Half-Week in Revelation

From: Collected Writings By: Frederick George Patterson

• 1 min. read • grade level: 9

Q. (1) Does Revelation 11:1¹And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. (Revelation 11:1) suppose the people to be in their own land, and the worship restored in the command to measure the temple, etc.?

(2) Is this the first half week, at the end of which the beast breaks his covenant? For a second half week appears to conclude with the second woe (vs. 2).

(3) Does the third woe give another half week, etc.?

A. (1) The passage supposes that the people are in the land, and worship restored in the measure such will be before the kingdom is established. The external profession of Judaism is not owned, while a true remnant are.

(2, 3) I believe the second half week, and it only, is here (as in all Scripture) counted and named. The first half week is always vague. (See my remarks on this in pp. 98, 99, 119, 120 of the present volume, Nos. 62, 63 (Vol. 6, 1871)). The second woe commences at Revelation 9:13¹³And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, (Revelation 9:13), and runs on to Revelation 11:14¹⁴The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. (Revelation 11:14), embracing in its scope the parenthesis of Revelation 10. The third woe trumpet is embraced in Revelation 11:15-18¹⁵And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. ¹⁶And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, ¹⁷Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. ¹⁸And 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. (Revelation 11:15‑18), which takes in the closing moments of judgment which usher in the kingdom, and embraces the judgment of the great white throne, as well as the whole kingdom, in general terms.

Words of Truth 6:232, 233.

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