Revelation 11:5 kjv
And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
Revelation 11:5 nkjv
And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.
Revelation 11:5 niv
If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.
Revelation 11:5 esv
And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.
Revelation 11:5 nlt
If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm them must die.
Revelation 11 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 7:4 | "...I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out all living things..." | God's divine judgment against enemies |
| Exo 7-12 | Accounts of the Plagues in Egypt | God's judgment through His servants |
| Num 16:35 | "...fire came out from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering incense." | Fire as divine judgment |
| Deu 4:24 | "For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." | God as consuming fire |
| Deu 32:22 | "For a fire is kindled in My anger, and burns to the lowest hell, and consumes the earth with its increase..." | Divine judgment and consumption |
| 1 Sam 2:10 | "...Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered; against them He will thunder in the heavens..." | God warring against His opponents |
| 2 Kgs 1:10 | "Elijah answered the captain, 'If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.'" | Fire as judgment, prophetic power |
| 2 Kgs 1:12 | "...the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty." | Fire as divine judgment |
| Ps 21:9 | "You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger; The LORD will swallow them up in His wrath..." | Enemies consumed by divine wrath |
| Ps 50:3 | "Our God comes and does not keep silence; fire devours before Him..." | Fire precedes God's presence/judgment |
| Jer 5:14 | "Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, 'Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire and this people wood, and it will devour them.'" | Words of prophecy as consuming fire |
| Isa 11:4 | "...with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked." | Divine judgment through spoken word |
| Mal 4:5 | "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD." | Elijah's prophetic return (context) |
| Mat 26:52 | "Then Jesus said to him, 'Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.'" | Retributive justice principle |
| Lk 10:19 | "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy..." | Believers' authority over enemy |
| Acts 5:1-10 | Ananias and Sapphira struck dead by Peter's pronouncement | Judgment by apostolic word |
| Rom 12:19 | "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,' says the Lord." | God's vengeance against enemies |
| Heb 12:29 | "for our God is a consuming fire." | God's nature as consuming fire |
| Rev 9:17 | "And in my vision I saw the horses and those who sat on them: the riders wore breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire and smoke and sulfur." | Destructive power from mouth (imagery) |
| Rev 13:10 | "If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go; If anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword he must be slain." | Retribution for persecutors |
| Rev 19:15 | "From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter." | Divine judgment from spoken word |
Revelation 11 verses
Revelation 11 5 Meaning
Revelation 11:5 describes the immense divine power bestowed upon God's two witnesses during their prophetic ministry. It states that anyone who attempts to harm them will face immediate and certain judgment, manifested as fire proceeding from their mouths that consumes their adversaries. This verse underscores the divine protection and authority that accompanies their testimony, indicating that harming them is akin to opposing God Himself, and the consequence is death, ordained by God in a manner reflecting their prophetic power.
Revelation 11 5 Context
Revelation chapter 11 primarily focuses on the "two witnesses," prophetic figures given extraordinary power to testify for God during a specific period of 1,260 days (or 42 months), concurrent with the trampling of the outer court of the temple by Gentiles. This period immediately precedes the seventh trumpet judgment. They prophesy clothed in sackcloth, signifying repentance and mourning, and possess powers reminiscent of Moses (to bring plagues) and Elijah (to withhold rain, bring fire). Verse 5, specifically, describes their immediate defensive and retaliatory power, serving as a warning against any who would impede their divinely commissioned ministry. Historically, this served as a stark contrast to the vulnerable position of Christians being persecuted under Roman imperial authority, assuring God's ultimate protective and vindictive power over His faithful witnesses.
Revelation 11 5 Word analysis
- And if any man (καὶ εἴ τις - kai ei tis): This phrase indicates a conditional statement, suggesting that while the power is immense, it's activated only if someone chooses to "hurt" or act hostilely towards the witnesses. It signifies a potential, rather than constant, manifestation of power, always at the ready.
- will hurt (ἀδικῆσαι - adikēsai): The Greek term means to commit injustice, wrong, injure, or cause harm. It implies actions that are morally wrong or violate divine justice, rather than just physical injury.
- them (αὐτούς - autous): Refers directly to the two witnesses introduced in the preceding verses.
- fire (πῦρ - pyr): A powerful biblical symbol. It represents purification, consuming judgment, God's holy presence, and divine power. In this context, it primarily signifies divine wrath and judgment.
- proceedeth out of their mouth (ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῶν ἐκπορεύεται - ek tou stomatos autōn ekporeuetai): This imagery is crucial. It strongly echoes Old Testament prophets. It does not necessarily imply literal flames, but rather that their prophetic word carries the very power of God's judgment, as if their speech itself ignites the divine wrath that consumes their enemies. It symbolizes divine authority backing their pronouncements.
- and devoureth (καταπίει - katapieiei): To swallow down completely, consume, overwhelm. It emphasizes the totality and destructive nature of the judgment, leaving nothing behind.
- their enemies (τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῶν - tous echthrous autōn): Those who stand in opposition to God's witnesses and, by extension, God's purpose and truth.
- and if any man will hurt them (καὶ εἴ τις θελήσῃ ἀδικῆσαι αὐτούς - kai ei tis thelēsē adikēsai autous): This repetition from the beginning of the verse emphasizes the certainty and seriousness of the warning. It's not a mere possibility; it's a divine law of retribution for anyone daring to harm them. The "will" (θελήσῃ - thelēsē, to wish, desire) stresses the volitional aspect of intending to do wrong.
- he must in this manner be killed (δεῖ αὐτὸν ἀποκτανθῆναι οὕτως - dei auton apoktanthēnai houtōs):
- He must (δεῖ - dei): Denotes divine necessity or obligation. It's a divinely appointed decree; this consequence is not negotiable.
- be killed (ἀποκτανθῆναι - apoktanthēnai): To be slain or put to death. The judgment is lethal.
- in this manner (οὕτως - houtōs): "Thus," "in this way." Refers to the preceding description of "fire from their mouth" or by the direct, certain, divinely decreed judgment activated by their words. The punishment precisely matches the crime's opposition to God's divinely authorized spokesmen.
Revelation 11 5 Bonus section
The powers of the two witnesses, including the fire from their mouths, signify a reversal of the power dynamic often seen in human history, where earthly authorities persecute God's faithful. In this eschatological period, God grants His witnesses a power that directly counteracts human aggression. This also highlights a key theme in Revelation: that while believers may experience martyrdom, God Himself will exact ultimate vengeance on their oppressors, often through fitting judgment. This supernatural protection is specifically for the period of their testimony, setting them apart and legitimizing their divine commission in the eyes of a resistant world. The "fire from their mouth" is a symbol of their words having divine authority and efficacy to bring judgment upon God's enemies, embodying a formidable prophetic presence akin to God's very breath.
Revelation 11 5 Commentary
Revelation 11:5 vividly portrays the awe-inspiring authority granted to God's two witnesses during the tribulation. This verse serves as a powerful deterrent to those who might attempt to suppress or eliminate their prophetic message. The "fire proceeding out of their mouth" is a potent metaphor, signifying not necessarily literal flames, but rather the manifestation of divine judgment unleashed through their prophetic declarations. This aligns with Old Testament portrayals of prophets like Jeremiah, whose words were like fire, or Elijah, who called down fire from heaven to consume his enemies.
The repetition of the warning ("if any man will hurt them") stresses the certainty of divine retribution. Anyone who seeks to harm these witnesses is, in effect, opposing God's ultimate plan and purpose. The outcome is absolute: they "must in this manner be killed," underscoring the inevitability of the divinely ordained consequence. This provides assurance to believers that despite the fierce opposition, God protects His messengers and vindicates His truth. It is a reminder that while God's servants may face earthly suffering, divine justice will ultimately prevail over their persecutors, demonstrating that the spiritual power wielded by God's representatives far exceeds any earthly force. This passage provides a glimpse of the absolute protection and backing that accompanies God's empowered evangelistic and prophetic ministry in the last days.