Matthew Henry Commentary Revelation 11
Matthew Henry Commentary
Revelation 11
Matthew Henry Commentary
Revelation 11
"And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and one said, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." — Revelation 11:1-2 (ASV)
This prophetic passage about measuring the temple seems to refer to Ezekiel's vision. The design of this measuring seems to be the preservation of the church in times of public danger, or for its trial, or for its reformation. The worshippers must be measured: whether they make God's glory their end, and his word their rule, in all their acts of worship.
Those in the outer court worship in a false manner or with deceitful hearts, and will be found among his enemies. God will have a temple and an altar in the world until the end of time. He closely scrutinizes his temple.
The holy city, the visible church, is trampled underfoot; it is filled with idolaters, infidels, and hypocrites. But the desolations of the church are limited, and she will be delivered out of all her troubles.
"And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, standing before the Lord of the earth. And if any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies; and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed. These have the power to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the days of their prophecy: and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they shall desire. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies [lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do [men] look upon their dead bodies three days and a half, and suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry; and they shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth. And after the three days and a half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that beheld them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they went up into heaven in the cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and there were killed in the earthquake seven thousand persons: and the rest were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven." — Revelation 11:3-13 (ASV)
In the time of treading down, God preserved His faithful witnesses to attest to the truth of His word and worship, and the excellence of His ways. The number of these witnesses is small, yet sufficient. They prophesy in sackcloth. This shows their afflicted, persecuted state, and deep sorrow for the abominations against which they protested.
They are supported during their great and hard work, until it is done. When they had prophesied in sackcloth for the greater part of 1260 years, antichrist, the great instrument of the devil, would then war against them with force and violence for a time. Determined rebels against the light rejoice, as if it were some happy event, when they can silence, drive away, or destroy the faithful servants of Christ, whose doctrine and conduct torment them.
It does not appear that the term has yet expired, and the witnesses are not at present exposed to endure such terrible outward sufferings as in former times. However, such things may happen again, and there is abundant cause to prophesy in sackcloth because of the state of religion.
The depressed state of real Christianity may relate only to the Western church.
The Spirit of life from God quickens dead souls, and will quicken the dead bodies of His people, and His dying interest in the world.
The revival of God's work and witnesses will strike terror into the souls of His enemies. Where there is guilt, there is fear; and a persecuting spirit, though cruel, is a cowardly spirit.
It will be no small part of the punishment of persecutors, both in this world and at the great day, that they see the faithful servants of God honored and advanced.
The Lord's witnesses must not be weary of suffering and service, nor hastily grasp at the reward, but must stay until their Master calls them.
The consequence of their being thus exalted was a mighty shock and convulsion in the antichristian empire. Events alone can show the meaning of this.
But whenever God's work and witnesses revive, the devil's work and witnesses fall before Him.
And that the slaying of the witnesses is future appears to be probable.
"The second Woe is past: behold, the third Woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become [the kingdom] of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign. And the nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time of the dead to be judged, and [the time] to give their reward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth. And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven; and there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; and there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail." — Revelation 11:14-19 (ASV)
Before the sounding of the seventh and last trumpet, there is the usual demand for attention. The saints and angels in heaven know the right of our God and Saviour to rule over all the world. But the nations met God's wrath with their own anger. It was a time when he was beginning to reward his people's faithful services and sufferings; and their enemies fretted against God, and so increased their guilt and hastened their destruction.
The opening of the temple of God in heaven may signify that there was a freer communication between heaven and earth, with prayer and praises more freely and frequently ascending, and graces and blessings plentifully descending. But it seems rather to refer to the church of God on earth. In the reign of antichrist, God's law was laid aside and made void by traditions and decrees; the Scriptures were locked up from the people, but now they are brought to the view of all.
This, like the ark, is a token of God's presence returned to his people, and his favour toward them in Jesus Christ, as the Propitiation for their sins. The great blessing of the Reformation was accompanied by very awe-inspiring providences; as by terrible things in righteousness God answered the prayers presented in his holy temple now opened.
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