Revelation 11:7

“And when they shall have finished their testimony, etc.] For Christ, his truths and ordinances; when they are about to finish it, and almost concluded it, even towards the close of the 1260 days or years, in which they must prophesy in sackcloth: or else their testimony and their prophesying may be considered as two distinct things, and the one be finished before the other; their open public testimony, as witnesses, so as to be heard, attended to, and received, will be finished before the last war of the beast against them, in which they will be killed; but their prophesying will continue to the end of the beast's reign, these two being contemporary, of equal date, beginning and ending…”

“finished their testimony--The same verb is used of Paul's ending his ministry by a violent death. the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit--Greek, "the wild beast . . . the abyss." This beast was not mentioned before, yet he is introduced as "the beast," because he had already been described by Daniel (Dan 7:3, Dan 7:11), and he is fully so in the subsequent part of the Apocalypse, namely, Rev 13:1; Rev 17:8. Thus, John at once appropriates the Old Testament prophecies; and also, viewing his whole subject at a glance, mentions as familiar things (though not yet so to the reader) objects to be described hereafter by himself. It is a proof of the unity that pervades all Scripture.…”

“And when they shall have finished their testimony - Prof. Stuart renders this, “And whenever they shall have finished their testimony.” The reference is undoubtedly to a period when they should have faithfully borne the testimony which they were appointed to bear. The word rendered here “shall have finished” - τελέσωσιν telesōsin, from τελέω teleō means properly to end, to finish, to complete, to accomplish. It is used, in this respect, in two senses - either in regard to time or in regard to the end or object in view, in the sense of “perfecting it,” or “accomplishing it.” In the former sense it is employed in such passages as the following: “Till the thousand years should be…”

“And when they shall have finished their testimony - Till then they are invincible. The wild beast - Hereafter to be described. That ascendeth - First out of the sea, Rev 13:1, and then out of the bottomless pit, Rev 17:8. Shall make war with them - It is at his last ascent, not out of the sea, but the bottomless pit, that the beast makes war upon the two witnesses. And even hereby is fixed the time of "treading the holy city," and of the "two witnesses." That time ends after the ascent of the beast out of the abyss, and yet before the fulfilling of the mystery. And shall conquer them - The fire no longer proceeding out of their mouth when they have finished their work. And kill them - These…”

“11:7-8 When the witnesses finish their testimony, the scene changes dramatically. The beast (cp. 13:1) is introduced for the first time; it is associated with the bottomless pit. Like all enemies of God, the beast engages in war against God’s witnesses, and he kills them.”

“when: Rev 11:3; Luk 13:32; Joh 17:4, Joh 19:30; Act 20:24; Ti2 4:7 the beast: Rev 13:1, Rev 13:7, Rev 13:11, Rev 17:6-8, Rev 19:19, Rev 19:20; Dan 7:21, Dan 7:22, Dan 7:25, Dan 8:23, Dan 8:24; Zech. 14:2-21; Th2 2:8, Th2 2:9 out: Rev 9:2 Revelation 11:8”