Scripture Reading: Revelation 11:1-14
This chapter in Revelation is one of the places in the book in which the interpretive principles of the commentator show through very clearly. Over a century ago, Henry Alford, a reputable New Testament scholar and commentator, wrote that Revelation 11 is "undoubtably one of the most difficult [chapters] in the whole Apocalypse" … and "no solution has ever been given to this portion of the prophecy" (Alford, The Greek Testament, IV:655,658).
The approach I have employed in our study of Revelation is to take words and phrases literally whenever it is possible to do so … of course, allowing for obvious symbolic language. With that in mind, the terms in this chapter will be taken normally. The temple is a reference to a rebuilt temple, during the time of tribulation … the 'two witnesses' are two individuals … 'great city' is Jerusalem … the 'forty-two months' are a literal three and a half year time period … the earthquake is a literal earthquake.
The two witnesses are prophets (Rev 11:3,6) who have the power to do miracles to buttress their message of God's judgment and salvation, like Old Testament prophets also did. They are sent to proclaim God's message to "peoples and tribes and languages and nations" (Rev 11:9, cf. 10:11). Eventually, like the prophets of old, they will be killed by the enemies of God.
This chapter is another display of God's mercy to an unbelieving world. The prophets of old were always a display of divine mercy in the face of impending judgment. God is patient and faithfully beckons rebels to receive His mercy. It is suicidal folly to love the darkness of evil more than the light of life.
