Revelation11

John is commanded to measure the temple of God, while the outer court is left for Gentile treading for forty-two months. Two witnesses prophesy for 1260 days, demonstrating great power, but are eventually slain by the beast. After three and a half days, they are resurrected and ascend to heaven, followed by an earthquake. The chapter concludes with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, declaring God's eternal reign and the opening of His heavenly temple.
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Measuring the Temple and the Holy City

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. ​
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. ​

The Two Witnesses Prophesy

3
And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. ​
4
These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, standing before the Lord of the earth. ​
5
And if any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies; and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed. ​
6
These have the power to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the days of their prophecy: and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they shall desire. ​
7
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. ​
8
And their dead bodies lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. ​
9
And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do men look upon their dead bodies three days and a half, and suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.
10
And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry; and they shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth. ​
11
And after the three days and a half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that beheld them. ​
12
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they went up into heaven in the cloud; and their enemies beheld them. ​
13
And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and there were killed in the earthquake seven thousand persons: and the rest were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. ​
14
The second Woe is past: behold, the third Woe cometh quickly. ​

The Seventh Trumpet Sounds

15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is becomethe kingdomof our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever. ​
16
And the four and twenty elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped God,
17
saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign. ​
18
And the nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth. ​
19
And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven; and there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; and there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail. ​

Study Notes for Revelation 11

Verse 1

Measuring the temple symbolizes God’s protection and preservation of the true worshipers (the inner sanctuary) during the coming period of tribulation, contrasting with the outer court left exposed.

Verse 2

The duration of forty and two months (3.5 years, or 1260 days) is a symbolic period of persecution representing the time of the church’s tribulation before Christ’s return (cf. Daniel 7:25).

Verse 3

The two witnesses represent God’s faithful prophetic testimony maintained during the worst of the end-time persecution. Their sackcloth symbolizes mourning, repentance, and prophetic urgency.

Verse 4

This imagery, drawn from Zechariah 4:2-3, signifies that the witnesses are empowered by the Holy Spirit (the oil for the olive trees) and bear the light of God’s testimony (the candlesticks).

Verse 5

The power of fire proceeding from their mouths indicates the destructive power of their prophetic word against those who oppose God's message, reminiscent of Elijah's ministry (2 Kings 1:10).

Verse 6

The powers to shut heaven and turn water to blood evoke the famous miracles of Elijah (drought) and Moses (plagues), confirming the witnesses’ authentic prophetic authority.

Verse 7

This is the first explicit mention of 'the beast' in Revelation, an Antichrist figure who ascends from the abyss to wage war against the saints, setting up the central conflict of the latter half of the book (Rev 13).

Verse 8

The 'great city' is symbolically identified with Jerusalem (where Christ was crucified) but also universally with the entire wicked world system (Sodom and Egypt) that opposes God and persecutes His people.

Verse 10

The world’s celebration over the death of the witnesses highlights the intense hatred of the prophetic message, demonstrating that the world prefers darkness to the light of conviction.

Verse 11

The resurrection of the witnesses demonstrates God's ultimate power over death and serves as a powerful sign of vindication for the faithful martyrs, terrifying their enemies.

Verse 12

Their ascension mirrors Christ's own and confirms their status as divinely approved messengers, showing that their ministry was successful despite their apparent defeat.

Verse 13

The remnant giving glory to the God of heaven contrasts with the persistent impenitence of those judged earlier (9:20-21), showing that God’s judgments can still lead to repentance for some.

Verse 14

This verse is a crucial structural marker, closing the account of the sixth trumpet/second woe and preparing the reader for the final, climactic judgment.

Verse 15

The sounding of the seventh trumpet is the climax of the trumpet judgments. The announcement that the kingdoms of the world 'have become' Christ's indicates the certainty of the coming reign, even before its physical manifestation.

Verse 17

The elders’ worship affirms God’s sovereignty and eternal power, recognizing that the final stage of judgment and kingdom establishment has arrived.

Verse 18

This verse summarizes the final events: the wrath of God against the nations, the judgment of the dead, and the rewarding of all faithful believers, from the prophets to the common saints.

Verse 19

The opening of the heavenly temple reveals the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing God’s covenant faithfulness and affirming that the final judgments proceed righteously from His holy presence.

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