Vision of the Son of Man

⁹ I, John, ^[a]both your brother and ^(A)companion in the tribulation and ^(B)kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. ^10 (C)I was in the Spirit on ^(D)the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me ^(E)a loud voice, as of a trumpet, ¹¹ saying, ^[b]“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches ^[c]which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

¹² Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned ^(F)I saw seven golden lampstands, ^13 (G)and in the midst of the seven lampstands ^(H)One like the Son of Man, ^(I)clothed with a garment down to the feet and ^(J)girded about the chest with a golden band. ¹⁴ His head and ^(K)hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and ^(L)His eyes like a flame of fire; ^15 (M)His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and ^(N)His voice as the sound of many waters; ^16 (O)He had in His right hand seven stars, ^(P)out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, ^(Q)and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. ¹⁷ And ^(R)when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But ^(S)He laid His right hand on me, saying ^[d]to me, “Do not be afraid; ^(T)I am the First and the Last. ^18 (U)I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, ^(V)I am alive forevermore. Amen. And ^(W)I have the keys of ^[e]Hades and of Death. ^19 [f]Write the things which you have ^(X)seen, ^(Y)and the things which are, ^(Z)and the things which will take place after this.

⁴ And Jesus answered and said to them: ^(A)“Take heed that no one deceives you. ⁵ For ^(B)many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ ^(C)and will deceive many. ⁶ And you will hear of ^(D)wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for ^[a]all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For ^(E)nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be ^(F)famines, ^[b]pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.

^23 (A)“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For ^(B)false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, ^(C)if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, I have told you beforehand.

²⁶ “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. ^27 (D)For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. ^28 (E)For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

The Coming of the Son of Man^(F)

^29 (G)“Immediately after the tribulation of those days ^(H)the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ^30 (I)Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, ^(J)and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ^31 (K)And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His ^[a]elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Proclamations of Three Angels

⁶ Then I saw another angel ^(A)flying in the midst of heaven, ^(B)having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—^(C)to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— ⁷ saying with a loud voice, ^(D)“Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; ^(E)and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

⁸ And another angel followed, saying, ^(F)“Babylon^[a] is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because ^(G)she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

⁹ Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ^(H)“If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his ^(I)mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰ he himself ^(J)shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is ^(K)poured out full strength into ^(L)the cup of His indignation. ^(M)He shall be tormented with ^(N)fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. ¹¹ And ^(O)the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

^12 (P)Here is the ^[b]patience of the saints; ^(Q)here^[c] are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

The Heavenly Hope

¹³ These all died in faith, ^(A)not having received the ^(B)promises, but ^(C)having seen them afar off ^[a]were assured of them, embraced them and ^(D)confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things ^(E)declare plainly that they seek a homeland. ¹⁵ And truly if they had called to mind ^(F)that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed ^(G)to be called their God, for He has ^(H)prepared a city for them.

^4 (A)Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

⁵ Let your ^[a]gentleness be known to all men. ^(B)The Lord is at hand.

^6 (C)Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with ^(D)thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;