Big Idea: God calls John to prophesy again about the imminent fulfillment of his plan to redeem his creation and judge evil, a plan that will involve additional persecution for God’s people.

Understanding the Text

Between the sixth and the seventh seal judgments is an interlude that features two visions: the 144,000 in 7:1–8 and the great multitude in 7:9–17. Similarly, between the sixth and the seventh trumpet judgments we find an interlude consisting of two visions: the mighty angel and the little scroll in 10:1–11, when John is recommissioned to prophesy, and the vision of the two witnesses in 11:1–13, when the role and destiny of the witnessing church is described. (Interestingly, there is no parallel interlude between the sixth and the seventh bowl judgments.) As with the other inte…