Revelation 11
11
The Two Witnesses
1-2I was given a stick for a measuring rod and told, “Get up and measure God’s Temple and Altar and everyone worshiping in it. Exclude the outside court; don’t measure it. It’s been handed over to non-Jewish outsiders. They’ll desecrate the Holy City for forty-two months.
3-6“Meanwhile, I’ll provide my two Witnesses. Dressed in sackcloth, they’ll prophesy for 1,260 days. These are the two Olive Trees, the two Lampstands, standing at attention before God on earth. If anyone tries to hurt them, a blast of fire from their mouths will incinerate them—burn them to a crisp just like that. They’ll have power to seal the sky so that it doesn’t rain for the time of their prophesying, power to turn rivers and springs to blood, power to hit earth with any and every disaster as often as they want.
7-10“When they’ve completed their witness, the Beast from the Abyss will emerge and fight them, conquer and kill them, leaving their corpses exposed on the street of the Great City spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, the same City where their Master was crucified. For three and a half days they’ll be there—exposed, prevented from getting a decent burial, stared at by the curious from all over the world. Those people will cheer at the spectacle, shouting ‘Good riddance!’ and calling for a celebration, for these two prophets pricked the conscience of all the people on earth, made it impossible for them to enjoy their sins.
11“Then, after three and a half days, the Living Spirit of God will enter them—they’re on their feet!—and all those gloating spectators will be scared to death.”
12-13I heard a strong voice out of Heaven calling, “Come up here!” and up they went to Heaven, wrapped in a cloud, their enemies watching it all. At that moment there was a gigantic earthquake—a tenth of the city fell to ruin, seven thousand perished in the earthquake, the rest frightened to the core of their being, frightened into giving honor to the God-of-Heaven.
14The second doom is past, the third doom coming right on its heels.
The Last Trumpet Sounds
15-18The seventh Angel trumpeted. A crescendo of voices in Heaven sang out,
The kingdom of the world is now
the Kingdom of our God and his Messiah!
He will rule forever and ever!
The Twenty-four Elders seated before God on their thrones fell to their knees, worshiped, and sang,
We thank you, O God, Sovereign-Strong,
Who Is and Who Was.
You took your great power
and took over—reigned!
The angry nations now
get a taste of your anger.
The time has come to judge the dead,
to reward your servants, all prophets and saints,
Reward small and great who fear your Name,
and destroy the destroyers of earth.
19The doors of God’s Temple in Heaven flew open, and the Ark of his Covenant was clearly seen surrounded by flashes of lightning, loud shouts, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a fierce hailstorm.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
Revelation 11
11
The Two Witnesses
1Then I was given #Ezek. 40:3—42:20; Zech. 2:1; Rev. 21:15a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, #Num. 23:18“Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2But leave out #Ezek. 40:17, 20the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, #Ps. 79:1; Luke 21:24for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will #Dan. 8:10tread the holy city underfoot for #Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 12:6; 13:5forty-two months. 3And I will give power to my two #Deut. 17:6; Rev. 20:4witnesses, #Rev. 19:10and they will prophesy #Rev. 12:6one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
4These are the #Ps. 52:8; Jer. 11:16; Zech. 4:2, 3, 11, 14two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5And if anyone wants to harm them, #2 Kin. 1:10–12; Jer. 1:10; 5:14; Ezek. 43:3; Hos. 6:5; Rev. 9:17fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. #Num. 16:29And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6These #1 Kin. 17:1; Luke 4:25; (James 5:16, 17)have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
The Witnesses Killed
7When they #Luke 13:32finish their testimony, #Rev. 13:1, 11; 17:8the beast that ascends #Rev. 9:1, 2out of the bottomless pit #Dan. 7:21; Rev. 13:7will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8And their dead bodies will lie in the street of #Rev. 14:8the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, #Heb. 13:12where also our Lord was crucified. 9#Rev. 17:15Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, #1 Kin. 13:22; Ps. 79:2, 3and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10#Rev. 12:12And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, #Neh. 8:10, 12; Esth. 9:19, 22and send gifts to one another, #Rev. 16:10because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
The Witnesses Resurrected
11#Rev. 11:9Now after the three-and-a-half days #Ezek. 37:5, 9, 10the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” #Is. 14:13And they ascended to heaven #Is. 60:8; Acts 1:9in a cloud, #2 Kin. 2:11, 12and their enemies saw them. 13In the same hour #Rev. 6:12; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18there was a great earthquake, #Rev. 16:19and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid #Josh. 7:19; John 9:24; Rev. 14:7; 16:9; 19:7and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14#Rev. 8:13; 9:12The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed
15Then #Rev. 8:2; 10:7the seventh angel sounded: #Is. 27:13And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, #Rev. 12:10“The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, #Ex. 15:18; Dan. 2:44; 7:14, 27; Luke 1:33and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16And #Matt. 19:28; Rev. 4:4the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and #Rev. 4:11; 5:9, 12, 14; 7:11worshiped God, 17saying:
“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One #Rev. 16:5who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power #Rev. 19:6and reigned.
18The nations were #Ps. 2:1angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the #Dan. 7:10; (Rev. 20:12, 13)dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”
19Then #Rev. 4:1; 15:5, 8the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And #Rev. 8:5there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, #Rev. 16:21and great hail.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.