Reading Revelation 11:1-14: God's People and Their Message
- Thad DeBuhr
- May 29
- 13 min read
Understanding the Bible can sometimes feel like trying to solve a puzzle with no picture on the box. You're not alone if you've ever felt overwhelmed by its complexities, especially when you encounter passages like Revelation 11. This particular chapter throws us into a dramatic vision of God's people, their unwavering message, and the powerful, if sometimes perplexing, events that unfold around them. But even in its mysterious language, Revelation 11 offers profound insights into how God works through His followers, even in the face of immense challenges.
Important Note
This study guide includes some "Rabbit Trails." These are places where we take a moment to look closer at a specific topic or Bible verse. We believe these extra bits will help you understand Revelation chapter 11 much better.
Setting the Scene: God's People and Their Message
Revelation chapter 11 can be a bit confusing, and that's perfectly normal! Many people find parts of the Bible hard to grasp. We hope this more detailed guide for this passage will help!
First, imagine John, the writer of this book, is told to measure a temple. This isn't a building in Jerusalem or a place in heaven. Back then, Christians started to see themselves as God's new temple – the place where God lives through His Holy Spirit. So, it seems as though John is told to "measure" the church (all the people, not a building.) When John measures this group of believers, it means God is marking them out for special protection. Similar to the seal we saw back in chapter 7. This doesn't mean they won't have any troubles or hard times, but it means God will keep them safe from being completely destroyed.
Rabbit Trail #1: How can People think of themselves as a temple?
When early Christians began to understand themselves as the "temple of God," it was a revolutionary idea that deeply connected them to God's presence in a new way. For centuries, the Temple in Jerusalem was the central place where God's presence was believed to dwell among His people. It was where sacrifices were offered and where people went to connect with God.
However, after Jesus' death and resurrection, and especially after the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, the early Christians, guided by the apostles, understood that God's presence was no longer limited to a physical building. Instead, God now dwelt in His people, through the Holy Spirit. This wasn't a sudden, out-of-nowhere idea; it was deeply rooted in Old Testament promises and clearly taught in the New Testament.
Here are some key reasons and biblical references that would have led early Christians to this understanding:
Jesus Himself Hinted at It: Jesus spoke of His own body as a temple that would be destroyed and rebuilt in three days (John 2:19-21). While He was speaking of His resurrection, this also set the stage for understanding that God's presence would no longer be confined to a stone structure.
The Holy Spirit's Indwelling: The core of this new understanding came with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. If God's Spirit now lived in believers, then they, collectively and individually, became the new dwelling place for God.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17: The Apostle Paul explicitly states, "Do you not know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." The "you" here is plural, referring to the community of believers—the church.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20: Paul also applies this to individual believers: "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body."
Building a Spiritual House: The image of a building being constructed was also used to explain this.
Ephesians 2:19-22: Paul tells Gentile believers that they are no longer "strangers and aliens" but "fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God in the Spirit." This shows that the church, as a community, is being built into God's dwelling place.
1 Peter 2:5: Peter uses similar language, saying that believers, like "living stones," are "being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." This highlights both the individual believer's role ("living stones") and their collective formation into a "spiritual house."
These passages would have been incredibly powerful for early Christians. It meant that God wasn't distant or confined to a building in Jerusalem that might be destroyed (which it eventually was, in 70 AD). Instead, God was intimately present with them and in them, empowering them to live out His purposes in the world. They were the new, living temple, moving and working wherever they went, bringing God's presence to the world.
Back to unpacking Revelation 11:
However, a part of this "temple" is left open. This means the people who don't believe in God will cause trouble for God's followers for a time. The Bible says "three and a half years," but that's probably a symbolic number, not a literal one. It just means it will happen for a limited time. It's God's way of showing that even though there's trouble, He is still with His people and will bless them.
So, what should God's people do during these hard times? The whole book of Revelation tells God's followers to faithfully tell others about Jesus, even if it means suffering or even dying. The letters to the churches earlier in Revelation promised special rewards to those who stayed strong and didn't give up. (Those who conquer or those who are victorious)
Next, we read about two witnesses. This is another part that puzzles many. It seems these two witnesses are not actual people like Moses and Elijah coming back to life. Instead, they represent the entire church – all of God's followers – and their job to share God's message, even if it leads to their death.
In Revelation 11:4, these "two witnesses" are specifically mentioned in connection with "two olive trees" and "two lampstands." This imagery comes from the Old Testament book of Zechariah (chapter 4), where two olive trees supply oil to a lampstand. In Zechariah, the olive trees represent two anointed leaders (Joshua, the high priest, and Zerubbabel, the governor) who were empowered by God's Spirit to rebuild the temple after the exile.
In Revelation, when the two witnesses are called "the two olive trees and the two lampstands," it means they are God's chosen messengers who are empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring God's light and truth to a dark world. They are the ones who are actively testifying for God. While some people have debated whether these "two witnesses" are literally specific individuals like Moses and Elijah returning, the more common understanding is that they symbolize the faithful church as a whole carrying out its mission of prophecy and witness, empowered by the Spirit, even in the face of great opposition. They are the ones through whom God's "oil" (the Holy Spirit's power) flows, allowing them to shine brightly as "lampstands."
Why two witnesses? It's probably because John is thinking about two important Bible stories: Moses, who showed God's power by bringing plagues on Egypt, and Elijah, who showed God's power by stopping rain and calling down fire. The message here is that God's people will continue the powerful work of Moses and Elijah. They will do amazing things that bother those who don't believe, but their most important act will be their death as martyrs (dying for their faith) at the hands of an evil "monster."
This "monster" is the mighty pagan empire, which, in John's time, was represented by Rome. The Bible also mentions that the witnesses' bodies will lie in the "great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified." John will make this clearer in later chapters of Revelation, where we learn that this "city" is Rome itself, or perhaps the public world of the entire Roman Empire. The point John wants his readers to grasp is this: the God-given and God-protected mission to bear faithful prophetic witness will not mean that one will be spared from suffering and death. Instead, this suffering and death itself, like that of Jesus whom the church worships and follows, will be the ultimate prophetic sign through which the world will be brought to glorify God.
Rabbit Trail #2: What is "Bearing Prophetic Witness"?
"Bearing prophetic witness" for the church simply means that the church, or God's followers, are meant to speak and live out God's truth in the world. Think of it this way:
Prophetic means speaking God's message, like a messenger who brings news directly from a king. It's not just about predicting the future, but also about saying what's right and what's wrong according to God, even when it's unpopular. It's about showing people what God is truly like and what He cares about.
Witness means showing or telling what you know or have experienced. Like when someone sees a car accident and tells the police what happened – they are a witness. For Christians, it means showing the world who Jesus is and what He has done, both through their words and how they live their lives.
So, when the church bears prophetic witness, it means God's people are living in a way that shows the world His truth and love, and they are speaking up about what God cares about, like fairness, kindness, and turning away from harmful ways. They do this not just with words, but also through their actions, even if it means facing difficulties or being misunderstood. It's about being a living signpost that points others to God.
Back to unpacking Revelation 11:
How does this work? For three and a half days (that symbolic half-of-seven again, representing a limited time), the world will celebrate a victory over the church. But suddenly God will act in a new way. The vision of Ezekiel 37, where God's breath comes into dry bones and brings them to life, will become a reality. And the vision of Daniel 7, of God's people coming on a cloud to heaven, will also come to pass. The vindication of the church after its martyrdom will complete their prophetic witness.
The result will be that the world, looking on, will at last be converted. That is the meaning of the powerful language at the end of verse 13. Elsewhere, both in Revelation and other biblical books, the idea of people coming in fear and trembling to "glorify the God of heaven" is an indication not of a temporary or grudging acknowledgment of God's power, but a true repentance and turning to God.
And it’s important to see the mercy of God here. Think about the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18. Abraham pleaded with God, asking if He would spare the city if fifty, forty-five, forty, thirty, twenty, or even just ten righteous people were found there. God, in His mercy, agreed to spare the city for just ten. This story highlights a biblical pattern where a very small remnant, or even a tiny percentage, of faithful individuals could determine the fate of a larger group. In Elijah's time (1 Kings 19), when he felt all alone, God revealed that He had reserved 7,000 who had not bowed to Baal – a small but significant remnant.
Now, look at Revelation 11:13. After the death and resurrection of the two witnesses, a great earthquake strikes, and "a tenth of the city fell." Crucially, 7,000 people were killed, but the rest were terrified and "gave glory to the God of heaven." This is a profound shift! In earlier biblical accounts, a small number of righteous people might be saved from a destruction where the vast majority perished (like Sodom and Gomorrah). Here, we see a devastating judgment (the earthquake and 7,000 deaths), but it’s a smaller percentage of the population that is destroyed compared to the overall response. The crucial point is that the majority of the survivors, described as "the rest," actually turn and give glory to God.
This signals a reversal of previous patterns. The martyr witness of the church, in other words, will succeed where the plagues have failed. This is how the nations will come to glorify their creator. Instead of God saving a tiny faithful remnant while the rest are condemned, the faithfulness and even the martyrdom of God's people lead to a mass turning to God. This isn't just a few individuals being spared; it's a significant portion of those who witnessed these events being moved to acknowledge God's power and authority. This demonstrates God's great mercy and His determination to rescue and fix a world steeped in evil. He accomplishes this through Jesus's death and now through the faithful deaths of Jesus's followers, whose testimony ultimately wins over the hearts of many. This is how "the kingdom of the world" will become the kingdom of "our Lord and his Messiah" – which is precisely the point that follows immediately in verse 15.
Rabbit Trail #3: Why the Church's Presence Matters:
The understanding that Christians are now God's living temple—the place where His Spirit dwells—is incredibly important for how we see the events described in Revelation. For centuries, the Temple in Jerusalem was the central place where God's presence was believed to reside. But with Jesus' coming and the Holy Spirit's outpouring, God's presence is no longer tied to a building; it's in His people, the church.
Here's why this matters for understanding passages like Revelation 11, especially in contrast to the idea that believers might be taken away from the earth before times of great difficulty:
God's Presence is Mobile: If the church is God's temple, then wherever the church is, God's presence is. God isn't waiting in a separate building in heaven while the world suffers; His dwelling place—His people—are actively in the world. This means that for God to be present and active during times of great trouble and judgment, His people, the "temple," must be there.
Witness Requires Presence: The "two witnesses" in Revelation 11 represent the church bearing prophetic witness. A witness must be present to give testimony. You can't witness something if you're not there. For the church to "testify" to God's truth and call others to repentance, they must be on the ground, living through the very events they are speaking about. Their suffering and even their martyrdom become part of that powerful witness, mirroring Jesus' own death and resurrection.
The Mission Continues: The Bible consistently shows that God's plan involves transforming the world, not just removing His people from it. The faithful presence of the church, even amidst persecution, is God's chosen way to bring light into darkness and to draw people to Himself. It's through their endurance and their message, even when it leads to suffering, that others are terrified and then "give glory to the God of heaven." This conversion happens because of the witness of God's people on Earth during these difficult times.
Mercy and Transformation: The shift we saw with Sodom and Gomorrah, where a small remnant might have saved the city, to Revelation 11 where a majority of survivors turn to God, emphasizes that the church's presence in tribulation is central to God's merciful plan of widespread conversion. If believers were absent, who would be the "lampstands" shining God's light? Who would be the "olive trees" through whom the Spirit's power flows to bring about this turning to God? Their presence ensures that even in judgment, there is opportunity for vast repentance and God's glory to be revealed to many.
In short, the very identity of the church as God's living temple and its calling to bear prophetic witness necessitates its presence on Earth during these intense times. It's not about escaping the storm, but about being God's instruments in the storm, through which His ultimate victory and mercy are displayed to a watching world.
There's more to this Reading Revelation 11:1-14 STUDY GUIDE
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN FURTHER FOR:
Questions to chew on and discuss (or for your journal)
A Journey Group Discussion Starter (use in your small group time)
Modern Day Application Ideas
Want to watch the video version of the Daily Bible Podcast Episode that corresponds to this blog post? Here you go!
Questions for You to Chew On and Discuss
If you are God's "temple," how does that make you feel about your role as a Christian?
How can you share God's message with others, even when it might be difficult or unpopular?
Think about Moses and Elijah. What do their stories teach us about being brave and trusting God when we share our faith?
Journey Group Discussion Starter
This Study-Guide talks about how Christians are like 'God's living temple' and are called to 'bear prophetic witness' in the world, even when things are difficult. Given that, what's one small, practical way you feel you could be a 'living signpost' for God in your everyday life this week, right where you are?
Want to learn more about our Journey Groups (Small Groups online or in person)
Modern-Day Application: Go from "reading Revelation" to applying the lessons and principles:
So, what does this ancient vision mean for your life right now? It reminds us that our faith isn't just for Sunday mornings or easy times. It's meant to shape how we live every day, especially when the world feels messy. Here are some ways to apply these powerful truths:
You are God's special place: Understand that God lives in you through His Spirit. This should make you feel strong and confident, knowing He is with you even when things are tough.
Be a faithful messenger: God wants you to tell others about Jesus, even if it's hard. Think about how you can speak up for what's right and share the good news, even if others don't agree.
Feel sad about the world's problems: It's okay to feel sad about the bad things happening in the world. This is a powerful way to show you care and to point others to God.
Trust in God's final victory: Even if things look bad, remember that God wins in the end. Your faithfulness, even in hard times, plays a part in God's big plan for the world to become His.
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU GROW AS A CHRISTIAN
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