Aleluia!

19 După toate acestea, am auzit în cer ceva ca un glas puternic al unei mari mulţimi, spunând:

„Aleluia![a]
    Mântuirea, slava şi puterea sunt ale Dumnezeului nostru,
pentru că judecăţile Lui sunt adevărate şi drepte!
    El a judecat-o pe marea prostituată
care a pervertit lumea cu desfrânarea ei!
    A răzbunat sângele robilor Săi, vărsat de mâna ei!“

Au spus a doua oară:

„Aleluia!
    Fumul ei se va ridica în vecii vecilor!“

Cei douăzeci şi patru de bătrâni şi cele patru fiinţe vii au căzut la pământ şi I s-au închinat lui Dumnezeu, Care şade pe tron, zicând:

„Amin! Aleluia!“

Şi de la tron s-a auzit un glas, spunând:

„Lăudaţi-L pe Dumnezeul nostru,
    toţi robii Lui
şi cei ce vă temeţi de El,
    mici şi mari!“

Am auzit ceva ca glasul unei mari mulţimi, ca vuietul multor ape şi ca sunetul unor tunete puternice, spunând:

„Aleluia!
    Pentru că Domnul, Dumnezeul nostru cel Atotputernic împărăţeşte!
Să ne bucurăm, să ne veselim
    şi să-I dăm slavă,
pentru că nunta Mielului a sosit,
    iar mireasa Lui s-a pregătit[b].
I s-a dat să se îmbrace
    în in fin, strălucitor şi curat.“

Inul fin reprezintă faptele drepte ale sfinţilor.

Apoi mi-a zis: „Scrie! Ferice[c] de cei chemaţi la cina[d] de la nunta Mielului!“ Mi-a mai zis: „Acestea sunt cuvintele adevărate ale lui Dumnezeu.“ 10 Am căzut la picioarele lui, să mă închin, dar el mi-a zis: „Vezi să nu faci lucrul acesta! Eu sunt slujitor împreună cu tine şi cu fraţii tăi, care ţin mărturia lui Isus! Lui Dumnezeu închină-te! Căci mărturia lui Isus este duhul profeţiei.“

Călăreţul de pe calul alb

11 Am văzut cerul deschis şi iată că era un cal alb. Cel ce îl călărea era numit „Cel Credincios şi Adevărat“. El judecă şi se războieşte cu dreptate. 12 Ochii Lui erau ca flacăra focului, iar pe cap avea multe diademe. Avea un nume scris, pe care nimeni nu-l cunoaşte în afară de El. 13 Era îmbrăcat cu o haină înmuiată în[e] sânge, iar numele Lui este „Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu“. 14 Armatele cerului Îl urmau pe cai albi, fiind îmbrăcate în in fin, alb şi curat. 15 Din gura Lui iese o sabie ascuţită cu care să lovească neamurile. „El le va conduce cu un sceptru de fier.“[f] El calcă în picioare teascul mâniei aprinse a Dumnezeului Atotputernic. 16 Pe haina şi pe coapsa Lui avea scris un nume:

„ÎMPĂRATUL ÎMPĂRAŢILOR ŞI Domnul DOMNILOR“.

17 Am văzut un înger care stătea în soare şi care a strigat cu glas tare către toate păsările ce zboară în înaltul cerului: „Veniţi! Adunaţi-vă pentru ospăţul cel mare al lui Dumnezeu, 18 ca să mâncaţi carnea regilor, carnea comandanţilor, carnea celor puternici, carnea cailor şi a călăreţilor şi carnea tuturor – atât a celor liberi, cât şi a sclavilor, atât a celor mici, cât şi a celor mari!“ 19 Şi am văzut fiara, regii pământului şi armatele lor adunate ca să poarte război cu Cel Ce călărea pe cal şi cu armata Lui. 20 Fiara a fost prinsă, şi, împreună cu ea, şi profetul fals, care făcuse semne înaintea ei, semne prin care i-a dus în rătăcire pe cei ce au primit semnul fiarei şi pe cei ce s-au închinat imaginii ei. Cei doi au fost aruncaţi de vii în lacul de foc care arde cu pucioasă. 21 Iar ceilalţi au fost omorâţi de sabia care ieşea din gura Celui Ce călărea pe cal; şi toate păsările s-au săturat din carnea lor.

Footnotes

  1. Apocalipsa 19:1 Cuvânt împrumutat din ebraică, care înseamnă Lăudaţi pe Domnul!; peste tot în capitol
  2. Apocalipsa 19:7 Metafora căsătoriei ca imagine a relaţiei intime dintre Dumnezeu şi poporul Său se găseşte atât în VT, cât şi în NT (vezi Is. 54:5-7; Os. 2:19; Mt. 22:2-14; Ef. 5:31-32)
  3. Apocalipsa 19:9 Vezi nota de la 1:3
  4. Apocalipsa 19:9 Cu sensul de banchet
  5. Apocalipsa 19:13 Unele mss şi versiuni conţin: stropită cu
  6. Apocalipsa 19:15 Vezi Ps. 2:9

Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall

19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude(A) in heaven shouting:

“Hallelujah!(B)
Salvation(C) and glory and power(D) belong to our God,
    for true and just are his judgments.(E)
He has condemned the great prostitute(F)
    who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”(G)

And again they shouted:

“Hallelujah!(H)
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”(I)

The twenty-four elders(J) and the four living creatures(K) fell down(L) and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”(M)

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,
    all you his servants,(N)
you who fear him,
    both great and small!”(O)

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude,(P) like the roar of rushing waters(Q) and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!(R)
    For our Lord God Almighty(S) reigns.(T)
Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!(U)
For the wedding of the Lamb(V) has come,
    and his bride(W) has made herself ready.
Fine linen,(X) bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts(Y) of God’s holy people.)

Then the angel said to me,(Z) “Write this:(AA) Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”(AB) And he added, “These are the true words of God.”(AC)

10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him.(AD) But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!(AE) For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”(AF)

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

11 I saw heaven standing open(AG) and there before me was a white horse, whose rider(AH) is called Faithful and True.(AI) With justice he judges and wages war.(AJ) 12 His eyes are like blazing fire,(AK) and on his head are many crowns.(AL) He has a name written on him(AM) that no one knows but he himself.(AN) 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,(AO) and his name is the Word of God.(AP) 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen,(AQ) white(AR) and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword(AS) with which to strike down(AT) the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”[a](AU) He treads the winepress(AV) of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:(AW)

king of kings and lord of lords.(AX)

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds(AY) flying in midair,(AZ) “Come,(BA) gather together for the great supper of God,(BB) 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people,(BC) free and slave,(BD) great and small.”(BE)

19 Then I saw the beast(BF) and the kings of the earth(BG) and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse(BH) and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet(BI) who had performed the signs(BJ) on its behalf.(BK) With these signs he had deluded(BL) those who had received the mark of the beast(BM) and worshiped its image.(BN) The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake(BO) of burning sulfur.(BP) 21 The rest were killed with the sword(BQ) coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse,(BR) and all the birds(BS) gorged themselves on their flesh.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 19:15 Psalm 2:9

The Church’s Victory

19 After these things I heard what seemed to be the loud sound of an immense crowd in heaven, saying:

Alleluia!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
    for his judgments are true and just,
        because he has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
        and he has avenged his servants’ blood that was shed by her hand.

A second time they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke goes up forever and ever.”

Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures bowed down and worshipped God, who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!”

And from the throne came a voice that said, “Praise our God, all you his servants and you who fear him, small and great.”

The Wedding Supper of the Lamb

And I heard what seemed to be the roar of a large crowd or the roar of many waters or the sound of loud rumblings of thunder, saying:

Alleluia!
For the Lord our[a] God, the Almighty, reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory,
        because the wedding of the Lamb has come.
His bride has made herself ready,
and she was given bright, clean, fine linen to wear.
(In fact, the fine linen is the “not guilty” verdicts pronounced on the saints.)

The angel said to me, “Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb.” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 And I bowed down at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers, who have the testimony about Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

The Rider on the White Horse

11 I saw heaven standing open, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war in righteousness. 12 His eyes are like blazing flames, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him, which no one knows except he himself. 13 He is also clothed in a garment that had been dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies in heaven, which were clothed with white, clean, fine linen, were following him on white horses. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will shepherd them with an iron staff. He himself is going to trample the winepress of the fierce anger of the Almighty God. 16 On his garment and on his thigh this name is written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

17 I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called out with a loud voice to all the birds that were flying in the middle of the sky. He said:

Come, gather together for God’s great supper,
18     so that you can eat the flesh of kings,
    and the flesh of military leaders,
    and the flesh of mighty men,
    and the flesh of horses and of their riders,
    and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, and small and great.

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 The beast was captured along with the false prophet who performed miracles on his behalf, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and had worshipped its image. These two were thrown alive into the Lake of Fire, which burns with sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword that comes out of the mouth of the rider on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 19:6 A few witnesses to the text omit our.