The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel^(A) to Nazareth,^(B) a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,^(C) a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,^(D) Mary; you have found favor with God.^{(E) 31} You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.^{(F) 32} He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.^(G) The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,^{(H) 33} and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom^(I) will never end.”^(J)

The Seventh Trumpet

¹⁵ The seventh angel sounded his trumpet,^(A) and there were loud voices^(B) in heaven, which said:

¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders,^(E) who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces^(F) and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying:

Whose Son Is the Messiah?^(A)

⁴¹ While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,”^(B) they replied.

⁴³ He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

⁴⁵ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” ⁴⁶ No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.^(D)

⁸ “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”^(A) says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come,^(B) the Almighty.”^(C)

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

¹² “Look, I am coming soon!^(A) My reward is with me,^(B) and I will give to each person according to what they have done.^{(C) 13} I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(D) the First and the Last,^(E) the Beginning and the End.^(F)

¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes,^(G) that they may have the right to the tree of life^(H) and may go through the gates^(I) into the city.^{(J) 15} Outside^(K) are the dogs,^(L) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

¹⁶ “I, Jesus,^(M) have sent my angel^(N) to give you^[a] this testimony for the churches.^(O) I am the Root^(P) and the Offspring of David,^(Q) and the bright Morning Star.”^(R)