Book of Common Prayer

Two witnesses

11 Then a measuring rod like a staff was given to me. “Get up,” said a voice, “and measure God’s temple, and the altar, and those who are worshiping in it. ² But omit the outer court of the temple. Don’t measure it. It is given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. ³ I will give my two witnesses the task of prophesying, clothed in sackcloth, for those one thousand two hundred and sixty days. ⁴ These two are the two olive trees, the two lampstands, which stand before the Lord of the earth. ⁵ If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and devours their enemies. So if anyone wants to harm them, that is how such a person must be killed. ⁶ These two have authority to shut up the sky, so that it will not rain during the days of their prophecy. They have authority over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with any plague, as often as they see fit. ⁷ When they have completed their testimony, the monster that comes up from the Abyss will make war on them, and will defeat and kill them. ⁸ Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. ⁹ Their bodies will be seen by the peoples, tribes, languages and nations for three and a half days. They will not allow their bodies to be buried in a tomb. ¹⁰ The inhabitants of the earth will celebrate over them, and make merry, and send presents to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who live on earth.”

¹¹ After the three and a half days the spirit of life from God came in to them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on all who saw them. ¹² Then they heard a loud voice from heaven. “Come up here!” it said. And they went up to heaven on a cloud, with their enemies looking on. ¹³ At that moment there was a huge earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand of the people were killed by the earthquake. The rest were very much afraid, and glorified the God of heaven.

¹⁴ The second Woe has passed. The third Woe is coming very soon.

Jesus and Beelzebul

¹⁴ Jesus was casting out a demon that prevented speech. When the demon had gone out, the man who had been silent spoke, and the crowds were amazed. ¹⁵ But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons!” ¹⁶ Others, trying to test him out, asked him to produce a sign from heaven.

¹⁷ Jesus knew what they were thinking.

“Every kingdom split down the middle goes to ruin,” he said. “If a house turns in on itself, it falls. ¹⁸ Well then: if even the satan is split down the middle, how can his kingdom last? This,” he added, “is because you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul!

¹⁹ “Now look: supposing I do cast out demons by Beelzebul, whose power are your own people using when they cast them out? Think about it: they will be your judges. ²⁰ But if it’s by God’s finger that I cast out demons, then God’s kingdom has come upon you.

²¹ “Imagine a strong man, armed to the teeth, guarding his palace. Everything he owns is safe and sound. ²² But supposing someone stronger comes and overpowers him, and takes away the armor he was trusting in—then he can help himself and start dividing up the plunder! ²³ If you’re not with me, you’re against me. If you’re not gathering with me, you’re scattering.

²⁴ “When the unclean spirit goes out of a person, it roams through desert landscapes looking for a place to rest. When it doesn’t find anywhere, it says to itself, ‘I shall go back to the house I left behind.’ ²⁵ And it finds the place neat and tidy. ²⁶ So it sets off and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and goes back to live there. That person will end up worse off than he began.”