Study of Revelations 11 and 12
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Revelation 11
The Message (MSG)
The Two
Witnesses
11 1-2 I was
given a stick for a measuring rod and told, “Get up and measure God’s Temple
and Altar and everyone worshiping in it. Exclude the outside court; don’t
measure it. It’s been handed over to non-Jewish outsiders. They’ll desecrate
the Holy City for forty-two months.
3-6 “Meanwhile,
I’ll provide my two Witnesses. Dressed in sackcloth, they’ll prophesy for
1,260 days. These are the two Olive Trees, the two Lampstands, standing at
attention before God on earth. If anyone tries to hurt them, a blast of fire
from their mouths will incinerate them—burn them to a crisp just like that.
They’ll have power to seal the sky so that it doesn’t rain for the time of
their prophesying, power to turn rivers and springs to blood, power to hit
earth with any and every disaster as often as they want.
7-10 “When they’ve
completed their witness, the Beast from the Abyss will emerge and fight them,
conquer and kill them, leaving their corpses exposed on the street of the
Great City spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, the same City where their
Master was crucified. For three and a half days they’ll be there—exposed,
prevented from getting a decent burial, stared at by the curious from all
over the world. Those people will cheer at the spectacle, shouting ‘Good
riddance!’ and calling for a celebration, for these two prophets pricked the
conscience of all the people on earth, made it impossible for them to enjoy
their sins.
11 “Then,
after three and a half days, the Living Spirit of God will enter them—they’re
on their feet!—and all those gloating spectators will be scared to death.”
12-13 I heard
a strong voice out of Heaven calling, “Come up here!” and up they went to
Heaven, wrapped in a cloud, their enemies watching it all. At that moment
there was a gigantic earthquake—a tenth of the city fell to ruin, seven
thousand perished in the earthquake, the rest frightened to the core of their
being, frightened into giving honor to the God-of-Heaven.
14 The
second doom is past, the third doom coming right on its heels.
The
Last Trumpet Sounds
15-18 The
seventh Angel trumpeted. A crescendo of voices in Heaven sang out,
The kingdom of the world is now
the Kingdom of our God and his Messiah! He will rule forever and ever!
The Twenty-four Elders
seated before God on their thrones fell to their knees, worshiped, and sang,
We thank you, O God, Sovereign-Strong,
Who Is and Who Was. You took your great power and took over—reigned! The angry nations now get a taste of your anger. The time has come to judge the dead, to reward your servants, all prophets and saints, Reward small and great who fear your Name, and destroy the destroyers of earth.
19 The
doors of God’s Temple in Heaven flew open, and the Ark of his Covenant was
clearly seen surrounded by flashes of lightning, loud shouts, peals of
thunder, an earthquake, and a fierce hailstorm.
Revelation 12
The Message (MSG)
The
Woman, Her Son, and the Dragon
12 1-2 A great
Sign appeared in Heaven: a Woman dressed all in sunlight, standing on the
moon, and crowned with Twelve Stars. She was giving birth to a Child and
cried out in the pain of childbirth.
3-4 And
then another Sign alongside the first: a huge and fiery Dragon! It had seven
heads and ten horns, a crown on each of the seven heads. With one flick of
its tail it knocked a third of the Stars from the sky and dumped them on
earth. The Dragon crouched before the Woman in childbirth, poised to eat up
the Child when it came.
5-6 The
Woman gave birth to a Son who will shepherd all nations with an iron rod. Her
Son was seized and placed safely before God on his Throne. The Woman herself
escaped to the desert to a place of safety prepared by God, all comforts
provided her for 1,260 days.
7-12 War
broke out in Heaven. Michael and his Angels fought the Dragon. The Dragon and
his Angels fought back, but were no match for Michael. They were cleared out
of Heaven, not a sign of them left. The great Dragon—ancient Serpent, the one
called Devil and Satan, the one who led the whole earth astray—thrown out,
and all his Angels thrown out with him, thrown down to earth. Then I heard a
strong voice out of Heaven saying,
Salvation and power are established!
Kingdom of our God, authority of his Messiah! The Accuser of our brothers and sisters thrown out, who accused them day and night before God. They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness. They weren’t in love with themselves; they were willing to die for Christ. So rejoice, O Heavens, and all who live there, but doom to earth and sea, For the Devil’s come down on you with both feet; he’s had a great fall; He’s wild and raging with anger; he hasn’t much time and he knows it.
13-17 When
the Dragon saw he’d been thrown to earth, he went after the Woman who had
given birth to the Man-Child. The Woman was given wings of a great eagle to
fly to a place in the desert to be kept in safety and comfort for a time and
times and half a time, safe and sound from the Serpent. The Serpent vomited a
river of water to swamp and drown her, but earth came to her help, swallowing
the water the Dragon spewed from its mouth. Helpless with rage, the Dragon
raged at the Woman, then went off to make war with the rest of her children,
the children who keep God’s commands and hold firm to the witness of Jesus.
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Revelation 11
King James Version (KJV)
11 And
there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise,
and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the
court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is
given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty
and two months.
3 And I
will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two
hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These
are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of
the earth.
5 And if
any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their
enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 These
have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy:
and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with
all plagues, as often as they will.
7 And
when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out
of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them,
and kill them.
8 And
their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 And
they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead
bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be
put in graves.
10 And
they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and
shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them
that dwelt on the earth.
11 And
after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them,
and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And
they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And
they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
13 And the
same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell,
and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were
affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The
second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
15 And the
seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The
kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his
Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
16 And the
four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their
faces, and worshipped God,
17 Saying,
We give thee thanks, O Lord God
Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to
thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
18 And the
nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that
they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants
the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and
great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
19 And the
temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark
of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and
an earthquake, and great hail.
Revelation 12
King James Version (KJV)
12 And
there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and
the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she
being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3 And
there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon,
having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his
tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the
earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered,
for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5 And she
brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron:
and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
6 And the
woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that
they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
7 And
there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon;
and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And
prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the
great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan,
which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him.
10 And I
heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and
the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our
brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And
they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore
rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the
earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great
wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13 And
when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman
which brought forth the man child.
14 And to
the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the
wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and
half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the
serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might
cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the
earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the
flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the
dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her
seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus
Christ.
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