Albert Barnes Commentary Revelation 11:14

"The second Woe is past: behold, the third Woe cometh quickly." — Revelation 11:14 (ASV)

The second woe is past. That is, the second of the three that were announced as yet to come, Revelation 8:13; compare Revelation 9:12.

And, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. This is the last of the series. The meaning is that what was signified by the third "woe" would be the next and final event in order. On the meaning of the word "quickly," see the notes on Revelation 1:1; compare Revelation 2:5, 16; Revelation 3:11; Revelation 22:7, 12, 20.

Regarding the important question about the application of this portion of the Book of Revelation, it hardly needs to be said that the greatest variety of opinion has prevailed among expositors. It would be equally unprofitable, humiliating, and discouraging to attempt to enumerate all the opinions that have been held. I must refer the reader who has any desire to become acquainted with them to Poole's Synopsis, on this passage, and to the copious statement of Professor Stuart, Commentary, vol. ii, pp. 219–227.

Professor Stuart himself supposes that the meaning is that "a competent number of divinely-commissioned and faithful Christian witnesses, endowed with miraculous powers, should bear testimony against the corrupt Jews, during the last days of their commonwealth, respecting their sins; that they should proclaim the truths of the gospel; and that the Jews, by destroying them, would bring upon themselves an aggravated and an awful doom" (vol. ii, p. 226).

Instead of attempting to examine in detail the opinions that have been held, I will rather state what seems to me to be the fair application of the language used, in accordance with the principles pursued thus far in this exposition. The inquiry is whether any events have occurred to which this language applies, or whether, if we grant that the Spirit of inspiration intended to describe certain events, we might expect such language as we find here to be used for them.

In this inquiry, it may be assumed that the preceding exposition is correct, and the application now to be made must accord with that. That is, it must be found that events occurred in such times and circumstances as would be consistent with the supposition that this exposition is correct.

It is to be assumed, therefore, that Revelation 9:20-21 refers to the state of the ecclesiastical world after the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks and previous to the Reformation; that Revelation chapter 10 refers to the Reformation itself; and that Revelation 11:1-2 refers to the necessity, at the time of the Reformation, of ascertaining what was the true church, of reviving the scriptural doctrine respecting the atonement and justification, and of drawing correct lines as to membership in the church.

All this, according to this interpretation, has reference to the state of the church while the Papacy would have the ascendency, or during the twelve hundred and sixty years in which it would trample down the church as if the holy city were in the hands of the Gentiles. Assuming this to be the correct exposition, then what is said here (Revelation 11:3–13) must relate to that period. For it is with reference to that same time—the period of a thousand two hundred and threescore days, or twelve hundred and sixty years—that it is said (Revelation 11:3) the witnesses would prophesy, clothed in sackcloth.

If this is so, then what is stated here (Revelation 11:3–13) must be supposed to occur during the ascendency of the Papacy. It must mean, in general, that during that long period of apostasy, darkness, corruption, and sin, there would be faithful witnesses for the truth. Though few in number, they would be sufficient to keep up the knowledge of the truth on earth and to bear testimony against the prevailing errors and abominations.

The object of this portion of the book, therefore, is to describe the character of the faithful witnesses for the truth during this long period of darkness, to state their influence, to record their trials, and to show what would be the ultimate result concerning them when their "testimony" should become triumphant.

This general view will be seen to accord with the exposition of the previous portion of the book and will be sustained, I trust, by the more particular inquiry into the application of the passage to which I now proceed. The essential points in the passage (Revelation 11:3–13) respecting the "witnesses" are six:

1. who are meant by the witnesses;
2. the war made on them;
3. their death;
4. their resurrection;
5. their reception into heaven; and
6. the consequences of their triumph in the calamity that came upon the city.