Revelation 11
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
Revelation chapter 11 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
8 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Victorinus of Pettau.
Revelation 11
1Then a reed was given to me like a rod, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship in it.Καὶ ἐδόθη μοι κάλαμος ὅμοιος ῥάβδῳ, λέγων, Ἔγειρε καὶ μέτρησον τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας ἐν αὐτῷ.
2But leave out the outer court of the temple, and do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. And they shall trample the holy city for forty-two months.καὶ τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν ἔξωθεν τοῦ ναοῦ ἔκβαλε ἔξω καὶ μὴ αὐτὴν μετρήσῃς, ὅτι ἐδόθη τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν πατήσουσι μῆνας τεσσαράκοντα καὶ δύο.
3And I will give power to My two witnesses, and they shall prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, having been clothed in sackcloth.”καὶ δώσω τοῖς δυσὶ μάρτυσί μου, καὶ προφητεύσουσιν ἡμέρας χιλίας διακοσίας ἑξήκοντα περιβεβλημένοι σάκκους.
4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.Οὗτοί εἰσιν αἱ δύο ἐλαῖαι καὶ αἱ δύο λυχνίαι αἱ ἐνώπιον τοῦ Κυρίου τῆς γῆς ἑστῶτες.
5And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.καὶ εἴ τις αὐτοὺς θέλει ἀδικῆσαι, πῦρ ἐκπορεύεται ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῶν καὶ κατεσθίει τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῶν· καὶ εἴ τις θέλει αὐτοὺς ἀδικῆσαι, οὕτω δεῖ αὐτὸν ἀποκτανθῆναι.
6These men have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls during the days of their prophecy; and they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they wish.οὗτοι ἔχουσι τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐξουσίαν κλεῖσαι, ἵνα μὴ ὑετὸς βρέχῃ τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς προφητείας αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχουσιν ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων στρέφειν αὐτὰ εἰς αἷμα καὶ πατάξαι τὴν γῆν ὁσάκις ἐὰν θελήσωσιν ἐν πάσῃ πληγῇ.
7And when they finish their testimony, the beast who ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war with them, and will overcome them, and will kill them.Καὶ ὅταν τελέσωσι τὴν μαρτυρίαν αὐτῶν, τὸ θηρίον τὸ ἀναβαῖνον ἐκ τῆς ἀβύσσου ποιήσει μετ᾽ αὐτῶν πόλεμον καὶ νικήσει αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀποκτενεῖ αὐτούς.
8And their dead bodies will lie on the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.καὶ τὸ πτῶμα αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τῆς πλατείας τῆς πόλεως τῆς μεγάλης, ἥτις καλεῖται πνευματικῶς Σόδομα καὶ Αἴγυπτος, ὅπου καὶ ὁ Κύριος αὐτῶν ἐσταυρώθη.
9Then some of the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations shall see their dead bodies for three and a half days, and they will not allow their bodies to be put into a tomb.καὶ βλέπουσιν ἐκ τῶν λαῶν καὶ φυλῶν καὶ γλωσσῶν καὶ ἐθνῶν τὸ πτῶμα αὐτῶν ἡμέρας τρεῖς ἥμισυ, καὶ τὰ πτώματα αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀφήσουσι τεθῆναι εἰς μνῆμα.
10And those who dwell on the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and give gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς χαίρουσιν ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς καὶ εὐφρανθήσονται καὶ δῶρα δώσουσιν ἀλλήλοις, ὅτι οὗτοι οἱ δύο προφῆται ἐβασάνισαν τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.
11Now after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who were watching them.Καὶ μετὰ τὰς τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ ἥμισυ, πνεῦμα ζωῆς ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς αὐτούς, καὶ ἔστησαν ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν, καὶ φόβος μέγας ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τοὺς θεωροῦντας αὐτούς.
12And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them.καὶ ἤκουσα φωνὴν μεγάλην ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ λέγουσαν αὐτοῖς, Ἀνάβητε ὧδε. καὶ ἀνέβησαν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐν τῇ νεφέλῃ, καὶ ἐθεώρησαν αὐτοὺς οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν.
13In that day there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand men were killed. And the rest became fearful and gave glory to the God of heaven.ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγένετο σεισμὸς μέγας, καὶ τὸ δέκατον τῆς πόλεως ἔπεσε, καὶ ἀπεκτάνθησαν ἐν τῷ σεισμῷ ὀνόματα ἀνθρώπων χιλιάδες ἑπτά, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἔμφοβοι ἐγένοντο καὶ ἔδωκαν δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.
14The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.Ἡ οὐαὶ ἡ δευτέρα ἀπῆλθεν· ἡ οὐαὶ ἡ τρίτη, ἰδού, ἔρχεται ταχύ.
15Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”Καὶ ὁ ἕβδομος ἄγγελος ἐσάλπισε, καὶ ἐγένοντο φωναὶ μεγάλαι ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ λέγοντες, Ἐγένετο ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ κόσμου τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ βασιλεύσει εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων.
16And the twenty-four elders, those before the throne of God who sit on their thrones, fell on their faces and worshiped God,καὶ οἱ εἴκοσι τέσσαρες πρεσβύτεροι οἱ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ Θεοῦ, οἳ κάθηνται ἐπὶ τοὺς θρόνους αὐτῶν, ἔπεσον ἐπὶ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν καὶ προσεκύνησαν τῷ Θεῷ
17saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was, Because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.λέγοντες, Εὐχαριστοῦμέν σοι, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ, ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν, ὅτι εἴληφας τὴν δύναμίν σου τὴν μεγάλην καὶ ἐβασίλευσας.
18The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And to those that fear Your name, to the small and to the great, And to destroy those who destroy the earth.”καὶ τὰ ἔθνη ὠργίσθησαν, καὶ ἦλθεν ἡ ὀργή σου καὶ ὁ καιρὸς τῶν νεκρῶν κριθῆναι καὶ δοῦναι τὸν μισθὸν τοῖς δούλοις σου τοῖς προφήταις καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις καὶ τοῖς φοβουμένοις τὸ ὄνομά σου, τοῖς μικροῖς καὶ τοῖς μεγάλοις, καὶ διαφθεῖραι τοὺς διαφθείροντας τὴν γῆν.
19Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord appeared in His temple. And there were lightnings and voices and thunders, and great hail.Καὶ ἠνοίχθη ὁ ναὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ὤφθη ἡ κιβωτὸς τῆς διαθήκης τοῦ Κυρίου ἐν τῷ ναῷ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγένοντο ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταὶ καὶ χάλαζα μεγάλη.
The Fathers on Revelation 11
Victorinus of Pettau comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Revelation 11:1Victorinus of Pettau1. “And there was shown unto 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.”] A reed was shown like to a rod. This itself is the Apocalypse which he subsequently exhibited to the churches; for the Gospel of the complete faith...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 11:2Victorinus of Pettau2. “The court which is within the temple leave out.”] The space which is called the court is the empty altar within the walls: these being such as were not necessary, he commanded to be ejected from the Church. “It is given to be trodden down by the Gentiles.”] That is, to the men of this world, that it may be trodden...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 11:3Victorinus of Pettau3. “They shall tread the holy city down for forty and two months; and I will give to my two witnesses, and they shall predict a thousand two hundred and threescore days clothed in sackcloth.”] That is, three years and six months: these make forty-two months. Therefore their preaching is three years and six months, and...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 11:5Victorinus of Pettau5. “If any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies.”] That fire proceedeth out of the mouth of those prophets against the adversaries, bespeaks the power of the world. For all afflictions, however many there are, shall be sent by their messengers in their word. Many think...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 11:4Victorinus of Pettau4. “These are the two candlesticks standing before the Lord of the earth.”] These two candlesticks and two olive trees He has to this end spoken of, and admonished you that if, when you have read of them elsewhere, you have not understood, you may understand here. For in Zechariah, one of the twelve prophets, it is...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 11:7Victorinus of Pettau7. “And the beast which ascendeth from the abyss.”] After many plagues completed in the world, in the end he says that a beast ascended from the abyss. But that he shall ascend from the abyss is proved by many testimonies; for he says in the thirty-first chapter of Ezekiel: “Behold, Assur was a cypress in Mount...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 11:8Victorinus of Pettau8. “And their dead bodies shall lie in the streets of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt.”] But He calls Jerusalem Sodom and Egypt, since it had become the heaping up of the persecuting people. Therefore it behooves us diligently, and with the utmost care, to follow the prophetic announcement,...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →
On Revelation 11:19Open Revelation 11 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Victorinus of Pettau19. “And the temple of God was opened which is in heaven.”] The temple opened is a manifestation of our Lord. For the temple of God is the Son, as He Himself says: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” And when the Jews said, “Forty and six years was this temple in building,” the evangelist...
Read Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John →