Revelation 11
<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-30885">12</sup>And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. <sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-30886">13</sup>
And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Ah! NOW I see where you get one hour. OK, what is this really telling us? There will be a great earthquake in the same hour that the two witnesses are resurrected.
But WHEN will this earthquake happen, in relation to the 6th trumpet? Let's BACK OFF a few miles so we can see the forest, rather than examine one tree.
What verse around these verses can give us a GREAT clue to where John is in timing or chronology?
Eric, I disagree with your theory of the fleeing of 12:6. I think you have chosen the wrong verses. It seems you believe the two witnesses testify in the FIRST HALF of the week? Therefore their death must then be at the midpoint, right? What Jesus Jesus say?
Matt 24
<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-23973">15</sup>
When ye therefore
shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand
[HIGH-LIGHT]
<sup id="en-KJV-23974" class="versenum">16</sup>Then [/HIGH-LIGHT]
let them which be in Judaea [HIGH-LIGHT]
flee[/HIGH-LIGHT]
into the mountains:
Please notice the fleeing. WHEN will they flee? They will flee the moment they see the abomination. Therefore, we know that in 12:6 John is perhaps ONE SECOND past the abomination.
In fact, when John begins chapter 11, he is perhaps a week or two before the abomination, and in chapter 12, seconds after the abomination. Chapter 11 is the MIDPOINT chapter. So WHO performs the abomination? OF COURSE the man of sin, Antichrist Beast from chapter 13. So you see chapter 13 is EXACTLY where it should be, right at the time the Antichrist is Revealed.
What is one of the things John tells us the Antichrist will do? He will establish a MARK, and force all to receive it. HOW LONG will it take him to set up this mark? The tribulation will get VERY INTENSE once the mark is set up, because there will be NO buying or selling without it. My guess is, it will not take long after the abomination. Perhaps a week? Perhaps a month?
Now notice that in chapter 14, an Angel flies and gives warning to all people in their own language, the DANGER of taking the mark: anyone who takes it will spend their eternity in the lake of fire!
Would you guess that God would give this warning AFTER THE FACT, or BEFORE this mark is to be forced upon people? OF COURSE God will give this warning BEFORE the mark becomes the law of the land.
My point? John is STILL not far after the abomination in chapter 14! Perhaps in this chapter he has gotten a week or two or a month after the abomination.
So if 12:6 is seconds after the abomination, could we back up and see if there is any hint as to where it would be?
12:1-5 is written as a parenthesis, about a time in history when Jesus was born, so no hint there. If we back up, the only thing we find is the sounding of the 7th trumpet. Indeed, the 7th trumpet sounds in heaven, marking THE EXACT MIDPOINT of the week, and it is sounded in heaven at the same moment that the antichrist is in the temple declaring He is God. Then, a few verses after, 12:6, those in Judea are fleeing the abomination.
Does this make sense? Does it agree with what Jesus said?
Now let's back up some more.
Rev 11
Revelation 11
<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-30874">1</sup>And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-30875">2</sup>But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-30876">3</sup>And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Where is John in timing and Chronology here? Keep in mind, 12:6 is a second or two after the abomination. This must then be sometime before the abomination. What causes this abomination? Paul said the man of sin would enter the temple (same temple as 11:1) and declare he is God. Well, he CANNOT enter the temple in Jerusalem if He is NOT IN JERUSALEM! Agreed?
Therefore, he MUST arrive in Jerusalem. And that is exactly what verse 2 is telling us: the Beast and his armies have just arrived in Jerusalem. It cannot be more than a month before the abomination, for John has said they will trample the city for 42 months. Therefore I guess that in verses 1 & 2, John is a week or so BEFORE the abomination.
Therefore,
in verse three, John CANNOT be 3 1/2 years before the abomination. That would be ridiculous. No, in verse three John must be some LITTLE amount of time AFTER verse 2, or within the week or two before the abomination.
This one fact PROVES these two witnesses testify in the 2nd half of the week, not the 1st half.
So 11:3, the two witnesses, MUST BE in chronology between the arrival of the Beast (perhaps a week before the abomination) and the abomination itself. In fact a little study will show us exactly how long.
Since the two witnesses show up in Jerusalem just after the Beast moves to Jerusalem, we know they START their 1260 days just a few days before the exact midpoint of the week. (The abomination is what divides the week into two equal halves.)
Since we KNOW they must testify for 1260 days before they are killed, and since we KNOW they being within the week before the abomination, then we KNOW they will be killed just before the END OF THE WEEK. The week ENDS with the 7th vial ("it is done.") Therefore, they are killed JUST BEFORE the 7th vial ends the week.
In fact, now we know they are killed 3 1/2 days before the 7th vial, because that is how long they lay dead. Therefore, NOW WE KNOW exactly the timing of 11:3. The two witnesses SHOW UP exactly 3 1/2 days before the abomination or the 7th trumpet. They witness for their full 1260 days, which takes them all the way to Rev. 16. They are killed JUST 3 1/2 days BEFORE the 7th vial. They lay dead for 3 1/2 days, and RISE UP at the 7th vial.
Rev 11
<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-30886">13</sup>And
the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Rev 16
<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-30972">17</sup>And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
<sup class="versenum" id="en-KJV-30973">18</sup>And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings;
and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
This is the VERY SAME earthquake.
Readers, God has given us 5 different parallel accounts of the last half of the week:
1) The city is trampled by the Gentiles of the Beast's armies
2) The two witnesses testify for all but 3 1/2 days of the last half.
3) The woman (those in Judea) flee for 1260 days.
4) the woman is protected as she flees for 3 1/2 years.
5) the Beast is given authority for his 42 months.
Please note, these five parallel times do not all start exactly
at the 7th trumpet that divides the week, but they are close
to it. the city trampled perhaps begins a week before, so the
time is given in months. The two witnesses time is given in days
and will be accurate to the very day. The fleeing is given in
days and will be accurate to the very day.
Please note, the 6th trumpet, that killed 1/3 of earth's population,
was done and FINISHED before the events of chapter 11 begin.
Therefore, Eric, I cannot believe your theory. It simply does not stand up to good bible Exegesis. The tale of the two witnesses, verses 11:4 to 11:13, are written as a "parenthesis" or SIDE trail, and not a part of John's chronology.
Chronology:
11:1-2 Beast arrives in Jerusalem just before abomination
11:3 Two witnesses arrive in Jerusalem 3 1/2 days before..
11:14 Statement of fact, not a part of Chronology. the 1st and 2nd woe were finished by the end of chapter 9. This verse is NOT saying that the 6th woe just finished, only that it is history at this point in time.
11:15 7th trumpet marks the MIDPOINT of the week, marks the END of the first 6000 years of man on earth, and the BEGINNING of the 1000 year Reign of Christ on earth.
12:6 Seconds after the abomination those in Judea FLEE
12:7 WAR in heaven, Satan kicked down from heavenlies. The ADAMIC LEASE (the scroll or book from chapter 5) has EXPIRED! Suddenly Satan has NO LEGAL RECOURSE! The lease has expired and his eviction notice is IMMEDIATE!!
Coop
