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The Two Witnesses

11 (A) An angel gave me a measuring stick and said:

Measure around God's temple. Be sure to include the altar and everyone worshiping there. (B) But don't measure the courtyard outside the temple building. Leave it out. It has been given to those people who don't know God, and they will trample all over the holy city for 42 months. My two witnesses will wear sackcloth,[a] while I let them preach for 1,260 days.

(C) These two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand in the presence of the Lord who rules the earth. Any enemy who tries to harm them will be destroyed by the fire that comes out of their mouths. (D) They have the power to lock up the sky and to keep rain from falling while they are prophesying. And whenever they want to, they can turn water to blood and cause all kinds of terrible troubles on earth.

(E) After the two witnesses have finished preaching God's message, the beast that lives in the deep pit will come up and fight against them. It will win the battle and kill them. (F) Their bodies will be left lying in the streets of the same great city where their Lord was nailed to a cross. And this city is spiritually like the city of Sodom or the country of Egypt.

For three and a half days the people of every nation, tribe, language, and race will stare at the bodies of these two witnesses and refuse to let them be buried. 10 Everyone on earth will celebrate and be happy. They will give gifts to each other, because of what happened to the two prophets who caused them so much trouble. 11 (G) But three and a half days later, God will breathe life into their bodies. They will stand up, and everyone who sees them will be terrified.

12 (H) The witnesses then heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, “Come up here.” And while their enemies were watching, they were taken up to heaven in a cloud. 13 (I) At that same moment there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were frightened and praised the God who rules in heaven.

14 The second horrible thing has now happened! And the third one will be here soon.

The Seventh Trumpet

15 (J) At the sound of the seventh trumpet, loud voices were heard in heaven. They said,

“Now the kingdom
    of this world
belongs to our Lord
    and to his Chosen One!
And he will rule
    forever and ever!”

16 Then the 24 elders, who were seated on thrones in God's presence, knelt down and worshiped him. 17 They said,

“Lord God All-Powerful,
you are and you were,
    and we thank you.
You used your great power
    and started ruling.
18 (K) When the nations got angry,
    you became angry too!
Now the time has come
for the dead
    to be judged.
It is time for you to reward
    your servants the prophets
and all your people
who honor your name,
    no matter who they are.
It is time to destroy everyone
who has destroyed
    the earth.”

19 (L) The door to God's temple in heaven was then opened, and the sacred chest[b] could be seen inside the temple. I saw lightning and heard roars of thunder. The earth trembled and huge hailstones fell to the ground.

Footnotes

  1. 11.3 sackcloth: See the note at 6.12.
  2. 11.19 sacred chest: In Old Testament times the sacred chest was kept in the tent used for worship. It was the symbol of God's presence with his people and also of his agreement with them.

The Two Witnesses

11 I was given a reed like a measuring rod(A) and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. But exclude the outer court;(B) do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles.(C) They will trample on the holy city(D) for 42 months.(E) And I will appoint my two witnesses,(F) and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,(G) clothed in sackcloth.”(H) They are “the two olive trees”(I) and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”[a](J) If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies.(K) This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.(L) They have power to shut up the heavens(M) so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying;(N) and they have power to turn the waters into blood(O) and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast(P) that comes up from the Abyss(Q) will attack them,(R) and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city(S)—which is figuratively called Sodom(T) and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.(U) For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation(V) will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.(W) 10 The inhabitants of the earth(X) will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts,(Y) because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

11 But after the three and a half days(Z) the breath[b] of life from God entered them,(AA) and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.”(AB) And they went up to heaven in a cloud,(AC) while their enemies looked on.

13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake(AD) and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory(AE) to the God of heaven.(AF)

14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.(AG)

The Seventh Trumpet

15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet,(AH) and there were loud voices(AI) in heaven, which said:

“The kingdom of the world has become
    the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,(AJ)
    and he will reign for ever and ever.”(AK)

16 And the twenty-four elders,(AL) who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces(AM) and worshiped God, 17 saying:

“We give thanks(AN) to you, Lord God Almighty,(AO)
    the One who is and who was,(AP)
because you have taken your great power
    and have begun to reign.(AQ)
18 The nations were angry,(AR)
    and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,(AS)
    and for rewarding your servants the prophets(AT)
and your people who revere your name,
    both great and small(AU)
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

19 Then God’s temple(AV) in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.(AW) And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,(AX) an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.(AY)

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 11:4 See Zech. 4:3,11,14.
  2. Revelation 11:11 Or Spirit (see Ezek. 37:5,14)