< Revelation 11 >
1 [An angel gave] to me a reed similar to a measuring stick. He said [to me], “[Christ says this: ‘Go] to the temple [where people worship] God, measure it and the altar [in it], and count the people who worship there.
2 But do not measure the courtyard outside [of the temple] [DOU], because [it] has been given {[God] has given it} to [the] non-Jewish [people. As a result], they will trample [Jerusalem city] for 42 months.
3 I will appoint my two (witnesses/men who will tell others about me). They will proclaim what I reveal to them for 1,260 days. They will wear [rough] clothes made from goat’s hair [to show that they are sad about people’s sin].’”
4 Those [witnesses are the ones] that are represented by the two olive trees and the two lampstands that are in the presence of the Lord [who rules] the earth [SYM].
5 If enemies try to harm those [witnesses], fire will come from the mouths of the witnesses and destroy them. If people want to harm them, [the two witnesses] will certainly kill them similarly.
6 Those [witnesses] will have authority to keep rain from falling during the time that they are proclaiming what God reveals to them. They also will have authority to cause water [everywhere] to become [red like] [MET] blood, and [authority] to cause all kinds of plagues to occur. They will do this as often as they want to.
7 When they have finished proclaiming [to people the message from God], the beast that comes up (from the underworld/from the deep dark pit) will attack them, overcome them, and kill them. (Abyssos )
8 The dead bodies of the [two] witnesses will lie in the street of the great city where their Lord was crucified, the city that is symbolically named Sodom or Egypt [because its people are very evil, like the people who lived in Sodom and Egypt].
9 Individuals of many people-[groups], tribes, language [groups] [MTY], and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days. But these individuals will not allow [anyone] to bury their bodies.
10 When the [rebellious] people who live on the earth [see that the witnesses are dead], they will rejoice and celebrate. They will send gifts to each other, because these two prophets had [caused plagues to occur which] tormented the [rebellious] people on the earth.
11 But after three and a half days, God will cause those two witnesses to breathe again and live. They will stand up, and those who see them will be terrified.
12 The [two witnesses] will hear a loud voice which came from heaven saying to them: “Come up here!” Then they will go up to heaven in a cloud. Their enemies will see them [as they ascend].
13 At that same time there will be a terrible earthquake, which will cause a tenth of [the buildings in] [MTY] the city will collapse, and 7,000 people will die. The rest of the people will be afraid and [acknowledge] that the God [who rules in] heaven is awesome.
14 That will be the second terrible event. [Be aware that] the third tragic event will happen soon.
15 Then the seventh angel blew [his trumpet]. Angels in heaven shouted loudly, “Our Lord [God] and the Messiah [whom he has appointed] can now govern [everyone in] [MTY] the world, and they will continue to rule people forever!” (aiōn )
16 The 24 elders who sit on their thrones in God’s presence (prostrated themselves/bowed down low) and worshipped him.
17 They said: Lord God, you are the Almighty One! You are the one who exists now! You are the one who has always existed! We thank you that you have defeated by your power everyone who has rebelled against you, and you now rule over everyone in the world.
18 The unbelieving people of [MTY] the nations were raging at you. As a result you have become very angry with them. You have decided that this is the appropriate time for you to judge all the dead people. You have also decided that it is the time for you to reward all your servants, both the prophets and the rest of your people who reverence you [MTY], whether they were considered socially significant/important or socially insignificant/unimportant. It is time for you to reward all of them! You have also decided it is the time for you to destroy the people who are destroying others on the earth.
19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened {was open} and [I] saw in the temple the sacred box/chest that contains God’s commandments. Lightning was flashing, it was thundering and rumbling, the earth shook, and large hailstones [fell from the sky].
