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1 Then I was given a long cane to use as a measuring rod,+ and was told, “go and measure off the area around+ the sanctuary of God and the altar, and make sure to include+ the people who are worshiping there.
2 Do not include, however,+ the outer court;+ you must leave out that+ area, because it is to be+ given over to the Gentiles, and they will trample on the holy city+ for forty-two months.+
3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days dressed in sackcloth.”+
4 These two witnesses+ are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, who+ stand in the very+ presence of the Lord of the earth.+
5 If anyone these two+ tries to harm,+ fire+ will come from their mouths and consume their enemies.+ Again, if anyone tries to do them harm,+ that is how+ he is doomed to be killed.
6 These two+ are going to have the authority to shut up the sky, so that there will be no rain+ during the entire+ time they+ are prophesying.+ They will also have authority over the waters, to turn them into blood,+ and authority+ to strike the earth+ with any kind of plague as often as they choose.
7 When the two witnesses have finished proclaiming their message,+ the beast that is going to come up out of the Abyss will wage war against them and defeat them and kill them.
8 Their dead bodies will lie in the main street of the great city [which is referred to figuratively as “Sodom”+ and “Egypt,”+ the city+ where their Lord was crucified].
9 People from every race and tribe and language+ and nation will look upon their dead bodies for three and a half days; the corpses+ they will refuse to allow to be placed in a tomb.
10 And the inhabitants of the land+ will celebrate their deaths+ and rejoice and send one another gifts,+ because these two prophets had brought so much suffering+ upon them.+
11 After the three and a half days, there came into the dead bodies+ a breath of life from God;+ the two witnesses+ stood to their feet, and terror+ fell upon those who saw them.
12 Then the two witnesses+ heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, “Come up here!” At that, they went up into heaven+ in a cloud, while+ their enemies looked on.+
13 At that moment+ there was a violent earthquake, and a tenth+ of the city collapsed; killed in the earthquake were seven thousand people.+ Those who survived, meanwhile, were absolutely+ terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven.)
14 Come and gone is the second woe.+ Take note: The third woe is coming quickly.
15 Then the seventh+ angel blew his trumpet, and there was an eruption of loud voices in heaven. They shouted:
“The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
and he will reign forever into the ages of the ages!”
16 The twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones in the very+ presence of God, threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and worshiped God,
17 saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who was,
because you have used+ your great power and begun to reign.
18 The Gentiles+ were enraged, but your wrath has come,
and the appointed time for the dead to be judged and to give your servants their reward,
the prophets and the holy ones and those who fear your name, both young and old,+
and to destroy those who are destroying the land.+”
19 Then God’s sanctuary in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen inside his sanctuary. And there were flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a violent hailstorm.