Revelation 19-22

Common English Bible

Celebration in heaven

19 After this I heard what sounded like a huge crowd in heaven. They said,

³ Then they said a second time,

⁴ The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God, who is seated on the throne, and they said, “Amen. Hallelujah!”

⁵ Then a voice went out from the throne and said,

⁶ And I heard something that sounded like a huge crowd, like rushing water and powerful thunder. They said,

⁹ Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Favored are those who have been invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb.” He said to me, “These are the true words of God.” ¹⁰ Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said, “Don’t do that! I’m a servant just like you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the witness of Jesus. Worship God! The witness of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy!”

Christ defeats the beast

¹¹ Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider was called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war justly. ¹² His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³ He wore a robe dyed^[a] with blood, and his name was called the Word of God. ¹⁴ Heaven’s armies, wearing fine linen that was white and pure, were following him on white horses. ¹⁵ From his mouth comes a sharp sword that he will use to strike down the nations. He is the one who will rule them with an iron rod. And he is the one who will trample the winepress of the Almighty God’s passionate anger. ¹⁶ He has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of kings and Lord of lords.

¹⁷ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called out with a loud voice and said to all the birds flying high overhead, “Come and gather for God’s great supper. ¹⁸ Come and eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of the powerful, and the flesh of horses and their riders. Come and eat the flesh of all, both free and slave, both small and great.” ¹⁹ Then I saw that the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies had gathered to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was seized, along with the false prophet who had done signs in the beast’s presence. (He had used the signs to deceive people into receiving the beast’s mark and into worshipping the beast’s image.) The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake that burns with sulfur. ²¹ The rest were killed by the sword that comes from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ate their fill of their flesh.

Satan confined

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain. ² He seized the dragon, the old snake, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. ³ He threw him into the abyss, then locked and sealed it over him. This was to keep him from continuing to deceive the nations until the thousand years were over. After this he must be released for a little while.

The saints rule with Christ

⁴ Then I saw thrones, and people took their seats on them, and judgment was given in their favor.^[b] They were the ones who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and God’s word, and those who hadn’t worshipped the beast or its image, who hadn’t received the mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life and ruled with Christ for one thousand years. ⁵ The rest of the dead didn’t come to life until the thousand years were over. This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Favored and holy are those who have a share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will rule with him for one thousand years.

Satan’s defeat

⁷ When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison. ⁸ He will go out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog. He will gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea. ⁹ They came up across the whole earth and surrounded the saints’ camp, the city that God loves. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them. ¹⁰ Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet also were. There painful suffering will be inflicted upon them day and night, forever and always.

Final judgment

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and the one who is seated on it. Before his face both earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. ¹² I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and scrolls were opened. Another scroll was opened too; this is the scroll of life. And the dead were judged on the basis of what was written in the scrolls about what they had done. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and the Grave gave up the dead that were in them, and people were judged by what they had done. ¹⁴ Then Death and the Grave were thrown into the fiery lake. This, the fiery lake, is the second death. ¹⁵ Then anyone whose name wasn’t found written in the scroll of life was thrown into the fiery lake.

New heaven and new earth

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “Look! God’s dwelling is here with humankind. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples. God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” ⁵ Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look! I’m making all things new.” He also said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶ Then he said to me, “All is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will freely give water from the life-giving spring. ⁷ Those who emerge victorious will inherit these things. I will be their God, and they will be my sons and daughters. ⁸ But for the cowardly, the faithless, the vile, the murderers, those who commit sexual immorality, those who use drugs and cast spells, the idolaters and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

New Jerusalem

⁹ Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues spoke with me. “Come,” he said, “I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” ¹⁰ He took me in a Spirit-inspired trance to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. ¹¹ The city had God’s glory. Its brilliance was like a priceless jewel, like jasper that was as clear as crystal. ¹² It had a great high wall with twelve gates. By the gates were twelve angels, and on the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel’s sons. ¹³ There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. ¹⁴ The city wall had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the Lamb’s twelve apostles.

¹⁵ The angel who spoke to me had a gold measuring rod with which to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. ¹⁶ Now the city was laid out as a square. Its length was the same as its width. He measured the city with the rod, and it was fifteen hundred miles.^[c] Its length and width and height were equal. ¹⁷ He also measured the thickness of its wall. It was two hundred sixteen feet^[d] thick, as a person—or rather, an angel—measures things. ¹⁸ The wall was built of jasper, and the city was pure gold, like pure glass. ¹⁹ The city wall’s foundations were decorated with every kind of jewel. The first foundation was jasper, the second was sapphire, the third was chalcedony, and the fourth was emerald. ²⁰ The fifth was sardonyx, the sixth was carnelian, the seventh was chrysolite, and the eighth was beryl. The ninth was topaz, the tenth was chrysoprase, the eleventh was jacinth, and the twelfth was amethyst. ²¹ The twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was made from a single pearl. And the city’s main street was pure gold, as transparent as glass.

²² I didn’t see a temple in the city, because its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. ²³ The city doesn’t need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. ²⁵ Its gates will never be shut by day, and there will be no night there. ²⁶ They will bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. ²⁷ Nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is vile and deceitful, but only those who are registered in the Lamb’s scroll of life.

22 Then the angel showed me the river of life-giving water,^[e] shining like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb ² through the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river is the tree of life, which produces twelve crops of fruit, bearing its fruit each month. The tree’s leaves are for the healing of the nations. ³ There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. ⁴ They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ Night will be no more. They won’t need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will shine on them, and they will rule forever and always.

Jesus is coming soon

⁶ Then he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.

⁷ “Look! I’m coming soon. Favored is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy contained in this scroll.”

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown them to me. ⁹ But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I’m a servant just like you and your brothers and sisters, the prophets, and those who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” ¹⁰ Then he said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy contained in this scroll, because the time is near. ¹¹ Let those who do wrong keep doing what is wrong. Let the filthy still be filthy. Let those who are righteous keep doing what is right. Let those who are holy still be holy.

¹² “Look! I’m coming soon. My reward is with me, to repay all people as their actions deserve. ¹³ I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. ¹⁴ Favored are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right of access to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs, the drug users and spell-casters, those who commit sexual immorality, the murderers, the idolaters, and all who love and practice deception.

¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to bear witness to all of you about these things for the churches. I’m the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star. ¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who is thirsty come! Let the one who wishes receive life-giving water^[f] as a gift.”

¹⁸ Now I bear witness to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy contained in this scroll: If anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues that are written in this scroll. ¹⁹ If anyone takes away from the words of this scroll of prophecy, God will take away that person’s share in the tree of life and the holy city, which are described in this scroll.

²⁰ The one who bears witness to these things says, “Yes, I’m coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.