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Revelation 11 · Berean Standard Bible

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¹Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers there. ²But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months. ³And I will empower my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” ⁴These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. ⁵If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed. ⁶These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. ⁷When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them. ⁸Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city—figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where their Lord was also crucified. ⁹For three and a half days all peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will view their bodies and will not permit them to be laid in a tomb. ¹⁰And those who dwell on the earth will gloat over them, and will celebrate and send one another gifts, because these two prophets had tormented them. ¹¹But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered the two witnesses, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell upon those who saw them. ¹²And the witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched them. ¹³And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand were killed in the quake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. ¹⁴The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming shortly. ¹⁵Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” ¹⁶And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷saying: “We give thanks to You, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. ¹⁸The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward Your servants the prophets, as well as the saints and those who fear Your name, both small and great— and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” ¹⁹Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

Berean Standard Bible · public domain. More versions and languages in the Reading Plan.

Revelation

Revelation 11

"The Two Witnesses and the Seventh Trumpet"

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Detailed Analysis

Event Description

Measuring the Temple: John is given a reed like a measuring rod and is told to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there, symbolizing God's preservation of His people. The Two Witnesses' Ministry: Two witnesses are granted power to prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. They represent God's authority and are often associated with Moses and Elijah because of their ability to shut the heavens and turn waters into blood. Persecution and Death: The witnesses face opposition, and the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack, overpower, and kill them. Their bodies lie in the public square of the great city, symbolically called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Resurrection and Ascension: After three and a half days, God breathes life into them, and they stand up. Fear falls on those who see them. Then they hear a loud voice from heaven saying, "Come up here," and they ascend to heaven in a cloud.

Vivid Artistic Descriptions

The Prophetic Witness and Heavenly Proclamation

The Measuring and Witnessing: Picture John measuring the temple, a symbolic act of preservation, followed by the emergence of the two witnesses, prophesying and performing signs amidst opposition. Triumph Over Persecution: Visualize the dramatic resurrection and ascension of the two witnesses, a powerful testament to God's authority and the ultimate victory over the forces of evil. The Seventh Trumpet's Triumph: Imagine the resounding sound of the seventh trumpet, heralding the transition of worldly kingdoms to the reign of Christ, a moment of cosmic significance.

The Prophetic Witness and Heavenly Proclamation

Song

The Witnesses' Tale and Heaven's Trumpet

Full Poem

TEMPLE MEASURED, WITNESSES STAND In holy measure, the temple stands, Amidst the turmoil of troubled lands. Two witnesses in sackcloth, God's word they bear, A testament of truth, in a world unfair. RESURRECTION AND VICTORY Slain, then raised, a sight to behold, God's power in them, divinely bold. "Come up here," a voice from the sky, In triumph, to heaven, they ascend on high. THE SEVENTH TRUMPET CALLS The seventh trumpet, a heavenly blast, Proclaims God's reign, eternal and vast. The elders worship, the temple shines bright, God's kingdom established, in power and might.

Conclusion

Prophetic Faithfulness and Divine Sovereignty: Chapter 11 combines themes of prophetic faithfulness amidst persecution with the ultimate assertion of divine sovereignty as heralded by the seventh trumpet. Cross-References: Zechariah 4:11-14: The two olive trees and two lampstands standing before the Lord, similar to the two witnesses. Daniel 7:13-14: The vision of the Son of Man being given authority, glory, and sovereign power, echoed in the seventh trumpet proclamation. 1 Corinthians 15:52: The last trumpet, when the dead will be raised imperishable, resonating with the resurrection of the two witnesses. In summary, Revelation 11 presents a striking narrative of the two witnesses, embodying faithfulness and divine authority, and the sounding of the seventh trumpet, signaling the culmination of God's kingdom and the affirmation of His eternal sovereignty. This chapter intertwines moments of profound spiritual conflict with the ultimate triumph of God's plan, emphasizing the victory of divine justice and the establishment of God's reign.