What does Revelation 11:14 mean by "the second woe has passed"? Canonical Text “ The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.” (Revelation 11:14) Immediate Literary Setting Revelation 11:14 stands at the close of the sixth trumpet judgment (the second of three “woes,” cf. Revelation 8:13; 9:12) and immediately precedes the sounding of the seventh trumpet (Revelation 11:15). Chapters 10–11 form an interlude that began after the sixth trumpet in 9:13-21 and contains: • the mighty angel with the little scroll (10:1-11) • the measuring of the temple (11:1-2) • the ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of the two witnesses (11:3-13) With the earthquake and widespread terror following the ascension of the witnesses, John records, “The second woe has passed.” Structure of the Three Woes 1. First woe — fifth trumpet: demonic locust assault (9:1-11). 2. Second woe — sixth trumpet: release of four bound angels, 200 million cavalry, and the devastation that follows (9:13-21) plus the interlude’s concluding earthquake (11:13-14). 3. Third woe — seventh trumpet: inauguration of God’s kingdom, opening scenes of final judgment, and the bowl judgments that flow from it (11:15; 15:1; 16:1). Why the Interlude Still Belongs to the Second Woe The angelic announcement in 8:13 links each woe to a trumpet. The sixth trumpet sounds in 9:13. Nothing in the text indicates that the woe ends until 11:14. The narrative interlude functions like parenthetical chapters elsewhere in Revelation (cf. 7:1-17; 14:6-20), spotlighting God’s witnesses and highlighting divine mercy within judgment. The earthquake (11:13) is therefore the final stroke of the second woe. Old Testament Background of “Woe” “Woe” (Heb. hôy, Gk. ouai) is a prophetic cry of doom mingled with lament (Isaiah 5:8; Ezekiel 13:3; Nahum 3:1). Christ employed the term repeatedly in Matthew 23:13-39, pronouncing judgment on unrepentant religious leaders. Revelation adopts this covenant-lawsuit motif: heaven’s court declares woes upon a world in rebellion, affirming that God “has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31). Grammatical and Textual Note Greek: “Ὁ οὐαὶ ὁ δεύτερος ἀπῆλθεν· ἰδοὺ ὁ τρίτος οὐαὶ ἔρχεται ταχὺ.” The aorist ἀπῆλθεν (“has passed”) presents the woe as completed from the visionary standpoint, underscoring prophetic certainty. Early manuscripts—𝔓^47, א, A, C, 1611—are unanimous, confirming the verse’s authenticity. Theological Significance 1. Escalating Severity. Each successive woe intensifies God’s judgments, reflecting Romans 2:5: “because of your stubbornness … you are storing up wrath.” 2. Measured Mercy. God terminates the second woe before initiating the third, allowing space for repentance (cf. Revelation 9:20-21; 11:13). 3. Sovereign Control. The perfect alignment of trumpet-woe-seal structures displays providential orchestration—nothing is random. 4. Vindication of Witnesses. The second woe closes only after the world sees the two witnesses raised and called to heaven, validating their testimony and shaming unbelief. Eschatological Placement Within a futurist, premillennial framework, trumpet judgments occur in the latter half of Daniel’s 70th week (Daniel 9:27). The second woe’s completion may coincide with the three-and-a-half-year mark, shortly before the Antichrist’s ultimate global domination and the outpouring of the bowl judgments (Revelation 16). Pastoral and Missional Implications • Urgency: “The third woe is coming quickly.” Delay in repentance is perilous (2 Corinthians 6:2). • Hope: Believers are sealed (Revelation 7:3-4) and destined “to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). • Witness: The ministry of the two witnesses models fearless proclamation even amid hostility—an encouragement to modern evangelism. • Worship: The approaching seventh trumpet announces, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ” (Revelation 11:15). Anticipation fuels doxology. Cross-References for Study Revelation 8:13; 9:12-21; 10:1-11; 11:1-15; 15:1; Isaiah 5:8-25; Ezekiel 13:1-16; Matthew 23:13-36. Concise Answer “ The second woe has passed” signals the completion of the sixth trumpet’s judgments—including the interlude’s climactic earthquake—and serves as a solemn transition to the even more severe, imminent third woe introduced by the seventh trumpet. |
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