Revelation 11:1 – 6 “Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers there. But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months. And I will empower my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed. These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.“
This chapter starts with instructions that make us scratch our heads. Why measure the temple of God? Doesn’t God know how big his temple is? In the old days in America, when new land grants were opened up, sometimes people were allowed to claim all the land they could walk around in a day. Since most people have a stride that is roughly one yard, this would give a reasonably accurate idea of how much land they were claiming. Here John is given a measuring rod, traditionally a rod 9 feet long, and ordered to measure the temple and to count the number of worshipers in it. The idea is to symbolically seal those who truly worship God to protect them from future harm. Why was the outer court excluded? In the temple in Jerusalem, the outer court was called the Court of the Gentiles, and anybody could enter that area; however, no unbelieving Gentiles were allowed to proceed further on pain of death. Next was the Court of the Women, beyond which women could not come. Further in was the Court of the Israelite for ordinary men. Lastly, there was the Court of the Priests, which contained the Altar of the Burnt-Offering, made of brass, the Altar of Incense, made of gold, and the Holy Place; and into this court only the priests might come. The Court of the Gentiles is not measured because God is going to allow the nations to trample the holy city for 42 months.
The temple was completely destroyed in A.D. 70 when the Romans over ran Jerusalem. This temple is a vision given by God, not a physical temple. Of the time intervals mentioned, Barclay explains, “Its meaning is three and a half years. That is what forty-two months, and twelve hundred and sixty days–by Jewish reckoning–are. A time, times and half a time is equal to one year plus two years plus half a year.
The origin of the phrase comes from that most terrible time in Jewish history when Antiochus Epiphanes, King of Syria, tried to force Greek language, culture and worship upon the Jews and was met with the most violent and stubborn resistance. The roll of the martyrs was immense but the dreadful process was finally halted by the rising of Judas Maccabaeus. Judas and his heroic followers waged guerrilla warfare and won the most amazing victories. Finally Antiochus and his forces were driven out and the Temple was restored and cleansed. The point is that this dreadful period lasted from June 168 B.C. to December 165 B.C. (To this day the Jews celebrate in December the Festival of Hanukkah which commemorates the restoration and the cleansing of the Temple.) That is to say this dreadful time lasted almost exactly three and a half years. It was during that time that Daniel was written and the phrase was coined which ever afterwards was stamped on the Jewish mind as indicating a period of terror and suffering and martyrdom.
Who are the two witnesses? There are many theories, but it is most likely that the witnesses are Elijah and Moses. Barclay observes, “Elijah was held to be the greatest of the prophets, just as Moses was the supreme law-giver; and it was fitting that the two outstanding figures in the religious history of Israel should be God’s messengers at the last time. It was these two who appeared to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Further, the things said of them fit Moses and Elijah as they fit no one else. It is said (Revelation 11:6) that they have power to turn the water into blood and to smite the earth with all plagues, and that is what Moses did . It is said that fire proceeds out of their mouth and burns up their enemies, and that they can shut up the heavens so that the rain is withheld. That is what Elijah did with the company of soldiers sent to take him and when he prophesied to Ahab that there would be no rain upon the earth. We have already seen that Elijah was expected to return to herald the end; and it would not be difficult to regard God’s promise that he would raise up a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18) as a prophecy that Moses himself would return.”
Actually, the identity of the two witnesses is not as important as their mission. God is sending two of His mighty men to the earth one more time to try to persuade as many as possible to believe on Him and to be saved. God does not SEND people to hell! People turn away from God and in so doing, send themselves to hell.
PRAYER: Father God, as we continue to study, give us ears to hear and hearts to receive your truth. Let all who read this devotional put their trust in you, the one true living God. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment