The Two Witnesses
1I was given a long stick that looked like a measuring rod. I was told, “Go and measure the temple of God. And measure the altar where the people are worshiping. 2But do not measure the outer courtyard. That’s because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will take over the holy city for 42 months. 3I will appoint my two witnesses. And they will prophesy for 1,260 days. They will be dressed in the rough clothes people wear when they’re sad.” 4The witnesses are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands. And “they stand in front of the Lord of the earth.” (Zechariah 4:3,11,14) 5If 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. 6These 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. They can do this as often as they want to.
7When they have finished speaking, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them. He will overpower them and kill them. 8Their bodies will lie in the main street of the great city. It is also the city where their Lord was nailed to a cross. The city is sometimes compared to Sodom or Egypt. 9For three and a half days, people will stare at their bodies. These people will be from every tribe and nation, no matter what language they speak. They will refuse to bury them. 10Those who live on the earth will be happy about this. That’s because those two prophets had made them suffer. The people will celebrate by sending one another gifts.
11But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered the witnesses. They both stood up. Terror struck those who saw them. 12Then 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.
13At that same time 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.
14The second terrible judgment has passed. The third is coming soon.
The Seventh Trumpet
15The 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 Messiah.
He will rule for ever and ever.”
16The 24 elders were sitting on their thrones in front of God. They fell on their faces and worshiped God. 17They said,
“Lord God who rules over all, we give thanks to you.
You are the God who is and who was.
We give you thanks.
That’s because you have begun to rule with your great power.
18The 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 people 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.”
19Then 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 severe hailstorm.
Mashahidi Wawili
111:1 Eze 40:3; Ufu 21:15; 12:3; 11:19; Mwa 37:9Ndipo nikapewa mwanzi uliokuwa kama ufito wa kupimia, nikaambiwa, “Nenda ukapime hekalu la Mungu pamoja na madhabahu, nawe uwahesabu wale waabuduo humo. 211:2 Eze 40:17, 20; Lk 21:24; Ufu 21:2; Dan 12:7; Ufu 13:5Lakini usiupime ua wa nje wa Hekalu, uache, kwa sababu ua huo wamepewa watu wa Mataifa. Hao wataukanyagakanyaga mji mtakatifu kwa muda wa miezi arobaini na miwili. 311:3 Ufu 1:5; 2:13; Neh 9:1; Yon 3:5Nami nitawapa mashahidi wangu wawili uwezo, nao watoe unabii kwa muda wa siku 1,260, wakiwa wamevaa nguo za gunia.” 411:4 Za 52:8; Yer 11:16; Zek 4:14Hawa ndio ile mizeituni miwili na vile vinara viwili vya taa visimamavyo mbele za Bwana Mungu wa dunia yote. 511:5 2Sam 22:9; Ufu 9:17, 18; Hes 16:29, 35Kama mtu yeyote akitaka kuwadhuru, moto hutoka vinywani mwao na kuwateketeza adui zao. Hivi ndivyo impasavyo kufa mtu yeyote atakayetaka kuwadhuru. 611:6 Kut 7:17, 19; Ufu 8:8; Mt 2:13; Ufu 12:5Watu hawa wanao uwezo wa kufunga anga ili mvua isinyeshe wakati wote watakapokuwa wanatoa unabii wao. Nao watakuwa na uwezo wa kuyabadili maji kuwa damu na kuipiga dunia kwa kila aina ya mapigo mara kwa mara kama watakavyo.
711:7 Ufu 13:1-4; 13:7; Dan 7:21; 10:13, 21; 12:1; Yud 9; Mt 25:41Basi watakapokuwa wamemaliza ushuhuda wao, yule mnyama atokaye katika lile Shimo atapigana nao vita, atawashinda na kuwaua. 811:8 Yer 23:14; Eze 16:46; Hes 13:12Maiti zao zitabaki katika barabara ya mji mkubwa,11:8 Mji mkubwa hapa inamaanisha Yerusalemu ambako Bwana wao alisulubiwa. ambao kwa fumbo unaitwa Sodoma na Misri,11:8 Sodoma na Misri hapa inamaanisha Yerusalemu, kwa sababu mataifa watafanya uovu mwingi wa kila aina katika kipindi hicho cha miaka mitatu na nusu. ambapo pia Bwana wao alisulubiwa. 911:9 Za 79:2, 3Kwa muda wa siku tatu na nusu, watu wa kila kabila, jamaa, lugha na taifa wataziangalia hizo maiti zao na hawataruhusu wazikwe. 1011:10 Ufu 3:10; Neh 8:10, 12; Es 9:19, 22Watu waishio duniani watazitazama kwa furaha maiti za hao manabii wawili na kushangilia kwa kupeana zawadi kwa sababu hao manabii waliwatesa watu waishio duniani.
1111:11 Ufu 3:10; Neh 8:10, 12, 14Lakini baada ya zile siku tatu na nusu, pumzi ya uhai kutoka kwa Mungu ikawaingia, nao wakasimama kwa miguu yao na wote waliowaona wakaingiwa na hofu kuu. 1211:12 Ufu 4:1; 2Fal 2:11; Mdo 1:9Kisha wale manabii wawili wakasikia sauti kuu kutoka mbinguni ikiwaambia, “Njooni huku juu!” Nao wakapaa mbinguni katika wingu, wakati adui zao wakiwa wanawatazama.
1311:13 Ufu 6:12; 16:9; 19:7; 16:11; 12:3Saa iyo hiyo, kukatokea tetemeko kubwa la nchi na sehemu ya kumi ya mji ikaanguka. Watu elfu saba wakauawa katika tetemeko hilo, nao walionusurika wakaogopa sana, wakamtukuza Mungu wa mbinguni.
1411:14 Ufu 8:13Ole ya pili imekwisha kupita, tazama ole ya tatu inakuja upesi.
Tarumbeta Ya Saba
1511:15 Mt 24:31; Ufu 10:7; 6:10; 16:17; 19:1; 12:10; Za 145:13; Lk 1:33; Ufu 12:9Yule malaika wa saba akaipiga tarumbeta yake, pakawa na sauti kubwa mbinguni iliyosema:
“Ufalme wa ulimwengu umekuwa ufalme wa Bwana wetu na wa Kristo wake,
naye atatawala milele na milele.”
1611:16 Ufu 4:4Nao wale wazee ishirini na wanne, waliokuwa wameketi mbele za Mungu, kwenye viti vyao vya enzi, wakaanguka kifudifudi, wakamwabudu Mungu, 1711:17 Ufu 1:8; 19:6wakisema:
“Tunakushukuru, Bwana Mungu Mwenyezi,
uliyeko na uliyekuwako,
kwa kuwa umetwaa uweza wako mkuu
na ukaanza kutawala.
1811:18 Za 2:1; Ufu 10:7; 19:5Mataifa walikasirika nao
wakati wa ghadhabu yako umewadia.
Wakati umewadia wa kuwahukumu waliokufa
na kuwapa thawabu watumishi wako manabii
na watakatifu wako pamoja na wale wote
wanaoliheshimu Jina lako,
wakubwa kwa wadogo:
na kuwaangamiza wale wanaoiangamiza dunia.”
1911:19 Ufu 15:5, 8; 16:21Ndipo hekalu la Mungu lililoko mbinguni likafunguliwa, na sanduku la agano lake likaonekana humo ndani. Kukatokea mianga ya umeme wa radi, ngurumo, sauti za radi, tetemeko la nchi na mvua kubwa ya mawe.
