Revelation 11
Living Bible
11 Now I was given a measuring stick and told to go and measure the temple of God, including the inner court where the altar stands, and to count the number of worshipers.[a] 2 “But do not measure the outer court,” I was told, “for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the Holy City for forty-two months.[b] 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses to prophesy 1,260 days clothed in sackcloth.”
4 These two prophets are the two olive trees,[c] and two candlesticks standing before the God of all the earth. 5 Anyone trying to harm them will be killed by bursts of fire shooting from their mouths. 6 They have power to shut the skies so that no rain will fall during the three and a half years they prophesy, and to turn rivers and oceans to blood, and to send every kind of plague upon the earth as often as they wish.
7 When they complete the three and a half years of their solemn testimony, the tyrant who comes out of the bottomless pit[d] will declare war against them and conquer and kill them; 8-9 and for three and a half days their bodies will be exposed in the streets of Jerusalem (the city fittingly described as “Sodom” or “Egypt”)—the very place where their Lord was crucified. No one will be allowed to bury them, and people from many nations will crowd around to gaze at them. 10 And there will be a worldwide holiday—people everywhere will rejoice and give presents to each other and throw parties to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them so much!
11 But after three and a half days, the spirit of life from God will enter them, and they will stand up! And great fear will fall on everyone. 12 Then a loud voice will shout from heaven, “Come up!” And they will rise to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watch.
13 The same hour there will be a terrible earthquake that levels a tenth of the city, leaving 7,000 dead. Then everyone left will, in their terror, give glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past, but the third quickly follows:
15 For just then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting down from heaven, “The Kingdom of this world now belongs to our Lord, and to his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.”[e]
16 And the twenty-four Elders sitting on their thrones before God threw themselves down in worship, saying, 17 “We give thanks, Lord God Almighty, who is and was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign. 18 The nations were angry with you, but now it is your turn to be angry with them. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants—prophets and people alike, all who fear your Name, both great and small—and to destroy those who have caused destruction upon the earth.”
19 Then, in heaven, the temple of God was opened and the ark of his covenant could be seen inside. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed and roared, and there was a great hailstorm, and the world was shaken by a mighty earthquake.
Footnotes
- Revelation 11:1 a measuring stick . . . and to count the number of worshipers, literally, “Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.”
- Revelation 11:2 forty-two months, three and a half years, as in Daniel 12:7; also for 1,260 days in v. 3.
- Revelation 11:4 two olive trees, see Zechariah 4:3, 11.
- Revelation 11:7 the bottomless pit, see 9:11.
- Revelation 11:15 The Kingdom of this world now belongs to our Lord, and to his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever, or “The Lord and his Anointed shall now rule the world from this day to eternity.”
Revelation 11
American Standard Version
11 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: [a]and one said, Rise, and measure the [b]temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2 And the court which is without the [c]temple [d]leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the [e]nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 3 And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 4 These are the two olive trees and the two [f]candlesticks, standing before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies; and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed. 6 These have the power to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the days of their prophecy: and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they shall desire. 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their [g]dead bodies lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do men look upon their [h]dead bodies three days and a half, and suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10 And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry; and they shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth. 11 And after the three days and a half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that beheld them. 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they went up into heaven in the cloud; and their enemies beheld them. 13 And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and there were killed in the earthquake [i]seven thousand persons: and the rest were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second Woe is past: behold, the third Woe cometh quickly.
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said,
The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign [j]for ever and ever.
16 And the four and twenty elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped God, 17 saying,
We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign. 18 And the nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to thy [k]servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth.
19 And there was opened the [l]temple of God that is in heaven; and there was seen in his [m]temple the ark of his covenant; and there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Footnotes
- Revelation 11:1 Greek saying.
- Revelation 11:1 Or, sanctuary
- Revelation 11:2 Or, sanctuary
- Revelation 11:2 Greek cast without.
- Revelation 11:2 Or, Gentiles
- Revelation 11:4 Greek lampstands.
- Revelation 11:8 Greek carcase.
- Revelation 11:9 Greek carcase.
- Revelation 11:13 Greek names of men, seven thousand. Compare 3:4.
- Revelation 11:15 Greek unto the ages of the ages.
- Revelation 11:18 Greek bondservants.
- Revelation 11:19 Or, sanctuary
- Revelation 11:19 Or, sanctuary
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