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John’s Vision of God

After these things I looked, and there was a door opened in heaven! And the first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things.” Immediately I was in spirit. And look! A throne was standing in heaven, and someone was sitting on the throne. The one who was sitting there looked like a jasper stone and a ruby.[a] Around the throne there was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.

Also around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and sitting on those thrones were twenty-four elders dressed in white garments, with gold crowns on their heads. Out of the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and crashes of thunder. In front of the throne seven flaming lamps were burning, which are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne was something resembling a glassy sea, which was like crystal.

In the middle, near the throne and around the throne, there were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature was like an ox, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. Each one of the four living creatures had six wings, and the wings were full of eyes all around and underneath.[b] Day and night, without pause, they keep saying:

Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
who was and who is and who is coming.

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders bow down before him who sits on the throne. They worship the one who lives forever and ever and lay down their crowns in front of his throne as they say:

11 Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive the glory and the honor and the power,
    for you have created all things,
    and because of your will they existed and were created.

The Scroll With Seven Seals

And I saw a scroll in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, with writing on the front[c] and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll by breaking its seals?” No one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. And I began to weep bitterly because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed and is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Worthy Is the Lamb

And I saw a Lamb standing in the center, near the throne, surrounded by the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders. The Lamb seemed to have been slain, and he had seven horns and seven eyes (these are the seven spirits of God that have been sent into all the world). The Lamb came and took the scroll out of the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when the Lamb took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders bowed down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and gold bowls full of incense (these are the prayers of the saints). And they sang a new song, saying:

You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
    because you were slain,
    and you bought us[d] for God with your blood
        out of every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You made them[e] to be a kingdom and priests for our God,
and they will reign on the earth.

11 And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels who were around the throne and around the living creatures and the elders. Their number was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands upon thousands. 12 With a loud voice they were saying:

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive
power and riches and
wisdom and strength and
honor and glory and blessing.

13 I also heard every creature that is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.

14 The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders bowed down and worshipped.

The Vision of the Seven Seals: The First Four Seals

And I watched when the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. And I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come.”[f]

And I looked, and there was a white horse, and its rider held a bow. A crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come.”[g] And another horse, a fiery red one, went out. Its rider was given power to take peace away from the earth so that people would slaughter one another. And a great sword was given to him.

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come.”[h] And I looked, and there was a black horse. Its rider had a scale in his hand. And I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures say, “A quart[i] of wheat for a denarius,[j] and three quarts[k] of barley for a denarius. And do not dilute[l] the oil and the wine.”

When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come.”[m] And I looked, and there was a pale green horse. And its rider was named Death, and the Grave[n] followed closely behind him. They were given power over a quarter of the earth, to kill people with the sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild animals of the earth.

The Fifth Seal: The Souls Under the Altar

When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, under the incense altar I saw the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had maintained. 10 And they called out with a loud voice, saying, “O Lord, holy and true, how long until you judge and exact justice for our blood from those who live on the earth?” 11 A white robe was given to each one of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until their number would be complete, when their fellow servants and their brothers[o] would be put to death as they were.

The Sixth Seal: The Last Judgment

12 And I watched when the Lamb opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair. The entire moon became like blood. 13 The stars of the sky fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when it is shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky was removed like a scroll being rolled up. Every mountain and island was moved from its place.

15 The kings of the earth, the nobles, the military leaders, the rich, the powerful, and everyone—slave or free—hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 And they kept saying 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[p] wrath has come. Who is able to stand?”

The Church on Earth

After this I saw four angels, who stood at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth so that the wind could not blow on the earth, the sea, or any tree.

And I saw another angel coming up from the east, who had the seal of the living God. He called out with a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to harm the earth and the sea. He said, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees until we have placed a seal on the foreheads of God’s servants.”

And I heard the number of those sealed:

144,000 sealed from all the tribes of the people of Israel:

from the tribe of Judah,12,000, who were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben,12,000,
from the tribe of Gad,12,000,
from the tribe of Asher,12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali,12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh,12,000,
from the tribe of Simeon,12,000,
from the tribe of Levi,12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar,12,000,
from the tribe of Zebulun,12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph,12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin,12,000, who were sealed.

The Church in Heaven

After these things I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 10 They called out with a loud voice and said:

Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from
    the Lamb.

11 All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying:

            Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and
    power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.

13 One of the elders spoke to me and said, “These people dressed in white robes, who are they and where did they come from?”

And I answered him, “Sir, you know.”

14 And he said to me:

These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation.
They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of
    the Lamb.
15     Because of this they are in front of the throne of God,
    and they serve him day and night in his temple.
He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16 They will never be hungry or thirsty ever again.
The sun will never beat upon them, nor will any scorching heat,
17     for the Lamb at the center 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.

The Seventh Seal: Seven Angels With Seven Trumpets

When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

Another angel, holding a gold censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given a large amount of incense to offer together with the prayers of all the saints on the gold altar that was in front of the throne. And the smoke of the incense went up from the hand of the angel before God, together with the prayers of the saints.

The angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth. Then there came crashes of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

The First Four Trumpets

The seven angels, who had the seven trumpets, prepared to sound them. The first sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, and[q] a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

Then the second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, a third of the creatures that live in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 Then the third angel sounded his trumpet, and a huge star, blazing like a lamp, fell from the sky. It fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star was Wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood.[r] Many of the people died from these waters because they had been made bitter.

12 Then the fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, as well as a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them became dark. And there was no light for a third of the day and likewise for the night.

13 Then I looked and I heard a single eagle[s] flying in the middle of the sky, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those whose home is on the earth because of the remaining trumpet blasts of the three angels who are about to sound their trumpets.”

The Fifth Trumpet—The Locusts From Hell

Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen out of heaven to the earth, and the key to the pit of the abyss was given to him. He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke came up out of the pit like the smoke from a huge furnace. The sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit. And out of the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given the kind of power that scorpions of the earth have. They were told not to harm the earth’s grass, any green plant, or any tree, but only those people who do not have God’s seal on their foreheads.

Indeed, they were not given permission to kill these people but only to torture them for five months. And the pain they cause is like the pain caused by a scorpion when it stings a person. In those days people will seek death but will certainly not find it. They will long to die, but death will escape them.

The locusts looked like horses ready for battle. On their heads were what appeared to be crowns that were like gold. Their faces looked like human faces. They had hair that looked like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. They had breastplates that appeared to be made of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots and horses charging into battle. 10 They had tails with stingers like those of scorpions, and in their tails they had power to hurt people for five months.

11 They have the angel of the abyss over them as their king. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.[t]

12 One woe is past. Look! After these things two more woes are coming.

The Sixth Trumpet

13 Then the sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice speak from the four[u] horns of the gold incense altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel, the one with the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels who had been prepared for this hour, day, month, and year were let loose so that they could kill a third of the people.

16 The number of soldiers on horseback was two hundred million. I heard their number. 17 And this is what I saw in the vision of the horses and their riders: They had breastplates that were fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire and smoke and sulfur. 18 As a result of these three plagues, the fire and the smoke and the sulfur that came out of their mouths, a third of mankind was killed. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like snakes that have heads, which they use to cause injuries.

20 The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands by giving up their worship of demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, or wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immoralities, or their thefts.

The Angel With a Little Scroll

10 Then I saw another powerful angel coming down out of heaven. He was clothed with a cloud, a rainbow was over his head, his face was like the sun, his feet were like pillars of fire, and he had in his hand a little scroll, which had been opened. He put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land, and he cried out with a loud voice, just as a lion roars. And when he cried out, the seven thunders spoke using their own voices.

When the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Seal up the things that the seven thunders said, and do not write them down.”

The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven, and he swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created the sky and the things in it, the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it. He said, “There will be no more delay. Instead, in the days of the sound made by the seventh angel, that is, when he is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will also be completed, exactly as he made this good news known to his servants the prophets.”

John’s Commission to Prophesy

The voice that I heard from heaven also spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that has been opened in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little scroll.”

He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” 10 I took the little scroll out of the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. 11 And they said to me, “It is necessary that you prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”

The Two Witnesses

11 Then a measuring rod like a staff was given to me. He said,[v] “Stand up and measure the incense altar and the temple of God and those who worship in it. Exclude the outer court of the temple and do not measure it, because it has been given to the heathen. They will trample the holy city for forty-two months. I will commission my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that are standing before the Lord of the earth. If anyone wants to harm them, fire is going to come out of their mouths and consume their enemies. If anyone should want to harm them, it is necessary that he be killed in this way.

These two have the authority to shut the sky so that no rain falls during the days when they are prophesying. They also have authority over the waters, to turn them into blood, and the authority to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

The Beast That Kills the Two Witnesses

When they finish their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will fight against them, conquer them, and kill them. Their dead bodies will lie on the street of the great city, which spiritually[w] is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

Some from the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days and will not permit them to be placed in a tomb. 10 Those who dwell on the earth will also rejoice over them and celebrate by sending gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

11 After three and a half days the breath of life from God came into them. They stood on their feet, and a great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And I[x] heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” They went up into heaven in a cloud, as their enemies watched them. 13 At that moment there was also a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed by the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave praise to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe is past. See, the third woe is coming soon.

The Seventh Trumpet: The End of the World

15 Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying:

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and
    of his Christ,[y]
and he will reign forever and ever.

16 The twenty-four elders, who were sitting on their thrones before God, also fell on their faces and worshipped God, 17 saying:

We thank you, Lord God Almighty, who is, and who was,[z]
    because you have taken your great power and reigned.
18 The nations were angry, and your anger has come.
And the time has come
    when the dead are to be judged, and
    when you will give the reward to your servants the prophets
            and to your saints,
            namely, to those who fear your name, the small
                and the great, and
    when you will destroy those who destroy the earth.

19 And God’s temple in heaven was opened and the Ark of his Covenant was seen in his temple. And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

The Dragon and the Child

12 A great sign appeared in the sky: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant, and she cried out in pain and agony as she gave birth.

Another sign also appeared in the sky: There was a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman, who was about to give birth, so that he could devour the child as soon as it was born.

She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will shepherd all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God in order that she might be fed there for 1,260 days.

War in Heaven

There was also a war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon. The dragon fought back along with his angels, but he was not strong enough. There was no longer a place for them[aa] in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down—the ancient serpent, the one called the Devil and Satan, the one who leads the whole inhabited earth astray—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying:

Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God
    and the authority of his Christ,[ab]
because the accuser of our brothers[ac] has been thrown down,
    the one who accuses them before our God day and night.
11 They conquered him
    because of the blood of the Lamb and
    because of the word of their testimony.
They did not love their lives in the face of death.
12 For this reason, rejoice, you heavens and those who dwell in them.
Woe to the earth and the sea,
    for the Devil has gone down to you.
    He is full of rage, because he knows that his time is short.

The Dragon Persecutes the Woman

13 When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman, who had given birth to the male child. 14 Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman so that she might fly to her place in the wilderness, where she is to be fed for a time, and times, and half a time, away from the presence of the serpent. 15 And the serpent spewed water out of his mouth, like a river, after the woman, in order to carry her away in the flowing water. 16 But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river, which the dragon had spewed out of its mouth.

17 The dragon was angry about what had happened to the woman, and he went away to make war against the rest of her children—those who keep the commandments of God and who hold on to the testimony about Jesus.

18 And he[ad] stood on the shore of the sea.

The Beast From the Sea

13 I saw a beast rising out of the sea. He had ten horns with ten crowns on his horns, and seven heads with blasphemous names[ae] on his heads. The beast that I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth was like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. One of his heads seemed to have been fatally wounded,[af] but his fatal wound was healed.

And the whole world that followed the beast was amazed. They worshipped the dragon because he gave authority to the beast. They worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can go to war against him?” The beast was also given a mouth that spoke arrogant and blasphemous things. He was given authority to do these things for forty-two months.

The beast opened his mouth to speak blasphemies against God: to blaspheme his name, his dwelling, and[ag] those who dwell in heaven. He was also given permission to wage war against the saints and to overcome them, as well as authority over every tribe and people and language and nation. All those who make their home on the earth will worship the beast—those whose names have[ah] not been written from the beginning of the world in the Book of Life, which belongs to the Lamb that was slain.[ai]

If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

10 If anyone is to be imprisoned,[aj] he is going to be imprisoned.
If anyone is to be killed[ak] with a sword, he is going to be killed with a sword.

Here patient endurance and confidence are needed by the saints.

The Beast From the Earth

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like the Lamb, and he spoke like the dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast on his behalf. He causes the earth and those who make their home on it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 He performs great miracles, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of people. 14 He also deceives those who make their home on the earth because of the miracles that he was permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, telling those who make their home on the earth to make an image for the beast who had been wounded by the sword but lived.

15 This beast was also given the ability to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast spoke and caused whoever did not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He also makes all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 in order that no one may buy or sell unless he has the mark—the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom: Let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, because it is the number of a man. His number is 666.

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of a loud thunderclap. The sound that I heard was also like the sound of harpists playing their harps. They were singing[al] a new song in front of the throne and the four living creatures and the elders. No one was able to learn that song except the 144,000, who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, because they are virgins. They continually follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouths. They are blameless.[am]

The Three Angels

Then I saw another angel flying in the middle of the sky. He had the everlasting gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth, to every nation, tribe, language, and people. He said with a loud voice:

Fear God and give him glory,
    because the hour of his judgment has come.
Worship him who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water.

Another angel, a second,[an] followed. He said, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great,[ao] who made every nation drink from the wine of her adulterous desire.”

Another angel, a third one, followed them. He said with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he will also drink from the wine of God’s wrath, which has been poured undiluted[ap] into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment is going to rise forever and ever. Those who worship the beast and his image, and anyone who receives the mark of his name, are going to have no rest day and night.”

12 Here patient endurance is needed by the saints, who hold on to the commands of God and their faith in Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven say,[aq] “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “because they will rest from their labors, for their works follow them.”

The Harvest

14 Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Another angel came out of the temple and cried with a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud, “Swing your sickle and begin reaping, for the time to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is very ripe.” 16 And the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

17 Another angel, who also had a sharp sickle, came out of the temple, which is in heaven. 18 And another angel, who was in charge of the fire, came from the altar and cried with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Swing your sharp sickle and harvest the grape clusters from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 19 Then the angel swung his sickle over the earth, and he harvested the earth’s vine and threw it into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 The winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.[ar]

The Angels With the Seven Last Plagues

15 Then I saw another great and remarkable sign in heaven: seven angels with seven plagues—the last plagues, because in them God’s wrath is completed.

And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. I also saw those who had won the victory over the beast and his image[as] and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass. They held the harps of God, and they were singing the song of Moses, God’s servant, and the song of the Lamb. They said:

Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways, King of the Nations.[at]
Who will not fear you,[au] Lord,
    and who will not praise your name?
You alone are holy!
All the nations will come and will bow down before you,
    because your righteous verdicts have been revealed.

After these things I looked, and the sanctuary of the Tent of the Testimony was opened in heaven. The seven angels who hold the seven plagues came out of the sanctuary. They were clothed with clean bright linen, and they wore gold sashes around their chests.

One of the four living creatures gave the seven angels the seven gold bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. And the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power. No one was able to enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

The First Five Bowls

16 I heard a loud voice from the temple say to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”

The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible and painful sores came on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshipped his image.

The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man, and every living creature in the sea died.

The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they[av] turned into blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say:

You are righteous, the one who is and who was, the Holy One,[aw]
    because you have made these judgments.
    Because they poured out the blood of saints and prophets,
you have given them blood to drink.
They deserve it.

And I heard the incense altar, saying,[ax] “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”

The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to burn people with fire. People were scorched by the fierce heat. Then they blasphemed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues, but they did not repent and give him praise.

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. The beast’s kingdom was darkened. People gnawed their tongues in their torment. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their torments and their sores. But they did not repent of their deeds.

The Sixth Bowl: The Battle of Armageddon

12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings coming from the east. 13 I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, which 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, in fact, miracle-working, demonic spirits, which go out to the kings of the whole earth[ay] to bring them together for the battle on the great day of the Almighty God.

15 “Look: I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes on, so that he does not walk around naked and his shame is not seen.”

16 Then they brought them together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

The Seventh Bowl: The End of the World

17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl on the air. And a loud voice came out of the temple[az] from the throne, saying, “It is done.” 18 There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and crashes of thunder. There was also a great earthquake of a kind that has not occurred since mankind has been[ba] on the earth.

19 And the great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. Babylon the Great was remembered by God, and he gave her the wine cup filled with his fierce wrath. 20 Every island vanished, and the mountains could no longer be found. 21 Massive hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell on people from the sky. And the people blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, because the plague was so severe.

The Vision of the Great Prostitute

17 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. He said, “Come, I will show you the judgment on the great prostitute who is sitting on many waters. The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and those who make their home on the earth have become drunk on the wine of her immorality.”

The angel carried me in spirit into a wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed with purple and scarlet and was adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. In her hand was a gold cup full of abominations and the filth of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead this name was written:

Mystery

Babylon the Great,

the mother of the prostitutes

and of the abominations of the earth.

And I saw that this woman was drunk from the blood of the saints and the blood of Jesus’ martyrs.

Explanation of the Woman and the Beast

When I saw her, I was greatly amazed. And the angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the one that has seven heads and ten horns. The beast that you saw: He existed, is no more, and he is about to come out of the abyss and go to destruction. Those who make their home on the earth, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the creation of the world, will be amazed when they see the beast, because he existed, is no more, and will exist again.

“A mind that has wisdom is needed here: The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman is sitting. They are also seven kings. 10 Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, but when he comes, he must remain for a little while.

11 “The beast that existed and is no more is the eighth king (who is one of the seven) and is going to go to destruction. 12 The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but along with the beast they will receive authority like kings for one hour. 13 They share one purpose and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, because he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Those who are with him are the called, the elect, and the believing.”

15 The angel also said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is sitting, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. 16 The ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute and will cause her to be abandoned and naked. They will also eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose, namely, to agree to give their royal authority to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 The woman whom you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

Babylon Has Fallen

18 After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was given light by his glory. He called out with a loud voice, saying:

Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the Great.
She has become a dwelling place for demons,
    and a prison for every unclean spirit,
    and a prison for every unclean bird,[bb]
    and a prison for every unclean and hated beast.
For all the nations have drunk from[bc] the wine of her adulterous desire,
    and the kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
    and the merchants of the earth became rich from the abundance of her luxury.

And I heard another voice from heaven say:

Come out of her, my people,
    so that you will not share in her sins,
    and so that you will not receive any of her plagues,
because her sins have reached heaven
    and God has remembered her crimes.
Pay her back even as she has paid.
Pay her back double for what she has done.
In the cup that she mixed, mix her a double portion.
As much glory and luxury as she gave herself,
give that much torture and grief to her,
    because in her heart she says:
            I sit as a queen,
            I am not a widow, and
            I will never mourn.
For this reason her plagues will come on a single day:
death, mourning, and famine,
and she will be burned in fire,
    because the Lord God, who judges her, is powerful.

Some Mourn Babylon’s Destruction

“The kings of the earth who committed adultery and lived in luxury with her will weep and mourn for her when they see the smoke from her burning. 10 They will stand far away because of terror at her torment and say:

Woe, woe, the great city,
Babylon, the strong city!
    For your judgment came in a single hour.

11 “The merchants of the earth also weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 a cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet fabric, every kind of aromatic wood and ivory article, and every article made of precious wood, brass, iron, and marble; 13 also cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, high quality flour, grain, cattle, sheep, horses, and carriages, as well as bodies and souls of people.

14 “The fruit your soul desired has left you. All your costly and splendid things have passed away from you. No one will ever find them again.

15 “The merchants who sold those things and were made rich by Babylon will stand far away out of terror at her torment. They are going to weep and mourn, 16 saying:

Woe, woe to the great city that was clothed in fine linen
and purple and scarlet,
adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls,
17     because such great wealth was made a wasteland in a single hour.

“Every ship captain and all the ocean travelers and the sailors and those who make their living on the sea stood far away 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke rise from her burning. They said, ‘Who is like the great city?’ 19 They threw dust on their heads and cried out as they wept and mourned, saying:

Woe, woe to the great city
by whom all who have ships on the sea were made rich from her treasures,
    because she was made a wasteland in a single hour.
20 Rejoice over her, heaven,
also you saints, apostles, and prophets,
    because God has judged her for the judgment you received from her.”

21 A mighty angel picked up a stone like a large millstone and, as he threw it into the sea, he said:

This is the way Babylon, the great city,
    will be overthrown with violence and
    will never again be found.
22 The sound of harpists and musicians, flutists and trumpeters,
    will never be heard in you again.
No craftsman 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,
because your merchants were the great ones of the earth,
because your witchcraft led all the nations astray,
24 and the blood of prophets and saints was found in this city,[bd]
along with the blood of all those who were slain on the earth.

The Church’s Victory

19 After these things I heard what seemed to be the loud sound of an immense crowd in heaven, saying:

Alleluia!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
    for his judgments are true and just,
        because he has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
        and he has avenged his servants’ blood that was shed by her hand.

A second time they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke goes up forever and ever.”

Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures bowed down and worshipped God, who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!”

And from the throne came a voice that said, “Praise our God, all you his servants and you who fear him, small and great.”

The Wedding Supper of the Lamb

And I heard what seemed to be the roar of a large crowd or the roar of many waters or the sound of loud rumblings of thunder, saying:

Alleluia!
For the Lord our[be] God, the Almighty, reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory,
        because the wedding of the Lamb has come.
His bride has made herself ready,
and she was given bright, clean, fine linen to wear.
(In fact, the fine linen is the “not guilty” verdicts pronounced on the saints.)

The angel said to me, “Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 And I bowed down at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers, who have the testimony about Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

The Rider on the White Horse

11 I saw heaven standing open, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war in righteousness. 12 His eyes are like blazing flames, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him, which no one knows except he himself. 13 He is also clothed in a garment that had been dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies in heaven, which were clothed with white, clean, fine linen, were following him on white horses. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will shepherd them with an iron staff. He himself is going to trample the winepress of the fierce anger of the Almighty God. 16 On his garment and on his thigh this name is written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

17 I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called out with a loud voice to all the birds that were flying in the middle of the sky. He said:

Come, gather together for God’s great supper,
18     so that you can eat the flesh of kings,
    and the flesh of military leaders,
    and the flesh of mighty men,
    and the flesh of horses and of their riders,
    and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, and 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 The beast was captured along with the false prophet who performed miracles on his behalf, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and had worshipped its image. These two were thrown alive into the Lake of Fire, which burns with sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword that comes out of the mouth of the rider on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Christ and Satan

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven. He had the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, bound him for a thousand years, threw him into the abyss, locked it, and set a seal on it, so that he could no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years come to an end. After this he must be released for a short time.

They Lived and Reigned With Christ

Then I saw thrones, and those who were sitting on them were given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast and his image, and they did not receive his mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years came to an end.) This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy is the one who has a share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. Instead they will be priests of God and of Christ. And they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Satan Defeated

When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be released from his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. They are as numerous as the sand of the sea.

They came up over the broad expanse of the earth, and they surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of[bf] heaven and devoured them. 10 And the Devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are. There they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever.

The Final Judgment

11 Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it. The earth and the sky fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, great and small, standing in front of the throne, and books were opened. Another book was also opened, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged by the things written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and the Grave[bg] gave up the dead that were in them, and they were judged, each one according to what he had done.

14 Death and the Grave[bh] 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.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:3 Or carnelian
  2. Revelation 4:8 Literally inside. The English idiom for the inside of a wing is underneath, that is, the hidden side.
  3. Revelation 5:1 Some witnesses to the text read inside.
  4. Revelation 5:9 Most of the witnesses to the text read us in verse 9 and them in verse 10.
  5. Revelation 5:10 A few witnesses to the text read us.
  6. Revelation 6:1 Some witnesses to the text add and see.
  7. Revelation 6:3 Some witnesses to the text add and see.
  8. Revelation 6:5 Some witnesses to the text add and see.
  9. Revelation 6:6 Or liter
  10. Revelation 6:6 A denarius was about one day’s wage.
  11. Revelation 6:6 Or liters
  12. Revelation 6:6 Or adulterate
  13. Revelation 6:7 Some witnesses to the text add and see.
  14. Revelation 6:8 Or Hell, Greek Hades
  15. Revelation 6:11 When context indicates it, the Greek word for brothers may refer to all fellow believers, male and female.
  16. Revelation 6:17 Some witnesses to the text read his.
  17. Revelation 8:7 A few witnesses to the text omit A third of the earth was burned up, and.
  18. Revelation 8:11 Wormwood refers to a bitter herb that was used as medicine to kill intestinal worms.
  19. Revelation 8:13 A few witnesses to the text read angel.
  20. Revelation 9:11 Both Abaddon and Apollyon mean Destroyer.
  21. Revelation 9:13 Some witnesses to the text omit four.
  22. Revelation 11:1 Some witnesses to the text read The angel stood there and said.
  23. Revelation 11:8 Or because of its spiritual condition
  24. Revelation 11:12 Some witnesses to the text read they.
  25. Revelation 11:15 Or Anointed One
  26. Revelation 11:17 A few witnesses to the text add and who is coming.
  27. Revelation 12:8 Some witnesses to the text read him.
  28. Revelation 12:10 Or Anointed One
  29. Revelation 12:10 When context indicates it, the Greek word for brothers may refer to all fellow believers, male and female.
  30. Revelation 12:18 Some witnesses to the text read I.
  31. Revelation 13:1 Some witnesses to the text read a blasphemous name.
  32. Revelation 13:3 Literally slaughtered to death
  33. Revelation 13:6 Or namely or that is.
  34. Revelation 13:8 Some witnesses to the text read the one whose name has.
  35. Revelation 13:8 Or written in the Book of Life, which belongs to the Lamb that was slain from the beginning of the world.
  36. Revelation 13:10 A few witnesses to the text read The person who leads someone into prison.
  37. Revelation 13:10 A few witnesses to the text read If anyone kills.
  38. Revelation 14:3 A few witnesses to the text add as it were.
  39. Revelation 14:5 A few witnesses to the text add before the throne of God.
  40. Revelation 14:8 A few witnesses to the text omit a second.
  41. Revelation 14:8 A few witnesses to the text add city.
  42. Revelation 14:10 Wine was often mixed with water in the ancient world in order to dilute it.
  43. Revelation 14:13 A few witnesses to the text add to me.
  44. Revelation 14:20 Stadia is plural for the Greek stadion. Each stadion was about 606 feet. The distance here would be more than 180 miles.
  45. Revelation 15:2 A few witnesses to the text add and his mark.
  46. Revelation 15:3 Some witnesses to the text read ages. A few witnesses read saints.
  47. Revelation 15:4 A few witnesses to the text omit you.
  48. Revelation 16:4 Some witnesses to the text read it.
  49. Revelation 16:5 A few witnesses to the text read and who will be instead of the Holy One.
  50. Revelation 16:7 A few witnesses to the text read And I heard another, saying from the altar.
  51. Revelation 16:14 A few witnesses to the text read the kings of the earth and of the whole world.
  52. Revelation 16:17 A few witnesses to the text add of heaven.
  53. Revelation 16:18 Some witnesses to the text read man has been.
  54. Revelation 18:2 Some witnesses to the text read unclean and hated bird and omit and a prison for every unclean and hated beast.
  55. Revelation 18:3 Some witnesses to the text read For all the nations have fallen as a result of.
  56. Revelation 18:24 Literally in her
  57. Revelation 19:6 A few witnesses to the text omit our.
  58. Revelation 20:9 A few witnesses to the text omit God out of.
  59. Revelation 20:13 Or Hell, Greek Hades
  60. Revelation 20:14 Or Hell, Greek Hades