The Book, Witnesses, and 7th Trumpet

I have a series of Bible study books by a scholar named, Irving L. Jensen, so below are a few outline notes from the one on the Revelation. Why the Revelation? My church has an adult Bible study where we just started a study in this book. This is an outline of Jensen’s work with a few of my own additions.

It is here that we move into a few parenthetical chapters which fall between the trumpet judgments and the bowl judgments. These judgments (seals, trumpets, bowls) are intensifying and the visions are getting harder to interpret since they don’t appear to be happening in chronological order.

THE OUTLINE BIBLE:

Revelation 10:1-11 – John is given a little scroll and told to eat it. He does, and is as predicted, it tastes sweet in his mouth but makes his stomach sour.

1. Declaration by the strong angel (Revelation 10:1-4)
   1. His appearance.
      1. He is robed in a cloud with a rainbow over his head.
      2. His face was like the sun and his legs like fiery pillars.
   2. His actions.
      1. What he holds: open scroll in his hand.
      2. What he does: stands on the land and the sea.
         1. Right foot on the sea.
         2. Left foot on the land.
      3. What he says: he gave a shout like the roar of a lion.
         1. Voices of the seven thunders.
         2. John hears but is forbidden to write it down.
2. Delay is Over (Revelation 10:5-7)
   1. Sworn by the angel:
      1. Raised his right hand to heaven.
      2. There will be no more delay.
   2. Seventh trumpet is about to sound.
   3. Secrets of the mystery of God are about to be revealed.
3. Demand made upon the scribe (Revelation 10:8-11)
   1. To partake: eat the scroll.
      1. Sweet like honey in the mouth.
      2. Sour when it hits the stomach.
   2. To prophesy: You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.

Revelation 11:1-19 – John sees two witnesses of God carrying out their 1260-day ministry before being murdered by the antichrist. Then the seventh trumpet is blown.

1. The place of worship is measured (Revelation 11:1-2)
   1. The command: go measure the temple.
   2. The count: number the worshipers.
2. Placed wasted for 3.5 years (Revelation 11:2)
   1. The court: exclude the outer court, given to the Gentiles.
   2. The contempt: the Gentiles will trample the holy city for 42 months.
3. Persons witness for 3.5 years (Revelation 11:3-4)
   1. Duration of their prophetic ministry: 1260 days.
   2. Dedication of their prophetic ministry: God’s olive trees and lampstands.
4. Powerful works performed by them (Revelation 11:5-6) Devastation of their ministry.
   1. Devour their enemies by supernatural fire.
   2. Cause 3.5 years of drought.
   3. Turn waters into blood.
   4. Strike the earth with plagues.
5. Peril of warfare from the pit against them (Revelation 11:7)
   1. Who he is: the antichrist himself.
   2. Where he comes from: the bottomless pit.
6. Pleasure of the watchers followed by fear (Revelation 11:8-10)
   1. What he does: does not allow the burial of witnesses.
   2. Where he does it: they remain in the streets of Jerusalem.
   3. Why he does it: to show contempt for the witnesses.
   4. Who celebrates their deaths: the entire world.
7. Panic and woe as an earthquake strikes (Revelation 11:11-14)
   1. Resurrection: they are raised up to heaven.
   2. Destruction: an earthquake destroys one-tenth of Jerusalem leaving 7000 dead.
8. Peal of the seventh trumpet sounds (Revelation 11:15-19)
   1. World sovereignty of Christ acclaimed (Revelation 11:15)
   2. Worshiping elders also acclaim and worship (Revelation 11:16-18)
   3. Weariness and woe of mankind: (Revelation 11:19)
      1. God’s temple in heaven is opened.
      2. God’s ark of the covenant is seen.
      3. God’s five-fold trouble: lightning, rumblings, thunder, earthquake, hail storm.

NOTES:

1. Measuring (Revelation 11:1) – the image of staking it out. God is giving assurance that he will take note of those who faithfully worship him during trials and tribulation.
2. Forty-two months (Revelation 11:3) – interpreters differ as to whether these months refer to the first half of the seven years or the second half.
3. Two witnesses (Revelation 11:3) – there is nothing to give answer to the identity of these two people. Some suggest it is Moses and Elijah.
4. Beast out of the abyss (Revelation 11:7) – this beast is Satan, the word occurring 18 times in the Revelation.
5. Ark of the covenant (Revelation 11:19) – a great picture of God’s grace carried all the way to the end of time.