REVELATION 11: 7-10

Revelation 11:7 And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit^[1] will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,

Revelation 11:8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically^[1] is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified.

Revelation 11:9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb,

Revelation 11:10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.

And when they have finished their testimony

The Martyrdom of the Two Witnesses (7-10)

The Time of Their Martyrdom (7a)

“And when they have finished their testimony.” The word “finished” is the Greek telew and means “to finish in the sense of accomplish, complete.” The tense is perfect which looks at their work as accomplished, done, but with continuing results. The results are souls saved and glory to God. They were invincible until their work was done, and then, according to God’s own timing and perfect plan, He allows their termination.

This illustrates the biblical truth, as with Job, Moses, Elijah, Peter, Paul and John, that the believer who is in the will of God need fear no man or system of the world or Satan; no one can shorten our life nor stop our work for the Lord until He Himself is ready. Remember, Revelation 3:7-8, He is the One “who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens.” When He puts before us an open door, no one, not even Satan himself can shut the door! Of course men can terminate their own lives or kill their own ministry by personal rebellion, carnality, and regression from the Lord as was the case with Saul and as did some of the Christians at Corinth. But people bring this on themselves by turning away from God and staying out of His plan and grace (1 Cor. 11:30-32; 1 John 5:16-17).

“the beast that rises from the bottomless pit^”

The Means God Uses (7b)

“The beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.” “The beast” mentioned here is the first of 36 references to one called the beast that will occur from this point on in the book of Revelation. Since chapter 13 describes and develops the beast and his political-religious system in detail, we will wait until then to discuss the beast. Here we are simply told that he is the one who makes war, overcomes, and kills the two witnesses. Their ministry has been diametrically opposed to his purposes, so the beast goes all out to hush their testimony, which he is unable to do until the end.

“That comes up out of the abyss.” Literally, “the beast, the one ascending up out of the abyss.” Walvoord sees this as a reference to Satan since he comes up out of the abyss (cf. Rev. 9). Thus he writes, “The beast out of the pit is Satan. The beast out of the sea is the world dictator (13:1). The beast out of the land is the false religious leader of that Day (13:11).”¹⁴⁴ Everywhere else in Revelation, the title, “the beast,” refers either to the world dictator who is the head of the revived Roman empire and the ten nation confederation, or to his system over which he rules.

The reference here to the abyss may simply draw attention to the character, nature and source of this ruler’s power and governmental system, i.e., Satan. It does not mean the beast is Satan or a demon, but that he is demon possessed and satanically inspired. Scott who believes the beast is the revived empire of Rome, writes, “… whilst its historical rise is human, its revival is satanic.”

“Will make war.” “War” is polemos and refers to a military campaign. He will finally make all out warfare against these two witnesses, but he is successful only by divine intervention, and only then at the end of the 1260 days when their work is finished.

“And overcome them.” The verb “overcome” is nikaw meaning “to conquer, overcome.” John uses it of believers in 1 John 5:4-5 and in Revelation 2:7, 17; 3:6, 13 of believers who are overcomers by faith. Because the two witnesses are overcomers in Christ, this victory is only temporary by divine design. It is only an apparent victory, not a real one. God uses their death, as He so often does with believers, to His own purposes and glory. Christ, our Victor and Overcomer, has removed the sting of death. Their death is not the end of their testimony.

The Display (8-9)

In these verses we see that their bodies will be put on public display as a symbol and proof of the beast’s power who has at last been able to kill these invincible witnesses. You might say it is a satanic object lesson to the world, one designed to say, “evil has conquered, Satan has won; Satan’s man is the true God, worship Him.”

“Their dead bodies” is the Greek ptwma, literally, their “fallen corpses.” This implies they are left right where they fall with no burial as the Old Testament Law required or demanded for even the worst of criminals (Deut. 21:22-23).

Deuteronomy 21:23 his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.

 Such an act reflects the total degradation of man under the lawless system of the beast, the man of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:4).

Their fallen corpses lie in the streets of the great city (Jerusalem) which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt.

Meaning “spiritually, pertaining to the Spirit”, or “caused by the Spirit.” Jerusalem is called such by the Spirit of God. In Scripture, ‘Egypt’ stands for the world, and ‘Sodom’ for the flesh. The point is the great city is dominated by the world system, by the flesh, and by Satan through the beast. The city has spiritually become totally reprobate along with the rest of the world.

⁹ Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.

According to verse 9 it is apparent that great throngs of people, people from all over the world, come to view the bodies and see the victory of the beast. Again we see the fiendishness and monstrous rebellion of man in the hardness of his heart against God. I am reminded of Psalm 2:1-6.

Psalms 2:

¹      Why do the nations rage,

     And the people plot a vain thing?

²      The kings of the earth set themselves,

     And the rulers take counsel together,

     Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,

³      "Let us break Their bonds in pieces

     And cast away Their cords from us."

The Effect (10)

“And those who dwell on the earth.” Literally, “those dwelling settled down upon the earth, i.e., the earth dweller.” In John this is practically a technical term for unbelievers, for those totally at home on the earth and devoid of any heavenly hope, concerns, or desires (cf. 3:10, 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:8, 14; 17:8).

“Dwell” is katoikew from kata meaning “down” and oikew “to dwell.” It means “to settle down, be at home, live permanently.” It is used of the Lord living in the believer in Ephesians 3:17 and in some MSS of the Holy Spirit in James 4:5. (Other MSS have katoikizw, “to cause to dwell, be at home.”)

“Will rejoice over them and make merry; and they will send gifts.” Here is a kind of hellish Christmas, giving gifts not in celebration of the birth of Christ, but over the death of His two witnesses. “Rejoice” is cairw meaning “to be glad, happy.” “Make merry” is eufrainw, “to make merry at a feast, have a party.” They will have a party and declare a holiday because of their death. The first two verbs (“rejoice” and “make merry”) are in the present tense with the third (“send gifts”) being in the future. Of course, the context shows this is all future, but John uses the present tense (a future present) to draw our attention to the certainty and the continuous nature of the merry making that will go on during the three and a half days.

Ironically this is the only mention of rejoicing on earth in the Tribulation. But their rejoicing will quickly be turned into sorrow, pain, and fear (11:13). Of course such action show they had rejected the message of the two witnesses. This is also indicated by the fact their message caused them much torment.

“Because these two prophets tormented.” Here we see the reason for the fiendish party. “Tormented” is the Greek basanizw, “to torment, torture, to cause severe pain and distress, mentally or physically.” The message of the prophets that could have brought great joy and peace, brought the opposite because they had hardened their hearts against God.

Does this not reminds us that if one continues to reject the Word of God (that gives a peace that passes all understanding and a joy the world can’t give), that same Word, through the hardening of the heart, will bring torture to the soul and joy only over the apparent defeat of God and His people (Heb. 3:7f). O how we need to realize that negative volition to God’s Word is dangerous. The consequences are appalling.