Revelation 11 - Introduction

Introduction

Chapter 11 is divided into two parts. The first part has a great amount of information about the temple of God and two witnesses are killed but arise again. (1-14) The second section (15-19) is the end of the sixth and the sounding of the seventh trumpet.

Most commentators admit that this is perhaps the most difficult chapter to interpret. There are some similarities to Ezekiel 40:1-49; Ezekiel 41:1-26; Ezekiel 42:1-20 where the temple is measured before its restoration.

Symbols in this chapter

 Temple

 Holy city

 Two witnesses

 Two olive trees

 Two candlesticks

 Two prophets

All of these symbols are different ways of depicting the church as the people of God who remain faithful in the face of severe persecution. Understanding that these symbols represent the people faithful to God, this chapter can be understood as a short history of the church from the beginning on Pentecost to the time it is taken to heaven to dwell with God for eternity. This is not a detailed history, of course. But, some major points are given in outline form.

Woodruff gives this view on pages 179-180:

v. 3 - God gives his people the power needed in order to spread the gospel during this Christian dispensation.

v. 5, 6 - God provided protection for his people in order that the gospel might be spread throughout the world.

v. 7-10 - Once the gospel was spread throughout the world, forces would arise upon this earth which would destroy the church for a certain period of time.

v. 11 - After this period of time, God again breathed life into his people and the church once again became strong.

v. 12 - At God’s appointed time, the church will be called to heaven to dwell with him eternally.

v. 13 - Those forces which have persecuted the church will be destroyed, and great fear will fall upon those people at Christ’s second coming.