HOW NEAR
ARMAGEDDON - By Elana Janson

Chapter 11

Two Witnesses

 Diagram of the War Scroll

The diagram of the War Scroll on page indicates that there is a definite break at the end of Revelation 10, and that the twenty-two chapters of Revelation should be divided into two sections, the first consisting of ten chapters and the second of twelve chapters.

As we established in the previous chapters the "woes" focussed essentially on the Far East and the Middle East, but also included the entire world. This is of the greatest significance, for at the beginning of Chapter 11 Revelation moves to an intense focus on the history of Christianity in Europe. It is placed in the section of the second woe for it indicates how the history of Europe and the West is ultimately going to include the history of the entire world.

Chapter 11 is going to expand on the times in history that were established in the first ten chapters of Revelation.

Revelation 11:1And 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."

"measure"

The word "measure" is of importance in Revelation 11:1. The angel told John to measure the temple and the altar.

At this point we already know that the measurement of the "temple" relates to the measurement of the two millennia in "generations" of 72 years, measured from the year 4 BC. ( It will be explained later in this chapter how "temple" is related to the time 4 BC and AD 70) The "altar" was measured from the time AD 26, the time of the baptism, of Jesus Christ. This first verse indicates what Revelation wishes to focus on in this chapter, namely the time that Christians are going to fail to follow the teachings of Christ, particularly with a view to the Second Coming, and church attendance is going to dwindle ( "measure….them that worship therein")

Two Old Testament references have to be considered here:

Ezekiel 40And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

Daniel 10:5-6 (KJV)Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body was also like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass,

and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

The images in Revelation 11:1 and Old Testament relate to "measurement".

The references of "girded with fine gold" and "beryl" are linked to the foundations of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21. See the chart on page of the gemstones of the New Jerusalem in relation to the dates indicated by beryl. As mentioned these colours also apply to the chart of the 144 years (1860—2004), the chart of the "manner of fruits". Note also the chain ( "girded with gold") connected to the breastplate of the high priest in the sketch on page .

The times related to beryl

1572—1644 in the measurement of the "generations" of the New Jerusalem.

1944—1956 in the "months" of the chart of the last 144 years, or "manner of fruits" see chart on page .

The time 1572 to 1644 was the time of the death of Christians in the Reformation and the war of religion, the Thirty Years War ( 1618 to 1648)

In the time 1944—1956 the West preferred to promote 'freedom of religion' in the charter of United Nations Organization even though the Trinity had given them victory over the forces of aggression in the Second World War. The "freedom" of Christians in this generation (1932—2004) would lead to a decline in Christian Church attendance and moral decline in the second half the twentieth century.

THE COPPER SCROLL

For the moment we must note that in Ezekiel the "reed" is brought to bear in relation to the man whose appearance was like brass. According to Smith’s Bible Dictionary, the correct translation for "brass" in the Old Testament would be "copper".

According to the previous chapters it seems as though John, the author of the Book of Revelation, had knowledge of the Qumran scrolls. If this is true, we here have a subtle reference to the Copper Scroll ( the "reed" being the papyrus reed with which was written, and came from Egypt) that was discovered at Qumran in 1952. The scroll proved to be an inventory of treasure, a compilation or listing of gold, silver, ritual vessels, etc. of the temple of Jerusalem. This treasure had been divided into a number of secret caches before the Roman invasion of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the Copper Scroll detailed the contents and whereabouts of each such cache. The locations of the treasures indicated on the scroll have been rendered meaningless by time. A number of people have searched for the treasures, but nothing has been found. What Revelation is saying here is that the treasure is not hidden in the temple, but that it is a measurement related to the life of Christ on earth and is an indicator of what is going to be revealed in the following chapters of Revelation.

"seven thunders"

The "Copper scroll" is regarded as one of the "seven thunders" that John was required to "seal up" in this interpretation of Revelation. (See Rev 10:4, p .) In other words it is assumed that John knew about the Copper Scroll and that it was going to be discovered at a certain time. This would mean nothing if a link between the time of the discovery of the Copper Scroll and the interpretation of Revelation cannot be found. This can be done through the time indicated by the gemstone " beryl" and the time of the discovery of the Copper Scroll.

The colour of beryl is green-yellow. Brass is yellow when it is polished and copper has traces of green when tarnished.

The Copper Scroll can be used to indicate time, just like the other scrolls that were discovered through the ages. As a result of age, the Copper Scroll was found in two fragments. The writing had been punched into the metal, but oxidation through the ages had rendered the metal too brittle to be unrolled. If it were to be read the metal would have to be carefully cut open in a laboratory. Although the Copper Scroll was discovered in 1952, it took three and a half years before the Jordanian authorities gave their consent to have the scroll cut. The first segment of the scroll was opened in the summer of 1955 and the second in
January of 1956.


The reason that this is said here, is because the years 1952 and 1956 are significant in the final analysis of Revelation for they indicate the time of the Fall of Babylon and the time of the "throne of the beast".

As has been established, Revelation gives the history of the nations, but then the course of the history of the church must be followed to discover the meaning of Revelation. This is of significance where one has the indication of the Copper Scroll and the year 1956 and also the reference to "worshippers in the temple". It is a fact that Christian Church attendance in Europe, particularly the Protestant churches, has substantially dwindled in the last forty years. By indicating this, Revelation is preparing the reader that this particular verse is going to have bearing on the end sections of Revelation.

At this point this deduction might seem rather far-fetched to the reader, but as mentioned before, linking the dates of the discoveries of scrolls to Revelation can only be of significance if the entire meaning of Revelation corresponds to these dates. This will be ultimately proved.

 

"temple"

To grasp the full meaning of the word "temple" here, it is necessary to consider the following text:

Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

The Copper Scroll and this reference indicated that one must not only look at the actual temple of Jerusalem for the measurement of the reed, but for another meaning of "temple". This was found in references where "temple" can also mean "body". The understanding of this is crucial in the interpretation of Revelation.

1Corinthians 3:16Don’t' you know that you are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you?

Christ said:

John 2:19—21"Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days.". The Jews replied, " It has taken forty six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?"

But the temple he had spoken of is his body.

Christ referred to his body as the "temple" because he was the embodiment of the Almighty God on earth. When I discovered that Revelation measures time, it occurred to me that through the Holy Communion, in the partaking in the wine ( symbol of the blood of Christ)and the bread ( symbol of the body of Christ), those Christians on earth who lived in the last two thousand years were also the 'body' of Christ. "Temple" therefore could relate to the entire period of two thousand years.

Having comprehended this, I realized that the measuring of the 'temple" could relate to the time that Christ lived on earth

The word "temple" means the temple in Jerusalem, that would be destroyed in the time if the siege and fall of Jerusalem in the time AD 70, but also the generations, which are divided in 72 years, from the birth of Christ. (See chart, page .)

Through the words of Revelation I then realized that "temple" was the measurement from the time 4BC.

The total measurement of the "temple" from the birth of Christ

I realized in the previous chapters that Revelation regards the two millennia as two units. Therefore I thought that a thousand years should possibly be measured from certain dates in the first millennium.

I noticed that times of persecution in the first millenium seem to coincide with times of persecution in the second millennium.

AD 98, 170, 250 and 303

If we add a thousand years to the above dates, we come to the years 1098, 1170, 1250 and 1303.

In these specific years major deaths occurred as a result of the spread of Christianity and the strife between the Church and State in Europe.

    1. The time of the First Crusade.

1170 The death of Thomas Becket: When Thomas Becket became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, he clashed with king Henry II of England concerning taxes that had to be paid to the Church. Becket was murdered by four knights in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170.
1250 The introduction of torture by the Italian Inquisition.
1303The capture and later death of Pope Boniface VIII by King Philip IV of France.
These times are going to be linked to a later chapter in Revelation.

Note

I realized that Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 by the Romans, but ALSO, one thousand years later by the Seljuk Turks in 1070. In the Bible a "generation" is 70 years ( refer back to page for the explanation of "generation").

Jeremiah 23:15 At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years,

the span of a king's life

Therefore both these times measured a generation from the birth of Christ in AD1 and the year 1000. (In this interpretation 72 years is a "generation" for Revelation indicates the mid-point of the time of 144 years, which is 72 years - 72x2=144.)

The time of the Gentiles

Revelation 11:2But exclude the outer court, do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles.

The "Gentiles" were all the people who were not Jews. In the New Testament it is used as equivalent to Greek or those who spoke the Greek language. The word "Gentiles" is of importance here for it is mentioned only once in Revelation and it is used by Jesus Christ with regard to the destruction of the temple.

Luke 21:24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

I thought that if the temple of Jerusalem was destroyed in both AD 70 and AD 1070 the "outer court" could be the "generation" that should not be measured in the total time of the millennium.

But this was no longer only the temple of Jerusalem, but the Church of Jesus Christ that had been built up on earth in the "three days" ( 288 x 3 = 864) in the time c AD 70 to 934. The time c 900—934 saw increasing corruption between Church and State in Europe. Therefore the time before the close of the first millennium was again a time that the Christian Church was "trampled on".

This meant that the time from the birth of Christ must be measured, but also that the last approximately 72 years (a generation) must be left out.

I discovered that the time of "three and a half days" could be divided into 14 periods of 72 years. 72 was also half of the number 144 that features prominently in Revelation.

Therefore I ( initially) measured the generations in the first millenium as follows:

BC2—AD70 is one generation of 72 years until the time of the fall of Jerusalem in 70

70—358 (288 years) four generations of 72 years or "one day".

358—646 (288 years) four generations of 72 years or "one day".

646—934 (288 years) four generations of 72 years or "one day".

934—1006

When I realized that the actual birth date of Jesus Christ was the year 4 BC( two years earlier) the pattern BC4—AD 68 (one generation ); 68 to 356 (one day); 356 to 644 ( one day); 644 to 932 ( one day); 932 to 1004 (one generation) was discovered. (See chart, p .)

In the later chapters of Revelation this pattern coincides exactly with the times of "three and a half days" in the second millenium.

Total time of "temple" in the first and second millenium

First millenium

4BC—AD68About the time of the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple

68—356First day of 288 years

356—644Second day of 288 years

644—932Third day of 288 years

932—1004One generation

Second millennium

996—1068In the year 70 Jerusalem was attacked by the Seljuk Turks

1068—1356 First day of 288 years

1356—1644 Second day of 288 years

1644—1932 Third day of 288 yeas

1932—2004 This generation

Revelation 11:2(KJV)… and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

"altar"

To understand this one must remember that Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman Emperor Titus in AD 70. It was rebuilt by Hadrian in AD 135, but it was a pagan city. In AD 323 Emperor Constantine removed the eastern co-emperor, Licinius, liquidated pagan temples in the eastern empire and used their funds to build Christian churches in Asia Minor, Syria and Judea. Thus one can say that Jerusalem was "trampled on" between c 70 and 323.

As mentioned, Emperor Constantine was the first of the times of the "seven horns" (Rev 5:6.) that would build up the Church of Western Europe (refer to page ). After Constantine’s victory at the Milvian Bridge near Rome (312), he took possession of the capital city. His faith in the efficacy of the Christian cross was confirmed and he proceeded to encourage the faith. In the following year (313) Constantine and Lucinius, between whom the Roman Empire was temporarily divided, met in Milan and action was taken which ensured toleration for Christians throughout the Empire. The three sons of Constantine that followed him successively, furthered the Christian faith.

The period of time 70—323 is about 252 years. This period of 252 months is what Revelation regards as "forty two months".

"forty and two months"

The reason why 42 months (actually the period of 252 years) is mentioned, is to make quite sure that the interpreter realizes that he is working with the earth divided into three sections: Far East, Middle East and West and that 'half' of the earth which had not yet been discovered. Revelation just cannot be understood if this is not firmly established in the reader’s mind.

Refer to the explanation of "time times half time" on page . It is said there that biblically "time, times, half time" is 1+ ( 1+1) + half = three and a half. In my calculation "times" is multiplication and not addition.

Revelation 11:3 And I will give power to my two witnesses and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.

"clothed in sackcloth"

These words are symbolic of mourning, and are true of the time AD 70—323 that included the persecutions of Christians by Romans. Sackcloth was also the garments worn by the very poor.

Men of Nineveh

The reader should note that this might be the reason why Christ said that " the men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment" (Matt 12:40). Jonah was instructed by God to tell the king and the nobles of Nineveh that the city was going to be overturned. They believed Jonah and put on sackcloth and repented.

In Revelation it is indicated that the risen Christ has extremely high regard for those who give up everything in order to spread the Word. Therefore, at the time of judgment that is to come, those who gave up worldly possessions and set out to spread the Word and those who repented of wrongdoing, will "stand up" as the men of Nineveh.

"two witnesses"

Who were the two witnesses? The two witnesses can be determined by:

    • Measuring one thousand years:

As mentioned above in AD 70, Titus conquered Jerusalem. Exactly one thousand years later, in 1070, Jerusalem was conquered by the Seljuk Turks;

    • Both the times of 245 years and 252 years measured from the time 70

(conquest of Jerusalem by the Romans) in the first millennium and 1070

(conquest of Jerusalem by the Seljuk Turks) in the second millenium.

70+ 245 = 315

70+ 252 = 322

1070+245= 1315

1070+252= 1322

    • The history of the times 315—322 and 1315—1322.

Two years before the conference at Nicaea in North-Western Asia Minor (325), three hundred Christian bishops joined Emperor Constantine to adopt a creed confirming that Jesus Christ is of the "same substance" as God, his Father. (The third part of the Christian Trinity, the Holy Ghost, would also be declared to be of that substance at a later conference.)

What is significant here, is that the creed could be traced back to Origen. Origen is the first witness. How can this be substantiated? It is substantiated by adding one thousand years to 323 and reaching the time 1322.

If 245 years are added to AD 70 and 1070 one reaches the time of 315 (two years after the proclamation of the Edict of Milan (313), and later of the acceptance of Father and Son as of the same substance) and 1315 the time that the Catholic Church was coming into conflict with the Franciscans on the question of whether Christ lived in actual poverty.

"measure the temple and the altar"

The calculations were done by "measuring" from the Far East, Middle East and Europe. The earth at this point was divided into three parts.

 

 

Having done this the various aspects begin to fall in place. We now have two sets of figures:

AD 70 The time that Jerusalem was invaded by Titus.

70+1000 = 1070 Jerusalem was conquered by the Seljuk Turks.

70+245 (1260 days) = 314—315 The time of the Edict of Milan.

70 +1000 = 1070

1070 +245 = 1315 The time that the Franciscans and the leadership of the Catholic Church came into conflict concerning the question whether Christ lived in absolute poverty or not.

70+252 = 322 The time that the church leaders came to accept the fact that God, the Father, and Christ, the Son, are of the same substance.

1070+252 = 1322 The time the Pope proclaimed that all Franciscans who claimed that Christ lived in absolute poverty, should be killed.

ALTAR

Note

Revelation calls this time "altar" for the times 321—322 and 1321—1322 are the time of "one day" from the times 33 ( the time of Christ's death and resurrection — measured from AD1) and 1034 (about the thousandth anniversary of that date).

 

33+288 = 321

1034+288 = 1322

1322 is also exactly 288 years after 1034 about a thousand years after the death and resurrection of Christ (see total measurement of altar, p ).

Francis of Assisi

So far we have established that the first witness is possibly Origen. To find the second witness one has to consider the birthdate of Origen. It has been established through records to be c 185. Approximately one thousand years later, in c 1182, Francis of Assisi was born. He could therefore be regarded as the second witness.

The identity of the "two witnesses" is substantiated by the following words of Christ:

Mark 12:28—29One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.

As mentioned in a previous chapter, Origen was prepared to die for his faith as a martyr in Alexandria. He also spared no effort in his monumental efforts to discover through the scriptures the essence of Christianity and particularly that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are "one" (see Mk 12:29).

Francis of Assisi was the personification of "love thy neighbour". With his establishment of the Franciscan Order, missionaries were sent out without worldly splendour, with the main purpose to teach men about the message of Christ. The fact that the five wounds of Christ appeared on his body in 1224 confirms that he is the second witness.

The words "clothed in sackcloth" refers to the Franciscans and Christians that gave up worldly possessions and made it their sole aim to spread the Word according to the Creed of Chalcedon ("clothed"). In the time of Origen, Jerusalem was in the hands of pagans and in the time of Francis of Assisi, the "temple" meaning here the Christian Church, for those who were prepared to preach without worldly splendour were put to death by the Christian Church itself.

Revelation 11:4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, that stand before the Lord of the earth.

 

The meaning of this verse is to be found in the following Old Testament reference:

Zechariah 4:2—3"I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights. Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and one on the left"

Those who believe in the unity of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and those who love their fellow men and are also prepared to give up their worldly possessions to preach the Word are the "olive trees" and the "'lampstands" of Almighty God on earth.

Note also Zechariah 4:14 where the two olive trees are explained:

    Zechariah 4:14So he said, "These are the two who are anointed

to serve the lord of all the earth."

Revelation 11:5—6If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.

We are now told more about the two witnesses. In Revelation 11:5 the message is that those who believe in the Creed of Chalcedon and genuinely love their fellow human beings have the greatest power. The Christian kings (anointed to serve the Lord on earth) would have this power. (See the section on the "seven horns and the seven eyes", p .)

"mouth"

As we have seen, "mouth" in Revelation can mean an earthquake. What Revelation is saying is that when nations move against Christians who are genuine "witnesses", God will revenge their deaths. This revenge could be in the form of an earthquake, but as we will see in the following chapters of Revelation "mouth" can indicate specific earthquakes. As we have established in the previous chapters, Revelation can be interpreted from the times of the generations measured from the cardinal dates in the life of Christ. In a following chapter the word "mouth" indicates the TIME that certain earthquakes took place IN A SPECIFIC SECTION OF THE EARTH to convey, by measurements of time, how God will avenge the death of Christians. The times of earthquakes will eventually be linked to the times of plagues that will be brought upon the earth.

"smoke"

The reader will recall that the time of "smoke" ( Rev 9:2) was linked to the time 1898. The word "smoke" is used twice in that verse, therefore it has a double meaning. It was said to indicate the increased use of drugs, but it also refers to the time of the punishment of the nations for the death of Christians, the fall of Babylon (Rev 18:24: " in her was found the blood of the prophets and of the saints").

"fire"

The time of "fire" at the very end time is the time of the final fall of Babylon, that will be brought upon men because of the death of Christians.

In the following verses Revelation confirms the identity of the two witnesses so that there can be no doubt where we are in history. One of the features of Revelation is that it confirms what has been established in previous chapters.

The following verse has to do with a very specific time in history and what happened there is used to illustrate the power of Christians who believe in the Creed of Chalcedon and love their fellow men.

Revelation 11:6 These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time of their prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

As this is a particularly significant verse in the understanding of Revelation, the original text from King James version is also given:

    (KJV)These have the power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

Background history

Some background history is necessary for the understanding of this verse.

In about 1180 the Catholic Church became very wary of the spread of heresy. (Heresy is any new idea that is spread within the Church contrary to the authorized teaching of the religious community.) This is understandable, because, as was mentioned in an earlier chapter, new ideas, often those originating in Greek philosophy or Eastern religions had caused great division in the Church.

Before 1180 the State had the power to put to death anyone who refused to comply with the accepted customs of the Church. The Church opposed the State on the issue of capital punishment and numerous Church Councils decreed that those accused should have their property confiscated, be put in prison, exiled or excommunicated. By 1230 the Church had written a system of laws that culminated in the creation of a permanent tribunal, staffed by Dominican friars. This tribunal became known as the Italian Catholic Inquisition. Although this system was installed to reform certain harsh practices of the State, the Church law stated that a heretic was to be denied burial in consecrated ground. The result was that the corpses were left on the streets and in houses that would later be burned down.

From the time of the Inquisition (1230—1322) it seemed as though the leadership of the Catholic Church became obsessed with power. On the one hand the Church realized it had to keep the kings in check for they were an example to the communities. On the other hand the Church was trying to rule all people. The Pope came into conflict with the monarchs of Europe and torture was introduced to get confessions from people before the Inquisition. Those convicted by the Inquisition, would often die and their corpses would have to be dragged through the streets and burnt on the refuse dump because they were not allowed to be buried.

The Inquisition also used methods that were contrary to established jurisprudence and customary rule of law. The accused was denied the right of defense and names of hostile witnesses were withheld. This was a situation that could only lead to revolt against the Church.

This worldliness and harsh practices, such as the above, by the Church reached a point that was unacceptable to the Franciscans. They turned against the authoritarian behaviour of the Catholic Church and urged the Church to follow the apostolic (that which was the example of the Apostles) practices of their founder Francis of Assisi. Francis had embraced poverty because he wanted to imitate his Lord, who had made himself poor (2 Cor 8:9). The poor, in their more evident dependence on God, reminded Francis of the mystery of divine sympathy and of each creature’s intrinsic poverty. In the spirit of poverty he urged his followers to denounce their desire to dominate and although they were to go out and preach to all, they were to favour labour among the lepers (the most outcast of society) and farmhands.

Now consider how this history fits into the above verse.

At the beginning of the fourteenth century, the opposition of the Franciscans against the practices of the Catholic clergy, led to a bitter struggle within the Church. As it happened Europe was ravaged by a severe drought between 1315 and 1317. Revelation says: "These men have the power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time of their prophesying."

The struggle reached culmination in the decision by Pope John XXII in 1323 to brand as heretical the opinion that Christ and his apostles had lived in absolute poverty. After this decree the breakaway Franciscans or fraticelli were hunted down and burned all over Europe, but particularly in Umbria and Ancona in Italy.

In 1346, the Black Death, or bubonic plague broke out in the Crimea and it spread from there by ship first to Italy and then west. It is believed by some that the famine that ensued during the drought of 1315—1317 weakened the human powers of resistance, and contributed to the rapid spread of the Black Death.

Bubonic plague causes a marked haemorrhagic tendency, presumably due to an endotoxic effect on the blood vessels of the body. Petechiae or ecchymoses are often seen beneath cutaneous or mucous surfaces, bleeding occurs from the nose, alimentary, respiratory or urinary tracts.

Revelation 11: 6 says: "And they have the powers to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want."

So we see here that Revelation has for some reason, which we will discover later, focussed on an incident in history to make a point. It must also be remembered that Revelation works with great sweeps of history. Therefore Revelation is revealing that injustices to the Franciscans ( but also all Christians who give up worldly possessions to carry out the Word ) through history will be punished by a form of plague. This will be indicated by Revelation in a future chapter.

The year 1323, the year the Franciscans were hunted down, is of the greatest importance in the interpretation of Revelation. What the reader must remember here is that this date is going to indicate what is meant by the "Abyss".

Abyss

The reader will recall that the man from the Hopi-tribe said the star seen by his ancestor had fallen at about the turn of the twentieth century. (See page .)

Note that Revelation 9:1 says: "The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss."

It was established in an earlier chapter that the time 1323—1898 (time of the Abyss — see page ) was the time of three days of darkness or "night".

Therefore the measurement of "altar" in the second millenium is 1034—1322; 1322—1610; 1610—1898 ( Abyss); 1898 to the end time is a time of the darkening of a third of the earth (refer to page ).

Revelation 11:7—8Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them.Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city which is figuratively Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

"when they have finished their testimony"

These words mean that when the Franciscans and all the missionaries have carried their message to the ends of the earth, "the beast that comes up from the Abyss" (this will be established in a following chapter) will attack them.

"Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city"

In c1323 the bodies of the Franciscans lay on the streets of the cities of Europe, but these words have a further meaning in the very last chapter of Revelation:

Revelation 21:1—2Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life … down the middle of the great street of the city.

"the great city"

It is said that the river flowed down the middle of the great street of the city ( Rev 22:1. The diagram of the "the great city" is on page . the time indicated by the "street" is 1500. In a following chapter it will be seen that the time of the "great city" is 1068 to 1932. This is a time of "three days" ( 288x3=864). The mid-point of this time is the year 1500. (Half of 864 is 432; 1068+432=1500;1500+432=1932 - see also the chart of the great city on page .) 1500 is also the mid-point of the entire second millennium.

"Sodom and Egypt"

The meaning of Sodom and Egypt is "figurative". We know that Sodom was destroyed because its people were corrupt. The only citizens that were spared were Lot and his family. "Egypt" was the land out of which God led the Israelites.

It must be remembered that this chapter deals with Europe. In Revelation it is Europe out of which God the Father would lead Reformed Christians — both Catholic and Protestant for the new colonies. From the time about 1500, Christians left Europe for the new colonies all around the globe. This will also be revealed in the following chapters. Therefore Europe is figuratively "Egypt".

The total time of the "great city" is the second millennium. ( Later Revelation will extend the time of the "great city" to include the time 1932 to 2004 or beyond, to convey the final fall of Babylon.) Revelation will indicate a time of Christian moral decline from about the middle of the millennium (1500). This decline will engulf the entire world in the second half of the twentieth century (figuratively Sodom). Therefore a destruction of the world will follow.

"Where also their Lord was crucified"

This means that anyone who destroys those who follow the teaching of the two witnesses, Origen and Francis of Assisi, like the Romans of old, also "figuratively" crucifies the Lord. At this point one can just say this: Christians through Holy Communion are the 'body of Christ'. Almighty God was not going to let the death of Christian martyrs go unpunished. This will be revealed in the following chapters of Revelation.

These words also refer to the time of this generation 1932—2004, when the moral decline of the world will reach a peak, and which was indicated in Revelation 5, as the time of the "slaying of the Lamb"

As the following section is difficult to understand, both the New International Version and the King James Version are cited:

    Revelation 11:9—10 (NIV) For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them

    and will celebrate by sending each other gifts,because these two prophets had tormented those who live on earth.

    (KJV) 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 sent gifts
    one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on earth.

Of importance in Revelation is the fact that as a result of the Reformation, the bodies of Christians lay on the streets of cities in Europe. Almighty God indicates in Revelation that he has not forgotten this.

Two specific incidents are:

    • The plundering of Christian Churches in the cities of the Netherlands in 1566 and the death of Catholics and Protestants.
  • The bodies of some six thousand Christians lay on the streets of Paris after the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre in 1572.
  • "And shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves"

    Enmity and hatred between Christians eventually led to the point where dead fellow Christians were left to hang in the streets. This happened during the Thirty Years War.

    "And they that dwell upon the earth will rejoice over them"

    Whenever protest against the Church took on a political motivation, and religious wars developed into political wars, man would weigh political motives heavier than religious considerations. If political freedom was at stake, even representatives of the Church that fell in the process, were to a certain degree forgotten quite soon. The Christian nations would rejoice in "freedom". Ironically the Christian nations were unaware that they were "crucifying" Christianity and instead would celebrate Christmas "by sending each other gifts". This will become clearer later.

    "by sending each other gifts"

    These words have a crucial meaning for the understanding of Revelation.

    The clue lies in the Old Testament reference:

    Nehemiah 8:12 Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

    This means that at some point Christmas (the birth date of Christ) will have some significance that will make Revelation clear to man. It could also mean that in 2000 the meaning of Revelation will be revealed to man.

       Revelation 11:11And after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.

    This is, I believe, what was meant by the words of Christ in Matthew 11:32: "The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgement with this generation …"

    Once the two thousand years have been measured in generations and we come to the end of the seventh day in 2004, the nations of the world will realize that God has avenged the death of those Christians that gave up all that they had and went out to carry the Word to the ends of the earth. Those were the witnesses that went out in sackcloth.

    Revelation 11:12Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

    The symbol of the cloud

    "Cloud" conveys the presence of "the mighty angel" and the time 1860—2004, but essentially "this generation", 1932—2004 and the end time. (See Rev 10, p .)

    This chapter dealt essentially with Europe and indicated that Christians would leave Europe (Egypt) for the countries at the ends of the earth. It seems that in the time 1860—2004, the West would be brought to moral decline (Sodom) and that at about the time 2000 there will be a realization that those who had adhered to the "two witnesses" will be taken up to heaven ("stand on their feet"). Of significance is that this chapter does not END with images of "darkness" but the reference of "cloud" that infers the power of the "mighty angel".

    The measurement of "temple" as indicated in this chapter, corresponds with the measurement of the chart of the New Jerusalem.

    996+ 72 = 1068 ( "the outer court")
    1068+288 = 1356
    1356+288 = 1644

    1644+288 = 1932
    1932+ 72 = 2004 (see chart of "measuring the temple", p ).

    Revelation 11:13At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

    This verse has bearing on some large earthquake that will occur at the beginning of the third millennium ( 2004 or beyond), the time of the second thousandth anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. It could happen in the time span of 24 years ("hour") in which the year 2000 or 2004 falls.

    It is possibly going to affect a ( "tenth") of the West, as "the city", in a following chapter deals with Europe and the ends of the earth in the second millennium. Possibly also a "tenth" of the entire earth. Some of the Christian community of the world will die — "seven" indicating the Christian Church and "thousand"(000), the entire earth. This is not the end, but those who remain will likely know that the prophecy of Revelation is being fulfilled and that the Second Coming is at hand.

    Revelation 11:14The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.

    It must at this point be borne in mind that Revelation later goes back in time to indicate the final woe. (See page .)

    The seventh trumpet

    Revelation 11:15The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:

    "The kingdom of the world has become

    the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,

    and he will reign for ever and ever."

     

    It seems that the great earthquake is the time of the sounding of the seventh trumpet and the world will realize that the end time has come.

    According to this interpretation the time established as the time that the seventh angel is "about to sound his trumpet" is 1971—2004 or beyond. As the sounding of the seventh trumpet comes at the end of this chapter that mentions "temple" and "Christmas", it might be near the time 2004.

    In this chapter it was said that God will punish those who destroy Christians who adhere to the teachings of the "two witnesses". The time of the sounding of the final trumpet, will be of significance in establishing the time of the final "bowl of wrath"( Rev 16) which we now know were brought upon the world for the death of the martyrs.

    "The kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ" could mean that God in his power had led Origen to see the unity of the Father and the Son. It has bearing on the end time when all the world will see God, the Father and the Son.

    Revelation 11:16—18 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped 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 have begun to reign.
    The nations were angry; and your wrath has come.

    The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints

    and those who reverence your name, both small and great and for destroying those who destroy the earth.

    It shall be seen that verse 18 is anticipating what is to be related in the following chapters of Revelation. It could be the "anger" of the nations that is going to lead to Armageddon. Of importance here is the indication of the judgment of the dead. It shall be seen that God has already rewarded the Christian martyrs. This will only be clear in the final chapters of Revelation.

    "small and great"

    It should be noted that these words always recur in Revelation before judgment.

    Warning!

    We must remember the warning that those who destroy the earth will be destroyed. Forms of destruction of the earth are:

    • The deliberate burning of the rain forests;
    • contamination of the air.

    Revelation 11:19Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightening, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

    Job 37:1—3"At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place. Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

    He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth.

    It seems as if verse 19 confirms the time of the earthquake near the year 2004, the word "temple" here without doubt indicates the time related to the birth of Jesus Christ. The word "mouth" in the reference from Job, conveys the time of an earthquake. This means that the whole world (at the ends of the earth) will come to realize that Christ is the Messiah. The earthquake and the hail (see Rev 16:21) must be the final signs of the end time.

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