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Revelation 11:4-12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Revelation 11:4-12
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
4 (A)These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands[a] that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 [b]If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone wanting to harm them is sure to be slain. 6 They have the power to close up the sky so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying. They also have power to turn water into blood and to afflict the earth with any plague as often as they wish.(B)
7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss[c] will wage war against them and conquer them and kill them.(C) 8 Their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city,[d] which has the symbolic names “Sodom” and “Egypt,” where indeed their Lord was crucified. 9 [e]Those from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation will gaze on their corpses for three and a half days, and they will not allow their corpses to be buried. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and be glad and exchange gifts because these two prophets tormented the inhabitants of the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered them. When they stood on their feet, great fear fell on those who saw them.(D) 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, “Come up here.” So they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on.(E)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 11:4 The two olive trees and the two lampstands: the martyrs who stand in the presence of the Lord; the imagery is taken from Zec 4:8–14, where the olive trees refer to Zerubbabel and Joshua.
- 11:5–6 These details are derived from stories of Moses, who turned water into blood (Ex 7:17–20), and of Elijah, who called down fire from heaven (1 Kgs 18:36–40; 2 Kgs 1:10) and closed up the sky for three years (1 Kgs 17:1; cf. 18:1).
- 11:7 The beast…from the abyss: the Roman emperor Nero, who symbolizes the forces of evil, or the antichrist (Rev 13:1, 8; 17:8); cf. Dn 7:2–8, 11–12, 19–22 and Introduction.
- 11:8 The great city: this expression is used constantly in Revelation for Babylon, i.e., Rome; cf. Rev 14:8; 16:19; 17:18; 18:2, 10, 21. “Sodom” and “Egypt”: symbols of immorality (cf. Is 1:10) and oppression of God’s people (cf. Ex 1:11–14). Where indeed their Lord was crucified: not the geographical but the symbolic Jerusalem that rejects God and his witnesses, i.e., Rome, called Babylon in Rev 16–18; see note on Rev 17:9 and Introduction.
- 11:9–12 Over the martyrdom (Rev 11:7) of the two witnesses, now called prophets, the ungodly rejoice for three and a half days, a symbolic period of time; see note on Rev 11:2. Afterwards they go in triumph to heaven, as did Elijah (2 Kgs 2:11).
Revelation 11:4-12
New International Version
Revelation 11:4-12
New International Version
4 They are “the two olive trees”(A) and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”[a](B) 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies.(C) This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.(D) 6 They have power to shut up the heavens(E) so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying;(F) and they have power to turn the waters into blood(G) and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast(H) that comes up from the Abyss(I) will attack them,(J) and overpower and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city(K)—which is figuratively called Sodom(L) and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.(M) 9 For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation(N) will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.(O) 10 The inhabitants of the earth(P) will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts,(Q) because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
11 But after the three and a half days(R) the breath[b] of life from God entered them,(S) and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.”(T) And they went up to heaven in a cloud,(U) while their enemies looked on.
Footnotes
- Revelation 11:4 See Zech. 4:3,11,14.
- Revelation 11:11 Or Spirit (see Ezek. 37:5,14)
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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