Revelation 11:7 Commentary and Bible Study

Now a new enemy of the people of God appears. When the work of the two witnesses is complete, they will be killed; some will die as martyrs. They die at the hands of one called here the beast. The word means ‘wild animal’ or ‘beast’. It is different from the word used for the four living creatures, seen earlier. This is the first time the beast has been referred to in the book, but John assumes that it will be familiar to his readers. If they know Daniel’s prophecy, they will know of the four beasts that Daniel saw, and of the fourth beast that would arise; of its ten horns and of the other horn which would make war against the saints and prevail against them (Daniel 7:21). There will be more said about the beast in Revelation 13 and the following chapters up to the end of the book. At this point it is enough to know that it is powerful and destructive and filled with hatred for the people of God. Above all the beast wishes to silence the two witnesses. Its origin is the abyss and it is empowered and directed by Satan. For now John briefly summaries its history. The meaning of this is somewhat debated. Some think it means, when all the elect are called, all the ransomed have found the Lord. No one else is now to be saved. The book of mercy has been closed. Then begins Satan’s little season that we read about in Revelation 20. At the very end of the gospel age, there will be such bitter opposition to Christ and the gospel and the church, that the church is virtually brought to a standstill, and almost eliminated from the earth. Maybe that is the meaning. But perhaps ‘when they shall have finished their testimony’ only means for the time being. Yes, there will be this almost complete silencing of Christian testimony. Christians will exist; there will still be many of them, because when Christ returns a great public rapture of Christians still living on earth is going to take place when Christ returns, so they are definitely still there; but they’re silenced, ‘eliminated’ in that sense. They don’t have they any route to the ear of the public. Maybe, somehow, even personal witness will be quenched, and the people will be terrified to hear them. Satan’s little season will have come, and effectively the work of preaching will seem to be dead. But something else is going to happen.