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The Two Cowboys

¹ I was then given a staff with measurements on it. I was told, "Go and measure the house of God and its altar. Take a tally of those worshiping there. ² Do not bother measuring the outer court because it has been handed over to the Outlaws. They will trample the Holy City for forty-two months. ³ I will send my two cowboys to preach the message for 1,260 days."

⁴ The two cowboys are the two olive trees and the two lanterns that stand before the Lord of the earth. ⁵ Those who try to harm them will be consumed by fire that comes out of the two cowboy's mouths. Everyone who tries to harm them will be utterly consumed in brimstone. ⁶ These two hands will have the power to stop the rain during the time they preach the good news. They will be able to turn springs into blood and strike the earth with any plague they wish as often as they want.

⁷ When their preaching is done, the foul beast will come up out of the abyss and fight them. The battle will be fierce and the cowboys will be killed. ⁸ Their bodies will lie like dead dogs in same streets where Jesus was crucified. Jerusalem will become like Sodom or Egypt. ⁹ People from all nations, tribes, crews, languages, and races will walk past their bodies for three and half days. They will keep the bodies from being buried. ¹⁰ There will be dancing and celebrating in the streets because these two cowboys were defeated. They will have blamed them for all the suffering the earth had endured.

¹¹ After the three and a half days were up, the breath of God came down and the cowboys stood back up. People ran for their lives and were terrified. ¹² Then the two cowboys heard a voice from heaven that said, "Get up here!" As their enemies watched, the two cowboys rode right into heaven in a cloud.

¹³ When they had gone, a mighty earthquake shook the foundations of the earth and a tenth of Jerusalem was destroyed along with seven thousand people. The ones left alive started praising the greatness and might of the God of Heaven.

¹⁴ The second horror had come to completion, but the third was saddling up.

The Seventh Bugle

¹⁵ Then the seventh angel sounded his bugle. Loud voices rang out in heaven saying, "The power to rule the world has now returned to God and his Messiah. He will rule forever and ever!" ¹⁶ The twenty-four old bosses, who sit on their thrones in front of God threw themselves down upon their faces and worshiped God saying, ¹⁷ "Almighty God! The one who is and who was. Thankfully, the time has come for you to reveal your power and regain your rule over the earth! ¹⁸ The angry nations now get to taste your wrath and power. The time has come for the dead to be judged. The time of reward has come for your cowboys, those who rode for you, served you, revered you, and trusted you. The time has come to bring destruction to the destroyers."

¹⁹ The doors of God's house in heaven were thrown open and the Ark of the Covenant was there for all to see. Lightning flashed, thunder roared, earthquakes shook, and hail filled the skies.