CHAPTER 11
Revelation 11:1-2 And I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and it was said to me, "Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. But exclude the outer court of the temple; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. "
In the visions that had come before 1 , the apparition revealed to the divine John the multitude of saints accompanying Christ and the divine throne they beheld, among whom those from the nations far outnumbered those from Israel. But now, another vision shows him how many, or rather how few, were esteemed in the time of the Old Covenant, and how many in the era of the New.
And see how cleverly this is depicted to him. He is given a measuring rod to measure the temple of God and the altar within the temple, clearly referring to the one in Jerusalem, and those who worship there. And he measured; for those who were counted were few, as in the times of old, who had found favor with God.
And he says that the outer court of the temple was cast out and should not be measured, because it was given to the Gentiles . Having measured the temple and the altar and those who were sacrificing within it, he heard that the court should be cast out to the outside and made wider, but not to be measured, as it was considered to have a superior measure.
He says that the court is given to the Gentiles , and it is held both within the temple and outside of it; and the New Covenant is held in place of the Old. For what is contained in it is fulfilled spiritually and truly in a shadowy manner, and it is different from the old one, according to the words of Jeremiah: “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day I took hold of their hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.” (Jer. 31:31-32)
He therefore speaks of the new covenant as the court of the temple . Then, the vision subtly implies that the Lord of the Old Covenant has also been established, the one who in the New Covenant has appeared as Christ and Ruler 2 [ἀρχή], just as it seems to Paul when speaking about Israel, “for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them; and that rock was Christ.” (1 Cor. 10:4)
Oecumenius commentary on 1 Corinthains 10:4
“From a spiritual following rock.” The stone was obviously perceptible, the one from which water gushed forth for the Israelites, but it did not gush by its own nature; rather by the power of the spiritual rock present to it in operation, and following the need of the thirsty ones, that is, converting and transforming everything for their salvation and benefit, and being conjoined to their will; and sometimes fixing the water for them as if to let stones cross, at other times causing the heaven to bestow abundant food and nourishment on them, and at other times stopping up the rock into springs of waters. Therefore it would be reasonable to say “to drink from a spiritual rock.” For this was the one that opened the perceptible springs into waters. But who was that spiritual rock, he says, that accompanied all these things, and according to each occasion’s need changed and transformed the natures of things? Who? he says, namely Christ , who even now shows to us similar and greater things. “Following” may be taken differently. For the intelligible rock, that is Christ, not only wondrously authenticated to them the things spoken, but also thereafter followed and was said to be doing things similar to these and greater, benefiting the Israelite, and also now following us the faithful. So that by continuity of the same providence, and of the same Lord and God, the miracles and benefactions of the Old Testament and those of the New are one. "From the spiritual." Since he said the drink was spiritual, it was not something altered like the manna, but was ordinary water; and therefore, from the manner of its rising up he makes it spiritual. For the rock did not give it forth by its own nature. If that were so, it would have had to give forth before, but another rock operates the whole thing spiritually, which, he says, was Christ. "Following." The "following" denotes the Spirit ever present with Christ, and working all miracles.
He called the New one the court of the old; for the court is the beginning and entrance of God, but not the temple . Therefore, he did not measure the court through which both it and those within it are revealed; for both the New one and those who have succeeded within it extend beyond the limit, the former due to their countless multitude, and the latter because of the elusiveness and height of the doctrines.
That it is said to have been given to the Gentiles , it was indeed also given to Israel the new blessings; but since those among the Gentiles were superior in number to the distinguished ones from Israel, it demonstrated that the whole was from the greater number, saying that the court was given to the Gentiles .
And he says that they will trample the holy city for forty-two months , the city (not the temple), calling the church a city , concerning which it has been said with glory about you: the city of God (Ps. 86:3), the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb. 12:22), the mother of the firstborn (Ps. 86:5), whose names are written in heaven. (Heb. 12:23)
What then does the measure of the forty-two months signify? It clearly indicates that the time of the new order on earth will be brief, and that the end will soon come. The number forty , composed of four tens, is not perfect, nor is the number two . From this, the argument shows that the new state will not endure long in the present life; therefore, the Scripture calls the final hour, and again the eleventh hour (Matt. 20:6, 9.), the time of the new era, during which the Only-Begotten came into the world; and in the future, it will be eternal.
To say that those from the Gentiles will trample the holy city , that is, the church, means that those dwelling within it will be persecuted.
Revelation 11:3-6 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophecy for one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the 3 two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wishes to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies; and if anyone wishes to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. They have the authority to shut the sky so that no rain falls during the days of their prophecy, and they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they desire .
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. Now, however, these matters are being taught again, as if by way of correction, that Elijah the Tishbite will indeed come, as the divine Scripture clearly foretells. Malachi states, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the Tishbite before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, who will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” (Mal. 4:4-5) Furthermore, the Lord, speaking to Matthew concerning John the Baptist, says, “If you are willing to accept it, this is Elijah who is to come.” (Matt. 11:14) Regarding another forerunner, we have heard nothing clearly anywhere, except that concerning Enoch, Genesis states that “he pleased God and was taken away.” (Gen. 5:22) The wise Apostle, speaking of him, affirms “by faith, Enoch was taken away so that he would not see death, and he was not found because God had taken him.” (Heb. 11:5) 4
Oecumenius commentary on Hebrews 11:5
"By faith, Enoch." From him, the abolition of death was prefigured. Indeed, through Abel, the approval of the sentence was shown, but through Enoch, it is abolition. Enoch believed that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him; therefore, he was also pleasing to God: and to such an extent was his faith that what seemed contrary also appeared. For Abel, although he had pleased God, was slain, and God did not wish to overlook his death; therefore, Enoch was pleasing to God only by faith, believing in the reward of the good. For the sake of faith, therefore, he was pleasing, and because he was pleasing, he was taken away. "he would not see death," For he was indeed removed, and still lives: moreover, where and how, it is uncertain.
An ancient tradition persists in the Church: after Elijah the Tishbite, Enoch will also come, preceding the second coming of Christ and proclaiming the imminent appearance of the Antichrist. It is said that they will come first and serve as forerunners, testifying in advance that the signs performed by the Antichrist are deceptive and that one should not believe the deceiver. Regarding these matters, the vision now speaks:
that they will prophecy for a certain number of days or reveal some secret number or the entirety of what is to come. It is said that they will do this while clothed in sackcloth . For they will mourn over the disobedience of the people at that time.
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 from the angel who was speaking that “they are the two sons of oil, who stand before the Lord of all the earth.” (Zech. 4:11-14) And that from this the prophet’s use of the articles in the phrase “ these are the two olive trees and the two lampstands ” is confirmed; for this serves to indicate an agreed upon symbolism, except that here Zechariah called them “two dispensers” John called them “ two lampstands .” That the two branches of the olive tree , one from the Jews and the other from the Gentiles, have been interpreted as the two peoples is not unknown to the saints. Nevertheless, it is also possible that the two prophets mentioned in the current discourse are meant.
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 . This is among the most probable; for if one of them had such authority, Elijah the Tishbite, even before completing the ministry of Christ, how unlikely would it be for him to precede Christ?
And he says they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they desire . For “the presence” of the Antichrist will be revealed “in the power of Satan through all kinds of signs and false wonders,” as Paul writes in his second letter to the Thessalonians (2 Thess. 2:9), and these signs were intended to lead to assent and belief. Therefore, the two prophets who speak about him say that he is a deceiver and a fraud, and that he will use various signs to draw those who hear him into belief.
Oecumenius commentary on 2 Thessalonians 2:9
He said, The Lord will abolish the coming of the Antichrist to himself, whose coming will be according to the operation of Satan. For through his action the Devil will work all things. “ with all power and signs .” He foretold this, so that those present then would not be deceived. “He will show all power,” he says. But of falsehood, either because he will act only according to illusion and so will deceive the eyes; or because they lead to falsehood. Or in every matter that can deceive and harm those who believe. Or, as has been said, he will make signs solely for imagination and appearance.
Revelation 11:7-10 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast ascending from the abyss will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the public square of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. And people from all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will look at their dead bodies. And they will not allow their bodies to be laid in a tomb. Moreover, those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate, and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth .
And when they have finished their testimony , for they will testify that the one present is not the Christ, but rather a deceiver, a fraud, and destructive. But the Son of God, who must also be believed as Savior and God and as the benefactor of mankind, will come, a coming long foretold and now occurring.
And the beast, he says that it is ascending from the abyss . The term " beast " [θηρίον] is used to describe the Antichrist 5 due to his brutal, inhuman, and bloodthirsty nature; whereas " abyss " [ἄβυσσος] refers to the life of humans, which is bitter because of sins, salty, and unstable owing to the influence of the spirits of evil.
Therefore, the beast will kill the two witnesses, and their bodies will be left unburied in the streets of Jerusalem. For in that city , he will reign as king over the Jews, and having deceived them, he will exercise authority over all who serve and obey him, just as the Lord says to John: "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him." (Jn. 5:43)
Jerusalem, however, is spiritually called Sodom , not in a literal sense, because of the recklessness and heresy present at that time, and Egypt , as a place betraying and wronging the servants of Christ; just as Egypt did to Israel; where also he says that the Lord of these two witnesses was crucified.
And seeing that those deceived by the Antichrist from every tribe witness the destruction of the martyrs, they will rejoice over them as if their king has been victorious.
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.
Revelation 11:11-14 And after three and a half days, breaths of life from God entered them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon those who saw them; and they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; and seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest, being afraid, gave glory to the God of heaven. Woe, the second has passed; behold, the third woe is coming quickly .
Since all things are clearly evident and destined to occur perceptibly at that time, it is excessive to dwell on what has been acknowledged.
Revelation 11:15-19 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of God and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations were angry, and your wrath has come, and the time for the nations to be judged, and to give the reward to your servants the prophets and to the saints and to those who fear your name, both small and great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, thunder, an earthquake, and great hail .
As a detour, the vision recounts the matters concerning the two witnesses, who are identified as prophets, and elaborates on all that pertains to them, focusing on their origin and where they have come from. They have come forth from the holy restitution of the future, and that the number of those from the nations surpasses that of Israel, and that those who have pleased God in the New Covenant exceed those in the Old.
And it states that when the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, voices were heard in heaven proclaiming that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of God and of His Christ . God always reigns, and He neither began nor will cease to reign over heaven and earth and all things visible and invisible within them, but He is the Ruler and Lord of all things without beginning and without end. Since men also became kings on earth, God had a certain way of sharing kingship with them; but when the earthly kingdom of men is dissolved at the end of the present age, only God will reign. Therefore, it has been said that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of God and of His Christ , with the men who ruled on earth and the tyrannical demons having been destroyed and ceased.
When this voice arose, the elders worshiped God , also offering their own thanksgiving, saying, " We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was ." The phrase " who is " is properly attributed to the Holy Trinity, and " who was ," although primarily said concerning the Father, is also applied to the Son, for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all exist eternally. Thus, the term " who was " is rightly spoken of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the thanksgiving of the elders is dedicated to the Holy Trinity.
That you say you have taken your great power and your kingdom from those on earth, and that you alone now reign; but concerning the earthly kingdom that is perishing, it is understandable that the nations became angry , as their dominion was overthrown, referring to the orders of both the demons and the unbelieving men.
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 the things owed and appointed to the nations have also come and are present. What then? This was the judgment and the giving of retribution to the saints who had suffered wrongfully under them, and the destruction by the recompense of punishment of those who corrupted the earth, as if they had defiled it with their own sins.
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. For he indicates that good things are hidden in the coming age, concealed from present human beings, as he says, “what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man,” which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor. 2:9) And again, that there is some mystery and a different knowledge unknown to those now living, the Lord reveals by saying, “I will not drink again from the fruit of this vine until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father.” (Matt. 26:29; Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18)
The saints were deemed worthy of these things, but to the sinners there came flashes of lightning, voices, thunder, earthquakes, and great hail , which constitute the third woe, the future punishments known to us for the impious, and the word alludes to the signs from God.
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Translator’s notes for chapter 11.
1. See comments on Rev. 7:9
2. “appeared as Christ and Ruler” [ἀρχή]. This can also be translated as “appeared as Christ and Beginning”. ἀρχή in Ancient Greek means beginning, origin, first, principle, and also ruler, authority, power, or empire, reflecting a concept of the starting point that establishes order. It can refer to the start of time (like John 1:1), the source of something, or a position of leadership, as seen in spiritual or political contexts.
3. The oldest manuscript of Oecumenius 146 (Messina 99) omits “ the two olive trees and ”. The critical texts of Hoskier and Groote both go with the oldest manuscript reading. Manuscripts 203 (Salonika Blat. 53) and 240 (Athos 770) both have it. Considering that Oecumenius uses that part below in his comments hints that it is the correct reading.
4. Oecumenius, in his commentary on that passage in Hebrews says, “"’he would not see death,’ For he was indeed removed, and still lives: moreover, where and how, it is uncertain.”
5. “The term "beast" [θηρίον] is used to describe the Antichrist.” This would mean that Oecumenius understands this beast as the “the beast that came out of the earth”, that is, the False Prophet from Revelation chapter 13. Oecumenius is clear about this elsewhere in his commentary, but in a couple of places he is a bit obscure with the identity of the three figures. The three figures are the Dragon (Rev. 12), the beast coming out of the sea (Rev. 13:1), and the beast coming out of the earth (Rev. 13:11). According to Oecumenius, the Dragon is Satan. The Beast coming out of the sea is a fallen angel or demon that is second in command behind Satan. And Oecumenius understands the False Prophet as the Antichrist. Most commonly, it has been understood by many interpreters as the second Beast who comes out of the sea as the Antichrist, and that the False Prophet being another figure who is united with the Antichrist. Oecumenius has a unique interpretation here.