Revelation 11:1

1599 Geneva Bible

Footnotes

1. Revelation 11:1 The authority of the intended revelation being declared, together with the necessity of that calling, which was particularly imposed upon Saint John: hereafter followeth the history of the estate of Christ’s Church both conflicting or warfaring, and overcoming in Christ. For both the true Church of Christ is said to fight against that which is falsely so called over the which Antichrist ruleth. Christ Jesus overthrowing Antichrist by the spirit of his mouth: and Christ is said to overcome most gloriously until he shall slay the Antichrist by the appearance of his coming, as the Apostle excellently teacheth, 2 Thess. 2:8. So this history hath two parts. One of the state of the Church conflicting with temptations, until Chapter 16. The other of the state of the same Church obtaining victory, thence unto Chapter 20. The first part hath two members most conveniently distributed into their times, whereof the first containeth an history of the Christian Church for 1260 years, what time the Gospel of Christ was as it were taken up from amongst men into heaven: the second containeth an history of the same Church unto the victory perfected. And these two members are briefly, though distinctly propounded in this Chapter, but are both of them more at large discussed after in due order. For we understand the state of the Church conflicting out of Chapters 12 and 13 and of the same growing out of afflictions out of Chapters 14, 15 and 16. Neither did Saint John at unawares join together the history of these two times in this Chapter, because here is spoken of prophecy, which all confess to be one just and innumerable in the Church, and which Christ commanded to be continual. The history of the former time reacheth unto verse 14: the latter is set down in the rest of this Chapter. In the former are showed these things: the calling of the servants of God in 4 verses: the conflicts which the faithful must undergo in their calling, for Christ and his Church, thence unto verse 10, and their resurrection and receiving up into heaven unto verse 14. In the calling of the servants of God are mentioned two things: the begetting and setting of the Church in two verses, and the education thereof in two verses. The begetting of the Church is here commended unto S. John by sign and by speech: the sign is a measuring rod, and the speech a commandment to measure the Temple of God, that is, to reduce the same unto a new form: because the Gentiles are already entered into the Temple of Jerusalem, and shall shortly defile and overthrow the same utterly.
2. Revelation 11:1 Either that of Jerusalem which was a figure of the Church of Christ, or that heavenly Example, whereof verse 19, but the first liketh me better and the things following do agree thereunto. The sense therefore is, Thou seest all things in God’s house almost from the passion of Christ to be disordered: and that not only the city of Jerusalem but also the court of the Temple is trampled underfoot by the nations, and by profane men whether Jews or strangers: and that only the Temple, that is, the body of the Temple, with the Altar, and a small company of good men which truly worship God, do now remain, whom God doth sanctify and confirm by his presence. Measure therefore this, even this true Church, or rather the true type of the true Church, omitting the rest and so describe all things from me that the true Church of Christ may be as it were a very little center, and the Church of Antichrist as the circle of the center, every way in length and breadth compassing about the same, that by way of prophecy thou mayest so declare openly, that the state of the Temple of God and the faithful which worship him, that is, of the Church, is much more straight than the Church of Antichrist.