Parables are fictitious but analogous short stories that illustrate principles or lessons. The characters in a parable usually represent something else.

Revelation 11:1-14 is living parable. The apostle John is not only the storyteller, but he is also an active participant in this parable. Each of the characters, objects, and actions represent something else in this story of how God protects his church and uses it to witness for him. Let’s take a look at the parable of the fall and rise of the church!

1.) God Spiritually Protects the Church (1-2)

John begins the passage by telling us that the mighty angel standing before him a reed and told him to go and measure the temple of God and the altar and count the worshippers there. A reed is a stalk of tall grass that was commonly used as a measuring device in the ancient world, similar to a yard stick. In this passage, the “temple of God,” “the altar,” and the “holy city” are symbols for the church, the true people of God who have put their faith in Jesus Christ.

Throughout the Old Testament and particularly in the Book of Ezekiel, which provides the background to this passage, the act of measuring is a metaphor for God’s protection. In this passage the measuring of the temple connotes God’s presence and protection with his church. When they are measured they are identified as belonging to God and being under his protection. It is a picture of the saints within the precincts of the temple/church worshipping God and overcoming the world.

The significance of the measuring means that the church’s salvation is secured, despite the physical harm they suffer during the church age. God does not always protect his people from physical harm, but their protection from spiritual harm is guaranteed. God’s presence abides with the church’s members and protects them from contamination that leads to eternal death.

On the other hand, the angel commands John not to measure the outer court which belongs to the Gentiles. This is a symbol for unbelievers and “will trample the city of God for 42 months” is a metaphor for the physical persecution of God’s people throughout the church age. From the time of Christ’s ascension until his return to earth, the church will suffer physical persecution at the hands of unbelievers, but it will be spiritually protected.

This reminds me of the story of Felicitas and her seven sons. Felicitas was a Christian widow in Rome in the middle of the second century. It is said that she witnessed often and led many women to faith in Jesus Christ. Each of her seven sons also had a reputation for witnessing about Christ.

Now it happened that the pagan priests discovered this family’s Christian faith and turned them over to be prosecuted by Publius, the chief magistrate of Rome. He was willing to spare Felicitas, as being a highly respectable woman, first secretly summoned her and her sons into his own house, where he entreated them with fair words and promises, but afterwards threatened to punish them with severe tortures, unless they would forsake the Christian religion, and readopt the old Roman worship of the gods. Felicitas, remembering the words of Christ, “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father in heaven,” answered briefly thus, “I am neither moved by thy flatteries and entreaties, nor am I intimidated by thy threats; for I experience in my heart the working of the Holy Spirit, which gives me a living power, and prepares me for the conflict of suffering, to endure all that you may lay upon me, for the confession of my faith.”

When Publius could not move the mother from her steadfast purpose, he said to her, “Very well; if it seems pleasant to you, to die, die alone, but have pity and a mother’s compassion for your sons, and command them, to ransom their own lives by sacrificing to the gods.”

Thereupon Felicitas said, “Your compassion is pure wickedness, and your admonition is nothing but cruelty, for, if my sons should sacrifice to the gods, they would not ransom ‘their lives, but sell them to the hellish fiend, whose slaves, yea, whose serfs in soul and body, they would become, and be reserved by him, in chains of darkness, for everlasting fire.”

Then, turning away from the judge, to her sons, she said, “Remain steadfast in the faith and in the confession of Christ; for Christ and His saints are waiting for you. Behold, heaven is open before you; therefore fight valiantly for your souls, and show, that you are faithful in the love of Christ, wherewith He loves you, and you Him.”

This filled the judge with rage against her, and he commanded them to strike her on the cheek. Though they struck her in the face with their fists, in order to silence her, she did not cease to admonish her sons to remain steadfast, and to fear neither tortures nor rack, nor even death itself, but to die willingly for the name of Christ.

Then they whipped Januarius, the first-born, to death, in the presence of his mother. The leather whips had pieces of lead attached to the tips. Felix and Philippus, the two brothers next (in age), were beaten to death with rods. Sylvanus, was thrown off a cliff. Alexander, Vitalis, and Martialis were beheaded. Last of all, the mother was beheaded.

Even though this family suffered physical persecution at the hands of unbelievers, they were spiritually protected. Their faith was steadfast and their salvation was secure. May we always remember Jesus’ warning in Matthew 10:28—“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The only way to gain this spiritual protection is through a real relationship with Jesus! Have you truly put your faith in Jesus Christ? Have you been counted among the worshippers in God’s temple? Have you been measured for God’s protection on your soul?

2.) God Empowers the Witness of the Church (3-6)

The parable continues with God raising up two witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 days. The two witnesses in this passage are doubly symbolic. On one hand they are symbolic of the two Old Testament prophets Elijah and Moses, and on the other hand they are symbolic of the church, God’s witnessing community. We know that these witnesses are symbolic of Elijah and Moses because the text says that God gave them power to shut up the sky so that it would not rain during the time they were prophesying. In the book of I Kings, God gave Elijah the power to close up the sky and bring drought upon the land for three and a half years. In the book of Exodus, God gave Moses the power to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague.

In the same way that Elijah and Moses proclaimed God’s Word and proved God’s sovereignty in the Old Testament, the church proclaims God’s Word and proves God’s sovereignty in the New Testament. These two witnesses which are also called olive trees and lampstands represent the church, God’s witnessing, fruit-bearing, and light-bearing community. 1,260 days is another way of saying 42 months or three and a half years. Each of these numbers is symbolic of the same time period—the church age that began at Christ’s ascension until his return to earth. The witnesses are dressed in sackcloth to symbolize a call to sorrow for sin.

Therefore, these two witnesses are a picture of the church empowered by God to proclaim his Word and call the world to sorrow over its sin until Jesus returns

This passage reminds us that God has empowered us to be his witnesses in this world. Just like Elijah and Moses before, He has called each one of us to proclaim his Word and call people to sorrow for their sin. He wants us to be his light-bearers in the spiritual darkness of this world. As members of God’s church, how are you fulfilling your mission?

3.) The Death and Resurrection of the Church (7-13)

The parabolic story continues with John saying that when the two witnesses finish their testimony, the beast will come up from the abyss and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem, where the inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and celebrate by exchanging gifts with one another.

This is a graphic and symbolic picture of the church’s future destiny. When the church has accomplished its witnessing mission, a powerful demon will come out of the pit of hell and attack the church. John is drawing on the language of the “beast” from the beasts of Daniel 7, which represent four world empires that would dominate the Jewish people throughout the intertestamental period. At the end of history, the unbelieving world which is lead by demonic powers will seek to exterminate the church.

At this time, many Christians will be put to death for their faith and the church as we know it will die. The unbelieving world will erupt in joyful celebration at the news of the church being conquered. Then, ironically, they will do what we do to celebrate Christmas: exchange gifts.

But just like Jesus who was triumphantly resurrected from the dead on the third day, John tells us the God will breathe new life into the church and it will be taken up into heaven while the unbelieving world looks on. The consuming earthquake is a metaphor for God’s final judgment on the unbelieving world.

This passage reminds me of the epic battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Won Kenobi in Star Wars when Darth says, “Your powers are weak, old man.” And Obi-Won responds with those fateful words, “You can’t win Darth. Strike me down and I will become more powerful than you can ever imagine.”

That is the way it is with Jesus Christ and his church! When Satan struck Jesus down at the cross, Jesus became more powerful than Satan ever imagined. And so it will be with Jesus’ church at the end of history. The unbelieving world led by the demonic forces will strike the church down, but it will rise again in triumph. This is the Christian way—we triumph spiritually through physical suffering and death.

The unbelieving world is becoming more hostile to the church all the time. As our culture continues to shift away from Christian values, we can expect witnessing to get more difficult and persecution to intensify. But remember that we are spiritually protected by God. So, when the world threatens you, go ahead and say, “You can’t win. Strike me down and I will become more powerful than you can ever imagine.”