“And They Stood Upon Their Feet”

“And they stood upon their feet.”
(Revelation 11:11)

THE BLESSED HOPE OF EVERY BELIEVER

Revelation 11:11
And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

Revelation 11:12
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

The interpretation of Revelation 11:11 is not some great mystery with a hidden meaning that will only be solved by a select few at some point near the end of time. No, this verse has always been here for the believer to read and understand, as far back as the beginning of the New Testament age – that is to say as far back as the commencement of the last days when knowledge of God would be greatly increased. Yes, the last days or last times certainly began at the Cross of Christ; a time wherein more knowledge of the mystery of God would be revealed.

Colossians 1:26
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

Colossians 1:27
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Consider the following New Testament verses for proof that the latter days or last times indeed encompass the entire Church Age:

Hebrews 1:2
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

1 Peter 1:5
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:20
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

1 John 2:18
¶Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

1 Corinthians 10:11
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

A CLOSER LOOK AT REVELATION CHAPTER ELEVEN

Revelation 11:10
And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

The silencing of the true Gospel must first transpire across the earth before Christ will return and rapture His Church. The two prophets of Revelation chapter eleven are killed in a spiritual manner. Let us back up a few verses.

Revelation 11:7-10.

Revelation 11:7
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Contrary to popular belief, the two prophets are not two individuals.

What does Revelation 11 say concerning these two prophets?

Verse four reads: “These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.”

We understand now that these two prophets are symbols for the two candlesticks and the two olive trees.

How else does Scripture detail these two prophets?

Verse five reads:

Revelation 11:5
“And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.”

Once again, contrary to popular belief, these are not two individuals with dragon-like powers standing in the streets of Jerusalem blowing fire from their mouths. Yes, this absurd reasoning has been taught and preached throughout the world.

Is it any wonder the Church is mocked?

The number two symbolizes the Church in much of Scripture. These two prophets; two olive trees, two candlesticks are – God’s Word and those who faithfully preach it.

It is they who are standing before the God of the earth, verse four tells us:

“If any man will hurt (Strong’s #91) them, (and this isn’t a reference to a physical injury. “Hurt” is defined as the Second Death in Scripture; eternal darkness… Revelation 2:11… He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt (Strong’s #91) of the second death.)

Repeating Revelation 11:5:

And if any man will hurt (attempt to spiritually deceive) them, fire (God’s truth) proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: (the double-edged sword: to save or to destroy) and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

This is clear evidence that these two prophets are symbolic figures that represent Christ’s true worshippers throughout the earth. For only the saints, the sons of God, have this miraculous weapon; it is the power of the Word of God. This power is indeed known in Scripture as fire from God.

Zechariah 12:6
“In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.”

John the Baptist described the power of Christ in Luke 3:16 this way:

Luke 3:16
“… I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with FIRE:

Revelation chapter eleven speaks of the silencing of the Gospel and Christ’s true Church being clothed in sackcloth.

Revelation 11:3
“And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.”

Revelation 11:5
And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Here in verse five we again see allegorical language depicting the power of the Gospel as fire.

Notice that with fire they “devoured” their enemies. This is the same type of language that we saw in Zechariah 12:6, where:

“…and like a torch of fire in a sheaf they shall devour all the people round about … “

And so the power of the Gospel of Christ is compared to fire that will spiritually devour all those who are under God’s divine wrath. It is a double-edged sword that will either save or condemn. Let us continue.

Revelation 11:8
And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Christ was crucified just outside of the walls of old Jerusalem. At the silencing of the Gospel these two witnesses or prophets (the true Church) will lie, spiritually killed in the streets of Jerusalem. This has nothing in common with the literal city of Jerusalem. Our testimony will temporarily be silenced within spiritual Jerusalem…Christ’s house of worship on earth.

Is it not what we are witnessing in today’s world?

It appears as if the true Gospel has indeed been silenced throughout much of the world. True worshippers have fled to the spiritual mountains of Christ; they have trusted only in the written Word of Christ and forsake much of today’s places of worship due to the staggering increase of abominable practices in the name of Christ.

Revelation 11:10
And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

During the final days of man’s existence on earth the true Gospel of Christ will have been silenced to such a degree that people throughout the world will rejoice over it. An organized, state sponsored, Christ-less church will no doubt thrive across the United States and abroad; as we are witnessing today. The true Church, however, will be nowhere near these deceptive man-pleasing and Christ rejecting congregations. Yet they will use the name Christ often in their sermons and prayers – beware of practices that are not of Christ.

VERSE ELEVEN: OUR FOCAL POINT

Revelation 11:11
And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

Why does great fear fall upon the enemies of Christ at this particular time?

The day of the resurrection of the saints of Christ has finally arrived!

All of the mockery that the world has devoted to this event – mainly due to the foolishness of the leaders of the corporate church in attempting to teach this “rapture” event – will be turned in an instant as the unsaved world stands in horror of this great event.

When God states “GREAT FEAR fell upon them which saw them,” we have to understand that we do not know a thing about “great fear” at this point – in and of ourselves. Great fear fell upon “them” which saw them. This is the same fear that causes the world to hide themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains at that day – THE LAST DAY.

Revelation 6:15
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains.

Man has never known fear as it will be realized at the last day.

Revelation 6:16
And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

Revelation 16:17
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The Blessed Hope of every believer is the resurrection of the last day; that we might be counted worthy (through Christ) to escape these things that are surely coming upon this fallen world. When God’s true Church is taken in the twinkling of an eye, 1 Corinthians 15:52, GREAT FEAR will then take hold on the world and will continue up until Christ returns. Then every eye of every person who has not been caught up with the LORD shall witness the coming of Christ with horrific terror.

Revelation 1:7
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

The word wail is the same Greek word translated as mourn in Matthew 24:30.

Matthew 24:30
“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn (wail), and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
(Matthew 24:31)

Revelation 11:11
And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

Revelation 11:12
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

It can only be the Bride of Christ who will ascend up into heaven at the sound of the last trumpet.

But what or how do we understand verse eleven when it speaks of the spirit of life entering into God’s elect at that last day?

The true Church will have already been baptized with the Holy Spirit; a necessary element of the born-again experience.

THE SPIRIT OF LIFE

The only other passage we find where the phrase “spirit of life” is found is in Romans 8:2.

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

The Gospel of Christ is our spirit of life. Christ’s Holy Spirit is our spirit of life. God, our Heavenly Father is our Spirit of Life. We speak of the Godhead; father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

But again, what is the spirit of life that enters into every believer on the Last Day?

Without being dogmatic or saying “thus saith the Lord,” we can assume, based on Scripture, that this Spirit of Life is the completion of every believer’s resurrection. Up until this point, the true believer was still subjected to sin and the carnality of his flesh, since our reception of the Holy Ghost has resurrected our spirits only; leaving us to continue in our sin cursed bodies. The last few verses of Scripture, Christ gives this invitation:

Revelation 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

It is the SPIRIT of God who gives us eternal LIFE (above verse); at that Last Day Christ’s Bride (both physically dead or alive) will be given their final Spirit of Life and receive their resurrected bodies. This will create a level of fear in unsaved man that he has never experienced or known.

“And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.”
(Revelation 11:11)

We read in 1 Corinthians chapter fifteen: “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

How do we put on incorruption and immortality?

Being born-again doesn’t make us immortal or incorrupt, although this first resurrection (having received Christ’s born-again Spirit) does ensure us of being a part of the final resurrection. Our fate is sealed and safe in Christ. Until that time we are still mortal.

Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

And again, how do we put on immortality and incorruption?

Christ makes us immortal and incorruptible at the Last Day – in the twinkling of an eye.

1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1 Thessalonians 4:17
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

The believers are caught up to God before the completion of the earth’s destruction.

What should we think of them at that time?

Or what will they think?

…. “And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them,” Revelation 11:11.

Revelation 11:12
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud (cf. 1 Thess. 4:17); and their enemies beheld them.

John 5:29
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Romans 6:5
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

SCRIPTURE’S USAGE OF FEET OR FOOT

Acts 25:15
And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

Acts 25:16
But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

When the Apostle Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) received his commission from Christ, he was told to rise and stand upon thy feet. At the last trumpet when Christ is set to call his Bride home, He commissions them to stand upon their feet, Revelation 11:11. Paul’s commission was an earthly one with a heavenly calling, while he was yet mortal. The Apostle Paul will be among those who rise first at the resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Those who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and we shall be with the LORD forever more.

In 1 Samuel 2:9 we read a seemingly peculiar verse:

1 Samuel 2:9
He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

This is speaking of God preserving the feet of His elect.

What is meant or symbolized by feet?

The Hebrew word here in 1 Samuel 2:9 for “feet” (Strong’s Hebrew # 7272) carries the meaning of being able to endure. It represents one’s direction in life, in much of Scripture. Let us cite a few verses that speak of “feet” in this manner:

Proverbs 4:26
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

Proverbs 5:5
Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

Proverbs 26:6
¶He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.

Scripture often appears to use “feet” as a symbol of one’s direction in life.

Isaiah 59:7
Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

Psalm 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

The same Hebrew word for “feet” is also translated as “foot.”

Psalm 94:18
When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

Psalm 26:12
My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.

Psalm 121:3
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

We see that scripture uses the term foot or feet many times in speaking of one’s spiritual direction in life. It is only Christ who can keep our direction (feet) from going astray.

THEY STOOD UPON THEIR FEET (Revelation 11:11)

We are repeating verses in many areas, but it is done in order to ensure that the focal point of this study is understood.

Revelation 11:11
And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

Revelation 11:12
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

When we read a reference such as they stood upon their feet, or stood up, we must realize that it carries various applications of meanings, both literally and figuratively. However, we are most interested in discovering what God says in regard to the believer as he stands up or stood up. The following verse is a good example:

Nehemiah 9:5
Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

To stand up or to stand upon one’s feet is a spiritual call to Awake in Christ, whether it be at the first resurrection or to the believers at the Last Day.

Psalms 35:2
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

Isaiah 51:17
¶Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

Psalm 20:7
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Psalm 20:8
They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

The physical healings that Christ performed were done to demonstrate His power as the Son of God. These healings also pictured the miracle of the spiritual healing, known as the rebirth; new creature in Christ, or to be born from above. Let us look at one example:

Matthew 9:1-7

1 – And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

2 – And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

3 – And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.

4 – And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

5 – For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

6 – But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

7 – And he arose, and departed to his house.

The man sick of the palsy arose from his illness because Christ healed him, and he departed to his home. The physical healing, as grand and miraculous as it was, nevertheless is NOT what believers are to dwell on. The gospel that many churches today have fallen prey to is a false gospel of physical healings. No matter how great a physical healing is, the one healed will eventually die some day, unless he is saved and living at the Last Day’s resurrection. God’s Word DOES NOT teach us to seek after a physical healing of some sort. We are to search the scriptures for Christ and His spiritual healing, which was shadowed and prophesied by His many physical healings.

Let us cite yet another example:

Acts 14:8-11 –

8 – ¶And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:

9 – The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

10 – Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

11 – And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

The above is a great example of how a physical healing pictures our new birth through Christ; the resurrection of our souls. It is no accident that the Apostle Paul declared, “Stand upright on thy feet.” This is God’s call to all the redeemed of the LORD.

Additional verses to consider:

2 Corinthians 1:24
Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Ephesians 6:13
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Ephesians 6:14
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

1 Peter 5:12
By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.

“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
(Revelation 6:17)