Revelation 11:10 kjv
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.
Revelation 11:10 nkjv
And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
Revelation 11:10 niv
The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
Revelation 11:10 esv
and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.
Revelation 11:10 nlt
All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.
Revelation 11 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rev 3:10 | "...to test those who dwell on the earth." | Identifies "earth dwellers" as a group to be tested. |
| Rev 6:10 | "...avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" | Martyrs' plea against hostile earth dwellers. |
| Rev 8:13 | "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth..." | Divine judgment specifically for earth dwellers. |
| Rev 13:8 | "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written..." | Earth dwellers defined by worship of the beast. |
| Prov 24:17 | "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls..." | Condemns rejoicing over an enemy's misfortune. |
| Obad 1:12-14 | "You should not have gazed on the day of your brother's calamity...Nor rejoiced over the children of Judah." | Condemnation for rejoicing in another's suffering. |
| Job 31:29 | "If I have rejoiced at the destruction of one who hated me..." | Implies a wrongful act for Job to have done. |
| Ps 35:25-26 | "Let them not say in their hearts, 'Ah, so we desired!'...Let them be clothed with shame." | Enemies desire and rejoice in others' downfall. |
| Mic 7:8 | "Do not rejoice over me, my enemy." | Prophetic plea against unrighteous rejoicing. |
| Eze 25:6 | "Because you clapped your hands...and rejoiced with all your heart despite your contempt for the land..." | God's judgment against hostile celebration. |
| Lam 2:15-16 | "All who pass by clap their hands at you...All your enemies Have opened their mouths against you..." | Mocking and rejoicing at Jerusalem's destruction. |
| Jn 15:18-19 | "If the world hates you...it hated Me before it hated you." | The world's innate hostility to Christ and His followers. |
| 1 Jn 3:13 | "Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you." | Believers should expect worldly animosity. |
| Acts 7:51-54 | "...they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth." | Stephen's truth caused rage/torment to his hearers. |
| 2 Pet 2:7-8 | "...righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct...tormented his righteous soul..." | A righteous presence can torment the wicked. |
| Gal 4:16 | "So have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" | Truth can make those who hear it hostile. |
| Esth 9:19, 22 | "...made...a day of gladness and feasting, a holiday, and of sending presents to one another." | Cultural practice of sending gifts in celebration. |
| Phil 3:18-19 | "...whose god is their belly...who set their mind on earthly things." | Describes those whose focus is solely worldly. |
| Col 3:1-2 | "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." | Exhortation to prioritize heavenly over earthly. |
| Rev 18:20 | "Rejoice over her, O Heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!" | Contrasts earthly wicked joy with righteous heavenly joy over Babylon's fall. |
| Isa 5:20-24 | "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil..." | Divine woe for perverse values, fitting the earth dwellers' celebration. |
| Rev 16:9 | "And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God...and they did not repent..." | Impenitent reaction to divine judgment, mirroring resistance to prophets. |
Revelation 11 verses
Revelation 11 10 Meaning
Revelation 11:10 describes the immediate reaction of the "earth dwellers" to the death of the two witnesses. These inhabitants of the earth rejoice with great delight and celebration, exchanging gifts, because they have been relieved of the "torment" caused by the powerful prophetic ministry and judgments pronounced by the two witnesses during their 1,260-day ministry. Their celebration underscores their deep-seated hostility towards God's truth and His servants, and their relief signifies the spiritual discomfort and conviction that God's unwavering testimony brought upon the wicked.
Revelation 11 10 Context
Revelation 11:10 follows directly from the preceding verses that describe the powerful ministry, death, and resurrection of the two witnesses. For 1,260 days, these two figures prophesy, performing miraculous deeds and afflicting the earth with plagues. Their ministry serves as a torment to the "earth dwellers," bringing conviction and announcing divine judgments. When the beast from the abyss finally overcomes and kills them, their bodies lie unburied in the streets of the great city (symbolically Babylon/Jerusalem) for three and a half days, visible to all peoples. Verse 10 captures the immediate and fervent response of these unrepentant, worldly inhabitants, who interpret the witnesses' demise as a glorious victory for themselves. This public, joyous celebration underscores the deep spiritual animosity of the fallen world against God's truth and His messengers. Historically and culturally, the sending of gifts and feasting were common ways to celebrate significant triumphs, victories, or holidays in the ancient world, here applied in a perverted, ungodly manner.
Revelation 11 10 Word analysis
- καὶ (kai): "and," "then." This conjunction links the previous verses describing the witnesses' death with the immediate reaction, indicating a direct cause-and-effect relationship: their death directly causes the earth dwellers' rejoicing.
- οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς (hoi katoikountes epi tēs gēs): "the dwellers on the earth." This specific phrase appears frequently in Revelation (e.g., 3:10, 6:10, 8:13, 13:8, 14, 14:6, 17:8). It is a theological designation for humanity aligned with worldly powers and spiritual rebellion against God, as opposed to those whose citizenship is in heaven. They are marked by their allegiance to the earthly system, unrepentance, and hostility toward God.
- χαροῦσιν (charousin): "they will rejoice," "be glad." From chairō (χαίρω). This is a strong, joyful expression. It signifies their genuine delight, contrasting with the suffering the witnesses caused them.
- εὐφρανθήσονται (euphranthēsontai): "they will make merry," "celebrate," "feast." From euphrainō (εὐφραίνω), meaning to cheer, make glad, or hold a feast. This verb implies a public and festive celebration, often with feasting. In the Bible, it can describe genuine joy (e.g., Lk 15:23, 32 – Prodigal Son) or unholy revelry (e.g., Lk 12:19 – rich fool). Here, it distinctly signals a perverse, worldly celebration.
- δῶρα πέμψουσιν ἀλλήλοις (dōra pempsousin allēlois): "they will send gifts to one another." Dōron (δῶρον) means gift. Pempō (πέμπω) means to send. This action is typical of times of victory, national holidays, or festivals (Esth 9:19-22; Neh 8:10-12). In this context, it shows their shared joy, solidarity in their opposition to God, and their celebratory attitude towards the witnesses' perceived defeat. It is an expression of their jubilation and unity in rebellion.
- ὅτι (hoti): "because," "for." This particle introduces the reason or explanation for their rejoicing.
- οὗτοι οἱ δύο προφῆται (houtoi hoi duo prophētai): "these two prophets." This phrase reinforces the divine commissioning and prophetic authority of the witnesses, acknowledging their true identity even in their enemies' relief.
- ἐβασάνισαν (ebasanisan): "tormented," "afflicted." From basanizō (βασανίζω), meaning to test by torture, vex, distress, or harass. This is a crucial word. It refers not to physical torture inflicted by the prophets but the profound anguish, discomfort, conviction, and mental distress caused to the earth dwellers by the witnesses' powerful, truth-filled testimony and the divine judgments they pronounced (e.g., the plagues and their refusal to repent). The light of truth is a "torment" to those who love darkness.
- τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς (tous katoikountas epi tēs gēs): "the dwellers on the earth." This repetition of the phrase from the beginning of the verse emphasizes that the very group now celebrating the prophets' death was the target of their "torment," highlighting the spiritual warfare and intense opposition between light and darkness.
Revelation 11 10 Bonus section
- The phrase "earth dwellers" (οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς) is a recurring motif in Revelation, serving as a distinct theological category for those spiritually alienated from God, whose allegiances are entirely earthly. This group is consistently depicted as hostile to God's people and judgments, ultimately facing His wrath.
- The nature of the "torment" caused by the prophets underscores the inherent discomfort of truth for the unrighteous. Their existence and words disrupt the spiritual comfort of those living in rebellion against God, serving as a constant reminder of accountability and impending judgment.
- The jubilant sending of gifts parallels similar acts in scripture during times of genuine celebration (e.g., Purim in Esth), but here, it's a perverse mimicry, a solidarity in spiritual depravity and a perverse "holiday" celebrating the supposed vanquishing of God's representatives. It is a moment of collective worldly euphoria rooted in defiance.
- This verse starkly illustrates the depth of spiritual warfare and the absolute chasm between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. The death of the witnesses represents a brief, but ultimate, victory for those who oppose God before their dramatic resurrection.
Revelation 11 10 Commentary
Revelation 11:10 vividly portrays the intense spiritual antagonism between God's truth and the fallen world. The "earth dwellers," those who are committed to the systems of this world and reject God, celebrate with unholy glee the perceived defeat of God's witnesses. Their collective rejoicing, marked by feasting and gift-giving, highlights a profound perversion of joy, finding delight in the suppression of divine light and righteousness.
The reason for their celebration is deeply revealing: the witnesses "tormented" them. This "torment" was not physical torture inflicted by the prophets, but the profound spiritual and moral distress caused by their unwavering testimony, the convicting power of truth, and the accompanying divine judgments (e.g., stopping rain, turning water to blood). The presence and pronouncements of God's true messengers served as an agonizing reminder of the world's sin and its impending judgment, much like light torments eyes accustomed to darkness. The world prefers darkness because its deeds are evil, and the righteous light of God's prophets exposes that evil, creating profound discomfort for the unrepentant. Their celebration is therefore a manifestation of relief and rebellion – relief from conviction and rebellion against God's sovereign authority and truth. It anticipates the brief triumph of the forces of darkness before God's ultimate victory.