Revelation 11
11
The Two Witnesses
1Then I was given a measuring reed # Ezk 40:3,5; 42:15-19; Rv 21:15 like a rod, # Other mss add and the angel stood up with these words: “Go # Lit Arise and measure God’s sanctuary and the altar, and count those who worship there. 2But exclude the courtyard outside the sanctuary. # Ezk 40:17,20; 42:14 Don’t measure it, because it is given to the nations, # Or Gentiles # Lk 21:24 and they will trample the holy city # Rv 21:1 for 42 months. # Dn 7:25; 12:7,11; Rv 12:6,14; 13:5 3I will empower # Lit I will give to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, # = 3 1/2 years of 30-day months, dressed in sackcloth. # Gn 37:34; 2Sa 3:31; 1Kg 20:31-32; 21:25-29; 2Kg 19:1-2; 1Ch 21:16; Is 3:24; 20:2; Jr 6:26 ” # Mourning garment of coarse, often black, material 4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord # Other mss read God of the earth. # Zch 4:3,11-14 5If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies; # 2Kg 1:10-12; Jr 5:14; Rv 9:17 if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6These men have the power to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy. # Gn 8:2; Dt 11:17; 1Kg 8:35; 17:1; 2Ch 6:26; 7:13; Lk 4:25 They also have power over the waters to turn them into blood # Ex 4:9; 7:17-21; Rv 16:4 and to strike the earth with every plague whenever they want. # Ex 5:3; 9:15; Jr 21:6; Ezk 28:23; Zch 14:12,15
The Witnesses Martyred
7When they finish their testimony, the beast # Or wild animal # Dn 7:11; Rv 13:1-18; 17:8 that comes up out of the abyss # Ps 140:10; Lk 8:31; Rm 10:7; Rv 9:1,11; 17:8; 20:1-3 will make war with them, conquer them, and kill them. 8Their dead bodies # Lit Their corpse # Is 66:24 will lie in the public square # Or lie on the broad street of the great city, # Rv 16:19; 17:18; 18:10,16-21,24 which prophetically # Or spiritually, or symbolically is called Sodom # Is 1:9,10; 3:9; Jr 23:14; Ezk 16:46,49 and Egypt, # Ezk 23:3,8,19,27 where also their Lord was crucified. 9And representatives from # Lit And from the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations # Rv 5:9; 7:9; 10:11 will view their bodies for three and a half days and not permit their bodies to be put into a tomb. # Lv 26:30; 2Sm 4:12; Is 66:24 10Those who live on the earth will gloat # Ps 25:2; 94:3; Pr 24:17; Ob 12-13 over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another because these two prophets brought judgment to those who live on the earth.
The Witnesses Resurrected
11But after 3 1/2 days, the breath # Or spirit of life # Gn 2:7; 6:17; 7:15,22; Ezk 37:5 from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. So great fear fell on those who saw them. 12Then they heard # Other mss read Then I heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” They went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them. # 2Kg 2:1; Mk 16:19; Lk 24:51; Ac 1:9-10 13At that moment a violent earthquake took place, # Is 29:6; Ezk 38:19 a tenth of the city fell, and 7,000 people were killed in the earthquake. The survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14The second woe # Rv 8:13; 9:12 has passed. Take note: The third woe is coming quickly!
The Seventh Trumpet
15The seventh angel blew his trumpet, # Is 27:13 and there were loud voices in heaven saying:
The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of His Messiah,
and He will reign forever and ever! # 2Sm 7:16; Is 37:16; Dn 7:14,18; Lk 1:32-33
16The 24 elders, who were seated before God on their thrones, fell facedown and worshiped God, 17saying:
We thank You, Lord God, the Almighty,
who is and who was, # Other mss add and who is to come # Rv 1:4,8; 4:8; 16:5
because You have taken Your great power
and have begun to reign. # Lk 1:33; 1Co 15:25; Rv 19:6
18The nations were angry, # Ps 2:1
but Your wrath has come.
The time has come
for the dead to be judged
and to give the reward
to Your servants the prophets, # Rv 10:7
to the saints, and to those who fear Your name,
both small and great, # 2Kg 23:2; Ps 115:13; Rv 19:5
and the time has come to destroy
those who destroy the earth.
19God’s sanctuary in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant # Other mss read ark of the covenant of the Lord appeared in His sanctuary. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings of thunder, # Rv 4:5; 8:5 an earthquake, # Other mss omit an earthquake and severe hail.
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Revelation 11: HCSB
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Revelation 11
11
The two witnesses
1An angel gave me a measuring stick and said:#Ez 40.3; Zec 2.1,2.
Measure around God's temple. Be sure to include the altar and everyone worshipping there. 2But 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 forty-two months.#Lk 21.24. 3My two witnesses will wear sackcloth,#11.3 sackcloth: See the note at 6.12. while I let them preach for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
4These two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand in the presence of the Lord who rules the earth.#Zec 4.3,11-14. 5Any enemy who tries to harm them will be destroyed by the fire that comes out of their mouths. 6They 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.#1 K 17.1; Ex 7.17-19; 1 S 4.8.
7After 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.#Dn 7.7; Rev 13.5-7; 17.8; Dn 7.21. 8Their bodies will be left lying in the streets of the same great city where their Lord was nailed to a cross. And that city is spiritually like the city of Sodom or the country of Egypt.#Is 1.9,10.
9For 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. 10Everyone 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. 11But 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.#Ez 37.10.
12The 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.#2 K 2.11. 13At 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.#Rev 6.12; 16.18.
14The second horrible thing has now happened! But the third one will be here soon.
The seventh trumpet
15At the sound of the seventh trumpet, loud voices were heard in heaven. They said,#Ex 15.18; Dn 2.44; 7.14,27.
“Now the kingdom
of this world
belongs to our Lord
and to his Chosen One!
And he will rule
for ever and ever!”
16Then the twenty-four elders, who were seated on thrones in God's presence, knelt down and worshipped him. 17They said,
“Lord God All-Powerful,
you are and you were,
and we thank you.
You used your great power
and started ruling.
18When the nations got angry,#Ps 2.5; 110.5; Ps 115.13.
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 honour your name,
no matter who they are.
It is time to destroy everyone
who has destroyed
the earth.”
19The door to God's temple in heaven was then opened, and the sacred chest#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. could be seen inside the temple. I saw lightning and heard roars of thunder. The earth trembled and huge hailstones fell to the ground.#Rev 8.5; 16.18; Rev 16.21.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012