Revelation 10-12

Christian Standard Bible

The Mighty Angel and the Small Scroll

10 Then I saw another mighty angel^(A) coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow^(B) over his head.^[a] His face was like the sun, his legs^[b] were like pillars of fire,^{(C) 2} and he held a little scroll opened in his hand. He put his right foot on the sea, his left on the land, ³ and he called out with a loud voice like a roaring lion. When he cried out, the seven thunders raised their voices. ⁴ And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write, but 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 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 a delay, ⁷ but in the days when the seventh angel^(F) will blow his trumpet, then the mystery of God^(G) will be completed, as he announced to his servants the prophets.”^(H)

⁸ Then 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 they said to me, “You must prophesy again about^[c] many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”^(K)

The Two Witnesses

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

The Witnesses Martyred

⁷ When they finish their testimony, the beast^(W) that comes up out of the abyss^(X) will make war on them, conquer them, and kill them. ⁸ Their dead bodies^[i](Y) will lie in the main street^[j] of the great city,^(Z) which figuratively^[k] is called Sodom^(AA) and Egypt,^(AB) where also their Lord was crucified. ⁹ And some of^[l] the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations^(AC) will view their bodies for three and a half days and not permit their bodies to be put into a tomb.^{(AD) 10} Those who live on the earth will gloat^(AE) over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

The Witnesses Resurrected

¹¹ But after three and a half days, the breath^[m] of life^(AF) from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. ¹² Then they heard^[n] a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” They went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.^{(AG) 13} At that moment a violent earthquake took place,^(AH) 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.

¹⁴ The second woe^(AI) has passed. Take note: The third woe is coming soon!

The Seventh Trumpet

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

¹⁶ The twenty-four elders, who were seated before God on their thrones, fell facedown and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying,

¹⁹ Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant^[p] appeared in his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder,^(AQ) an earthquake,^[q] and severe hail.

The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon

12 A great sign^[r] appeared in heaven:^(AR) a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.^{(AS) 2} She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth.^{(AT) 3} Then another sign^[s] appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon^(AU) having seven heads and ten horns,^(AV) and on its heads were seven crowns.^{[t] 4} Its tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.^(AW) And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth it might devour her child.^{(AX) 5} She gave birth to a Son, a male who is going to rule^[u] all nations with an iron rod.^(AY) Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. ⁶ The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God,^(AZ) to be nourished there^[v] for 1,260 days.^(BA)

The Dragon Thrown Out of Heaven

⁷ Then war broke out in heaven: Michael^(BB) and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, ⁸ but he could not prevail,^(BC) and there was no place for them in heaven any longer.^{(BD) 9} So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent,^(BE) who is called the devil and Satan,^(BF) the one who deceives the whole world.^(BG) He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.^{(BH) 10} Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,

The Woman Persecuted

¹³ When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted^[w] the woman who had given birth to the male child. ¹⁴ The woman was given two wings of a great eagle,^(BO) so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time.^{(BP) 15} From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. ¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. ¹⁷ So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war^(BQ) against the rest of her offspring^[x](BR)—those who keep the commands of God^(BS) and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.^(BT)

The Beast from the Sea

¹⁸ The dragon^[y] stood on the sand of the sea.^[z]