The Sixth Seal: The Last Judgment

¹² And I watched when the Lamb opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair. The entire moon became like blood. ¹³ The stars of the sky fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when it is shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The sky was removed like a scroll being rolled up. Every mountain and island was moved from its place.

¹⁵ The kings of the earth, the nobles, the military leaders, the rich, the powerful, and everyone—slave or free—hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶ And they kept saying to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷ for the great day of their^[a] wrath has come. Who is able to stand?”

The First Five Bowls

16 I heard a loud voice from the temple say to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”

² The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible and painful sores came on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshipped his image.

³ The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man, and every living creature in the sea died.

⁴ The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they^[a] turned into blood. ⁵ And I heard the angel of the waters say:

⁷ And I heard the incense altar, saying,^[c] “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”

⁸ The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to burn people with fire. ⁹ People were scorched by the fierce heat. Then they blasphemed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues, but they did not repent and give him praise.

¹⁰ The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. The beast’s kingdom was darkened. People gnawed their tongues in their torment. ¹¹ They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their torments and their sores. But they did not repent of their deeds.

The Sixth Bowl: The Battle of Armageddon

¹² The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates. Its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings coming from the east. ¹³ I saw three unclean spirits, like frogs, which came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. ¹⁴ They are, in fact, miracle-working, demonic spirits, which go out to the kings of the whole earth^[d] to bring them together for the battle on the great day of the Almighty God.

¹⁵ “Look: I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes on, so that he does not walk around naked and his shame is not seen.”

¹⁶ Then they brought them together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

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.