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.
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.
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."
4 The witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand in front of the Lord of the earth.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
14 The second terrible judgment has passed. The third is coming soon.
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."
16 The 24 elders were sitting on their thrones in front of God. They fell on their faces and worshiped God.
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.
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."