The Vision of God’s Throne

4 After these things, I saw a door standing open in heaven. The first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” ² Instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven with a person seated on the throne. ³ The person sitting there looked like jasper and carnelian, and there was a rainbow around the throne that looked like an emerald. ⁴ Around the throne were 24 other thrones, and on these thrones sat 24 elders wearing white robes and gold victor’s crowns on their heads. ⁵ Flashes of lightning, noises, and peals of thunder came from the throne. Burning in front of the throne were seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God.

⁶ In front of the throne was something like a sea of glass as clear as crystal. In the center of the throne and on each side of the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. ⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature was like an ox, the third living creature had a face like a human, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and were full of eyes inside and out. Without stopping day or night they were saying,

⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the 24 elders bow down and worship in front of the one who sits on the throne, the one who lives forever and ever. They throw their victor’s crowns in front of the throne and say,

The Vision of the Scroll with Seven Seals

5 Then I saw in the right hand of the one who sits on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the outside, sealed with seven seals. ² I also saw a powerful angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³ No one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth could open the scroll or look inside it. ⁴ I began to cry bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it.

⁵ “Stop crying,” one of the elders told me. “Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered. He can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

The Vision of the Lamb Taking the Scroll

⁶ Then I saw a lamb standing in the middle of the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders. He looked^[a] like he had been slaughtered. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. ⁷ He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sits on the throne.

⁸ When the lamb had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders bowed down in front of him. Each held a harp and a gold bowl full of incense, the prayers of the saints. ⁹ They sang a new song:

The Vision of the Song of the Lamb

¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels, the living creatures, and the elders surrounding the throne. They numbered 10,000’s times 10,000 and thousands times thousands. ¹² They sang with a loud voice,

¹³ I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea, and everything that is in them, saying,

¹⁴ Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!”, and the elders bowed down and worshipped.

The Vision of the First Seal Opened

6 Then I saw the lamb open the first of the seven seals. I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Go!” ² Then I looked, and there was a white horse! Its rider had a bow, and a victor’s crown had been given to him. He went out as a conqueror to conquer.

The Vision of the Second Seal Opened

³ When the lamb^[d] opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Go!” ⁴ A second horse went out. It was fiery red, and its rider was given permission to take peace away from the earth and to make people slaughter one another. So he was given a large sword.

The Vision of the Third Seal Opened

⁵ When the lamb^[e] opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Go!” I looked, and there was a black horse! Its rider held a scale in his hand. ⁶ I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “One day’s ration of wheat for a day’s wage, or three day’s ration of barley for a day’s wage!^[f] But don’t damage the olive oil or the wine!”

The Vision of the Fourth Seal Opened

⁷ When the lamb^[g] opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Go!” ⁸ I looked, and there was a pale green horse! Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades^[h] followed him. They were given authority over one-fourth of the earth to kill people using wars, famines, plagues, and the wild animals of the earth.

The Vision of the Fifth Seal Opened

⁹ When the lamb^[i] opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and the testimony they had given. ¹⁰ They cried out in a loud voice,

¹¹ Each of them was given a white robe. They were told to rest a little longer until the number of^[j] their fellow servants and their brothers was completed, who would be killed as they themselves had been.

The Vision of the Sixth Seal Opened

¹² Then I saw the lamb^[k] open the sixth seal. There was a powerful earthquake. The sun turned as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon turned as red as blood.^{[l] 13} The stars in the sky fell to the earth like a fig tree drops its fruit when it is shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The sky vanished like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. ¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the important people, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and all the slaves and free people concealed themselves in caves and among the rocks in the mountains. ¹⁶ They told the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb. ¹⁷ For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to endure it?”

The Vision of the Sealing of 144,000 People

7 After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind could blow on the land, on the sea, or on any tree. ² I saw another angel coming from the east having the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been permitted to harm the land and sea, ³ “Don’t harm the land, the sea, or the trees until we have marked the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.”

⁴ I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000. Those who were sealed were from every tribe of Israel: ⁵ 12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben, 12,000 from the tribe of Gad, ⁶ 12,000 from the tribe of Asher, 12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali, 12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh, ⁷ 12,000 from the tribe of Simeon, 12,000 from the tribe of Levi, 12,000 from the tribe of Issachar, ⁸ 12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun, 12,000 from the tribe of Joseph, and 12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

The Vision of Tribulation Saints

⁹ After these things, I looked, and there was a crowd so large that no one was able to count it! They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing in front of the throne and the lamb and were wearing white robes, with palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰ They cried out in a loud voice,

¹¹ All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces in front of the throne and worshipped God, ¹² saying,

¹³ “Who are these people wearing white robes,” one of the elders asked me, “and where did they come from?”

¹⁴ I told him, “Sir, you know.”

Then he told me, “These are the people who are coming out of the terrible suffering.^[m] They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. ¹⁵ That is why:

The Vision of the Seventh Seal Opened

8 When the lamb^[p] opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

The Vision of Seven Angels Given Seven Trumpets

² Then I saw the seven angels who stand in God’s presence, and seven trumpets were given to them. ³ Another angel came with a gold censer and stood at the altar. He was given a large quantity of incense to offer on the gold altar before the throne, along with the prayers of all the saints. ⁴ The smoke from the incense and the prayers of the saints went up from the angel’s hand to God. ⁵ The angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth. Then there were peals of thunder, noises, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. ⁶ The seven angels who had the seven trumpets got ready to blow them.

The Vision of the First Four Trumpets

⁷ When the first angel blew his trumpet, hail and fire were mixed with blood and thrown on the earth. One-third of the earth was burned up, one-third of the trees was burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

⁸ When the second angel blew his trumpet, something like a huge mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. One-third of the sea turned into blood, ⁹ one-third of the creatures that were living in the sea died, and one-third of the ships was destroyed.

¹⁰ When the third angel blew his trumpet, a huge star blazing like a torch fell from heaven. It fell on one-third of the rivers and on the springs of water. ¹¹ The name of the star is Wormwood. One-third of the water turned into wormwood, and many people died from the water because it had turned bitter.

¹² When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, one-third of the sun, one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars were struck so that one-third of them turned dark. One-third of the day was kept from having light, as was the night.

The Vision of the Eagle Flying

¹³ Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying overhead say in a loud voice,

The Vision of the Fifth Trumpet

9 When the fifth angel blew his trumpet, I saw a star that had fallen to earth^[q] from the sky.^[r] The star^[s] was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.^{[t] 2} It opened the shaft of the bottomless pit,^[u] and smoke came out of the shaft like the smoke from a large furnace. The sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. ³ Locusts came out of the smoke onto the earth, and they were given power like that of earthly scorpions. ⁴ They were told not to harm the grass on the earth, any green plant, or any tree. They could harm^[v] only the people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ They were not allowed to kill them, but were only allowed^[w] to torture them for five months. Their torture was like the pain of a scorpion when it stings someone. ⁶ In those days people will seek death, but never find it. They will long to die, but death will escape them.

⁷ The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were victor’s crowns that looked like gold, and their faces were like human faces. ⁸ They had hair like women’s hair and teeth like lions’ teeth. ⁹ They had breastplates like iron, and the noise of their wings was like the roar of chariots with many horses rushing into battle. ¹⁰ They had tails and stingers like scorpions, and they had the power to hurt people with their tails for five months. ¹¹ They had the angel of the bottomless pit^[x] ruling over them as king. In Hebrew he is called Abaddon,^[y] and in Greek he is called Apollyon.^[z]

¹² The first catastrophe is over. After these things, there are still two more catastrophes to come.

The Vision of the Sixth Trumpet

¹³ When the sixth angel blew his trumpet, I heard a voice from the four^[aa] horns of the gold altar in front of God. ¹⁴ It told the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are held at the great Euphrates River.” ¹⁵ So the four angels who were ready for that hour, day, month, and year were released to kill one-third of humanity. ¹⁶ The number of cavalry troops was 200,000,000. I heard how many there were.^[ab]

¹⁷ This was how I saw the horses in my vision: The riders wore breastplates that had the color of fire, sapphire, and sulfur. The heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire, smoke, and sulfur came out of their mouths. ¹⁸ By these three plagues—the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths—one-third of humanity was killed. ¹⁹ For the power of these horses is in their mouths and their tails. Their tails have heads like snakes, which they use to inflict pain.

²⁰ The rest of the people who survived these plagues did not repent from their evil actions^[ac] or stop worshiping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk. ²¹ They did not repent from their murders, their witchcraft, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.

The Vision of the Powerful Angel

10 Then I saw another powerful angel come down from heaven. He was dressed in a cloud, and there was a rainbow over his head. His face was like the sun, and his legs were like columns of fire. ² He held a small, opened scroll in his hand. Setting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, ³ he shouted in a loud voice as a lion roars. When he shouted, the seven thunders spoke with voices of their own. ⁴ When the seven thunders spoke, I was going to write, but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and don’t write it down.”

⁵ Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. ⁶ He swore an oath by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it: “There will be no more delay. ⁷ When the time approaches^[ad] for the seventh angel to blow his trumpet, God’s secret plan^[ae] will be fulfilled, as he had announced to his servants, the prophets.”

⁸ Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go and take the opened scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

⁹ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the small scroll. “Take it and eat it,” he told me. “It will turn bitter in your stomach, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”

¹⁰ So I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, it turned bitter in my stomach. ¹¹ Then the seven thunders^[af] told me, “You must prophesy again about many people, nations, languages, and kings.”

The Vision of the Two Witnesses

11 Then I was given a stick like a measuring rod. I was told, “Stand up and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count^[ag] those who worship there. ² But don’t measure the courtyard outside the Temple. Leave that out, because it is given to the nations, and they will trample the Holy City^[ah] for 42 months. ³ I will give my two witnesses who wear sackcloth the authority to prophesy for 1,260 days.”

⁴ These witnesses^[ai] are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands standing in the presence of the Lord of the earth. ⁵ And if anyone should want to hurt them, fire comes out of their mouths and burns up their enemies. If anyone wants to hurt them, he must be killed in this manner. ⁶ These witnesses^[aj] have authority to close the heavens in order to keep rain from falling while they are^[ak] prophesying. They also have authority to turn bodies of water into blood and to strike the earth with any plague, as often as they desire.

⁷ When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit^[al] will wage war against them, conquer them, and kill them. ⁸ Their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. ⁹ For three and a half days some members of the people, tribes, languages, and nations will look at their dead bodies and will not allow them to be placed in a tomb. ¹⁰ Those living on earth will gloat over them, celebrate, and send gifts to each other, because these two prophets had tormented those living on earth.

The Resurrection of the Witnesses

¹¹ But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. Those who watched them were terrified. ¹² Then the witnesses^[am] heard a loud voice from heaven calling to them, “Come up here!” So they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. ¹³ At that moment a powerful earthquake struck. One-tenth of the city collapsed, 7,000 people were killed by the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁴ The second catastrophe is over. The third catastrophe is coming very soon.

The Vision of the Seventh Angel Blowing His Trumpet

¹⁵ When the seventh angel blew his trumpet, there were loud voices in heaven, saying,

¹⁶ Then the twenty-four elders who were sitting on their thrones in God’s presence fell on their faces and worshipped God. ¹⁷ They said,

¹⁹ Then the Temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen inside his Temple. There were flashes of lightning, noises, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

The Vision of a Woman Dressed with the Sun

12 A spectacular sign appeared in the sky: a woman dressed with the sun, who had the moon under her feet and a victor’s crown of twelve stars on her head. ² She was pregnant and was crying out from her labor pains, the agony of giving birth.

The Vision of the Red Dragon

³ Then another sign appeared in the sky: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on its heads. ⁴ Its tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky and knocked them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that it could devour her child when it was born. ⁵ She gave birth to a son, a boy, who is to rule^[ap] all the nations with an iron scepter. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne. ⁶ Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where a place had been prepared for her by God so that she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

The Vision of War in Heaven

⁷ Then a war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels fought back. ⁸ But it was not strong enough, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. ⁹ The huge dragon was hurled down. That ancient serpent, called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was hurled down to the earth, along with its angels.

The Vision of the Cry of Victory

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,

The Vision of Persecution of the Woman and Her Children

¹³ When the dragon saw that it had been thrown down to the earth, it pursued^[as] the woman who had given birth to the boy. ¹⁴ However, the woman was given the two wings of a large eagle so that she could fly away from the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she could be taken care of for a time, times, and half a time. ¹⁵ From its mouth the serpent spewed water like a river behind the woman in order to sweep her away with the flood. ¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed from its mouth. ¹⁷ The dragon became angry with the woman and went away to do battle against the rest of her children, the ones who keep God’s commandments and hold on to the testimony about Jesus. ¹⁸ Then the dragon^[at] stood on the sand of the seashore.^[au]

The Vision of the Beast from the Sea

13 I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns, seven heads, and ten royal crowns on its horns. On its heads were blasphemous names. ² The beast that I saw was like a leopard. Its feet were like bear’s feet, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave it his power, his throne, and complete authority.

³ One of the beast’s^[av] heads looked like it had sustained a mortal wound, but its fatal wound was healed. Rapt with amazement, the whole world followed the beast. ⁴ They worshipped the dragon because it had given authority to the beast. They also worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight a war with it?” ⁵ The beast was allowed^[aw] to speak arrogant and blasphemous things, and it was given authority for 42 months. ⁶ It uttered^[ax] blasphemies against God, against his name, and against his residence,^[ay] that is, against those who are living in heaven. ⁷ It was allowed to wage war against the saints and to conquer them.^[az] It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. ⁸ All those who had become settled down and at home, living on the earth, will worship it, everyone whose name had not been written in the Book of Life belonging to the lamb that had been slaughtered since the foundation of the world.

The Vision of the Beast from the Earth

Here is a call for endurance and faith of the saints:

¹¹ I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it talked like a dragon. ¹² It uses all the authority of the first beast on its behalf,^[bb] and it makes the earth and those living on it worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. ¹³ It performs spectacular signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people. ¹⁴ It deceives those living on earth with the signs that it is allowed to do on behalf of^[bc] the first^[bd] beast, telling them to make an image for the beast who was wounded by a sword and yet lived. ¹⁵ The second beast^[be] was allowed to impart life to the image of the first^[bf] beast so that the image of the beast could talk and order the execution of those who would not worship the image of the beast. ¹⁶ The second beast^[bg] forces all people—important and unimportant, rich and poor, free and slaves—to be marked on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ so that no one may buy or sell unless he has the mark, which is the beast’s name or the number of its name.

¹⁸ In this case wisdom is needed: Let the person who has understanding^[bh] calculate^[bi] the total^[bj] of the beast, since it is a human multitude,^[bk] and the sum of the multitude^[bl] is 600, 60, and six.^[bm]

The Vision of the New Song on Mount Zion

14 Then I looked, and there was the lamb, standing on Mount Zion! With him were 144,000 people who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

² Then I heard a sound from heaven like that of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like harpists playing on their harps. ³ They were singing a new song in front of the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. ⁴ They have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins, and they follow the lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from among humanity as the first fruits for God and the lamb. ⁵ In their mouth no lie was found. They are blameless.

The Vision of Angels Sounding a Warning

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying overhead with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live^[bn] on earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. ⁷ He said in a loud voice,

⁸ Then another angel, a second one, followed him, saying,

⁹ Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying in a loud voice, “Whoever worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or his hand ¹⁰ will drink the wine of God’s wrath, which has been poured undiluted into the cup of his anger. He will be tortured with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the lamb. ¹¹ The smoke from their torture goes up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”

A Call for Endurance

¹² Here is a call for^[bo] the endurance of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to their faithfulness in Jesus:

¹³ I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this:

The Vision of Earth Harvested

¹⁴ Then I looked, and there was a white cloud! On the cloud sat someone who was like the Son of Man, with a gold victor’s crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ Another angel came out of the Temple, crying out in a loud voice to the one who sat on the cloud,

¹⁶ The one who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was harvested.

¹⁷ Then another angel came out of the Temple in heaven. He, too, had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ From the altar came another angel who had authority over fire. He called out in a loud voice to the angel^[bp] who had the sharp sickle,

¹⁹ So the angel swung his sickle in the earth, gathered the grapes from the earth, and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. ²⁰ The wine press was trampled outside the city, and blood flowed from the wine press as high as a horse’s bridle for about 1,600 stadia.^[bq]

The Vision of Seven Angels with Seven Plagues

15 I saw another sign in heaven. It was both spectacular and amazing. There were seven angels with the seven last plagues, with which God’s wrath is completed.

The Vision of the Sea of Glass

² Then I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. Those who had conquered the beast, its image, and the number of its name were standing on the sea of glass holding God’s harps in their hands. ³ They sang the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the lamb:

The Vision of the Temple Opened

⁵ After these things, I looked, and the Temple, which is the Tent of Testimony in heaven, was open! ⁶ The seven angels with the seven plagues came out of the Temple wearing clean, shining linen with gold sashes around their chests.^{[bs] 7} One of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven gold bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. ⁸ The Temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and his power, and no one could enter the Temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels came to an end.

The Vision of the Seven Angels Pouring Out Their Bowls

16 Then I heard a loud voice from the Temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” ² So the first angel went and poured his bowl on the earth. A horrible, painful sore appeared on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshipped the image.

³ The second angel poured his bowl into the sea. It became like the blood of a dead body, and every living thing in the sea died.

⁴ The third angel poured his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. ⁵ Then I heard the angel in charge^[bt] of the water say,

⁷ Then I heard the altar reply,

⁸ The fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun, which then was allowed to burn people with fire, ⁹ and they were burned by the fierce heat. They cursed the name of God, who has the authority over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

¹⁰ The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast. Its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People^[bu] gnawed on their tongues in anguish ¹¹ and cursed the God of heaven because of their pain-filled sores. But they did not repent of their behavior.

¹² The sixth angel poured his bowl on the great Euphrates River. Its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east. ¹³ Then I saw three disgusting spirits like frogs come 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 demonic spirits that perform signs. They go to the kings of the whole earth and gather them for the war of the great Day of God Almighty.

¹⁶ The spirits^[bv] gathered the kings^[bw] to the place that is called Armageddon in Hebrew.

¹⁷ The seventh angel threw the contents of^[bx] his bowl across the sky. A loud voice came from the throne in the Temple and said, “It has happened!” ¹⁸ There were flashes of lightning, noises, peals of thunder, and a powerful earthquake. There has never been such a powerful earthquake since people have been on the earth. ¹⁹ The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. God remembered to give Babylon the Great the cup of wine filled with the fury of his wrath. ²⁰ Every island vanished,^[by] and the mountains could no longer be found. ²¹ Huge hailstones, each weighing about a talent,^[bz] fell from the sky on people, who cursed God because the plague of hail was so terrible.

The Vision of Babylon the Great

17 Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls came and told me, “Come, I will show you how the notorious prostitute who sits on many waters will be judged. ² The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those living on earth became drunk with the wine of her immorality.”

³ Then the angel^[ca] carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was controlled by blasphemy.^[cb] It had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman wore purple and scarlet clothes and was adorned with gold, gems, and pearls. In her hand she was holding a gold cup filled with detestable things and the impurities of her immorality. ⁵ On her forehead was written a secret name:

Babylon the Great,

the Mother of Prostitutes

and Detestable Things of the Earth

⁶ I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. I was very surprised when I saw her.

⁷ “Why are you surprised?” The angel asked me. “I will tell you the secret of the woman and the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns that carries her. ⁸ The beast that you saw existed once, but is no longer, and is going to crawl out of the bottomless pit^[cc] and then proceed to its destruction. Those living on earth, whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, will be surprised when they see the beast because it was, is no longer, and will come again. ⁹ This calls for a mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is sitting. They are also seven kings. ¹⁰ Five of them have fallen, one is living, and the other has not yet come. When he comes, he must remain in power^[cd] for a little while. ¹¹ The beast that was and is no longer is the eighth king,^[ce] but it belongs with the seven kings^[cf] and goes to its destruction. ¹² The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom. They will receive authority to rule^[cg] as kings with the beast for one hour. ¹³ They have one purpose: to give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ They will wage war against the lamb, but the lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those who are called, chosen, and faithful are with him.”

¹⁵ The angel^[ch] also told me, “The bodies of water you saw, on which the prostitute is sitting, are people, multitudes, nations, and languages. ¹⁶ The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her abandoned and naked. They will eat her flesh and burn her up with fire, ¹⁷ for God has placed within them a desire to carry out his purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast until God’s words are fulfilled. ¹⁸ The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

The Vision of the Fall of Babylon

18 After these things, I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority,^[ci] and the earth was made bright by his splendor. ² He cried out in a powerful voice,

The Warning to Leave Babylon

⁴ Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

⁹ The kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality with her and lived in luxury with her, will cry and mourn over her when they see the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.^{[cj] 10} Frightened by the torture that she experiences,^[ck] they will stand far away and cry out,

¹¹ The world’s businesses cry and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo anymore— ¹² cargo of gold, silver, gems, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all articles made of ivory, all articles made of very costly wood, bronze, iron, marble, ¹³ cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and slaves (that is, human souls)—

¹⁵ Frightened by the severity of her punishment, businesses that had become rich because of her will stand at a distance, crying and mourning:

Every ship’s captain, everyone who traveled by ship, sailors, and everyone who made a living from the sea stood far away. ¹⁸ When they saw the smoke rising from the fire that consumed her,^[cm] they began to cry out, “What city was like that great city?” ¹⁹ Then they threw dust on their heads and shouted while crying and mourning:

The Vision of the Powerful Angel with the Millstone

²¹ Then a powerful angel picked up a stone that was like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,

The Vision of Worship

19 After these things, I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a large crowd in heaven, saying,

³ A second time they said,

⁴ The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures bowed down and worshipped God, who was sitting on the throne. They said, “Amen! Hallelujah!” ⁵ A voice came from the throne, saying,

The Vision of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb

⁶ Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a large crowd, like the sound of raging waters, and like the sound of powerful thunderclaps, saying,

(The fine linen represents the righteous deeds of the saints.)

⁹ Then the angel^[cn] told me, “Write this: ‘How blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the lamb!’” He also told me, “These are the true words of God.” ¹⁰ I bowed down at his feet to worship him, but he told me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who rely on what Jesus is saying. Worship God, because what Jesus is saying is the spirit of prophecy!”

The Vision of the Coming of the Messiah

¹¹ Then I saw heaven standing open, and there was a white horse! Its rider is named Faithful and True. He administers justice and wages war righteously. ¹² His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many royal crowns. He has a name written on him that nobody knows except himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in^[co] blood, and his name is called the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, follow him on white horses. ¹⁵ A sharp sword comes out of his mouth to strike down the nations. He will rule^[cp] them with an iron rod and tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe that covers^[cq] his thigh he has a name written:

King of Kings and Lord of Lords

The Vision of the Angel’s Invitation

¹⁷ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come! Gather for the great supper of God. ¹⁸ Eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of warriors,^[cr] the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, both unimportant and important.”

The Vision of the Judgment of the Beast and False Prophet

¹⁹ Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰ The beast was captured, along with the false prophet who had performed signs on its behalf.^[cs] By these signs^[ct] the false prophet^[cu] had deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and worshipped its image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. ²¹ The rest were killed by the sword that belonged to the rider on the horse and that came from his mouth, and all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh.

The Vision of the Millennial Reign

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key to the bottomless pit,^[cv] with a large chain in his hand. ² He captured the dragon, that ancient serpent, also known as the Devil and Satan, and tied him up for a thousand years. ³ He threw him into the bottomless pit,^[cw] locked it, and sealed it over him to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were over. After that, he must be set free for a little while.

The Vision of the First Resurrection

⁴ Then I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. They came back to life and ruled with the Messiah^[cx] for a thousand years. ⁵ The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were over. This is the first resurrection. ⁶ How blessed and holy are those who participate in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them. They will be priests of God and the Messiah,^[cy] and will rule with him for a thousand years.

The Vision of the Final Judgment

⁷ When the thousand years are over, Satan will be freed from his prison. ⁸ He will go out to deceive Gog and Magog, the nations at the four corners of the earth, and gather them for war. They are as numerous as the sands of the seashore. ⁹ They marched over the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire came from God^[cz] out of heaven and burned them up, ¹⁰ and the Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were. They will be tortured day and night forever and ever.

The Vision of the White Throne Judgment

¹¹ Then I saw a large, white throne and the one who was sitting on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. ¹² I saw the dead, both unimportant and important, standing in front of the throne, and books were open. Another book was opened—the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to their actions, as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades^[da] gave up the dead that were in them, and all were judged according to their actions. ¹⁴ Death and Hades^[db] were thrown into the lake of fire. (This is the second death—the lake of fire.) ¹⁵ Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

The Vision of the New Heaven and the New Earth

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and the sea was gone. ² I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

³ I heard a loud voice from the throne say,

⁵ The one sitting on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new!”

He said, “Write this: ‘These words are trustworthy and true.’”

⁶ Then he told me, “It has happened! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give a drink from the spring of the water of life to the one who is thirsty. ⁷ The person who overcomes^[dd] will inherit these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son. ⁸ But people who are cowardly, unfaithful, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will find themselves^[de] in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

The Vision of the New Jerusalem

⁹ Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came to me and said, “Come! I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb.” ¹⁰ He carried me away in the Spirit to a large, high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. ¹¹ The glory of God was its radiance, and its light was like a valuable gem, like jasper, as clear as crystal. ¹² It had a large, high wall with twelve gates. Twelve angels were at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. 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 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the lamb were written on them.

¹⁵ The angel who^[df] was talking to me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its walls. ¹⁶ The city was cubic in shape: its length was the same as its width. He measured the city with his rod, and it measured at 12,000 stadia:^[dg]Its length, width, and height were the same. ¹⁷ He also measured its wall. According to the human measurement that the angel was using, it was 144 cubits.^{[dh] 18} Its wall was made of jasper. The city was made of pure gold, as clear as glass.

¹⁹ The foundations of the city wall were decorated with all kinds of gems: The first foundation^[di] was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian,^[dj] the seventh chrysolite,^[dk] the eighth beryl,^[dl] the ninth topaz,^[dm] the tenth chrysoprase,^[dn] the eleventh jacinth^[do] and the twelfth amethyst. ²¹ The twelve gates were twelve pearls, and each gate was made of a single pearl. The street of the city was made of pure gold, as clear as glass.

²² I saw no temple in it, because the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple. ²³ The city doesn’t need any sun or moon to give it light, because the glory of God gave it light, and the lamb was its lamp. ²⁴ The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. ²⁵ Its gates will never be shut at the end of the^[dp] day—because there will be no night there. ²⁶ People^[dq] will bring the glory and wealth^[dr] of the nations into it. ²⁷ Nothing unclean, or anyone who does anything detestable, and no one who tells lies will ever enter it. Only those whose names^[ds] are written in the lamb’s Book of Life will enter it.^[dt]

The Vision of the River of the Water of Life

22 Then the angel^[du] showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal. It was flowing from the throne of God and the lamb. ² Between the city street and the river, the tree of life was visible from each side. It produced twelve kinds of fruit, each month having its own fruit. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ³ There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and the lamb will be in the city.^[dv] His servants will worship him ⁴ and see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ There will be no more night, and they will not need any light from lamps or the sun because the Lord God will shine on them. They will rule forever and ever.