Revelation 11:8

And their dead bodies [shall lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

And {G2532} their {G846} dead bodies {G4430} shall lie in {G1909} the street {G4113} of the great {G3173} city {G4172}, which {G3748} spiritually {G4153} is called {G2564} Sodom {G4670} and {G2532} Egypt {G125}, where {G3699} also {G2532} our {G2257} Lord {G2962} was crucified {G4717}.

and their dead bodies will lie in the main street of the great city whose name, to reflect its spiritual condition, is “S’dom” and “Egypt” — the city where their Lord was executed on a stake.

Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city—figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where their Lord was also crucified.

And their dead bodies lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

Revelation 11:8 describes the aftermath of the death of the two witnesses, whose miraculous ministry is detailed earlier in the chapter. Their bodies lie exposed in the public square of a significant city, which is identified by symbolic names and a pivotal historical event.

Context

The "great city" mentioned here is widely understood by commentators to be Jerusalem. This identification is strongly supported by the phrase "where also our Lord was crucified," a clear reference to the site of Jesus Christ's crucifixion (John 19:18). However, the city is not called Jerusalem directly but "spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt." This spiritual designation highlights its profound moral and spiritual corruption, despite its historical sacredness.

  • Sodom: Represents extreme moral depravity, sexual perversion, and rebellion against God, leading to divine judgment (Genesis 19).
  • Egypt: Symbolizes oppression, slavery, idolatry, and resistance to God's people and His will (Exodus 1-14).

By calling Jerusalem by these names, John emphasizes its spiritual state during this prophetic period – a city that has rejected God's messengers and become spiritually akin to notorious centers of wickedness and opposition to God.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Spiritual Degeneracy: The verse powerfully conveys the extent of spiritual decline in a city once considered holy. Its actions, culminating in the murder of God's witnesses, align it with the worst examples of human rebellion against God.
  • Rejection of Truth: The exposure of the witnesses' bodies signifies the city's open hostility and celebration of the defeat of God's truth and His prophets. This mirrors Jerusalem's historical pattern of rejecting and persecuting God's messengers (Matthew 23:37).
  • Divine Irony and Prophecy: The place where the Savior was crucified is also where His final witnesses are slain, underscoring the ongoing spiritual battle and the city's complicity in rejecting God's ultimate revelation.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "spiritually is called" (Greek: pneumatikōs kaleitai) is crucial. It signifies that the names "Sodom" and "Egypt" are not literal geographical designations but symbolic descriptions of the city's character. It's a spiritual indictment, revealing the true nature of its inhabitants' hearts and actions in God's sight, transcending its physical identity as Jerusalem.

Practical Application

Revelation 11:8 serves as a stark reminder that outward religious appearances or historical significance do not guarantee spiritual purity. A place or people can become deeply corrupt in God's eyes if they reject His truth and persecute His messengers. This verse calls believers to:

  • Discernment: Look beyond superficial labels to perceive the true spiritual condition of hearts and systems.
  • Faithfulness: Remain steadfast in proclaiming God's truth, even when facing extreme opposition and rejection, knowing that divine vindication will ultimately come (Revelation 11:11).
  • Humility: Be wary of spiritual pride, understanding that even a city with a rich spiritual heritage can fall into deep apostasy.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Jeremiah 23:14

    I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.

  • Revelation 18:10

    Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

  • Ezekiel 16:53

    When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then [will I bring again] the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them:

  • Ezekiel 16:55

    When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

  • Hebrews 13:12

    Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

  • Revelation 18:21

    And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast [it] into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

  • Amos 4:11

    I have overthrown [some] of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.

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