Apocalypse continues

The Eye of the Storm

The big ideas in Revelation

1. Jesus is the first and last.
2. You can find Christ in the churches.
3. There is calm, beautiful harmony in heaven’s worship.
4. Increasing judgment calls for decision.
5. Which city is your home? Fallen Babylon or new Jerusalem?

The angel and the little scroll (10.1-11)

1. He has one foot on sea, one foot on land; in chapter 13, beasts will come from sea and land.
2. The seven thunders are sealed up; “No more delay!” See seven thunders in Psalm 29.3-9.
3. John ingests the little scroll, symbolic of assimilating the message. He feels joy after receiving the message, but sadness, because message is woeful. See Ezekiel 2.8-3.3.

The two witnesses (11.1-14)

Background

a. For measuring, symbolic of protection, see Ezekiel 40-42; Zechariah 2.1-4.
b. For two olive trees, symbolic of persons, see Zechariah 4.
c. Two witnesses required in court, Deuteronomy 19.15
d. Fire consumes Elijah’s foes, 2 Kings 1.9-16 (Elijah symbolic of the prophets).
e. Elijah predicts drought, 1 Kings 17.1.
f. Moses turns rivers to blood, Exodus 7.14-25; other plagues follow. (Moses symbolic of Law.)
g. Sodom, Egypt, ancient enemies symbolic of the godless city
h. Elijah carried to heaven in fiery chariot, 2 Kings 2.
i. Jesus ascends to heaven in a cloud, Acts 1.9.
j. “Give glory to God” is an idiom for confess, usually followed by execution. See Josh 7.19 ff.

Narrative

1. John measures Jewish (not Gentile) areas of Temple, vv 1-2.
2. Two witnesses preach for 3 1/2 years (= 42 months = 1260 days), vv 3-6.
3. The beast from bottomless pit kills them, v 7.
4. They lie in the street 3 1/2 days, vv 7-10.
5. They receive the breath of life, v 11. See John 20.22.
6. They ascend to heaven, v 12.
7. A great earthquake occurs, 7000 (7 x 1000) die, v 13.

Hallelujah! (11.15-19)

Apocalypse, Revelation 10-11, page 1 © 2009 by John Hamilton