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Home , The Beast (Revelation)

The Measuring of the Temple and the

11 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and , where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb,10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Summary:

After John eats the scroll and is told to prophesy, he is given a measuring rod and is instructed to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But, he is told not to measure the court outside the temple, it is is given over to the nations who will trample the holy city forty-two months. After this we read of two witnesses that are given authority and sent out to prophecy. They give powerful testimony and fire from their mouths consumes those trying to harm them. But, when they have finished their prophecy the beast who rises from the will kill them. For three and a half days the world will gaze upon their dead bodies. But after that, God will breathe life in them and they will rise to heaven. Then there was a great earthquake, a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand people were killed. And the rest were terrified and gave glory to God of heaven.

Exegetical Notes:

A reminder of the need for humility

This passage is probably the one that has divided teachers and preachers the most. Mounce calls it one “that is universally recognized as difficult to interpret.”1 While some interpret this along the same lines, nearly any share exactly the same interpretation for ever aspect of this pericope. Even scholars that are using the same methodology come to different conclusions. This is a place where we can look at

1 Mounce, Revelation, 211. the best suggestions people have come up with and make a decision based upon the evidence as best we understand it. (see handout for the multiple ways this passage has been interpreted).

The Temple, the outer court, and the Holy City

John, still in the middle of his visionary experience is told to measure the temple, but not the outer court. This passage, and some others like it, lead many to assume that the was written sometime in the 60s AD before the temple was destroyed. This is an unnecessary conclusion, however, because of the visionary nature of what is happening. Especially given the very symbolic nature of the vision thus far, it would not be surprising to find some symbolic significance.

Many point to some Old Testament passages that speak about measuring and find in those passages the idea of proctection. So, they say, what is happening here is John is witnessing the protection afforded the temple, but not outer court. Then the question is, are we talking about the literal temple and outer court, or are they symbolizing something. Here there is division, although most bible teachers would agree that this is not meant to be understood literally. They point to places elsewhere in the that talk about God’s people being a spiritual house or a temple. Not to mention the fact that himself uses this imagery to describe the church in Philadelphia (3:12). It appears as though the same thing is happening here. Some, therefore see this as the sealing of the believers we’ve seen before in chapter seven. But what does it mean that the outer court isn’t measured? Here there is even more disagreement. Some think the outer court represents the church seen from a different angle (ie. The church in its persecution/ the church in it vulnerability). While it is true that they are sealed from God’s wrath, they nonetheless experience the pain of tribulation in the fallen world. Caird notes, “God does not offer to the church security from bodily suffering and death.”2

Forty-two Months/ 1,260 Days

There are a number of times in Revelation that the same period of time is referred to in different ways. The length of time is three and a half years. It is referred to as (1) forty-two weeks, (2) 1,260 days, or (3) times, time, and half a time. Here it is the time period in which the Holy City is trampelled, as well as the time in which the two witnesses carry out their ministry.

It should be noted that the prophet Daniel uses this language in Daniel 8:23-28. There are many other parallels between these two passages. Daniel prophesied a period of 42 months in which the d

“Its primary reference is to the period of Jewish suffering under the Syrian despot Antiochus Epiphanes in 167-164 B.C. It became a standard symbol for that limited period of time during which evil would be allowed free rein.”3

2 Caird, Revelation, 132.

3 Mounce, Revelation, 215. Johnson concludes, “The symbol refers to the whole time the church is in the world, caught in the crunch of clashing kingdoms.”4

The Two Witnesses

The two witnesses have been variously understood. However, there are two basic options for interpretation. Either they are two literal people who will be witnesses. Or, they represent God’s people in their role in the world. It is probably best to see the latter in view.

They are called the two olive trees and two lampstands. It’s important to remember that God’s people have been pictured already as lampstands in chapter 1. Furthermore, the language of the two olive trees come from Zechariah 4 where, “traditionally, [they] have been identified as Joshua and Zerubbabel, governor and priest in post-exilic Jerusalem.”5 It seems as though the two lampstands in Zechariah fulfill the kingly and priestly role. No small matter, then, that the church is called a kingdom of priests. But there is more.

Many have noticed in the two witnesses allusions to Elijah and Moses. This is surely true. Moses struck the Nile and turned it to blood, he was also the one God used to bring about the plagues in Egypt. Elijah prayed and it didn’t rain for three and a half years. Elijah also called down fire from heaven on his enemies. So, it is clear that the witnesses in some way come in the authority and role of these two great prophets of old. Again, it is interesting that John sees himself (and likely others in the church) as prophets in the line of OT prophets. Bauckham writes, “As prophets who both confronted the world of pagan idolatry they set the precedent for the church’s prophetic witness to the world.”6

Finally, it should be noted that the interaction between the two witnesses and the beast parallel very closely the experience between the and the beast in chapter 13. It appears as though the two witnesses are a way of describing the saints.

The two witnesses will enjoy a time of great protection in which they will carry out their world of prophecy. “However, the divine protection the witnesses enjoy will not be permanent. They will be put to death and refused burial. But, like the Lamb himself, they will rise from the dead and be taken into heaven (11.7-13).”7 Beale also makes note of the similarities to the mssion of Jesus. He writes, “proclamation and signs result in satanic opposition, persecution (John 15:20), and violent death in the city where was crucified; the world looks on its victim (Rev. 1:7) and rejoices (cf. John 16:20); then the witnesses are raised and vindicated by ascension in a cloud.”8

4 Johnson, Edge, 205.

5 Olmstead, Revelation Course Notes: Rev. 10.1-11.18, 2.2.2

6 Bauckham, Theology, 85.

7 Olmstead, Revelation Course Notes, Rev. 10.1-11.18, 2.3

8 Beale, Revelation, 568. Bauckham summarizes: “To be the witnesses who bring the nations to faith in the one true God is the novel role of God’s eschatological people, revealed by the scroll that only the lamb has been able to open.”9

The Beast

The language of a ‘the beast’ is introduced here for the first time, but will come into play much more prominently later on. For now it is important to note that we also see this language used in Daniel and understanding that context helps us to understand this one. We’ll return to discuss the beast in greater detail in chapter 13.

The rest became afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven

After the plague of the sixth trumpet it was explicitly said that the rest of humanity did not repent. Here, we read that the rest of humanity becomes fearful and gives glory to God. Is this talking about full- fledged repentance, or about a mere acknowledgement of God? Read the following verses to help answer the question. (Rev. 15:4; 4:9, 11; 5:12, 13; 7:12; 14:7; 16:9; 19:1, 7; Rev. 11:18; 19:5).

What is further remarkable here is the reversal of OT expectations. “In the judgements announced by Old Testament prophets a tenth part (Isa. 6:13; Amos 5:3) or seven thousand people (2 Kings 19:18) are the faithful remnant who are spared when the judgement wipes out the majority. In a characteristically subtle allusion, John reverses this.”10

“The new revelation is that their faithful witness and death is to be instrumental in the conversion of the nations of the world.”11

9 Bauckham, Theology, 87.

10 Bauckham, Theology, 87.

11 Bauckham, Theology, 84.