Revelation

Lesson 8 w/answersRevelation 11

Let’s review our overall timeline once again, 1) the Tribulation Period is seven years long, comprising 2 three and half year periods. 2) In the beginning of that period the Antichrist makes a peace with Israel, a peace so secure they lay down their weapons, rebuild the temple and return to sacrificial worship. Midway through the Tribulation the Antichrist breaks the truce he had with them and mass persecution of the Jews breaks out with the Jews being driven out of the city. 3) The Antichrist has the False Prophet set up the Antichrist’s image in the Temple to be worshipped there by all.

Bible

This week we will learn a great deal more about interpreting prophecy and will for the first time begin to pull together prophecy from the Old and New Testament in order to have a more complete picture of God’s plan during the Tribulation period. I encourage everyone to commit the time this week to do the reading and to consider what God provides us today in His continuing revealing of end time prophecy.

Questions for our eighth week

  1. Reading verses 1 and 2 – What is happening here? What is the difference between the outer court and the rest of what John is told to measure? When John is told to “measure” “them that worship therein” is he supposed to find out how tall each one is – or does this mean something else?
    1. ANSWER: John is marking off those which will be saved.
  2. How many days in a prophetic year?
    1. ANSWER: 360 days. We know from the calculation of many Old Testament Prophecies that work out exactly when this formula – 12 equal months of 360 days is used.
  3. Now, given this information and the scripture we’re studying this week, what is the difference between 1,260 days, 42 prophetic months, and “a time, times and a half time”? (Daniel 12:7, Revelation 12:14)
    1. ANSWER: Nothing, other than a convenient way to keep two periods of equal length separately so that they not be confused.
  4. How long do the Gentiles tread the Holy City underfoot?
    1. ANSWER: 42 months – the second half of the Tribulation period.
  5. How does Luke 21:20-24, Daniel 12:7 and Revelation 12:14 fit here?
    1. ANSWER: Christ’s prophesying about the end times and the overrunning of Jerusalem by the Gentiles, the Jews flee their homeland and become completely dependent on God’s Sovereign protection.
  6. How long do God’s two witnesses prophesy?
    1. ANSWER: 1,260 days – the first 42 months of the Tribulation Period.
  7. What’s the difference between the time in verse two and the time in verse 3 – can you discern why they’re described differently?
    1. ANSWER: One is describing the first 1,260 days of the tribulation, the other the second half of the tribulation period – 42 months.
  8. After reading verses five and six can you see some similarities with two famous Old Testament Men? (Hint, the similarities relate to gifts used by Moses and Elijah – list which belonged to each man.)
    1. ANSWER: Elijah could bring rain or stop rain and Moses turning water into blood and bringing plagues.
  9. In verses 7 and 8 who kills the two witnesses and where does he kill them?
    1. ANSWER: The Antichrist in Jerusalem, just as Christ was slain there.
  10. We can sum up these verses by looking at Daniel 7 verses 21 -28. What do these verses say about the kingdom of the Antichrist and what he’ll do with it?
    1. ANSWER 1: It’s the fourth kingdom upon the earth, Babylonian, Medo-Persia – the Medes, Greek, and Roman. (Daniel chapters 7 and 8)
    2. ANSWER 2: He breaks up the world into pieces and devour the whole earth.
  11. How long do the Gentiles tread the Holy City underfoot?
    1. ANSWER: 42 months – the second half of the Tribulation period.
  12. How long are the bodies of the Two Witnesses on display?
    1. ANSWER: 3 and half days.
  13. What happens during the days the Two Witnesses are dead, where are their bodies and what happens during these three and a half days?
    1. ANSWER: Dead in the street, parties, celebrating, gift giving – the end of three and half years of preaching the gospel is met with physical death and celebration by those who killed them. Worldwide “them that dwell on the earth” “all nations kindreds and tongues”.
  14. What happens to the two witnesses after three and a half days – and who witnessed it?
    1. ANSWER: God breaths life into both of them and they’re taken up to heaven in the plain sight of their enemies!
  15. Following the resurrection of the two witnesses what then happens in verse 15?
    1. ANSWER: Christ receives His kingdoms.
  16. How long do the Gentiles tread the Holy City underfoot?
    1. ANSWER: 42 months – the second half of the Tribulation period.
  17. What else do we know about this time, read Matthew 24:9-28, based on what you know about the Tribulation Period, and all of the three and half references in this lesson (three and half years, three and half days, etc.), when do the two witnesses prophesy, when is their death and when is the day of Gentiles along our seven year timeline?
    1. ANSWER: The sealing of the 144,000, their preaching and the preaching of the Two Witnesses all occur during the first 42 months or three and half years of the Tribulation period. The Two Witnesses are then killed and lie in the streets for three and half days, following this the Gentiles trample the Holy City underfoot for three and half years eventually putting the image of the Antichrist in the Temple to be worshipped by everyone.
  18. Our bonus question for the week: During the first seven and half years leading up to day the Antichrist enters Jerusalem, breaks the truce, kills the two witnesses and drives out the Jews…what’s he up to? What activities are the Antichrist involved in during the first three and half years? Read Daniel, chapter 11, verses 21 through 35.
    1. ANSWER: He’s going to take on and try to defeat Egypt, that an alliance he thought he had will prove not to be so and that deceitful dealings with allies will be the norm of the day. Failing his mission in Egypt he’ll blame the defeat on the Jews and on his way back north to Babylon he’ll trample the city of Jerusalem, kill the two witnesses and begin a world wide campaign of persecution of the Jews and those that help them – and there will be non Jews who will help protect them. This will lead to the death of the 144,000 and millions who are converted to Christianity as a result of their testimony.
  19. Further – what does Daniel chapter 11, verses 36 through 45 tell us about the second half of the Tribulation Period and the Antichrist’s activities?
    1. ANSWER: He’ll manipulate natural and supernatural forces and overrun or destroy many lands in the Middle East except Moab and Edom – modern day Jordan, eventually putting the abomination that causes desolation in the temple.

I know this week’s lesson is difficult to discern, it requires prayer, study and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Much of the pieces of the Tribulation Period will now begin to fall into place as God reveals these mysteries to us through our study of His prophecy about end time events.

As we continue to learn more and more it should cause us to come to God in worship, in awe, as we see His mighty power and judgment displayed and revealed through our study. We are taken confidence in God that He has a plan for us and the through the shed blood of His Son Jesus we know that we are saved. What a hope and glorious peace that provides.

May God continue to richly bless you as you study this difficult subject with us.

Yours in Christ,

Wes