Revelation Chapter 6 onwards, colour coded for ease of
reference in following the cyclic pattern. Key features.
The Primeval Period - Strife,
beginnings, tumult, chaos, setbacks
The time of trial - Battles, metal
killing implements & machines, wars, death, evil, the beast
The millennium - Harmony, balance,
fairness, removal of evil, technology, progress, direction
The time of tribulation - Onset of
decay, return of evil, need for protection, chosen ones, heat, sun, the need to
escape
The end of the world - escape of
chosen ones, new earth & new beginnings, total destruction, fire
6 1.
I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals.
Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like
thunder, "Come!" 2. I
looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was
given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
3.
When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature
say, "Come!" 4. Then
another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its
rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each
other. To him was given a large
sword.
5.
When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature
say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its
rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.
6. Then I heard what sounded
like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for
a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage
the oil and the wine!"
7.
When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth
living creature say, "Come!" 8. I
looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and
Hades was following close behind him. They
were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague,
and by the wild beasts of the earth.
9.
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those
who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had
maintained. 10.
They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and
true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?"
11. Then each of them was given a
white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of
their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was
completed.
12.
I watched as he opened the sixth seal.
There was a great earthquake. The
sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood
red, 13. and the stars in the sky
fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.
14. The sky receded like a
scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15.
Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the
mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of
the mountains. 16.
They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us
from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17.
For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
7 1.
After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth,
holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the
land or on the sea or on any tree. 2.
Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the
living God. He called out in a loud
voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:
3. "Do not harm the land or
the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our
God." 4. Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000
from all the tribes of Israel.5. From
the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the
tribe of Gad 12,000, 6. from the
tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of
Manasseh 12,000, 7. from the tribe
of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar
12,000, 8. from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
9. After this I looked and there
before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation,
tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.
They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their
hands. 10. And they cried out in a
loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. 11. All the angels were standing
around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12.
saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power
and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
13. Then one of the elders asked me,
"These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?"
14. I answered, "Sir, you know. And he said, "These are they who
have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15.
Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night
in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.
17. For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he
will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear
from their eyes.
8 1. When he opened the seventh seal,
there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to
them were given seven trumpets.
3. Another angel, who had a golden
censer, came and stood at the altar. He
was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the
golden altar before the throne. 4.
The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up
before God from the angel's hand. 5.
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled
it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of
lightning and an earthquake.
6. Then the seven angels who had the
seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
7. The first angel sounded his
trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down
upon the earth. A third of the
earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green
grass was burned up.
8. The second angel sounded his
trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the
sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9. a third of the
living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10. The third angel sounded his
trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of
the rivers and on the springs of water11. the name of the star is Wormwood.
A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters
that had become bitter.
12. The fourth angel sounded his
trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of
the stars, so that a third of them turned dark.
A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
13. As I watched, I heard an eagle
that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the
inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by
the other three angels!"
9 1. The fifth angel sounded his
trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth.
The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.
2. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a
gigantic furnace. The sun and sky
were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.
3. And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given
power like that of scorpions of the earth.
4. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or
tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
5. They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for
five months. And the agony they
suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man.
6. During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will
long to die, but death will elude them.
7. The locusts looked like horses
prepared for battle. On their heads
they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.
8. Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions'
teeth. 9. They had breastplates
like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering
of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.
10. They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had
power to torment people for five months. 11.
They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is
Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.
12. The first woe is past; two other
woes are yet to come.
13. The sixth angel sounded his
trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is
before God. 14. It said to the
sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at
the great river Euphrates. 15. And the four angels who had been kept ready
for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of
mankind. 16. The number of the
mounted troops was two hundred million. I
heard their number.
17. The horses and riders I saw in my
vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and
yellow as sulphur. The heads of the
horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke
and sulphur. 18. A third of mankind
was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulphur that came out of
their mouths. 19. The power of the
horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes,
having heads with which they inflict injury.
20. The rest of mankind that were not
killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they
did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and
wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk.
21. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual
immorality or their thefts.
10 1. Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from
heaven. He was robed in a cloud,
with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like
fiery pillars. 2. He was holding a
little scroll, which lay open in his hand.
He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3.
and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion.
When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.
4. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a
voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do
not write it down.
5. Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the
land raised his right hand to heaven. 6.
And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all
that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in
it, and said, "There will be no more delay! 7. But in the days when the
seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be
accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.
8. Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me
once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who
is standing on the sea and on the land.
9. So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the
little scroll. He said to me,
"Take it and eat it. It will
turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey. 10. I
took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten
it, my stomach turned sour. 11.
Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations,
languages and kings.
11 1. I was given a reed like a
measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the
altar, and count the worshipers there. 2.
But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the
Gentiles. They will trample on the
holy city for 42 months. 3. And I
will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,
clothed in sackcloth. 4. These are the two olive trees and the two lamp
stands that stand before the Lord of the earth.
5. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours
their enemies. This is how anyone
who wants to harm them must die. 6.
These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time
they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to
strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
7. Now when they have finished their
testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and
overpower and kill them. 8. Their
bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called
Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
9. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and
nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.
10. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate
by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who
live on the earth.
11. But after the three and a half
days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and
terror struck those who saw them. 12.
Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here.
And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.
13. At that very hour there was a
severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed.
Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors
were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14. The second woe has passed; the
third woe is coming soon.
15. The seventh angel sounded his
trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
"The
kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and
he will reign for ever and ever.
16.
And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on
their faces and worshiped God, 17. saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God
Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.
18. The nations were angry; and your
wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the
dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who
reverence your name, both small and great-- and for destroying those who destroy
the earth."
19. Then God's temple in heaven was
opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.
And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an
earthquake and a great hailstorm.
12 1. A great and wondrous sign
appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet
and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2.
She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.
3. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with
seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.
4. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to
the earth. The dragon stood in
front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her
child the moment it was born. 5.
She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an
iron sceptre. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.
6. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God,
where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
7. And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the
dragon and his angels fought back. 8.
But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.
9. The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the
devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.
He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10. Then I heard a loud voice in
heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of
our God, and the authority of his Christ. For
the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has
been hurled down. 11. They overcame
him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not
love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
12. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to
the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with
fury, because he knows that his time is short.
13. When the dragon saw that he had
been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male
child. 14. The woman was given the
two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her
in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a
time, out of the serpent's reach. 15.
Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman
and sweep her away with the torrent. 16But
the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that
the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17.
Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the
rest of her offspring--those who obey God's commandments and hold to the
testimony of Jesus.
13 1. And the dragon stood on the
shore of the sea. And I saw a beast
coming out of the sea. He had ten
horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a
blasphemous name. 2. The beast I
saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that
of a lion. The dragon gave the
beast his power and his throne and great authority.
3. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but
the fatal wound had been healed. The
whole world was astonished and followed the beast.
4. Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast,
and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who
can make war against him?"
5. The beast was given a mouth to
utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two
months. 6. He opened his mouth to
blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live
in heaven. 7. He was given power to
make war against the saints and to conquer them.
And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.
8. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names
have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain
from the creation of the world. 9. He who has an ear, let him hear.
10. If anyone is to go into
captivity, into captivity he will go. If
anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed.
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the
saints.
11. Then I saw another beast, coming
out of the earth. He had two horns
like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12.
He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the
earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been
healed. 13. And he performed great
and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in
full view of men. 14. Because of
the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the
inhabitants of the earth. He
ordered them to set up an image in honour of the beast who was wounded by the
sword and yet lived. 15. He was
given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could
speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.
16. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and
slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17. so that no
one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or
the number of his name.
18. This calls for wisdom.
If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it
is man's number. His number is 666.
(
14 1. Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion,
and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their
foreheads. 2. And I heard a sound
from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder.
The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.
3. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living
creatures and the elders. No one
could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
4. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they
kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as first
fruits to God and the Lamb. 5. No
lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
)
6. Then I saw another angel flying in
midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the
earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people.
7. He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because
the hour of his judgment has come. Worship
him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.
8. A second angel followed and said,
"Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the
maddening wine of her adulteries."
9. A third angel followed them and
said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and
receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10. he, too, will drink of the
wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his
wrath. He will be tormented with
burning sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever.
There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his
image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.
12. This calls for patient endurance
on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to
Jesus.
13. Then I heard a voice from heaven
say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.
"Yes," says the Spirit,
"they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them.
14. I looked, and there before me was
a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of
gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
15. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice
to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because
the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." 16. So he
who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was
harvested.
17. Another angel came out of the
temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.
18. Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar
and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your
sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because
its grapes are ripe. 19. The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered
its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. 20. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and
blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a
distance of 1,600 stadia.
15 1. I saw in heaven another great
and marvellous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues--last, because
with them God's wrath is completed.
2. And I saw what looked like a sea of
glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been
victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name.
They held harps given them by God 3. and sang the song of Moses the
servant of God and the song of the Lamb:
"Great and marvellous are your
deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and
true are your ways, King of the ages. 4.
Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are
holy. All nations will come and
worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.
5.
After this I looked and in heaven the temple, that is, the tabernacle of the
Testimony, was opened. 6. Out of
the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues.
They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around
their chests. 7. Then one of the
four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with
the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever.
8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from
his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the
seven angels were completed.
16 1. Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to
the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the
earth.
2. The first angel went and poured
out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who
had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.
3. The second angel poured out his
bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every
living thing in the sea died.
4. The third angel poured out his
bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
5. Then I heard the angel in charge of the
waters say:
"You are just in these
judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged;
6. for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given
them blood to drink as they deserve. 7.
And I heard the altar respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are
your judgments.
8. The fourth angel poured out his
bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 9. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the
name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and
glorify him.
10. The fifth angel poured out his
bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11. and cursed the God of
heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of
what they had done.
12. The sixth angel poured out his
bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way
for the kings from the East. 13.
Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth
of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false
prophet. 14. They are spirits of
demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole
world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
15. "Behold, I come like a
thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he
may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.
16. Then they gathered the kings
together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
17. The seventh angel poured out his
bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne,
saying, "It is done!" 18. Then there came flashes of lightning,
rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake.
No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so
tremendous was the quake. 19. The
great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed.
God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the
wine of the fury of his wrath. 20.
Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.
21. From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon
men. And they cursed God on account
of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
17 1. One of the seven angels who had
the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment
of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
2. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants
of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.
3. Then the angel carried me away in
the Spirit into a desert. There I
saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names
and had seven heads and ten horns. 4.
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold,
precious stones and pearls. She
held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of
her adulteries. 5. This title was
written on her forehead:
MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER
OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6. I saw that the woman was drunk
with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was greatly
astonished. 7. Then the angel said
to me: "Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the
woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8. The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will
come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction.
The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the
book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the
beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.
9. "This calls for a mind with
wisdom. The seven heads are seven
hills on which the woman sits. 10.
They are also seven kings. Five
have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must
remain for a little while. 11. The
beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king.
He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
12. "The ten horns you saw are
ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive
authority as kings along with the beast. 13.
They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.
14. They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them
because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called,
chosen and faithful followers.
15. Then the angel said to me,
"The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes,
nations and languages. 16. The
beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute.
They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh
and burn her with fire. 17. For God
has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the
beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled.
18. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the
earth."
18 1. After this I saw another angel
coming down from heaven. He had
great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendour.
2. With a mighty voice he shouted:
"Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the
Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a
haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.
3. For all the nations have drunk the
maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with
her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.
4. Then I heard another voice from
heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her
sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5. for her sins are piled
up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
6. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she
has done. Mix her a double portion
from her own cup. 7. Give her as
much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts, `I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will
never mourn. ' 8. Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death,
mourning and famine. She will be
consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
9. "When the kings of the earth
who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her
burning, they will weep and mourn over her.
10. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: "
`Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has
come!'
11. "The merchants of the earth
will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more12.
cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk
and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of
ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13. cargoes of cinnamon and spice,
of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and
wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.
14. "They will say, `The fruit
you longed for is gone from you. All
your riches and splendour have vanished, never to be recovered. ' 15. The
merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far
off, terrified at her torment. They
will weep and mourn 16. and cry out:
" `Woe! Woe, O great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious
stones and pearls!
17. In one hour such great wealth has
been brought to ruin!'
"Every sea captain, and all who
travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will
stand far off. 18. When they see
the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, `Was there ever a city like this
great city?' 19. They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and
mourning cry out: 'Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea
became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! 20.
Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has
judged her for the way she treated you.'"
21. Then a mighty angel picked up a
boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
"With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to
be found again. 22. The music of
harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you
again. No workman of any trade will
ever be found in you again. The
sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.
23. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you
again. Your merchants were the
world's great men. By your magic
spell all the nations were led astray. 24.
In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have
been killed on the earth."
19 1. After this I heard what sounded
like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2.
for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her
adulteries. He has avenged on her
the blood of his servants.
3. And again they shouted:
"Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.
4. The twenty-four elders and the
four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!"
5. Then a voice came from the throne,
saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, both small
and great!"
6.
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing
waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord
God Almighty reigns. 7. Let us
rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready. 8. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given
her to wear."
9. Then the angel said to me,
"Write: `Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the
Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God. 10. At
this I fell at his feet to worship him. But
he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your
brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
11. I saw heaven standing open and
there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many
crowns. He has a name written on
him that no one knows but he himself. 13.
He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
14. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and
dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15.
Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.
"He will rule them with an iron sceptre. "A He treads the
winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17. And I saw an angel standing in
the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair,
"Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18. so that you may eat
the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and
the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.
19. Then I saw the beast and the
kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the
rider on the horse and his army. 20.
But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the
miraculous signs on his behalf. With
these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and
worshiped his image. The two of
them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur.
21. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the
mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their
flesh.
20 1. And I saw an angel coming down
out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great
chain. 2. He seized the dragon,
that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand
years. 3. He threw him into the
Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations
anymore until the thousand years were ended.
After that, he must be set free for a short time.
4. I saw thrones on which were seated
those who had been given authority to judge.
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their
testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God.
They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his
mark on their foreheads or their hands. They
came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years
were ended.) This is the first resurrection.
6. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection.
The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God
and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
7. When the thousand years are over,
Satan will be released from his prison 8. and will go out to deceive the nations
in the four corners of the earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle.
In number they are like the sand on the seashore.
9. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp
of God's people, the city he loves. But
fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
10. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning
sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.
They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11. Then I saw a great white throne
and him who was seated on it. Earth
and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
12. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and
books were opened. Another book was
opened, which is the book of life. The
dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
13. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up
the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had
done. 14. Then death and Hades were
thrown into the lake of fire. The
lake of fire is the second death. 15.
If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into
the lake of fire.
21 1. Then I saw a new heaven and a
new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there
was no longer any sea. 2. I saw the
Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a
bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the
dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them.
They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their
God. 4. He will wipe every tear
from their eyes. There will be no
more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed
away.
5. He who was seated on the throne
said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this
down, for these words are trustworthy and true.
6. He said to me: "It is done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring
of the water of life. 7. He who
overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
8. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the
sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all
liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulphur.
This is the second death.
9. One of the seven angels who had
the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come,
I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. 10. And he carried me away
in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City,
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.
11. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a
very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.
12. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels
at the gates. On the gates were
written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
13. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the
south and three on the west. 14.
The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the
twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15. The angel who talked with me had
a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls.
16. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide.
He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in
length, and as wide and high as it is long.
17. He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick by man's
measurement, which the angel was using. 18.
The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.
19. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of
precious stone. The first
foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth
emerald, 20. the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite,
the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth,
and the twelfth amethyst. 21. The
twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like
transparent glass.
22. I did not see a temple in the
city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
23. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the
glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
24. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will
bring their splendour into it. 25.
On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.
The glory and honour of the nations will be brought into it.
Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is
shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book
of life.
22 1. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of
life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2.
down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing
twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the
nations. 3. No longer will there be
any curse. The throne of God and of
the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.
4. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
5. There will be no more night. They
will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will
give them light. And they will
reign for ever and ever.
6. The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy
and true. The Lord, the God of the
spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that
must soon take place.
7. "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps
the words of the prophecy in this book.
8. I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.
And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of
the angel who had been showing them to me.
9. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you
and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book.
Worship God!"
10. Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the
prophecy of this book, because the time is near. 11. Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who
is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and
let him who is holy continue to be holy.
12. "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me,
and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
13. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning
and the End.
14. "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they
may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the
city. 15. Outside are the dogs,
those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the
idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16. "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this
testimony for the churches. I am
the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.
17. The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let
him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and
whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
18. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of
this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues
described in this book. 19. And if
anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him
his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this
book.
20. He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am
coming soon.
Amen. Come,
Lord Jesus.
21. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.