Chapter 11 is a continuation from the scene in the 10^th chapter. After John had “eaten” the small scroll, John was told he must prophesy again before all the people, nations, languages, and kings. In the 11^th chapter, John is brought to the “Holy City” of Jerusalem, to the temple mount area to write about the events taking place there. John is allowing us to understand how the events in Jerusalem have played a role in the first three and a half years of the tribulation.

The time of the events in the 11^th chapter take place at the midpoint of the tribulation, following the 6^th trumpet and prior to the 7^th trumpet. Chapters 10 through 13 of Revelation reveals the transition from the first half to the second half of the seven year tribulation. This transition, known as the midpoint, sets in motion the consummation of God’s judgment on the Earth.

The 11^th chapter has two parts. The first fourteen verses take place in Jerusalem and involve two individuals called the “Witnesses.” These two individuals are the Lord’s vocal spokesmen for the judgments falling on the earth during the first 3 ½ years or 1,260 days, and their murder allows the second half of the seven year tribulation to proceed. Who exactly these “two witnesses” are-- like many other things in Revelation-- we simply do not know.

The second half of the tribulation begins with the seventh and final trumpet judgment covered in Revelation 11:15-19. In the seventh trumpet, are the Seven Bowl Judgments poured out on the Earth. The judgments conclude with the return of Jesus Christ and the armies of Heaven.