Revelation 11:1-12

GOD’S WORD Translation

God’s Two Witnesses

11 Then I was given a stick like a measuring stick. I was told, “Stand up and measure the temple of God and the altar. Count those who worship there. ² But do not measure the temple courtyard. Leave that out, because it is given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months. ³ I will allow my two witnesses who wear sackcloth to speak what God has revealed. They will speak for 1,260 days.”

⁴ These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands standing in the presence of the Lord of the earth. ⁵ If anyone wants to hurt them, fire comes out of the witnesses’ mouths and burns up their enemies. If anyone wants to hurt them, he must be killed the same way. ⁶ These witnesses have authority to shut the sky in order to keep rain from falling during the time they speak what God has revealed. They have authority to turn water into blood and to strike the earth with any plague as often as they want.

⁷ When the witnesses finish their testimony, the beast which comes from the bottomless pit will fight them, conquer them, and kill them. ⁸ Their dead bodies will lie on the street of the important city where their Lord was crucified. The spiritual names of that city are Sodom and Egypt. ⁹ For 3½ days some members of the people, tribes, languages, and nations will look at the witnesses’ dead bodies and will not allow anyone to bury them. ¹⁰ Those living on earth will gloat over the witnesses’ death. They will celebrate and send gifts to each other because these two prophets had tormented those living on earth.

¹¹ After 3½ days the breath of life from God entered the two witnesses, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who watched them. ¹² The witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven calling to them, “Come up here.” They went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.