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J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Revelation 11:7

And, as soon as they have completed their witnessing, the wild-beast that is to come up out of the abyss, will make war with them, and overcome them, and slay them.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Animals;   Hell;   Martyrdom;   Pit;   Vision;   Scofield Reference Index - World-System;   The Topic Concordance - War/weapons;   Witness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - War;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Antichrist;   Beasts;   Deep and Depths;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Day of the lord;   Witness;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Abyss;   Animals;   Kill, Killing;   Restore, Renew;   Zechariah, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Abyss;   Order;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Deep;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Antichrist;   Deep;   Gentiles;   Judah, Kingdom of;   Revelation of John, the;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abyss;   Bottomless Pit;   Revelation, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Antichrist;   Beast;   Revelation, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Abyss;   Apocalypse;   Beast;   Descent into Hades;   Eschatology;   Spirits in Prison;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bottomless Pit;   19 To Accomplish, Finish, Fulfil;   39 War Fighting;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Abyss;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abyss, the;   Ascend;   Bottomless Pit;   Revelation of John:;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
When the two witnesses have finished telling their message, the beast will fight against them. This is the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit. It will defeat and kill them.
Revised Standard Version
And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends from the bottomless pit will make war upon them and conquer them and kill them,
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And when they have fynysshed their testimony the beste that cam oute of the bottomlesse pytt shall make warre agaynst them and shall overcome them and kyll them.
Hebrew Names Version
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.
New American Standard Bible
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.
New Century Version
When the two witnesses have finished telling their message, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will fight a war against them. He will defeat them and kill them.
Update Bible Version
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the wild beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit, shall make war with them, and conquer them, and kill them.
Weymouth's New Testament
"And when they have fully delivered their testimony, the Wild Beast which is to rise out of the bottomless pit will make war upon them and overcome them and kill them.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne thei schulen ende her witnessing, the beeste that stieth vp fro depnesse, schal make batel ayens hem, and schal ouercome hem, and schal sle hem.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
When 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.
Contemporary English Version
After the two witnesses have finished preaching God's message, the beast that lives in the deep pit will come up and fight against them. It will win the battle and kill them.
Amplified Bible
When they have finished their testimony and given their evidence, the beast that comes up out of the abyss (bottomless pit) will wage war with them, and overcome them and kill them.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
And when they have come to the end of their witness, the beast which comes up out of the great deep will make war on them and overcome them and put them to death.
Complete Jewish Bible
When they finish their witnessing, the beast coming up out of the Abyss will fight against them, overcome them and kill them;
Darby Translation
And when they shall have completed their testimony, the beast who comes up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and shall conquer them, and shall kill them:
International Standard Version
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will wage war against them, conquer them, and kill them.Daniel 7:21; Zechariah 14:2; Luke 13:32; Revelation 9:2; 17:8;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And when they shall have completed their testimony, the beast of prey, which ascended from the abyss, will make war against them, and overcome them, [fn]
Murdock Translation
And when they shall have completed their testimony, the beast of prey that came up from the abyss, will make war upon them, and will overcome them.
King James Version (1611)
And when they shall haue finished their testimonie, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomlesse pit, shall make warre against them, and shall ouercome them, and kill them.
New Living Translation
When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them.
New Life Bible
When they have finished speaking for God, the wild animal will make war with them. It will come up out of the hole without a bottom. This wild animal will have power over them and kill them.
New Revised Standard
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,
English Standard Version
And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when they haue finished their testimonie, the beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit, shall make warre against them, and shall ouercome them, and kill them.
George Lamsa Translation
And when they have finished their testimony, the wild beast which ascends out of the bottomless pit, shall make war against them and shall overcome them.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the abyss shall make war against them and shall overcome them and kill them.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And whe they haue finished their testimonie, the beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit, shall make warre against them, and shal ouercome them, and kyll them.
Good News Translation
When they finish proclaiming their message, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will fight against them. He will defeat them and kill them,
Christian Standard Bible®
When they finish their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war on them, conquer them, and kill them.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
And when they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war with them and will conquer them and will kill them.
Literal Translation
And when they complete their witness, the beast coming up out of the abyss will make war with them, and will overcome them, and will kill them.
Young's Literal Translation
`And when they may finish their testimony, the beast that is coming up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And when they haue fynisshed their testimony, the beest that cam out of the bottomlesse pytt, shal make warre agaynst the, and shal ouer come them, and kyll the.
Mace New Testament (1729)
when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit, will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.
THE MESSAGE
"When they've completed their witness, the Beast from the Abyss will emerge and fight them, conquer and kill them, leaving their corpses exposed on the street of the Great City spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, the same City where their Master was crucified. For three and a half days they'll be there—exposed, prevented from getting a decent burial, stared at by the curious from all over the world. Those people will cheer at the spectacle, shouting ‘Good riddance!' and calling for a celebration, for these two prophets pricked the conscience of all the people on earth, made it impossible for them to enjoy their sins.
New English Translation
When they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them and conquer them and kill them.
New King James Version
When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.
Simplified Cowboy Version
When their preaching is done, the foul beast will come up out of the abyss and fight them. The battle will be fierce and the cowboys will be killed.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.

Contextual Overview

3 And I will give unto my two witnesses, that they shall prophesy, a thousand two hundred and sixty days, arrayed in sackcloth. 4 These, are the two olive-trees, and the two lamps, which, before the Lord of the earth, do stand. 5 And, if any one, upon them, chooseth to inflict injury, fire, cometh forth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies; and, if anyone shall choose, upon them, to inflict injury, thus, must he be slain. 6 These, have authority to shut heaven, in order that, no rain, be moistening in the days of their prophesying; and, authority, have they, over the waters, to be turning them into blood, and to smite the land, with any manner of plague, as often as they will. 7 And, as soon as they have completed their witnessing, the wild-beast that is to come up out of the abyss, will make war with them, and overcome them, and slay them. 8 And their dead bodies lie upon the broadway of the great city, the which is called, spiritually, Sodom and Egypt, where, their Lord also was crucified. 9 And some of the peoples, and tribes, and tongues, and nations, see, their dead bodies three days and a half, and, their dead bodies, do they not suffer to be put into a tomb. 10 And, they who are dwelling upon the earth, rejoice over them, and make merry, and, gifts, will they send one to another, - because, these two prophets, tormented them that were dwelling upon the earth. 11 And, after thethree days and a half, a spirit of life from God, entered within them, and they stood upon their feet; and, great fear, fell upon them who were beholding them. 12 And they heard a loud voice out of heaven, saying unto them - Come up hither! And they went up into heaven, in the cloud, and, their enemies, beheld them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

when: Revelation 11:3, Luke 13:32, John 17:4, John 19:30, Acts 20:24, 2 Timothy 4:7

the beast: Revelation 13:1, Revelation 13:7, Revelation 13:11, Revelation 17:6-8, Revelation 19:19, Revelation 19:20, Daniel 7:21, Daniel 7:22, Daniel 7:25, Daniel 8:23, Daniel 8:24, Zechariah 14:2-21, 2 Thessalonians 2:8, 2 Thessalonians 2:9

out: Revelation 9:2

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 22:8 - but I hate him Psalms 35:19 - Let Isaiah 24:10 - of confusion Isaiah 30:10 - say Jeremiah 26:23 - who Ezekiel 24:6 - Woe Daniel 12:7 - and when Matthew 10:18 - for a Matthew 14:10 - and beheaded Matthew 23:37 - thou Acts 13:25 - fulfilled Acts 14:20 - as Romans 8:37 - Nay Revelation 1:9 - for the word Revelation 9:5 - they should not Revelation 9:21 - their murders Revelation 12:11 - the word Revelation 12:17 - to make Revelation 13:5 - to continue Revelation 17:8 - beast that thou Revelation 17:14 - shall make Revelation 18:24 - in her Revelation 20:4 - the witness

Cross-References

Genesis 1:26
And God said - Let us make man in our image after our likeness - and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the bird of the heavens and over the tame-beast - and over all the land, and over every creeping thing, that creepeth on the land.
Genesis 3:22
Then said Yahweh God - Lo! man, hath become like one of us, in respect of knowing good and evil, - Now, therefore, lest he thrust forth his hand, and take even of the tree of life, and eat, and live to times age-abiding, -
Genesis 10:5
From these, were dispersed the inhabitants of the coastlands of the nations, in their lands, each man by his tongue, by their families in their nations.
Genesis 10:20
These, are the sons of Ham, by their families by their tongues, in their lands in their nations.
Genesis 10:32
These, are the families of the sons of Noah, by their generations in their nations, and from these, were dispersed the nations in the earth after the flood.
Genesis 11:2
And it came to pass as they brake away onwards, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and dwelt there.
Genesis 11:4
And they said Come on! let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower with its head in the heavens, so let us make for ourselves a name, - lest we be scattered abroad over the face of all the earth.
Genesis 11:5
And Yahweh came down, to behold the city, and the tower, - which the sons of men had built.
Genesis 11:11
and Shem lived after he begat Arpachshad, five hundred years, - and begat sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:12
And, Arpachshad, lived thirty-five years, - and begat Shelah;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when they shall have finished their testimony,.... For Christ, his truths and ordinances; when they are about to finish it, and almost concluded it, even towards the close of the 1260 days or years, in which they must prophesy in sackcloth: or else their testimony and their prophesying may be considered as two distinct things, and the one be finished before the other; their open public testimony, as witnesses, so as to be heard, attended to, and received, will be finished before the last war of the beast against them, in which they will be killed; but their prophesying will continue to the end of the beast's reign, these two being contemporary, of equal date, beginning and ending together; for they will prophesy when they are dead; being dead they will yet speak, and their very death will be a prophesying or foretelling that the ruin of antichrist is at hand; and upon their resurrection and ascension, that will immediately come on. But when their testimony is finished, by a free and open publication of the Gospel,

the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit; the same with that in Revelation 13:11, with which compare Revelation 17:8; and which is no other than the Romish antichrist; called a beast for his filthiness and cruelty; and said to ascend out of the bottomless pit, out of hell, because his coming is after the working of Satan: he is raised up, influenced, and supported by him; he is a creature of his, and has his power, seat, and authority from him, the great dragon, the old serpent, called the devil and Satan; his original and rise are the same with those of his doctrine and worship, the smoke of the bottomless pit; they all come out of it, and they will return thither again. The Alexandrian copy, and some others, read, "the fourth beast that ascendeth", c. as if it was the same with Daniel's fourth beast, Daniel 7:7, as it doubtless is. Now this filthy and savage beast

shall make war against them the witnesses; a war he has been making against the saints ever since he was in power, by his decrees, his counsels, his anathemas, and by sword, fire, and faggot, Revelation 13:7; but this will be his last war, and it will be a dreadful one; it will be the last struggle of the beast; and though it will be attended with the conquest and slaughter of the witnesses, yet it will lead on to, and issue in his own ruin; this is "the hour of temptation", in Revelation 3:10;

and shall overcome them; not by arguments taken out of the word of God, by which their mouths will be stopped, so as to be confounded, and have nothing to say, or so as to yield to him, and give up the truths and ordinances of the Gospel; but by outward force and tyranny, so as that they shall be obliged to give way, and he will take possession of the kingdoms and nations in which they have prophesied: he will first attack the outward court, the bulk of formal professors, and will prevail over them; and then, the outworks being taken, he will more easily come at the inner court worshippers within the temple.

And kill them; not corporeally, but civilly; for as their dead bodies lying three days and a half, that is, three years and a half, unburied, and their resurrection from the dead, and ascension to heaven, cannot be understood literally, so neither the killing of them; not but that in this war there may be a great slaughter, and much blood shed, in a literal sense: but the killing spoken of seems to regard them, not as men, but as witnesses; they will not be suffered to bear an open testimony any longer; they will be silenced; they will be banished, or removed into corners; and they will not only be under the censures, excommunications, and anathemas of the Romish antichrist, but they will lose all credit and esteem among those, who once pretended to be their friends; who will be ashamed of them, and will join in reproaching and rejecting them; so that their ministrations will be quite shut up, and at an end.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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. It is used, in this respect, in two senses - either in regard to time or in regard to the end or object in view, in the sense of “perfecting it,” or “accomplishing it.” In the former sense it is employed in such passages as the following: “Till the thousand years should be fulfilled,” Revelation 20:3. “Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel (Greek, ye shall not have finished the cities of Israel) until the Son of man be come,” Matthew 10:23; that is, ye shall not have finished passing through them. “When Jesus had made an end (Greek, finished) of commanding his twelve disciples,” Matthew 11:1. “I have “finished” my course,” 2 Timothy 4:7.

In these passages it clearly refers to time. In the other sense it is used in such places as the following: “And shall not the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law,” Romans 2:27; that is, if it accomplish or come up to the demands of the law. “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scriptures,” James 2:8. The word, then, may here refer not to “time,” meaning that, these events would occur at the end of the “thousand two hundred and threescore days,” but to the fact that what is here stated would occur when they had completed their testimony in the sense of having testified all that they were “appointed” to testify; that is, when they had borne full witness for God, and fully uttered his truth. Thus understood, the meaning here may be that the event here referred to would take place, not at the end of the 1260 years, but at that period during the 1260 years when it could be said with propriety that they had accomplished their testimony in the world, or that they had borne full and ample witness on the points entrusted to them.

The beast - This is the first time in the Book of Revelation in which what is here called “the beast” is mentioned, and which has so important an agency in the events which it is said would occur. It is repeatedly mentioned in the course of the book, and always with similar characteristics, and as referring to the same object. Here it is mentioned as “ascending out of the bottomless pit”; in Revelation 13:1, as “rising up out of the sea”; in Revelation 13:11, as “coming up out of the earth.” It is also mentioned with characteristics appropriate to such an origin, in Revelation 13:2-4 (twice), Revelation 13:11, Revelation 13:12 (twice), Revelation 13:14 (twice), Revelation 13:15 (twice), 17, 18; Revelation 14:9, Revelation 14:11; Revelation 15:2; Revelation 16:2, Revelation 16:10, Revelation 16:13; Revelation 17:3, Revelation 17:7-8 (twice), 11, 12, 13, 16, 17; Revelation 19:19-20 (twice); Revelation 20:4, Revelation 20:9. The word used here - θηρίον thērion - means properly “a beast, a wild beast,” Mark 1:13; Acts 10:12; Acts 11:6; Acts 28:4-5; Hebrews 12:20; James 3:7; Revelation 6:8. It is once used tropically of brutal or savage men, Titus 1:12. Elsewhere, in the passages above referred to in the Apocalypse, it is used symbolically. As employed in the Book of Revelation, the characteristics of the “beast” are strongly marked:

  1. It has its origin from beneath - in the bottomless pit; the sea; the earth, Revelation 11:7; Revelation 13:1, Revelation 13:11.
  2. It has great power, Revelation 13:4, Revelation 13:12; Revelation 17:12-13.
  3. It claims and receives worship, Revelation 13:3, Revelation 13:12, Revelation 13:14-15; Revelation 14:9, Revelation 14:11.
  4. It has a certain “seat” or throne from whence its power proceeds, Revelation 16:10.
  5. It is of scarlet color, Revelation 17:3.
  6. It receives power conferred upon it by the kings of the earth, Revelation 17:13,
  7. It has a mark by which it is known, Revelation 13:17; Revelation 19:20.
  8. It has a certain “number”; that is, there are certain mystical letters or figures which so express its name that it may be known, Revelation 13:17-18.

These things serve to characterize the “beast” as distinguished from all other things, and they are so numerous and definite, that it would seem to have been intended to make it easy to understand what was meant when the power referred to should appear. In regard to the origin of the imagery here, there can be no reasonable doubt that it is to be traced to Daniel, and that the writer here means to describe the same “beast” which Daniel refers to in Revelation 7:7. The evidence of this must be clear to anyone who will compare the description in Daniel Revelation 7:0 with the minute details in the book of Revelation. No one, I think, can doubt that John means to carry forward the description ill Daniel, and to apply it to new manifestations of the same great and terrific power - the power of the fourth monarchy - on the earth. For full evidence that the representation in Daniel refers to the Roman power prolonged and perpetuated in the papal dominion, I must refer the reader to the notes on Daniel 7:25. It may be assumed here that the opinion there defended is correct, and consequently it may be assumed that the “beast” of this book refers to the papal power.

That ascendeth out of the bottomless pit - See the notes on Revelation 9:1. This would properly mean that its origin is the nether world; or that it will have characteristics which will show that it was from beneath. The meaning clearly is, that what was symbolized by the beast would have such characteristics as to show that it was not of divine origin, but had its source in the world of darkness, sin, and death. This, of course, could not represent the true church, or any civil government that is founded on principles which God approves. But if it represent a community pretending to be a church, it is an apostate church; if a civil community, it is a community the characteristics of which are that it is controlled by the spirit that rules over the world beneath. For reasons which we shall see in abundance in applying the descriptions which occur of the “beast,” I regard this as referring to that great apostate power which occupies so much of the prophetic descriptions - the papacy.

Shall make war against them - Will endeavor to exterminate them by force. This clearly is not intended to be a general statement that they would be persecuted, but to refer to the particular manner in which the opposition would be conducted. It would be in the form of “war”; that is, there would be an effort to destroy them by arms.

And shall overcome them - Shall gain the victory over them; conquer them - νικήσει αὐτοὺς nikēsei autous. That is, there will be some signal victory in which those represented by the two witnesses will he subdued.

And kill them - That is, an effect would be produced as if they were put to death. They would be overcome; would be silenced; would be apparently dead. Any event that would cause them to cease to bear testimony, as if they were dead, would be properly represented by this. It would not be necessary to suppose that there would be literally death in the ease, but that there would be some event which would be well represented by death - such as an entire suspension of their prophesying in consequence of force.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Revelation 11:7. 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.


 
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