1 And there was giuen me a reede like vnto a rod, and the Angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the Temple of God, and the Altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the Court which is without the Temple leaue out, and measure it not: for it is giuen vnto the Gentiles, and the holy citie shall they tread vnder foote fourty and two moneths.
3 And I will giue power vnto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two oliue trees, and the two candlestickes, standing before the God of the earth.
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and deuoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, hee must in this maner be killed.
6 These haue power to shut heauen, that it raine not in the dayes of their prophesie: and haue power ouer waters to turne them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
7 And when they shall haue finished their testimonie, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit, shall make warre against them, and shall ouercome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great citie, which spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 And they of the people, and kinreds, and tongues, and nations, shal see their dead bodies three dayes and an halfe, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graues.
10 And they that dwell vpon the earth shall reioyce ouer them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two Prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
11 And after three dayes and an halfe the Spirit of life from God, entred into them: and they stood vpon their feete, and great feare fell vpon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voyce from heauen, saying vnto them, Come vp hither. And they ascended vp to heauen in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them.
13 And the same houre was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slaine of men seuen thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gaue glory to the God of heauen.
14 The second woe is past, and behold, the third woe commeth quickly.
15 And the seuenth Angel sounded, and there were great voyces in heauen, saying, The kingdomes of this world are become the kingdomes of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reigne for euer and euer.
16 And the foure and twentie Elders which sate before God on their seates, fell vpon their faces, and worshipped God,
17 Saying, Wee giue thee thankes, O Lord God Almightie, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should bee iudged, and that thou shouldest giue reward vnto thy seruants the Prophets, and to the Saints, & them that feare thy Name, small and great, and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
19 And the Temple of God was opened in heauen, and there was seene in his Temple the Arke of his Testament, and there were lightnings, and voyces, and thundrings, and an earthquake, and great haile.
The state of the church is represented under the figure of a temple measured. (1,2) Two witnesses prophesy is sackcloth. (3-6) They are slain, after which they arise and ascend to heaven. (7-13) Under the seventh trumpet, all antichristian powers are to be destroyed and there will be a glorious state of Christ's kingdom upon earth. (14-19)1,2 This prophetical passage about measuring the temple seems to refer to Ezekiel's vision. The design of this measuring seems to be the preservation of the church in times of public danger; or for its trial, or for its reformation. The worshippers must be measured; whether they make God's glory their end, and his word their rule, in all their acts of worship. Those in the outer court, worship in a false manner, or with dissembling hearts, and will be found among his enemies. God will have a temple and an altar in the world, till the end of time. He looks strictly to his temple. The holy city, the visible church, is trodden under foot; is filled with idolaters, infidels, and hypocrites. But the desolations of the church are limited, and she shall be delivered out of all her troubles.
3-13 In the time of treading down, God kept his faithful witnesses to attest the truth of his word and worship, and the excellence of his ways, The number of these witnesses is small, yet enough. They prophesy in sackcloth. It shows their afflicted, persecuted state, and deep sorrow for the abominations against which they protested. They are supported during their great and hard work, till it is done. When they had prophesied in sackcloth the greatest part of 1260 years, antichrist, the great instrument of the devil, would war against them, with force and violence for a time. Determined rebels against the light rejoice, as on some happy event, when they can silence, drive to a distance, or destroy the faithful servants of Christ, whose doctrine and conduct torment them. It does not appear that the term is yet expired, and the witnesses are not a present exposed to endure such terrible outward sufferings as in former times; but such things may again happen, and there is abundant cause to prophesy in sackcloth, on account of the state of religion. The depressed state of real Christianity may relate only to the western church. The Spirit of life from God, quickens dead souls, and shall quicken the dead bodies of his people, and his dying interest in the world. The revival of God's work and witnesses, will strike terror into the souls of his enemies. Where there is guilt, there is fear; and a persecuting spirit, though cruel, is a cowardly spirit. It will be no small part of the punishment of persecutors, both in this world, and at the great day, that they see the faithful servants of God honoured and advanced. The Lord's witnesses must not be weary of suffering and service, nor hastily grasp at the reward; but must stay till their Master calls them. The consequence of their being thus exalted was a mighty shock and convulsion in the antichristian empire. Events alone can show the meaning of this. But whenever God's work and witnesses revive, the devil's work and witnesses fall before him. And that the slaying of the witnesses is future, appears to be probable.
14-19 Before the sounding of the seventh and last trumpet, there is the usual demand of attention. The saints and angels in heaven know the right of our God and Saviour to rule over all the world. But the nations met God's wrath with their own anger. It was a time in which he was beginning to reward his people's faithful services, and sufferings; and their enemies fretted against God, and so increased their guilt, and hastened their destruction. By the opening the temple of God in heaven, may be meant, that there was a more free communication between heaven and earth; prayer and praises more freely and frequently going up, graces and blessings plentifully coming down. But it rather seems to refer to the church of God on earth. In the reign of antichrist, God's law was laid aside, and made void by traditions and decrees; the Scriptures were locked up from the people, but now they are brought to the view of all. This, like the ark, is a token of the presence of God returned to his people, and his favour toward them in Jesus Christ, as the Propitiation for their sins. The great blessing of the Reformation was attended with very awful providences; as by terrible things in righteousness God answered the prayers presented in his holy temple now opened.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.