Revelation 11 (KJV With Strong's)

• The Lord mentions them as so many days here, rather than as forty-two months, it would seem, to mark His value for their testimony. He makes, so to speak, as much of it as He can. He does not sum it together, as when speaking of the beast (Rev. 13:5). Lovingly he speaks of the time as days, as though He were counting them all out. (“Lectures on Revelation 11:1-18” by W. Kelly)

• The worshippers in the temple are a distinct company from the witnesses in the city. The worshippers and the prophets respectively set forth the truths of priesthood and royalty which unite in Christ in His millennial reign, “He shall be a priest upon His throne” (Zech. 6:13); of this the witnesses testify. (“Revelation 11: Jewish Testimony and the Seventh Trumpet” by W. Scott)

• A full and adequate testimony is the thought purposely intended in the number of the witnesses. It seems to us that a larger number than actually two is called for in the solemn crisis before us, also that verse eight supposes a company of slain witnesses. But the point is immaterial. Jewish law, and here we are in the midst of Jewish circumstances, called for two witnesses to give competent evidence (Deut. 17:6; 19:15). (“Revelation 11: Jewish Testimony and the Seventh Trumpet” by W. Scott)

• The days of their testimony are carefully numbered. Theirs is not an intermittent testimony, but is continued daily till the allotted period is exhausted, not, however, a day longer. (“Revelation 11: Jewish Testimony and the Seventh Trumpet” by W. Scott)

• “Clothed in sackcloth” would express the afflicted condition of the witnesses (Joel 1:13; 1 Kings 20:31; Jer. 4:8). (“Revelation 11: Jewish Testimony and the Seventh Trumpet” by W. Scott)

• God will maintain an adequate witness for Himself signified in “the two witnesses.” (“Two” is the number of adequate witness in Scripture – John 8:17; Deuteronomy 19:15.) These witnesses are not two literal persons, as many have thought. Rather, they symbolize a small but adequate portion of the Jewish remnant that will remain in the city of Jerusalem (where the Antichrist will reign) to witness for God. (“A Parenthesis: Revelation 10:1-11:14” by B. Anstey)

• “A thousand two hundred and threescore days” (1260 days) in the spirit of mourning (“sackcloth”). This is 18 days short of “forty and two months” (1278 days), which is the end of the prophetic week when the Lord will Appear. This shows that God in mercy will cut short the days of their suffering, because the intensity of the persecution against his elect will be so great (Matt. 24:22). Hence, the Great Tribulation caused by the Beast and the Antichrist will carry on for 1260 days. It is not mentioned here, but this great persecution will be stopped by the inroads of the King of the North and his Arab confederacy (Dan. 11:40-42; Psa. 83). They will enter the land from the north and slaughter the apostate Jews—the persecutors of the remnant. This could be as many as ten million apostate Jews killed in a few days (Zech. 13:8), after which the Appearing of Christ will occur. (“A Parenthesis: Revelation 10:1-11:14” by B. Anstey)

J. N. Darby Translation

And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.

W. Kelly Translation

And I will give efficacya to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed with sackcloth.

WK Translation Notes

Probably here, as in , the word implies "efficacy" or "power," as our KJV translators saw in one text, if not in the other. See note to 8:3.

WK Verse Note

(Note: Words in italics have been inserted from the J. N. Darby translation where the W. Kelly translation doesn’t exist.)