John has eaten the scroll of a might angel, feeling the sweetness, then the nausea of that scroll. Then he is told to prophesy to all the world....
If we view a year as 360 days then the period 1260 days is three and a half years. Much has been made of this. Those who see a specific historical period of the "Great Tribulation" see that period as lasting seven years and so this event would occur halfway through that time.
Revelation 11: 7-10, The death of the two witnesses
Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.
8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.
9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.
10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.
9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.
10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
The witnesses seem indestructible. And then they are destroyed. They are destroyed by a Beast that comes up out of the Abyss (Hades?) Their bodies are displayed for 3 1/2 days.
Why does 3 1/2 suddenly appear throughout this passage? (1260 days = 42 months = 3 1/2 years.)
The bodies of the witnesses, says the writer, will lie in the public square of a great city, the great city where their Lord was crucified. So this city is Jerusalem.
The death of these witnesses, these two prophets, will be celebrated by the world system, a system "tormented" by them.
The bodies of the witnesses, says the writer, will lie in the public square of a great city, the great city where their Lord was crucified. So this city is Jerusalem.
The death of these witnesses, these two prophets, will be celebrated by the world system, a system "tormented" by them.
Revelation 11: 11-14, Their revival
But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.
12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.
12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.
Yet the Witnesses live on, at God's command. Who are they? They ascend to heaven "in a cloud", observed by their enemies. In all of that, there is a dramatic earthquake and damage to a tenth of the city (presumably still Jerusalem.)
This is all very specific, presumably a single historical event?
Nothing is said here about the beast; presumably it lives on?
And so ends the second woe.
This is all very specific, presumably a single historical event?
Nothing is said here about the beast; presumably it lives on?
And so ends the second woe.
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