3/10/03
REVELATION
CHAPTER 11 :
HISTORY TO THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION AND ITS LATER RECAPITULATION
By J. Parnell McCarter
Expositors have puzzled over the interpretative
predicament of Revelation chapter 11 (especially Revelation 11:1-14). As Matthew Henry has noted, “whether what is
contained between this [Revelation 10:1] and the sounding of the seventh
trumpet [Revelation 11:15] be a distinct prophecy from the other, or only a
more general account of some of the principal things included in the other, is
disputed by our curious inquirers into these abstruse writings.”
Revelation chapter 11 surely is one of the most
curious portions in the book of Revelation.
On the one hand, it is part of the account of the sounding of the seven
trumpets which begins in Revelation 8:2, and concludes with the sounding of the
seventh trumpet as described in Revelation 11:15-19. As I have shown in my book Let
My People Go, the sounding of the seven trumpets spans a significant
stretch of time leading up to and including the Protestant Reformation. Thus,
its inclusion in this section of the Apocalyptic account means it is supplying
information about the time leading up to and including the Protestant
Reformation. Yet on the other hand,
Revelation 11 supplies details regarding the days immediately anticipating a
restored Protestant Reformation (i.e., “the millennium”), when the beast rules
and falls (Revelation 17:17, 19). As the commentator A.J. Faussett notes, in
Revelation 11 “we find anticipatory allusions to the subsequent
prophecies.” Revelation 11 is marked
off as special and intended for multiple use by its inclusion in “the little
book” (Revelation 10:10). The contents
of this “little book”, which runs from Revelation 11 to 14, have much to say
not only about the time leading up to and including the Protestant Reformation,
but also about the time leading up to and including the restored Protestant
Reformation later in human history.
In books and articles that I have written up to
now addressing an interpretation of Revelation (e.g., Let My People Go, Sabbath Bible Survey Tests and Assignments, etc.),
I have simply addressed how I believe Revelation chapter 11 should be
interpreted within the context of the sounding of the seven trumpets. Within that context, I have interpreted the
sounding of the seven trumpets as the time from 70 A.D. and leading up to and
including the Protestant Reformation, and I have interpreted Revelation 11:1-14
as describing the 1,260 years from 70 A.D. to 1330 A.D. So within the context
of that period, the 1260 days referenced in Revelation 11:3 are interpreted
according to the year-day principle as 1,260 years. Having covered its interpretation then within the context of the
sounding of the seven trumpets, I would like in this article to focus upon
Revelation 11 as also supplying details regarding the time immediately
anticipating the millennium when the beast rules and falls (Revelation 17:17,
19).
In terms of supplying details regarding the days
immediately anticipating the millennium when the beast rules and falls
(Revelation 17:17, 19), Revelation 11 especially focuses upon 1,260 days within
that period. These literal 1,260 days
are a type of the 1,260 years of Romish oppression the church endured up to the
time of the Protestant Reformation; or, rather, the 1,260 years the church
endured up to the time of the Protestant Reformation are a type of the 1,260
days of Romish oppression the church must endure in the years preceding the
millennium. They compare with the way
the 2,300 literal days in which Antiochus Epiphanes oppressed Jerusalem is a
type of the 2,300 years in which Satan oppresses the world following the
abomination of desolation of 167 B.C. before Christ’s Second Advent. (See chapter
seven of my book Let My People Go for
a fuller discussion of Daniel 8:13-14.)
It is also comparable with the 390 days and 40 days which Ezekiel
endured hardship, representing 390 years and 40 years in the life of Israel. Of this in Ezekiel 4:5-6 we read: “For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three
hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of
Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and
thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed
thee each day for a year.” Commenting
upon these verses, Matthew Henry writes: “He was ordered to lie upon his side
before it, as it were to surround it, representing the Chaldean army lying
before it to block it up, to keep the meat from going in and the mouths from
going out. He was to lie on his left side 390 days (v. 5), about thirteen months; the siege of Jerusalem is
computed to last eighteen months (Jer. 52:4-6),
but if we deduct from that five months’ interval, when the besiegers withdrew
upon the approach of Pharaoh’s army (Jer. 37:5-8),
the number of the days of the close siege will be 390. Yet that also had
another signification. The 390 days, according to the prophetic dialect,
signified 390 years; and, when the prophet lies so many days on his side, he
bears the guilt of that iniquity which the
house of Israel, the ten tribes, had borne 390 years, reckoning from their
first apostasy under Jeroboam to the destruction of Jerusalem, which completed
the ruin of those small remains of them that had incorporated with Judah. He is
then to lie forty days upon his right
side, and so long to bear the
iniquity of the house of Judah, the kingdom of the two tribes, because the
measure-filling sins of that people were those which they were guilty of during
the last forty years before their captivity, since the thirteenth year of
Josiah, when Jeremiah began to prophesy (Jer. 1:1,
2), or, as some reckon it, since the eighteenth, when the book of the law was
found and the people renewed their covenant with God.” It is also comparable to the way the 70
years of Israel’s trial in Babylon were a type of the 70 weeks of years of
Israel’s trial to the time of Jesus Christ.
Thus we read in Daniel 9:2,24: “In the first year of his reign I Daniel
understood by books the number of the
years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would
accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem…Seventy weeks are determined
upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to
make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in
everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to
anoint the most Holy.” And finally it
is comparable to how the 40-day trial period of Israel spying Canaan was a type
of their 40-year wilderness period. As
we read in Numbers 14:34: “After the number of the days in which ye searched
the land, [even] forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your
iniquities, [even] forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.”
In many respects the time
immediately preceding the millennium serves as an intensified microcosm of the
much longer period preceding the Protestant Reformation. In both, a wicked Romish beast rules and
oppresses Christ’s true church. And
both are followed by a great reformation.
Before Revelation 11 we
never read of "the beast that
ascendeth out of the bottomless pit" (Revelation 11:7). But we do read of this beast in Revelation
17:7-8: “…I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that
carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou
sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend
out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on
the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from
the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not,
and yet is.” This beast that sits on
the city of seven hills (Revelation 17:9) of Rome, with her accompanying false
prophet (Revelation 19:20), has according to Revelation 17:7 carried a
mysterious “Babylon” for some time. But
according to Revelation 17:16, this Romish beast along with many nations
destroy the mysterious “Babylon”, that the beast may obtain the full and
obvious power (Revelation 17:17). As
Anti-Christ, the Romish Beast and False Prophet seek the seat rightfully belonging
to Jesus Christ. Since Jesus Christ’s
seat of power will be in the great city Jerusalem (Revelation 21:10), therefore
the Romish Beast and False Prophet must seek to rule there. And it is in the venue of Jerusalem (the “holy
city…where also our Lord was crucified” [Revelation 11:2,8]) where Revelation
11 takes up its account.
We in fact noted in our
article at Puritan News Weekly entitled
“The Goals of Columbus’ Voyage“ how the Romish Papacy has long planned to rule
the world, having recaptured Jerusalem from the Muslims for itself. To quote
from that article:
“it
is enlightening to examine the "political theology" of Spain,
Portugal, England, France and most of Europe's royal courts at that time.
Columbus wrote of being ‘an instrument of God in recovering of Jerusalem’....
The royal mission was presented as divine, universal and directed toward
uniting the world under a single ruler, who was to recapture Jerusalem from the
Moslems, thereby fulfilling history's culmination and end. This vision was put
out competitively by Europe's royal courts, but Castile was seen to be implementing
it most literally at the time - in instituting the Inquisition, conquering the
Muslim Kingdom of Grenada, and, in tandem with sending out Columbus in 1492,
expelling the Jews. (Peggy K. Liss, Washington Post Oct. 19, 1995 p. A22)”
And we have noted in our
article entitled “St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome and the Dome of the Rock in
Jerusalem“ how the Papacy is likely to move its headquarters from its
seven-hilled city of Rome to the seven-hilled city of Jerusalem during this
period.
The circumstances of
Jerusalem during this 1,260 day period when “the holy city shall they tread
under foot forty and two months” hearkens back to the time of Antiochus
Epiphanes’ oppressive reign in Jerusalem, as it is described in Daniel 8:13-14: “Then I
heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain [saint]
which spake, How long [shall be] the vision [concerning] the daily [sacrifice],
and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to
be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred
days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” We can expect all the
wickedness and idolatry of the Vatican to be re-located to Jerusalem. The idolatrous Mass will no doubt be
celebrated there with much pomp and ceremony.
The Dome of the Rock may well serve as the chief Temple for these
services. The political intrigues will most likely continue and increase. These shall be sad and difficult days,
similar to the years before the Protestant Reformation, for which they would be
a microcosm.
As an account of a literal
1,260 day period before the Romish beast and false prophet are overthrown
preceding the millennium, Revelation 11’s elements should also be interpreted
more literally and less figuratively than the elements are interpreted with reference
to the 1,260 years before the Protestant Reformation. Some of these elements of Revelation 11 include: “a thousand two
hundred and three-score days”, “the holy city”, “two witnesses”, death of two
witnesses, resurrection and ascension of two witnesses, and “the kingdoms of
this world” becoming “the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ.” Let’s consider each of these elements
separately.
We have already addressed
the element of the “thousand two hundred and three-score days”. As type, it spans 1,260 years according to
the year-day principle of prophetic time interpretation. Again, this is the
period between 70 A.D. and the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. But as
anti-type in describing the period immediately before the millennium, it spans a
literal 1,260 days.
The element of “the holy
city” has different signification too, depending upon its use in the typical
versus anti-typical account. As type, it refers to Christ’s visible church on
earth. Jerusalem is often used in scripture
as a synonym for Christ’s visible church on earth (Psalm 147:2, Psalm 126:1,
Isaiah 10:11, Hebrews 12:22, Isaiah 52:1).
Before the Protestant Reformation, havoc was wrought upon Christ’s
visible church by the pagan Roman Empire as well as the Papal Roman Empire. Christ’s visible church was physically
persecuted as well as morally corrupted by Romish involvement with it. But as anti-type, it refers to the literal
city of Jerusalem. “The holy city” of Jerusalem often in scripture refers to
the city of Jerusalem itself (Nehemiah 11:1, Matthew 4:5, II Samuel
14:23). During the period immediately
before the millennium, and following the demise of the mysterious “Babylon” of
Revelation [Revelation 17:16] (which I believe is Washington, DC), the Romish
beast will ascend in power [Revelation 17:17].
During this extraordinary reign of the beast, it seems the beast will do
in the city of Jerusalem similar to what Antiochus Epiphanes had
done there centuries before. The beast
will no doubt bring its paganism and immorality into the city, albeit disguised
as Christianity.
Yet during the difficult
periods- both before the Protestant Reformation and before the millennium- it
seems God will provide “two witnesses” to testify the truth. In the 1,260 year
period preceding the Protestant Reformation, the “two witnesses” should be
interpreted more figuratively. Clearly,
no two people live the entire span of time.
Consistent with our understanding that by the “holy city” during this
period is meant Christ’s visible church, the “two witnesses” is that remnant of
the visible church which remains faithful and faithfully testifies of the
truth. These are a type of the
anti-typical witnesses during the period before the millennium. During these
difficult days it seems God will mark two people in the world to be His special
witnesses (Revelation 11:3). These two
literal men will apparently be like Moses and Aaron in their day. They will explain the plagues outlined in
Revelation 16, rebuke wickedness, and point the way to Jesus Christ and the
millennial restoration for God’s people.
Indeed, it would seem the plagues accompany their presence. The plagues noted in Revelation 11:5-6
correspond to the plagues outlined in Revelation 16. Their testimony will enrage the beast and his allies.
At the conclusion of the 1,260
days we read in Revelation 11 how these two witnesses are killed but rise
again. Taken more figuratively as a
type, this speaks to how the Romish beast persecuted and killed God’s faithful
remnant before the Protestant Reformation, but they spiritually rose in power
during the Protestant Reformation.
Taken as an anti-type, we should interpret it more literally. Most people in the world will rejoice at the
death of the two literal witnesses in the period before the millennium
(Revelation 11:10). But as a great sign
to the world, God will raise them from the dead before the people of the earth
(Revelation 11:11). This resurrection may be like that of Lazarus, as well as
that of various people at the time of Jesus’ own crucifixion and resurrection (Matthew
27:52-53). And they shall ascend to
heaven (Revelation 11:12), as Elijah and Jesus ascended. By this means mankind will know which church
to join (that of the two witnesses) and by this means mankind will know they
must remove the beast and false prophet.
So the preaching of the gospel will go forth with power. And the beast and false prophet will
ultimately be removed (Revelation 19:20).
And the nations shall truly become Christian (Revelation 11:15 and 20:4)
and no longer deceived by the beast (Revelation 20:3). In this respect, the Protestant Reformation
is a fore-taste and type of the much grander reformation that will accompany
the millennium. In the millennium, “the
kingdoms of this world” will more fully become “the kingdoms of our Lord, and
of his Christ.”
The commentator A.R. Faussett was very close to
the mark when he wrote concerning Revelation 11:
“The long years of papal
misrule may be followed by the short time of the man of sin who shall
concentrate in himself all the apostasy, persecution, and evil of the various
forerunning Antichrists, Antiochus, Mohammed, Popery, just before Christ's
advent. His time shall be THE RECAPITULATION and open consummation of the
"mystery of iniquity" so long leavening the world. Witnessing
churches may be followed by witnessing individuals, the former occupying the
longer, the latter, the shorter period.”
The primary correction I would make to A.R.
Faussett’s observation in the quote above is that THE RECAPITULATION will not be “just before Christ’s advent”,
but rather it will be just before the millennium. There are various reasons we know this, but the most obvious one
is that the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit (Revelation 11:7,
17:8) does so before the millennium.
And once this beast is cast into a lake of fire before the millennium
(Revelation 19:20), he is never afterwards released, even though Satan is
released for a short season after the millennium (Revelation 20:10). Since THE RECAPITULATION occurs during the
beast’s reign, it must be situated before the millennium and not immediately
before Christ’s advent.
Most likely even after the beast has been
overthrown (Revelation 19:20), there will be an interlude of preparation before
the actual entry into the millennial restoration for the world. Revelation 19:21 and Isaiah 48:21 suggest
what this interlude will be like.
Revelation 19:21 reads: “And the remnant were slain with the sword of
him that sat upon the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth: and all
the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
And Isaiah 48:21 reads: “And they thirsted not [when] he led them
through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he
clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.” The escape from the dominion of the beast will be like the escape
from Egypt during the time of Moses and Aaron.
Indeed, Revelation 11 all but says this, with its allusions to two
witnesses, plagues, and Egypt. As in
that earlier escape, the people will not be allowed automatically to go into
the Promised Land of the millennium.
Rather, they must first be tested, tried, and refined. Many will no doubt be spiritually unprepared
to enter the Promised Land of the millennium.
This interlude will weed out the chaff, just as it weeded out the
wilderness generation following the first Exodus (Psalm 95:7-11, Hebrews
3:7-19). And after this time of
preparation, then the world will enter its millennial rest, as promised in
Revelation 20:3. I have suggested in my
book Let My People Go that this may
occur in 2033 A.D.