This verse is transitional (cf. Revelation 9:12). It refers to the end of the second woe (the sixth trumpet, Revelation 9:21) and ties this judgment in with the third woe (the seventh trumpet). It clarifies that God interjected the revelations of the mighty angel and the little scroll ( Revelation 10:1-11) and the two witnesses ( Revelation 11:1-13) into the chronological sequence of trumpet judgments. He did so to give supplementary, encouraging information. The final woe will follow "quickly" (Gr. tachy, "soon," cf. Revelation 2:16; Revelation 3:11; Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:12; Revelation 22:20), on the heels of the second woe. [source][source][source]
Context Summary
Revelation 11:14-19 - "he Shall Reign For Ever And Ever"
The kingdom is even now Christ's, but it is hidden, even as He is. One day it will be manifested. For a long time David was the anointed king of Israel, but Saul sat on the throne until the predestined hour came when the tribes of Israel made David their chosen monarch. This surely is a type of that which will one day become apparent to the whole creation. The kingdom of the world will wholly and permanently become Christ's. Suffering and sorrow will then flee away, as birds of ill omen at dawn. War will cease to the end of the world. The glad populations of mankind will walk in the light of life, and the long night and travail of nature will be ended. It may be that each great era of human history ends with a scene of judgment; or that these series of visions are concurrent, viewing the earth-order from different standpoints.
What comfort is derived from this vision of the Ark of God's Covenant, which abides in the inner sanctuary! He is true to us. His word cannot alter, neither will He recede from His pledge to overthrow our enemies, to undo the devastation they have caused, and to realize His original purpose in man's creation. [source]
Chapter Summary: Revelation 11
1The two witnesses prophesy 6They have power to shut heaven so that it rain not 7The beast shall fight against them, and kill them 8They lie unburied; 11and after three and a half days rise again 14The second woe is past 15The seventh trumpet sounds
Greek Commentary for Revelation 11:14
Is past [απηλτεν] Second aorist active indicative of απερχομαι aperchomai See Revelation 9:12 for this use and Revelation 21:1,Revelation 21:4. The second woe (η ουαι η δευτερα hē ouai hē deutera) is the sixth trumpet (Revelation 9:12) with the two episodes attached (10:1-11:13). [source]
Revelation 9:12The first woe [η ουαι η μια] Note feminine gender ascribed to the interjection ουαι ouai as in Revelation 11:14, perhaps because τλιπσις thlipsis is feminine, though we really do not know. Note also the ordinal use of μια mia (one) like πρωτη prōtē (first) as in Revelation 6:1; Mark 16:2. [source]
What do the individual words in Revelation 11:14 mean?
Greek Commentary for Revelation 11:14
Second aorist active indicative of απερχομαι aperchomai See Revelation 9:12 for this use and Revelation 21:1, Revelation 21:4. The second woe (η ουαι η δευτερα hē ouai hē deutera) is the sixth trumpet (Revelation 9:12) with the two episodes attached (10:1-11:13). [source]
(η ουαι η τριτη hē ouai hē tritē feminine as in Revelation 9:12) is the seventh trumpet, which now “cometh quickly” (ερχεται ταχυ erchetai tachu), for which phrase see Revelation 2:16; Revelation 3:11; Revelation 22:7, Revelation 22:12, Revelation 22:20. Usually pointing to the Parousia. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Revelation 11:14
Futuristic present middle indicative, “I am coming” (imminent), as in Revelation 2:5 with ταχυ tachu as in Revelation 3:11; Revelation 11:14; Revelation 22:7, Revelation 22:12, Revelation 22:20. As with εν ταχει en tachei (Revelation 1:1), we do not know how soon “quickly” is meant to be understood. But it is a real threat.Against them (μετ αυτων met' autōn). This proposition with πολεμεω polemeō rather than κατα kata (against) is common in the lxx, but in the N.T. only in Revelation 2:16; Revelation 12:7; Revelation 13:4; Revelation 17:14 and the verb itself nowhere else in N.T. except James 4:2. “An eternal roll of thunder from the throne” (Renan). “The glorified Christ is in this book a Warrior, who fights with the sharp sword of the word” (Swete).With Instrumental use of εν en For the language see Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:12; Revelation 19:15. [source]
Note feminine gender ascribed to the interjection ουαι ouai as in Revelation 11:14, perhaps because τλιπσις thlipsis is feminine, though we really do not know. Note also the ordinal use of μια mia (one) like πρωτη prōtē (first) as in Revelation 6:1; Mark 16:2. [source]