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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© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Revelation 11
11
The Two Witnesses
1Then I was given a measuring rod as long as a walking stick. I was told, “Go and measure the temple#11:1 temple God’s house—the place where God’s people worship and serve him. Here, John sees it pictured as the special building in Jerusalem for Jewish worship. Also in verse 19. of God and the altar, and count the people worshiping there. 2But don’t measure the yard outside the temple. Leave it alone. It has been given to those who are not God’s people. They will show their power over the holy city for 42 months. 3And I will give power to my two witnesses. And they will prophesy for 1260 days. They will be dressed in sackcloth.”
4These two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5If anyone tries to hurt the witnesses, fire comes from the mouths of the witnesses and kills their enemies. Anyone who tries to hurt them will die like this. 6These witnesses have the power to stop the sky from raining during the time they are prophesying. These witnesses have power to make the water become blood. They have power to send every kind of plague to the earth. They can do this as many times as they want.
7When the two witnesses have finished telling their message, the beast will fight against them. This is the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit. It will defeat and kill them. 8The bodies of the two witnesses will lie in the street of the great city. This city is named Sodom and Egypt. These names for the city have a special meaning. This is the city where the Lord was killed. 9People from every race of people, tribe, language, and nation will look at the bodies of the two witnesses for three and a half days. The people will refuse to bury them. 10Everyone on the earth will be happy because these two are dead. They will have parties and send each other gifts. They will do this because these two prophets brought much suffering to the people living on earth.
11But after three and a half days, God let life enter the two witnesses again. They stood on their feet. All those who saw them were filled with fear. 12Then the two witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven say, “Come up here!” And both of them went up into heaven in a cloud. Their enemies watched them go.
13At that same time there was a great earthquake. A tenth of the city was destroyed. And 7000 people were killed in the earthquake. Those who did not die were very afraid. They gave glory to the God of heaven.
14The second terror is now past. The third terror is coming soon.
The Seventh Trumpet Blast
15The seventh angel blew his trumpet. Then there were loud voices in heaven. The voices said,
“The kingdom of the world has now become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah.
And he will rule forever and ever.”
16Then the 24 elders bowed down on their faces and worshiped God. These are the elders who sit on their thrones before God. 17The elders said,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God All-Powerful.
You are the one who is and who always was.
We thank you because you have used your great power
and have begun to rule.
18The people of the world were angry,
but now is the time for your anger.
Now is the time for the dead to be judged.
It is time to reward your servants, the prophets,
and to reward your holy people,
the people, great and small, who respect you.
It is time to destroy those people who destroy the earth!”
19Then God’s temple in heaven was opened. The Box of the Agreement#11:19 Box of the Agreement This is like the special box kept in the Most Holy Place of the Israelite Holy Tent and, later, the Jerusalem Temple, which contained “proof” of the agreement between God and his people. See “Box of the Agreement” in the Word List. could be seen in his temple. Then there were flashes of lightning, noises, thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
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