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Revelation 11:2
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The Two Witnesses

1 Then I was given aa reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, b“Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.  
2 But leave out athe court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, bfor it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will ctread the holy city underfoot for dforty-two months.  
3 And I will give power to my two awitnesses, band they will prophesy cone thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”  
4 These are the atwo olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the1 God of the earth.  
5 And if anyone wants to harm them, afire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. bAnd if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.  
6 These ahave power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.  

The Witnesses Killed

7 When they afinish their testimony, bthe beast that ascends cout of the bottomless pit dwill make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.  
8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of athe great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, bwhere also our Lord was crucified.  
9 aThen those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations1 will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, band not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.  
10 aAnd those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, band send gifts to one another, cbecause these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.  

The Witnesses Resurrected

11 aNow after the three-and-a-half days bthe breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.  
12 And1 they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” aAnd they ascended to heaven bin a cloud, cand their enemies saw them.  
13 In the same hour athere was a great earthquake, band a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid cand gave glory to the God of heaven.  
14 aThe second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.  
Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
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Revelation 11:2

But—Greek, "And."

the court . . . without—all outside the Holy Place (Revelation 11:1).

leave out—of thy measurement, literally, "cast out"; reckon as unhallowed.

it—emphatic. It is not to be measured; whereas the Holy Place is.

given—by God's appointment.

unto the Gentiles—In the wider sense, there are meant here "the times of the Gentiles," wherein Jerusalem is "trodden down of the Gentiles," as the parallel, Luke 21:24, proves; for the same word is used here [Greek, "patein"], "tread under foot." Compare also Psalms 79:1; Isaiah 63:18.

forty . . . two months— (Revelation 13:5). The same period as Daniel's "time, times, and half" (Revelation 12:14); and Revelation 11:3, and Revelation 12:6, the woman a fugitive in the wilderness "a thousand two hundred and threescore days." In the wider sense, we may either adopt the year-day theory of 1260 years (on which, and the papal rule of 1260 years, see on Daniel 7:25; Daniel 8:14; Daniel 12:11), or rather, regard the 2300 days (Daniel 8:14), 1335 days (Daniel 12:11-12). 1290 days, and 1260 days, as symbolical of the long period of the Gentile times, whether dating from the subversion of the Jewish theocracy at the Babylonian captivity (the kingdom having been never since restored to Israel), or from the last destruction of Jerusalem under Titus, and extending to the restoration of the theocracy at the coming of Him "whose right it is"; the different epochs marked by the 2300, 1335, 1290, and 1260 days, will not be fully cleared up till the grand consummation; but, meanwhile, our duty and privilege urge us to investigate them. Some one of the epochs assigned by many may be right but as yet it is uncertain. The times of the Gentile monarchies during Israel's seven times punishment, will probably, in the narrower sense (Revelation 11:2), be succeeded by the much more restricted times of the personal Antichrist's tyranny in the Holy Land. The long years of papal misrule may be followed by the short time of the man of sin who shall concentrate in himself all the apostasy, persecution, and evil of the various forerunning Antichrists, Antiochus, Mohammed, Popery, just before Christ's advent. His time shall be THE RECAPITULATION and open consummation of the "mystery of iniquity" so long leavening the world. Witnessing churches may be followed by witnessing individuals, the former occupying the longer, the latter, the shorter period. The three and a half (1260 days being three and a half years of three hundred sixty days each, during which the two witnesses prophesy in sackcloth) is the sacred number seven halved, implying the Antichristian world-power's time is broken at best; it answers to the three and a half years' period in which Christ witnessed for the truth, and the Jews, His own people, disowned Him, and the God-opposed world power crucified Him (compare Note, see on Daniel 9:27). The three and a half, in a word, marks the time in which the earthly rules over the heavenly kingdom. It was the duration of Antiochus' treading down of the temple and persecution of faithful Israelites. The resurrection of the witnesses after three and a half days, answers to Christ's resurrection after three days. The world power's times never reach the sacred fulness of seven times three hundred sixty, that is, 2520, though they approach to it in 2300 (Daniel 8:14). The forty-two months answer to Israel's forty-two sojournings (Num. 33:1-50) in the wilderness, as contrasted with the sabbatic rest in Canaan: reminding the Church that here, in the world wilderness, she cannot look for her sabbatic rest. Also, three and a half years was the period of the heaven being shut up, and of consequent famine, in Elias' time. Thus, three and a half represented to the Church the idea of toil, pilgrimage, and persecution.




Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Revelation 11:2:

Daniel 7:25
Daniel 12:7
Malachi 4:5
Luke 21:24
2 Thessalonians 2:4
2 Thessalonians 2:4
Revelation 11:2
Revelation 11:9
Revelation 11:11
Revelation 11:14
Revelation 12:1
Revelation 13:5
Revelation 17:12
Revelation 21:15

 

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