Revelation 10 and 11 : Easy-to-Read Version
The Angel and the Little Scroll
10 1Then I saw another powerful angel coming down from heaven. The angel was dressed in a cloud. He had a rainbow around his head. The angel's face was like the sun, and his legs were like poles of fire. 2The angel was holding a small scroll. The scroll was open in his hand. The angel put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. 3The angel shouted loudly like the roaring of a lion. After the angel shouted, the voices of seven thunders spoke. 4The seven thunders spoke, and I started to write. But then I heard a voice from heaven. The voice said, "Don't write what the seven thunders said. Keep those things secret." 5Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. 6The angel made a promise by [the power of] the One who lives forever and ever. He (God) is the One who made the skies and all that is in them. He made the earth and all that is in it, and he made the sea and all that is in it. The angel said, "There will be no more waiting! 7In the days when the seventh angel is ready to blow his trumpet, God's secret plan will be finished. This plan is the Good News* God told to his servants, the prophets.*" 8Then I heard the same voice from heaven again. The voice said to me, "Go and take the open scroll that is in the angel's hand. This is the angel that is standing on the sea and on the land." 9So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. The angel said to me, "Take the scroll and eat it. It will be sour in your stomach. But in your mouth it will be sweet like honey." 10So I took the little scroll from the angel's hand. I ate the scroll. In my mouth it tasted sweet like honey. But after I ate it, it was sour in my stomach. 11Then I was told, "You must prophesy* again about many races of people, many nations, languages, and rulers."
Good News The news that God has made a way for people to have their sins forgiven and live with him forever. prophets People that spoke for God. prophesy To speak or teach things from God.
The Two Witnesses
11 1Then I was given a measuring rod as long as a walking stick. I was told, "Go and measure the temple* of God and the altar,* and count the people worshiping there. 2But don't measure the yard outside the temple. Leave that alone. That has been given to the people who are not Jews. Those people will walk on the holy city for 42 months. 3And I will give power to my two witnesses. And they will prophesy* for 1,260 days. They will be dressed in sackcloth.*" 4These two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5If a person tries to hurt the witnesses, fire comes from the mouths of the witnesses and kills their enemy. Any person that tries to hurt them will die like this. 6These witnesses have the power to stop the sky from raining during the time they are prophesying. These witnesses have power to make the water become blood. They have power to send every kind of trouble to the earth. They can do this as many times as they want. 7When the two witnesses have finished telling their message, the animal will fight against them. This is the animal that comes up from the bottomless pit. The animal will defeat them and kill them. 8The bodies of the two witnesses will lie in the street of the great city. This city is named Sodom* and Egypt. These names for the city have a special meaning. This is the city where the Lord was killed. 9People from every race of people, tribe, language, and nation will look at the bodies of the two witnesses for three and a half days. The people will refuse to bury them. 10People who live on the earth will be happy because these two are dead. They will have parties and send each other gifts. They will do these things because these two prophets (witnesses) brought much suffering to the people who live on the earth. 11But after three and a half days God let life enter the two prophets again. They stood on their feet. All the people who saw them were filled with fear. 12Then the two prophets heard a loud voice from heaven say, "Come up here!" And the two prophets went up into heaven in a cloud. Their enemies watched them go. 13At that same time there was a great earthquake. One tenth of the city was destroyed. And 7,000 people were killed in the earthquake. The people that did not die were very afraid. They gave glory to the God of heaven. 14The second great trouble is finished. The third great trouble is coming soon.
The Seventh Trumpet
15The seventh angel blew his trumpet. Then there were loud voices in heaven. The voices said: "The kingdom of the world has now become the kingdom of our Lord [God] and of his Christ.* And he will rule forever and ever." 16Then the 24 elders* bowed down on their faces and worshiped God. These are the elders who sit on their thrones before God. 17The elders said: "We give thanks to you, Lord God All-Powerful. You are the One who is and who [always] was. We thank you because you have used your great power and have begun to rule! 18The people of the world were angry; but now is the time for your anger. Now is the time for the dead people to be judged. It is time to reward your servants, the prophets,* and to reward your holy people,* the people, great and small, who respect you. It is time to destroy those people who destroy the earth!" 19Then God's temple* in heaven was opened. The holy box that holds the agreement* [that God gave to his people] could be seen in his temple. Then there were flashes of lightning, noises, thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
temple God's house--the place where God's people worship and serve him. Here, John sees it pictured as the special building in Jerusalem for Jewish worship. altar Place where sacrifices or gifts are offered to God. prophesy To speak or teach things from God. sackcloth A rough cloth made from animal hair. People sometimes wore it to show sadness. Sodom A town where very bad people lived. God punished them by destroying their city. Christ The "anointed one" (Messiah) or chosen of God. 24 elders These are probably great leaders of God's people. They may be the leaders of the twelve Jewish family groups, plus Jesus' twelve apostles. prophets People that spoke for God. holy people God's people are called holy because they are made pure through Christ, and they belong only to God. holy box that holds the agreement In the Most Holy Place of the Old Testament temple, there was a box that had in it the agreement God gave to his people (Ex. 25:10-22; 1 Kings 8:1-9; Heb. 9:4).