Revelation 11

The Two Witnesses

¹Then I was given a measuring reed like a rod, with these words: “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who worship there.²³But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Don’t measure it, because it is given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.⁴⁵I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.”⁶⁷These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.⁸⁹If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies; if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.¹⁰¹¹They have authority to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy. They also have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every plague whenever they want.¹²

The Witnesses Martyred

¹³When they finish their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war on them, conquer them, and kill them.¹⁴¹⁵Their dead bodies will lie in the main street of the great city, which figuratively is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.¹⁶¹⁷And some of the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will view their bodies for three and a half days and not permit their bodies to be put into a tomb.¹⁸¹⁹Those who live on the earth will gloat over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.²⁰

The Witnesses Resurrected

²¹But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them.²²²³Then they 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.²⁴²⁵At that moment a violent earthquake took place, a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake. The survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.²⁶

²⁷The second woe has passed. Take note: The third woe is coming soon!²⁸

The Seventh Trumpet

²⁹The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.³⁰

³¹The twenty-four elders, who were seated before God on their thrones, fell facedown and worshiped God,³²³³saying, We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.³⁴

³⁵The nations were angry, 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, to the saints, and to those who fear your name, both small and great, and the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth.³⁶

³⁷Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant appeared in his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and severe hail.³⁸