两位见证人

11 有一根杆子赐给我当量尺,同时有声音吩咐我说:“起来,量一量上帝的殿和祭坛,并数点在殿里敬拜的人。 你不用量圣殿的外院,因为这部分已经给了外族人,他们要践踏圣城四十二个月。 我要赐权柄给我的两个见证人,他们将身穿麻衣,传道一千二百六十天。”

这两位见证人就是竖立在世界之主面前的那两棵橄榄树和两座灯台。 若有人要伤害他们,他们便从口中喷出火焰,烧灭敌人;若有人企图加害他们,必定会这样被杀。 他们拥有权能,在传道期间可以关闭天空使雨不降在地上,又有权使水变成血,并随时用各样的灾祸击打世界。

当他们做完见证以后,从无底坑上来的兽要和他们交战,并战胜他们,把他们杀掉。 他们便陈尸在大城的街上,这大城按寓意名叫所多玛,又名埃及,是他们的主被钉在十字架上的地方。 三天半之久,他们的尸体不得埋葬,各民族、各部落、各语言族群、各国家的人都观看他们的尸体。 10 地上万民便兴高采烈,互相送礼道贺,因为这两位先知曾使地上的人受苦。

11 三天半过后,上帝的生命之气进入二人里面,他们便站立起来。看见的人都害怕极了! 12 接着天上有大声音呼唤他们说:“上这里来!”他们就在敌人的注视下驾云升上天去。 13 就在那一刻,发生了强烈的地震,那座城的十分之一倒塌了,因地震死亡的共七千人,生还者都在恐惧中将荣耀归给天上的上帝。

14 第二样灾难过去了,第三样灾难又接踵而来!

第七位天使吹号

15 第七位天使吹响号角的时候,天上有大声音说:“世上的国度现在已经属于我们的主和祂所立的基督了。祂要做王,直到永永远远。” 16 在上帝面前,坐在自己座位上的二十四位长老都一同俯伏敬拜上帝,说:

17 “主啊!昔在、今在的全能上帝啊!
我们感谢你,
因你已施展大能做王了。
18 世上的列国曾向你发怒,
现在是你向他们发烈怒的日子了。
时候已到,你要审判死人,
你要赏赐你的奴仆、先知、圣徒
和一切不论尊卑敬畏你名的人,
你要毁灭那些毁坏世界的人。”

19 那时,天上上帝的圣殿敞开了,殿内的约柜清晰可见,又有闪电、巨响、雷鸣、地震和大冰雹。

The Two Witnesses

11 Then I was given (A)a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure (B)the court outside the temple; leave that out, for (C)it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for (D)forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for (E)1,260 days, (F)clothed in sackcloth.”

These are (G)the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone would harm them, (H)fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, (I)this is how he is doomed to be killed. They have the power (J)to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and (K)to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. And when they have finished their testimony, (L)the beast that rises from (M)the bottomless pit[a] (N)will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically[b] is called (O)Sodom and (P)Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and (Q)refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and (R)those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and (S)exchange presents, because these two prophets (T)had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days (U)a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, (V)“Come up here!” And (W)they went up to heaven (X)in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was (Y)a great earthquake, and (Z)a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and (AA)gave glory to (AB)the God of heaven.

14 (AC)The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.

The Seventh Trumpet

15 Then (AD)the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and (AE)there were loud voices in heaven, saying, (AF)“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of (AG)his Christ, and (AH)he shall reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders (AI)who sit on their thrones before God (AJ)fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
    (AK)who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
    and (AL)begun to reign.
18 The nations raged,
    but (AM)your wrath came,
    and (AN)the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
    and (AO)those who fear your name,
    both small and great,
and (AP)for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”

19 Then (AQ)God's temple in heaven was opened, and (AR)the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings,[c] peals of thunder, an earthquake, and (AS)heavy hail.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 11:7 Or the abyss
  2. Revelation 11:8 Greek spiritually
  3. Revelation 11:19 Or voices, or sounds

The Two Witnesses

11 Then a measuring rod like a staff was given to me. He said,[a] “Stand up and measure the incense altar and the temple of God and those who worship in it. Exclude the outer court of the temple and do not measure it, because it has been given to the heathen. They will trample the holy city for forty-two months. I will commission my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that are standing before the Lord of the earth. If anyone wants to harm them, fire is going to come out of their mouths and consume their enemies. If anyone should want to harm them, it is necessary that he be killed in this way.

These two have the authority to shut the sky so that no rain falls during the days when they are prophesying. They also have authority over the waters, to turn them into blood, and the authority to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

The Beast That Kills the Two Witnesses

When they finish their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will fight against them, conquer them, and kill them. Their dead bodies will lie on the street of the great city, which spiritually[b] is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

Some from the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days and will not permit them to be placed in a tomb. 10 Those who dwell on the earth will also rejoice over them and celebrate by sending gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

11 After three and a half days the breath of life from God came into them. They stood on their feet, and a great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And I[c] heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” They went up into heaven in a cloud, as their enemies watched them. 13 At that moment there was also a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed by the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave praise to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe is past. See, the third woe is coming soon.

The Seventh Trumpet: The End of the World

15 Then the seventh angel sounded 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,[d]
and he will reign forever and ever.

16 The twenty-four elders, who were sitting on their thrones before God, also fell on their faces and worshipped God, 17 saying:

We thank you, Lord God Almighty, who is, and who was,[e]
    because you have taken your great power and reigned.
18 The nations were angry, and your anger has come.
And the time has come
    when the dead are to be judged, and
    when you will give the reward to your servants the prophets
            and to your saints,
            namely, to those who fear your name, the small
                and the great, and
    when you will destroy those who destroy the earth.

19 And God’s temple in heaven was opened and the Ark of his Covenant was seen in his temple. And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 11:1 Some witnesses to the text read The angel stood there and said.
  2. Revelation 11:8 Or because of its spiritual condition
  3. Revelation 11:12 Some witnesses to the text read they.
  4. Revelation 11:15 Or Anointed One
  5. Revelation 11:17 A few witnesses to the text add and who is coming.