Revelation Chapter 11. Vision 3 Contd The Temple and the Witnesses.

VISION 3: THE 7 TRUMPETS.

INTERPOLATION (contd)

(IV) 11:1-13:- THE TWO WITNESSES.

REV 11:1 I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there.

REV 11:2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.

REV 11:3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth."

REV 11:4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

REV 11:5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.

REV 11:6 These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

REV 11:7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.

REV 11:8 Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called SodomEgypt, where also their Lord was crucified. and

REV 11:9 For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.

REV 11:10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

REV 11:11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.

REV 11:12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

REV 11:13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

INTRODUCTION.

Possibly this is one of the most difficult chapters in Revelation. Is it literal, or is it purely symbolic? It seems to me that if we take it in a purely literal sense then we end up with contradictions. But too, if we take it in a purely symbolic sense we also end up with contradictions. Neither approach, in a pure form, seems satisfactory. Interpreters usually overcome this by ignoring the fact that what they are saying is, in some way, contradictory (hardly a satisfactory way of overcoming a problem).

It seems to me that the principle of 1 Corinthians 15:46 should guide us here:
"First the natural, then the spiritual".
In other words there will be a double fulfillment of some sort, a natural one in the physical Israel, and a spiritual fulfillment in the New Israel, the Church.

There are a few places in REVELATION where this seems to be the best approach. Probably the reason for this is because, towards the end, there is not a lot of distance between the Church and Israel in terms of spiritual belief and practice. The difference is largely geographical.

Happily for us, in interpreting REVELATION, the book itself usually gives us a clue that a double fulfillment is intended by giving us a double meaning to the symbolism, as happens in this chapter.

Revelation 10:3, 4:
“…my two witnesses … These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands…”

What we see then is the two covenant peoples of God, Israel and the Church, in power and under persecution, and then in martyrdom and resurrection.

In this double interpretation the natural is the least important, and is really only a figure of the spiritual, an object lesson showing what is going on in the Church, but on an international scale.

"The two olive trees AND the two lampstands".
These have different interpretations.
(i) The Olive tree is the standard scriptural symbol for Israel. In fact it is one of only three OT symbols that the NT does not take and apply to the Church indicating that its meaning remains unchanged in the New Testament.
Other than here the only time it is used is in Romans 11 where Paul compares Jews and Gentiles. Gentile Christians are “wild olive branches” whereas the Jews are the “natural branches”. In other words Paul leaves the symbol of “olive tree” meaning “Israel” exactly as it was in the OT. The Apostle John does not change this.

(ii) The "lampstands" - refers back to ch 2&3 where they have already been identified as the Church. Initially there were seven of them, but as we saw in looking at the letters there five were condemned, only two - Sardis and Philadelphia - were approved.

“Lampstands "(plural) was never a symbol of Israel. “Lampstand"(singular) was. In the plural form the word is only ever used in the Bible as a symbol of the church. If we do not take the interpretation the Apostle John gives us of “lampstands = churches” then we are ignoring vital clues.

We shall look at the natural fulfillment first, then the spiritual.

11:1-13 THE TEMPLE AND THE WITNESSES.

11:1 "a measuring rod".
Greek kalamos = a regular measure. Later on (21:15) we are told that the city of God, where there is no temple, is to be measured with a golden wand. In both cases the measuring is a sign of immunity from destruction, it indicates that God knows his own and looks after them. The fact is they are not abandoned or lost - even if they are martyred.

C/f Ezekiel 40:3ff; Zechariah 2:1ff. - The measurement of an object was a figurative way of indicating either protection or future judgement. Here in Revelation the intent is clearly preservation.

The Rod is 10 ft long, so in the flesh everyone painfully falls short.

"the temple of God, the alter, and those that worship there".

"temple" - Greek = the shrine itself without the courts and outbuildings.

The mention of the "holy city" (v2) indicates that the temple in Jerusalem is meant. However the phrase "those who worship there" is peculiar. How can you measure people in this way? This is the first hint of a spiritual meaning - the temple is made up of people who sacrifice their lives on the altar (Ephesians 2:19-22).

11:2 "do not measure the court outside the temple".
I.e. the outer court. Only the priests were allowed in the inner sanctuary, and only Jews into the inner temple precincts. But the outer court - the court of the Gentiles - was open to all.

"given over to the Gentiles, who will trample the holy city underfoot for 42 months".
This suggests that there will be a period of Gentile domination of Israel again during the Tribulation. In other words the "times of the Gentiles" are not yet completed. Some interpreters suggest that the freeing of Jerusalem in 1967 shows that they are completed but this is not so. The Bible indicates another period of Gentile domination to come in the Tribulation under Antichrist.

This also tells us that the ministry of the two witnesses is not to be restricted to Jews. They are seen ministering outside the temple, which is clearly under "Gentile" domination. Hence the rejoicing in the "earth" (11:10) when they die. There is, in fact, nothing in the passage to suggest that they minister to Jews at all, but their locality in Jerusalem implies it is probably so.

C/f Luke 21:24 - context is the Tribulation.

"the holy city" - Jerusalem is meant in a literal sense, but v8 indicates that Jerusalem is seen by God to be under the world system of Babylon – “Sodom and Egypt” were both representatives of this system. Hence a broader interpretation is again hinted at.

"city" - Greek = polis, which could mean the buildings, but more normally means a community, a people.

11:3 "I will give power to my two witnesses and they will prophecy"
To "prophecy" is to give "testimony to Jesus" (19:10). These are in some way evangelists. They have signs following including spectacular natural signs. Interestingly these two are actually called “witnesses” meaning “evangelists for Christ” – the 144,000 are never called this!

"1260 days" - the same period as the 42 months of 30 days, or 3½ years (“times, time and half a time”).

The appearance of the two witnesses is thus at the beginning of the last 3½ years of the Tribulation.

"clothed in sackcloth" - speaking of humility and repentance. The usual garb of prophets.

Caird - "They have freedom to prophecy, for to prophecy is to die the death of a martyr."

11:4 "These are the two Olive trees"
C/f Zechariah 4:2ff where they are Joshua and Zerubabel, the king and the priest. I.e. these two witnesses are king priests

"Who are beside the lord of all the earth".
This reminds us of the words of Jesus to James and John (Mark 10:35ff). Jesus refused to give the positions of sitting on his right and his left to them because God had already assigned them.

Who are they? - Theories:

(i) The Spirit of Moses and Elijah in people.

(ii) Moses and Elijah themselves.

(iii) Enoch and Elijah.

The most popular theories in the Church have been the second two.

(ii) Moses and Elijah.
This is based on:
* What they do - the miracles are similar to Moses' and Elijah's.

v6 - "power to shut up the sky" - Elijah (James 5:17,18).
The OT tells us that it did not rain for three years, but James says 3½ - this change could be significant as it is for 3½ years these two witnesses operate.

"power to turn the waters to blood and to smite the earth with every plague" - reminds us of Moses in Egypt.

* There was strange circumstances surrounding both of their deaths and their bodies seem to have been preserved by God for something.
Moses - He died but God "buried" him. (Jude 9 Deuteronomy 34:5,6).
Tradition recorded by the Jews in the book "The Assumption of Moses" held that he never died.
Elijah - went into heaven alive in a flaming chariot (2 Kings 2).

*Both had a revelation on Horeb - Exodus 24:16ff 1 King 18.

*Both fasted 40 days and 40 nights.

*Both had altars lit by God's fire - Leviticus 9 1 King 18.

*Both went to wicked Kings.

*Both used swords against idolaters Exodus 32 1 King 18.

*Both divided the waters - Exodus 14 2 King 2.

*Both translated beyond Jordan - Deuteronomy 34 2 King 2.

*Both had Spirit filled successors - Joshua, Elisha.

* Both saw fire consume God's enemies - Numbers 16 2 King 1.

*Moses and Elijah appear at times in the ministry of Christ as "Two Witnesses" to key events:
- The Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-5).
- Luke 24:1ff - Two witnesses to the resurrection.
- Acts 1:10 - Two Witnesses to the ascension.

* Elijah's return is promised before the Messiah comes (Malachi 4:6). This has a fulfillment in John the Baptist (Matthew 17:10-13), but the NT writers knew that this was not a full fulfillment of the prophecy (John 1:19-21). John the Baptist himself denies he was Elijah.

* Moses and Elijah have significant positions in Judaism:
- Moses the giver of the Law.
- Elijah the first prophet.
Together they represent the combined testimony of the law and prophets to Christ.

* Moses witnessed in a time of slavery, persecution, and deliverance. Elijah in a time of Apostacy.
The apostacy of the last days is hinted at by the reference to "Sodom and Egypt" - Sodom was the extreme in apostacy, Egypt was the prototype oppressor of God's people.

Hence there seems to be a solid case for seeing these two witnesses as Moses and Elijah.

(iii) Enoch and Elijah.

A large part of the early Church held this view.

* The idea is attested to in early Church writings such as the Apocryphal "Apocalypse of Peter" which claims to be Peter's version of the teaching on the Second Coming by Christ found in Matthew 24,25.

“Enoch and Elias shall be sent forth to teach them that this (The Antichrist) is the deceiver who must come into the world and do signs and wonders to deceive. And therefore they shall die by his hand, be martyrs, and shall be reckoned among the good and righteous martyrs who have pleased God in their lives".

Even if not authoritative, the Apocalypse of Peter is very ancient, and could actually date from Peter's hand.

* These two men did not die. Elijah we have seen, Enoch was translated (Genesis 5:21-24).

* The idea that they come back to witness and die has some merit as it is said that:

"It is appointed to man once to die..." - this is an appointment which these two seem to have missed out on.

* Enoch is said by tradition to have shown similar signs to his generation.

Probably it is easiest to see them as Moses and Elijah, but this begs the Question, "When does Enoch get to die?"

It appears that these two witnesses preach in Palestine, centering their activity on Jerusalem which for a while becomes a centre of Antichrist activity, at least in the religious arena.

It appears that some form of temple in Jerusalem is built for the purposes of worship according to the Jewish law.

Their ministry is apparently extremely effective as their preaching produces a guilt which "torments those who live on the earth". This phrase indicates a wider interpretation than just the ministry of two men in Jerusalem, whose ministry could be limited in effect by authorities to the close geographic area. The implication of this verse is that the whole world is affected by the ministry of the two witnesses. We shall see how this comes to pass later.

For the period of their activity they have a special divine protection (v5), but when their testimony is over the Antichrist ("the beast which ascends from the bottomless pit") martyrs them (v7). This martyrdom is broadcast to the whole world (v9) and their bodies are given no respect. This “non-burial” is a sign of hatred at their witness, a form of public gloating over them.

Goodness lies dead on the street, not only slain, but scoffed at.

"the beast which ascends from the bottomless pit”
Note:- "ascends" is Greek continuous tense, indicating that this rising has happened throughout history. The Antichrist spirit is always at work.

This event is apparently only “3½ days” before the Second Coming, and the public gloating is turned to world-wide horror as they are resurrected.

11:11 - "the breath of life from God entered into them".
This is clearly the resurrection and rapture (v 13) of the people of God, as it is immediately followed by a direct judgement of God (v 13), wrath, which only comes on the day of the Lord.

Clearly we see here the ministry of two men in Palestine who manage to produce incredible results against all odds. But this is only the ministry of the two witnesses to Israel, what about the world at large? Clearly this chapter is written in such a way as to allow for a far broader interpretation. The literal does not exhaust the prophecy.

A Symbolic Interpretation.

(i) Two witnesses = "Two lampstands"
Lampstands are Churches (ch 1-3) and, of the seven, two were not condemned, the persecuted church (Smyrna) and the witnessing church (Philadelphia).

The use of Zechariah 4 where the two witnesses are the king and priest is suggestive. Christ has made us to be "a kingdom of priests" (1:4).

There are two witnesses because the Law required two (Deuteronomy 19:15).

(ii) The "great city ".
In REVELATION is usually Babylon (c/f 17:1), which has a location in Iraq, but is also the code name for the world system of government, finance and religion. These all come under Antichrist control in at least part of the earth.

The phrase "the great city ... where their Lord was crucified" does not in itself demand a solely literal meaning, i.e. Jerusalem. It too can be symbolic and the description given lends itself this way.

*It is called "Sodom and Egypt". Egypt is a Biblical proverb for going into the world. Sodom was the Babylon of its day, the leader in sin.

* Isaiah 1:9,10 Sodom = Jerusalem, but only in that it has imbibed its spirit.

* Hebrews 13:11 - The writer makes an important statement - Christ died "outside the gate", not in the city. One has to get out of the “city of evil” to be saved. This rejection of Christ by Jerusalem actually symbolically left him outside the Jewish system, in the world, dying not just for Jews but for the whole world. On the other hand the bodies of the two witnesses "lie in the streets".

* Revelation 17:6 - all martyrs are killed in "Babylon", i.e. the Satanic world system is responsible for every martyrdom wherever it occurs. However compare this statement with Jesus words in Luke 13:33. Clearly the literal Jerusalem is not meant.
It is this system which is meant here, though it hides under different names.

In fact there is, in REVELATION, only two places to be as far as this world is concerned:
(a) In the city, partaking of the world and going to Hell.
(b) In the wilderness, the place where God looks after his own pilgrims. They are looking for a better home.

(iii) The "holy city" in REVELATION is Zion, the completed people of God.
This has a temporal manifestation on earth in the Church.

The same is true of "the temple", which is the Church. (Ephesians 2:20-22, I Peter 2:5, Revelation 3:12).

The "outer court" then we could perceive to be the part of the Church which compromises with the world, i.e. the 5 churches of ch 1-3 that are criticized in some way.Presumably they join with the "One World Faith" promoted by the Antichrist and False Prophet.

The phrase "where their Lord was crucified" indicates that these witnesses are in a very real sense Christian believers. They have made Jesus to be "their Lord". These are not ,converts to Judaism but to Christ. The same is true in the literal interpretation - Moses and Elijah are Christian witnesses, not witnesses for Judaism.

(iv) The idea of "fire out of their mouths" ties in with promises to God's people:
Matthew 18:18-20, Psalms 149:6-9.

(v) "to shut up the sky" - like Elijah.
C/f James 5:17,18 - this is the prerogative of any faithful man who prays. Control over the natural elements was given to Adam, who sold them to Satan. Christ has paid the redemption price for them again. Christ himself exercised this power in his earthly ministry (Mark 6:51 4:35-41). It is to be expected that those who have been redeemed will be able to experience the benefits of redemption.

Clearly the Church will be more actively involved in the process of bringing the end time judgements than we have previously considered. In all probability they will not happen unless the Church asks for them to happen.

The two witnesses are to be kings and priests, and to minister with the rod of Moses and the mantle of Elijah.

INTERPRETATION:

The picture we clearly see here then is one of the true Church of God witnessing in great glory and power throughout the world for the period of the Tribulation. There is really nothing in the text to suggest that this ministry is restricted to Palestine. However there will also be persecution during that period, we will be trampled underfoot. This persecution will bring some martyrdom at the hands of Antichrist but the institution and the witness of the Church cannot be destroyed. The reference to 3½ days could be meant to be interpreted as in Daniel, a day = a year, thus indicating martyrdom continues right through that period but in a limited way. In any case the public institution of the Church is not hidden, its witness remains strong. Through it God's power is seen.

However at a point in time we arrive at the end of God's grace. All men have had the chance to hear and repent. There are left on earth now only two classes of men:
(i) Those who have accepted Christ.
(ii) Those who have knowingly and willingly rejected Christ.
The Gospel will have been preached to all men, and then the END shall come (Matthew 24:14).

Then God's protection is lifted on the Church and martyrdom on a colossal scale occurs for a short period - possibly only 10 days (the period alluded to in 2:10). In the Antichrist's area of control this will result in the destruction of the Church to the point where no Christians are left alive there. This martyrdom ceases only 3½ days before the Second Coming. Antichrist seems to control Western Europe and the Middle East at this stage.

There will be parts of the world where the martyrdom will not be so complete. Clearly Antichrist is not a world ruler - even at this time he is facing two major armies in the Middle East, the kings of the East, and Gog and his hordes. There are also other parts of the world where Christians and non Christians are living in peace at the Second Coming (see e.g. Matthew 24:40,41 Luke 17:34-36).

"their bodies".
To leave a body unburied was considered to be the extreme indignity in the ancient world. In the Law it is said to bring a curse on the land.

The final scene we are allowed to glimpse is the Rapture.

11:11,12. The Rapture and First Resurrection.

(1) The voice crying "come up hither"

c/f 1 Thessalonians 4:16 "cry of command".

(2) "a great cloud".

(3) "the dead raised”.

The rapture is described here in such a way as too belie the common teaching that it will be silent, unnoticed, imperceptible by the world. Tired of killing Christians the slaughterers around the world have had a party for three days, and now, emerging out of their drunken stupor they see a sight.

DEAD MEN ARE STANDING UP!

They are terrified, and then God calls his own to himself.

But this terror does not produce any repentance.

Because of the Church having been now removed WRATH is now free to come (1 Thessalonians 5:9), hence we see the first blow of God's hand in wrath.

11:13. - "a severe earthquake".
The same as what we have seen in the seven seal, and is described again in the seventh trumpet in 11:19.

"1/10th of the city."
The city was built by men turning the provision of God in nature into wealth with their hands. This was God's intention for man - to create wealth out of the resources he had given them by creative work. However there was also an obligation. To acknowledge that God had provided the basic resources man was required to pay the tenth, a tithe. Men in their quest for wealth have refused to pay God his share, so before God destroys it all he symbolically takes his share.

"The city" - again means the world system, so we are to see this as a world wide earthquake.

"7000".
A symbolic number 7 x 1000. 7 = completeness, 1000 = indefiniteness. Hence the number is perfect but indefinite.
We are reminded of the words of God to Elijah "I have kept for myself 7000 men..." but in this case they are not preserved, they are killed.
The population of the city is thought to be about 100,000 people so this is again a limited judgement - the tithe.

"the survivors were terrified and gave glory to God".
The second time we are told of man's terror - it must be some scare! As a result they "give glory to God". This however is not repentance. In the OT "gave glory" = repented, but not here. It is too late for that; the age of grace is past. Conversion is an inappropriate term to describe the reactions of men at this point in time.

In a foxhole on the battlefield there are no atheists, but that does not make them all believers. There will be no atheists on the day of the Lord.

c/f 6:15-17. - the same point in time.

This "glory" is the acknowledging of wrong in sheer horror from the wretched enemies of the two witnesses WHEN IT IS TOO LATE!

This is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Philippians 2:10,11. This is the day of the Lord and wrath has begun. It is too late to repent.
c/f Ezekiel 37:9ff - the two events are the same.
(i) Both companies are dead.
(ii) The Spirit of God entered them and put them on their feet.
(iii) The two witnesses = a great multitude.
(iv) In both they are "placed in their own land".

11:14 "The second woe is passed, the third woe is yet to come."
This indicates that ch 11:1-13 is part of the second woe in some way.

As for the rest of mankind it is too late.

11:15-19:- THE SEVENTH TRUMPET.

REV 11:15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."

REV 11:16 And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,

REV 11:17 saying: "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.

REV 11:18 The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great- and for destroying those who destroy the earth."

REV 11:19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

Here we return to the trumpet series. Again the seventh in the series tells us of the END. The seventh seal only gave us a brief look at the END, but now in the seventh trumpet more detail is given as to what is going to happen at that time.

The events described here are clearly the END when Christ comes and sets up his kingdom on earth.

This means that the seventh trumpet is the trumpet often referred to in prophecy which sounds at the coming of Christ.
Matthew 24:31; Zechariah 9:14; Zephaniah 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 "the last trumpet"; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:9.

Revelation 10:7 - the seventh trumpet blows until the eternal state comes in, until "all is fulfilled". Hence there can be no other trumpet after it, it must be the "last".

In reality Revelation 11:17-19 is a summary of Psalms 96-99 which depict the coming of God at the end of the Age. These Psalms are kingship Psalms and were part of the ritual of the day of Atonement and Feast of Tabernacles. The day of Atonement is the day in which the prophetic type of the Second Coming is depicted. On this day Israel had a long celebration in Jerusalem. It included the ritual of Atonement (Leviticus 16) but went on from there and included a ritual recrowning of the King as the vice reagent and "son" of God (Yahweh). Then the coming victory of God was depicted in dramatic form to the people and these Psalms were part of that ritual.

However we must note that the 7^th trumpet is introduced as a "woe", yet no woe is itemized. Ladd suggests that the contents of the seven bowls are in fact the woe of the seventh trumpet. Instead of being a woe, the last trumpet turns out to be a jubilant fanfare, proclaiming the enthronement of the king.

11:15 "loud voices in heaven".
They make a declaration which is immediately fulfilled. Who the voices belong to is unknown, but it could be angels, or the Church.

c/f 8:1 "silence". The silence is because Heaven is empty, now it is again populated.

"the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our lord and of his Christ".
The RSV translation "kingdom" (singular) is actually correct. The implication is that behind all of the kingdoms of the world there is one driving force, one kingdom which we really have to deal with.
Though this has been legally true since Calvary, now we see it coming true in real life experience on earth. There is a sense in which the Church has already, before this time, demonstrated the reality of the Kingdom to the world, and the nations of the world have been reduced to mockery by it. However there is also a sense in which the kingdoms of this world win victory over the Church until this point in time. However at this point Christ appears and the victory is complete and total.

The world's system of rebellious government, begun at Babel, is now destroyed once and for all.

c/f Genesis 1:26-28; Daniel 2:34; Matthew 4:8. The rulership was given to Adam but he sold them to Satan. Christ has Redeemed thit for mankind. The kingdom is Christ's, but there is a real sense in which the Redeemed community become the rulers, which was God's original intention.Revelation 5:10.

"our Lord and of his Christ" - a quote from Psalm 2:2.

"our Lord" = God the Father.
In this paragraph John begins an exposition of Psalm 2 which continues through the following chapters.

11:17 "the One who is and who was".
Note the phrase "and is to come" is omitted here - because Christ has come. So too has God.
c/f 1:4,8; 4:8.
Greek literally = "the coming one", which is a traditional phrase from mythology referring to the coming redeemer of the world. God himself is the world's redeemer through his Christ.

11:18 "the nations raged" = Psalm 2:1 = Armageddon.

"but thy wrath came". - See notes on Wrath, i.e. the Day of the Lord has come.

"the time for the dead to be judged".

"Dead" = "the spiritually dead" - this happens in two phases.
(i) Matthew 25 - the sheep and the goats = the judgement of all men alive on earth at the Second Coming.
(ii) Revelation 20 - the Great White Throne - the judgement of all of mankind who did not believe in Christ during this life on earth. John says "the time has come" but as the seventh trumpet blows through the Millennium and into the eternal state we are not to see "time" here as a point in time, rather the season for judgement has begun and it will continue until all judgement is completed.

"for rewarding thy servants" = the judgement seat of Christ.

This is the contradiction of the Dispensational view that the judgement seal of Christ occurs during the Tribulation. This verse clearly states that this judgement is still to come - the time is now, but the event hasn't happened yet.

This conforms to Hebrew concepts of justice where the judge does not punish th guilty until he can reward the innocent, and vica versa.

Revelation 20:5,6 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 4:4,5 2 Corinthians 5:10 2 Timothy 4:8.

"who fear thy name" = Psalm 2:11.

"for destroying the destroyers of the earth".
Antichrist, Satan, etc. They are the cosmic rulers of this present evil age (Ephesians 6:12ff).

11:19. "God's temple in Heaven".
Of which the earthly temple is but a shadow (Hebrews 8:5).

But there is no temple in Heaven (21:22), i.e. what John is describing here is not a real temple but the spiritual temple of the Church. It is seen in heaven now because the rapture has taken place.

"was opened".
Can only mean "Its glory was fully revealed". The Bride is seen in all her perfection and radiance. But the source of her radiance is what is important.

"Within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant".
This is the source of the glory of the Church. The ark was the symbol of the presence of God. What we see here is in the heart of the Church an intimate relationship with Christ which brings forth Glory.

Exodus typology is clear here. C/f Joshua 6:4 - the ark follows its escort of seven trumpets. Jericho, the city of the world, is thereby defeated.

The fact that the ark can be seen means that the veil is taken away (2 Corinthians 3:7). This then is the final outworking of what was symbolically achieved at the cross (Matthew 27:51).

Again John does not actually describe to us the final woe. He talks about events as if they were past, then he gives again his stylized picture of the END.

"flashes of lightening & etc ".
C/f 8:5; 16:17-21 = the wrath of God, the final judgement.