THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST - From Commencement to Completion (video series)- Chapter 6, Revealing the Annointed King Part 11
by Brett Jacobsen
The focus of this teaching is to promote the biblical truth that Christ’s Kingdom is active and increasing right now on this earth, in this age. Erroneous eschatology has detracted from this truth in many circles of the Christian faith.
All of the major eschatological (study of how things end) passages are covered but the end of the world is not the important issue and true eschatology is merely a means to an end- Christ Himself as King of kings. Though we will look at the glorious end of earthly history from time to time, we will more so continually use the scriptures to interpret the scriptures and arrive at the present victorious Kingdom of Christ.
For most Christians this teaching will challenge you deeply in your understanding of the New Covenant and Christ’s Kingdom as well as liberate you greatly in the truth of His Word.
Revelation chapter 11
Below are the notes from this teaching so you can read along:
Perhaps the greatest key to understanding this chapter and it’s central theme is the last verse: “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament…”. This chapter shows the earthly journey of the Living Word, first being the two witnesses of the law and the prophets, then, after being killed by the beast, resurrecting in fullness of power to reign for ages and ages over the nations, through Christ in the heavens. This theme is completed later in Revelation chapter 19:11-16. Two things we should keep in mind: This epistle is The Revelation of Jesus Christ (It primarily reveals Christ), and it is a highly biblically symbolic work (its extensive use of metaphor is deeply grounded in biblical language and pictures).
Chapter 11:1-2
The new temple and the new Gentiles
11:1 And there was given me a reed like to a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. [1]
2 But the court which is without the temple [actual Jerusalem and apostates] leave [ekballo] out [of the canonising] [2], and measure it not; for it is given to the Gentiles: and the holy city [the court without] shall they tread under foot forty and two months [3.5 years]. [3]
Temple is the heavenly dwellers – Rev 3:6….
[1] John is not being asked to literally measure a physical temple (some future rebuilt version).
He is canonising the true NT temple (the saints) over the apostate Israelites who have now become the new outer court Gentiles.
Jesus is the NT temple:
Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt you rear it up in three days? 21 But he spoke of the temple of his body. (John 2:19-21)
The New Testament reality provides only one temple that God is, and dwells in, this is in the heavenly realm (Acts 7:48, Rev 14:17, Rev 15:5, Rev 21:22). It is outworked in two forms on earth- we personally are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19, 2 Cor 6:16) and we the church are His temple (1 Cor 3:9-17, Eph 2:19-22, Rev 3:12, Rev 7:15). When he says “them that worship therein” he is portraying a picture of the priests who worshipped in the Old Testament temple. We who are in Christ are now “kings and priests unto God and His Father” and therefore “we shall reign on the earth” as “a royal priesthood, an holy nation” (Rev 1:6, Rev 5:10, 1 Pet 2:9). John’s measuring is a separation of ‘Israel after the spirit’ into the called and chosen category (Gal 6:13-16, Rom 9:-8; Matt 22:14).
[2] The “court which is without the temple” John is told to “leave [ekballo- to eject, cast (forth, out), drive (out), expel, pluck out, put forth (out), send away] out”.
The Gentiles however, now include the apostate Jews. The word ekballo which is used in reference to the outer court being cast out is also used in Luke to refer to Israelites who don’t enter the Kingdom:
Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say to you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and has shut to the door, and you begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us; and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not where you are: Then shall you begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in your presence, and you have taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not where you are; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out [ekballo – cast out]. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. (Luke 13:24-29)
“The outer court was the only court Gentiles were allowed to enter” (IVP Bible Background Commentary p 790)
[3] The imminent judgement which was about to befall apostate Israel in the Jewish wars (ending in A.D. 70) is here pictured at the end of verse two: “the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months [3.5 years]”. Also, 3.5 year drought judgement on Israel under Ahab.
Chapter 11:3-6
The two witnesses
3 And I will give power to my two witnesses [martus], and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days [3.5 years (of 360 days)], clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth [oil of Spirit, light of Word].
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceeds out of their mouth, and devours their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 These have 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.
* Moses and Elijah = Moses is a representation of the witness of the law, while Elijah symbolizes the witness of the prophets. We see Paul using this truth in Romans:
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed [martureo] by the law and the prophets (Rom 3:21)
Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify [martureo] of me. (John 5:39)
And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. (Matt 17:2-3)
Moses is synonymous with the law:
Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuses you, even Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For had you believed Moses, you would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47 But if you believe not his writings, how shall you believe my words? (John 5:45-47)
Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. (Luke 16:29)
* “have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy”
* “have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will” - they are well able to unleash divine retribution.
- the power of the law and the prophets to unleash God vengeance: to “tread under foot” “the holy city” (v 2).
* it doesn’t say that they did “shut heaven … in the days of their prophecy” or that they ‘turned the waters to blood’, or that they did “smite the earth with all plagues”. It actually says that they “have power” to do these things “as often as they will”.
* “the days of their prophecy”? The three and a half year period in which they “prophesy” “clothed in sackcloth” is the time of the earthly ministry of Jesus (primarily) and John the Baptist.
They both used the witnesses of the LAW and the PROPHETS to preach the Kingdom, as well as proclaim the judgement of God on those who wouldn’t “enter in” (John 10:9; Matt 21:42-44).
* The law and the prophets = “two olive trees” and “two candlesticks”. The olive trees are a symbol for oil, the candlesticks: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”; the law and the prophets are the main two segments of the Old Testament written Word (Ps 119:10).
* a literal fire breathing prophet who kills people who hurt him?
- both the witness of the law and the prophets through the mouths of Jesus and John the Baptist made “fire [proceed] out of their mouth, and [devour] their enemies”.
Jesus said “I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?” (Luke 12:49).
* All those who hurt [adikeo - to be unjust, do wrong (mor., socially or phys.), be an offender, be unjust] the two witnesses (the law and the prophets) “must in this manner be killed”. The fire was kindled, and many were killed in the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. as they were judged as offenders of the two witnesses who both spoke fire against their apostate lives.
Chapter 11:7-8
The seemingly dead Word
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Dragon (chpt 12) sea beast (chpt 13) land beast (chpt 13)
* When Jesus had finished declaring the Word of God through the law and the prophets, when He was ready to give Himself as a ransom for many; then the LAW and the PROPHETS were “finished their testimony”. Right up until that time both those written witnesses were in effect:
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, has he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Col 2:13-15)
Jesus’ immediate ministry target while He walked the earth was national Israel:
I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matt 15:24)
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter you not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matt 10:5-7)
His foremost ministry was to exercise the two witnesses, both law and prophets, upon the nation of Israel, dividing between the holy and profane- measuring the temple and casting out the outer court.
* “the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them” (Dragon, sea beast, land beast)
…And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon [both names mean destroyer]. (Rev 9:1-11)
Satan the dragon, through the two beasts perceivably killed the law and prophets by crucifying the one they were witnesses to- Christ.
* “And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.”
Chapter 11:9-10
Short-lived relief from conviction
9 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. [1]
10 And they that dwell upon the earth [ge- land (of Israel)] shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
[1] this is speaking of the perceived momentary failure and death of the witness of the law and the prophets from the Sanhedrin’s condemnation of Christ till His resurrection.
* “the people and kindreds and tongues and nations” Travelling Oriental scientist/magicians new the one who the law and the prophets were witnesses of had come; even Roman rulers were being warned through dreams about Him. History even records that “his fame spread abroad throughout” “all Syria”, “Decapolis … Jerusalem … Judaea, and from beyond Jordan” and “all the region round about Galilee”, just to mention a few places (Mark 1:28, Matt 4:24-25).
* The three and a half days, I would say, was from when Jesus was captured and judged by the leaders of Israel to when He had risen- when the Word had revived- when the two witnesses had received “the Spirit of life from God” (v11).
* “not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves” - despite the multitudes’ feeling that the law and the prophets had failed (even Peter and other disciples went back to fishing), they weren’t willing to bury the two witnesses altogether.
* “these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth” – especially through John and Jesus ministry.
Chapter 11:11-12
The resurrected Word
11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying to them, Come up here. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
* When Jesus arose, the testimony of the law and the prophets was resurrected too. They “heard a great voice from heaven saying to them, Come up here” and so “they ascended up to heaven in a cloud”. This cloud imagery is surely there to cause us the think of Christ’s ascension.
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (Acts 1:9)
* Yes Jesus is the focus of Revelation, but this chapter is surely intended to magnify a certain aspect of Christ- His eternal Word. Jesus was the Word in eternity past, the law and the prophets were His witnesses on earth, and when He was raised up, they re-joined Him at the right hand of Father as the eternal Word:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached… (Luke 16:16)
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (1 John 5:7)
Chapter 11:13-14
A sign of judgement to the apostates
13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe comes quickly.
* There was an earthquake at both the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ:
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared to many. (Matt 27:50-53)
And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. (Matt 28:2)
Earthquakes are decreation symbols denoting judgement and destruction on rebels.
* “and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand” - The number seven in biblical language means completeness and 1000 means many [*4] This is a representation of a large and complete amount who were as good as dead from the earth quaking resurrection.
“the tenth part of the city fell”. The tenth part, or the tithe, of Jerusalem fell in the initial stages of the Jewish wars in 66-70AD. Chilton says “the trumpet-judgements do not yet reach the final end of Jerusalem, but (apparently) go only as far as the first siege of Jerusalem, under Cestius” [*3].
* This judgement was “the second woe” which John now says “is past”. The first woe was Revelation 9:1-12’s demonic attack on apostate Israel and Jerusalem, and now “behold, the third woe comes quickly”.
Chapter 11:15
The Word has become victorious
15 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.
The last of the seven angels sounded “and there were great [megas] voices in heaven”. More literally this is saying that there were ‘mega voices’- like the roaring of multitudes. All heaven knows the victory which Christ has achieved as they thunder the words “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever”. Notice that it says “are become” or “have become” (NKJ), not will become. At the time of Revelations penning [*5], right up until the end of time, this past tense statement is true- “the kingdoms of this world” HAVE BECOME “the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ”.
* I’m astounded at how many so-called faith teachers teach exactly the opposite of faith when they delve into eschatology. Regarding money, health, and other areas of life they say you should “[call] those things which be not as though they [are]”, believing what God says before circumstances (Rom 4:17). However, when it comes to whether we should believe that Christ rules the world now or whether that won’t happen until some other time in the future there is much confusion, the faith principles are disregarded. Truth is, the world’s kingdoms HAVE BECOME His definitively, they are becoming His progressively, and they will be His Consummatively at the end. If we only hope and believe this promise to be future we miss the mark by miles. We ought to lock into this promise by faith, believing that what God said was true is true- He does rule the kingdoms of this world. As we believe Him, and follow Him in obedience, we will see this truth progressively come to pass in every realm of life.
* It goes on to say “and he shall reign for ever [aion] and ever [aion]”. From that time in history, when the two witnesses in Christ ascended to the heavens victoriously, “he shall reign”. The question is ‘is that forever?’. The text actually reads that He shall reign “for ever [aion] and ever [aion]” which really says “for ages and ages”. This is not to say that Jesus will not reign, with Father, throughout all eternity. The focus of Revelation is Christ ruling on earth, from heaven, through His body, from the cross till the end of time. Remember that the epistle was written from John the apostle to the first century churches of Asia Minor to encourage them in their time of distress. The thunderous heavenly voices were encouraging the saints that Jesus was and is reigning in this life, in their time, at least “for ages and ages”.
Further proof that Christ’s reign was in effect when Revelation was written is found in Daniel’s vision regarding the world kingdoms from Babylon to Christ’s:
You, O king, saw, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before you; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold [Babylon], his breast and his arms of silver [Medo-Persia], his belly and his thighs of brass [Greece], His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay [Roman]. You saw till that a stone was cut out without hands [Jesus], which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. (Dan 2:32-35)
It is plain to see that we should expect Messiah to reign and increase His kingdom from when He was hurled at the Roman Empire and broke the power of the world’s kingdoms until He has completed His dominion and “put all enemies under his feet” (1 Cor 15:25). There is no sound biblical reason for us to be waiting for an event which will usher in a new age or millennium where Christ will reign any differently than He does now.
Chapter 11:16-18
Reigning and recompense
16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
17 Saying, We give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which are, and were, and are to come; because you have taken to you your great power, and have reigned.
18 And the nations were angry, and your wrath is come, and the time [kairos] of the dead [spiritually], that they should be judged, and that you should give reward [misthos] to your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth [ge- land].
What else is there to do before such an awesome God and His Christ but fall on our faces and worship? The heavenly elders said “We give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which are, and were, and are to come”- the eternal El Shaddai. They worshiped the Lord because He has “taken” His great power and “[has] reigned”. Again notice that God has taken the power and has reigned; we need not wait for some cataclysmic event to make His reign active, we must live in it now. Of course Christ was reigning already at that time for it was Him who made “the nations … angry”, He caused the Romans and their vassal nations to attack apostate Jerusalem, eventually bringing about her utter destruction. For it was “the time of the dead, that they should be judged”. The dead he is referring to are the ‘as good as dead’ apostate Jews whose fathers killed the prophets:
Wherefore you be witnesses to yourselves, that you are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill you up then the measure of your fathers. (Matt 23:31-32)
When the heavenly elders said to Christ “you should give reward to your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great”, they were referring to God’s recompense on the apostates for their murderous treatment of God’s messengers. Not only were they to “be judged” for their fathers’ sin, but they themselves “said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.” and “they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him” (Matt 21:38-39). They were the ones who cried out “Crucify him, crucify him” and “His blood be on us, and on our children” (Luke 23:21, Matt 27:25). The elders elaborate by saying that Christ “should destroy them which destroy the earth [ge- land]”. Although all nations and people are judged by their own actions it is God’s covenant people at the time who are really responsible for the earths state of affairs. Christ “should” and did “destroy them”- the apostates, who did “destroy the earth/land” with their spiritual whoredom and subsequent neglect of the land.
Chapter 11:19
The witness in heaven
19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Here now is the outcome of the events in this chapter “the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament”. The Living Word became flesh and now the Living Word has fulfilled “the law” and “the prophets”- the two witnesses, and has risen to become the Living Word “seen in his temple” “in heaven” represented as the new heavenly “ark of his testament” (Matt 5:17). Christ the Word is displayed in the heavenly realm with great glory and power with “lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail”. His majesty is both terrible and glorious for He is victorious and He does reign “till his enemies be made his footstool” (Heb 10:13).
End notes
[*1] John dressed like a modern day vagrant and Jesus made His triumphant ride into Jerusalem on a donkey. Neither held position of official leadership, and neither were esteemed as pillars of society. One was beheaded, the other was crucified. Also, sackcloth symbolized mourning over national apostasy (Jon 3:6).
[*2] You may be thinking “how can this be referring to Jesus and John when they had already finished their 3.5 year season of witness at the time Revelation was written”? You only need to go to the next chapter of Revelation- chapter 12, to see another story which had already happened. This story of the woman with the man-child was also designed to reveal Christ, just like chapter 11… and the whole epistle.
[*3] T.D.O.V. pge 285
[*4] seven days to complete creation, seven lamps before the throne (the complete picture if the Holy Spirit), cattle on a thousand hills (actually many or all hills), other thousand scrips…
[*5] A must read on the true dating of Revelation is Kenneth Gentry’s book Before Jerusalem Fell- Dating the Book of Revelation. According to both internal and external evidence it becomes clear that the late date (under Domitian’s reign around 95AD) is seriously flawed. Revelation, when allowed to speak for itself clearly points towards a date pre-70AD.
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Thank you.