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 [
Rev. 11:7].
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the wild beast that cometh up out of the abyss, shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.
The witnesses will finish their testimony. In the midst of the week, the Antichrist, who is the Beast, the Man of Sin who is moving to power, will bring back first the Roman Empire. Then, when he gets the whole world under his control, he will not hesitate to overcome and destroy these two witnesses. At that time he will be permitted to do so. This is the temporary victory of darkness over light, evil over righteousness, hell over heaven, and Satan over God, because God is going to let Satan loose during this period.
These witnesses live up to their name. Martus is the Greek word for "witness"; we get our English word martyr from that.
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 [
Rev. 11:8].
And their dead bodies (carcasses) shall lie upon the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
These men are not given even a decent burial. This reveals the crude, cold barbarism of the last days which will be covered with but a thin veneer of culture. There is a strange resemblance to the sadistic curiosity which placed two dead men, Lenin and Stalin, on display in Red Square in Moscow. They have removed Stalin, but at this writing Lenin is still there, and I understand that that body is beginning to deteriorate.
The word used for bodies (carcasses) denotes the contempt and hatred the world will have for the two witnesses. They are treated as dead animals.
"The great city" is Jerusalem. It is likened unto Sodom by Isaiah (see
Isa. 1:10). It is called Egypt because the world has entered into every fiber of its life -- social and political. It is conclusively identified as Jerusalem by the sad designation, "where also their Lord was crucified."
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves [
Rev. 11:9].
And out of the peoples, and tribes, and tongues, and nations do some gaze upon their dead bodies (carcasses) three days and one half and shall not permit their dead bodies (carcasses) to be put in a tomb.
After Christ was crucified, even Pilate permitted His friends to take down the body and give it a respectable burial, but not so with the two witnesses. The world will be startled to hear they are dead. Some will be skeptical. Apparently, this future generation will have something that corresponds to a television camera, and a satellite will carry the picture all over the world, so that people everywhere will be able to look upon the features of these men for three and one-half days. The morbid curiosity of a godless society will relish the opportunity of gazing with awe upon these dead bodies. This is the worst indignity that a depraved world could vent upon the men who denounced them and their wicked ways. Perhaps the witnesses had predicted their resurrection. We are not told that, but they might have. To prevent the possibility of another empty tomb, there was no burial. They will decide to just leave the bodies out there and keep the camera on them. I think all the television networks will have their cameras trained on these dead men. Three and one-half days they are lying there.
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 [
Rev. 11:10].
And the dwellers upon the earth rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented (vexed) the dwellers on the earth.
The death of the two witnesses is an occasion for high carnival on the earth. The world engages in a modern Christmas and Mardi Gras, both rolled into one. The world has adopted the philosophy, "Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." Dr. Newell describes it like this: "Now comes the real revelation of the heart of man: glee, horrid, insane, inhuman, hellish, ghoulish glee!"
"And shall send gifts one to another" indicates a lovely occasion on the surface, but this is the Devil's Christmas. The modern celebration of Christmas gets farther and farther from the birth of Christ and closer and closer to paganism. The day will come when it will be anti-Christian -- it is almost that now. Here is the celebration of what Antichrist has done instead of the celebration of the coming of Christ to Bethlehem.
Then something happens --
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 [
Rev. 11:11].
And after the three days and a half the breath (spirit) of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that beheld them.
While the world is celebrating in jubilation the death of these witnesses and while the television cameras are focused upon them, the witnesses will stand on their feet. And all of the networks will regret that they had their cameras pointed to them, because they will not really want to give the news as it is. The scriptural word for resurrection is used here -- the Greek word histeme -- "they stood upon their feet." These witnesses are among the Tribulation saints who have part in the first resurrection (see
Rev. 20:4-6). Any news like this would be a scoop, but I am sure that all of the networks will have their cameras on it. By that time they may well have some new gadget which will make television, as we know it, look very much antiquated and out of place.
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 [
Rev. 11:12].
And they heard a great voice out of heaven saying to them, Come up here, and they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies beheld them.
They are caught up into heaven. We have the resurrection of the two witnesses in
verse 11; we have the ascension of the two witnesses in
verse 12. The cloud of glory is associated with the ascension and the coming of Christ also.
Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee.
