The Two Witnesses
1 An angel gave me a measuring stick and said:
Measure around God's temple. Be sure to include the altar and everyone worshiping there. 2 But don't measure the courtyard outside the temple building. Leave it out. It has been given to those people who don't know God, and they will trample all over the holy city for 42 months. 3 My two witnesses will wear sackcloth, while I let them preach for 1,260 days.
4 These two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand in the presence of the Lord who rules the earth. 5 Any enemy who tries to harm them will be destroyed by the fire that comes out of their mouths. 6 They have the power to lock up the sky and to keep rain from falling while they are prophesying. And whenever they want to, they can turn water to blood and cause all kinds of terrible troubles on earth.
7 After the two witnesses have finished preaching God's message, the beast that lives in the deep pit will come up and fight against them. It will win the battle and kill them. 8 Their bodies will be left lying in the streets of the same great city where their Lord was nailed to a cross. And this city is spiritually like the city of Sodom or the country of Egypt.
9 For three and a half days the people of every nation, tribe, language, and race will stare at the bodies of these two witnesses and refuse to let them be buried. 10 Everyone on earth will celebrate and be happy. They will give gifts to each other, because of what happened to the two prophets who caused them so much trouble. 11 But three and a half days later, God will breathe life into their bodies. They will stand up, and everyone who sees them will be terrified.
12 The witnesses then heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, “Come up here.” And while their enemies were watching, they were taken up to heaven in a cloud. 13 At that same moment there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were frightened and praised the God who rules in heaven.
14 The second horrible thing has now happened! And the third one will be here soon.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 At the sound of the seventh trumpet, loud voices were heard in heaven. They said,
“Now the kingdom
of this world
belongs to our Lord
and to his Chosen One!
And he will rule
forever and ever!”
16 Then the 24 elders, who were seated on thrones in God's presence, knelt down and worshiped him. 17 They said,
“Lord God All-Powerful,
you are and you were,
and we thank you.
You used your great power
and started ruling.
18 When the nations got angry,
you became angry too!
Now the time has come
for the dead
to be judged.
It is time for you to reward
your servants the prophets
and all your people
who honor your name,
no matter who they are.
It is time to destroy everyone
who has destroyed
the earth.”
19 The door to God's temple in heaven was then opened, and the sacred chest could be seen inside the temple. I saw lightning and heard roars of thunder. The earth trembled and huge hailstones fell to the ground.
1 Then was giuen me a reede, like vnto a rod, and the Angel stoode by, saying, Rise and mete the Temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2 But the court which is without the temple cast out, and mete it not: for it is giuen vnto the Gentiles, and the holy citie shall they treade vnder foote, two and fourtie moneths. 3 But I wil giue power vnto my two witnesses, and they shall prophecie a thousande two hundreth and threescore dayes, clothed in sackcloth. 4 These are two oliue trees, and two candlestickes, standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if any man wil hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouthes, and deuoureth their enemies: for if any man would hurt the, thus must he be killed. 6 These haue power to shut heauen, that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecying, and haue power ouer waters to turne them into blood, and to smite the earth with all maner plagues, as often as they will. 7 And when they haue finished their testimonie, the beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit, shall make warre against them, and shall ouercome them, and kill them. 8 And their corpses shall lie in the streetes of the great citie, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord also was crucified. 9 And they of the people and kinreds, and tongues, and Gentiles shall see their corpses three dayes and an halfe, and shall not suffer their carkeises to be put in graues. 10 And they that dwell vpon the earth, shall reioyce ouer them and be glad, and shall sende giftes one to an other: for these two Prophets vexed them that dwelt on the earth. 11 But after three dayes and an halfe, the spirit of life comming from God, shall enter into them, and they shall stande vp vpon their feete: and great feare shall come vpon them which sawe them. 12 And they shall heare a great voyce from heauen, saying vnto them, Come vp hither. And they shall ascend vp to heauen in a cloude, and their enemies shall see them. 13 And the same houre shall there bee a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the citie shall fall, and in the earthquake shalbe slaine in nomber seuen thousande: and the remnant were sore feared, and gaue glorie to the God of heauen. 14 The second woe is past, and beholde, the third woe will come anon. 15 And the seuenth Angell blewe the trumpet, and there were great voyces in heauen, saying, The kingdomes of this worlde are our Lordes, and his Christes, and he shall reigne for euermore. 16 Then the foure and twentie Elders, which sate before God on their seates, fell vpon their faces, and worshipped God, 17 Saying, We giue thee thankes, Lord God almightie, Which art, and Which wast, and Which art to come: for thou hast receiued thy great might, and hast obteined thy kingdome. 18 And the Gentiles were angrie, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they shoulde be iudged, and that thou shouldest giue reward vnto thy seruants the Prophets, and to the Saintes, and to them that feare thy Name, to small and great, and shouldest destroy them, which destroy the earth. 19 Then the Temple of God was opened in heauen, and there was seene in his Temple the Arke of his couenant: and there were lightnings, and voyces, and thundrings, and earthquake, and much haile.