And the witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched them.
In this time of treading down, God has reserved to himself his faithful witnesses, who will not fail to attest the truth of his word and worship, and the excellency of his ways. Here observe, I. The number of these witnesses: it is but a small number and yet it is sufficient. 1. It is but small.
Commenting on Revelation 11:3-13
And they heard a great voice from heaven,.... The Complutensian edition reads, "I heard", i.e. "John"; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions; but the copies in general read "they"; not the enemies, but the witnesses: and this seems not to come from any Christian civil magistrate in the church, but from Christ himself; not but that Christ may make use of, such for the...
Verse 12. And they heard a great voice from heaven. Some manuscripts read, "I heard"--ηκουσα but the more approved reading is that of the common text. John says that a voice was addressed to them calling them to ascend to heaven. Come up hither. To heaven. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud. So the Saviour ascended, , and so probably Elijah, . And their enemies beheld them.