The Two Witnesses The Second Woe Revelation 10:1 – 11:14
(Revelation Chapter 10)
1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire;
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
10 And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
(Revelation Chapter 11)
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 the 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 out 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 afrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
As with chapter 7, this section of the text appears to be parenthetic as the sounding of the trumpets by the seven angels is interrupted until the sounding of the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15. The vision John described in Revelation 10:1–11:13 carries our attention from the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation to the return of Christ.
Witnesses who speak for God and with His authority are described, beginning with a “mighty angel” and continuing with the witness of John as he ‘eats’ – or digests the contents of – the “little book” and measures the Temple. Also in this section we see God’s empowerment of two special witnesses to prophesy to the world.
The Crying of the Mighty Angel (Revelation 10:1 – 7)
1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire;
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
The Angel
John began with, “And I…” as if to affirm that the testimony he was about to give in the record of his vision of a “mighty angel,” or ischuron from the Greek text, meaning strong, is true.John similarly described the angel of Revelation 5:2, the one associated with the book with seven seals, and the same Greek word is employed there.
This “mighty angel” is different from the angels that sounded the seven trumpets, who did so from a position near the throne as recorded in chapter 8, verse 2. While this strong angel descends from a heavenly place he is in no way to be mistaken as being Christ, although the description offered here seems to identify him very closely with the glorified Christ and certainly as His ever-loyal servant.
John described the “mighty angel” in four ways. First, he was clothed “with a cloud” representing God’s presence as sovereign judge over creation. Second, “a rainbow was upon his head” representing God’s grace in the midst of judgment, as with Noah in Genesis 9:13. Third, his face was “as it were the sun,” reflecting the glory of the Lord, as with Moses, who had been with God (see Exodus 34:29-35). Fourth, his feet were “as pillars of fire.” The addition of the word pillars (Greek stuloi meaning supporting structures or, literally, columns), is similar to the description of Christ in Revelation 1:15 and emphasizes the righteousness of God’s sure judgment.
The Book in his Hand
A book was in the hand of the mighty angel, a volume which may or may not be the same book received by the Lamb in chapter 5. Its mention here, just prior to the seventh trumpet sounding, implies that it warns of coming judgments associated with the seventh trumpet. The “mighty angel” with the book in his hand placed one foot on earth (land) and one on the sea, declaring the all-encompassing universal authority of Christ.
Seven Thunders
The mighty angel cried with a loud, sure and frightening voice not unlike the roaring of a lion, and when he cried “seven thunders uttered their voices.” Thunders represent the authoritative voice of the Lord, as in Psalm 29, and John understood the messages proclaimed by them, so as he had done previously he prepared to record the messages but another voice from Heaven, God’s throne, interrupted John and instructed him specifically that he should not record the messages uttered by these seven thunderous voices. Here we may draw a comparison to Daniel 8:26, which says, “And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.” God in His infinite wisdom knew that revealing this information, whatever it is, either would not be beneficial to His people or is not necessary to our understanding of the recorded event. God always has our best interests at heart, and never wants us to be confused.
The Angel Swore
In a symbol of pledging or solemnly promising, this mighty angel swore by the eternal creator of all things that “there should be time no longer” as his hand stretched out toward Heaven. In the Greek text the words ouketi estai (or literally no longer shall be) are used, identifying this reference to a definite dispensation of time from the first advent of Christ until His return at the end of the seven-year Tribulation. Some may identify this period as the New Testament era, including the seven-year Tribulation. It should in any case be associated with the “mystery of God” in verse 7 and its end marks the consummation of “the mystery of God.” The mystery of God denotes all that God planned for this time period, which He had not revealed to the Old Testament prophets. Old Testament prophets often wrote concerning the future as if the first advent and the return of Christ were to be the same event, so that everything between the two events was closed to them and thus a mystery to be pondered. Consider, for example, the writings of Joel within such a context. This time of mystery would be complete at the end of the seven-year Tribulation and thus become open to them.
The Eating of the Little Book (Revelation 10:8-11)
8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
10 And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
The voice John once more heard from Heaven seems to be the same voice that instructed him not to record the sayings of the seven thunders of verse 4. The voice told John to take the little book from the mighty angel, and John obeyed the voice. Assuming that this book is the same as the book with seven seals, those seals have been opened by the Lamb so that it appears to John as an open book, and the remaining information about the coming judgments is therefore open to him. The angel commanded John to “eat” the book, meaning to devour its content of information so that he might accurately prophesy and record it. The book was “sweet as honey” in John’s mouth just as the Word of God is sweet to the soul of the believer, but it was “bitter” in his stomach. The truth about the sins of man and his worthiness of judgment is a bitter truth difficult for some to digest. John was compelled to prophesy the truth about the coming judgments, and in that regard it was surely an unpleasant task. We might compare this passage to Ezekiel 2:9,10 where is recorded, “And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; and he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.” The prophecy John was to share, however bitter its message of judgment, would reach many people of many nations and languages, and rulers and people of influence will hear it as part of the inspired Word of God.
As John saw the approaching kingdom of Jesus it was a sweet thought, indeed; however, as he looked further into the information contained in the book he saw the judgments of God coming prior to the establishment of Christ’s kingdom. This was bitterness to the core of his innermost being. A right concept of Christ’s coming kingdom is a blessing (sweet thought) to God’s children as we realize we will enjoy the blessedness of Christ’s reign but it is tempered by a measure of compassionate bitterness as we behold the judgments of God poured out upon those who reject Jesus and contemplate their eternal doom. It is therefore still and always our urgent responsibility to discharge our duties diligently in light of the commission of Matthew 28:18-20.
The Measuring of the Temple (Revelation 11:1,2)
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.
Someone, perhaps the mighty angel of chapter 10, gave John a reed like a rod used for measuring. Ezekiel 40:3 describes a similar device for such a purpose. Possibly it was like a walking staff that could be used as a support, a protective device, a defensive instrument, and a measuring reed. The angel instructed John to measure three things: the Temple, the altar, and them that worship therein, but he was not to measure the outer court because it was “given to the Gentiles.” Measuring is one manner of identification, here reflecting the religious inhabitants and conditions of Jerusalem at the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation, circumstances that will continue until the middle of that time.
The Temple of God
The people of Israel will build a Temple in Jerusalem at or about the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation under a covenant made with the man of sin (see Daniel 9:26,27). The rebuilding of the Temple will be a source of great pride and joy to the people of Israel both nationally and religiously.
The Altar
Once construction of the new temple has been completed the people of Israel will restore the altar of sacrifice in front of the Temple and in the immediate Temple courtyard. Upon the altar they will revive the practice of daily sacrifices and oblations. The altar can be seen to symbolically refer to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as He shed His blood for the sin of the world.
The Worshipers
God has preserved on earth a Jewish remnant for the return of Christ (recall Revelation 7:1-8 and refer to Revelation 11:13; Romans 11:5 and Isaiah 10:20, 21). At the beginning of the seven years of Tribulation the people of Israel, under the covenant with the man of sin, will dwell safely in Jerusalem for three and one-half years. Theirs will be, unfortunately for them, a false sense of security.
The Court of the Gentiles
The Gentiles tread underfoot the outer court, or the court beyond the area of the altar. Recognizing that the Temple and the altar are at this point under Jewish control, the prophetic time element must be the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation period when the Jews will enjoy Temple worship in peace. This period of peace, though false, will last forty-two months, or the first half of the seven-year Tribulation. The man of sin, while allowing the Jews to possess the Temple and the altar and tolerating the practice of their religion, will control the rest of Jerusalem much like a modern-day NATO force occupies a country in the name of keeping peace.
The Prophesying of the Two Witnesses (Revelation 11:3-6)
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 the prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
The Two Witnesses
God empowers two witnesses to prophesy or to speak for Him. The vision identifies them as the two olive trees (a reference to Israel) and the two candlesticks, the candlestick representing a bearer of the light of the Word of God, as in Psalm 119:105. During the Old Testament era Israel bore the light of the Word of God, albeit not always in an exemplary manner, and she bore the Light of the World, Jesus the Messiah, to usher in God’s new covenant with His people. During the New Testament era the churches bear the light of God’s Word (Matthew 5:13-16; Revelation 2:5) and the message of eternal life through Christ alone. In the seven-year Tribulation, the sealed remnant of Israel will once again bear the light of the Word of Truth (Matthew 24:14).
Bible students entertain various speculations as to the exact identity of the two witnesses, the vision presenting them before John as if they were two very real people. They have physical bodies, they preach, they die, and they live again. Much about the two witnesses, however, may be symbolic. The important fact upon which to focus then is who and what they represent. These two witnesses stand as servants before the God of the universe, witnessing to the world His truth. Given modern means of transferring information and spreading news, it seems doubtful that any human being will be able to escape knowledge of the witnesses’ existence or message.
Their ministry occurs in the first half of the seven-year Tribulation, the time of Jewish peace and freedom to observe Temple worship, a time to witness and freely proclaim their message. It will be a time in which Israel will prosper as does a budding fig tree, though it will be a temporary and false prosperity (Matthew 24:32-35). Perhaps the two witnesses are symbolic of the two nations of the children of Israel, as they are united in Revelation chapter 7. While possessing the freedom to proclaim their message in a time of peace, as children of Abraham and heirs of his covenant they mourn over the Gentile occupation of their beloved city, as represented by their sackcloth.
The Power of the Two Witnesses
The two witnesses have the ability to breathe fire that will devour their enemies, which may symbolize the preaching of the Word. They have power to stop rain, turn water to “blood” and smite the earth with plagues. These abilities may be symbolic of future technological abilities but this writer opines that they are in this passage literal. If the two witnesses represent Judah and Israel they may have special technological power as part of the covenant under the man of sin; these powers probably manifest the power of the witnesses to minister in the likeness of those who have performed these miracles in the past, such as when Moses turned the water into blood as recorded in Exodus 7:19. They have God’s authority to exercise these controls at their discretion and the world despises them for their power. Historically whenever the Jews have risen to positions of prominence and influence they have been hated all the more, and the Gentile nations have repeatedly made vain attempts to utterly destroy them.
The Killing of the Two Witnesses (Revelation 11:7-12)
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 out 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.
Their Deaths
When the two witnesses finish their appointed forty-two-month testimony the beast of Revelation 13:5 will “make war” on them and by some means slay them in order to silence their words. He and the ungodly on earth, having been tormented by their message, will openly and exuberantly celebrate the murders and allow their bodies or outward forms to lie as rubbish in the streets of Jerusalem (the names “Sodom and Egypt” here refer to the evil rebellion by then taking place in Jerusalem) for three and one-half days. The putting to death of the witnesses likely represents the moment during which the man of sin turns against the nation of Israel at the midst of the seven-year Tribulation, when he breaches the covenant of peace with them as foreseen in Daniel 9:26 and 27. You may wish to read ahead and compare this passage with Revelation 12:15 which will be considered in a future article. Israel, having once fled to the safety of the Lord’s protection, will for the last half of the Tribulation period then leave behind all forms of a once-thriving worship and its synagogues as these two representatives of the Most High lay lifeless in Jerusalem. The world, hating Israel, rejoices over its defeat and leaves the forms of its past glory (the new Temple among them) standing as objects of mockery.
Their Revival
After three and one-half days “the Spirit of life” – God’s Holy Spirit – will enter into the witnesses and they shall again stand boldly upon their feet to be seen by all observers just as Israel, toward the end of the Tribulation period, will once more revive. The man of sin and his armies will gather against God’s nation in the great Battle of Armageddon, as we will see in our study of Revelation 12:17.
Their Ascension
A voice will call the two witnesses to “…Come up hither…” and they shall obey, ascending to Heaven in a cloud. Their enemies will be helpless to but stand and watch as they ascend. The cloud has often been associated with divine presence, power and protection (consider Exodus 13:21; 19:16; 40:34; Luke 21:27) and Christ will return from a cloud to save the nation of Israel at the Battle of Armageddon, as seen in Daniel 7:13, 14 and Revelation 11:19.
A Great Earthquake (Revelation 11:13, 14)
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 afrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
In the same hour or at the same time the two witnesses ascend a great earthquake will occur (consider Revelation 6:12; 11:19; 16:18), taking the lives of seven thousand men as it lays waste to a tenth of Jerusalem. A remnant of inhabitants in the city, having experienced the earthquake and survived, will then glorify God. The Greek word for “glory” (doxa or doxan) when applied to man’s actions means recognition of what is known of God. It is unlikely that men will accept the salvation offered by Jesus during this experience but they will recognize the powerful workings of God much like the mighty men of the earth recognized the working of God in Revelation 6:15 and 16.
John, in recording the closing of this second woe, announced the arrival of the third woe. There will be no rest for the ungodly on the earth. The judgments of the seventh trumpet will come “quickly” and to a world unprepared. All that prompted the third woe as seen by the angel of Revelation 8:13 will begin with the seventh angel sounding the seventh trumpet.
Summary (Revelation 10:1 – 11:14
Although the seven-year Tribulation is a time of anti-Christ rule and a time of rebellion in the earth on a scale never before seen, God will have His witnesses, and the two of whom we have read will preach the true and living God of Abraham to a world that will have turned to a false god and insists upon continued worship of him. The people’s sinful idolatry will become a plague in itself to convict their hearts.
The powers of Satan will attempt to destroy the witnesses of God, but nothing – even physical death – can quiet the cry of godly testimony. Some may overlook the fact that Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve who was murdered by an evil and jealous elder brother, even today testifies of God’s gifts as found in Hebrews 11:4: “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” God and His witnesses will ultimately be victorious, as we can note when we consider Acts 1:8, because they “…shall receive power…”
In our next article we will take a look at the seventh trumpet and the third woe as we further consider God’s righteous judgment poured out upon a wicked and rebellious world. Until then may we ever bow low before God while standing boldly before men, withholding no measure of His truth as we share the most compelling story ever told, the Gospel of Jesus and eternal life through Him alone. Be blessed –