²⁵ He will speak against the Most High^(A) and oppress his holy people^(B) and try to change the set times^(C) and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.^[a](D)

² “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup^(A) that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling.^(B) Judah^(C) will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. ³ On that day, when all the nations^(D) of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock^(E) for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure^(F) themselves.

The Lord Comes and Reigns

14 A day of the Lord^(A) is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions^(B) will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.

² I will gather all the nations^(C) to Jerusalem to fight against it;^(D) the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped.^(E) Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.^(F)

¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.^{(A) 14} And this gospel of the kingdom^(B) will be preached in the whole world^(C) as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

¹⁵ “So when you see standing in the holy place^(D) ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’^[a](E) spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— ¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ Let no one on the housetop^(F) go down to take anything out of the house. ¹⁸ Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. ¹⁹ How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!^{(G) 20} Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. ²¹ For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.^(H)

²² “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect^(I) those days will be shortened.

³ Don’t let anyone deceive you^(A) in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion^(B) occurs and the man of lawlessness^[a] is revealed,^(C) the man doomed to destruction. ⁴ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God^(D) or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.^(E)

⁵ Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?^{(F) 6} And now you know what is holding him back,^(G) so that he may be revealed at the proper time. ⁷ For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back^(H) will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed,^(I) whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth^(J) and destroy by the splendor of his coming.^{(K) 9} The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan^(L) works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders^(M) that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.^(N) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.^{(O) 11} For this reason God sends them^(P) a powerful delusion^(Q) so that they will believe the lie^{(R) 12} and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.^(S)

⁷ Then war broke out in heaven. Michael^(A) and his angels fought against the dragon,^(B) and the dragon and his angels^(C) fought back. ⁸ But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹ The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent^(D) called the devil,^(E) or Satan,^(F) who leads the whole world astray.^(G) He was hurled to the earth,^(H) and his angels with him.

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven^(I) say:

¹³ When the dragon^(S) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.^{(T) 14} The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle,^(U) so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time,^(V) out of the serpent’s reach. ¹⁵ Then from his mouth the serpent^(W) spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. ¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. ¹⁷ Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war^(X) against the rest of her offspring^(Y)—those who keep God’s commands^(Z) and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.^(AA)

¹³ When the dragon^(A) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.^(B)

⁸ The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss^(A) and go to its destruction.^(B) The inhabitants of the earth^(C) whose names have not been written in the book of life^(D) from the creation of the world will be astonished^(E) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

⁹ “This calls for a mind with wisdom.^(F) The seven heads^(G) are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. ¹¹ The beast who once was, and now is not,^(H) is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

¹² “The ten horns^(I) you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour^(J) will receive authority as kings along with the beast. ¹³ They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.^{(K) 14} They will wage war^(L) against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over^(M) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings^(N)—and with him will be his called, chosen^(O) and faithful followers.”

¹⁵ Then the angel said to me, “The waters^(P) you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.^{(Q) 16} The beast and the ten horns^(R) you saw will hate the prostitute.^(S) They will bring her to ruin^(T) and leave her naked;^(U) they will eat her flesh^(V) and burn her with fire.^{(W) 17} For God has put it into their hearts^(X) to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,^(Y) until God’s words are fulfilled.^{(Z) 18} The woman you saw is the great city^(AA) that rules over the kings of the earth.”