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Revelation 11
13 In that day there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe comes quickly. 15 The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!" 16 The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God's throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: "We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was; because you have taken your great power, and reigned. 18 The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints, and those who fear your name, to the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth." 19 God's temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord's covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed.
In that day/hour there was a great earthquake
This word in the Septuagint is most often translated as season, time or hour.
Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10)
The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind. (Revelation 9:15)
He said with a loud voice, "Fear the Lord, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!" (Revelation 14:7)
Another angel came out from the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Send forth your sickle, and reap; for the hour to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!" (Revelation 14:15)
The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour. (Revelation 17:12)
standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For your judgment has come in one hour.' (Revelation 18:10)
A study of the concept in this word hour is important to see its significance.
a great earthquake
God's temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord's covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed. (Revelation 11:19)
I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became as blood. (Revelation 6:12)
The angel took the censer, and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it on the earth. There followed thunders, sounds, lightnings, and an earthquake. (Revelation 8:5)
There were lightnings, sounds, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men on the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty. (Revelation 16:18)
He said, Go forth, and stand on the mountain before Yahweh. Behold, Yahweh passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but Yahweh was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but Yahweh was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. It was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, there came a voice to him, and said, What are you doing here, Elijah? (1 Kings 19:11-13)
What is an earthquake? What happens during an earthquake? How does an earthquake affect us?
Can earthquakes be a sign? Can they be a distraction? How should we think about them?
It shall happen in that day, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, says the Lord Yahweh, that my wrath shall come up into my nostrils. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; so that the fish of the sea, and the birds of the sky, and the animals of the field, and all creeping things who creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the surface of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. (Ezekiel 38:18-20)
a tenth of the city fell
For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace; without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains a priest continually. Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best spoils. (Hebrews 7:1-4)
In the story of Abraham and Melchizedek the issue of ownership and acknowledging God's authority is brought to light. It also reflects our spirit connection with others who share our trust in and dependence on God for all of our needs. The tenth is what is claimed as belonging to God.
He said, "Go, and tell this people, 'You hear indeed, but don't understand; and you see indeed, but don't perceive.' Make the heart of this people fat. Make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed." Then I said, "Lord, how long?" He answered, "Until cities are waste without inhabitant, and houses without man, and the land becomes utterly waste, And Yahweh has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. If there is a tenth left in it, that also will in turn be consumed: as a terebinth, and as an oak, whose stock remains when they are felled; so the holy seed is its stock." (Isaiah 6:9-13)
Their dead bodies will be in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. (Revelation 11:8)
Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake
All the men of might, even seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths one thousand, all of them strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon. (2 Kings 24:16)
The Syrians fled before Israel; and David killed of the Syrians the men of seven thousand chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the army. (1 Chronicles 19:18)
For Hezekiah king of Judah did give to the assembly for offerings one thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep; and the princes gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep: and a great number of priests sanctified themselves. (2 Chronicles 30:24)
It shall happen, that he who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu kill; and he who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha kill. Yet will I leave me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him. (1 Kings 19:17-18)
I ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God didn't reject his people, which he foreknew. Or don't you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel: "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life." But how does God answer him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal." Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. (Romans 11:1-6)
Keep in mind that the people being referred to here in Revelation are connected to the great city discussed in verse 8 particularly. This is where the dead bodies of these witnesses lay for days without burial while those in the city celebrated their demise at the hands of the beast. Now that their reputations have been reversed, the attitude appears to have switched dramatically. The number 7,000 represents God's remnant and parallels the tenth that especially belongs to God.
What might this prophecy mean? How might this play out in events on this planet? At this point I don't feel comfortable with any explanation to conjecture confidently. Applying the filters from verse 1 that we use to examine everything in this book alerts me that while this number may be important, it is not necessarily literal. Likewise, being killed may or may not be physical. Many things in Revelation are still awaiting more inspiration to clarify their deeper meanings for us. When it is time for us to know, if we remain humble, waiting and tuned to the right spirit, we may receive discernment and wisdom so this can fit perfectly with everything else the Spirit reveals.
the rest were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven
After the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. (Revelation 11:11)
Before they were laid down, she came up to them on the roof; and she said to the men, I know that Yahweh has given you the land, and that the fear of you is fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. (Joshua 2:8-9)
Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up his spirit. Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God." (Matthew 27:50-54)
Is this conclusive evidence that this centurion became a true believer in Christ because of this confession? I don't believe this supports that, though it might be possible. Admissions of truth pried from reluctant lips of those who resist a love of the truth is not the same as confessing Christ from the heart and embracing His revelation of God to experience a transformed life. There are many who insist that anyone who admits the evidence that God is right will be saved merely by invoking a formula of words. I see this as a dangerous assumption, for salvation is not about invoking magic formulas or simply saying a right mantra to gain a ticket to heaven, but rather is about genuine heart transformation that aligns and synchronizes us with the life-giving fire of God's love.
For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, "The one who does them will live by them." But the righteousness which is of faith says this, "Don't say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down); or, 'Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)" But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart;" that is, the word of faith, which we preach: that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:5-9)
In reality, formula-based religion is the same thing as a righteousness of the law, for it is based on getting all the facts correct or doing and saying the right things as being what is required for God to let us into heaven. This is an external form of religion and is pervasive in every culture. This is not true salvation, for it fails to address the root of our sin problem. We must allow the context of Paul's statement about confession and belief to inform us as to what he intended rather than lifting it out of context to string it with other verses to prove something we want it to say, even if it sounds good. Doing so seduces us into imagining that God violates the very principles of reality that defines how creation functions, and violates the moral design of how relationships work.
It is also helpful to keep in mind the true definition of the word saved, particularly in this verse. Saved comes from the exact same word in Greek that is often translated as healed. So when Paul says that when we confess outwardly that Jesus is our Lord, the one who we trust to define what is best and right for us and who we are according to His version of our identity, when we couple such heart belief with speaking out loud the truth about God and embrace His revelation of truth, these are the choices that affect healing of mind, spirit and at times even our body.
The record of what happened in the story of Ananias and Sapphira is instructive in this regard. After they had both lied to Peter about their hidden agenda and collapsed dead from the internal dissonance caused by resistance to the Spirit of love that was so powerful in the community of the early believers, great fear was the result, yet also other interesting outcomes.
Great fear came on the whole assembly, and on all who heard these things. By the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. They were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. None of the rest dared to join them, however the people honored them. More believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women. (Acts 5:11-14)
Notice the polarizing effect of this shocking event. Many drew back in fear after hearing what happened to this couple thinking they could leverage their reputation with the believers by trying to appear generous while secretly harboring greed. Yet there were multitudes who saw this same event as compelling evidence that it was safe for them to join. This means that while the first group honored the believers, their fear inhibited them from appreciating what the latter group saw as evidence that this is what they had been looking for their whole life and were eager to experience. This has everything to do with the condition of the heart and how that affects our perceptions of the very same narrative.
gave glory to the God of heaven
Joshua said to Achan, My son, please give glory to Yahweh, the God of Israel, and make confession to him; and tell me now what you have done; don't hide it from me. Achan answered Joshua, and said, Of a truth I have sinned against Yahweh, the God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: (Joshua 7:19-20)
Can we conclude that because Achan confessed his sin openly that his heart was transformed?
The ark of Yahweh was in the country of the Philistines seven months. The Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, "What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? Show us with which we shall send it to its place." They said, "If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, don't send it empty; but by all means return him a trespass offering: then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you." Then they said, "What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him?" They said, "Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. Therefore you shall make images of your tumors, and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land. (1 Samuel 6:1-5)
Hear, O LORD, and have mercy on me; LORD, be my helper!" You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever. (Psalms 30:10-12 NKJV)
Behold, God our shield, look at the face of your anointed. For a day in your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For Yahweh God is a sun and a shield. Yahweh will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly. Yahweh of Armies, blessed is the man who trusts in you. (Psalms 84:9-12)
O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, O LORD, among the peoples, And I will sing praises to You among the nations. (Psalms 108:1-3 NKJV)
Violence shall no more be heard in your land, desolation nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. The sun shall be no more your light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light to you: but Yahweh will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. (Isaiah 60:18-19)
Hear you, and give ear; don't be proud; for Yahweh has spoken. Give glory to Yahweh your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and, while you look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride; and my eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because Yahweh's flock is taken captive. Say you to the king and to the queen mother, Humble yourselves, sit down; for your headdresses are come down, even the crown of your glory. (Jeremiah 13:15-18)
When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." It happened that as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. Jesus answered, "Weren't the ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there none found who returned to give glory to God, except this stranger?" Then he said to him, "Get up, and go your way. Your faith has healed you." (Luke 17:14-19)
So they called the man who was blind a second time, and said to him, "Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner." He therefore answered, "I don't know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: that though I was blind, now I see." (John 9:24-25)
For we don't preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake; seeing it is God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:5-6)
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (Ephesians 1:17-18)
He said with a loud voice, "Fear the Lord, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!" (Revelation 14:7)
They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God, the Almighty [song of Moses]! Righteous and true are your ways, you King of the nations [song of the Lamb]. Who wouldn't fear you, Lord [song of Moses], and glorify your name [song of the Lamb]? For you only are holy. For all the nations will come and worship before you. For your righteous acts have been revealed." (Revelation 15:3-4)
People were scorched with great heat, and people blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues. They didn't repent and give him glory. (Revelation 16:9)
It starts to become clear in these passages that just because people give glory to God, it is not safe to assume they are eternally saved, healed, transformed in heart and spirit. In the end everyone will give God glory, meaning that everyone will come to the inevitable conclusion that God's character is free of any taint of darkness or complicity with sin. Every insinuation and allegation that has tainted His reputation since the very inception of the rebellion in the mind of Lucifer will be exposed as fraudulent, baseless and deadly. This glory is about God, not those reluctantly admitting truth.
Declare you, and bring it forth; yes, let them take counsel together: who has shown this from ancient time? who has declared it of old? Haven't I, Yahweh? and there is no God else besides me, a just God and a Savior; there is no one besides me. Look to me, and be you saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else. By myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Only in Yahweh, it is said of me, is righteousness and strength; even to him shall men come; and all those who were incensed against him shall be disappointed. In Yahweh shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory. (Isaiah 45:21-25)
One can interpret such passages in various ways based on their larger conclusions about the outcome of the war caused by slander against God's reputation. The way I understand this, given the deeper principles of freedom and love being the heart of God's government, is that there will be two classes in the end – those who are disappointed because all the evidence has proven them wrong, and those who are justified and who willingly choose to reflect God's glory as human beings are designed to do, not merely give Him glory. God pleads with each heart to allow His Spirit to restore us to our original design to live in sync with God's heart of passionate love. Yet without freedom to choose otherwise, love cannot exist and thrive.
The truth is that God's government will not be secure until every lingering accusation and insinuation is exposed and disarmed by the light of truth. God must be fully exonerated of every charge brought against Him, and the charge that seems most difficult for many to discern is the allegation that God will force the will of others in order to achieve His own will.
What is most important for us is to live in love, even when we differ in our perceptions of how God will overcome evil. Love covers a multitude of sins – and differences as well.
God could have destroyed Satan and his sympathizers as easily as one can cast a pebble to the earth; but He did not do this. Rebellion was not to be overcome by force. Compelling power is found only under Satan's government. The Lord's principles are not of this order. His authority rests upon goodness, mercy, and love; and the presentation of these principles is the means to be used. God's government is moral, and truth and love are to be the prevailing power. {DA 759.1}
It is God's will that all shall be saved, that not one shall perish; but He does not compel obedience. He leaves all free to say whether or not they will take advantage of His offer of mercy. In giving Jesus, He poured out all heaven in one gift, making it possible for man to come into possession of eternal riches.
The love of God, as shown in the gift of His Son, should be talked of and dwelt upon. Why are our lips so silent? Why do we not praise the Lord? Every hour of our Saviour's life was spent in praising God. {18MR 345-346}
The germ in the seed grows by the unfolding of the life-principle which God has implanted. Its development depends upon no human power. So it is with the kingdom of Christ. It is a new creation. Its principles of development are the opposite of those that rule the kingdoms of this world. Earthly governments prevail by physical force; they maintain their dominion by war; but the founder of the new kingdom is the Prince of Peace. The Holy Spirit represents worldly kingdoms under the symbol of fierce beasts of prey; but Christ is “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. In His plan of government there is no employment of brute force to compel the conscience. The Jews looked for the kingdom of God to be established in the same way as the kingdoms of the world. To promote righteousness they resorted to external measures. They devised methods and plans. But Christ implants a principle. By implanting truth and righteousness, He counterworks error and sin. {COL 77}
