Revelation 11:7
in Revelation 11When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Revelation 11
Commentary
14 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And when they shall have finished their testimony - Prof. Stuart renders this, “And whenever they shall have finished their testimony.” The reference is undoubtedly to a period when they should have faithfully borne the testimony which they were appointed to bear. The word rendered here “shall have finished” - τελέσωσιν telesōsin, from τελέω teleō means properly to end, to finish, to complete, to accomplish.
This site's exposition
the beast that comes up
on Revelation 11:7-8
When their testimony ends, the beast that comes up from the Abyss kills them, appearing before chapter 13 describes him. Their bodies lie in the street of the great city, figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was also crucified, most naturally Jerusalem.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
And when they have finished their testimony, for they will testify that the one present is not the Christ, but rather a deceiver, a fraud, and destructive. But the Son of God, who must also be believed as Savior and God and as the benefactor …
A commentator
Victorinus of PettauCommentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John · Written before 304.
proposed
"And the beast which ascendeth from the abyss." After many plagues completed in the world, in the end he says that a beast ascended from the abyss. Bat that he shall ascend from the abyss is proved by many testimonies; for he says in the thirty-first chapter of Ezekiel: "Behold, Assur was a cypress in Mount Lebanon." Assur, deeply rooted, was a lofty and branching cypress-that is, a numerous people-in Mount Lebanon, in the kingdom of kingdoms, that is, of the Romans. Moreover, that he says he was beautiful in offshoots, he says he was strong in armies. The water, he says, shall nourish him, that is, the many thousands of men which were subjected to him; and the abyss increased him, that is, belched him forth. For even Isaiah speaks almost in the same words; moreover, that he was in the kingdom of the Romans, and that he was among the Caesars. The Apostle Paul also bears witness, for he says to the Thessalonians: "Let him who now restraineth restrain, until he be taken out of the way; and then shall appear that Wicked One, even he whose coining is after the working of Satan, with signs and lying wonders." And that they might know that he should come who then was the prince, he added: "He already endeavours after the secret of mischief" -that is, the mischief which he is about to do he strives to do secretly; but he is not raised up by his own power, nor by that of his father, but by command of God, of which thing Paul says in the same passage: "For this cause, because they have not received the love of God, He will send upon them a spirit of error, that they all may be persuaded of a lie, who have not been persuaded of the truth." And Isaiah saith: "While they waited for the light, darkness arose upon them." Therefore the Apocalypse sets forth that these prophets are killed by the same, and on the fourth day rise again, that none might be found equal to God.
When he says, "when they have finished their witness," he clearly explains that these things will take place before the last persecution, at least that which they relate until the revelation of the beast who will ascend from the abyss, that is, from the depths …
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 15 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
The fifth time, at the end, is that of the restoration of ruins, for "Elias indeed is to come and to restore all things," and with him Henoch will come too. For "the beast will conquer them." And so, it is necessary that they fail, …
After [the two witnesses] have witnessed and urged escape from this deceit, the beast, that is, the antichrist, comes forth from the dark and deep recesses of the earth to which the devil had been condemned. And, with God's allowance, he will kill them and …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
And when they have finished their testimony, the beast, etc. He openly shows that all these things happen before the final persecution by saying, When they have finished their testimony, that is, the testimony they bear up to the revelation of the beast, which is …
And will overcome them and kill them. He will overcome those who succumb and kill those who are slain for the name of Christ with praiseworthy patience. Or if he overcomes and kills spiritually, we will understand a part of the witnesses. As the Lord …
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast, that shall ascend out of the abyss, shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. When they shall have finished means when they shall have reached the point at which they …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Shall make war with them - It is at his last ascent, not out of the sea, but the bottomless pit, that the beast makes war upon the two witnesses. And even hereby is fixed the time of "treading the holy city," and of the "two witnesses." That time ends after the ascent of the beast out of the abyss, and yet before the fulfilling of the mystery.
And when they shall have finished their testimony,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
It is a proof of the unity that pervades all Scripture. make war against them--alluding to Da 7:21, where the same is said of the little horn that sprang up among the ten horns on the fourth beast.
The beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit - This may be what is called antichrist; some power that is opposed to genuine Christianity. But what or whence, except from the bottomless pit, i.e., under the influence and appointment of the devil, we cannot tell; nor do we know by what name this power or being should be called. The conjectures concerning the two witnesses and the beast have been sufficiently multiplied. If the whole passage, as some think, refer to the persecution raised by the Jews against the Christians, then some Jewish power or person is the beast from the bottomless pit. If it refer to the early ages of Christianity, then the beast may be one of the persecuting heathen emperors. If it refer to a later age of Christianity, then the beast may be the papal power, and the Albigenses and Waldenses the two witnesses, which were nearly extinguished by the horrible persecutions raised up against them by the Church of Rome. Whatever may be here intended, the earth has not yet covered their blood.
The words behind it
23 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὅταν | hotan | when | G3752 → | 123 times |
| τελέσωσιν | telesosin | they may have completed | G5055 → | 28 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μαρτυρίαν | marturian | testimony | G3141 → | 37 times |
| αὐτῶν, | auton | of them, | G846 → | 5565 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θηρίον | therion | beast | G2342 → | 46 times |
| τὸ | to | which | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀναβαῖνον | anabainon | is coming up | G305 → | 82 times |
| ἐκ | ek | out of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀβύσσου | abussou | abyss | G12 → | 9 times |
| ποιήσει | poiesei | will make | G4160 → | 569 times |
| μετ᾽ | met᾽ | with | G3326 → | 461 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| πόλεμον | polemon | war | G4171 → | 18 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| νικήσει | nikesei | he will overcome | G3528 → | 28 times |
| αὐτοὺς | autous | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἀποκτενεῖ | apoktenei | he will kill | G615 → | 74 times |
| αὐτούς. | autous | them. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὅτανwhen
hotanG3752 →123 times
τελέσωσινthey may have completed
telesosinG5055 →28 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
μαρτυρίανtestimony
marturianG3141 →37 times
αὐτῶν,of them,
autonG846 →5565 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
θηρίονbeast
therionG2342 →46 times
τὸwhich
toG3588 →19766 times
ἀναβαῖνονis coming up
anabainonG305 →82 times
ἐκout of
ekG1537 →911 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἀβύσσουabyss
abussouG12 →9 times
ποιήσειwill make
poieseiG4160 →569 times
μετ᾽with
met᾽G3326 →461 times
αὐτῶνthem
autonG846 →5565 times
πόλεμονwar
polemonG4171 →18 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
νικήσειhe will overcome
nikeseiG3528 →28 times
αὐτοὺςthem
autousG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἀποκτενεῖhe will kill
apokteneiG615 →74 times
αὐτούς.them.
autousG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Daniel 7:25He will speak out against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, intending to change the appointed times and laws; and the saints will be given into his hand for…
it leads to
- Daniel 12:7
And the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by Him who lives forever,…
- Revelation 12:14
But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times,…
- 2 Thessalonians 2:4
He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
- Revelation 13:5–11
The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months.
- Revelation 12:6
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days.
- Daniel 12:7
Through
Revelation 13:7Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.
it leads to
- Daniel 7:21
As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and prevailing against them,
- Revelation 12:17
And the dragon was enraged at the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the…
- Daniel 7:21
Through
Luke 13:32But Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I will keep driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.’
it leads to
- Hebrews 2:10
In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
- Hebrews 2:10
Where this verse is studied
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On this verse
About Revelation
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Alcuin of York, COMMENTARY ON REVELATION; Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:7-8; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 15; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation; Ticonius, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 11:7-8 and Victorinus of Pettau, Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John.