The Suffering Witnesses
For Meditation
We are now in the heart of what is called the “Cycles of Seven” in the Book of Revelation. The last two weeks we looked at the vision of the seven seals. Now beginning with chapter 8 we begin the second cycle, which is the vision of the seven trumpets (chapters 8-11). Remember, these cycles are not chronological, happening one after another, but are re-telling the same story from a different “camera angle.” So we see the same kind of development with the seven trumpets as we saw with the seven seals: the first four trumpets produce natural calamities involving the earth, sea, rivers and the stars. The next three involve humankind and the suffering inflicted by human sin and evil. As we saw in the seven seals, we see a picture of life between the first and second comings of Christ, as God allows the repercussions of sin and evil to take their course, in hope that humanity would repent of their rebellion against God.
Our textual focus this week will not be on the blowing of the trumpets in chapters 8 and 9, but the “interlude” in chapters 10 and 11. Just like in the seals there was an interlude between the 6th and 7th seals that focused on the people of God, so also in this vision there is an interlude between the 6th and 7th trumpets that also focuses on the people of God. But the focus is somewhat different. Last week we saw an emphasis on the identity of God’s people, as people from all nations are sealed for God. This week, we’ll see the focus on the vocation of God’s people, which is to be witnesses to Jesus and the gospel during the time of the tribulation.
Chapter 11 is notoriously difficult to interpret- some say it is the most complicated chapter in the book. But at root, it is about the call of the church to bear witness to the gospel in a hostile world, following after Jesus the Lamb. Tom Wright summarizes this section with these words: “The God-given and God-protected vocation to bear faithful prophetic witness will not mean that one will be spared from suffering and death, but rather that this suffering and death itself, like that of the Jesus whom the church worships and follows, will be the ultimate prophetic sign through which the world will be brought to glorify God.”
In preparation, read chapters 8 and 9 and ask God to prepare you to hear his call to bear witness to Jesus.
Revelation 10–11:15
1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2 He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”
5 Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6 And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! 7 But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”
8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”
9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’” 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”
1 I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. 6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
11 But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.
15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign for ever and ever.”