Rev. 11 Rev. 11:1, Rev. 11:2 John is commanded to measure the temple, all but the outer court. Rev. 11:3–4 The two witnesses that shall prophesy, Rev. 11:5–6 their power, Rev. 11:7 the beast shall fight against them, and kill them, Rev. 11:8–10 they shall lie unburied three days and a half, Rev.

And there was given me a reed like a rod; the next words tell us the use of this reed. It was a measuring reed, such a one as Ezekiel in his vision (Ezek. 40:3} saw in the man’s hand. There, the measuring was in order to a rebuilding; here, in order to preserving.

There is no great doubt, but the same persons are here to be understood by the court which is without the temple, ( that is, without the inward court), and the holy city; and by them, both the generality of those people who come under the name of the Christian church, who are all of them, in some…

And I will give power unto my two witnesses: there hath been a great dispute amongst godly and learned men, who these two witnesses should be: some have thought them to be Enoch and Elijah, who, though long since glorified, they have thought (with no great probability, as I suppose any indifferent…

Here is a manifest allusion to Zechariah’s vision, Zech. 4:2–3, Zech. 4:11–14, though with some little difference. He saw a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which were upon the top thereof: and two olive trees…

And if any man will hurt them; that is, my faithful ministers, the two olive branches before mentioned, which fill the candlesticks with oil. Fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: here is a plain allusion to the stories of Moses and Elijah, calling for fire from heaven;…

It is plain that here is an allusion to Elijah, who prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months, James 5:17; see the story, 1 Kings 17:1; and to Moses, who turned the waters into blood in Egypt; and after was an instrument to…

And when they shall have finished their testimony; otan teleswsoi Mr. Mede notes, that this is ill translated by the preterperfect tense; the true English of it is, when they shall be about to finish their testimony: when they have prophesied in sackcloth the most of their twelve hundred and sixty…

Their bodies dead, in the sense before mentioned, shall continue so for three days and a half, of which we shall speak, Rev. 11:11. But what is here meant: 1. By the great city? 2.

And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations; that is, a multitude of people of all sorts shall take notice of this suppression of these two witnesses in their bearing witness for God, and all the cruel dealings with them.

It is plain by the repeating of the same words in the close of the verse, that by those that dwell upon the earth are meant earthly, carnal men, whether papists or atheists; men that are mad upon their lusts; for these are those in whose consciences faithful and powerful preaching breeds a torment…

And after three days and an half; after that short time which God had determined for antichrist, (just before his time should be expired), or after the precise time of forty-two months, or three years and a half, was expired, when the Gentiles thought they had fully prevailed, and should be no more…

And they, that is, the two witnesses, so often before spoken of, heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither; heard God by a singular providence calling them again to their former work and station in his church; or (as some) to a higher and more famous place in his church than…

And the same hour; that is, about the same time, when the Spirit of life from God entered into the witnesses, and they were again restored. Was there a great earthquake; by earthquake doubtless is here meant a great confusion in the world, and shaking of nations by differences one with another, and…

The second woe is past; that is, here endeth the misery that is like to come upon the world in that period of time which shall follow the sounding of the sixth trumpet.

And the seventh angel sounded; the last of those angels mentioned Rev. 8:2. And there were great voices in heaven, saying; St. John in his vision heard great acclamations and shoutings for the victory which Christ and his gospel had got over the beast.

I take this to signify no more than the triumph of the saints and angels in heaven upon this victory of the Lord over antichrist, and the promoting of Christ’s kingdom; and certainly if there be joy in heaven upon the conversion of one sinner, as we are told, Luke 15:7, we must imagine a much…

Which art, and wast, and art to come; it is a phrase denoting God’s eternity and immutability; we met with it before, Rev. 4:8. Because thou hast taken to the thy great power, and hast reigned; those celestial beings bless God for exerting his power, and recovering the kingdom of Christ out of the…

And the nations were angry; those who have not been of thy true Israel, but old or modern Gentiles, they have been angry long enough. And thy wrath is come; now it is time for thee to show thyself angry, and thou hast begun to do it.

And the temple of God: some here, by the temple of God, understand the representation of the temple in Jerusalem; others understand the church triumphant; others, the church of Christ militant here upon earth.