The Two Witnesses
Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and I was told, "Come and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who are worshiping in it.
[1] The temple and altar symbolize the new Israel; see the note on ⇒ Rev 7:4-9. The worshipers represent Christians. The measuring of the temple (cf ⇒ Ezekiel 40:3-⇒ 42:20; ⇒ 47:1-12; ⇒ Zechariah 2:5-6) suggests that God will preserve the faithful remnant (cf ⇒ Isaiah 4:2-3) who remain true to Christ (⇒ Rev 14:1-5).
But exclude the outer court of the temple; do not measure it, for it has been handed over to the Gentiles, who will trample the holy city for forty-two months.
[2] The outer court: the Court of the Gentiles. Trample . . . forty-two months: the duration of the vicious persecution of the Jews by Antiochus IV Epiphanes (⇒ Daniel 7:25; ⇒ 12:7); this persecution of three and a half years (half of seven, counted as 1260 days in ⇒ Rev 11:3; ⇒ 12:6) became the prototype of periods of trial for God's people; cf ⇒ Luke 4:25; ⇒ James 5:17. The reference here is to the persecution by the Romans; cf Introduction.
I will commission my two witnesses to prophesy for those twelve hundred and sixty days, wearing sackcloth."
[3] The two witnesses, wearing sackcloth symbolizing lamentation and repentance, cannot readily be identified. Do they represent Moses and Elijah, or the Law and the Prophets, or Peter and Paul? Most probably they refer to the universal church, especially the Christian martyrs, fulfilling the office of witness (two because of ⇒ Deut 19:15; cf ⇒ Mark 6:7; ⇒ John 8:17).
These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.
[4] The two olive trees and the two lampstands: the martyrs who stand in the presence of the Lord; the imagery is taken from ⇒ Zechariah 4:8-14, where the olive trees refer to Zerubbabel and Joshua.
If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone wanting to harm them is sure to be slain.
[5-6] These details are derived from stories of Moses, who turned water into blood (⇒ Exodus 7:17-20), and of Elijah, who called down fire from heaven (⇒ 1 Kings 18:36-40; ⇒ 2 Kings 1:10) and closed up the sky for three years (⇒ 1 Kings 17:1; cf ⇒ 18:1).
{5} The fire that comes out of their mouths is the Word of God, which converts their enemies.
They have the power to close up the sky so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying. They also have power to turn water into blood and to afflict the earth with any plague as often as they wish.
{6} More conversion imagery.
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will wage war against them and conquer them and kill them.
[7] The beast . . . from the abyss: the Roman emperor Nero, who symbolizes the forces of evil, or the antichrist (⇒ Rev 13:1, 8; ⇒ 17:8); cf ⇒ Daniel 7:2-8, ⇒ 11-12, ⇒ 19-22 and Introduction.
Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city, which has the symbolic names "Sodom" and "Egypt," where indeed their Lord was crucified.
[8] The great city: this expression is used constantly in Rev for Babylon, i.e., Rome; cf ⇒ Rev 14:8; ⇒ 16:19; ⇒ 17:18; ⇒ 18:2, ⇒ 10, ⇒ 21. "Sodom" and "Egypt": symbols of immorality (cf ⇒ Isaiah 1:10) and oppression of God's people (cf ⇒ Exodus 1:11-14). Where indeed their Lord was crucified: not the geographical but the symbolic Jerusalem that rejects God and his witnesses, i.e., Rome, called Babylon in Rev 16-18; see the note on ⇒ Rev 17:9 and Introduction.
Those from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation will gaze on their corpses for three and a half days, and they will not allow their corpses to be buried.
[9-12] Over the martyrdom (⇒ Rev 11:7) of the two witnesses, now called prophets, the ungodly rejoice for three and a half days, a symbolic period of time; see the note on ⇒ Rev 11:2. Afterwards they go in triumph to heaven, as did Elijah (⇒ 2 Kings 2:11).
The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and be glad and exchange gifts because these two prophets tormented the inhabitants of the earth.
But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them. When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them.
Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, "Come up here." So they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on.
At that moment there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell in ruins. Seven thousand people were killed during the earthquake; the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
[13] Seven thousand people: a symbolic sum to represent all social classes (seven) and large numbers (thousands); cf Introduction.
The second woe has passed, but the third is coming soon.
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet. There were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world now belongs to our Lord and to his Anointed, and he will reign forever and ever."
[15-19] The seventh trumpet proclaims the coming of God's reign after the victory over diabolical powers; see the note on ⇒ Rev 10:7.
The twenty-four elders who sat on their thrones before God prostrated themselves and worshiped God
{16} 24 elders = 12 tribal heads + 12 apostles
and said: "We give thanks to you, Lord God almighty, who are and who were. For you have assumed your great power and have established your reign.
The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and to recompense your servants, the prophets, and the holy ones and those who fear your name, the small and the great alike, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."
Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm.
{19} The ark of his covenant contains the ten commandments, which is the Law of Moses, which is Jesus. Mary is the new ark of the covenant. Mary is symbolic of the Mother Church, where the Eucharist resides today. The Mother Catholic Church is the final ark of the covenant. The New Jerusalem that comes down from heaven. God’s kingdom.