The principal theme of Revelation 11 is the work and ministry of two prophets who will minister in the last days in Jerusalem. Elder Parley P. Pratt summarized these events:

[John] informs us that, after the city and temple are rebuilt by the Jews, the Gentiles will tread it under foot forty and two months, during which time there will be two Prophets continually prophesying and working mighty miracles. And it seems that the Gentile army shall be hindered from utterly destroying and overthrowing the city, while these two Prophets continue. But, after a struggle of three years and a half, they at length succeed in destroying these two Prophets, and then overrunning much of the city, they send gifts to each other because of the death of the two Prophets, and in the meantime, will not allow their dead bodies to be put in the graves, but suffer them to lie in the streets of Jerusalem three days and a half (Voice of Warning, 41-42).

The two prophets will prophesy “at the time of the restoration” (D&C 77:15), after the Jews “are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem” (D&C 77:15), after the opening of the seventh seal but before the second coming (D&C 77:12-13), and during the events of the second woe (11:3-14). They will prophesy for 1,260 days, or three and one-half years.

Their mission will have several purposes: to “prophesy to the Jews” (D&C 77:15), to serve as “witnesses” of God and his judgments, to symbolically provide oil unto those who are preparing for Christ’s coming, to work many great miracles, and to bear testimony.

They will receive power from God to prophesy, and they will be clothed in sackcloth, which symbolizes the great power possessed by the Old Testament prophets. They will have power to devour “their enemies” with fire; to “shut heaven, that it rain not;” to turn waters to blood; and to smite the earth with plagues according to their will.

The two prophets will minister in Jerusalem (D&C 77:15), where they will be killed, for “Satan shall slay them, by the hands of those in his employ, even as he slew their Lord and the prophets who were before them.” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:510.)

There will be two prophets in order to establish God’s word with more than one testimony: “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1).

Many of the events connected to the sacred work of the two prophets recall events of the mortal ministry of Jesus Christ: the duration of their three-and-one-half year ministry, their prophesying, their working great miracles, and their control over the elements. In addition, the two prophets, like Jesus, will be anointed with oil and will be slain in Jerusalem by evil men – acts which will be followed by an ascension into heaven.

1 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.

verse 1 As chapter eleven opens, the seventh trumpet remains mute; tension continues. Before it breaks, John must perform a task growing out of the commission he received in chapter ten. He is given a measuring rod or surveyor’s rule, probably made from the “giant reed” (arundo donax) that grows in the swampy areas of Mediterranean lands and can reach heights of twenty feet.

“reed like unto a rod” A heavenly being hands John a long reed, or stick, to use as a measuring tool, and tells him to measure the temple, its altar, and the worshippers. Similarly, a “golden reed” is used to measure the wall and gates of the celestial temple (Revelation 21:15).

“the angel stood” Some Greek texts omit this phrase.

“Rise, and measure” Measuring is God’s symbolic means of noting that protective power will not allow the sanctuary to be profaned. The background appears to be Ezekiel 40- 42 where the prophet sees the temple measured with great care. Zechariah 1:16, where Israel is saved in association with a measuring line, shows that protection is symbolized. For those outside those limits, there is no celestial shelter. Proximity will not be good enough. The outer court will be in no better position than the city itself. There is a message here. It appears that the sanctuary is itself a symbol of the Lord’s people, those who are the living temple of God wherein his Spirit dwells (see 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:19-22). If that is the case, then the outer court is those who are just outside the reach of the Spirit. They are not antagonistic to God, but they are not fully committed to him either. They are the lukewarm, and, as God has said, “I will spue thee out” (Revelation 3:15-16).

Perhaps the measuring of the temple, the altar, and worshippers symbolizes “taking the measure” of worthiness to partake of blessings of the atonement. Kenneth Strand, a New Testament scholar, points out parallels between Revelation 11:1 and Leviticus 16:6, 11, 16-18 (Leviticus 16 speaks about the Day of Atonement): “It is striking . . . that the three other exact entities to be atoned for in Leviticus 16 [temple, altar, and worshippers] are precisely those three elements to be ‘measured’ in Revelation 11:1” (Strand, “Overlooked Old Testament Background,” 322).

The term measure also has another application in the scriptures. In contrast to the measuring of God’s righteous people, the scriptures speak of the destruction of the wicked “without measure,” meaning to the fullest extent. “When the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure” (D&C 1:9) “mine indignation is soon to be poured out without measure upon all nations; and this will I do when the cup of their iniquity is full” (D&C 101:11; see also 109:45).

“temple of God” The Greek word used here for temple is naos, which refers to the sanctuary itself, namely the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, not the outer courts. This temple was not Herod’s temple, which had been destroyed in AD 70, more than twenty years before John is instructed to “measure” the temple. This temple may be the temple that will yet be built in Jerusalem in the last days, as the prophets have declared. Ezekiel, for instance, saw and described in some detail this temple in Ezekiel 40 through 46. Joseph Smith also spoke of the future temple: “Judah must return, Jerusalem must be rebuilt, and the temple, and water come out from under the temple, and the waters of the Dead Sea be healed. It will take some time to rebuild the walls of the city and the temple.” (TPJS, 286.)

The phrase “temple of God” also has a symbolic meaning. Paul likened the saints to a temple when he asked, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). Later Paul wrote, “Ye are the temple of the living God” (2 Corinthians 6:16). On another occasion, he likened Christ to the chief cornerstone and the apostles and prophets to the building’s foundation. The saints, together with the apostles and prophets, are “an holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:19-21). That is to say, the community of saints, speaking of those who attend the temple and worship within its walls, constitute a temple of God. These are “measured” by John and receive protection from the coming judgments.

“altar” This altar may refer to the altar of incense or to the great altar of sacrifice. In our day, this altar refers to the sacred altars of our temples and those who surround them or kneel at them for sacred ordinances. The ordinances and the keeping of covenants associated with them protect the saints from God’s judgments.

“them that worship therein” John measures temple worshippers, speaking of the saints who worship in our temples today, to ensure their protection from Gods wrath and judgments.

2 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.

verse 2 John’s instructions leave no doubt about the fate of the outer court: “it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.” Therefore, the angel forbids John to measure the court, and further, it, along with the Holy City, is to be “cast out” (Greek, ekball) because both have lost divine favor. Thus, the phrase “it is given” (Greek, edoth) carries the idea that God has already determined how far the destruction will go.

“it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot” The Gentiles will trample the holy city for forty-two months. Both the old Jerusalem (Nehemiah 11:1; Isaiah 52:1; 2 Nephi 8:24; Ether 13:5) and the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:10; D&C 133:56; Moses 7:62) are called “holy city,” but here the context seems to refer only to Old Jerusalem.

According to Luke 21:24, “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (see also Isa. 63:18; Dan. 8:13). The “times of the Gentiles” refers to that era when the Gentiles, rather than the Jews, are the primary recipients of the gospel (See Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, 132; Smith, Restoration of All Things, 164; McConkie, Mortal Messiah, 1:97n). To trample or tread upon includes showing contempt for sacred things and to persecute, even destroy, others. The phrase “it is given” suggests that God will allow this oppression but only for a set period of time.

“forty and two months” The number forty-two often signifies the period when righteousness is cut short and the wicked dominate the righteous. There will be a period in the last days when evil will reign. Even the powerful prophets of God (the two witnesses in the next verse) will be destroyed. Evil will win for the moment – but only until God’s full power is unleashed.

The number forty-two is manifest scripturally in several ways, each of which equals three and one-half:

1. Daniel 7:25 speaks of “a time and times and the dividing of time.” A “time” equals one year, “times” equal two years, and a “the dividing of time” equals half a year, based on the Hebrew calendar of thirty days per month. The total time is three and one-half years. A wicked king will blaspheme God and persecute the saints for this time period (see Daniel 7:25).

2. Daniel 9:27 speaks of the “midst [middle] of the week.” Half a week, or three and a half days, may perhaps signify years (Ezekiel 4:6; Numbers 14:34). Daniel prophesies that temple sacrifices will cease for this period of time (see Daniel 9:27).

3. Daniel 12:7, which speaks of “time, times, and an half,” indicates that during this period the wicked will “scatter the power of the holy people.”

4. Revelation 11:2 records that “forty and two months,” or three and one-half years, is the length of time the Gentiles will tread the holy city.

5. Revelation 11:3 speaks of “a thousand two hundred and threescore days,” which is another way of saying three and one-half years, or forty-two months. That is the same length of time as that spoken of in Revelation 11:2; it is also the period of time that the two prophets will prophesy before they are killed. Moreover, if we use that number with years rather than days, as in the Joseph Smith Translation rendering of Revelation 12:5, “a thousand two hundred and threescore years,” we have the period of the Great Apostasy (see commentary on 12:5).

6. Revelation 12:14 uses the expression “a time, and times, and half a time” as another way of describing the period of the Great Apostasy.

7. Revelation 11:11 gives “three days and an half” as the period during which the bodies of the two prophets will lie in the streets.

8. Revelation 13:5 records “forty and two months,” or three and one-half years, as the duration of the beast’s evil activity.

Forty-two months, or three and one-half, or 1,260, belong to the wicked and apparently signify their work; the number three and one-half may mean that the work of righteousness is cut short. That number is one-half of seven, the number of perfection and completion, which belongs to God and his saints. We recall that the number seven is used symbolically many times in Revelation with regard to God and his work: “seven churches” (Revelation 1:4), “seven servants” (JST Revelation 1:4), “seven golden candlesticks” (Revelation 1:12), “seven stars” (Revelation 1:20), “seven lamps of fire” (Revelation 4:5), “seven seals” (Revelation 5:5), “seven angels” with their “seven trumpets” (Revelation 8:6), “seven thunders” (Revelation 10:3), “seven last plagues” (Revelation 15:1), and “seven vials” (Revelation 17:1).

Further, “the root of the Hebrew word for seven (sheva) is identical to the Hebrew verb that means ‘to take an oath,’ thus connecting the word seven to covenants and covenant making.” (McConkie and Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols, 99). One-half of seven, or three and one-half, represents an incomplete covenant (religious systems that appear to be spiritual and to possess power but do not) or the broken covenant (apostate conditions).

3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

verse 3 “I will give power” The Greek text omits the word power, but it is clear from the context of this verse that the two witnesses will have great power indeed.

“my two witnesses” The two witnesses are “two prophets that are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days, at the time of the restoration, and to prophesy to the Jews after they are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem in the land of their fathers” (D&C 77:15). Why two? Ancient Israelite law required two witnesses for testimony to be valid (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15). The law of witnesses remains in effect today (D&C 6:28; 42:80).

They are called witnesses because they will bear testimony of Jesus Christ and his latter-day work. Revelation 11:10 calls the two witnesses “two prophets,” indicating that they will have the powers and authority of prophets. Joseph Smith’s translation of Isaiah 51:19 refers to them as “two sons,” perhaps suggesting that they are sons of Abraham, whether literally or by covenant. Zechariah 4:3 calls them “two olive trees,” indicating that they possess oil and light (see commentary on Revelation 11:4); and Zechariah 4:14 calls them “two anointed ones.”

“These two shall be followers of that humble man, Joseph Smith,” states Elder McConkie, “through whom the Lord of Heaven restored the fulness of his everlasting gospel in this final dispensation of grace. No doubt they will be members of the Council of the Twelve or of the First Presidency of the Church” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:509).

“prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days” The two prophets will prophesy for three and one-half years, the same length of time that the Gentiles will tread underfoot the holy city. Perhaps these two events – the prophesying of the two prophets and the treading of the Gentiles – will occur at the same time. The Jerusalem Bible says that the Gentiles “will trample on the holy city for forty-two months. But I shall send my two witnesses to prophesy for those twelve hundred and sixty days” (JB-Revelation 11:2-3). It must be noted, however, that since this is a symbolic number, the time frame may not be exact.

The number six connotes deficit, a failure to attain the completeness of seven, while eight designates superabundance. Symbolically forty-two is pejorative, since, as one scholar has pointed out, “it is the result of six multiplied by seven, i.e. ‘perfection missing the mark’” (Ford, Revelation, 170). The number is used again in Revelation 13 where it personifies complete imperfection. In apocalyptic material, it designates a limited period in which evil is allowed free reign. The John’s use of it underscores the idea that the period of the witnesses, of divine protection upon the saints, and of vehement antagonism toward righteousness are all concurrent.

“clothed in sackcloth” The two prophets will likely not actually wear sackcloth, but sackcloth signifies that they will possess the same prophetic powers and authority to teach, warn, prophesy, and perform mighty miracles as did such ancient prophets as Moses, Elijah, and Isaiah (1 Kings 17; Isa. 20:2-4).

4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

verse 4 “two olive trees, and . . . two candlesticks” The imagery of olive trees recalls the book of Zechariah, in which he asks an angel, “What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?” The angel’s response indicates that the two prophets have been anointed with holy oil in the Lord’s temple: “These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth” (Zechariah 4:11, 14).

Zechariah’s images of a bowl, golden pipes, oil, olive branches, and seven lamps (Zechariah 4:2-14) seem to say that the two prophets, as olive trees, will help “provide oil for the lamps of those who go forth to meet the Bridegroom.” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:510.)

The two prophets will be like candlesticks holding up the light of Christ to shine in the darkness. Some will see the light, recognize their “good works,” and “glorify [their] Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Some will recognize Jesus through the prophets’ testimony: “Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up – that which ye have seen me do” (3 Nephi 18:24).

“standing before the God of the earth” John symbolically notes their high position with God. They stand before him as two olive trees, and two lampstands or candlesticks. This reflects Zechariah 4:12-14. Here the two are anointed ones who stand next to the Lord, thus showing the position of preeminence.

5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

verse 5 “if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth” The two prophets will possess great power, similar to that of Moses (Numbers 16:23-35) and Elijah (2 Kings 1:10-14), to call upon heaven and cause fire to consume those who attempt to hurt them or to hinder their work. The two will call upon God with their mouth, and God will respond by sending the consuming fire. Although there are two witnesses, the singular “mouth” is used (“their mouth”), perhaps indicating that the message of the two will be unified.

6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

verse 6 “power to shut heaven, that it rain not” The two prophets will possess the sealing power whereby they perform great miracles among the people, including closing of the skies so that it does not rain and thus causing famine in the land. When such occurs, the land does not “yield . . . her fruit,” and the people begin to “perish quickly from off the good land” (Deuteronomy 11:17). The prophet Elijah from Gilead also “prayed earnestly” (James 5:17) and shut heaven, causing a great famine in the land. He promised King Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (1 Kings 17:1). Elijah’s prophecy was fulfilled, and “heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land” (Luke 4:25).

Many during mortality have held power over earth’s waters, including Enoch (Moses 7:13; JST Genesis 14:30), Moses (Moses 1:25; Helaman 8:11), Jesus Christ (Mark 4:39), and others (D&C 61:27). God, of course, is the power behind these miracles (Ether 4:9).

The witnesses combine the powers of Moses and Elijah. The latter caused a threeand-one-half-year drought upon Israel (see 1 Kings 17:1; Luke 4:25; James 5:17), and on two occasions fire consumed troops sent to arrest him (2 Kings 1:9-12; cf. 2 Ezra 13; Jeremiah 5:14); while the former held authority over water (see Exodus 7:20; cf. Psalm 105:29) and brought plagues against Egypt (see Exodus 7-11). During the course of their ministry, the two latter-day prophets will be absolutely indestructible. Those who attempt to stop the two witnesses will be smitten, so powerful will be the Spirit of the Lord upon them.

“to smite the earth with all plagues” D&C 84:97 promises, “And plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in righteousness” (see also D&C 43:25). The plagues that will occur at the command of the two prophets are similar to those spoken of in Exodus when Moses, through the power of God, smote the land of Egypt with numerous plagues (Exodus 7-10). The two prophets’ plagues may be the same as the seven plagues of the seven angels (Revelation 15:1, 6, 8) at least, the prophets’ plagues anticipate and perhaps foreshadow the great plagues that will be poured out of the bowls (vials) identified in Revelation 16.

“as often as they will” This phrase suggests that the prophets will conduct miracles as necessity demands, which may be frequently during their three-and-one-half-year ministry.

7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

verse 7 “finished their testimony” God will protect the two prophets until they complete their mission; then he will permit them to be killed. Their testimony will focus on Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:10). (HC, 5:215-16; 3:389.)

To seal their sure witness (Greek, marturia), these two great prophets will be martyred. Thus, their testimony will join with those of the fifth seal to cry against the world of wickedness. Just how these two will die is unknown. John notes that it will come only when they have finished their ministry, and that the beast that ascends from the pit in the abyss will attack and overpower them. But there has not been any previous mention of a beast from the pit.

However, in chapter nine Abaddn, or Satan, is called the king of the pit. We may assume then that Satan and the beast are one and that he will inspire his minions to renewed fury against the prophets. Those within the camp of the witnesses may engineer their death since the enemies outside have been held in abeyance for years. This is suggested through the association of their death with that of the Lord, killed by his own people. Moreover, the witnesses shall lie in the streets of Jerusalem (termed Sodom and Egypt to reflect its corruption and rebellion), not in the camps of the enemy.

8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

verse 8 “their dead bodies shall lie in the street” The two prophets’ bodies will lie in the street for three and one half days while the people of the earth rejoice and send gifts to one another (Revelation 11:9-10). Allowing the dead to lie in view of their enemies was considered extremely disrespectful in ancient times (see Psalm 79:3-4; 2 5:10). Joseph Smith taught, “It has always been considered a great calamity not to obtain an honorable burial: and one of the greatest curses the ancient prophets could put on any man, was that he should go without a burial” (HC, 5:361).

“great city, which [allegorically] is called Sodom and Egypt” Jerusalem is called the “great city” (see D&C 77:15), “where also our Lord was crucified.” Jerusalem is allegorically called “Sodom” (Isaiah 1:10; 3:9) and “Egypt” because of the wickedness of her inhabitants. Sodom, we recall, was destroyed for her abominations and gross wickedness (Ezekiel 16:49-50; Jude 1:7), and Egypt, called “the basest of the kingdoms” (Ezekiel 29:15), symbolizes worldliness and oppression of the Lord’s people.

Babylon is also called the “great city” (Revelation 14:8; 18:21), implying that “great city” symbolizes all of earth’s cities that contain iniquitous and godless people who war against the Lamb and his witnesses. One commentator writes that the “great city” is “every city that embodies self-sufficiency in place of dependence on the creator, achievement in place of repentance, oppression in place of faith, the beast in place of the Lamb, and murder in place of witness to God” (Krodel, Revelation, 226).

9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

verse 9 “they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations” This expression signifies totality of people and indicates that the worldwide community will be involved, at least emotionally, in the slaying of the two prophets.

“see their dead bodies three days and an half” The two prophets’ bodies will lie in a highly visible place for all to see. The time of three and one-half days corresponds to the time that Jesus’ body rested in the tomb. Perhaps more importantly, this period also parallels the number that belongs to the wicked, the cutting short of righteousness. See commentary on Revelation 11:2.

“not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves” See commentary on Revelation 11:8.

10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

verse 10 “they that dwell upon the earth” This expression denotes was the “people and kindreds and tongues and nations” spoken of in Revelation 11:9.

“shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another” The death of the two prophets causes ecstasy among the wicked. The Revelator pictures the whole area involved in a frenzy of joy, the people sending presents to one another and generally making merry “because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.” Earth’s inhabitants celebrate and gloat over the death of the two prophets, who had “tormented them” by bringing forth famine and plagues and who had testified of Jesus Christ (see Revelation 11:5-7). The brilliant light of truth had burned the eyes and scorched the hearts of the people who had grown to love darkness. With the prophets’ deaths, there appears to be nothing to stop the victory of evil. The beast from the abyss has overcome. He has proved himself more mighty than God. No wonder his lackeys rejoice. This is the moment of triumph; death and hell are victorious. But are they?

This celebration indicates the gross darkness that belongs to the wicked during this period; not satisfied with the spilling of the blood of God’s witnesses and leaving their bodies in the streets for all to see, they will also party, revel over their deaths, and exchange gifts.

11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

12 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.

verses 11-12 For three-and-a-half days the bodies, serving as war trophies, remain unburied. Among ancient people, such treatment was a means of mocking and generating great shame toward the unburied, their families, and all they stood for. The time reference, three-and-one-half days, seems symbolically fitting, for this is the period when evil rules unchecked. However, revelries are suddenly cut short; celebrations turn to shock. In an instant, before the carousing multitudes, the spirit of life enters into the bodies of the witnesses, and they are called into heaven.

John’s phrase parallels that of Ezekiel 37 when the breath of life entered into the dry bones and they arose and stood on their feet. The prophets’ ascension into heaven in a cloud parallels the ascension into heaven of both Elijah and the Lord (2 Kings 2:11; Acts 1:9). The result is consternation such as has seldom been seen on this planet. What appeared to be total triumph suddenly becomes complete defeat.

Murder is the last resort of the wicked. What happens when the murdered do not stay dead? The ultimate power of the unrighteous fails, and with it all other forms of coercion and intimidation. With this act, God begins to move directly onto the historical stage. No longer working behind the scenes, he shows that he has final authority over life and death.

13 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.

verse 13 “same hour was there a great earthquake” A “great earthquake” coincided with the opening of the sixth seal (Revelation 6:12), and another “great earthquake” will occur after the seventh angel pours out his bowl or vial (Revelation 16:17- 18). The earthquake identified here accompanies the prophets’ ascension into heaven and serves as another testimony, subsequent to the testimony of the two prophets, that God lives (see D&C 88:87-89) and he does intervene in the affairs of man.

“tenth part of the city fell” The earthquake causes great destruction to the city’s buildings, roads, and other structures. The damage is selective. A tenth of the city falls. This is the Lord’s portion – his tithe that he will demand of the wicked.

“were slain of men seven thousand” The earthquake destroys a great number of individuals, represented here as “seven thousand.” That John uses the figure seven thousand as the number devoted to death lends support to this idea. The number is probably not to be taken literally. Rather, it signifies, as in other places, fulness and completeness. Thus, of the specific number doomed to death all died during this judgment.

“the remnant . . . gave glory to the God of heaven” To give glory to God, at the very least, is to acknowledge his hand in the resurrection and ascension of the two witnesses and in the earthquake (Revelation 16:9; 3 Nephi 20:9; D&C 88:104; 133:38). This remnant may represent the less wicked, the court followers but not the actual doers of evil. Certainly, they do not appear to be the righteous. The effect of the appalling judgment on the city does not lead these survivors to repentance and faith. However, in fright they give “glory to the God of the heaven.” But note, they do not invite him among them. They reverence him as the God of heaven because that keeps him at a distance.

14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

verses 15-19 Three major events occur when Michael, the archangel, blows the seventh trumpet: heavenly voices declare the eternal kingship and reign of God and Jesus, the twenty-four elders fall on their faces and worship God, and the heavenly temple is opened for all of God’s saints to enter.

As the seventh seal includes the events connected to the seven trumpets, so the seventh trumpet seems to include the events connected with the seven vials (bowls, or seven last plagues). “The seventh trumpet . . . embraces the whole of the seven vials, or last seven plagues, which make up the ‘third woe’” (Bullinger, Commentary, 369).

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

verse 15 With the ascension of the two prophets, the second woe is fulfilled and, at last, the seventh trumpet sounds.

“there were great voices in heaven” The voices are not identified, but they may belong to the twenty-four elders, the four living creatures, or the great multitude of exalted souls in heaven.

“kingdoms of this world” The world’s kingdoms are like wild beasts, who have no owner or master and are untamed, uncivilized, and often bloodthirsty. Joseph Smith explained: “You there see that the beasts [in Daniel 7:16] are spoken of to represent the kingdoms of the world, the inhabitants whereof were beastly and abominable characters; they were murderers, corrupt, carnivorous, and brutal in their dispositions. The lion, the bear, the leopard, and the ten-horned beast represented the kingdoms of the world, says Daniel” (TPJS, 289).

When Christ, the Lamb of God, comes in great power and glory, he will destroy these beasts, or earthly kingdoms, and establish his perfect kingdom, for he has promised, “I will be your ruler when I come” (D&C 41:4). At that time “the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one” (Zechariah 14:9), and he will make “a full end of all nations” (D&C 87:6).

Daniel envisioned these things: “I beheld till the thrones were cast down . . . and there was given [the Son of Man] dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:9, 14).

“he shall reign for ever” The tenth Article of Faith states that “Christ will reign personally upon the earth.” Also, “the Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh” (D&C 133:25).

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

verse 16 “four and twenty elders . . . fell upon their faces, and worshipped God” Four times John sees the elders “fall down” to worship God, who “sat on the throne” (Revelation 4:10; 5:14; 11:16; 19:4), and once he observes them as they “fell down before the Lamb” (Revelation 5:8).

17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

verse 17 “We give thee thanks” In Revelation 4:9 the four living creatures who are located near God’s throne give thanks to God; in Revelation 7:12 the angels who stand before God say “thanksgiving” to God; and here the twenty-four elders state, “We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty.” The twenty-four elders exclaim in essence, “We give thanks to you Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.” Although included in the King James Version the phrase “and art to come” is not in the Greek and does not appear again in Revelation. This is probably because the moment waited for has now arrived. God has come. Now as he reigns, all is set for “destroying the destroyers of the earth” (verse 18). The destruction of the wicked remnant is the last woe. All heaven prepares for this last assault that God himself will direct.

18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

verse 18 “the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come” Psalm 2 helps us understand this section of Revelation. The psalmist wrote: “Why do the heathen rage? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed” (Psalm 2:1-2; 46:6). That is to say, the nations are angry and they and their leaders continually war against God and Jesus Christ. The psalmist prophesies that the Lord will become the earth’s king and ruler and receive as a possession “the uttermost parts of the earth” (Psalm 2:8).

The Lord’s wrath (“thy wrath is come”) is also mentioned in Psalm 2, where the psalmist writes that the Lord shall “speak unto them [the heathen] in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure” (Psalm 2:5). Modern revelations also speak of the Lord’s wrath: “Hearken, O ye people who profess my name, saith the Lord your God; for behold, mine anger is kindled against the rebellious, and they shall know mine arm and mine indignation, in the day of visitation and of wrath upon the nations” (D&C 56:1) and “with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations” (D&C 87:6).

“time of the dead, that they should be judged” The first resurrection pertains to the prophets and saints of God (Revelation 20:4-5): “For the day cometh that the Lord shall utter his voice out of heaven; the heavens shall shake and the earth shall tremble, and the trump of God shall sound both long and loud, and shall say to the sleeping nations: Ye saints arise and live; ye sinners stay and sleep until I shall call again” (D&C 43:18; 29:12). Later, John will witness the “dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened . . . and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12-13).

“give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints” God’s reward to his prophets and saints is thus described: “And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which excels in all things – where God, even the Father, reigns upon his throne forever and ever; before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence, and give him glory forever and ever. They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace; and he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion” (D&C 76:92-95).

“small and great” Individuals from all walks of life, both prophets and saints, who “fear,” or reverence, God’s name will receive an eternal reward (D&C 138:14-15).

“destroy them which destroy the earth” Those who belong to Babylon, whose citizens worship the beast and have received his mark in their foreheads or hands (Revelation 20:4), have sought to destroy the earth’s inhabitants. Jesus Christ will destroy these destroyers and “every corruptible thing, both of man, or of the beasts of the field, or of the fowls of the heavens, or of the fish of the sea” (D&C 101:24). Note that Jesus comes to save the earth from those who would destroy it. Even the second coming is an act of salvation.

19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

verse 19 “temple of God was opened in heaven” The celestial kingdom, called the “temple of heaven” (Revelation 16:17; 14:17), is opened to receive the saints who are resurrected, judged (Revelation 11:18), and found worthy to enter. The heavenly host enter the Holy of Holies and receive their eternal rest. In Hebrews 9:1-11 Paul notes that the opening of the temple symbolizes that all may now enter God’s rest.

“ark of his testament” This expression refers to the ark of the testimony (also called ark of the covenant), which rested in the Israelite temple’s holy of holies, into which only the high priest was permitted to enter “once every year” (Hebrews 9:7). The ark was a box that held three sacred items symbolically connected to Jesus Christ’s power and atonement – Aaron’s rod, the pot of manna, and the tablets of the law (Hebrews 9:4) (see McConkie and Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols, 76-77, 81, 94). The lid, or covering, of the ark served as Jehovah’s “seat of atonement,” or “mercy seat;” it was situated between two large, gold cherubim. John’s statement that “there was seen in his temple the ark of his testimony” indicates that all exalted saints, not just the high priest of the earthly temple, will be privileged to gain access to Jesus Christ and his sacred, heavenly dwelling.

“lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail” But not all is done. The world’s wicked must still stand judgment. So, from the temple issue flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm. All these are sent against the earth once more.

#14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.