Revelation 11
Expanded Bible
The Two Witnesses
11 I was given a ·measuring stick [C a reed or cane used for measuring] like a ·rod [staff; walking stick], and I was told, ·Go [Get up] and measure the temple of God and the altar, ·and count [or including] the people worshiping there [C probably to show God’s control and protection of his people; Ezek. 40:3, 5]. 2 But do not measure the ·yard [courtyard] outside the temple. Leave it ·alone [out], because it has been given to ·those who are not God’s people [the Gentiles; the nations]. And they will trample on the holy city [C Jerusalem] for forty-two months [C a period of oppression—either literal or symbolic—equal to three and a half years; see Dan. 7:25; 12:7, 11–12]. 3 And I will ·give power to [or appoint; L give to] my two witnesses to prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days [C 42 months reckoned as 30 days each], ·and they will be dressed in rough cloth to show their sadness [L dressed in sackcloth; C mourning clothes].”
4 These two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth [C reminiscent of Zerubbabel and Joshua whom God used to build the second temple in spite of opposition; Zech. 4:2–6]. 5 And if anyone ·tries [wants] to ·hurt [harm; damage] them, fire comes from their mouths and ·kills [consumes; devours] their enemies [Jer. 5:14]. And if anyone ·tries [wants] to ·hurt [harm; damage] them in whatever way, in that same way that person ·will [or must] die. 6 These witnesses have the ·power [authority] to ·stop the sky [close the heavens] from raining during the time they are prophesying [1 Kin. 17:1]. And they have ·power [authority] to make the waters become blood [8:8; 16:3–4; Ex. 7:17–21], and they have ·power [authority] to send every kind of ·trouble [plague] to the earth as many times as they want.
7 When the two witnesses have finished ·telling their message [giving their witness/testimony], the beast [C probably the Antichrist; 13:1; 17:8; Dan. 7] that comes up from the ·bottomless pit [Abyss; 9:1] will fight a war against them. He will ·defeat [conquer] them and kill them. 8 The ·bodies [corpses] of the two witnesses will lie in the ·street [public square; C to be left unburied as a sign of disdain] of the great city where the Lord was ·killed [L crucified; C Jerusalem, perhaps here symbolic of the world’s opposition to God]. ·This city is named Sodom and Egypt, which has a spiritual meaning [L …which is figuratively/symbolically/spiritually called Sodom and Egypt; C Jerusalem is symbolically named after places judged by God for wickedness (Sodom) and for oppressing God’s people (Egypt); Gen. 19; Ex. 7—12]. 9 Those from every race of people, tribe, language, and nation will look at the bodies of the two witnesses for three and one-half days, and they will ·refuse to bury them [L not let them be placed in a tomb]. 10 People who live on the earth will rejoice and ·be happy [celebrate] because these two are dead. They will send each other gifts, because these two prophets brought much ·suffering [torment] to those who live on the earth.
11 But after [L the] three and one-half days, ·God put the breath of life into the two prophets again [L a breath/spirit of life from God entered them; Gen. 2:7]. They stood on their feet, and everyone who saw them became very afraid. 12 Then the two prophets heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Come up here!” And they went up into heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.
13 In the same hour there was a ·great [violent] earthquake, and a tenth of the city ·was destroyed [collapsed; L fell]. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and those who did not die were very afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven [Ezek. 38:19–20; Zech. 14:4].
14 The second ·trouble [L woe] is finished. ·Pay attention [Look; T Behold]: The third ·trouble [L woe] is coming ·soon [quickly; 8:13].
The Seventh Trumpet
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet. And there were loud voices in heaven, saying:
“·The power to rule the world now belongs to [or The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of] our Lord and his Christ [C Greek for Messiah or Anointed One],
and he will ·rule [reign] forever and ever [2 Sam. 7:16; Dan. 7:14, 18; Luke 1:32–33].”
16 Then the twenty-four elders [4:4], who sit on their thrones before God, ·bowed down [fell] on their faces and worshiped God. 17 They said:
“We give thanks to you, Lord God ·Almighty [All-powerful],
[the One] who is and [the One] who was [C in contrast with 1:4, 8; 4:8, this lacks the future reference, “who is coming,” because here God has commenced his future reign],
because you have ·used [or taken; or received] your great power
and have begun to rule!
18 The ·people of the world [nations; Gentiles] were angry [Ps. 2:1],
but your ·anger [wrath] has come.
The time has come to judge the dead [Dan. 12:2],
and to reward your servants the prophets
and your ·holy people [T saints],
·all who respect you [L those who fear your name], small and great.
The time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth!”
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened. The ·Ark that holds the agreement God gave to his people [L Ark of his Covenant] could be seen in his temple. Then there were flashes of lightning, ·noises, thunder [rumbling thunder], an earthquake, and a great hailstorm [C typical accompaniments to the arrival of God; 4:5].
Revelation 11
Legacy Standard Bible
The Two Witnesses
11 Then a [a](A)measuring rod like a staff was given to me, (B)saying, “Get up and measure the sanctuary of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. 2 And [b]leave out the (C)court which is outside the sanctuary and do not measure it, for (D)it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will (E)trample (F)the holy city under foot for (G)forty-two months. 3 And I will give authority to my two (H)witnesses, and they will prophesy for (I)1,260 days, clothed in (J)sackcloth.” 4 These are the (K)two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone wishes to harm them, (L)fire comes out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wishes to harm them, (M)he must be killed in this way. 6 These have the authority to (N)shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during (O)the days of their prophesying; they also have authority over the waters to (P)turn them into blood, and (Q)to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they wish.
7 And when they have finished their witness, (R)the beast that comes up out of the (S)abyss will (T)make war with them and overcome them and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the (U)great city which spiritually is called (V)Sodom and (W)Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 And those from (X)the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead [c]bodies for three and a half days, and [d](Y)will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10 And (Z)those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate and (AA)send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented (AB)those who dwell on the earth.
11 But after the three and a half days, (AC)the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “(AD)Come up here.” Then they (AE)went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And in that hour there was a great (AF)earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; [e]seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and (AG)gave glory to the (AH)God of heaven.
14 The second (AI)woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 Then the (AJ)seventh angel sounded, and there were (AK)loud voices in heaven, saying,
“(AL)The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of (AM)His [f]Christ, and (AN)He will reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders, who (AO)sit on their thrones before God, (AP)fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,
“We give You thanks, (AQ)O Lord God, the Almighty, who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to (AR)reign. 18 And (AS)the nations were enraged, and (AT)Your rage came, and (AU)the time came for the dead to be judged, and to give reward to Your (AV)slaves—the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, (AW)the small and the great—and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
19 And (AX)the sanctuary of God which is in heaven was opened, and (AY)the ark of His covenant appeared in His sanctuary, and there were flashes of (AZ)lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a (BA)great [g]hailstorm.
Footnotes
- Revelation 11:1 Lit reed
- Revelation 11:2 Lit Throw out
- Revelation 11:9 Lit body
- Revelation 11:9 Lit do not permit
- Revelation 11:13 Lit names of people, seven thousand
- Revelation 11:15 Messiah
- Revelation 11:19 Lit hail
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