Good evening and welcome to EBible Fellowship's Bible study in the Book of Revelation.  Tonight is study #40 of Revelation, chapter 11, and we are going to be looking at Revelation 11:18-19:

And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

I will stop reading there.  In our last study we were looking at the last phrase of verse 18: “and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth,” and we saw that the Greek word, Strong’s #1311, is translated twice as “destroy” in this verse.  It is found only six times – four places outside of this verse.  Two of those times it is translated as “corrupt.”  We also saw in the Book of Genesis, in the time before the flood, that God used a Hebrew word concerning those that bring “corruption” to the earth.  It says in Genesis 6:11:

The earth also was corrupt before God…

This is Strong’s #7843 and it is translated as “corrupt” here and in a few more passages, but it is also translated as “destroy.”  So we could also read it this way: “The earth also was destroyed before God and the earth was filled with violence.”

Then it goes on to say in Genesis 6:12-13:

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

So they destroy or corrupt the earth and God then destroys them.  He destroys them that destroy the earth and this is exactly what we find at the end of our verse in Revelation 11:18:

…and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

So we are on “safe ground” in seeing this connection, especially because we know that Revelation 11:18 is describing Judgment Day.  It is the “time of the dead, that they should be judged,” and the Genesis account is giving us an historical example of Judgment Day.  God poured out His wrath and destroyed the people of the earth of that day for their sin, but it is more than that – it is a type and figure of Judgment Day.  God uses the same language and we can see why He would make this connection because Judgment Day began May 21, 2011, which was exactly 7,000 years from the day of the flood and the day when God would “destroy” all flesh, as it says in Genesis 6:17:

And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

The flood began on the “seventeenth day of the second month” and God began to destroy them which destroyed the earth.  Exactly 7,000 years later on May 21, 2011, which has the same underlying Hebrew calendar date of 2/17, which was precisely the date the flood began in the days of Noah, God, again, begins to “destroy them which destroy the earth.”   It is a very careful connection the Lord makes to tie Judgment Day (as He does in many places) to the flood.  So when God begins to judge the spiritually dead in the world on that date exactly 7,000 years from the flood, He also began to destroy the people that had “destroyed” or “corrupted” the earth.

Well, let us move on to Revelation 11:19:

And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament…

Now why would God talk about the “temple of God” being “opened in heaven” and the ark “seen in his temple” at this point, in the context of the end of the world and Judgment Day?  It is the time His wrath has come and the “time of the dead, that they should be judged.”  Then there is a sudden switch to see “the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark.”  What does this have to do with these things? 

Well, it has a lot to do with it, but before we get into this, let us review something.  In the New Testament there are two main Greek words used for “temple.”  We do not see this in the English translation because both of these words are translated as “temple.”  So as we are reading our King James Bible, when we read of the “temple” in different places, we do not realize that there are two different Greek words.  For instance, the word used twice in our verse for “temple” is the Greek word “naos,” Strong’s #3485, and it refers to the temple sanctuary wherein the Holy of holies was found.  Within the Holy of holies would be the ark of the testament.  For example, this same word “naos” is found in Matthew 27:51:

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom…

This word for temple is “naos.”  It refers to the sanctuary where the high priest would go into the Holy of holies and the ark would be there with the mercy seat covering it and the incense would cloud the room and he would offer the sacrifice once a year.  This is very consistent when “naos” refers to the sanctuary wherein the Holy of holies was.

On the other hand, the other Greek word commonly used for “temple” is “hieron” and it is Strong’s #2411.  This word denotes the temple complex.  It says in Matthew 24:1-2:

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Here, the reference is to the buildings of the temple; it is the temple complex, as the temple had several buildings.  It is not just the “sanctuary,” but it is the entire temple area.  We find in Mark, chapter 11, that Christ is encountering money changers in the temple.  It says in Mark 11:15-16:

And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

All of these references to the temple are the Greek word “hieron.”  In all the references in this passage, it is the word “hieron,” Strong’s #2411, and it refers to the temple complex.  If we did not know the distinction between these two words, and we read that Jesus went into the temple, we might think it refers to the sanctuary and that these moneychangers were in the sanctuary, but it is not speaking of that.  It is speaking of the temple grounds where other buildings of the temple were and people would enter into the temple grounds.  Yet the entire temple complex was considered holy, but, of course, the sanctuary was where the Holy of holies was located and where the sacrifices were offered.  However, the entire temple grounds were something that were to be respected and that is why Christ is angry and why he overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and did not all any man to carry any vessel through the temple complex.  So when we read our English Bible it is important for us to know which word it is and that will help us to understand whether it is the sanctuary or the overall temple grounds.  Normally, the context will help us and it seems consistent; I have not seen any place where there is an overlap in meaning, so it is fairly consistent that “naos” refers to the sanctuary and “hieron” refers to the temple complex.

Now the word “temple” that refers to the sanctuary is the same word God uses in Ephesians 2:20-22:

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

 I should have read verse 19, which says, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;and are built upon the foundation,” and so on.  It is the people that are “built upon the foundation” of Christ.  When God was saving people, they were added to that building of the holy temple as God built up a “spiritual house,” as He says in Hebrews, chapter 3, and He defines that house when He goes on to say, “Whose house are we.”  God built a spiritual temple for His habitation.  That is the purpose for saving His elect people because it was always His intent to indwell the body of Christ, or to indwell this “holy temple.”  It is mysterious as to exactly what that means, but God instructed Israel to build a temple; He commissioned Solomon to construct a temple in order to paint this picture of the building up of the body of believers to the point where the temple was complete.  Then, in the historical account in 2Chronicles and 1Kings, once the temple was complete, the Ark of the Covenant would be carried into the temple and the ark’s presence in the temple signified the presence of God and His habitation, just as it says here in Ephesians, chapter 2. 

Let us read about this in 2Chronicles 5:1-3:

Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of JEHOVAH was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God. Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of JEHOVAH out of the city of David, which is Zion. Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

So the temple was completed and then Solomon had the Ark of the Covenant brought to the temple.  It says in 2Chronicles 5:4-9:

And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark. And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up. Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of JEHVOAH unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims: For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day.

This is said numerous times in the Old Testament when something is said or done and then the statement is made, “And there it is unto this day,” indicating that an eternal principal is in view, and that is exactly what is going on here.  The house of God is finished.  The ark, which represents the presence of God, enters into that temple.  It must be the temple because it is going into the Holy of holies and the Holy of holies is in the sanctuary.  The staves (which were used to carry the ark) are removed because the ark is not going to be carried elsewhere, so they remove the staves and then the statement is made, “And there it is unto this day.”  This means that for ever and ever God will be within His chosen people.  Once He has saved the last one of them, then the presence of God enters in because He built them for an “eternal habitation,” as Ephesians, chapter 2, told us. 

We read the same thing when Solomon was moved to speak, in 2Chronicles 6:2:

But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever.

Again, this is emphasizing the spiritual and eternal principal that God is with His people for evermore.  God is dwelling in Zion – the God who will never leave us nor forsake us.  God says, when describing eternity to come, that He will forever be with His people; there will never be separation between God and those He has saved. 

So Revelation 11:18 sets the context of Judgment Day (the time of the dead, that they should be judged) and before that the seventh angel sounded, which was the last trumpet.  It is Judgment Day and God is associating Judgment Day with the time that the temple of God (the body of believers) and is “open in heaven.”  So if this temple is referring to the body of believers in the Day of Judgment, but the great multitude (the vast part of that temple) are still alive and living on the earth, how can it be that the temple of God is open in heaven, but we are still here?  Well, remember, when anyone becomes saved, they are seated together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so, in one way, all of God’s elect are “in heaven” even though many of us are still physically here on earth.  We have our citizenship in the kingdom of heaven.

So it says our verse in Revelation 11:19:

And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament…

God has entered into the body of believers; He has entered into the elect at the point of Judgment Day.  When Judgment Day comes, He is indwelling His people and He has finally entered into that habitation, which will be an eternal habitation as He dwells with all His people. 

Let us just look at one more thing in relationship to this in Revelation 15, where we find similar language in Revelation 15:5-8:

And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Here, again, it is Judgment Day.  It is the day of the wrath of God and the temple suddenly comes into view – the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony.  The “testimony” is another name for the ark because it carried the tables of the covenant, or the testimony, which is the Word of God.  “The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened,” and out came these seven messengers and they are given the seven vials full of the wrath of God.  Then the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God; that is, the wrath of God is in evidence in the temple, the body of believers.  The judgment on the world is that the “temple” is completed and there is no more salvation available for anyone any longer and this is the information that God’s messengers, the true believers, are distributing and pouring out upon the earth.  The seven messengers are referring to the children of God that are still living in this world throughout the period of Judgment Day.

We see the historical reference which Revelation 15 is building upon, in 2Chronicles 5:11-14:

And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking JEHOVAH; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised JEHOVAH, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of JEHOVAH; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of JEHOVAH had filled the house of God.

Here, we see the historical scene is the house that Solomon built is complete and the ark is carried into the temple, into the Holy of holies.  Then the priests come out of the Holy Place, just as the seven messengers come out of the temple in Revelation 15.  Then the house is filled with a cloud, just as the temple is filled with smoke in Revelation 15: “So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of JEHOVAH had filled the house of God.”  No man is now able to enter into the temple (whose temple are we). 

The temple was built by Christ for an eternal habitation.  Judgment Day is a time when the priests of God (we are prophets, priests and kings), come out of the temple and in Revelation 15 the seven messengers come out of the temple to complete one last task for the Lord, which is to pour out the seven vials of the seven last plagues.  During the time that it is being poured out, no man is able to enter into the temple.  Sadly, that refers to “no more salvation.”  The end of God’s salvation program has come.  He is no longer saving and no longer adding to the holy temple of the Lord.  It is complete.