New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Revelation 11
1
I was given a long stick that looked like a measuring rod. I was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar. Count the worshipers who are there.
Reference
2
But do not measure the outer courtyard. It has been given to those who aren't Jews. They will overrun the holy city for 42 months.
Reference
Holy
Daniel 7:25
Daniel 12:7
Revelation 21:2
Isaiah 52:1
Revelation 22:19
Parallel theme
Revelation 12:6
Luke 21:24
Revelation 11:3
3
"I will give power to my two witnesses. They will prophesy for 1,260 days. They will be dressed in black clothes to show how sad they are."
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 12:6
Revelation 11:2
Revelation 13:5
Isaiah 22:12
Genesis 37:34
Witness
Deuteronomy 19:15
Acts 1:8
Acts 13:31
Matthew 18:16
Luke 24:48
4
The witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand in front of the Lord of the earth.
Reference
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 11:16
Revelation 1:20
Romans 11:17
Luke 11:33
References God
Psalm 52:8
Isaiah 54:5
5
If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and eats up their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.
Reference
6
These witnesses have power to close up the sky. Then it will not rain while they are prophesying. They also have power to turn the waters into blood. And they can strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want to.
Reference
7
When they have finished giving their witness, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them. He will overpower them and kill them.
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 13:7
Daniel 7:25
John 17:4
Luke 13:32
Revelation 13:11
Witness
Revelation 11:3
Acts 20:24
8
Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city where their Lord was nailed to the cross. The city is sometimes pictured as Sodom, or as Egypt.
Reference
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 23:14
Revelation 18:10
Revelation 18:21
Hebrews 13:12
Revelation 18:18
Revelation 11:9
2 Peter 2:6
Matthew 10:15
Jude 1:7
References Lord
Amos 4:11
9
For three and a half days, people from every tribe, language and nation will stare at their bodies. They will refuse to bury them.
Reference
10
Those who live on the earth will be happy about this and will celebrate. They will send each other gifts, because these two prophets had made them suffer.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 18:17
Revelation 3:10
Acts 5:33
Matthew 10:22
John 7:7
Micah 7:8
Prophecy
1 Kings 22:8
11
But after the three and a half days, a breath of life from God entered the two witnesses. They stood up. Terror struck those who saw them.
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 11:9
Acts 5:11
Jeremiah 33:9
References God
Genesis 2:7
Hosea 3:5
Spirit
Romans 8:11
Romans 8:2
Acts 5:5
12
Then the two witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven. It said to them, "Come up here." They went up to heaven in a cloud. Their enemies watched it happen.
Reference
13
At that very hour there was a powerful earthquake. A tenth of the city crumbled and fell. In the earthquake, 7,000 people were killed. Those who lived through it were terrified. They gave glory to the God of heaven.
Reference
Glory
Revelation 14:7
Joshua 7:19
Jeremiah 13:16
Parallel theme
Revelation 6:12
Revelation 8:5
Revelation 15:4
Revelation 19:7
References God
Revelation 11:11
Revelation 11:19
15
The seventh angel blew his trumpet. There were loud voices in heaven. They said, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. He will rule for ever and ever."
Reference
Kingdom
Daniel 7:14
Daniel 7:27
Revelation 12:10
Zechariah 14:9
Luke 1:33
Exodus 15:18
Daniel 7:18
Parallel theme
Revelation 10:7
Revelation 16:17
References Lord
Revelation 19:1
16
The 24 elders were sitting on their thrones in front of God. They fell on their faces and worshiped God.
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 4:4
Worship
Revelation 4:10
Revelation 7:11
Revelation 19:4
Revelation 5:14
17
They said, "Lord God who rules over all, we give thanks to you. You are the One who is and who was. We give you thanks because you have taken your great power and have begun to rule.
Reference
Kingdom
Revelation 19:6
Revelation 16:14
Revelation 15:3
Revelation 11:15
Parallel theme
Revelation 1:4
References God
Revelation 16:7
Psalm 57:11
References Lord
Revelation 1:8
Revelation 16:5
Psalm 21:13
18
The nations were angry, and the time for your anger has come. The time has come to judge the dead. It is time to reward your servants the prophets and your own people and those who honor you. There is a reward for all your people, both great and small. It is time to destroy those who destroy the earth."
Reference
Holy
Revelation 13:10
Judgment
Revelation 20:12
Revelation 15:7
Revelation 15:1
Revelation 14:10
Hebrews 9:27
Psalm 2:5
Parallel theme
Revelation 19:5
Revelation 22:12
Psalm 103:11
19
Then God's temple in heaven was opened. Inside it the wooden chest called the ark of his covenant could be seen. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings and thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
Reference
Covenant
Numbers 10:33
Light
Revelation 4:5
Revelation 8:5
Isaiah 30:30
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 38:22
Revelation 11:15
Revelation 19:11
Numbers 4:5
References God
Revelation 16:21
Temple
Numbers 4:15
Chapter Summary
Revelation 11 describes God's protection of His people, the powerful testimony and eventual death of two witnesses, their miraculous resurrection and vindication, and the sounding of the seventh trumpet announcing Christ's eternal kingdom, showing that evil may temporarily defeat God's servants but cannot ultimately prevent God's purposes or escape His final judgment.
The chapter begins with John being given a measuring rod and instructed to measure God's temple, the altar, and those worshiping there.
The act of measuring communicates God's awareness, ownership, and purpose concerning what belongs to Him.
However, John is told not to measure the outer court because it has been given to the nations.
They will trample the holy city for forty-two months, a period equivalent to three and a half years.
John is then introduced to two witnesses who receive authority to prophesy for 1,260 days.
They wear sackcloth, representing mourning, repentance, and the seriousness of their message.
Their ministry is accompanied by extraordinary signs.
They are described as two olive trees and two lampstands, imagery that recalls the prophetic vision of Zechariah and emphasizes God's empowering presence.
The witnesses are protected from their enemies during their appointed ministry.
They possess authority to perform signs resembling those associated with Moses and Elijah, including turning water into blood, bringing plagues, and stopping rain.
These similarities suggest that their ministry represents a powerful prophetic confrontation with a rebellious world.
However, their protection does not mean they will never suffer.
When they finish their testimony, the beast from the bottomless pit attacks them and kills them.
Their bodies remain publicly exposed in the great city, which is spiritually compared with Sodom and Egypt and identified with the place where Jesus was crucified.
People throughout the world see their bodies and celebrate their deaths because the witnesses had challenged them through their prophetic message.
The world even exchanges gifts in celebration.
This disturbing response demonstrates the depth of humanity's hostility toward God's truth.
Yet the apparent victory of evil lasts only three and a half days.
God breathes life into the witnesses.
They stand on their feet, causing great fear among those watching.
Then a voice from heaven calls them upward, and they ascend into heaven while their enemies watch.
Their resurrection and ascension demonstrate that God's servants may be killed, but death cannot ultimately defeat God's purposes.
A great earthquake follows, killing seven thousand people and terrifying those who survive.
Some respond by giving glory to the God of heaven.
The second woe has now passed, and the seventh trumpet is ready to sound.
When the seventh angel sounds, voices in heaven announce that the kingdoms of the world have become the kingdoms of God and His Christ.
This is one of the major declarations of Revelation.
Earthly kingdoms may appear powerful for a time, but their authority is temporary.
God's kingdom will ultimately prevail, and Christ's reign will continue forever.
The twenty-four elders respond by worshiping God.
They declare that God has taken His great power and begun to reign.
The nations may be angry, but God's judgment has arrived.
The time has come to judge the dead, reward God's servants, and deal with those who have corrupted and destroyed the earth.
The chapter closes with the temple of God in heaven being opened.
The ark of God's covenant becomes visible, accompanied by lightning, thunder, an earthquake, and great hail.
The appearance of the ark emphasizes God's covenant faithfulness.
Even while judgment is taking place, God remains faithful to His promises.
Revelation 11 teaches that God faithfully preserves His purposes and empowers His witnesses to proclaim the truth even in the face of intense opposition, allowing evil to appear victorious only temporarily before vindicating His servants through resurrection and bringing history toward the seventh trumpet, when Christ's eternal kingdom is publicly proclaimed, the nations are judged, God's faithful servants are rewarded, and His covenant faithfulness is revealed in glory.
The chapter begins with John being given a measuring rod and instructed to measure God's temple, the altar, and those worshiping there.
The act of measuring communicates God's awareness, ownership, and purpose concerning what belongs to Him.
However, John is told not to measure the outer court because it has been given to the nations.
They will trample the holy city for forty-two months, a period equivalent to three and a half years.
John is then introduced to two witnesses who receive authority to prophesy for 1,260 days.
They wear sackcloth, representing mourning, repentance, and the seriousness of their message.
Their ministry is accompanied by extraordinary signs.
They are described as two olive trees and two lampstands, imagery that recalls the prophetic vision of Zechariah and emphasizes God's empowering presence.
The witnesses are protected from their enemies during their appointed ministry.
They possess authority to perform signs resembling those associated with Moses and Elijah, including turning water into blood, bringing plagues, and stopping rain.
These similarities suggest that their ministry represents a powerful prophetic confrontation with a rebellious world.
However, their protection does not mean they will never suffer.
When they finish their testimony, the beast from the bottomless pit attacks them and kills them.
Their bodies remain publicly exposed in the great city, which is spiritually compared with Sodom and Egypt and identified with the place where Jesus was crucified.
People throughout the world see their bodies and celebrate their deaths because the witnesses had challenged them through their prophetic message.
The world even exchanges gifts in celebration.
This disturbing response demonstrates the depth of humanity's hostility toward God's truth.
Yet the apparent victory of evil lasts only three and a half days.
God breathes life into the witnesses.
They stand on their feet, causing great fear among those watching.
Then a voice from heaven calls them upward, and they ascend into heaven while their enemies watch.
Their resurrection and ascension demonstrate that God's servants may be killed, but death cannot ultimately defeat God's purposes.
A great earthquake follows, killing seven thousand people and terrifying those who survive.
Some respond by giving glory to the God of heaven.
The second woe has now passed, and the seventh trumpet is ready to sound.
When the seventh angel sounds, voices in heaven announce that the kingdoms of the world have become the kingdoms of God and His Christ.
This is one of the major declarations of Revelation.
Earthly kingdoms may appear powerful for a time, but their authority is temporary.
God's kingdom will ultimately prevail, and Christ's reign will continue forever.
The twenty-four elders respond by worshiping God.
They declare that God has taken His great power and begun to reign.
The nations may be angry, but God's judgment has arrived.
The time has come to judge the dead, reward God's servants, and deal with those who have corrupted and destroyed the earth.
The chapter closes with the temple of God in heaven being opened.
The ark of God's covenant becomes visible, accompanied by lightning, thunder, an earthquake, and great hail.
The appearance of the ark emphasizes God's covenant faithfulness.
Even while judgment is taking place, God remains faithful to His promises.
Revelation 11 teaches that God faithfully preserves His purposes and empowers His witnesses to proclaim the truth even in the face of intense opposition, allowing evil to appear victorious only temporarily before vindicating His servants through resurrection and bringing history toward the seventh trumpet, when Christ's eternal kingdom is publicly proclaimed, the nations are judged, God's faithful servants are rewarded, and His covenant faithfulness is revealed in glory.