Revelation of John 11 · The Lantern

The Two Witnesses

And a measuring rod like a staff was given to me, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those worshiping in it.

And then she again took hold of me by the hand, and raised me, and made me sit on the seat to the left; and lifting up a splendid rod, she said to me, "Do you see something great?" And I say, "Lady, I see nothing." She said to me, "Lo!

He commands that the teaching of a false faith and the contagion of a sinful way of life among the heretics, Jews and Gentiles be expelled, for it is not right that such persons approach the holy of holies. For the apostle says, "What have I to do with judging outsiders?

And I was given a rod like a staff—Ezekiel shows this again, as he has announced spiritually the measurings of the heavenly city. Arise, measure the Lord's temple, and the altar, and those who worship in it—he calls the temple the body of Christ.

And the courtyard outside the temple, leave outside and do not measure it, because it has been given up to the nations; and they will trample upon the holy city forty and two months.

'(On this): The city is the Church ; and these months they are to persecute her and kill, when the false Christ [St. Matth. xxiv. 24] shall come, because she worships him not. Now of this said Daniel, He shall approve the covenant for many, one week; in the half of the week shall cease the sacrifice [Dan, ix. 27].

And they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. Not only are they expelled from the Church, but they also, together with their Gentile allies, attack the same Church for three and a half years.

And the court that is within the temple, send outside, and do not measure it—He has adduced this, because many who are thought to be within, because they have believed, will then be driven away, when they are to be reckoned with the sinful nations, because they have not carried themselves according to the measure of grace, according to that: He will send his angels and gather f…

And I will grant to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy a thousand two hundred sixty days, having clothed themselves in sackcloth.”

Enoch no doubt was translated, and so was Elijah; nor did they experience death: it was postponed, (and only postponed, ) most certainly: they are reserved for the suffering of death, that by their blood they may extinguish Antichrist.

Since everything concerning the Lord's incarnation and administration was revealed to the evangelist in the vision, namely, the birth, the temptation, the teachings, the taunts against Him, as well as the cross, the resurrection, the second coming, and in addition the retributions for both the saints and sinners; what pertains to the forerunners of His second coming was omitted…

And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. Martyr Victorinus understands the two witnesses to be Elijah and Jeremiah, for he says that we nowhere read Jeremiah's death; but others interpret it better in thinking that they are Elijah and Enoch.

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the Lord of the earth.

It is a matter of course that His forerunners must appear first, as He says by Malachi and the angel, "I will send to you Elias the Tishbite before the day of the Lord, the great and notable day, comes; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, lest I come and smite the earth utterly." These, then, shall come and…

These, he says, are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the Lord of the whole earth. Zechariah, the inspired prophet, saw a lampstand with seven lamps above it and two olive branches, but the branches stood beside two golden oil dispensers, therefore saying: "What are these two olive branches on the sides of the two golden oil dispensers?" And he heard fr…

These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks, that stand in the sight of the Lord of the earth. The Church, whether in those two men or in all preachers in general, is represented by the olive tree because of the unction of the Holy Spirit, and by candlesticks because of the light of faith and work.

And if anyone should desire to harm them, fire goes out of their mouth and devours their enemies; and if anyone shall desire to harm them, thus it is necessary for him to be killed.

"If any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies." That fire proceedeth out of the mouth of those prophets against the adversaries, bespeaks the power of the world. For all afflictions, however many there are, shall be sent by their messengers in their word.

And he says that those who wish to wrong them are defended by fire going forth from their mouths, and they have the authority to shut the sky so that no rain falls during the days of their prophecy.

And if any man will hurt them, fire shall come out of their mouths, and shall devour their enemies. And if any man will hurt them, in this manner must he be slain. What is symbolized by fire but holy preaching kindled by the firebrands of the Holy Spirit?

These have the power to shut the sky, so that no rain may fall in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague as often as they shall desire.

And the half of the week the two prophets, along with John, will take for the purpose of proclaiming to all the world the advent of Antichrist, that is to say, for a "thousand two hundred and sixty days clothed in sackcloth; " and they will work signs and wonders with the object of making men ashamed and repentant, even by these means, on account of their surpassing lawlessness…

Not only do they suspend the rain, but also they make useless that rain that falls. That is, they turn the waters into blood on account of those who judge in a carnal way those things which the church gives to be discerned in a spiritual manner. Therefore, they deservedly die, being struck by the church with a just condemnation.

These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy. What do we understand by heaven but the same thing as by the two witnesses, namely the holy preachers of the Church? When they shut heaven that it rain not, it is indubitably themselves that they shut.

The Witnesses Killed and Raised

And when they may have completed their testimony, the beast which is coming up out of the abyss will make war with them, and he will overcome them and he will kill them.

But the sun now shone out a little, and, lo! I see a mighty beast like a whale, and out of its mouth fiery locusts proceeded. But the size of that beast was about a hundred feet, and it had a head like an urn. I began to weep, and to call on the Lord to rescue me from it.

After [the two witnesses] have witnessed and urged escape from this deceit, the beast, that is, the antichrist, comes forth from the dark and deep recesses of the earth to which the devil had been condemned.

The fifth time, at the end, is that of the restoration of ruins, for "Elias indeed is to come and to restore all things," and with him Henoch will come too. For "the beast will conquer them." And so, it is necessary that they fail, so that there be first a ruin and then a restoration; and there will be so great a "tribulation as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect."

And their body will be upon the street of the great city, which is called figuratively Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

"And their dead bodies shall lie in the streets of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt." But He calls Jerusalem Sodom and Egypt, since it had become the heaping up of the persecuting people.

Which is spiritually called Sodom, etc. That is, mute and dark, having neither the light of faith nor the voice of confession. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans X).

And their bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which is called spiritually, Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord also was crucified. By the fact that the Church of the saints is described as lying dead in the street of the great city, it is shown that it has been strongly afflicted and spiritually laid under its enemies by God's judgment.

And those of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations gaze on their body three days and a half, and they do not allow their bodies to be put into a tomb.

Since they do not allow their bodies to be gathered in a suitable place, they prevent a day for their memory to be indicated by a sacred celebration of the living.… It is no wonder that the earthly minded rejoice over the deaths of the righteous.

Those Jews and Gentiles, who once were overpowered by the false wonders of the antichrist and who had indelibly engrafted that abominable name upon their hearts, prohibited the holy bodies from being buried, and they rejoiced because they were free from the torments that [the prophets] gave for their correction.

And they of the peoples, and tribes, and tongues, and nations, shall see their bodies for three days and a half: and they shall not suffer their bodies to be laid in sepulchres. Just as graves protect bodies from human eyes, so do quiet times protect the saints from tribulation.

And those dwelling on the earth rejoice over them and make merry, and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those dwelling upon the earth.

Moreover, it is necessary to send gifts to one another as a sign of joy and gladness. For, as the two prophets say, tormented those who live on the earth, no physical torment, however; rather, by mocking their sins, exposing them, and uncovering their deceit, they will torment them intellectually.

And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them. Whenever the righteous are afflicted, the unjust rejoice and feast, just as, when the wicked prosper, the poor are inflamed.

And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry: and shall send gifts one to another, because these two tormented them that dwelt upon the earth. How they are tormented by them, we have explained a little earlier: by their devouring them with spiritual fire, stopping salutary rain, and turning waters into blood.

And after the three days and a half, the spirit of life from God entered in them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon those beholding them.

"And they went up to heaven in a cloud." The apostle spoke of this, saying, "We will be caught up in the clouds to meet Christ in the air." It is written that this cannot happen to anyone before the coming of the Lord, since at his coming all flesh is approved to arise from their graves.

Being dead for as many days as there were years of their prophecy, they will rise up and ascend into heaven on a cloud, that dominical chariot. And fear and perplexity will seize those who see it.

And after three days and a half, the spirit of life from God entered into them. And they stood upon their feet. In this place is declared the general resurrection of all the saints after that last persecution. The spirit of life from God entering into them does not mean that they will receive another spirit, but that they will get back the same that they had.

And they heard a great voice out of heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them.

And in that very hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth of the city fell, and in the earthquake were killed names of men, seven thousand. And the rest became terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

The Seventh Trumpet

And the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were great voices in heaven saying, “The kingdom of the world has become that of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign to the ages of the ages.”

And the twenty-four elders sitting before God on their thrones fell upon their faces and worshiped God,

That the foundation and strength of hope and faith is fear. In the cxth Psalm: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Of the same thing in the Wisdom of Solomon: "The beginning of wisdom is to fear God." Also in the Proverbs of the same: "Blessed is the man who reverences all things with fear." Of the same thing [in Isaiah: "And upon whom else will I look, except up…

Here again he says that the holy angels and those who live as do the angels send a hymn of thanksgiving to God, because for our sake he has become worthy to receive as man that kingdom that as God he possessed from the beginning.

And the four and twenty ancients, who sit on their seats in the sight of God, fell on their faces. Concerning the ancients, it has already been said that they signify the preachers, because a genus should be understood in the species. It is right for them to be twenty-four because of the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles.

saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God the Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and began to reign.

And the nations were enraged, and your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and to give the reward to your servants the prophets and to the saints and to those fearing your name, to the small and to the great, and to destroy those destroying the earth.”

And your wrath has come, he says, and the time of the nations has been judged, and the reward has been given to your servants, the prophets, and the saints. He says that you have long been patient with them, since they did not reject your goodness; now, that is, on the day of judgment, you have brought forth your wrath against them.

And having been patient with the unbelieving nations who were enraged at this as though it were a new and strange teaching, at the end he brings judgment upon them.… "The time of the dead" is the time of the resurrection of the dead, at which time recompense will be given to each, one after the other.

And to destroy those who corrupt the earth. This is the final woe. Thus far concerning the seven angels blowing their trumpets, now he recapitulates from the birth of the Lord, saying the same things differently and more broadly.

And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant appeared in his temple. And there were flashes of lightning and voices and thunders and an earthquake and great hail.

Now we make offering to Him, not as though He stood in need of it, but rendering thanks for His gift, and thus sanctifying what has been created.

And he says that the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. He says that after these things were spoken, hidden blessings and, in addition, certain new mysteries were revealed to the saints; for this is the opening of the Ark of the Covenant.

And the temple was opened in heaven: and the ark of his testament was seen in his temple. This saying goes back to the beginning of faith, and describes the battles of the Church with new symbols. What indeed does God's temple signify but Christ, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells corporeally? [Col.

Revelation of John11

The Two Witnesses

The Witnesses Killed and Raised

The Seventh Trumpet