⁴ These are the words the Lord spoke concerning Israel and Judah: ⁵ “This is what the Lord says:

²⁶ They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety^(A) in their land with no one to make them afraid.^(B)

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)

The End Times

12 “At that time Michael,^(A) the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress^(B) such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book^(C)—will be delivered.^(D)

⁷ The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand^(A) and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever,^(B) saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time.^[a](C) When the power of the holy people^(D) has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.^(E)”

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)

¹⁵ “So when you see standing in the holy place^(A) ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’^[a](B) 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^(C) 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!^{(D) 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.^(E)

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

144,000 Sealed

7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners^(A) of the earth, holding back the four winds^(B) of the earth to prevent^(C) any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. ² Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal^(D) of the living God.^(E) He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:^{(F) 3} “Do not harm^(G) the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads^(H) of the servants of our God.” ⁴ Then I heard the number^(I) of those who were sealed: 144,000^(J) from all the tribes of Israel.

The Great Multitude in White Robes

⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,^(K) standing before the throne^(L) and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes^(M) and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ And they cried out in a loud voice:

¹¹ All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders^(P) and the four living creatures.^(Q) They fell down on their faces^(R) before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying:

¹³ Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes^(T)—who are they, and where did they come from?”

¹⁴ I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes^(U) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.^{(V) 15} Therefore,