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LESSON 16 - CHAPTER 11:1-19

R E V E L A T I O N

Charles Caldwell Ryrie, p. 99-105

A Reminder

These lessons are written as an accompanment to
Charles C. Ryrie's [1996] Book
REVELATION
Everyday Bible Commentary
Moody Publishers
Chicago
ISBN: 978-0-8024-1825-8
(You Must Own your own copy)
(Ryrie's book text is not included in these lessons)

THE TEMPLE,

THE TWO WITNESSES, AND

THE SEVENTH TRUMPET

“As we enter into this eleventh chapter, we should remind ourselves of the quote from J.B. Smith, from our previous lesson:

Although John “was doubtless delighted with the fact of a new revelation from the Lord, he nevertheless was distressed with the content of that revelation. While he doubtless rejoiced in a measure at the revelation of the coming triumph and glory, yet he was saddened and grieved because preceding that glory were to occur the most terrible judgments and martyrdoms in all history.[1]”

As it was with John, so may it be with us.

(Note: All Chapter 11 Text will be the Visualized Text style)

And now:

CHAPTER 11

6. The Temple, The two Witnesses and the Seventh Trumpet 11:1-19

a. The Temple 11:1-2

The Visualized Text 11:1-2

1 Then there was given me

a reed [measuring rod]; and

saying [to me],

“Get up and measure

the temple of God and

the altar, and

those who worship in it.

2 Throw out the court

which is outside the temple and

do not measure it,

for it has been given to the nations; and

they will tread

under foot

the holy city

for forty-two months.

Ryrie, pg. 99

OUR COMMENT

Yes, God is in control!

It sounds somewhat complicated… but the major message is that God is in control. Here, as the various parts of the Temple are measured, He is measuring the faith and worship of all those, especially believing Jews, found there. It may take a moment or two to remember that this is not the “Tabernacle” but the new Temple. It will probably be quite large, with much room for worshippers. Temple worship will be initiated in the first half of the Tribulation, and the trampling down will take place in the second half.

b. Two Witnesses 11:3—14

(1.) Authority of their Ministry 11:3a

3 And

I will grant authority

to my two witnesses,

(2.) Prophecy Time of their Ministry 11:3b

and

they will prophesy

for twelve hundred and sixty days,

clothed in sackcloth.”

Ryrie, Pg. 100 Bot

OUR COMMENT

1260 Days is exactly 42 months of 30 days, or 3 and one half years. Our 2 witnesses are real people, not any group or the nation of Israel. They have a specific ministry to fulfill for God’s purposes. These two are likely to have been chosen as specific effective believers of the first part of the Tribulation and not resurrected prophets from the Old Testament, such as Enoch or Elijah.

(3.) The Traits of their Ministry 11:4-6

Their Character v. 4

4 These

[two witnesses] are the

two olive trees and the

two lampstands

that stand before the Lord of the earth.

Ryrie, Pg. 101 middle

OUR COMMENT

I see the description of two Olive trees as pointing them out as Israelites, as the Olive Tree is used that way in the O.T. The Olive tree produces olives, and their most important product is the oil that is made from them. The Lampstand of the temple would use olive oil for fuel. This would mean to me that God sees our two witnesses as representing His Holy Spirit’s light and ministries inside them and witnessing through them as they witness about Jesus, the Light of the World. This would certainly arouse persecution from such an evil world.

Their Conduct vv. 5-6

5 And if anyone wants to harm them,

Fire

flows out of their mouth and

devours their enemies;

so if anyone wants to harm them,

he must be killed in this way.

6 These

have the power

to shut up the sky,

so that rain will not fall

during the days of their prophesying; and

they have power

over the waters

to turn them into blood, and

to strike the earth

with every plague,

as often as they desire.

Ryrie, Pg. 101 Lower middle

OUR COMMENT

We also don’t want to forget that the power given to them makes them able, in those wicked circumstances with all the antagonism from so many evil men, women, and institutions of their time – to minster for those 1,200 days.

(4.) The Termination of their ministry 11:7—10
The Time v.7a

7a When they have finished their testimony,

Ryrie, Pg. 100 Bottom

OUR COMMENT

None

The Means v. 7b

the beast that comes up out of the Abyss

will make war with them, and

overcome them and

kill them.

Ryrie, Pg. 102 Top

OUR COMMENT

Just to clarify, the people of that time will. Many, many of them, will have become followers of all the evil that has taken hold of the world. When the witnesses are terminated by the “Beast,” the antichrist, many faithless unbelievers will see their deaths as reasons to side with him.

Also, don’t confuse “the beast” with any of the 4 living creatures around the Throne of God. “The beast out of the pit is Satan. The beast out of the sea is the world dictator (13:1). The beast out of the land is the false religious leader of that day (13:11). This unholy trinity is the satanic counterfeit of the divine Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.[2]”

The Display vv. 8-9

8 And

their dead bodies

will lie in the street

of the great city

which spiritually is called

Sodom and

Egypt,

where also their Lord was crucified.

9 Those from the

peoples and

tribes and

tongues and

nations

will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and do not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.

Ryrie, Pg. 2^nd Paragraph

OUR COMMENT

None

The Effect v. 10

10 And those who dwell on the earth will

rejoice over them and

celebrate; and

they will send gifts to one another,

because these two prophets

tormented those who dwell on the earth.

Ryrie, Pg. 102 Bottom

OUR COMMENT

It occurred to me that religious Babylon and commercial Babylon would have to be involved in the advertisement of the dead bodies – radio – TV – internet, etc. would be alive with calling for a holiday of great joy… for the dead bodies of God’s holy witnesses.

(5.) Translation 11:11—14

11 But

after the three and a half days,

the breath of life from God came into them, and

they stood on their feet; and

great fear fell

upon those who were watching them.

12 And they heard

a loud voice from heaven

saying to them [the resurrected 2 witnesses],

“Come up here.”

Then they went up into heaven in the cloud,

and their enemies watched them.

13 And in that hour

there was a great earthquake, and

a tenth of the city fell;

seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and

gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe is past;

behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

Ryrie, Pg. 103 Top

This is the end of the second woe and brings the sounding of the seventh and last trumpet.

c. The Seventh Trumpet 11:15—19
Christ’s Reign Foreseen

(1.) The Announcement of the Kingdom 11:15

15 Then

the seventh angel sounded; and

there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

“The kingdom of the world

has become the

kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and

He will reign forever and ever.”

Ryrie, Pg. 103 Bottom

OUR COMMENT
It would be another year before I was born, but on May 8, 1945. Harry S. Truman, announced the end of World War II. Joy sprang out all over the world. As a little boy I remember magazine pictures taken of that moment. So much joy! I can only imagine the great joy in the world when the Voice from Heaven proclaims that this Tribulation is over, and Jesus, The Lord, takes over His reign FOREVER!

(2.) The Adoration of God 11:16—17

16 And the twenty-four elders,

who sit on their thrones before God,

fell on their faces and

worshiped God, 17 saying,

“We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.”

Ryrie, Pg. 104 2^nd Paragraph

Our comment

None

(3.) The Anger of the Nations 11:18

18 And the nations were enraged,
and Your wrath came, and

the time came for the dead to be judged,

and the time to

reward Your bond-servants the prophets

and the saints [holy ones]

and those who fear Your name,

the small and the great,

and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

Ryrie, Pg. 104 3^rd Paragraph

OUR COMMENT

None

(4.) The Ark in Heaven 11:19

19 And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened;

and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple,

and there were flashes of lightning

and sounds

and peals of thunder

and an earthquake

and a great hailstorm.

Ryrie, Pg. 104 Bottom

Our Comment

Revelation 11:15 brings us to the second coming of Jesus Christ back to the earth. At this time, He will experience the fulfillment of the Father’s promise of Inheritance – “The Ends of the earth become yours.” We then expect a full description of the Lord’s millennial reign would follow… but no. We will have to wait until Chapter 20. There, Israel will be portrayed as a woman with a born male child (Jesus Christ) – and that nation must now undergo major persecution as Satan seeks to exterminate every physical descendant of Abraham – to prevent the fulfillment of the Abraham Covenant.

The Abrahamic Covenant is God's foundational promise to Abraham, promising him a great nation, innumerable descendants, a special land (Canaan), a great name, personal blessings, and that all families on earth would be blessed through him, establishing a covenant relationship with the believing Jewish, and Christian peoples, that is central to the Bible emphasizing faith, lineage (both physical and spiritual), and the spread of God's blessing.

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[1] J.B. Smith, A Revelation of Jesus Christ (Scottdale, PA: Herald, 1961), p. 162.

[2] John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, p. 181.

[3] footnote – Ryrie Study Bible, pg. 2028.

[4] J.A. Seiss, The Apocalypse (Grannd Rapids: Zondervan, 1965) 2:83.

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2026-02-20