Signs of Christ’s Return

24 (A)Jesus (B)left the temple area and was going on His way [a]when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. But He responded and said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, (C)not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”

And as He was sitting on (D)the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of (E)Your coming, and of the [b]end of the age?”

And Jesus answered and said to them, (F)See to it that no one [c]misleads you. For (G)many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the [d]Christ,’ and they will [e]mislead many people. And you will be hearing of (H)wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For (I)nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be (J)famines and earthquakes in various places. (K)But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.

(L)Then they will hand you over to tribulation and kill you, and (M)you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 And at that time many will [f](N)fall away, and they will [g]betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many (O)false prophets will rise up and [h]mislead many people. 12 And because lawlessness is increased, [i]most people’s love will become cold. 13 (P)But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. 14 This (Q)gospel of the kingdom (R)shall be preached in the whole [j](S)world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Perilous Times

15 “Therefore when you see the (T)abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in (U)the holy place—[k](V)let the [l]reader understand— 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 [m]Whoever is on (W)the [n]housetop must not go down to get things out of his house. 18 And [o]whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19 But (X)woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 Moreover, pray that [p]when you flee, it will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be a (Y)great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no [q]life would have been saved; but for (Z)the sake of the [r]elect those days will be cut short. 23 (AA)Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the [s]Christ,’ or ‘He is over here,’ do not believe him. 24 For false christs and (AB)false prophets will arise and will provide great [t](AC)signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even (AD)the [u]elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 27 (AE)For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the (AF)coming of the (AG)Son of Man [v]be. 28 (AH)Wherever the corpse is, there the [w]vultures will gather.

The Glorious Return

29 “But immediately after the (AI)tribulation of those days (AJ)the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and (AK)the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then (AL)the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see (AM)the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And (AN)He will send forth His angels with (AO)a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His [x](AP)elect from (AQ)the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Parable of the Fig Tree

32 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: as soon as its branch has become tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so you too, when you see all these things, [y]recognize that [z]He is near, right (AR)at the [aa]door. 34 Truly I say to you, (AS)this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 (AT)Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

36 “But (AU)about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 For [ab]the (AV)coming of the Son of Man will be (AW)just like the days of Noah. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, (AX)marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that (AY)Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not [ac]understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the (AZ)coming of the Son of Man be. 40 At that time there will be two men in the field; one [ad]will be taken and one [ae]will be left. 41 (BA)Two women will be grinding at the [af](BB)mill; one [ag]will be taken and one [ah]will be left.

Be Ready for His Coming

42 “Therefore (BC)be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But [ai]be sure of this, that (BD)if the head of the house had known (BE)at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason (BF)you must be ready as well; for (BG)the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

45 (BH)Who then is the (BI)faithful and (BJ)sensible slave whom his [aj]master (BK)put in charge of his household slaves, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his [ak]master finds so doing when he comes. 47 Truly I say to you that (BL)he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My [al]master [am]is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with those habitually drunk; 50 then the [an]master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, 51 and he will [ao]cut him in two and assign [ap]him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be (BM)weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 24:1 Lit and
  2. Matthew 24:3 Or consummation
  3. Matthew 24:4 Or deceives
  4. Matthew 24:5 I.e., Messiah
  5. Matthew 24:5 Or deceive
  6. Matthew 24:10 I.e., from the faith
  7. Matthew 24:10 Or hand over
  8. Matthew 24:11 Or deceive
  9. Matthew 24:12 Lit the love of the many
  10. Matthew 24:14 Lit inhabited earth
  11. Matthew 24:15 Or the reader is to understand
  12. Matthew 24:15 I.e., the reader of Daniel
  13. Matthew 24:17 Lit The one who
  14. Matthew 24:17 Housetops were flat living areas
  15. Matthew 24:18 Lit the one who
  16. Matthew 24:20 Lit your flight will not be
  17. Matthew 24:22 Lit flesh
  18. Matthew 24:22 Or chosen ones
  19. Matthew 24:23 I.e., Messiah
  20. Matthew 24:24 I.e., confirming miracles
  21. Matthew 24:24 Or chosen ones
  22. Matthew 24:27 I.e., be visible everywhere
  23. Matthew 24:28 Or eagles
  24. Matthew 24:31 Or chosen ones
  25. Matthew 24:33 Or know
  26. Matthew 24:33 Or it
  27. Matthew 24:33 Lit doors
  28. Matthew 24:37 Lit just like the days...so will be
  29. Matthew 24:39 Lit know
  30. Matthew 24:40 Lit is
  31. Matthew 24:40 Lit is
  32. Matthew 24:41 I.e., handmill
  33. Matthew 24:41 Lit is
  34. Matthew 24:41 Lit is
  35. Matthew 24:43 Lit know that
  36. Matthew 24:45 Or lord
  37. Matthew 24:46 Or lord
  38. Matthew 24:48 Or lord
  39. Matthew 24:48 Lit lingers
  40. Matthew 24:50 Or lord
  41. Matthew 24:51 Possibly referring to other extreme punishment
  42. Matthew 24:51 Lit his portion with

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times(A)

24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another;(B) every one will be thrown down.”

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives,(C) the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming(D) and of the end of the age?”(E)

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.(F) For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.(G) You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.(H) There will be famines(I) and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted(J) and put to death,(K) and you will be hated by all nations because of me.(L) 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets(M) will appear and deceive many people.(N) 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.(O) 14 And this gospel of the kingdom(P) will be preached in the whole world(Q) as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

15 “So when you see standing in the holy place(R) ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’[a](S) 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(T) 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!(U) 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.(V)

22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect(W) those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.(X) 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders(Y) to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning(Z) that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming(AA) of the Son of Man.(AB) 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.(AC)

29 “Immediately after the distress of those days

“‘the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’[b](AD)

30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth[c] will mourn(AE) when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven,(AF) with power and great glory.[d] 31 And he will send his angels(AG) with a loud trumpet call,(AH) and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[e] is near, right at the door.(AI) 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.(AJ) 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.(AK)

The Day and Hour Unknown(AL)(AM)

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[f] but only the Father.(AN) 37 As it was in the days of Noah,(AO) so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,(AP) up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.(AQ) 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.(AR) 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.(AS)

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.(AT) 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming,(AU) he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready,(AV) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant,(AW) whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.(AX) 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.(AY) 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.(AZ) 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(BA)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 24:15 Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
  2. Matthew 24:29 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4
  3. Matthew 24:30 Or the tribes of the land
  4. Matthew 24:30 See Daniel 7:13-14.
  5. Matthew 24:33 Or he
  6. Matthew 24:36 Some manuscripts do not have nor the Son.

The Fourfold Hallelujah

19 After these things I heard something like a (A)loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,

(B)Hallelujah! (C)Salvation, (D)glory, and power belong to our God, (E)because His (F)judgments are (G)true and righteous; for He has judged the (H)great prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her sexual immorality, and He has (I)avenged the blood of His bond-servants [a]on her.” And a second time they said, “(J)Hallelujah! (K)Her smoke rises forever and ever.” And the (L)twenty-four elders and the (M)four living creatures (N)fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, “(O)Amen. (P)Hallelujah!” And a voice came from the throne, saying,

(Q)Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, (R)you who fear Him, the small and the great.” Then I heard something like (S)the voice of a great multitude and like (T)the sound of many waters, and like the (U)sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,

(V)Hallelujah! For the (W)Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.

Marriage of the Lamb

Let’s rejoice and be glad and (X)give the glory to Him, because (Y)the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His [b](Z)bride has prepared herself.” It was given to her to clothe herself in (AA)fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the (AB)righteous acts of the [c]saints.

Then (AC)he *said to me, “(AD)Write: ‘(AE)Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.’” And he *said to me, “(AF)These are the true words of God.” 10 Then (AG)I fell at his feet to worship him. (AH)But he *said to me, “[d]Do not do that; I am a (AI)fellow servant of yours and your brothers and sisters who (AJ)hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

The Coming of Christ

11 And I saw (AK)heaven opened, and behold, a (AL)white horse, and He who sat on it is called (AM)Faithful and True, and in (AN)righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His (AO)eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many (AP)crowns; and He has a (AQ)name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a (AR)robe dipped in blood, and His name is called (AS)The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in (AT)fine linen, (AU)white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 (AV)From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that (AW)with it He may strike down the nations, and He will [e](AX)rule them with a rod of iron; and (AY)He treads the [f]wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has (AZ)a name written: “(BA)KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

17 Then I saw [g]an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to (BB)all the birds that fly in (BC)midheaven, “(BD)Come, assemble for the great feast of God, 18 so that you may (BE)eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, (BF)both free and slaves, and (BG)small and great.”

19 And I saw (BH)the beast and (BI)the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who (BJ)sat on the horse, and against His army.

Doom of the Beast and False Prophet

20 And the beast was seized, and with him the (BK)false prophet who (BL)performed the signs [h](BM)in his presence, by which he (BN)deceived those who had received the (BO)mark of the beast and those who (BP)worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the (BQ)lake of (BR)fire, which burns with [i]brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which (BS)came from the mouth of Him who (BT)sat on the horse, and (BU)all the birds were filled with their flesh.

Satan Bound

20 Then I saw (BV)an angel coming down from heaven, holding the (BW)key of the abyss and a great chain [j]in his hand. And he took hold of the (BX)dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and (BY)bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the (BZ)abyss and shut it and (CA)sealed it over him, so that he would (CB)not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

Then I saw (CC)thrones, and (CD)they sat on them, and (CE)judgment was given to them. And I saw (CF)the souls of those who had been beheaded because of [k]their (CG)testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not (CH)worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the (CI)mark on their foreheads and on their hands; and they (CJ)came to life and (CK)reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. (CL)This is the first resurrection. (CM)Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the (CN)second death has no power, but they will be (CO)priests of God and of Christ, and will (CP)reign with Him for a thousand years.

Satan Freed and Doomed

When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be (CQ)released from his prison, and will come out to (CR)deceive the nations which are at the (CS)four corners of the earth, (CT)Gog and Magog, to (CU)gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the (CV)sand of the [l]seashore. And they (CW)came up on the [m]broad plain of the earth and surrounded the (CX)camp of the [n]saints and the (CY)beloved city, and (CZ)fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And (DA)the devil who (DB)deceived them was thrown into the (DC)lake of fire and [o]brimstone, where the (DD)beast and the (DE)false prophet are also; and they will be (DF)tormented day and night forever and ever.

Judgment at the Throne of God

11 Then I saw a great white (DG)throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose [p]presence (DH)earth and heaven fled, and (DI)no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the (DJ)great and the small, standing before the throne, and [q](DK)books were opened; and another [r]book was opened, which is (DL)the book of life; and the dead (DM)were judged from the things which were written in the [s]books, (DN)according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and (DO)Death and Hades (DP)gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them (DQ)according to their deeds. 14 Then (DR)Death and Hades were thrown into (DS)the lake of fire. This is the (DT)second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if [t]anyone’s name was not found written in (DU)the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The New Heaven and Earth

21 Then I saw (DV)a new heaven and a new earth; for (DW)the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw (DX)the holy city, (DY)new Jerusalem, (DZ)coming down out of heaven from God, (EA)prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, (EB)the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will (EC)dwell among them, and they shall be His [u]people, and God Himself will be among them[v], and He will (ED)wipe away every tear from their eyes; and (EE)there will no longer be any death; (EF)there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; (EG)the first things have passed away.”

And (EH)He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am (EI)making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for (EJ)these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “[w](EK)It is done. I am the (EL)Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. (EM)I will give water to the one who thirsts from the spring of the (EN)water of life, without cost. (EO)The one who overcomes will inherit these things, and (EP)I will be his God and he will be My son. (EQ)But for the cowardly, and [x]unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and sexually immoral persons, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in (ER)the lake that burns with fire and [y]brimstone, which is the (ES)second death.”

(ET)Then one of the seven angels who had the (EU)seven bowls, [z]full of the (EV)seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, “(EW)Come here, I will show you the (EX)bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

The New Jerusalem

10 And (EY)he carried me away [aa](EZ)in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me (FA)the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having (FB)the glory of God. Her [ab]brilliance was like a very valuable stone, like a (FC)stone of (FD)crystal-clear jasper. 12 [ac]It had a great and high wall, [ad](FE)with twelve (FF)gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on the gates, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 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 And the wall of the city had (FG)twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the (FH)twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 The one who spoke with me had a [ae]gold measuring (FI)rod to measure the city, its (FJ)gates, and its wall. 16 The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the [af]rod, [ag]twelve thousand stadia; its length, width, and height are equal. 17 And he measured its wall, [ah]144 cubits, by (FK)human [ai]measurements, which are also (FL)angelic measurements. 18 The material of the wall was (FM)jasper; and the city was (FN)pure gold, like [aj]clear (FO)glass. 19 (FP)The foundation stones of the city wall were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was (FQ)jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, (FR)emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, (FS)sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve (FT)gates were twelve (FU)pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was (FV)pure gold, like transparent (FW)glass.

22 I saw (FX)no [ak]temple in it, for the (FY)Lord God the Almighty and the (FZ)Lamb are its [al]temple. 23 And the city (GA)has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for (GB)the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the (GC)Lamb. 24 (GD)The nations will walk by its light, and the (GE)kings of the earth [am]will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for (GF)there will be no night there) (GG)its gates (GH)will never be closed; 26 and (GI)they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and (GJ)nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those [an]whose names are (GK)written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 19:2 Lit from her hand
  2. Revelation 19:7 Lit wife
  3. Revelation 19:8 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  4. Revelation 19:10 Lit See that you do not
  5. Revelation 19:15 Or shepherd
  6. Revelation 19:15 Lit wine press of the wine of the wrath of God’s anger
  7. Revelation 19:17 Lit one
  8. Revelation 19:20 Or by his authority
  9. Revelation 19:20 I.e., burning sulfur
  10. Revelation 20:1 Lit upon
  11. Revelation 20:4 Lit the
  12. Revelation 20:8 Lit sea
  13. Revelation 20:9 Lit breadth of the earth
  14. Revelation 20:9 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  15. Revelation 20:10 I.e., burning sulfur
  16. Revelation 20:11 Lit face
  17. Revelation 20:12 Or scrolls
  18. Revelation 20:12 Or scroll
  19. Revelation 20:12 Or scrolls
  20. Revelation 20:15 Lit anyone was not
  21. Revelation 21:3 Lit peoples
  22. Revelation 21:3 One early ms adds, as their God
  23. Revelation 21:6 Lit They are
  24. Revelation 21:8 Or untrustworthy
  25. Revelation 21:8 I.e., burning sulfur
  26. Revelation 21:9 Lit who were full; i.e., (previously) loaded with
  27. Revelation 21:10 Or in spirit
  28. Revelation 21:11 Or radiance
  29. Revelation 21:12 Lit having
  30. Revelation 21:12 Lit having
  31. Revelation 21:15 Lit measure, a gold reed
  32. Revelation 21:16 Lit reed
  33. Revelation 21:16 Possibly about 1,380 miles or 2,220 km; a Roman stadion perhaps averaged 607 ft. or 185 m
  34. Revelation 21:17 Possibly about 216 ft. or 65 m; a cubit is about 18 in. or 45 cm
  35. Revelation 21:17 Lit measure
  36. Revelation 21:18 Lit pure
  37. Revelation 21:22 Or sanctuary
  38. Revelation 21:22 Or sanctuary
  39. Revelation 21:24 Lit bring
  40. Revelation 21:27 Lit who have been written

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.

The Thousand Years

20 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,(BT) having the key(BU) to the Abyss(BV) and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan,(BW) and bound him for a thousand years.(BX) He threw him into the Abyss,(BY) and locked and sealed(BZ) it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations(CA) anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

I saw thrones(CB) on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.(CC) And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded(CD) because of their testimony about Jesus(CE) and because of the word of God.(CF) They[b] had not worshiped the beast(CG) or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.(CH) They came to life and reigned(CI) with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.(CJ) Blessed(CK) and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death(CL) has no power over them, but they will be priests(CM) of God and of Christ and will reign with him(CN) for a thousand years.

The Judgment of Satan

When the thousand years are over,(CO) Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations(CP) in the four corners of the earth(CQ)—Gog and Magog(CR)—and to gather them for battle.(CS) In number they are like the sand on the seashore.(CT) They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded(CU) the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.(CV) But fire came down from heaven(CW) and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them,(CX) was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur,(CY) where the beast(CZ) and the false prophet(DA) had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.(DB)

The Judgment of the Dead

11 Then I saw a great white throne(DC) and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence,(DD) and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small,(DE) standing before the throne, and books were opened.(DF) Another book was opened, which is the book of life.(DG) The dead were judged(DH) according to what they had done(DI) as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades(DJ) gave up the dead(DK) that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.(DL) 14 Then death(DM) and Hades(DN) were thrown into the lake of fire.(DO) The lake of fire is the second death.(DP) 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life(DQ) was thrown into the lake of fire.

A New Heaven and a New Earth

21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[c](DR) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,(DS) and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City,(DT) the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,(DU) prepared as a bride(DV) beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.(DW) They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.(DX) ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes.(DY) There will be no more death’[d](DZ) or mourning or crying or pain,(EA) for the old order of things has passed away.”(EB)

He who was seated on the throne(EC) said, “I am making everything new!”(ED) Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”(EE)

He said to me: “It is done.(EF) I am the Alpha and the Omega,(EG) the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost(EH) from the spring of the water of life.(EI) Those who are victorious(EJ) will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.(EK) But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars(EL)—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.(EM) This is the second death.”(EN)

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues(EO) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride,(EP) the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away(EQ) in the Spirit(ER) to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.(ES) 11 It shone with the glory of God,(ET) and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper,(EU) clear as crystal.(EV) 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,(EW) and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.(EX) 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations,(EY) and on them were the names of the twelve apostles(EZ) of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod(FA) of gold to measure the city, its gates(FB) and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[e] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human(FC) measurement, and it was 144 cubits[f] thick.[g] 18 The wall was made of jasper,(FD) and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass.(FE) 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.(FF) The first foundation was jasper,(FG) the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,(FH) the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[h] 21 The twelve gates(FI) were twelve pearls,(FJ) each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.(FK)

22 I did not see a temple(FL) in the city, because the Lord God Almighty(FM) and the Lamb(FN) are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God(FO) gives it light,(FP) and the Lamb(FQ) is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.(FR) 25 On no day will its gates(FS) ever be shut,(FT) for there will be no night there.(FU) 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.(FV) 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful,(FW) but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.(FX)

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 19:15 Psalm 2:9
  2. Revelation 20:4 Or God; I also saw those who
  3. Revelation 21:1 Isaiah 65:17
  4. Revelation 21:4 Isaiah 25:8
  5. Revelation 21:16 That is, about 1,400 miles or about 2,200 kilometers
  6. Revelation 21:17 That is, about 200 feet or about 65 meters
  7. Revelation 21:17 Or high
  8. Revelation 21:20 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.