1I was given a measuring stick like a rod, and someone said, “Get up and measure God’s temple, the altar, and the people who worship there.
2But do not measure the courtyard outside the temple; leave it out. It has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.
3I will empower my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.”
4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, who stand before the Lord of the earth.
5If anyone tries to hurt them, fire comes out of their mouths and burns up their enemies. If anyone tries to hurt them, they must die in that way.
6They have the power to stop the sky from raining during the time they are prophesying. They also have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
7When they have finished telling their message, the beast that comes up from the abyss will fight against them, defeat them, and kill them.
8Their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, the same place where their Lord was crucified.
9People from every race, tribe, language, and nation will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and they will not allow their bodies to be buried in a tomb.
10Those who live on the earth will celebrate over them, be glad, and exchange gifts, because these two prophets tormented the people living on the earth.
11But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet. Great fear fell on everyone who saw them.
12Then I heard a loud voice from heaven telling them, “Come up here!” And they went up into heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.
13At that moment there was a massive earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people died in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14The second disaster is over. Look, the third disaster is coming soon.
15Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and loud voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. He will rule forever and ever!”
16The twenty-four elders, who were sitting on their thrones before God’s throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God,
17saying: “We thank you, Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun to rule.
18The nations were angry, but your anger has come. It is time for the dead to be judged, and to reward your servants the prophets, as well as your holy people, and those who respect your name, both important and unimportant; and to destroy those who are destroying the earth.”
19God’s temple in heaven opened, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant was visible in his temple. Then there were flashes of lightning, noises, thunder, an earthquake, and large hailstones.