Revelation 11:6-10

(Rev 11:6 KJV)
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.

This verse is making allusion to the ministries of Moses and Elijah. Elijah had prayed and God withheld the rain for a period of forty two months. (Luke 4:25 KJV) But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; Of course, we know that the forty two months is a figure of the New Testament period. The two witnesses are being portrayed as having the same power as those prophets of the Old Testament. Moses brought the plagues on Egypt and the first one was the water turning to blood. These two witnesses have the ability to have this power any time they wish. Now what is in view here is not miracle working power which Moses and Elijah had but what is really in view is the source of those miracles. Just because during the New Testament period, except the first century, that miracles had ceased, does not mean that the believers do not have the same authority as those prophets of the Old Testament. The salvation of Moses and Elijah was brought about by the same sacrifice of Christ as every believer throughout history up to the last one who will be saved. Verses five and six of this chapter really point to the divine source of the believer’s authority and those who persecute the believers in the New Testament period will face the same judgments that the old pagan nations faced under the old covenant except maybe these judgments will be delivered in different manners. No one will persecute the children of God with impunity.

(Rev 11:7 KJV)
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.

Now there is going to come a time which will come just prior to the return of Christ when the true Christian witness will be silenced. There may still be a religious and a false Christianity still permeating the churches and the air waves but the true Christian witness has been silenced for the first time in history. This does not mean that there will not be any true witness but it will have been so shrouded with the false gospel that it will seem like there is no one left who knows the true gospel. Remember the black horse in the first vision of John when there was a dearth of true believers. Revelation 11:7 links back to that black horse vision as there will be true believers on earth but they will be so scattered it will be impossible to find them and this is why God speaks of John measuring the temple in Revelation 11:1-2, because He knows who His true children are.

(Dan 7:21 KJV) I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

Daniel also had a vision concerning the latter times when Satan will wage war against the true believers and will prevail. This is because the believers have all been sealed and saved and there is no need for the true Gospel to continue since no one else will be saved. In 11:7, we are told that the beast will come out of the bottomless pit. This title of “beast” gives us insight that this is Satan and harmonizes with Daniel 7:21.

(Dan 7:25 KJV) And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Another Daniel verse which gives us insight that the Saints of God will be worn out. That is the literal meaning of this word. The war that Satan makes against the believers will literally wear them out to the point that it will seem like Satan is ruling over them. The true believer is never ruled by Satan but if you notice the time reference given here, “until a time and times and the dividing of time.” This reference also corresponds to the forty two months of the New Testament period. Satan will be harassing and persecuting both the organized church and the believers. It will get so bad right before the return of Christ that even true believers will wonder about their salvation. Revelation 11:7 also tells us that the witness of the believer will come to an appointed end in the Lord’s timing. Death brings about a sudden loss of life and in this verse we are told that Satan will kill them. This is going to be the final battle between God and Satan. Satan’s forces will be allowed to overcome the believers. The word “overcome” in the Greek carries with it the meaning of “prevail, win, or conquer.” This is because the true gospel has been silenced because there will be no more of God’s Elect to be saved. This is for a very brief time right before the return of Christ. (Mat 24:21-22 KJV) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. {22} And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Notice in the Matthew passage that a great tribulation will occur which has never happened before and that will be the end of salvation when God has saved His last elect one. Then the days following that will be cut short because the true believers will be facing persecution and if the days of this final period are not cut short, then many of the Elect may be physically killed and there will be a world void of believers. This must not happen since the Lord is going to return to earth and claim His Elect and this is why those days must be cut short. Notice in Matthew 24:21, the Lord speaks about “flesh” being saved which means the physical bodies of the believers are affected too.
 

In fact, we are seeing evidence for this overcoming at a massive rate. The churches are falling quickly to false gospels and also those in the media are falling to false gospels. Every time a false gospel is accepted by a church, ministry, or Christian it represents the killing of the true Gospel.  This is the abomination of Desolation which the Lord spoke about. It is the replacing of the true Gospel with the false gospel and that is why the believer must flee. (Mat 24:15-16 KJV) 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:) {16} Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Where is the holy Place? It is anywhere the true Gospel is being preached and when the false gospel takes over, then it is like Satan taking over with the false gospel of the false prophet.

(Rev 11:8 KJV)
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.

Once the witness of the true believer and the true church have been completed, the vestiges of the once mighty church will still be seen, Unfortunately, it will be seen only as a dead body, an empty shell. The churches which once preached the true Gospel will now be filled with false gospels. The great media ministries which once preached the true Gospel will have been replaced by those false gospels. In eastern thought, not to bury someone after death was a disgrace, not only to the deceased but to their families. Here we are told that their bodies will lie in the street of the great city which is called Sodom and Egypt. If you notice the city is “spiritually” called “Sodom and Egypt.” This is a reference to the world. The world is not only called “Babylon” but is known by other names also.

(Isa 1:10 KJV) Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

In Isaiah, God had called the rulers and the people of Judah, Sodom and Gomorrah. Now we know that these two cities had been destroyed many years prior but God is still calling them Sodom and Gomorrah. He does this because of the sinfulness of Judah and their affinity to the surrounding pagan nations. He also refers to them as Sodom in Ezekiel.

(Ezek 16:46-49 KJV) And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters. {47} Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways. {48} As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. {49} Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

The reference to the great city is a reference to the world. When the Lord was crucified in Jerusalem, the city had become so corrupt and embellished with false gospels, that they did not even recognize Christ from the Scriptures. The reference to Sodom is a reference to the degrading and base spiritual condition the city of Jerusalem had fallen into. The reference to Egypt, was that of a city engrafted into idolatry and pagan worship. When Christ came on the scene, the moneychangers were corrupting the temple of God, just as the modern moneychangers are doing to the modern church. Jerusalem had become so much like the world, that they are spoken of as being as bad as both Sodom and Egypt, both were typical representations of the world. This is why the great city where Christ was crucified can be identified with the world because Jerusalem became as corrupt as the world. Jerusalem had placed its faith in the world system in contrast to the heavenly Jerusalem of Galatians 4.

(Jer 22:6-9 KJV) For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. {7} And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. {8} And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city? {9} Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.

(Rev 11:9 KJV)
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.

Here we have a further elaboration of the term “great city” and how it refers to the world in general. Remember, that John is now seeing a time just before the return of Christ when the church will no longer be bringing the true Gospel. Since this “killing” of the true Gospel will be worldwide, this will happen in every country around the world. The universal message of the true Gospel will be squelched and all the world will see the remnants of the once mighty church. True believers will have a very limited outlet for testimony to the point that it will be so minimal that no one from the world will pay attention. The three and a half days signifies that this situation will be a very short period of time. 1260 days or forty two months represent the New Testament time period. Three and a half days is a very short time period in contrast to three and a half years which is the New Testament period. It goes back to the Lord saying that the days will be cut short.

(Rev 11:10 KJV)
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.

Here is the attitude of those on the earth. The great conscience of society is now silent and therefore this brings joy to those it came to preach to. The unbelieving people of the world can now feel a great relief since the true Gospel is not there to prick their consciences. They can now partake in Sodomy and call it an alternate lifestyle. They can now commit adultery and call it an affair. They can steal and call it their rights. Once the great pulpits and the strong ministries have become silent or have become apostate to the point of agreement with the world, then the world can feel at ease and go about its business without the pesky Gospel to call them to repentance. When one makes merry and sends gifts to each other, it shows a spirit of the world especially since the reason is the end of the Gospel witness. Those who dwell upon the earth, as stated in the above verse, are those who are tied to the world system, just as Jerusalem was when Christ came on the scene. The preaching of Judgment to the world has stopped and that gives a temporary ease to the unsaved.