7-The Kingdom of Messiah

Decoding the Apocalypse

Pastor Mike Cooke

Revelation 11

1.The measuring of Jerusalem for destruction. (1-2)

  • The measuring rod foretelling the rebuilding of the temple (Ezek 40:1-5)
  • The first half of the Jewish War was 42 months/1,260 days 67-70 CE
  • Vespasian conquered Northern Judea but not Jerusalem

2.The Two Servants who built the Second Temple. (3-4)

  • Haggai 1:14-15

So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God.

  • Zechariah 4:11-14

Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” . . . He replied, “Do you not know what these are?” “No, my lord,” I said. So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.”

3.Elijah and The Prophet returned to lead Israel. (5-6)

  • Elijah shut up the sky from rain (1 Kings 17:1)

Elijah was to return before the Day of the Lord (Mal 4:5)

  • Moses turned the waters into blood (Exod 7:20)

Moses said a prophet like him would come again (Deut 18:15)

  • Both were present at the Transfiguration (Matt 17:3)
  • John the Baptist said he was neither one (John 1:21)

4.The Civil War inside the city of Jerusalem. (7-14)

  • John of Giscalaand the Zealots took the temple mount

As for John, he wanted food, together with his brethren, in these caverns, and begged that the Romans would now give him their right hand for his security, which he had often proudly rejected before; but for Simon, he struggled hard with the distress he was in, fill he was forced to surrender himself, as we shall relate hereafter; so he was reserved for the triumph, and to be then slain; as was John condemned to perpetual imprisonment. And now the Romans set fire to the extreme parts of the city, and burnt them down, and entirely demolished its walls. (Josephus, War of the Jews, §51 [6.51])

  • Simon Bar Giora and the Sicarii took the upper city

And now Simon, thinking he might be able to astonish and elude the Romans, put on a white frock, and buttoned upon him a purple cloak, and appeared out of the ground in the place where the temple had formerly been. At the first, indeed, those that saw him were greatly astonished, and stood still where they were; but afterward they came nearer to him, and asked him who he was . . . Thus did God bring this man to be punished for what bitter and savage tyranny he had exercised against his countrymen by those who were his worst enemies.(Josephus, War of the Jews, §4 [7.4])

  • Titus Flavius came and conquered them both in 70 CE

5.The destruction of one kingdom and the birth of another.

  • Revelation 11:15

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.”

  • Revelation 11:17

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.”