Revelation 10 – 11: A book opened, the two witnesses and the seventh trumpet.

Before the seventh trumpet sounds God adds information about this time period. Revelation 10 and 11 give additional information of the time at the time of the Ottoman empire and until Christ second coming, about other things that concern God’s people. We are told that a book is opened. Which book is this? The only book we are previously told is still sealed is the book of Daniel. The one in Revelation chapters 4 and 5 had already been opened seal by seal. The angel prophesied to Daniel that the book he had sealed would be opened in the end times: “And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.» (Dan.12:9) When we now see a book open before the seven trumpet sounds and the end it is a clear reference to the book of Daniel that was sealed. But not everything in the book of Daniel was sealed, much of it was explained at the time he received it. A part of the vision was even given to His people and the nation in the city of Jerusalem.
Daniel was especially told to seal one of the visions he saw regarding a time prophecy. The angel told Daniel that the vision was of a distant future, not related to his time and therefore it was preserved for the end time congregation. The prophecy told of 2300 prophetic days or years, and that he had to seal it. When the book of Daniel is opened this vision is also understood and the angel tells us that there is no time prophecy that goes past this point. We are therefore at the end of the time prophecy given Daniel. All the other time prophecies are to end before this one ends. The time prophecy of the 2300 mornings and evenings or the 2300 literal years was speaking of the sanctuary being cleansed. “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.» (Dan.8:14)

This is especially interesting as we have seen Christ in the sanctuary in the whole book of Revelation. We have seen several of the Sanctuary items, the candlestick and altar of incense, and in the seventh trumpet, we will see the Ark of The Covenant at the most holy. The ministering of Christ for His people is taking place in the sanctuary and that John is blessed with all this insight from the High Priest Jesus Himself. The
time prophecy spoke of a cleansing of the sanctuary, and now the time has come for a special service in the sanctuary in heaven. In order to understand we have to look at the shadow service that once took place in the sanctuary on earth. The cleansing of the sanctuary took place once a year on the Day of Atonement, one of God’s appointed feasts. The meaning of the day was to cleanse the sanctuary of all the sins that had been taken in there during the year. In God’s sacrificial system the sin wasn’t removed completely when the sinner sacrificed an animal, it was removed from them personally but then transfers to the sanctuary. And this is why the sanctuary was symbolically cleansed once a year. The idea behind it is that although we are granted forgiveness through the blood of Christ, sin is still in existence. Have we really repented? Every Christian knows there are fake Christians and good Christians. Those who claim Christ’s blood but don’t really repent or convert. On the day of atonement, those who had not really repented or humbled themselves were cut off from the people. A cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, therefore, consists of an investigation of those who have claimed Christ’s blood to themselves. Which makes perfect sense as God needs to separate the false apostles from the real before He returns. Jesus said he would separate the goats from the sheep. He also speaks of ten virgins all waiting for the groom, a metaphor for Christians waiting for Christ. Five of them are not accepted as they had not filled oil on their lamps and the lamps had gone out. (Matt.25) In the Bible oil is a symbol of The Spirit and a lamp a symbol of God’s word:

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psa 119:105)

Although confessing to being believers and waiting for Christ these virgins have not let the Spirit guide them and their lamp went dark when they didn’t let the God’sword direct their path.

The thought that the book opened is the book of Daniel and the vision that is especially unsealed is the time prophecy is strengthened when the next scene we are given is an angel holding a measuring rod, “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.» (Rev.11:1) It’s of course not talking about measuring their height and with but their character. The measuring rod is God’s standard, His law, which we are measured after. (Jak 2,10-12; Pred. 12,13-14 Jes. 8,19-20; 2 Tim. 3,16-17) Note that the measuring rod is given into the hands of John, meaning we have to take part in distinguishing God’s people after God’s standard. An evaluation of the believers. He was also to measure the temple which means that the symbols in there, the law in there, was to be evaluated and used when measuring the people. We see this repeated in a later chapter when one of the last messages given to the world is that the hour of judgment has begun. So it’s clear that between the sixth trumpet and the seventh the time prophecy of Daniel has reached its end and the sanctuary was to be cleansed, an investigative judgment. We see the same pattern in God’s holy feast days. The feasts in the spring prophecized Christ’s first coming and the feast in the fall prophesied His second coming. The Day of Atonement, when the sanctuary was to be cleansed, came five days before the harvest. That day where it was to be determined who would get to stay with Israel and who had to leave. And so the judgment of God’s people are placed before Christ second coming in several prophecies.
The prophecy of the cleansing of the sanctuary has an even deeper impact on God’s people. From the messages to the seven churches we learn that the fifth church had fallen away greatly and that only a few remained faithful. We were told that they needed to hold fast on what they had heard and received from God’s word. However, the sixth church has undergone such a change from the former that God has nothing He wishes to reproof them of. Something had happened to the church when Jezabel had corrupted the word and to the sixth. Truth had again conquered. In the time prophecy of the 2300 mornings and evenings, we read: “Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.» (Dan 8:13-14)
God’s truth as shown in the sanctuary, His law, His times, and testimony had all been disregarded and replaced with a false Christian system. For a long time, this power gets the majority of the people in darkness to the Biblical truth. This shows us that while the Sanctuary in heaven would go through its Day of Atonement the people on earth were enlightened to the truth of the Sanctuary all over again. The people who received enlightenment from the Sanctuary and the law there and the service there was the church God had no reproof to give to. The truth was not trodden underfoot, they had perfectly embraced it. So in Daniel, we learn that truth would again come into the light and in Revelation, we see how God’s people are measured by the temple standard.

Two witnesses and a beast.

Even though we are told that the Roman empire will be divided before Christ returns there are still different powers within this division that are revealed as beasts. After showing John the measuring rod and the temple Christ reveals two witnesses.

«And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, Clothed in sackcloth.» (Rev 11:3)

Here we receive another time prophecy of 1260 prophetic days which is 1260 years. We see God going a little bit back in time. We know that the sanctuary was to be trodden under the foot and truth be suppressed. And we are already told that the power who would do this was the same power that would physically suppress God’s people for «a time and times and the dividing of time.» (Dan.7:25) If they only got 1260 years then why does it say the sanctuary was trodden under foot for 2300 mornings and evenings? The 1260 years refer to physical suppression as well as religious. Those reforming under freedom still had a long way to go before they had rid themselves of these powers’ deceptions and religious rules. However, in the time period from the 1260 years to the end and to the end of the 2300 years, the rediscovering of God’s truth took place which ended with their enlightenment in the Sanctuary. Why did they not have this opportunity before? Because God’s two witnesses were «witnessing in sackcloth». While the Catholic Church religiously ruled in Europe they made the Bible a forbidden book for common people. Most people did not have an opportunity to study and find the truths that were there. Those sharing the Bible in this period did it in hiding. Bibles were smuggled from different secluded places where
a few faithful were copying them and to especially interested. The Bible was suppressed, the truth had to be shared in hiding. And this is partly why the truth had been trodden underfoot. When the papal authority lost power the two witnesses, The Old and the New Testament, got a new enemy. Because of faithful men that had risked their lives printing it hiding and spreading it helped the Reformation away from Roman Christianity. The Protestant movement was flourishing and becoming strong. The two witnesses had done their important work in realizing people from spiritual superstitions: «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.» (Rev 11:7) A beast rises and makes war against the Bible just as they have done this great work in sack-cloth and finally was free to preach. The word used in the Arab was a bottomless «hole». Her only the word abyss is used. The word is used in several places and doesn’t refer to one land area.

«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. And they 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. 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. 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.» (Rev 11:8-11)

The Bible had first shared its witness in sackcloth, in hiding. Then when they finally could preach in the free this new power made war against them. It’s compared to Sodom and Egypt and even the city Christ was crucified. All of these are symbolic expressions. In Egypt pharaoh when confronted with God’s word said: «And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.» (Exo 5:2) Pharaoh denied the existence of God or the authority of Him. In Sodom, we see the same happening. Lot was faithful to God’s standard. He represented God in the city to the people. It says Lot sat in the gate which was commonplace in those days to preach, trade and do judgments. About him it says: «And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2. Pet.2:7) Before Sodom was destroyed there was a confrontation between the citizen of the city and Lot:

«And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.» (Gen.19:9)

They would not be judged by God’s standards. In Jerusalem, when Christ was crucified the following word exchange took place between the Roman pontiff and the leaders of the Jewish people:

«And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered We have no king but Caesar.» (Joh 19:14-15)

Here we can see that they chose a worldly king over a godly king. So all thee three examples used referred to a government that refused to be judged by God’s word. And in their attempt to rid themselves of His judgments, they give their loyalty to a worldly power and deny God. This is exactly what happened as the 1260 years were over. The French Revolution managed to take the Pope off his throne, but they also made war against God’s two witnesses, the Bible. It was the first time that a complete rejection of a divinity was made and as part of the state policy. In 1793 a decree passed in the French Assembly forbidding the Bible. As a result, the Bible was burned and banned. The book that had been in hiding was now made into a big bonfire. They attacked all religious people, both Catholic and Protestant. They wanted to rid themselves of the morals and standards in the Bible and replace them with an atheistic worldview.

They made a female idol that they called ’reason’ or the ‘goddess of reason‘ that they carried down the streets. They replace God with what they claimed was the reason, but it was their reason not necessarily everyone’s reason. However, the chaos, moral decline, and blood bath that followed made the French give up on banning religion. Three years later a resolution was introduced into the Assembly to again give tolerance to the Bible. The resolution was on hold for six months before coming in force. Exactly 3,5 years as the Bible itself, the book they had burnt, prophecied. The future of the Bible is told in the next verses:

«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.» (Rev 11:12)

When the two witnesses go from being in sack-cloth, to being destroyed, ascending to heaven means they now are elevated to a position where all can behold them. This is a good description of what happened to the Bible next. The Bible is probably the most spread book in the world, still on top lists of most sold books the last 50 years. Once the Bible became «free» it was unstoppable and no book has been able to take its place.

Now the warfare against the Bible is somewhat different. Thousands of different explanations for their words are given confusing people into not reading it. Easy and light entertainment is also competing and has resulted in many claiming they don’t have the concentration to read it. The Catholic church still teaches their followers that when in competition, traditions and the Church’s authority comes
before the word in the Bible. Many protestant teachers have taught their followers that much of the Bible is irrelevant and can be ignored, as it’s not part of the new covenant. Today teachers undermine the authority of the Word while they elevate their own private judgments and standards. The philosophy behind the French Revolution is still at war with the Bible. The movement nurtured atheism, inspired Marxism, communism as well as being the father of socialism that also is against God. In the end countries all over Europe and other places in the world would follow in its footsteps and through the government or state they would preach atheism as the accepted truth. They call the Bible a fantasy story that shouldn’t be taken seriously. Anyone practicing its teachings is considered fanatic. Although the Bible is allowed, the philosophy is that it’s dangerous or historically deceptive. The warfare has gone from physical to
spiritual, from sword to word, from threats to ridicule. However, this warfare is still through governmental powers. Although available it’s
disregarded as a source of truth. They say you can believe what you want as long as you do what they do. And as long as your children are taught
by the state from an early age that the Bible isn’t true. The law of God explains that what you teach children when they are young is the path
they will choose when they are older. The teaching of the falseness of the Bible in schools is a leading cause why western society has become
less and less religious. Aristotle said: “Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the man.” The placing of atheism and evolution in the educational system has transformed the western world into agnostics.

Seventh trumpet

At the end of Chapter 11, we see the seventh trumpet blow. People have been investigated and the time has come for God to carry out the punishment and judgment over the people:

“And the nations were angry, and thy wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.» (Rev.11:18-19)

By the witness’s elevation, the world has received a chance to choose God’s way. We can now see the Ark of The Covenant that once stood in the Sanctuary and in the temple. It stood in a place called the Most Holy place. Inside the Ark were the ten commandments. When we learn that nations will be judged and at the same time see the Ark of the Covenant followed by the execution of judgment we know that the law in the Ark is still what man is judged by, His measuring rod. It shows us the validity of the law until the very end.
Now the Papal Church has changed these same commandments. Removed one, divided another, and changed a third. However, the law in the Ark in God’s sanctuary is not the same as the papal changed one. We are not judged by man’s alterations and versions of God’s law. We are judged by God’s law. This means that in order for us to be saved, we have to have repented the breaking of these laws which is God’s definition of sin and sought atonement for them with Christ’s blood. However, a person who does not acknowledge them as an authority cannot repent breaking them either. And where there is no repentance, there is no atonement. The papal church, the largest church in the world, is teaching its followers that the original law of God that is in God’s temple, can be broken without it being a sin. They prevent a man from repenting and their sin is therefore great. Other Protestant churches are teaching that none of these commandments are valid and are even at times encouraging their followers to break some of them in Christ’s name. But Revelation 11 and the seventh trumpet is clear what standard we are to be judged by. Jesus died to atone for our sin, the breaking of God’s
laws and ordinances.

All the sixth trumpets illustrate wars coming against the Roman empire and its remains. Even the French revolution took part in taking power from the Roman Pontiff. But his religious power didn’t end. The seventh trumpet will finish off the last part of the Roman influence, the false Christian system receives its final punishment. They are measured by the law and found to be in rebellion and not in repentance. Christ Himself will deal with this last power, and then the remaining bits of the Iron Kingdom, mixed with clay, will all receive their final end. God personally destroy the last part of the Roman line as the Pope has blasphemed God in the worst way, and led millions in perdition by deception and in His name. No more deceptions, no more suppression. Christ’s kingdom is the only one to remain, and all rebels will be dealt with.