Revelation 11:13

Revelation 11:13. And in that hour, that is, at the very moment when the witnesses ascended, judgment fell upon the guilty world. There was a great earthquake, the constant symbol of judgment.

The tenth part of the city fell. The city is without doubt ‘the great city' of Revelation 11:8; but only a tenth part falls because judgment does not yet descend in all its fullness.

in the earthquake were killed seven thousand persons. The expression in the original for ‘persons' is remarkable, meaning literally ‘names of men.' A similar use of the word ‘names' has already met us at chap. Revelation 3:4, and the usage throws light upon the employment of the word ‘name' in the writings of St. John. It seems hardly necessary to say that the earthquake, the fall of the tenth part of the city, and the number 7000, must all be regarded as symbolical.

And the rest were affrighted. By ‘the rest' are to be understood all the ungodly who had not been killed. They are not only ‘affrighted,' they gave glory to the God of heaven. In what sense, it must be asked, are we to take these words? Do they express, as many imagine, the conversion of the Jews, or, as many others, that of the degenerate Christians of the city? We must answer, Neither. Conversion is not spoken of, and there is nothing to lead us to the thought of Jews. Inasmuch, however, as we are here dealing with inhabitants of Jerusalem, the holy city, it is not improbable that the faithless members of the Church, as distinguished from the faithful witnesses, are in the prophet's view. Yet he does not behold their conversion. To the change implied in that word the being ‘affrighted' is not a suitable preliminary; and the whole tone of the passage suggests that, when they who are thus affrighted give glory to the ‘God of heaven' (comp. chap. Revelation 16:11), they do so from no recognition of His heavenly character as compared with the wickedness of earth, but from the conviction which they have received of the irresistibleness of His power and the terror of His judgments. They are terrified, awed, subdued, but they are not converted. It is possible that conversion may follow, but we are not told that such will be the case. Looking back upon the whole of this difficult passage, one or two questions in connection with it demand an answer.

The first and most important of these is, Who are the two witnesses? Our space will not permit even a slight attempt to discuss the opinions of others. We must content ourselves with saying that it is in the highest degree improbable that these witnesses are either two individuals already known to us, such as Enoch and Elijah, Moses and Elijah, Zerubbabel and Joshua, or two who are yet to arise, and in whom the power of the true Church shall be concentrated. By such an interpretation the number two is understood with a literalness inconsistent with the symbolism of numbers in this book. If, too, we take literally the number of the witnesses, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to show why we should not give a literal interpretation to their prophesying, their miracles, their death, their resurrection, and their ascension into heaven in the presence of their enemies. Their prophesying also, as we have already seen, reaches to the whole earth, for it is that of chap. Revelation 10:11; while the plagues inflicted came upon all the dwellers upon earth (Revelation 11:10). Nor is the time during which the witnesses prophesy less inconsistent with this view. No individuals live through so long a period. It may indeed be at once admitted that, in a manner conformable to the whole structure of the Apocalypse, the Seer starts from the thought of two historical persons. Examples of this kind in sufficient number, and of sufficient importance to justify his resting upon them as the material basis of his prophecy, were not wanting either in the Old Testament or in the history of our Lord. In the former we have Moses and Aaron, Joshua and Caleb, Elijah and Elisha, Zerubbabel and Joshua, and even the two pillars in the temple, Jachin and Boaz. In the latter we have our Lord sending forth both his Apostles and the Seventy disciples two by two, together with such a promise as that contained in the words ‘if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven' (Matthew 18:19). Although, however, the starting-point may be found in such allusions the Seer certainly passes from the thought of any two individuals whatever to that of all who in any age or land fulfil the idea of witnessing present to his mind. The two witnesses are thus believers who, amidst all the defection of others, remain faithful to their Lord. They are the true Divine seed within the outward Church, the little flock that listens only to the voice of the Good Shepherd and is led astray neither by the world nor hireling shepherds. All the particulars of the description correspond to this view. One other remark may be made. The climax of the Apocalypse is peculiarly observable in the relation of the vision of the Two Witnesses to that of the Palm-bearing Company in chap. 7. The latter speaks only of deliverance from tribulation; the former introduces us to the thought of the action which brings tribulation with it. The faithful in Christ Jesus have advanced from being merely sufferers to being zealous agents in their Master's cause. They have been executing their commission, uttering their testimony, working their work, warring against their foes. Their position is loftier, nobler, more inspiriting; and their reward is proportioned to their struggle. Commission, work, reward, judgment, everything, in short, is higher than before.