Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

standing before the God of the earth--A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and ANDREAS read "Lord" for "God": so Zac 4:14. Ministering to (Luk 1:19), and as in the sight of Him, who, though now so widely disowned on "earth," is its rightful King, and shall at last be openly recognized as such (Rev 11:15). The phrase alludes to Zac 4:10, Zac 4:14, "the two anointed ones that stand by the Lord of the whole earth." The article "the" marks this allusion. They are "the two candlesticks," not that they are the Church, the one candlestick, but as its representative light-bearers (Greek, "phosteres," Phi 2:15), and ministering for its encouragement in a time of apostasy. WORDSWORTH'S view is worth consideration, whether it may not constitute a secondary sense: the two witnesses, the olive trees, are THE TWO TESTAMENTS ministering their testimony to the Church of the old dispensation, as well as to that of the new, which explains the two witnesses being called also the two candlesticks (the Old and New Testament churches; the candlestick in Zac 4:2 is but one as there was then but one Testament, and one Church, the Jewish). The Church in both dispensations has no light in herself, but derives it from the Spirit through the witness of the twofold word, the two olive trees: compare Note, see on Rev 11:1, which is connected with this, the reed, the Scripture canon, being the measure of the Church: so PRIMASIUS [X, p. 314]: the two witnesses preach in sackcloth, marking the ignominious treatment which the word, like Christ Himself, receives from the world. So the twenty-four elders represent the ministers of the two dispensations by the double twelve. But Rev 11:7 proves that primarily the two Testaments cannot be meant; for these shall never be "killed," and never "shall have finished their testimony" till the world is finished.

will hurt--Greek, "wishes," or "desires to hurt them." fire . . . devoureth--(Compare Jer 5:14; Jer 23:29). out of their mouth--not literally, but God makes their inspired denunciations of judgment to come to pass and devour their enemies. if any man will hurt them--twice repeated, to mark the immediate certainty of the accomplishment. in this manner--so in like manner as he tries to hurt them (compare Rev 13:10). Retribution in kind.

These . . . power--Greek, "authorized power." it rain not--Greek, "huetos brechee," "rain shower not," literally, "moisten" not (the earth). smite . . . with all plagues--Greek, "with (literally, 'in') every plague."

finished their testimony--The same verb is used of Paul's ending his ministry by a violent death. the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit--Greek, "the wild beast . . . the abyss." This beast was not mentioned before, yet he is introduced as "the beast," because he had already been described by Daniel (Dan 7:3, Dan 7:11), and he is fully so in the subsequent part of the Apocalypse, namely, Rev 13:1; Rev 17:8. Thus, John at once appropriates the Old Testament prophecies; and also, viewing his whole subject at a glance, mentions as familiar things (though not yet so to the reader) objects to be described hereafter by himself. It is a proof of the unity that pervades all Scripture. make war against them--alluding to Dan 7:21, where the same is said of the little horn that sprang up among the ten horns on the fourth beast.

they--rather, "(some) of the peoples." people--Greek, "peoples." kindreds--Greek, "tribes"; all save the elect (whence it is not said, The peoples . . . but [some] of the peoples . . . , or, some of the peoples . . . may refer to those of the nations . . ., who at the time shall hold possession of Palestine and Jerusalem). shall see--So Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic. But A, B, C, and ANDREAS, the present, "see," or rather (Greek, "blepousin"), "look upon." The prophetic present. dead bodies--So Vulgate, Syriac, and ANDREAS. But A, B, C, and Coptic, singular, as in Rev 11:8, "dead body." Three and a half days answer to the three and a half years (see on Rev 11:2-3), the half of seven, the full and perfect number. shall not suffer--so B, Syriac, Coptic, and ANDREAS. But A, C, and Vulgate read, "do not suffer." in graves--so Vulgate and PRIMASIUS. But B, C, Syriac, Coptic, and ANDREAS, singular; translate, "into a sepulchre," literally, "a monument." Accordingly, in righteous retribution in kind, the flesh of the Antichristian hosts is not buried, but given to all the fowls in mid-heaven to eat (Rev 19:17-18, Rev 19:21).

Translate as Greek, "After the three days and an half." the Spirit of life--the same which breathed life into Israel's dry bones, Eze 37:10-11 (see on Eze 37:10-11), "Breath came into them." The passage here, as there, is closely connected with Israel's restoration as a nation to political and religious life. Compare also concerning the same, Hos 6:2, where Ephraim says, "After two days will He revive us; in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight." into--so B and Vulgate. But A reads (Greek, "en autois"), "(so as to be) IN them." stood upon their feet--the very words in Eze 37:10, which proves the allusion to be to Israel's resurrection, in contrast to "the times of the Gentiles" wherein these "tread under foot the holy city." great fear--such as fell on the soldiers guarding Christ's tomb at His resurrection (Mat 28:4), when also there was a great earthquake (Rev 11:2). saw--Greek, "beheld."

they--so A, C, and Vulgate. But B, Coptic, Syriac, and ANDREAS read, "I heard." a cloud--Greek, "the cloud"; which may be merely the generic expression for what we are familiar with, as we say "the clouds." But I prefer taking the article as definitely alluding to THE cloud which received Jesus at His ascension, Act 1:9 (where there is no article, as there is no allusion to a previous cloud, such as there is here). As they resembled Him in their three and a half years' witnessing, their three and a half days lying in death (though not for exactly the same time, nor put in a tomb as He was), so also in their ascension is the translation and transfiguration of the sealed of Israel (Rev 7:1-8), and the elect of all nations, caught up out of the reach of the Antichristian foe. In Rev 14:14-16, He is represented as sitting on a white cloud. their enemies beheld them--and were thus openly convicted by God for their unbelief and persecution of His servants; unlike Elijah's ascension formerly, in the sight of friends only. The Church caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and transfigured in body, is justified by her Lord before the world, even as the man-child (Jesus) was "caught up unto God and His throne" from before the dragon standing ready to devour the woman's child as soon as born.

The second woe--that under the sixth trumpet (Rev 9:12-21), including also the prophecy, Rev 11:1-13 : Woe to the world, joy to the faithful, as their redemption draweth nigh. the third woe cometh quickly--It is not mentioned in detail for the present, until first there is given a sketch of the history of the origination, suffering, and faithfulness of the Church in a time of apostasy and persecution. Instead of the third woe being detailed, the grand consummation is summarily noticed, the thanksgiving of the twenty-four elders in heaven for the establishment of Christ's kingdom on earth, attended with the destruction of the destroyers of the earth.

sounded--with his trumpet. Evidently "the LAST trumpet." Six is close to seven, but does not reach it. The world judgments are complete in six, but by the fulfilment of seven the world kingdoms become Christ's. Six is the number of the world given over to judgment. It is half of twelve, the Church's number, as three and a half is half of seven, the divine number for completeness. BENGEL thinks the angel here to have been Gabriel, which name is compounded of El, GOD, and Geber, MIGHTY MAN (Rev 10:1). Gabriel therefore appropriately announced to Mary the advent of the mighty God-man: compare the account of the man-child's birth which follows (Rev 12:1-6), to which this forms the transition though the seventh trumpet in time is subsequent, being the consummation of the historical episode, the twelfth and thirteen chapters. The seventh trumpet, like the seventh seal and seventh vial, being the consummation, is accompanied differently from the preceding six: not the consequences which follow on earth, but those IN HEAVEN, are set before us, the great voices and thanksgiving of the twenty-four elders in heaven, as the half-hour's silence in heaven at the seventh seal, and the voice out of the temple in heaven, "It is done," at the seventh vial. This is parallel to Dan 2:44, "The God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break to pieces all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." It is the setting up of Heaven's sovereignty over the earth visibly, which, when invisibly exercised, was rejected by the earthly rulers heretofore. The distinction of worldly and spiritual shall then cease. There will be no beast in opposition to the woman. Poetry, art, science, and social life will be at once worldly and Christian. kingdoms--A, B, C, and Vulgate read the singular, "The kingdom (sovereignty) of (over) the world is our Lord's and His Christ's." There is no good authority for English Version reading. The kingdoms of the world give way to the kingdom of (over) the world exercised by Christ. The earth-kingdoms are many: His shall be one. The appellation "Christ," the Anointed, is here, where His kingdom is mentioned appropriately for the first time used in Revelation. For it is equivalent to KING. Though priests and prophets also were anointed, yet this term is peculiarly applied to Him as King, insomuch that "the Lord's anointed" is His title as KING, in places where He is distinguished from the priests. The glorified Son of man shall rule mankind by His transfigured Church in heaven, and by His people Israel on earth: Israel shall be the priestly mediator of blessings to the whole world, realizing them first. he--not emphatic in the Greek. shall reign for ever and ever--Greek, "unto the ages of the ages." Here begins the millennial reign, the consummation of "the mystery of God" (Rev 10:7).

before God--B and Syriac read, "before the throne of God." But A, C, Vulgate, and Coptic read as English Version. seats--Greek, "thrones."

thanks--for the answer to our prayers (Rev 6:10-11) in destroying them which destroy the earth (Rev 11:18), thereby preparing the way for setting up the kingdom of Thyself and Thy saints. and art to come--omitted in A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, CYPRIAN, and ANDREAS. The consummation having actually come, they do not address Him as they did when it was still future, "Thou that art to come." Compare Rev 11:18, "is come." From the sounding of the seventh trumpet He is to His people JAH, the ever present Lord, WHO IS, more peculiarly than JEHOVAH "who is, was, and is to come." taken to thee thy great power--"to Thee" is not in the Greek. Christ takes to Him the kingdom as His own of right.

the nations were angry--alluding to Psa 99:1, Septuagint, "The Lord is become King: let the peoples become angry." Their anger is combined with alarm (Exo 15:14; Kg2 19:28, "thy rage against Me is come up into Mine ears, I will put My hook in thy nose," &c.). Translate, as the Greek is the same. "The nations were angered, and Thy anger is come." How petty man's impotent anger, standing here side by side with that of the omnipotent God! dead . . . be judged--proving that this seventh trumpet is at the end of all things, when the judgment on Christ's foes and the reward of His saints, long prayed for by His saints, shall take place. the prophets--as, for instance, the two prophesying witnesses (Rev 11:3), and those who have showed them kindness for Christ's sake. Jesus shall come to effect by His presence that which we have looked for long, but vainly, in His absence, and by other means. destroy them which destroy the earth--Retribution in kind (compare Rev 16:6; Luk 19:27). See on Dan 7:14-18.

A similar solemn conclusion to that of the seventh seal, Rev 8:5, and to that of the seventh vial, Rev 16:18. Thus, it appears, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven vials, are not consecutive, but parallel, and ending in the same consummation. They present the unfolding of God's plans for bringing about the grand end under three different aspects, mutually complementing each other. the temple--the sanctuary or Holy place (Greek, "naos"), not the whole temple (Greek, "hieron"). opened in heaven--A and C read the article, "the temple of God "which is" in heaven, was opened." the ark of his testament--or ". . . His covenant." As in the first verse the earthly sanctuary was measured, so here its heavenly antitype is laid open, and the antitype above to the ark of the covenant in the Holiest Place below is seen, the pledge of God's faithfulness to His covenant in saving His people and punishing their and His enemies. Thus this forms a fit close to the series of trumpet judgments and an introduction to the episode (the twelfth and thirteen chapters) as to His faithfulness to His Church. Here first His secret place, the heavenly sanctuary, is opened for the assurance of His people; and thence proceed His judgments in their behalf (Rev 14:15, Rev 14:17; Rev 15:5; Rev 16:17), which the great company in heaven laud as "true and righteous." This then is parallel to the scene at the heavenly altar, at the close of the seals and opening of the trumpets (Rev 8:3), and at the close of the episode (the twelfth through fifteenth chapters) and opening of the vials (Rev 15:7-8). See on Rev 12:1, note at the opening of the chapter. Next: Revelation Chapter 12