Revelation 10-11

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Mighty Angel and the Small Scroll

10 Then I saw another mighty angel^(A) coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow^(B) over his head.^[a] His face was like the sun, his legs^[b] were like fiery pillars,^{(C) 2} and he had a little scroll opened in his hand. He put his right foot on the sea, his left on the land, ³ and he cried out with a loud voice like a roaring lion. When he cried out, the seven thunders spoke with their voices. ⁴ And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. Then I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders said,^(D) and do not write it down!”

⁵ Then the angel that I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. ⁶ He swore an oath by the One who lives forever and ever,^(E) who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it: “There will no longer be an interval of time,^{[c] 7} but in the days of the sound of the seventh angel,^(F) when he will blow his trumpet, then God’s hidden plan^(G) will be completed, as He announced to His servants^[d] the prophets.”^(H)

⁸ Now the voice that I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

⁹ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take and eat it; it will be bitter in your stomach, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”^(I)

¹⁰ Then I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I ate it, my stomach became bitter.^{(J) 11} And I was told,^[e] “You must prophesy again about^[f] many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”^(K)

The Two Witnesses

11 Then I was given a measuring reed^(L) like a rod,^[g] with these words: “Go^[h] and measure God’s sanctuary and the altar, and count those who worship there. ² But exclude the courtyard outside the sanctuary. Don’t measure it, because it is given to the nations,^[i] and they will trample the holy city for 42 months. ³ I will empower^[j] my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,^[k](M) dressed in sackcloth.”^{[l] 4} These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord^[m] of the earth.^{(N) 5} If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies;^(O) if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. ⁶ These men have the power to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy.^(P) They also have power over the waters to turn them into blood^(Q) and to strike the earth with every plague whenever they want.

The Witnesses Martyred

⁷ When they finish their testimony, the beast^[n](R) that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, conquer them, and kill them. ⁸ Their dead bodies^[o](S) will lie in the public square^[p] of the great city, which prophetically^[q] is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. ⁹ And representatives from^[r] the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations^(T) will view their bodies for three and a half days and not permit their bodies to be put into a tomb. ¹⁰ Those who live on the earth will gloat 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

¹¹ But after 3½ days, the breath^[s] of life^(U) from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. So great fear fell on those who saw them. ¹² Then they heard^[t] a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” They went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.^{(V) 13} At that moment a violent earthquake took place,^(W) 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. ¹⁴ The second woe^(X) has passed. Take note: The third woe is coming quickly!

The Seventh Trumpet

¹⁵ The seventh angel blew his trumpet,^(Y) and there were loud voices in heaven saying:

¹⁶ The 24 elders, who were seated before God on their thrones, fell facedown and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying:

¹⁹ God’s sanctuary in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant^[v] appeared in His sanctuary. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings of thunder,^(AF) an earthquake,^[w] and severe hail.