In this chapter, two witnesses – John and his partner – are killed while testifying the truth about the betrayal and destruction, and then they come back to life. Also, we’ll hear what will happen when the seventh trumpet sounds. If you haven’t read Chapter 11, I recommend you read it beforehand.

Today, Jang Bang-sik, the tribe leader of the Matthias tribe teaches Rev 11.

In Rev 10, John is the one who received the open word of Revelation and digested it. From the knowledge and what he had seen and heard, he could proclaim the events of betrayal and destruction that happened in the tabernacle temple. This is the role of ‘seventh trumpet’, the God’s worker who proclaims the events of betrayal and destruction, and then salvation, unlike other trumpets – they proclaim the judgment that betrayers receive.

In this chapter, John was given a reed like a measuring rod and told to measure a temple. Staffs and rods are tools that help people walk – spiritually, this is a partner that helps New John to carry his mission. In reality, he is one of the saints from the tabernacle of seven golden lampstands. What is this rod helping? John is supposed to measure the temple. Which temple he must measure? In 1Cor3:16, people are God’s temple. Temple here is the people who overcame and escaped from the first tabernacle where was being judged (destroyed) because of chosen people’s betrayal. They didn’t receive the false doctrines given by the destroyers that entered the first tabernacle and came out to worship God. John and the helper are measuring their faith and their knowledge.

Still, the outer court wasn’t for measuring because they were given to the gentiles to trample on it for 42 months. What’s happening here? Where’s the outer court? This is the first tabernacle where they escaped from. Since the chosen people have forsaken God and didn’t repent, they were judged by the gentile – seven heads and ten horns beast that came out of the sea in Rev13 for 42 months. Back in Physical Israel’s time, the period of judgment was about 70 years. Today, it’s only three years and a half. In Mt24:21-22, God shortened the days of judgment because he wanted people to survive.

Two witnesses – John and the helper – wear sackcloths and prophecy for 1,260 days. Israelites would wear sackcloths when they repent their sins or when someone had passed away. The witnesses are wearing those because they want those people to repent their dead deeds while prophesying – urging people to repent and revealing the events in the future.

These witnesses were called two olive trees and two lampstands. These two olive trees refer to two witnesses that serve God on the earth. In Zec4:11-14, it is said that two olive branches are two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth. They’re also called two lampstands. This shows they were together with seven spirits of the seven lamps before God’s throne (Rev4:5).

Why they’re described as olive trees? Why does that matter?

As believers who wait for Jesus to return, we must meet the requirements of meeting Jesus when he returns. In Mt25, only five wise brides, who had both lamps and oil, join the wedding banquet. In Ps119:105, the lamp means the word of God. Olive oil was used to light the lampstand in God’s tent in Ex27:20. Olive oil came out from the olive trees. This means the word of testimony from the witnesses. This word is needed when the believers meet Jesus.

The Bible says when someone tries to harm the witnesses, fire comes out from their mouths and devours the enemies. As we learned before, fire stands for the word of judgment. With words of judgment, the evil spirit in false prophets will be revealed.

When the witnesses finished testifying, the beast came up from the Abyss attacked them, and killed them. This means when the witnesses testified everything they had to, false pastors who belonged to Satan stopped them from testifying.

Their dead bodies were lying in the street of the great city. This great city is where God used to work and it had 80 branch churches. This city was destroyed by the gentiles. This city is called Sodom, Egypt, and where the Lord was crucified. Sodom was judged because it was greatly corrupted and Egypt was where Moses and Aaron fought against Pharaoh. The place where the Lord has crucified means where people killed innocent Jesus. It implies how the first tabernacle was corrupted.

When dead bodies were on the streets, people usually take care of them, burying them. Still, people in this city, the saints of the tabernacle temple, watched them for three and a half days. This means they mocked and watched the witnesses when they were not able to carry their duties. Since Jesus called destroyed Jerusalem as a grave or tomb, not burying them means they didn’t receive two witnesses to their denomination. The reality of the three days and a half was Jan. 30 – Feb. 2, 1981.

God always saves his workers when they’re in a trouble. Breath of life from God entered two witnesses and made them revive. Then, they were ascended into the cloud. At this moment, they entered the tabernacle temple on earth to testify to them again, guided by the spirit. Enemies who are watching this are the group of Satan. These people thought the witnesses were done, but seeing them testifying again, the great city, the first tabernacle, had a great earthquake and a tenth of it fell. Seven thousand people were killed in this earthquake. Field and earth are man’s hearts and organization (church) in the Bible. When it is shaken and fallen, it means the hearts of its members were greatly shaken and the organization fell. In this incident, the spirits of the betrayed seven golden lampstands were killed. Survivors, who escaped and worshiped God earlier, gave glory to God.

Finally, the most important trumpet, the seventh trumpet sounds. Unlike the other six trumpets, this one reveals the mystery of God. This amazing secret was that the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of God. Then, Jesus will return and reign for ever and ever.

1Cor15:51-54 also told us about the last, seventh trumpet and the secret: resurrection. At the martyrs will be resurrected into holy spiritual bodies, we who are alive will be transformed. This is a wonderful mystery of God and death will be swallowed up by life and we’ll enter eternal life.

To reach this resurrection and eternal life, therefore, we must know who is the seventh trumpet, sent by God and Jesus (Mt11:27, Jn17:3).

This is a joyful event for us, believers who wish eternal life, but bad news for the enemies. The gentiles are angry when the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of God. It’s because they had been ruling over the world, but now it’s taken and they will be judged at the end.

Then, God will judge who destroyed the earth. These are the destroyers who invaded and destroyed the first tabernacle. It’s also told that those who fear the Lord will be rewarded. What kind of reward they’re getting? They will receive 12 blessings that were promised in Rev2 and Rev3 (Rev19-21). It’ll be a marriage of the spirit and flesh, the first resurrection, and God and the spiritual realm will come to the earth and dwell with people.

When this happens, the new temple of God is opened. This means the existence of God’s temple is widely known to the world. The reality is the establishment of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, Mar. 14th, 1984.

Inside the opened temple of God, there was the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm. Each of them stands for the word of Covenant, the rapid movement of the spirits, the sound of God’s administration, and the word of wrath and the pastor with this word.

As mentioned in the beginning, this chapter is about two witnesses and the seventh trumpet. The seventh trumpet is the most important content in Rev 11. Quoting Mt11:27 and Jn17:4, Jang Bang-sik, the tribe leader of Matthias Tribe, wishes all humanity to meet the seventh trumpet, New John, and receive Jesus’ revelation and enter the kingdom of heaven and enjoy eternal life.

Closing the lecture, the lecturer emphasized that we have one Bible, there’s one God and one kingdom of heaven, so let’s be one. WE ARE ONE!

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