiah 18:6). Thus the Gentile enemies of Israelare let loose upon the people of Jehovah’s choice, then in open idolatry and apostate from God and truth (Matthew 12:43-45). “The last state of that man (Judah) is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation” (v. 45).

Commentary on Revelation 11:1-2 by E.M. Zerr

Revelation 11:1. The reed given unto John was a measuring rule and is a symbol of the word of God. This is clear from the fact that the angel gave it to John who was one of the apostles. We know the word of God is the divine standard for it is required in 1 Peter 4:11 that, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." At the time predicted by this chapter the apostasy ("falling away") was an established fact. The Bible was virtually taken from the people and the religious lives of men and women were judged by the decrees of Rome instead of by the word of God. This verse is a symbol of the true standard of the measurement as the apostles were given the authority to execute (Matthew 19:28). The temple of God means the church (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). The altar was the center of worship in the Mosaic system, and it is referred to here as a symbol of the worship under that of Christ. The in that worship therein means Christians, whose personal lives must be measured (regulated) by the word of God and not by the decrees of Rome.

Revelation 11:2. The court in the old temple was the part that was open to the people generally. It is referred to in our passage as a symbol of the treatment that was imposed upon the institution of God by its enemies. Under the Mosaic system the temple was under the jurisdiction of the Jews, and that is why those on the outside were called Centiles. But in the fulfillment of the symbol the word refers to the enemies of the true church, namely, the leaders in the church of Rome. It must be borne in mind that all through this part of the book of Revelation, when reference is made either to Rome, or Babylon, or church and state, the same institution is always meant (if no exception is stated). That is because it was by the union of church and state that such a complete control was obtained over all the lives of the people. That is what is meant by the prediction that they were to tread under foot these arrangements of God. It is important to note that they did not tread under foot the temple nor the altar. That is because all through the Dark Ages there was a true church in existence in spite of the corruptions of Rome, although it was obscured more or less from the full public view. Forty and two months. This is the first time this unit of time has appeared in this book, but it will reappear• many times under various figures. It refers to the period of the apostasy or Dark Ages as it is familiarly termed by the teachers in the brotherhood. In literal terms it means 1260 years and the various forms in which it is stated will all sum up to that figure by observing the rule in prophetic language that the month has 30 days. The exact number of years that requires the 60 is reached by the dates on which the full rule of Rome began and ended. Some of the details of that subject are not available to me at present, but we may be sure that the figure is correct from the fact that each of the various forms in which it is stated brings out the same 1260. And as to the correctness of the calculation we have historical verification of the round number in the words of Edward Gibbon, author• of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. He was an infidel and would have no motive for verifying the word of God, but lie was an authentic historian whose ability and accuracy were unquestioned and I shall quote from him as follows: "In the long period of twelve hundred years, which elapsed between the reign of Constantine and the reformation of Luther, the worship of saints and relics corrupted the pure and perfect simplicity of the Christian model; and some symptoms of degeneracy may be observed even in the first generation which adopted and cherished this pernicious innovation."--Volume 2, Chapter 28, Page 615. The forty and two months of our verse gives us the 1260 by multiplying forty-two by thirty.

Commentary on Revelation 11:1-2 by Burton Coffman

Revelation 11:1

The first section of this chapter (Revelation 11:1-13) concludes the sixth trumpet with its vision of the fortunes of the church right up to the end and through the final judgment itself. The seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:14-19) describes the eternal state but gives no details concerning events in it. Several references to the actual judgment itself are retrospective, referring to an event which is past already. This seventh trumpet resembles the seventh seal in its silence regarding actual events after the judgment.

This chapter is a vision, and practically nothing in it is to be taken literally; the great realities discussed are presented under a number of symbols, some of which may not be crucial to the meaning, but are inert, like some of the details in the parables of Jesus. Morris called this chapter "extraordinarily difficult to interpret,"^[1] and none could disagree with that. As Alford cautioned, "Much of this mysterious book is as yet unfathomed."^[2] Despite this, however, we offer the following interpretation as a sincere understanding of what the text says. Here are some of the symbols and the meanings which we believe to be conveyed by them:

The reed like unto a rod = The Word of God

The measuring = The sealing of the saints

The temple, altar, etc. = The church of God

The forty and two months = This whole dispensation

The two witnesses = The Word of God and the Word-indwelt Church

The beast out of the abyss = Satan

The slaying of the witnesses = The world’s rejection of their testimony

Resurrection of witnesses = Resurgence of truth

The unburied bodies = "Operations" of dead churches

The calling of the witnesses = The resurrection and final to heaven judgment.

Other symbols will be interpreted as they appear in the chapter. The comments of others will also be presented in connection with the meanings which we have ascribed to these symbols.

Regarding the various systems of interpretation, as applied to this chapter, a glance at some of these will show how diverse are the views of it that appear in current writings.

The literalists take if for just what it says; and, of course, all of us should try to do that. The trouble is that figurative language cannot be understood literally; and no one familiar with the Bible can deny that a great deal of it is written in figurative language, every known figure of speech being freely employed.

Dusterdieck and others think this chapter refers literally to the Jewish temple and the earthly Jerusalem; but, if so, the Apocalypse stands self-condemned as a prediction falsified (by the contradiction of events) within a year or so of its having been written.^[3]

The futurists get rid of all such difficulties by referring the whole prophecy to the remote future, supposing that by then Jerusalem and the temple shall have been completely rebuild as of old, and then, at that far-off future time, the events of this chapter will literally occur. They identify the beast as Antichrist.

The historicists, among whom is the noted Albert Barnes, identify the witnesses as "persecuted sects of the Middle Ages, and the beast as the Papacy."^[4] There is an element of truth in this, because the apostasy foretold in Revelation, and the persecutions that were to accompany it, did have a fulfillment in such events, but not the fulfillment.

The preterists think that practically everything in Revelation had its fulfillment in the first generation or so after it was written, and that nothing in it reaches any further than "the first two or three centuries after it was written."^[5] Some of this group of interpreters find in the "two witnesses" who were slain the martyrdoms of Peter and Paul, supposing that they will yet rise from the dead and preach, as in the vision!

The preterists are correct in seeing a genuine relevance in this prophecy for the first generation that received it; but they are totally wrong in restricting its relevance to the apostolic and sub-apostolic ages.

The futurists in their interpretation lose all relevance whatever in this prophecy to any age except that of a brief period before the final coming of Christ. Thus, these lose all relevance of Revelation for any age except the very last; and the preterists lose all relevance to any age except the very first. Both views are wrong, because God’s word is relevant to all times, periods and conditions. The many prophecies in Revelation are being fulfilled continually. For example, the evil enemies of the New Testament have been "killing it" all of this writer’s lifetime; and they are still "killing it! .... But the word of the Lord endureth for ever." The apostasy was not one final act of the Medieval Church; it is also Jim Jones’ bizarre sect in Guyana in 1978, and a thousand other things. None of this is intended to deny that some fulfillments are so much more extensive and prolonged that they indeed stand typically for all fulfillments.

There has never been a time when this prophecy was not relevant; nor will there ever be. No other understanding of it, it appears to us, could be harmonized with the significant beatitude of Revelation 1:3, "Blessed are they that read ... hear ... and keep the things that are written therein."

And there was given me a reed like unto a rod; and one said, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. (Revelation 11:1)

A reed like unto a rod ... Is this a literal cane some ten or fifteen feet long? How could the worshippers of God be measured by any such stick as this? What does it symbolize? Lenski can hardly be wrong in his comment that:

The reed must then symbolize the word or Gospel in its function of determining who is in the church and who is outside of its bounds.^[6]

When one speaks of the Canon of the New Testament, he is speaking of this "reed like unto a rod." The very word "Canon means rule, or standard,"^[7] in the sense of our ordinary word ruler as the name of a small measuring device. Once the meaning of this "rod" is seen, other meanings in the passage fall into place.

Measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship ... "Temple of God" in this passage is impossible to accept as a reference to the literal Jewish temple in Jerusalem, called by the Son of God himself a "den of thieves and robbers." That an angel of God should have been concerned with having John measure that desolation (Matthew 23:38) is inconceivable. "It scarcely seems possible to doubt that temple here is used figuratively for the faithful portion of the Church of Christ."^[8] In fact, the word here rendered temple is actually sanctuary (ASV margin), "The Greek word [@nous] means the." holy house, where God dwells ... The use of [@nous] here for the thing to be measured makes a literal interpretation of temple impossible."^[9] "For John, the temple is the Christian Church, the people of God."^[10] "This sanctuary symbolizes the true church."^[11]

If any distinction is to be made between the temple and the altar, which is doubtful, it would appear to be that the altar refers to the worship itself, the doctrine and practice of the faithful portion of the church; and the temple refers to the whole body of the church.

The measuring of the "worshippers" would naturally mean the evaluation of their lifestyle, character, and behaviour by the principles taught in the word of God. Thus the corporate body of the church, its doctrine, worship, and teaching, as well as the individual character and conduct of its members would all be included in the measuring. Significantly, there have been pronounced departures from the word of God in all of these categories by the historical church.

What is the purpose of the measuring? In the Old Testament, things were "measured" either for destruction or for preservation; but the identity of what is measured here suggests that "the measuring is a symbolical way of declaring its preservation, not from physical sufferings, but from spiritual danger."^[12] Hendriksen likewise concurred in the judgment that the measuring here means "the setting apart from that which is profane."^[13]

This measuring by the word of God has the same purpose and effect as the sealing of the 144,000 in Revelation 7. The sealing there is done by the Holy Spirit; and the measuring here is by the word, those who are indwelt by the word (Colossians 3:16). The indwelling, whether by the Spirit, or by the word, being exactly the same either way. There is no difference. See my Commentary on Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, pp. 97-99. It is good to note that many scholars have seen this correspondence with the sealing. "This corresponds to the sealing in Revelation 7:1-8."^[14] An important deduction from this is that:

The vision therefore declares that whatever corruptions invade the church, the kernel of the church will never be destroyed; but out of it there will arise those who will be true to the Master’s commission.^[15]

This promise of protection for God’s church, indicated in this vision by the "measuring," was made by the Lord himself in Matthew 28:18-20.

^[1] Leon Morris, Tyndale Commentaries, Vol. 20, The Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 144.

^[2] Henry Alford as quoted by Albertus Pieters, Studies in the Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1954), p. 137.

^[3] A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 288.

^[4] Ralph Earle, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 565.

^[5] Albertus Pieters, op. cit., p. 38.

^[6] R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John’s Revelation (Minneapolis. Minnesota: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943), p. 327.

^[7] Vergilius Ferm, An Encyclopedia of Religion (New York: Philosophical Library, 1943), p. 116.

^[8] A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 288.

^[9] Charles H. Roberson, Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas: P. D. Wilmeth, P.O. Box 3305,1957), p. 69.

^[10] William Barclay, The Revelation of John (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 68.

^[11] William Hendriksen, More than Conquerors (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1956), p. 153.

^[12] Robert H. Mounce, Commentary on the New Testament Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977), p. 219.

^[13] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 152.

^[14] Robert H. Mounce, op. cit., p. 219.

^[15] W. Boyd Carpenter, Ellicott’s Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 584.

Revelation 11:2

And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

Measure not ... the court which is without ... Although associated with the temple, this court was not part of the sanctuary; and, symbolically, the leaving out of this means that there are people who are nominally "Christian," associated in every way with Christianity, but who actually are no part of it. "This represents the unfaithful portion of the church."^[16]

Leave without ... "This means that John was commanded to, "Throw it out; reject it as profane, and to draw no boundary to mark any part of it as sacred."^[17]

For it hath been given unto the nations ... Lenski thought that this should be rendered "unto the heathen";^[18] but we believe John’s use of the same language here that Jesus used in the prophecy of Luke 21:24 is the true key to understanding what is meant by the forty and two months. Jesus said:

And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles (nations), until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled (Luke 21:24).

It could hardly be an accident that so much of the terminology of Jesus’ prophecy appears in John’s words in this verse. We are therefore justified in viewing the "times of the Gentiles" there with the "forty and two months" here, both expressions having the meaning of this entire dispensation.

And the holy city they shall tread under foot ... Just as the Gentile world would tread the literal Jerusalem under foot until "the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled," in like manner would a great host of (so-called) Gentile Christians desecrate the true church by their perversion of Christianity. This would be accomplished by their wholesale invasion of it, "in the form of a false Christianity."^[19] The use of "holy city" here should not mislead us. "In A.D. 30, the once holy city of Jerusalem had already joined Sodom and Egypt as a typical example of all great wicked cities."^[20] Despite this, there is, however, still a holy city, which is the holy church of Jesus Christ.

For forty and two months ... This passage makes the meaning of this expression transparent. It is the same as "the times of the Gentiles" mentioned by Jesus; that is, "the entire period of the Christian dispensation."^[21] The mention of this specific time period reveals that, "There is a limit of the extent to which the Gentiles can do their treading under foot."^[22] The historicists (Barnes) find this to mean that, "On the year-day principle, there is a reference to 1,260 years of Papal supremacy, ending in 1517 A.D."^[23] We do not doubt that the apostasy of the Medieval Church, continuing until the present time, is indeed a significant part of what is here prophesied; but the "modernist" churches of Protestantism are equally also a part of it. Many of them have also rejected the word of the Lord and despised the true head of the church.

There may be another thing symbolized by the time period here, which is the same as 3 1/2 years, the half of the perfect seven. Roberson interpreted this as, "the true expression of the church’s state as half of the required perfection."^[24]

We shall meet with this forty and two months, or its equivalent, in Revelation again and again; but in every case, the same is meant, "The Gospel Age."^[25]

^[16] Frank L. Cox, Revelation in 26 Lessons (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1956), p. 73.

^[17] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 330.

^[18] Ibid.

^[19] Ibid., p. 331.

^[20] G. B. Caird, The Revelation of St. John the Divine (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), p. 132.

^[21] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 73.

^[22] Leon Morris. op. cit., p. 147.

^[23] Ralph Earle, op. cit., p. 563.

^[24] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 70.

^[25] William Hendriksen, op. cit.. p. 154.

Commentary on Revelation 11:1-2 by Manly Luscombe

1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. A reed (bamboo rod) is given to John. He is becoming more active and involved in the vision. He is told to measure the temple. Some have argued for the early date (65 AD) because the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. It is argued that this must have taken place before the destruction of the temple. I answer - 1) John was in exile and Patmos. It does not matter if the temple is still standing in Jerusalem or not. It is not possible for him to literally measure it anyway. 2) It is, I believe, not the temple of the Old Testament structure. The temple here represents the hearts of God’s people. This is not a literal measurement. We, Christians, are the temple of God. God does not dwell in a temple made with hands. He dwells in the hearts of the faithful believers. What does it mean to measure the temple? The measuring rod represents the gospel. It is the way to measure those who are Christians and those who are not. The gospel does the measuring. In judgment we will be held up to the standard of the teachings of the New Testament. (John 12:48)

2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. John is not to measure the outer court. Many pretenders could come here and not be true believers and worshippers of God. The TRUE church is included. The pretenders are excluded. Some teach that the court represents the area of unfaithful church members. They were close to the church, once a part of it, but now abandoned their faithfulness to Christ. The point is that the court will tread the holy city (church, God’s faithful people) under foot. The temple is the dwelling place of God. The holy city is the location of the temple. Therefore, throughout Revelation, these symbols are used to represent the same concept, the church of Jesus Christ. The idea of “treading under foot” shows contempt and lack of regard. If something is of no value it is thrown out and walked on. This is an open display of contempt and disdain. Throughout history, the church has been trampled on. Men have sought to stop, silence, kill, destroy and weaken the gospel message. It happened in the first century and it is happening today.

Sermon on Revelation 11:1-2

Measure The Temple

Brent Kercheville

Revelation 10 revealed that when the seventh trumpet sounded the things spoken by the prophets would be fulfilled. The book of Revelation has shown us partial judgments occurring against a nation for its sins. Chapter 9 revealed the Roman Empire being unleashed by Satan to be the instrument of this destruction. Chapter 10 showed us the angel who took an oath about this disaster saying there would be no more delay. In Daniel 12:7 the angel said that there would be “a time, times, and half a time” before the shattering of the power of the holy people would be complete. Revelation 10 told us that this shattering would be fulfilled when the seventh trumpet sounded.

Measure The Temple (Revelation 11:1)

John is instructed to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. John is given a measuring rod to do this measuring. The image of measuring is used in a number of places in the scriptures. Sometimes the imagery is used of a plumb line as the people are measured against the standard of God’s laws

And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria, and the plumb line of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. (2 Kings 21:13 ESV)

Sometimes the imagery is used to measure those who are righteous.

And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! 2 Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” 3 And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him 4 and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. 5 And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.’” (Zechariah 2:1-5 ESV)

At the end of the book of Revelation we will see the city called New Jerusalem, representing the people of God, being measured.

And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. 16 The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement. (Revelation 21:15-17 ESV)

In Ezekiel 40:3 the prophet Ezekiel sees a vision of a person with a measuring reed in his hand. He is measuring the new temple of God and Ezekiel is to prophesy about the coming glory of the new temple.

The temple in the New Testament represents the true, holy people of God. In Revelation 3:12 we read that those who conquer will be made “a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it.” Paul also repeatedly taught that the people of God are God’s temple.

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV)

What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (2 Corinthians 6:16 ESV)

This is one of the great interpretative failures of those who take a futurist method of interpretations to the book of Revelation. They see the images of the temple in Ezekiel 40-48 and Revelation 11 and declare that a physical temple will have to be rebuilt one day to fulfill these prophecies. They fail to see that what Ezekiel prophesied had found its fulfillment through Christ and being joined to him.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19-21 ESV)

Christ is the cornerstone of this temple. The apostles and prophets are the foundation of the temple. We are being built into the holy temple of the Lord. We should not think that only a small group of Christians see this temple as a spiritual temple to the Lord. Even the Qumran community, those who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls, also spiritualized Ezekiel’s temple. They declare the temple in Jerusalem as an apostate, false temple and considered themselves the true spiritual temple (1QS 5:5-6; 8:4-10; 9:3-6; 11:7ff; CD 3:19-4:6; 4QFlor 1:2-9). They even used measurement imagery to describe the security of this temple (1QH 6:26).

Therefore, we read about the temple of God in Revelation 11:1 we are reading about the true people of God. They are measured for protection from spiritual harm. As we have already seen in the book and will see again later in this chapter, the measuring cannot mean that they will not be killed. The seals have revealed that the servants of God would be killed but their salvation is secure even if they die. The measuring of the worshipers is a guarantee that they are members in the heavenly spiritual temple no matter what happens to them on the earth.

Trample The Holy City (Revelation 11:2)

Notice that John is instructed not to measure the court outside the temple. The reason is that the court outside the temple has been given over to the nations and the nations will trample the holy city for 42 months. If the temple of God is a reference to the servants of God, God’s holy people, then the holy city cannot be spiritualized to also mean the holy people of God. The holy city must be a reference to the physical city of Jerusalem. To be more accurate, the holy city represents the physical nation of Israel. The nation of Israel is coming under God’s judgment but the true people of God (the temple) is spiritually preserved.

This interpretation fits what we have seen in Revelation 9-10. In chapter 9 we saw the locusts, which the scriptures use to represent a world power/nation destroying another nation, being unleashed against a nation. The world power at the time of the writing of the book of Revelation is the Roman Empire. Chapter 10 showed that the angel promised that the power of the holy people would be shattered, referring to the Jewish nation (Daniel 12:1; plainDaniel 12:7). Revelation 10:6-7 shows the angel saying that there would no longer be any delay for this national judgment. Chapter 11 clearly reveals that the city of Jerusalem, symbolizing the nation of Israel is destined for national judgment. Revelation 6:12-17 predicted lights out for the nation. Now we know the nation is the Jewish nation. The Jewish nation will be given over to the Roman Empire for judgment.

The writers of the scriptures also made this distinction between the true people of God and the physical nation of Israel. Paul made this distinction in Galatians 4:21-31. Hagar represents Mount Sinai and physical Jerusalem (Galatians 4:24-25). Sarah represents the Jerusalem from above who are the children of promise (Galatians 4:26; Galatians 4:28). Paul distinguishes the physical nation from the spiritual people of God. The writer of Hebrews makes the same distinction. In Hebrews 12:18-29 the writer contrasts Mount Sinai with Mount Zion. Zion represents the new covenant and heavenly Jerusalem. Mount Sinai represents the old covenant and the physical nation. Notice the writer’s point:

This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. (Hebrews 12:27 ESV)

The physical nation, Mount Sinai and the old covenant, are the things shaken. These things were going to be removed so that the things that cannot be shaken, Mount Zion and the new covenant, the heavenly Jerusalem, can remain.

The trampling of the holy city by the nations occurs in one other place in all the scriptures. Jesus said these words to his disciples.

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22 for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. 23 Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:20-24 ESV)

Notice that Jesus spoke of the same event, the destruction of Jerusalem and the judgment of the physical nation of Israel, in the same terms that is revealed to the apostle John in Revelation 11:2. We must be reading about the same event in Revelation 11:2.

42 Months (Revelation 11:2)

One final thing to consider in our lesson is the time marker. The trampling of the holy city is going to take place for 42 months. It is certainly fascinating that the time of the invasion of the Roman Empire against Judea was approximately three and a half years. But we cannot begin to take some numbers literally and some figuratively simply because we want one number to be literal and another to be figurative. We must keep with our interpretation model given to us in the first three verses in chapter 1. The book was put into symbols and we must take the numbers as symbolic unless something in the text demands otherwise. For example, there are seven actual churches in Asia because each city is named. All other numbers has been symbolic. The same is true concerning the 42 months. This is especially the case because the same time marker is used repeatedly in scriptures to describe different events. We read in Daniel 12 about “a time, times, and half a time” where a time equals one year. Therefore, “a time, times, and half a time” represents three and a half years. We read in Revelation 11:2 about a 42 month time frame. Revelation 11:3 speaks of 1260 days which is also 42 months. Three and a half is half of seven, and seven represents perfection. Notice that when three and half years, 42 months, or 1260 days is declared, it is referring to a time of distress, tribulation, persecution, or destruction.

Notice in Daniel 12:7 that the time, times, and half a time refers to the time of the shattering of the power of the holy people. In Revelation 11:2 the trampling of the holy city is 42 months. In Revelation 13:5 we read about the beast exercising authority for 42 months. Forty-two months, 1260 days, and a time, times, and half a time all represent a limited period of time that will be full of tribulation, distress, and persecution.

Conclusion

We are the temple of the living God. What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16 ESV) Being the temple of the living God means that we must live pure, holy lives. We cannot be in fellowship with sinful things of this world. Being the temple of God means that we are in a relationship with the holy God who is dwelling among us. We are to be his people and we must live up to the calling of being his holy people.

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Verses 3-14

Rev 11:3-14

SECTION SEVEN

SOUNDING OF THE SEVENTH TRUMPET

Revelation 11:15-18

1. THE FACTS STATED

Revelation 11:15-16

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said,--We should not overlook the fact that these words describe what John saw and heard in heaven; they belong to the vision, but they announce some momentous event. Since there were only seven trumpets to sound, and this one was the last, it must indicate the ending of something. In Revelation 10:7 we are told that when the seventh angel "is about to sound, then is finished the mystery of God." This can have no other meaning than that the seventh trumpet sounds the end of time. It is the last trump to sound when the dead shall be raised. (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16.) The preceding verse says the third "Woe cometh quickly." That means that when the events that were to come under the second woe had past, it would be only a short time till the end would come.

The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ:--The King James Version says "kingdoms"; but the Revised uses the singular "kingdom." Commentators agree that the Revised is correct. Unless this verse is properly understood there will be little prospect of rightly understanding much that is to follow in this book. Three questions deserve careful consideration: (1) What is meant by the kingdom becoming God’s? (2) When will it become his? (3) Why is it referred to as the kingdom of both God and Christ? A kingdom in its fullness includes a king, territory, subjects, rule, and law. Sometimes, like other words, by a figure of speech (whole for part) it is used when only one feature is indicated. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, first definition, gives royal power, kingship, dominion, rule as its meaning. Acts 1:6 is given as an example. The Jews had the law of Moses, they were in the territory, they were the subjects; they wanted Jesus to restore the reign or rule, yet they said restore the kingdom. Evidently that is the meaning of the word in the verse we are considering. The sovereign dominion, royal power, will finally come back to the Father. Luke 16:23 and John 19:42 are plain examples of using the whole for a part. "Lazarus" stands for the spirit of Lazarus and "Jesus" means the body of Jesus.

Regarding the second question we should note: God was king over Israel before they demanded a man for a king (1 Samuel 8:4-9.) This kingdom (rule) was taken from the Jews because they killed Christ. (Matthew 21:38-43.) Christ established a kingdom which began after his return to the Father, and Christians were citizens of it. (John 18:36; Colossians 1:13 Revelation 1:5-9.) The kingdom--royal dominion or rule--was to be taken away from the Jews and given to another nation --Christians. This reign since Pentecost has resided in Christ. After the judgment it will be returned to the Father. (1 Corinthians 15:24-26.) At the present time Christ has the legal right over all (1 Peter 3:22), but in the final state he himself will be subject to God. (1 Corinthians 15:27-28.) During the present age Satan has usurped a wicked rule over the world, but this is not legally his and, therefore, has no bearing on the argument that Christ is now a reigning king.

Finally, it may be asked how it can be also called the kingdom "of his Christ," if the dominion will then be turned back to God? We may as well ask how the kingdom now can he called the "kingdom of God," if the dominion belongs to Christ? That it is called both now is evident from many passages. (Matthew 6:33; Matthew 21:43; John 3:3; Matthew 20:21; John 18 36.) In like manner the final kingdom (heaven) is called the "kingdom of Christ and God." (Ephesians 5:5) Revelation 22:1 speaks of "the throne of God and of the Lamb." It is perfectly clear that in the broad general sense whatever is God’s is also Christ’s, but that does not conflict with the fact that Christ is now reigning and will turn that reign back to God at the judgment. That seems the evident meaning of the text in hand.

But if by ally chance the passage should be applied to Christ’s rule before the final judgment, still there is nothing in the words to show that absolute righteousness will prevail. The reason for knowing that such a state will prevail in heaven is the fact that we are told that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 15:20.) The things that lead to sin will not be there, and all dying in sin will not be there. (Revelation 21:8.) Such is not the case while we are on earth. Hence, the only application possible, if the text refers to Christ’s reign on earth, is that it would mean a time when all could or would have a chance to serve him if they desired. This happens to be true now; but, for reasons already given, is not the application of the text. The distinction between all serving Christ and all having the privilege to do so will be fully developed when we discuss the millennium mentioned in chapter 20. Earthly kingdoms will not all be converted and become God’s kingdom a thousand years before the final judgment; for the all-sufficient reason that after the thousand years are finished there will still be "nations" engaged in the great final battle just preceding the final judgment. (Revelation 20:7-11.) This is another reason why "kingdom" in Revelation 11:15 refers to heaven instead of to a period of absolute and universal righteousness on earth preceding the judgment.

and he shall reign for ever and ever.--The expression "our Lord" refers to God, for the additional expression "his Christ" will admit of no other application. The pronoun "he"--singular number--must refer to God or Christ, not to both. For the reasons already given, and the fact that the reign is to be turned back to God at the judgment, it is evident that it refers to God.

saying,--Regarding the twenty-four elders see notes on Revelation 4:4. These words picture what John saw in heaven; they are in the vision and only indicate that when the redemption of man has been accomplished the angelic creatures will ascribe all praise to God.

Commentary on Revelation 11:15-16 by Foy E. Wallace

The seventh trumpet—Revelation 11:15

1. The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven. The interlude was over. The seventh trumpet sounded the finish--the end of the tribulation period. It was the completion of the “mystery of God” which was “according to the good tidings” of the prophets, fulfilled in the fall of Judaism, the triumph of Christianity, the success of gospel, the victory of the church, and the expansion of the kingdom of Christ. The “great voices in heaven” were the combined voices of the vision united as one to proclaim the announcement of the seventh trumpet.

Before this it had been an angel or a voice but now it was all of the voices together in one great voice to announce the end of all events of the vision. The work, which had begun with the prophets (1 Peter 1:10-12) and completed by the apostles, had triumphed over the powers of men, and the kingdoms of this world had become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. The dominion of earthly rule in the kingdoms of men could no longer overpower Christianity-- through their citizens they had become the kingdoms of our Lord (God), and of his Christ. This declaration depicted the conversion of the empire’s citizens--the worldwide expansion of Christianity. It was the fulfillment of the words of Christ in Matthew 24:31 to send his angels with a great sound of trumpet, after the destruction of Jerusalem to gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other. With the fall of Jerusalem came the shaking down of all Jewish opposition to gospel.

Christianity was liberated from the fetters of Judaism and entered upon a worldwide career of leavening the civilizations of world by bringing them under the influence of Christ. Thus the kingdoms or dominions of men became the kingdoms of our Lord (God) and of his Christ. In Ephesians 5:5 the apostle designated it the kingdom of God and Christ, and declared in Colossians 1:13-14 that it was then present. But in the apocalypse, the trumpets, thunders and earthquakes were envisioned as shaking down opposition of all human dominion to give way to the “kingdom which cannot be shaken.” (Hebrews 12:18-28) From the apostle’s vantage point could be viewed the sites of Babylonia, Persia, Grecia and Rome, all of which were shaken, upon the ruins of which was to be firmly planted and forever established the kingdom that remains.

2. “And he shall reign forever and ever.”

The seventh trumpet sounded the full sway of kingdom of Christ over all opposing forces--Jewish and Roman. From henceforth his elect were to be gathered “from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31) and the earth made full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14) It was the joining of prophecy and apocalypse in the delineation of the sway of the kingdom of Christ, fulfilled in the universal sweep of the gospel. And he shall reign forever and ever. In the “kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” God shall reign forever--his dominion over all earthly kingdoms was established in the events resulting in triumph of the cause of his Christ. This reign refers to the everlasting dominion of God, which no human authority, governments or powers can ever dethrone.

The song of triumph—Revelation 11:16-19.

Revelation 11:16 reverts to the worship of the twenty-four elders of chapter 4, in the beginning of vision. They were the enthroned representatives of the Old Testament and the New Testament--of Israel and the church. The visions began and end with them, in the symbols of the complete church of God, which was here seen rejoicing in victory.

Commentary on Revelation 11:15-16 by E.M. Zerr

Revelation 11:15. Kingdoms of the world are not asked to becomepart of the kingdom of Christ. That would be virtually another union of church and state. What happened was a change in the attitude of the earthly kingdoms. Before the Reformation the kings on those thrones could not reign as Christ would have wished them to and as they personally would have been inclined. They had to take their instructions from Rome and rule their subjects as that head dictated. After the delusion was lifted by the insight into the scriptures that was afforded them through the work of the reformers, they learned that they could permit their subjects to regulate their own religious life as they believed Christ wished them to. It is in that sense that the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord. Such a revolution was a woe to the "man of sin" in Rome for it meant the end of his arrogant rule. It is the third woe already predicted and now announced by the sounding of the seventh angel. He shall reign for ever and ever. Christ never ceased to be a king from the time He ascended to his Father’s right hand (1 Peter 3:22), and will continue to be king until the time of His second coming (1 Corinthians 15:24-25). But He was not recognized as king by these earthly rulers while they were under the control of Rome.

Revelation 11:16. These are the four and twenty elders of Revelation 4:4. They rejoiced to see the triumph of Him who was and is the saving virtue of both of the organized systems of religion given into the world by the Lord.

Commentary on Revelation 11:15-16 by Burton Coffman

Revelation 11:15

And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever.

This does not signal the approaching end of the world; that event has already occurred. Only then, or after then, shall it be true that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ. As we were told in Revelation 10:7, "In the days of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then is finished (not shall be finished) the mystery of God. When the seventh angel sounds, it is already finished. On the cross, Jesus bowed his head and said, "It is finished," and this seventh trumpet is the echo of the glorious achievement there. What is finished? It is finished with evil, with Satan, with wicked men, with sin, and with death. "This announcement tells us that the battle of the ages is ended."^[84] "Evil has finally and forever been put down; and good is finally and forever triumphant."^[85] Caird was wrong in seeing here, "a jubilant fanfare proclaiming the enthronement of the King of Kings."^[86] That event occurred at the ascension of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).

And there followed great voices in heaven ... These are the voices of the redeemed of all ages, and including all of the heavenly host. Lenski’s beautiful summary of this is:

Whose great voices are here referred to? They certainly are the voices of all the saints and all the angels in heaven after the day of judgment has brought the world and time to an end. This entire vision is wonderful in majesty and in beauty and is beyond all human and earthly conceptions. Our stammering comment must not dim any of the glory. The great chorus declares the fact in two beautiful poetical lines: The kingship of the world became our Lord’s and his Christ’s; And he shall reign for the eons of the eons.^[87]

The kingdom of the world is become ... Lenski translated the verb here "became" because it refers to an event already past in the vision. It happened in Revelation 11:1-13.

Those are undoubtedly right who perceive that these three series (seals, trumpets and bowls) are not consecutive, are not twenty-one successive chapters of world history, or of church history, but that each group of seven takes us over the same ground and shows us three groups of parallel scenes.^[88]

The kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ ... The use of the singular "kingdom" should be noted. It is not the "kingdoms" but the "kingdom" of the world that now belongs to the Lord. The time here is evidently that foretold in 1 Corinthians 15:24, when Christ shall have delivered up the kingdom to the Father; but this took nothing from Christ, who is still on the throne with the Father. Thus, the great heavenly chorus is not here celebrating the beginning of the reign of Christ, but in a sense, the end of it! The glorious and eternal extension of it in the everlasting state fuses it into God’s eternal kingdom.

And he shall reign for ever and ever ... The "He" here is the Father and the Son; they are one, and that unity appears here.

Such observations as these, however, must not obscure the truth that this eternal reign of Christ is now going on in that glorious kingdom of Christ which began on Pentecost. "The reign of God began with the Incarnation (and related events) ... It is the reign of God through his anointed, the Messiah."^[89] McDowell also viewed the subsequent vision of the birth of Christ (Revelation 12) as a proof of this.

^[84] Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 76.

^[85] Charles H. Roberson, op. cit., p. 77.

^[86] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 141.

^[87] R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 353.

^[88] Ibid.

^[89] Edward A. McDowell, The Meaning and Message of the Book of Revelation (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1951), p. 122.

Revelation 11:16

And the four and twenty elders who sit before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped God,

These represent the church. They were those made "a kingdom" (Revelation 1:6). They therefore fitly take up the burden of praise to him who has now established his universal and everlasting kingdom.^[90]

Who sit before God on their thrones ... These thrones suggest the truth that the redeemed have already been reigning with Christ throughout the whole dispensation.

ENDNOTE:

^[90] A. Plummer. op. cit., p. 294.

Commentary on Revelation 11:15-16 by Manly Luscombe

15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” With the sounding of the seventh trumpet, we move into the time of judgment. Time has ended (Revelation 10:6). The world has reached the end of things, as we know them. God is taking over. All worldly kingdoms will end. There is now the one kingdom, the kingdom of God. Only the church (the kingdom of God) will remain forever and ever. It is clear in Hebrews 1:3 that Christ is on the throne, reigning over the kingdom of God. When the end comes, the kingdom will be delivered to the Father.

16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,…The 24 elders have seen and endured so much. Now, it is time to rejoice. They worshipped God.

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Verses 15-16

Rev 11:15-16