Revelation 11: The Two Witnesses — ReidOne Bible Study

Revelation 11 (WEB)

1 A reed like a rod was given to me. Someone said, “Rise, and measure God’s temple, and the altar, and those who worship in it.

2 Leave out the court which is outside of the temple, and don’t measure it, for it has been given to the nations. They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months.

3 I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”

4 These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands, standing before the Lord of the earth.

5 If anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. If anyone desires to harm them, he must be killed in this way.

6 These have the power to shut up the sky, that it may not rain during the days of their prophecy. They have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.

7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.

8 Their dead bodies will be in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

9 From among the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations people will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.

10 Those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and they will be glad. They will give gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

11 After the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them.

12 I heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” They went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies saw them.

13 In that day there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe comes quickly.

15 The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!”

16 The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God’s throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God,

17 saying: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was; because you have taken your great power, and reigned.

18 The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints, and those who fear your name, to the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

19 God’s temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed.

Revelation 11 (KJV)

1 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 11 (ASV)

1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and one said, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

2 And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

3 And I will give 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 Lord of the earth.

5 And if any man desireth to hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies; and if any man shall desire to hurt them, in this manner must he be killed.

6 These have the power to shut the heaven, that it rain not during the days of their prophecy: and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they shall desire.

7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.

8 And their dead bodies lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

9 And from among the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations do men look upon their dead bodies three days and a half, and suffer not their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.

10 And they that dwell on the earth rejoice over them, and make merry; and they shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth.

11 And after the three days and a half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them that beheld them.

12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they went up into heaven in the cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

13 And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell; and there were killed in the earthquake seven thousand persons: and the rest were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second Woe is past: behold, the third Woe cometh quickly.

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is becomethe kingdomof our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign for ever and ever.

16 And the four and twenty elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell upon their faces and worshipped God,

17 saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast; because thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign.

18 And the nations were wroth, and thy wrath came, and the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth.

19 And there was opened the temple of God that is in heaven; and there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant; and there followed lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Summary

John is given a reed and told to measure God's temple and those who worship there, while the outer court is left to the nations who will trample the holy city. God appoints two witnesses, clothed in sackcloth, to prophesy with great power, guarded by fire from their mouths and authority over the sky and waters. When their testimony is complete, the beast from the abyss makes war on them, kills them, and leaves their bodies in the street of the great city while the world gloats and exchanges gifts. But after three and a half days the breath of life from God enters them; they rise and ascend in a cloud as their enemies watch in terror. A great earthquake follows, and the survivors give glory to the God of heaven. Then the seventh trumpet sounds, and loud voices in heaven announce that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, who will reign forever. The twenty-four elders fall in worship, thanking God that he has taken his power and begun to reign, judging the dead and rewarding his servants. God's heavenly temple is opened, revealing the ark of his covenant amid lightning and thunder—a sign of his faithful, covenant presence.

Key Figures

The two witnesses — Faithful prophets clothed in sackcloth who testify with power, are killed by the beast, and are raised and taken up to heaven in the sight of their enemies.
The beast from the abyss — The hostile power that wages war on the witnesses and kills them, embodying the world's opposition to God's testimony.
God and his Christ — The Lord whose kingdom is proclaimed at the seventh trumpet, who takes his great power, begins to reign, and is worshiped by the elders.

Key Verse

Revelation 11:15 (WEB)

The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!

Lessons Learned

God preserves and empowers faithful witness even in a hostile world.
The death of God's witnesses is not the end; resurrection follows.
The world's apparent triumph over God's people is brief and overturned.
History is moving toward the moment when Christ's reign is openly proclaimed and complete.

God empowers his witnesses. He says, “I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy” (Revelation 11:3, WEB). Faithful testimony is sustained by God's own authority.
Death cannot silence God's truth. After they are killed, “the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet” (Revelation 11:11, WEB). Resurrection answers martyrdom.
Christ's kingdom is certain. “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15, WEB). The outcome of history is already declared.
God reigns and judges justly. The elders praise him for taking his power “and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward” (Revelation 11:18, WEB). His reign means both judgment and reward.

What does the empowering of the two witnesses teach us about God's care for faithful testimony?
How does the resurrection of the witnesses reframe the world's apparent victory over them?
Why is the announcement at the seventh trumpet such a turning point in the book?
What does the worship of the elders reveal about the nature of Christ's reign?
How does the certainty that the kingdom belongs to our Lord encourage you to witness faithfully even when it is costly?

The witnesses prophesy under God's protection and power until their work is done (11:3-6). Help the group see that God sustains faithful testimony and that no enemy can cut it short before its appointed completion.
The world celebrates the death of the witnesses, but God breathes life into them and takes them up (11:11-12). Their resurrection turns mockery into terror and shows that the church's apparent defeats are not final in God's hands.
The seventh trumpet declares the decisive truth toward which the whole book moves: the kingdoms of this world have become Christ's. Even though judgment and consummation still unfold, the outcome is settled and certain.
The elders thank God that he has taken his power and reigns, bringing judgment to the destroyers and reward to his servants (11:17-18). His kingdom is both just and gracious—it sets wrongs right and honors faithfulness.
This is a personal-application question. Invite members to consider what faithful witness costs them and to draw courage from the certainty that Christ's reign cannot fail. As leader, encourage them to testify with hope, knowing the kingdom is secure.