The Second Beast

11 Then (A)I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence,[a] and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, (B)whose mortal wound was healed. 13 (C)It performs great signs, even (D)making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of[b] the beast (E)it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast (F)that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not (G)worship the image of the beast (H)to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave,[c] (I)to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, (J)the name of the beast or (K)the number of its name. 18 (L)This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number (M)of a man, and his number is 666.[d]

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and behold, on (N)Mount Zion (O)stood the Lamb, and with him (P)144,000 who (Q)had his name and his Father's name written (R)on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven (S)like the roar of many waters and (T)like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of (U)harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing (V)a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. (W)No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for (X)they are virgins. It is these (Y)who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as (Z)firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and (AA)in their mouth no lie was found, for they are (AB)blameless.

The Messages of the Three Angels

Then I saw another angel (AC)flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to (AD)those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, (AE)“Fear God and (AF)give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and (AG)worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the (AH)springs of water.”

Another angel, a second, followed, saying, (AI)“Fallen, fallen is (AJ)Babylon the great, (AK)she who made all nations drink (AL)the wine of the passion[e] of her sexual immorality.”

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone (AM)worships the beast and its image and receives (AN)a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink (AO)the wine of God's wrath, (AP)poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and (AQ)he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And (AR)the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and (AS)they have no rest, day or night, these (AT)worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

12 (AU)Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who (AV)keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.[f]

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: (AW)Blessed are the dead (AX)who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, (AY)“that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

The Harvest of the Earth

14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one (AZ)like a son of man, (BA)with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel (BB)came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, (BC)“Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for (BD)the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, (BE)the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, (BF)for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great (BG)winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And (BH)the winepress was trodden (BI)outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as (BJ)a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.[g]

The Seven Angels with Seven Plagues

15 Then (BK)I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, (BL)seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.

And I saw (BM)what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those (BN)who had conquered the beast and its image and (BO)the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass (BP)with harps of God in their hands. And they sing (BQ)the song of Moses, (BR)the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

(BS)“Great and amazing are your deeds,
    O Lord God the Almighty!
(BT)Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations![h]
(BU)Who will not fear, O Lord,
    and glorify your name?
For you alone are (BV)holy.
    (BW)All nations will come
    and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

After this I looked, and (BX)the sanctuary of (BY)the tent[i] of witness in heaven was opened, and out of the sanctuary came (BZ)the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright (CA)linen, (CB)with golden sashes around their chests. And one of (CC)the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven (CD)golden bowls full of the wrath of God (CE)who lives forever and ever, and (CF)the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and (CG)no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 13:12 Or on its behalf
  2. Revelation 13:14 Or on behalf of
  3. Revelation 13:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
  4. Revelation 13:18 Some manuscripts 616
  5. Revelation 14:8 Or wrath
  6. Revelation 14:12 Greek and the faith of Jesus
  7. Revelation 14:20 About 184 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters
  8. Revelation 15:3 Some manuscripts the ages
  9. Revelation 15:5 Or tabernacle

The Beast out of the Earth

11 Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. 14 And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. 15 He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.

16 He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. 17 And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. 18 Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] His number is 666.[b]

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together.

This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. They have kept themselves as pure as virgins,[c] following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering[d] to God and to the Lamb. They have told no lies; they are without blame.

The Three Angels

And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.”

Then another angel followed him through the sky, shouting, “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen—because she made all the nations of the world drink the wine of her passionate immorality.”

Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand 10 must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. 11 The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”

12 This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”

The Harvest of the Earth

14 Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man.[e] He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

15 Then another angel came from the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, “Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.” 16 So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.

17 After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles[f] long and as high as a horse’s bridle.

The Song of Moses and of the Lamb

15 Then I saw in heaven another marvelous event of great significance. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God’s wrath to completion. I saw before me what seemed to be a glass sea mixed with fire. And on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them. And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

“Great and marvelous are your works,
    O Lord God, the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations.[g]
Who will not fear you, Lord,
    and glorify your name?
    For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
    for your righteous deeds have been revealed.”

The Seven Bowls of the Seven Plagues

Then I looked and saw that the Temple in heaven, God’s Tabernacle, was thrown wide open. The seven angels who were holding the seven plagues came out of the Temple. They were clothed in spotless white linen[h] with gold sashes across their chests. Then one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. The Temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and power. No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues.

Footnotes

  1. 13:18a Or of humanity.
  2. 13:18b Some manuscripts read 616.
  3. 14:4a Greek They are virgins who have not defiled themselves with women.
  4. 14:4b Greek as firstfruits.
  5. 14:14 Or like a son of man. See Dan 7:13. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
  6. 14:20 Greek 1,600 stadia [300 kilometers].
  7. 15:3 Some manuscripts read King of the ages.
  8. 15:6 Other manuscripts read white stone; still others read white [garments] made of linen.