1 AND there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
3 And I will give power 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 God of the earth.
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
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.
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.
9 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.
10 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.
11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

1And there was giuen me a reede like vnto a rod, and the Angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the Temple of God, and the Altar, and them that worship therein.

2But the Court which is without the Temple leaue out, and measure it not: for it is giuen vnto the Gentiles, and the holy citie shall they tread vnder foote fourty and two moneths.

3And I will giue power vnto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes clothed in sackcloth.

4These are the two oliue trees, and the two candlestickes, standing before the God of the earth.

5And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and deuoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, hee must in this maner be killed.

6These haue power to shut heauen, that it raine not in the dayes of their prophesie: and haue power ouer waters to turne them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

7And when they shall haue finished their testimonie, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit, shall make warre against them, and shall ouercome them, and kill them.

8And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great citie, which spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

9And they of the people, and kinreds, and tongues, and nations, shal see their dead bodies three dayes and an halfe, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graues.

10And they that dwell vpon the earth shall reioyce ouer them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

11And after three dayes and an halfe the Spirit of life from God, entred into them: and they stood vpon their feete, and great feare fell vpon them which saw them.

12And they heard a great voyce from heauen, saying vnto them, Come vp hither. And they ascended vp to heauen in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them.

13And the same houre was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slaine of men seuen thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gaue glory to the God of heauen.

14The second woe is past, and behold, the third woe commeth quickly.

15And the seuenth Angel sounded, and there were great voyces in heauen, saying, The kingdomes of this world are become the kingdomes of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reigne for euer and euer.

16And the foure and twentie Elders which sate before God on their seates, fell vpon their faces, and worshipped God,

17Saying, Wee giue thee thankes, O Lord God Almightie, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

18And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should bee iudged, and that thou shouldest giue reward vnto thy seruants the Prophets, and to the Saints, & them that feare thy Name, small and great, and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

19And the Temple of God was opened in heauen, and there was seene in his Temple the Arke of his Testament, and there were lightnings, and voyces, and thundrings, and an earthquake, and great haile.

 

1 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and I was told, "Come and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who are worshiping in it. 2 But exclude the outer court of the temple; do not measure it, for it has been handed over to the Gentiles, who will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 I will commission my two witnesses to prophesy for those twelve hundred and sixty days, wearing sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone wanting to harm them is sure to be slain. 6 They have the power to close up the sky so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying. They also have power to turn water into blood and to afflict the earth with any plague as often as they wish. 7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will wage war against them and conquer them and kill them. 8 Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city, which has the symbolic names "Sodom" and "Egypt," where indeed their Lord was crucified. 9 Those from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation will gaze on their corpses for three and a half days, and they will not allow their corpses to be buried. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and be glad and exchange gifts because these two prophets tormented the inhabitants of the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them. When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, "Come up here." So they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on. 13 At that moment there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell in ruins. Seven thousand people were killed during the earthquake; the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14 The second woe has passed, but the third is coming soon. 15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet. There were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world now belongs to our Lord and to his Anointed, and he will reign forever and ever."16 The twenty-four elders who sat on their thrones before God prostrated themselves and worshiped God 17 and said: "We give thanks to you, Lord God almighty, who are and who were. For you have assumed your great power and have established your reign. 18 The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and to recompense your servants, the prophets, and the holy ones and those who fear your name, the small and the great alike, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." 19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm.

1. Jesus told the disciples that the temple would be destroyed, and it was, about 25 years before this writing. John knew it would be rebuilt, but had no idea when. The 10 nation confederacy king will make a seven year treaty with Israel, Dan. 9:27, and allow them to rebuild the temple under the auspices of the Antichrist, and it’s sacrifices reinstated. Defeat of Russian and Moslem allies, Ezek. 38, may allow them to quickly tear down the Dome of the Rock and erect their temple. Much of the first three and one half years is involved in this. John’s witness will be to these people. Measuring the temple and the worshipers did not involve size, but spiritual standard. The temple and altar, reconstructed by covenant with a godless dictator, are an insult to the Lamb who had offered one sacrifice for sin forever. Moses tabernacle was built after a heavenly pattern with the worship as God commanded. Worship in this temple will culminate in worship of the Antichrist, sitting “in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God”, 2 Thess. 2:4. With the rod, John literally measured the temple and counted people, but cubits or numbers is not the main issue, both are being measured to see if they meet the standard Christ will demand when he takes possession.

The worshipers of the temple will come short when measured by God’s standard. Therefore they will enter a time of trouble, Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21 and initiated Rev. 11:13, but most of the rest of the book is God’s judgment on Gentiles.
Christ will build His perfect temple (Ezekiel’s temple) in the Millennium.
v 2. The outer court of the Gentiles is not measured. God says literally to cast it out because He has rejected it. He is dealing directly with the Jews to purify them first. Judgment on Babylon will come later  The Western Prince, Antichrist, is becoming irritated with the Jews and their offensive sacrifices. The 144,000 who had been saved and sealed were preaching everywhere, immune to harm. The 42 months are up at mid tribulation, and the Antichrist will break covenant with the Israelites and force all men to worship him. Jerusalem and the temple will be trampled by Gentiles until the end of the Tribulation, when the Times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled, Luke 21:24.
v 3. Henry F. Morris has given some very good arguments for his belief that the mighty angel is Christ, but the hardest to refute are the words: “My two witnesses”. The idea is that only Christ would have said, “My two witnesses”. On the other hand, as Christ’s representative, the angel could be repeating what Christ has told him. At least we can say positively that the angel is either Christ or His representative.
While it is not stated in which half of the Tribulation the two witnesses serve, it can be assumed (almost dogmatically) it is in the first half. They probably led the sealed 144,00 to the Lord (unless there is a gap between the Rapture and the Tribulation), as well as many of the multitude who are saved then. The Antichrist tries to get rid of them but is not successful till God permits it at the middle of the Tribulation.
v 4. These are the two anointed ones, the anti type of the two olive trees standing before God in Zechariah 4:2,3,14. Then there was one candlestick, here they are two candlesticks, (to represent Jews and Gentiles?). Lamp stands are powered by olive oil, a type of the Holy Spirit who empowered them. I refute the speculation of some that they might be the two men (angels) who stood by the tomb in shining garments, Lk. 24:3, 4, and the two men in white apparel who stood by at the ascension, Acts 1:10.
v 5. Either fire proceeds directly from their mouths to kill their enemies or with their mouths they call upon God to send fire from heaven to consume them as Elijah did in 2 Kings 1:9-12. Some think that as the Lord told Jeremiah in 5:14 “I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them”, this will just be the convicting word from their mouths. That view is not consistent with their other miracles and the killing aspect. They will be protected like the 144,000,  and their attackers will be consumed as if by fire, 2 Thess. Rev.  2:8,2:16;19:15  Our God is, or as a consuming fire, Deut. 4:24;9:3;Heb 12:29.
v 6. These are literal men, if from the past. Probably Moses and Elijah as they perform very similar miracles, shutting up heaven so it can’t rain, fire, water turned to blood and plagues. The drouth coincides with the third seal at the beginning of tribulation, Rev, 6:s5,6, followed by famine. Moses and Elijah were both involved in the violent deaths of large groups of men who opposed them, and both involved at the transfiguration vision. Jews have long required two witnesses, and would lean toward Moses and Elijah. Also Christ infers the prophecy about Elijah coming in Malachi 4:5 was only partially fulfilled in John the Baptist. Some think they are Elijah and Enoch as both were translated without dying, and it is appointed for men once to die, Heb. 9:27. That would eliminate Moses as he died once. But some would say Moses as representing the O.T. saints who have died, Enoch representing the Church caught away without dying. However, I reject the theories of Enoch, remembering  that God is dealing with Jews, not the Church, and pre-flood Enoch is totally out of context. (Of course many Gentiles will be saved then.) Still others, and I disagree, feel they are simply two contemporary witnesses that God chose. Most important of course is to realize that it is not the witnesses, but the power God has delegated to their use.
The 42 month tyranny of Gentiles over Jerusalem and rule of the Beast was only possible when these two witnesses died. The restraint of weather fronts allow evaporation to reestablish the vapor barrier aloft, and may make for the fine environment in the Millennium. The plagues of the first 42 months were thus originated by both heaven and the two witnesses. Men probably attributed most of it to the witnesses, adding to the hatred toward their preaching.

v 7. After 3 1/2 years being invulnerable and destroying their attackers, they will finally be killed by the beast from the bottomless pit. He is the same beast in Dan. 7 and “the prince that shall come”, Dan. 9:26, the one who made a deal with Israel for building the temple. This is a man, the Antichrist. Perhaps it says he is from the bottomless pit, because he is Satan incarnate. At least he is aware that it is Satan who has enabled him to have his power, and the witnesses who have thwarted him. He wages all out war to get them, and now succeeds only because the 1260 days are completed, and the witnesses have finished the ministry God sent them to do.

This beast is not a resurrected individual, as Satan can not do that. However it may be one who had an “out of this world experience”, appeared dead, and remained in a state of animation for some time before reviving. He is not a false Christ, but antichrist, and multitudes will follow him, after his supposed power over the witnesses.
v 8. Their bodies will lie in the street in Jerusalem without even the decency of burial. Even with renewed temple and religion, Jerusalem has become so corrupt in apostasy and rejection of God it is called Sodom, a wicked place, or Egypt, a place that persecuted God’s people.
v 9,10. There will be rejoicing world wide as people who didn’t like to have their sin exposed see these bodies on satellite TV. At Christmas we (theoretically) give gifts because of Christ and what He has done. These people give gifts because of what the  Antichrist has done. They think the prince has removed the restrainers and defeated Christ.

The drouth ordered by the two witnesses is broken after their resurrection in a violent storm of lightning, hail, and probably rain. Compare this with the down pour when the three year drouth ordered by Elijah,1 Ki. 17:1, was ended after the defeat of the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel, 1 Ki. 18:45