END OF TIME PROPHECIES 129

Revelation 11v1-18.

These verses complete the section which commenced at chapter 8v1, at the opening of the seventh seal.   As with all of these major sections in the Revelation, they begin with an initiative from heaven (something is opened in heaven) and ends with the acclaim of heaven for all that God has done.  As we stated in chapter 10, this is the beginning of the end.  The time periods of forty two months (verse 2) and one thousand two hundred and sixty days (verse 3) make that clear.   This same time period occurs in chapter 12v14, where it is described   "a time, times, and half a time.    The same period is stated in chapter 12v6 and again in chapter 13v5.    All of these agree with the prophecy of Daniel in chapter 7v25 and chapter 12v7.   This time period is exactly three and a half years, which is exactly half the period of what is known as  "Daniel's seventieth week."   In Daniel chapter 9v27 it says  "He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease."   This phrase  "the midst of the week begins the three and a half year period that are described in these latter chapters of Revelation.  

The overriding theme of the chapter, as with the whole of the bible, is the revelation of God.   In reading all parts of the bible we are learning more and more about God and His character and His ways.   There may be many things as we read that we do not understand, but if we can grasp what each chapter is teaching us about God, then we have found the key to biblical interpretation.   Revelation chapter 11, from this point of view divides roughly into four sections.

• God controlling all events on earth verses 1-2.
• God commissioning His two witnesses verses 3-8.
• God condemning the ungodly behavior of earth dwellers verses 9-13.
• God commanding the praise of all heaven verses 14-18.

This is God's world, it is all about Him, and those who follow Him are blest.   The difficulties of the chapter are largely removed when we take the literal approach as far as possible; also allowing scripture usage of the symbols to explain the rest.   We must ever bear in mind that these are last day conditions and the supernatural is very much in operation.   Therefore I view the temple spoken of here as literal, the holy city as the earthly Jerusalem,  the time periods of forty two months, twelve hundred and sixty days, and three and a half days to be literal; the two witnesses to be two actual people whom God will raise up in the last days; the abyss to be the place of incarceration of certain fallen angels; the earthquake to be literal; and the seven thousand dead to be actual casualties.   It is this understanding which makes the events so much more graphic and removes the endless speculation and uncontrolled imagination which can only lead to doubt and lack of confidence amongst God's people.  

There are those who object to the temple in verse 1 being considered as literal.   Their argument is that the book of Revelation was published between 85 & 90AD, whereas the temple was destroyed in 70AD and has never been rebuilt.   The fact that on the holy site of the temple today there exists the dome of the rock, which is one of the sacred sites of Islam, magnifies the problem; so the question is, how are Israel going to build another temple on this site (for the Jews will never build a temple on any other site).      The ultimate answer is, of course, God, who can engineer any circumstances.   There is evidence that in a future day the world power will make a covenant with Israel (Daniel 9v27) and this may be one of the conditions of the covenant.   I think it is best to view this temple as a new temple that will be built on the holy site in the first period of Daniel's seventieth week.   This temple of course will be an apostate temple since the Jews at this time in the main have still rejected Christ.   It is interesting that in the very last verse of the chapter we are given the vision of the true temple of God in heaven.   The lesson is abundantly clear that no matter the failures on earth God will establish His kingdom and will set up His dwelling place with men on the earth.  This new temple will not be the final one for according to Ezekiel chapters 40-48 another one of huge dimensions will be built.