The Two Witnesses
1 Then there was given to me ameasuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar [of incense], and [count] those who worship in it.
2 But leave out the court [of the Gentiles] which is outside the temple and do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles (the nations); and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months (three and one-half years).
3 And I will grantauthorityto My two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days (forty-two months; three and one-half years), dressed insackcloth.”
4 These [witnesses] are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand before the Lord of the earth.
5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.
6 These [two witnesses] have the power [from God] to shut up the sky, so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophesying [regarding judgment and salvation]; and they have power over the waters (seas, rivers) to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every [kind of] plague, as often as they wish.
7 When they have finished their testimonyandgiven their evidence, the beast that comes up out of the abyss (bottomless pit) will wage war with them, and overcome them and kill them.
8 And their dead bodieswill lie exposedin the open street of the great city (Jerusalem), which in a spiritual sense is called [by the symbolic and allegorical names of] Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
9 Those from the peoples and tribes and languages and nationslook at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.
10 And those [non-believers] who live on the earth will gloat over them and rejoice; and they will send gifts [in celebration] to one another, because these two prophets tormentedandtroubled those who live on the earth.
11 But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fearandpanic fell on those who were watching them.
12 And the two witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they ascended into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.
13 And in that [very] hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fellandwas destroyed; seven thousandpeople were killed in the earthquake, and the rest [who survived] were overcome with terror, andthey glorified the God of heaven [as they recognized His awesome power].
14 The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
The Seventh Trumpet–Christ’s Reign Foreseen
15 Then the seventh angel sounded [his trumpet]; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
“The kingdom (dominion, rule) of the world has becomethe kingdomof our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
16 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell face downward and worshiped God,
17 saying,
“To You we give thanks, O Lord God Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all], Who are and Who were, because You have taken Your great powerandthe sovereignty [which is rightly Yours] and have [now] begun to reign.
18 And the nations (Gentiles) became enraged, and Your wrathandindignation came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and [the time came] to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints (God’s people) and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and [the time came] to destroy the destroyers of the earth.”
19 And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning, loud rumblings and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.