Revelation Ch 11 (Wednesday of the Second Week of Advent)

Then I was given a measuring rod, which was like a pole. And I was told, “Get up and measure God’s temple, the altar, and those who worship there. But don’t measure the court outside the temple. Leave that out, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.

“And I will allow my two witnesses to prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days, wearing mourning clothes. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone wants to hurt them, fire comes out of their mouth and burns up their enemies. So if anyone wants to hurt them, they have to be killed in this way. They have the power to close up the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. They also have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with any plague, as often as they wish.

“When they have finished their witnessing, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them, gain victory over them, and kill them. Their dead bodies will lie on the street of the great city that is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. And for three and a half days, members of the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will look at their dead bodies, but they won’t let their dead bodies be put in a tomb. Those who live on earth will rejoice over them. They will celebrate and give each other gifts, because these two prophets had brought such pain to those who live on earth.

“But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear came over those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them. At that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed by the earthquake, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.”

The second horror is over. The third horror is coming soon.

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying,

“The kingdom of the world has become
    the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ,
        and he will rule forever and always.”

Then the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped God. They said,

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
    who is and was,
        for you have taken your great power and enforced your rule.
        The nations were enraged, but your wrath came.
The time came for the dead to be judged.
The time came to reward your servants, the prophets and saints,
            and those who fear your name, both small and great,
            and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the chest containing his covenant appeared in his temple. There were lightning, voices, thunder, an earthquake, and large hail.

Commentary

After the seven seals (Rev. 6-8) and the seven trumpets (Rev. 8-10), there follows (10:1) the appearance of "another mighty angel" (ischuron, “the Holy Mighty One,” the Son), who swears that “there should be time no longer" (10:6) but that "the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets" (10:7). In this appearance of "another angel," it is difficult not to perceive, if not Christ Himself (see his description in 10:1-3), then at least His express messenger, bearing the imprint of His image. The seventh angel already announces the ongoing enthronement of Christ; he announces the advent of the new, concluding epoch, although history does not end at once). "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever" (11:15). And the elders, worshipping God, say: "We give thee thanks, 0 Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned" (11:17). Here the enthronement is spoken of as a new event being accomplished in history; the expressions used to describe it are imprecise, but they resemble those used in i Cor. 15 and speak of the kingdom that "will have no end."

If the symbolism of the preceding chapters refers to the common history of humanity, then the eleventh chapter is dedicated to the destiny of the Church, finding herself in that fight. This destiny, as in the preceding chapters, is set out in symbolic images, wherein it is especially difficult to understand the details, although their overall meaning is absolutely clear. Here in particular, certain historical events merge and intertwine, expressed by being absorbed into the language of the traditional apocalyptical, characteristic of the age, with the manifestation of spiritual powers acting almost indistinguishably in history…. Here, as with many other problems of the Apocalypse, one must remember that the immediate and exact meaning of these images, which at present cannot be sufficiently understood, will only be revealed in the future, with the onset of the times and seasons. (Apocalypse)