Revelation of Jesus Christ
by His angel to His bond-servant John about the things which soon must take place
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which soon must take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:1-3).
John was “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” He was the youngest and the one who lived the longest, being the only disciple who was not martyred. He was the author of the gospel of John and of the three letters named after him. He was a faithful eyewitness, giving testimony “to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.” He describes himself as our “brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus.” He was rewarded for his faithfulness with the privilege of sharing the Revelation of Jesus Christ with us, who are blessed if we read, hear, and heed the things written in it. The time is near.
NOTE ON MY SUMMARIZING STYLE, especially for Revelation: I think it’s a fearsome thing, trying to summarize the word of God. It’s all important. My motivation is to increase understanding for those who are overwhelmed and give up. My prayer is to provide some assistance in context so people will push through and read every word for themselves as well. I have a concern with every summary that I am leaving out something important, because every word in the inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:16) is important.
Revelation itself comes with a warning, “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).
I pray I added nothing or took away anything from the meaning of the words of this book. It is the only book that comes with a blessing for reading, hearing, and heeding. It can be confusing enough to discourage time spent in order to gain comprehension. The time I spent trying to summarize it was well worth it. I pray it is helpful. And I apologize for the typos I have yet to find.
As I always repeat, I always want to “show my work,” like I used to have to do in school. I revere the word of God with gravity. I always want you to be able to go back to the full original source, provided by links to the appropriate daily reading, to verify my summary. I start with an outline at the bottom of the document, and then I progressively refine my summaries as I move to the top. It is an exercise that helps with my comprehension and I pray it helps with yours.
EVENTS IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION:
Jesus appears to John when he is exiled on the island of Patmos, telling him to “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches”
John writes a specific message of warning from the Lord to each of the angels of the seven churches in Asia (all but Laodicea receive a compliment and all but Smyrna and Philadelphia receive a rebuke)
John sees God seated on His throne in heaven, surrounded by four creatures and twenty-four elders on twenty-four thrones, all giving Him praise
Lamb who was slain and is worthy takes book with seven seals out of hand of Him who sits on throne
Lamb begins to break each of SEVEN SEALS
1) conquering rider on white horse
2) red horse: war
3) black horse: famine
4) ashen horse: death to 1/4 the earth
5) martyrs in heaven are told to wait for the completion of their number
6) terror: great signs in heaven and on earth (earthquake, sun black, moon as blood, stars fall, sky split like a scroll)
144,000 sealed on their foreheads
7) silence in heaven for one-half hour before seven angels who stand before God given SEVEN TRUMPETS, and another angel fills golden censer with fire from altar and throws it to earth (thunder, lightning earthquake)
1) hail, blood, and fire burns 1/3 of earth
2) burning mountain into sea, killing 1/3 creatures and destroying 1/3 ships
3) star Wormwood falls on river/springs, killing men with bitter water
4) sun, moon, stars darkened; eagle announces 3 woes will accompany 3 remaining trumpet blasts
5=1st woe: tormenting locusts from hell for five months
6=2nd woe: third of mankind killed by army of two hundred million horsemen; rest of mankind does not repent
Strong angel descends from heaven, placing right foot on sea and left on land
Seven peals of thunder utter their voices, but their words are sealed
John is directed to take and eat small open book from strong angel’s hand (sweet in mouth, bitter in stomach) and prophesy concerning many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings
two witnesses prophesy in temple in Jerusalem for 1260 days, before they are killed by beast from abyss, resurrect after 3 1/2 days, and ascend to heaven while there is a great earthquake killing 1/10 of city (7000 people)
7=3rd woe:
voice announces that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of the Lord and His Christ, 24 elders recognize time for judgment has come, and temple of God in heaven is opened, with the ark of His covenant appearing in it
Scenes in heaven:
woman gives birth to male child who is to rule nations
dragon, whose tail sweeps 1/3 of stars to earth, tries to devour child who is caught up to God
woman flees to wilderness under God’s protection for 1260 days (3 1/2 years)
Michael and his angels defeat devil and his, throwing them from heaven to earth
voice declares wrath to earth because devil knows his time is short
dragon persecutes woman but she flees to protection in wilderness for time, times, and half a time (3 1/2 years)
serpent tries to drown woman with water from his mouth but earth swallows it
dragon goes to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus
Scenes on earth:
Dragon (Satan) stands on seashore, beast comes out of sea and false prophet out of earth
Satan gives beast power and authority to rule, and to overcome the saints for forty-two months; he blasphemes God, His name, and His tabernacle; all not written in the book of life of the Lamb worship him
False prophet performs great signs so as to deceive, exercising all authority of the beast in his presence; causes image of the beast to be made, giving it breath so it speaks and kills those who do not worship it; causes all to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, so that no one will be able to buy or to sell, unless they have the mark of the beast, which is either the name of the beast or the number of his name, six hundred and sixty-six
Lamb stands on Mount Zion with 144,000
Announcements from heaven
angel declares, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven, earth, sea, and springs of waters”
second angel declares, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality”
third angel declares, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God”
earth reaped
by one like son of man with his sharp sickle and another angel with sharp sickle, and blood from the great wine press of the wrath of God fills “up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles”
Those victorious over the beast, his image, and the number of his name stand on a sea of glass mixed with fire in heaven, holding harps of God, singing praise to Him
Temple in heaven opened, seven angels with seven plagues come out and they are given, by one of the four living creatures, seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God; temple is filled with smoke from the glory of God and His power; no one is able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels are poured out, finishing the wrath of God:
1) on earth, sores on people with mark of the beast or who worshiped his image;
2) into sea, making it blood and killing all creatures;
3) into rivers/springs of waters, making them blood, as just penalty for the pouring out of the blood of saints and prophets;
4) on the sun, burning men, causing them to blaspheme but not repent;
5) on the throne of the beast, darkening his kingdom, and men blaspheme God because of pain and sores, but do not repent;
6) on Euphrates River, drying it up to prepare a way for the kings from the east, while three unclean spirits of demons came out of the mouth of the dragon, beast, and false prophet to go out to the kings of the world, to gather them to Har-Magedon for the war of the great day of God;
7) on the air, causing 100 pound hailstones, accompanied by lightning, sounds, peals of thunder, and the greatest earthquake ever to come upon the earth, and a large voice, saying, “It is done”; great city is split into three parts, cities of the nations fall, and Babylon is remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath
one of seven angels who had the seven bowls explains Babylon and the beast
Babylon, the great city that reigns over the kings of the earth, “with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality”
the beast was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction
his seven heads are seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, but when he comes, he must remain a little while (the beast is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven)
his ten horns are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour, having one purpose, and giving their power and authority to the beast, and they will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them
the ten horns and the beast will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, and burn her up with fire, for God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled
angel from heaven declares Babylon fallen
voice from heaven warns people to come out “so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues,” warning that in one day Babylon will be burned up with fire, and the kings and merchants of the earth will weep and lament, standing at a distance for fear of her torment
strong angel throws a millstone into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer…because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of the prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth”
multitude in heaven, twenty-four elders, and four living creatures praise God in heaven, saying “Hallelujah!” four different times, for His judgment on Babylon, His avenging of His bond-servants, and because the time for the marriage supper of the Lamb has arrived
heaven opens and a white horse appears with Jesus on it, followed by the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, which are the righteous acts of the saints
beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assemble to make war with Him
beast and false prophet are seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire
rest are killed with the sword from the mouth of Him on the white horse, and all the birds, called by an angel in the sun to the great supper of God, feed on their flesh
angel binds devil in abyss for one thousand years
martyrs for testimony of Jesus and word of God, and those who did not worship beast or his image, or take his mark, rise to reign with Christ for 1000 years, the first resurrection
after 1000 years, Satan released to deceive and to gather nations to broad plain surrounding saints and beloved city, where fire comes down from heaven to devour them
devil thrown into lake of fire, where beast and false prophet already are
dead rise to appear before great white throne and Him who sits upon it
books are opened, including the book of life
dead judged from the things written in the books, according to their deeds
Death and Hades, and anyone whose name is not written in the book of life, thrown into the lake of fire, the second death
first heaven and earth pass away
new heaven and new earth
holy city, new Jerusalem, comes down out of heaven from God
wall with twelve gates of pearl which will never be closed
names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel written on them
with twelve angels at the gates
with twelve foundation stones with names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb written on them
streets are pure gold
Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple
glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb
only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life shall come into it, serving Him, seeing His face, with His name on their foreheads
river of the water of life, coming from throne of God and Lamb, is in middle of street of city
tree of life is on either side, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, one for each month; curse is gone; throne of God and Lamb in city; His bond-servants will
Jesus’ last words to John
“Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book”
“Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy. Behold I am coming quickly and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star”
Spirit and bride say, “Come”
let the one who hears say, “Come”; let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost
John testifies to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book that if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and the holy city, which are written in this book
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION (in order of appearance):
Apostle John
Jesus (appears to John in chapter 1 and calls him in the Spirit up to heaven in chapter 4, likely voice from heaven who consistently speaks to John throughout the visions, child who is to rule nations with rod of iron): Lion of Judah, Root of David, Lamb as if slain, Faithful and True, Word of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords,
Seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyratira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (represented by seven lampstands)
Seven angels of the seven churches (represented by seven stars)
God, seated on His throne in heaven
Twenty-four elders, seated on thrones
Seven spirits of God (represented by seven lamps of fire before the throne)
Four living creatures before the throne
Saints whose prayers fill bowls of incense in throne room
Myriad angels, praising God and the Lamb
Four riders on horses sent out as each of the first 4, out of 7, seals are broken
Death is only rider with a name (on 4th, ashen horse) and Hades followed him
Martyrs (represented by the 5th seal)
Four angels at four corners of earth, holding back wind
Angel ascending from rising of sun, having seal of the living God
144,000 (12,000 each from 12 tribes of Israel): Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin [Ephraim is not mentioned but could be encompassed by Joseph, which included Manasseh and Ephraim. Dan, who stole territory not their own and instituted idol worship, is not mentioned.]
Multitude who come out of the great tribulation
Seven angels who stand before God (given the seven trumpets)
Angel with censer of fire and incense who signals sounding of trumpets
Eagle in midheaven who announces 3 woes will accompany 3 last trumpet blasts
Angel of the abyss: Abaddon (in Hebrew) or Apollyon (in Greek), king over locusts (5th trumpet, 1st woe)
Voice from four horns of golden altar before God, announces release of 4 angels
Four angels bound at Euphrates River, released for 2nd woe (6th trumpet) to kill a 1/3 of mankind
Strong angel who descends from heaven with little open book and puts right foot on sea and left on land
Seven peals of thunder whose words are sealed
Two witnesses (two olive trees, two lampstands that stand before Lord of earth), killed by beast that comes up out of the abyss
Woman who gives birth to child who is to rule nations (Israel)
Dragon/devil/Satan (seven heads with seven diadems and ten horns), and his angels
Michael the angel, and his angels
Beast (seven heads—one lives despite fatal wound—with blasphemous names and ten diadems and ten horns), given power, authority, and throne by Satan
False prophet (another beast, with two horns like a lamb but spoke as a dragon)
Three angels who fly in midheaven, announcing the gospel, fall of Babylon, and doom to those who worship the beast or take his mark
Seven angels with seven plagues who finish the wrath of God, one of whom shows John explanation of Babylon and the beast, and another of whom shows John the new Jerusalem
Those victorious over the beast who stand in heaven praising God
Babylon= woman clothed in purple and scarlet; adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls; with golden cup in her hand full of abominations and unclean things of her immorality; with “THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” written on her forehead; drunk with the blood of the saints and the witnesses of Jesus; represents the great city that reigns over the kings of the earth; rides on beast
angel standing in the sun crying out to birds in midheaven to come to great supper of God, to feed on flesh of kings and their armies killed in war after Babylon falls
angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, with the earth illumined with his glory, declaring Babylon fallen
strong angel who throws millstone into sea symbolizing Babylon’s fall
bride of Lamb, clothed in fine linen, which is the righteous acts of the saints
angel from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand, who binds Satan for 1000 years
those of the first resurrection who reign with Christ for 1000 years (martyrs and those who did not worship the beast, or his image, or take his mark)
CHAPTER CONTENTS:
Chapter 1: Jesus’ appearance and instructions to John
Chapter 2: Letters to the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyratira
Chapter 3: Letters to the churches of Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea
Chapter 4: One seated on a throne in heaven, surrounded by four creatures and twenty-four elders on twenty-four thrones, all giving Him praise
Chapter 5: Lamb standing before the throne worthy to open seven seals of book in hand of Him who sits on the throne
Chapter 6: First six seals of book broken: 1) conquering rider on white horse; 2) red horse: war; 3) black horse: famine; 4) ashen horse: death to 1/4 the earth; 5) martyrs; 6) great signs in the heavens and on earth
Chapter 7: 144,000 on earth sealed on their foreheads by angels; great multitude of martyrs from great tribulation praise God and the Lamb in heaven
Chapter 8: Breaking of seventh seal, with silence in heaven for 1/2 hour and then censer of fire thrown to earth; four, of seven, angels sound their trumpets: 1) hail, blood, and fire burns 1/3 of earth; 2) burning mountain into sea, killing 1/3 creatures and destroying 1/3 ships; 3) star Wormwood falls on river/springs, killing men with bitter water; 4) sun, moon, stars darkened; eagle announces 3 woes will accompany 3 remaining trumpet blasts
Chapter 9: Fifth angel sounds first woe: tormenting locusts, from hell, for five months; sixth angel sounds second woe: third of mankind killed by army of two hundred million horsemen; rest of mankind does not repent
Chapter 10: Strong angel descends from heaven, placing his right foot on sea and left on land; he cries out and seven peals of thunder utter their voices; strong angel declares, “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets”; John eats little book from angel’s hand and is told, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings”
Chapter 11: Second woe ends with two witnesses prophesying in temple in Jerusalem for 1260 days, before they are killed by beast from abyss, resurrect after 3 1/2 days, and ascend to heaven while there is a great earthquake killing 1/10 of city (7000); seventh angel sounds, voice announces that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of the Lord and His Christ, 24 elders recognize time for judgment has come, and the temple of God in heaven is opened, with the ark of His covenant appearing in it
Chapter 12: Scenes in heaven: woman gives birth to male child who is to rule nations; dragon, whose tail sweeps 1/3 of stars to earth, tries to devour child who is caught up to God; woman flees to wilderness under God’s protection for 1260 days; Michael and his angels defeat devil and his, throwing them from heaven to earth; voice declares wrath to earth because devil knows his time is short; dragon persecutes woman but she flees to protection in wilderness for time, times, and half a time; serpent tries to drown woman with water from his mouth but earth swallows it; dragon goes to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus
Chapter 13: Dragon stands on seashore, one beast comes out of sea and second out of earth; first beast has seven heads; one head has a fatal wound healed, so amazed people follow him and worship dragon; dragon gives him power and authority to rule, and to make war with, and overcome, the saints for forty-two months; blasphemes God, His name, and His tabernacle; all not written in the book of life of the Lamb worship him; second beast performs great signs so as to deceive, exercising all authority of first beast in his presence, making all worship first beast; causes image to first beast to be made, giving it breath so it speaks and kills those who do not worship it; causes all to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, so that no one will be able to buy or to sell, unless they have the mark, which is either the name of the beast or the number of his name, six hundred and sixty-six
Chapter 14: Lamb stands on Mount Zion, with 144,000, chaste and blameless, purchased from the earth as first fruits to God and the Lamb, with His name and the name of His Father on their foreheads, singing a new song from heaven no one else could learn, following the Lamb wherever He goes; angel flies in midheaven, declaring, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven, earth, sea, and springs of waters”; second angel declares, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality”; third angel declares, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God”; “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus”; voice from heaven says, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!”; Spirit says, “Yes, so that they may rest from their labors, for the deeds follow with them”; angel from temple tells one like son of man to reap the earth with his sharp sickle, and he does; another angel with sharp sickle told by angel with power over fire to reap the earth and blood from the great wine press of the wrath of God fills “up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles”
Chapter 15: Those victorious over the beast, his image, and the number of his name stand on a sea of glass mixed with fire in heaven, holding harps of God, singing praise to Him; one of the four living creatures give seven angels who had the seven plagues, who had come out of the temple, bowls full of the wrath of God; temple is filled with smoke from the glory of God and His power; no one is able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels, and thus the wrath of God, are finished
Chapter 16: Loud voice from the temple tells the seven angels to pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God: 1) on earth, sores on people with mark of the beast or who worshiped his image; 2) into sea, making it blood and killing all creatures; 3) into rivers/springs of waters, making them blood, as just penalty for the pouring out of the blood of saints and prophets; 4) on the sun, burning men, causing them to blaspheme but not repent; 5) on the throne of the beast, darkening his kingdom, and men blasphemed God because of pain and sores, but did not repent; 6) on Euphrates River, drying it up to prepare a way for the kings from the east, while three unclean spirits of demons came out of the mouth of the dragon, beast, and false prophet to go out to the kings of the world, to gather them to Har-Magedon for the war of the great day of God; 7) on the air, causing 100 pound hailstones, accompanied by lightning, sounds, peals of thunder, and the greatest earthquake ever to come upon the earth, and a large voice, saying, “It is done”; great city is split into three parts, cities of the nations fall, and Babylon is remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath
Chapter 17: One of the angels with one the seven bowls explains the significance of Babylon, and other features of the visions: Babylon, the great city that reigns over the kings of the earth, is represented by a woman clothed in purple, adorned with gold and precious stones, with golden cup full of abominations and immorality in her hand, with “THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” written on her forehead, drunk with the blood of the saints and the witnesses of Jesus, riding on beast with seven heads and ten horns; the beast was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction, and those whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will wonder at him; the seven heads are seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, but when he comes, he must remain a little while (the beast is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven); the ten horns are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour, having one purpose, and giving their power and authority to the beast, and they will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them; the ten horns and the beast will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, and burn her up with fire, for God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled
Chapter 18: Another angel from heaven declared Babylon fallen; another voice warned people to come out “so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues,” warning that in one day Babylon will be burned up with fire, and the kings and merchants of the earth will weep and lament, standing at a distance for fear of her torment; a strong angel then threw a millstone into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer…because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of the prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth”
Chapter 19: A great multitude in heaven, the twenty-four elders, and the four living creatures, praise God in heaven, saying “Hallelujah!” four different times, for His judgment on Babylon, His avenging of His bond-servants, and because the time for the marriage supper of the Lamb had arrived; John tries to worship angel speaking to Him but is told not to but to worship God; heaven opens and a white horse appears with Jesus on it, followed by the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, which are the righteous acts of the saints; the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies assemble to make war with Him; the beast and false prophet are seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire; the rest are killed with the sword from the mouth of Him on the white horse, and all the birds, called by an angel in the sun to the great supper of God, feed on their flesh
Chapter 20: Angel binds devil in abyss for one thousand years; martyrs for testimony of Jesus and word of God, and those who did not worship beast or his image, or take his mark, rise to reign with Christ for 1000 years, the first resurrection; Satan released to deceive and to gather nations to broad plain surrounding saints and beloved city, where fire comes down from heaven to devour them; devil thrown into lake of fire, where beast and false prophet are; dead rise to appear before great white throne and Him who sits upon it; books are opened, including the book of life; dead judged from the things written in the books, according to their deeds; death and Hades, and anyone whose name is not written in the book of life, thrown into the lake of fire, the second death
Chapter 21: John sees new heaven and new earth, with holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband, having the glory of God, with brilliance like a very costly stone, like crystal-clear jasper, with a great and high wall, of jasper, with twelve gates, with the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel written on them, with twelve angels at the gates; its wall has twelve foundation stones, with the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb written on them; it is laid out as a square, with equal length, width, and height, fifteen hundred miles; its streets are pure gold, like clear glass; foundation stones of wall adorned with precious stones; twelve gates are twelve pearls; streets are pure gold; no temple, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple; no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb; its gates will never be closed; nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life
Chapter 22: Angel shows John the river of the water of life, coming from throne of God and Lamb, in middle of street of city, with tree of life on either side, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, one for each month; curse is gone; throne of God and Lamb in city; His bond-servants will serve Him, seeing His face, with His name on their foreheads; angel says, “These words are faithful and true”; the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place: “Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book”; John proclaims, “I am the one who heard and saw these things”; he falls down to worship at the feet of the angel, but angel says, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God….Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy. Behold I am coming quickly and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star”; Spirit and bride say, “Come”; let the one who hears say, “Come”; let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost; John testifies to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book that if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and the holy city, which are written in this book; He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly”; Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
CHAPTER THEMES:
Chapter 1: Jesus appears to John, while he is exiled on the island of Patmos, telling him to write “the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.”
Chapter 2: John writes to the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyratira. Each church receives a compliment from the Lord. All but Smyrna hear, “I have this against you.”
Chapter 3: John writes to the churches of Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Each church but Laodicea receives a compliment. Sardis and Laodicea receive rebukes.
Chapter 4: John sees a door standing open in heaven and he is invited by Jesus to “Come up hear; and I will show you what must take place after these things.” He sees One seated on a throne, surrounded by four creatures and twenty-four elders on twenty-four thrones, all giving Him praise.
Chapter 5: John sees a Lamb as if slain standing before the throne who is worthy to take and open the seven seals of a book that is in the hand of Him who sits on the throne.
Chapter 6: John sees the Lamb break the first six seals of the book: 1) conquering rider on white horse; 2) red horse: war; 3) black horse: famine; 4) ashen horse: death to 1/4 the earth; 5) martyrs told to wait until their number is complete; 6) terror, with great signs in the heavens and on earth, as the great day of the wrath of Him who sits on the throne and the Lamb has come.
Chapter 7: John sees four angels, to whom it is granted to harm the earth and the sea, at the four corners of the earth, holding back the winds of the earth, being told by another angel not to harm the earth, sea, or trees until they had sealed the bond-servants of God on their foreheads. 144,000 are sealed, 12,000 from each tribe of the sons of Israel. John sees a great multitude in heaven, from every tribe, people, and tongue, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands, praising God and the Lamb, joined by angels who surround the throne, four creatures, and twenty-four angels. An elder explains to John that those clothed in the white robes are the ones who come out of the great tribulation.
Chapter 8: The Lamb breaks the seventh seal, and there is silence in heaven for about a half an hour. Seven angels stand before God with seven trumpets. Another angel stands before the altar with a golden censer, out of which goes incense, including the prayers of the saints, before God. The angel adds fire from the altar to the censer and throws it to the earth, resulting in thunder, sounds, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. Four angels sound their trumpets. First: hail and fire, mixed with blood; third of the earth, third of the trees, and all the green grass burn up. Second: great burning mountain thrown into the sea; third of the sea becomes blood; third of the creatures in the sea die; third of the ships are destroyed. Third: great star, named Wormwood, falls from heaven on a third of the rivers and springs; many men die from bitter waters. Fourth: third of the sun, moon, and stars darkened; day and night dark for third of the time. Eagle flies in midheaven, saying, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”
Chapter 9: The fifth angel sounds the first woe. The key to the bottomless pit is given to a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth. He opens the pit and smoke and locusts come out. The locusts have the power to torment by stinging, but not to kill, those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads, for five months. The angel of the abyss, Abaddon in Hebrew or Apollyon in Greek, is king over them. The sixth angel sounds the second woe. An angel voice from the altar in heaven releases four angels bound at river Euphrates, to kill a third of mankind with an army of two hundred million horsemen. The rest of mankind, who are not killed by these plagues, do not repent of their worship of demons and idols, murders, sorceries, immorality, or thefts.
Chapter 10: A strong angel comes down from heaven, with a little open book in his hand, placing his right foot on the sea and his left on the land, and crying out with a loud voice. The seven peals of thunder utter their voices, but John is not allowed to write what they say. The strong angel lifts his right hand to heaven and swears by the eternal Creator that delay is over and that, “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.” John is instructed to take from the angel and eat the little open book, which is sweet like honey in his mouth, but makes his stomach bitter. He is told, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”
To end the second woe, the holy city, except for temple, is given to the nations, to tread it under foot for forty-two months. Authority is granted to two witnesses to prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. They will kill with fire from their mouths anyone who wants to harm them and will have the power to bring drought, turn waters into blood, and strike the earth with every plague. The beast that comes up out of the abyss will kill them at the end of their testimony. Their dead bodies will lie in street of Jerusalem for three-and-a-half days, while people rejoice. Then the breath of life from God will come into them, they will stand on their feet, and then go up to heaven in a cloud. There will be a great earthquake, killing a tenth of the city, seven-thousand. The rest will be terrified and give glory to God.
Seventh angel sounds, beginning third woe: loud voices in heaven say, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” Twenty-four elders worship God, saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” The temple of God in heaven opened. The ark of His covenant appears in the temple. There are flashes of lightning, sounds, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
Chapter 12: Scenes in heaven:
Pregnant woman with crown of twelve stars on her head, clothed with sun, with moon under her feet, cries out in labor pain to give birth.
Great red dragon with seven heads with seven diadems and ten horns, whose tail sweeps away 1/3 of stars of heaven to earth, stands before woman to devour her child when she gives birth.
Woman gives birth to male child, who is to rule the nations, but he is caught up to God and His throne.
Woman flees into the wilderness, to a place prepared by God, to be nourished for 1260 days.
Michael and his angels wage war with the dragon, the devil, Satan, who deceives the whole world, and he is thrown down, with his angels, from heaven to earth.
Loud voice in heaven says, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”
Dragon persecutes the woman but she is given two wings of a great eagle to escape his presence into the wilderness to be nourished for time and times and half a time.
Serpent pours water like a river out of his mouth, trying to sweep her away in a flood, but the earth helps the woman, drinking up the river.
Dragon is enraged with the woman and goes to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Chapter 13: Dragon stands on the sand of the seashore and two beasts appear:
First beast comes out of sea: with seven heads with blasphemous names, and ten horns with ten diadems. One head has a fatal wound healed. Dragon gives him power, throne, and great authority for forty-two months, so people follow him and worship dragon. Beast blasphemes God, His name, and His tabernacle, having authority to make war with, and overcome, the saints. “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”
Second beast comes up out of the earth: two horns like a lamb, speaking as a dragon, performing great signs so as to deceive, exercising all the authority of the first beast in his presence, making the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast. Causes an image to the first beast to be made, giving it breath so it speaks and kills those who do not worship it. Causes all to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, so that no one will be able to buy or to sell, unless they have the mark, which is either the name of the beast or the number of his name, six hundred and sixty-six.
Lamb stands on Mount Zion, with 144,000, with His name and the name of His Father on their foreheads, singing a new song from heaven no one else could learn. They have been purchased from the earth as first fruits to God and the Lamb. They have been chaste and blameless, have not lied, and follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
Angel flies in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to all who live on the earth: “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven, earth, sea, and springs of waters.”
Second angel declares, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.”
Third angel declares, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”
Voice from heaven says, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!”
Spirit says, “Yes, so that they may rest from their labors, for the deeds follow with them.”
Another angel comes out of temple and tells one like a son of man, with golden crown on His head and sharp sickle in His hand, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” He swings His sickle over the earth, and the earth is reaped.
Another angel comes out of the temple, also with a sharp sickle.
Angel who has power over fire comes out from altar and calls to angel with sharp sickle, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.”
Angel swings his sickle to the earth and gathers the clusters from the vine of the earth, and throws them into the great wine press of the wrath of God, and blood comes out, “up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.”
Those who had been victorious over the beast, his image, and the number of his name stood on a sea of glass mixed with fire, holding harps of God, and singing the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.
The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened, and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple. One of the four living creatures gave them seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels, and thus the wrath of God, were finished.
Chapter 16: Loud voice from the temple tells the seven angels to pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on the earth:
First angel poured out his bowl on the earth, making loathsome and malignant sores on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.
Second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, making it blood and killing every living thing in the sea.
Third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of waters, making them blood. The angel of the waters said, “Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.”
Fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it scorched men with fire and fierce heat, and they blasphemed the name of God and did not repent as to give Him glory.
Fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened, and they blasphemed God because of their pain and sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
Sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare a way for the kings from the east. Three unclean spirits like frogs came out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet to go out to the kings of the world, to gather them to Har-Magedon for the war of the great day of God.
Seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, accompanied by lightning, sounds, peals of thunder, and the greatest earthquake ever to come upon the earth, and a large voice, saying, “It is done.” The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. Huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men, and men blasphemed God.
Chapter 17: One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls explains the significance of Babylon, and other features of the visions John has seen:
A woman sitting on a scarlet beast (full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns) clothed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, and with a gold cup in her hand full of abominations and the unclean things of her immorality, is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth. The waters where she sits are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. A mystery is written on her forehead, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” She is the great harlot, “with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” She is drunk with the blood of the saints and the witnesses of Jesus.
The beast was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. Those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.
The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
The ten horns are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful. The ten horns, and the beast, will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.
Chapter 18: Another angel came down from heaven, crying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.” Another voice from heaven said, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. The voice warned that in one day Babylon will be burned up with fire, and the kings and merchants of the earth will weep and lament, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, adding, “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.” A strong angel then threw a millstone into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer…because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of the prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”
A great multitude in heaven, and the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures, praise God in heaven, “Hallelujah!” four different times, for His judgment on Babylon, His avenging of His bond-servants, and because the time for the marriage supper of the Lamb had arrived.
John is told by the angel, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said, “These are true words of God.” He tries to worship the angel but is told, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
A white horse appears as heaven opens, with He who is called Faithful and True and The Word of God, on it, clothed with a robe dipped in blood, with eyes a flame of fire, many diadems on His head, with a name written on Him which no one but Him knows, with “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” written on His robe and thigh, and with a sharp sword in His mouth.
The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, which are the righteous acts of the saints, follow after Him on white horses.
The beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies assemble to make war with Him on the white horse and His army. The beast and false prophet are seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire. The rest are killed with the sword from the mouth of Him on the white horse, and all the birds, called by an angel in the sun to the great supper of God, feed on their flesh.
Angel binds dragon, serpent of old, the devil and Satan, throwing him into the abyss for one thousand years, until he must be released for a short time.
Souls of those beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand, come to life to reign with Christ for a thousand years, the first resurrection. Rest of the dead do not come to life until thousand years are completed.
Satan then released from his prison to deceive the nations. He gathers a number like the sand of the seashore to the broad plain of the earth surrounding the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire comes down from heaven to devour them. Devil thrown into the lake of fire, where beast and false prophet also are, to be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Dead rise to appear before a great white throne and Him who sits upon it, and books are opened, including the book of life. Dead judged from the things written in the books, according to their deeds. Death and Hades thrown into the lake of fire, the second death. If anyone’s name is not found written in the book of life, he will be thrown into the lake of fire.
John sees new heaven and new earth, as first heaven and earth had passed away. He saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. A voice from throne said, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
One of the angels who had the seven bowls of the seven last plagues told John, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” He carried John away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed him the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, with brilliance like a very costly stone, like crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, of jasper, with twelve gates, with the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel written on them, with twelve angels at the gates. The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, with the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb written on them. The angel had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city was laid out as a square, with equal length, width, and height, fifteen hundred miles. The city and its streets were pure gold, like clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone: jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls; and each one of the gates was a single pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. It had not temple, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. It had no need of the sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. Its gates will never be closed. Nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Angel shows John the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and Lamb, in middle of street of city, with tree of life on either side, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, one for each month. There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in city, and His bond-servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
The angel said, “These words are faithful and true.” The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. “Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” John proclaims, “I am the one who heard and saw these things.” When he heard and saw, he fell down to worship at the feet of the angel, but the angel said, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.” He said to John, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy. Behold I am coming quickly and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
John testifies to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
CHAPTER SYNOPSES:
Chapter 1: John had been banished to the island of Patmos because he was a follower of Christ. Jesus appeared to him, with a voice sounding like a trumpet and walking amongst seven golden lampstands with seven stars in his hand and a two-edged sword coming out of his mouth, and told him to write “the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things,” and send it to the seven churches in Asia: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyratira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
Chapter 2: John writes to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyratira. Each church receives a compliment from the Lord. All but Smyrna hear, “I have this against you.” Ephesus: “you have left your first love.” Pergamum: “you have some there” who are teaching “to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.” Thyratira: “you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” Smyrna receives a warning, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer.” All receive promises for overcoming, like, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Chapter 3: John writes to Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Each church but Laodicea receives a compliment. Sardis and Laodicea receive rebukes: “I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God” and “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot…you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” All the churches receive promises. Philadelphia is the only church that does not receive a warning and receives a specific reward: “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly, hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Chapter 4: John sees a door standing open in heaven and he is invited by Jesus, with His voice like a trumpet, to “Come up hear; and I will show you what must take place after these things.” He is in the Spirit and sees a throne in heaven and One sitting on the throne, who has a jeweled appearance. Lightning and thunder come out from the throne and there is a rainbow around it. In front of it, there are seven lamps of fire, which are the seven Spirits of God, and a sea of glass, like crystal. There are four creatures around the throne, full of eyes front and behind, and with six wings. One is like a lion, one like a calf, one has a face like a man, and one is like a flying eagle. Around them and around the throne, there are twenty-four thrones with twenty-four elders dressed in white, with golden crowns on their heads. Day and night, the creatures say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.” When the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, “to Him who lives forever and ever,” the twenty-four elders fall down before Him and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
Chapter 5: John saw a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals, in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. He saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and break its seals?” John began weeping because “no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or look into it.” One of the elders said to him, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” He saw a Lamb standing between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders. He looked as if slain, “having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.” He came took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne, and the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, “each one holding a harp and golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” They sang, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” He then heard the living creatures, the elders, and “myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands” of angels around the throne saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” He heard “every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them,” saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” The four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” The elders fell down and worshiped.
Chapter 6: John watches the Lamb break the first six seals of the book:
First seal: white horse; rider has bow and crown; went out conquering and to conquer
Second seal: red horse; rider with sword granted to take peace from the earth, that men would slay one another
Third seal: black horse; rider has pair of scales; one of creatures says, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”
Fourth seal: ashen horse; rider has name Death and Hades is following him; authority is given to them over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts
Fifth seal: souls of those slain because of the word of God and testimony they had maintained are under the altar, cyring out, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”; given white robes; told they should “rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also”
Sixth seal: great earthquake; sun black; moon like blood; stars of sky fell to earth; sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up; every mountain and island moved; kings, great men, commanders, rich, strong, every slave and free man hid themselves in caves and rocks of the mountains, saying, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
Chapter 7: John saw “four angels at the four corners of the earth,” “to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea,” “holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.” He saw “another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God.” He “cried out with a loud voice to the four angels,” saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.” John heard “the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel,” twelve thousand from each tribe: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin [Ephraim is not mentioned but could be encompassed by Joseph, which included Manasseh and Ephraim. Dan, who stole territory not their own and instituted idol worship, is not mentioned.] Then John saw “a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and people and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands,” crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels, standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures, “fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.’” One of the elders explains to John, “Those who are clothed in the white robes…are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Chapter 8: The Lamb breaks the seventh seal, and there is silence in heaven for about a half an hour. Seven trumpets are given to the seven angels who stand before God. Another angel stands before the altar with a golden censer. Much incense is given to him, to add it to the prayers of the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the incense goes up before God. The angel fills the censer with fire from the altar, throws it to the earth, and there is thunder, sounds, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. The seven angels prepare to sound their trumpets:
First angel trumpet: hail and fire, mixed with blood thrown to the earth; a third of the earth, a third of the trees, and all the green grass burn up
Second angel trumpet: great mountain burning with fire thrown into the sea; a third of the sea becomes blood; a third of the creatures in the sea die and a third of the ships are destroyed
Third angel trumpet: great star, named Wormwood, falls from heaven, falling on a third of the rivers and springs, making them bitter; many men die from the waters
Fourth angel trumpet: third of the sun, moon, and stars are struck and become dark; day and night are each dark for a third of the time
An eagle flies in midheaven, saying, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”
Fifth angel trumpet = first woe: key to the bottomless pit given to star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; he opens pit and smoke and locusts come out, who have the power to torment by stinging, but not to kill, those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads, for five months; angel of the abyss, Abaddon in Hebrew or Apollyon in Greek, is king over them
Sixth angel trumpet = second woe: angel voice from altar in heaven releases four angels bound at river Euphrates, to kill a third of mankind with an army of two hundred million horsemen.
The rest of mankind, who are not killed by these plagues, do not repent of their worship of demons and idols, murders, sorceries, immorality, or thefts.
Chapter 10: A strong angel comes down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, with the rainbow on his head, with a face like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He has a little open book in his hand. He places his right foot on the sea and his left on the land, and cries out with a loud voice. The seven peals of thunder utter their voices, but John is told to seal up what they say and not write it. The strong angel lifts his right hand to heaven and swears by the eternal Creator, that there will not be any further delay and that, “in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.” John is instructed to take from the angel and eat the little open book, and it is sweet in his mouth like honey, but bitter in his stomach. He is told, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”
Chapter 11: The holy city, except for temple, is given to the nations, to tread it under foot for forty-two months. Authority is granted to two witnesses, the two olive trees and two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth, to prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. Fire will flow out of their mouths to kill anyone who wants to harm them. They will have the power to shut up the sky so rain will not fall, to turn the waters into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. At the end of their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, overcome and kill them. People will prevent their burial, so peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations, will look on their dead bodies lying in the street of Jerusalem for three-and-a-half days, rejoicing and celebrating, sending gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. After three-and-a-half days, the breath of life from God will come into them and they will stand on their feet. Great fear will fall upon those watching them. A loud voice from heaven will say, “Come up here,” and they will go up to heaven in a cloud. In that hour, there will be a great earthquake and a tenth of the city will fall, killing seven-thousand. The rest will be terrified and give glory to God. “The second woe is past; behold the third woe is coming quickly.”
Seventh angel sounds: loud voices in heaven say, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” Twenty-four elders worship God, saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” The temple of God in heaven opened. The ark of His covenant appears in the temple. There are flashes of lightning, sounds, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
Chapter 12: Scenes appear in heaven. Pregnant woman with crown of twelve stars on her head, clothed with sun, with moon under her feet, cries out in labor pain to give birth. Great red dragon with seven heads with seven diadems and ten horns, whose tail sweeps away 1/3 of stars of heaven to earth, stands before woman to devour her child when she gives birth. She gives birth to male child, who is to rule the nations, and he is caught up to God and His throne. Woman flees into the wilderness, to a place prepared by God, to be nourished for 1260 days. Michael and his angels wage war with the dragon, the devil, Satan, who deceives the whole world, and he is thrown down, with his angels, from heaven to earth. Loud voice in heaven said, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.” Dragon persecutes the woman but she is given two wings of a great eagle to escape his presence into the wilderness to be nourished for time and times and half a time. Serpent pours water like a river out of his mouth, trying to sweep her away in a flood, but the earth helps the woman, drinking up the river. Dragon is enraged with the woman and goes to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Chapter 13: Dragon stands on the sand of the seashore and two beasts appear:
Beast like leopard, with feet like bear, mouth like lion, and with seven heads, with blasphemous names, and ten horns with ten diadems, comes up out of the sea. Dragon gives him power, throne, and great authority for forty-two months. One of beast’s heads has a fatal wound healed, amazing the whole earth, who follow after the beast, and worship the dragon. The beast speaks arrogant words, and blasphemes God, His name, and His tabernacle. He has authority to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe, people, tongue, and nation. “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.”
Another beast comes up out of the earth with two horns like a lamb, speaking as a dragon, exercising all the authority of the first beast in his presence, making the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast. He performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven, deceiving those who dwell on the earth. He causes an image to the first beast to be made, giving it breath so it speaks and kills those who do not worship it. He causes all to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, so that no one will be able to buy or to sell, unless they have the mark, which is either the name of the beast or the number of his name, which is the number of a man, six hundred and sixty-six.
Chapter 14: The Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, with 144,000, with His name and the name of His Father on their foreheads. A voice from heaven sang a new song no one could learn except the 144,000 purchased from the earth as first fruits to God and the Lamb. They have been chaste and blameless, have not lied, and follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Another angel flew in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, 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 heaven, earth, sea, and springs of waters.” A second angel followed, saying “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” A third angel followed, saying, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” A voice from heaven said, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!” The Spirit said, “Yes, so that they may rest from their labors, for the deeds follow with them.” Sitting on a white cloud was one like a son of man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. Another angel came out of the temple and cried out to Him, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. Another angel came out of the temple and he also had a sharp sickle. The angel who has power over fire came out from the altar and called to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” The angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.”
Those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name stood on a sea of glass mixed with fire, holding harps of God, and singing the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.”
The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened, and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in clean and bright linen with golden sashes. One of the four living creatures gave them seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. The seven plagues are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.
Chapter 16: A loud voice from the temple said to the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
First angel poured out his bowl on the earth, and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.
Second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood and every living thing in the sea died.
Third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of waters, and they became blood. The angel of the waters said, “Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.” The altar said, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
Fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it scorched men with fire and fierce heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent as to give Him glory.
Fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened, and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
Sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare a way for the kings from the east.
Three unclean spirits like frogs came out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. They are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”) They gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.
Seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air. A large voice came out from the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done.” There was lightning, sounds, peals of thunder, and the greatest earthquake ever to come upon the earth. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. Huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men, and men blasphemed God because the plague of the hail was extremely severe.
Chapter 17: One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls summons John to show him the judgment of the great harlot, “with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality,” and he is carried away in the Spirit into the wilderness. He sees:
a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns, clothed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, and with a gold cup in her hand full of abominations and the unclean things of her immorality. A mystery is written on her forehead, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” She is drunk with the blood of the saints and the witnesses of Jesus.
The angel explains:
The waters where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. The woman is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.
The beast was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. Those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.
The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
The ten horns are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful. The ten horns, and the beast, will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.
Chapter 18: John then saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. He cried out, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.” Another voice from heaven said, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she mixed, mix twice as much for her. To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, “I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.”’ This voice warned that in one day Babylon will be burned up with fire. The kings and merchants of the earth, and all who became rich by her wealth, will weep and lament, standing at a distance for fear of her torment. The voice said, “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.” A strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer…because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of the prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”
A great multitude in heaven, said, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.”
A second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.”
The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”
A voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.”
A great multitude again said, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready,” clothed in fine linen, which is the righteous acts of the saints.
John is told, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said, “These are true words of God.”
John fell at his feet to worship him, but he said, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
A white horse appeared as heaven opened, with He who is called Faithful and True and The Word of God, who judges and wages war in righteousness, sitting on it, clothed with a robe dipped in blood, with eyes a flame of fire, many diadems on His head, and a name written on Him which no one but Him knows. “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” is written on His robe and thigh. A sharp sword is in His mouth, so that He may strike down nations, and rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, followed after Him on white horses.
The birds in midheaven are called by an angel in the sun to assemble for the great supper of God, to feed on all those to be killed on earth.
The beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and His army. The beast and the false prophet were seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. The rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds fed on their flesh.
Angel came down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss, laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, throwing him into the abyss, shutting it and sealing it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed and he must be released for a short time.
Souls of those beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand, came to life to reign with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. The rest of the dead do not come to life until the thousand years are completed.
After the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison to deceive the nations, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war. A number like the sand of the seashore will come up on the broad plain of the earth surrounding the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire will come down from heaven and devour them. The devil who deceived them will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The dead will appear before a great white throne and Him who sits upon it, and books will be opened, including the book of life. The dead will be judged from the things which are written in the books, according to their deeds. The sea, death, and Hades will give up the dead in them, and every one of them will be judged according to their deeds. Then death and Hades will be thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death. If anyone’s name is not found written in the book of life, he will be thrown into the lake of fire.
John sees new heaven and new earth, as the first heaven and earth had passed away. He saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. A voice from throne said, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
One of the angels who had the seven bowls of the seven last plagues told John, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” He carried John away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed him the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, with brilliance like a very costly stone, like crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, of jasper, with twelve gates, with the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel written on them, with twelve angels at the gates. The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, with the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb written on them. The angel had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city was laid out as a square, with equal length, width, and height, fifteen hundred miles. The city and its streets were pure gold, like clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone: jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls; and each one of the gates was a single pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. It had not temple, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. It had no need of the sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. Its gates will never be closed. Nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Angel shows John the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of the street. On either side of the river is the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.
There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
The angel said, “These words are faithful and true.” The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. “Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” John proclaims, “I am the one who heard and saw these things.” When he heard and saw, he fell down to worship at the feet of the angel, but the angel said, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.” He said to John, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy. Behold I am coming quickly and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.
John testifies to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
CHAPTER SUMMARIES:
Chapter 1: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” John, who describes himself as our “brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” He was “in the spirit on the Lord’s day,” when he heard a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, ‘Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches”: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyratira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. The voice came from “one like a son of man,” walking among seven lampstands (the seven churches). “In His right hand He held seven stars” (the angels of the seven churches). His “voice was like the sound of many waters,” “out of his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword,” and “His face was like the sun shining in its strength.” John “fell at his feet like a dead man.” He placed His right hand on him, saying “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.” John wrote to the seven churches, “Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” “BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.” “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Chapters 2 & 3: John writes to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyratira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Each letter describes Jesus differently:
“The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands.”
“The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life”
“The One who has the sharp two-edged sword”
“The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze”
“He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars”
“He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens”
“The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
All but Laodicea receive a compliment:
“I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test whose who call themselves apostles, and they are not…and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.” You “hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans [a sect upholding the liberty of eating things sacrificed to idols and committing fornication], which I also hate.”
“I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”
“I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”
“I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.”
“I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive” and “you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.”
“I know your deeds.”
Philadelphia receives a specific reward: “I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
All but Smyrna and Philadelphia hear what the Lord has against them:
“you have left your first love.”
“you have some there” who are teaching “to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality,” some who hold to the teaching of the sect of the Nicolaitans
“you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”
“you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God”
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked”
All but Philadelphia receive a warning:
“remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place”
“Do not fear what you are about to suffer.”
Specific warning to Smyrna: “Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.”
“repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth”
“I gave [Jezebel] time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.” “I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.”
“remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief”
“I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed. Those who I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.”
Each also receives a promise:
“To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.”
“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
“To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.”
To those “who do not hold this teaching [of Jezebel], who have not know the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star.”
“He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”
“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and My new name.”
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
Chapter 4: After John is told what to write to the seven churches in Asia, he looks and sees “a door standing open in heaven” and Jesus’ same voice, “like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me,” said, “Come up here; and I will show you what must take place after these things.” He was immediately in the Spirit, and saw a throne “standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.” He who was sitting was “like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne there were twenty-four thrones” with twenty-four elders seated, clothed in white garments with golden crowns on their heads. Flashes of lightning and peals of thunder came out from the throne. Before the throne, there were seven lamps of fire, which are the seven Spirits of God, and “something like a sea of glass, like crystal.” In the center and around the throne were four living creatures. The first was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third had the face like that of a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. They were full of eyes in front and behind. They each had six wings. Day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.” When the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, “to Him who lives forever and ever,” the twenty-four elders fall down before Him and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
Chapter 5: John saw a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals, in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. He saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and break its seals?” John began weeping because “no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or look into it.” One of the elders said to him, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” He saw a Lamb standing between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders. He looked as if slain, “having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.” He came took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne, and the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, “each one holding a harp and golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” They sang, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” He then heard the living creatures, the elders, and “myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands” of angels around the throne saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” He heard “every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them,” saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” The four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” The elders fell down and worshiped.
Chapter 6: John watches the Lamb break the first six seals of the book. When each of the first four seals are broken, one of the living creatures, in order [first lion, second calf, third man, fourth flying eagle], said to him, “Come,” and he sees a vision.
First seal: white horse; rider has bow and crown; went out conquering and to conquer
Second seal: red horse; rider with sword granted to take peace from the earth, that men would slay one another
Third seal: black horse; rider has pair of scales; one of creatures says, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”
Fourth seal: ashen horse; rider has name Death and Hades is following him; authority is given to them over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, pestilence, and wild beasts
Fifth seal: souls of those slain because of the word of God and testimony they had maintained are under the altar, crying out, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”; given white robes; told they should “rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also”
Sixth seal: great earthquake; sun black; moon like blood; stars of sky fell to earth; sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up; every moutain and island moved; kings, great men, commanders, rich, strong, every slave and free man hid themselves in caves and rocks of the mountains, saying, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
Chapter 7: John saw “four angels at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.” He saw “another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God.” He “cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.’” John heard “the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel.” There were twelve thousand sealed from each tribe: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin [Ephraim is not mentioned but could be encompassed by Joseph, which included Manasseh and Ephraim. Dan, who stole territory not their own and instituted idol worship, is not mentioned.] Then John saw “a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and people and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands,” crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. They “fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.’” One of the elders asked John, “Those who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” John said, “My lord, you know.” The elder answered, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reaason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Chapter 8: “When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” John sees “the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.” When the “first angel sounded,” there was “hail and fire, mixed with blood” thrown to the earth; a third of the earth, a third of the trees, and all the green grass was burned up. When the “second angel sounded,” a “great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea”; a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures in the sea died and a third of the ships were destroyed. When the “third angel sounded,” a great star, named Wormwood, fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and springs, making them bitter, and many men died from the waters. When the “fourth angel sounded,” a third of the sun, moon, and stars were struck and became dark, so neither day nor night would shine for a third of it. Then John heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”
Chapter 9: The fifth angel sounded the beginning of the first woe. The key to the bottomless pit was given to a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth. He opened the pit, and smoke came up, darkening the sun and the air. Then locusts came out, and power was given to torment, like when a scorpion stings a man, but not to kill, those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads, for five months. They have the angel of the abyss, Abaddon in Hebrew or Apollyon in Greek, as king over them. Men will seek death but not find it. When the sixth angel sounded, a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God told him to release the four angels bound at the great river Euphrates, who were prepared for the hour and day and month and years, to kill a third of mankind with an army of two hundred million horsemen. The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of their worship of demons and idols, murders, sorceries, immorality, or thefts.
Chapter 10: John sees a “strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.” He had in his hand a little open book. “He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when had had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.” John was about to write what they said, but was told, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.” Then the angel standing on the sea and land “lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who live forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that there will be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.” John is told to take the little open book from the angel standing on the sea and the land, who says, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” He takes it and eats it, and in his mouth it is sweet as honey, but it does make his stomach bitter. They said to John, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”
Chapter 11: John is given a measuring rod and told to measure the temple, but not its outside court, “for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnessess, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” They are the two olive trees and two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth to kill their enemies. During the days of their prophesying, they have the power to shut up the sky so rain will not fall, to turn the waters into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. Peoples and tribes and tongues and nations, preventing their burial, will look on their dead bodies lying in the street of the great city mystically called Sodom and Egypt, where also the Lord was crucified, for three-and-a-half days. They will rejoice and celebrate, sending gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. But after three-and-a-half days, the breath of life from God will come into them and they will stand on their feet; and great fear will fall upon those watching them. And a loud voice from heaven will say, “Come up here,” and they will go up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies will watch them. In that hour, there will be a great earthquake and a tenth of the city will fall. Seven-thousand will fall, and the rest will be terrified and give glory to the God of heaven. “The second woe is past; behold the third woe is coming quickly.” When the seventh angel sounded, loud voices in heaven said, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” And the temple of God in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning, sounds, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.
Chapter 12: Appearance of great sign in heaven: pregnant woman clothed with the sun, with moon under her feet, and crown of twelve stars on her head, crying out in labor pain to give birth. Another sign: great red dragon with seven heads with seven diadems and ten horns, whose tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven to earth, stood before woman about to give birth so he might devour her child. She gave birth to a male child, who is to rule the nations with a rod of iron, and his was caught up to God and His throne. The woman then fled into the wilderness, to a place prepared by God, to be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Michael and his angels waged war with the dragon, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world, and he was thrown down, with his angels, from heaven to earth. A loud voice in heaven said, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.” The dragon persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. She was given two wings of a great eagle to fly into the wilderness to her place to be nourished for time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth, trying to sweep her away in a flood, but the earth helped the woman, drinking up the river. So the dragon was enraged with the woman and, “and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”
Chapter 13: The dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. A beast like a leopard, with feet like a bear, with a mouth like a lion, with seven heads, with blasphemous names, and ten horns with ten diadems, comes up out of the sea. The dragon gave him his power, throne, and great authority. One of the heads looked like it had been slain and its fatal wound was healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast, and worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast. The beast spoke arrogant words and blasphemies, and had authority to act for forty-two months. He blasphemed God, His name, and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. He had authority to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe, people, tongue, and nation. “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.” Another beast came up out of the earth with two horns like a lamb. He spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. He performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven, deceiving those who dwell on the earth. He tells those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. He gives breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would speak and cause as many who do not worship the image to be killed. “He causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.”
Chapter 14: The Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one-hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. A voice from heaven sang a new song before the throne, four living creatures, and elders. No one could learn the song except the one-hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. They have not been defiled with women, for they kept themselves chaste. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouth. They are blameless. Another angel flew in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, 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 heaven, earth, sea, and springs of waters.” A second angel followed, saying “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” A third angel followed, saying, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” A voice from heaven said, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!” The Spirit said, “Yes, so that they may rest from their labors, for the deeds follow with them.” Sitting on a white cloud was one like a son of man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. Another angel came out of the temple and cried out to Him, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. Another angel came out of the temple and he also had a sharp sickle. The angel who has power over fire came out from the altar and called to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” The angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.”
Chapter 15: Another sign appeared in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished. Those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name stood on a sea of glass mixed with fire, holding harps of God, and singing the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.” The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened, and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in clean and bright linen with golden sashes. One of the four living creatures gave them seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.
Chapter 16: A loud voice from the temple said to the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.” The first angel poured out his bowl on the earth, and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood and every living thing in the sea died. The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of waters, and they became blood. The angel of the waters said, “Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.” The altar said, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it scorched men with fire and fierce heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent as to give Him glory. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was darkened, and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and sores, and did not repent of their deeds. The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare a way for the kings from the east. Three unclean spirits like frogs came out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. They are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”) They gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. The seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air. A large voice came out from the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done.” There was lightning, sounds, peals of thunder, and the greatest earthquake ever to come upon the earth. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. Huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men, and men blasphemed God because the plague of the hail was extremely severe.
Chapter 17: One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls summoned John, saying “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” John was carried away in the Spirit into a wilderness. He saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. She was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones, pearls, and had in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and the unclean things of her immorality. On her forehead was written a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” John saw her drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When John wondered about her, the angel told him, “I will tell you the mystery of the woman and the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful. The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.”
Chapter 18: John then saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. He cried out, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.” Another voice from heaven said, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she mixed, mix twice as much for her. To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, “I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.” For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong. And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.” And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes anymore—cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives. The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!” And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoker of her burning, saying, “What city is like the great city?” And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying “Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!” Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.’ Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer. And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of the prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”
Chapter 19: John heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.” A second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.” The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” A voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” A great multitude sounding like many waters and mighty peals of thunder said, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” It was given to the bride to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said, “These are true words of God.” John fell at his feet to worship him, but he said, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” John saw heaven opened, and a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems. He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed after Him on white horses. From His mouth came a sharp sword, so that He may strike down the nations, and rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” An angel in the sun cried out with a loud voice to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” He saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assemble to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. The beast was seized, and the false prophet who performed signs in his presence to deceive those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. The rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
Chapter 20: Then an angel came down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the abyss, shutting it and sealing it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed. After these things he must be released for a short time. John saw thrones and they sat on them and judgment was given to them. He saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand, and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. They came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then he saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven flew away, and no place was found for them. He saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. The sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Chapter 21: John saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. He saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. He heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Then one of the angels who had the seven bowls of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” He carried John away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed him the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the twelve gates twelve angels; and the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were written on them. There were three gates each on the east, north, south, and west. The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb were written on them. The angel had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. He measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements. The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone: jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, and amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls; and each one of the gates was a single pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city has no need of the sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Chapter 22: The angel showed John the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of the street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. There will no longer be any night, and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them, and they will reign forever and ever. The angel said, “These words are faithful and true.” The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. “Behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” John proclaims, “I am the one who heard and saw these things.” When he heard and saw, he fell down to worship at the feet of the angel, but the angel said, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.” He said to John, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy. Behold I am coming quickly and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. John testifies to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
CHAPTERS:
Chapter 1: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’ I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, ‘Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.’ Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.’”
Chapter 2: “‘To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans [a sect upholding the liberty of eating things sacrificed to idols and committing fornication], which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.”
‘And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: “I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.”
‘And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this: “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.”
‘And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: “I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”
Chapter 3: “‘To the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: “I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
‘And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: “I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
‘To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirits says to the churches.”’”
Chapter 4: “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.’ Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.’ And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.’”
Chapter 5: “I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?’ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.’ And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.’ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.’ And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’ And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and worshiped.”
Chapter 6: “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, ‘Come.’ I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, ‘Come.’ And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, ‘Come.’ I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.’ When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, ‘Come.’ I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth. When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also. I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”
Chapter 7: “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.’ And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed. After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.’ Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?’ I said to him, ‘My lord, you know.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.’”
Chapter 8: “When the Lamb broke 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 came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them. The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter. The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way. Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, ‘Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!’”
Chapter 9: “Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them. The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon. The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things. Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’ And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm. The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.”
Chapter 10: “I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.’ Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that there will be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets. Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, ‘Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.’ So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, ‘Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.’ I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. And they said to me, ‘You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.’”
Chapter 11: “Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, ‘Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.’ These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly. Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying,
’We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.’ And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.”
Chapter 12: “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.’ And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”
Chapter 13: “And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?’ There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.”
Chapter 14: “Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless. And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and 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 heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.’ And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.’ Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.’ Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, ‘Write, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!”’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.’ Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, ‘Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.’ So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.”
Chapter 15: “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.’ After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.”
Chapter 16: “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.’ So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died. Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying, ‘Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.’ And I heard the altar saying, ‘Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.’ The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds. The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (‘Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.’) And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, ‘It is done.’ And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.”
Chapter 17: “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, ‘Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, ‘BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.’ And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. And the angel said to me, ‘Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.’ And he said to me, ‘The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.’”
Chapter 18: “After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.’ I heard another voice from heaven, saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, “I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.” For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong. And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.” And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more— cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives. The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!” And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, “What city is like the great city?” And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!” Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.’ Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ‘So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer. And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.’”
Chapter 19: “After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.’ And a second time they said, ‘Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.’ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, ‘Amen. Hallelujah!’ And a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.’ Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, ‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.’ It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’’ And he said to me, ‘These are true words of God.’ Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’ And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, ‘Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.’ And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.”
Chapter 20: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Chapter 21: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’ And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’ Then He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’ Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, ‘Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements. The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh,chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Chapter 22: “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. And he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true’; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.’ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, ‘Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.’ And he said to me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy. Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’ The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”
OUTLINE (contains all the text in each chapter):
Introduction (v1-3):
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ,
“which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place;
“and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.”
“John to the seven churches that are in Asia” (v4-7):
“Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come,
“and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
“To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
“BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.”
“‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’ (v8)
“I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” (v9-11):
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying,
‘Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.’”
“Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me." (v12-16):
“And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands;
“and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man,
“clothed in a robe reaching to the feet,
“and girded across His chest with a golden sash.
“His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow;
“and His eyes were like a flame of fire.
“His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace,
“and His voice was like the sound of many waters.
“In His right hand He held seven stars,
“and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword;
“and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.”
“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.” (v17-20):
“And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid;
‘I am the first and the last, and the living One;
‘and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore,
‘and I have the keys of death and of Hades.
‘Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things.
‘As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.’”
“‘To the angel of the church in Ephesus write” (v1-7):
The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
“I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.
“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
“Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.
“Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
“To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.”
‘And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write” (v8-11):
The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this:
“I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
“Do not fear what you are about to suffer.
“Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days.
“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
“He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.”
‘And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write” (v12-17):
The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:
“I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
“But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.
“So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
“Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
“To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.”
‘And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write” (v18-29):
The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:
“I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.
“But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
“I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.
“Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.
“And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.
“But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you.
“Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.
“He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”
“‘To the angel of the church in Sardis write (v1-7):
He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this:
“I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
“Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
“So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent.
“Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.
“But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
“He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
‘And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write” (v7-13):
He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
“I know your deeds.
“Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
“Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.
“Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
‘To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
“The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.
“So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
“Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,’ and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
“He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirits says to the churches.”’”
“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.’” (v1-11):
“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.
“And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance.
“Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.”
“Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder.
“And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;
“and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal;
“and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.
“The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.
“And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, ‘HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.’
“And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.’”
“I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.” (v1-5):
“And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?’
“And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.
“Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it;
“and one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.’
“And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.” (v6-10):
“And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.
“When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
“And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.’
“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.’ (v11-12)
“And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.’ (v13)
“And the four living creatures kept saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and worshiped.” (v14)
“Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, (v1-2):
and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, ‘Come.’
“I looked, and behold,
“a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him,
“and he went out conquering and to conquer.”
“When He broke the second seal,” (v3-4):
“I heard the second living creature saying, ‘Come.’
“And another, a red horse, went out;
“and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another;
“and a great sword was given to him.”
“When He broke the third seal,” (v5-6):
“I heard the third living creature saying, ‘Come.’
“I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.
“And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying,
‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.’”
“When the Lamb broke the fourth seal,” (v7-8):
“I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, ‘Come.’
“I looked, and behold, an ashen horse;
“and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him.
“Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.”
“When the Lamb broke the fifth seal,” (v9-11):
“I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;
“and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’
“And there was given to each of them a white robe;
“and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.”
“I looked when He broke the sixth seal,” (v12-17):
“and there was a great earthquake;
“and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair,
“and the whole moon became like blood;
“and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.
“The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up,
“and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
“Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man
“hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains;
and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”
“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.” (v1-3):
“And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God;
“and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying,
‘Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.’”
“And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel” (v4-8):
“from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.”
“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;” (v9-12):
“and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,
‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’
“And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures;
“and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying,
‘Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.’”
“Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?’” (v13-17):
“I said to him, ‘My lord, you know.’
“And he said to me,
‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
“For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.
“They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.’”
“When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” (v1-2):
“And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.”
“Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.” (v3-5):
“And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.
“Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.”
“And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.” (v6)
“The first sounded,” (v7):
“and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth;
“and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.”
“The second angel sounded,” (v8-9):
“and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea;
“and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.”
“The third angel sounded,” (v10-11):
“and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters.
“The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.”
“The fourth angel sounded,” (v12):
“and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck,
“so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.”
“Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice,” (v13):
‘Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!’”
“Then the fifth angel sounded,” (v1-11):
“and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth;
“and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.
“He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace;
“and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.
“Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth,
“and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
“They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
“And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.
“And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.”
“The appearance of the locusts
“was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron;
“and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.
“They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months.
“They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.”
“The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.” (v12)
“Then the sixth angel sounded,” (v13-19):
“and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
“one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet,
‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’
“And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind.
“The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.
“And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them:
“the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone.
“A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths.
“For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.”
“The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.” (v20-21)
“I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven,” (v1-7):
“clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire;
“and he had in his hand a little book which was open.
“He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land;
“and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars;
“and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices.
“When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying,
‘Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.’
“Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, WHO CREATED HEAVEN AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE EARTH AND THE THINGS IN IT, AND THE SEA AND THE THINGS IN IT, that
“there will be delay no longer,
“but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.”
“Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying,” (v8-11):
‘Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.’
“So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book.
“And he said to me, ‘Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.’
“I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.
“And they said to me, ‘You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.’”
“Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, ‘Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it.” (v1-13):
‘Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.
‘And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.’
“These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.
“And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.
“These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.
“When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them.
“And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
“Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.
“And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
“But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them.
“And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’
“Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them.
“And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell;
“seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake,
“and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.”
“The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.” (v14)
“Then the seventh angel sounded;” (v15-19):
“and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.’
“And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying,
‘We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.’
“And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.”
“A great sign appeared in heaven” (v1-2):
“a woman
“clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;
“and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.”
“Then another sign appeared in heaven” (v3-4):
“and behold, a great red dragon
“having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.
“And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.
“And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.”
“And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron;” (v5-6):
“and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.
“Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God,
“so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.”
“And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon.” (v7-9):
“The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.
“And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world;
“he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”
“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,” (v10-12):
‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.
‘And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
‘For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them.
‘Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.’
“And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.” (v13-17):
“But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman,
“so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
“And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.
“But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.
“So the dragon was enraged with the woman,
“and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”
“And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea,” (v1-10):
“having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.
“And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion.
“And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.
“I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed.
“And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;
“they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast;
“and they worshiped the beast, saying, ‘Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?’
“There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.
“And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.”
“It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them,
“and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.
“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
“If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
“If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed.
“Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.”
“Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth;” (v11-18):
“and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.
“He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence.
“And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
“He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.
“And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
“And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.
“Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.”
“Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.” (v1-5):
“And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.
“And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.
“These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste.
“These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
“These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.
“And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.”
“And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people;” (v6-8):
“and 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 heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.’
And another angel, a second one, followed, saying,
‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.’”
“Then another angel, a third one, followed them,” (v9-12):
“saying with a loud voice,
‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
‘And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.’
Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”
“And I heard a voice from heaven, saying,” (v13):
‘Write, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!”’
‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.’”
“Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.”
“And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud,
‘Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.’
Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.”
“And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.” (v17-20):
“Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar;
“and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying,
‘Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.’
“So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God.
“And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.”
“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues,” (v1-4):
“which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished.
“And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.
And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
‘Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy;
For ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.’”
“After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple,” (v5-8):
“clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden sashes.
“Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.
“And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power;
“and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.”
“Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.’” (v1)
“So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; (v2):
and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.”
“The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea,” (v3)
“and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.”
“Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters;” (v4-7):
“and they became blood.
“And I heard the angel of the waters saying,
‘Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.’
And I heard the altar saying,
‘Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.’”
“The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun,” (v8-9):
“and it was given to it to scorch men with fire.
“Men were scorched with fierce heat;
“and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues,
“and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.”
“Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,” (v10-11):
“and his kingdom became darkened;
“and they gnawed their tongues because of pain,
“and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores;
“and they did not repent of their deeds.”
“The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates;” (v12):
“and its water was dried up,
“so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.”
“And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs;” (v13-16):
“for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.
(‘Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.’)
“And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.”
“Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air,” (v17-21):
“and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying,
‘It is done.’
“And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder;
“and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.
“The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell.
“Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.
“And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
“And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men;
and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.”
“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying,” (v1-6):
‘Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.’
“And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness;
“and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.
“The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, ‘BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.’
“And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.
“When I saw her, I wondered greatly.”
“And the angel said to me, ‘Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.’ (v7-14):
‘The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction.
‘And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.
‘Here is the mind which has wisdom.
‘The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits, and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.
‘The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
‘The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.
‘These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.
‘These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.'
“And he said to me,” (v15-18):
‘The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
‘And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.
‘For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.
‘The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.’”
“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.” (v1-3):
“And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying,
‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.’
“I heard another voice from heaven, saying,” (v4-20):
‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, “I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.” For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.
‘And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.”
‘And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more— cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives. The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!” And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, “What city is like the great city?” And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!” Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.’
“Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,” (v21-24 ):
‘So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer. And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.’”
“After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,” (v1-2):
‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.’
“And a second time they said,” (v3):
‘Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.’ (v3)
“And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying,” (v4):
‘Amen. Hallelujah!’
“And a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.’: (v5-6):
“Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,
‘Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.’
“It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
“Then he said to me, ‘Write,” (v9-10):
‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’’
“And he said to me,
‘These are true words of God.’
Then I fell at his feet to worship him.
“But he said to me,
‘Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.” (v11-16):
“His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.
“He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood,
“and His name is called The Word of God.
“And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
“From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations,
“and He will rule them with a rod of iron;
“and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
“And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’
“Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven,” (v17-18):
‘Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.’
“And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.” (v19-21):
“And the beast was seized,
“and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence,
“by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image;
“these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
“And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.”
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.” (v1-6):
“And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
“Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them.
“And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
“The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
“Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”
“When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.” (v7-10):
“And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
“And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.” (v11-15):
“And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
“Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.” (v1-8):
“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying,
‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’
“And He who sits on the throne said,
‘Behold, I am making all things new.’
And He said,
‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’
Then He said to me,
‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’
“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, ‘Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’” (v9-27):
“And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.
“Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel.
“There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west.
“And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
“The one who spoke with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall.
“The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal.
“And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards, according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements.
“The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.
“The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone.
“The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh,chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.
“And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl.
“And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
“I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
“And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
“The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
“In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it,
“but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
“Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street.” (v1-7):
“On either side of the river was the tree of life,
“bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
“There will no longer be any curse;
“and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it,
“and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
“And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.
“And he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true’; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.
‘And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.’
“I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.” (v8-12)
“And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things.
“But he said to me, ‘Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.’”
“And he said to me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.’
‘Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’ (v12-13)
‘Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.’ (v14-15)
‘I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’ (v16)
“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” (v17)
“I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.” (v18-19)
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’” (v20)
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” (v21)