Revelation 12-14

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon

12 A great sign^[a] appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head.^{(A) 2} She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth. ³ Then another sign^[b] appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and 10 horns,^(B) and on his heads were seven diadems.^{[c] 4} His tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.^(C) And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth he might devour her child. ⁵ But she gave birth to a Son—a male who is going to shepherd^[d] all nations with an iron scepter^(D)—and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. ⁶ The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God,^(E) to be fed there^[e] for 1,260 days.^(F)

The Dragon Thrown Out of Heaven

⁷ Then war broke out in heaven: Michael^(G) and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, ⁸ but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer. ⁹ So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent,^(H) who is called the Devil^[f] and Satan,^[g](I) the one who deceives the whole world.^(J) He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

The Woman Persecuted

¹³ When the dragon saw that he had been thrown to earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. ¹⁴ The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was fed for a time, times, and half a time.^{[h](M) 15} From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away in a torrent. ¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. ¹⁷ So the dragon was furious with the woman and left to wage war^(N) against the rest of her offspring^[i]—those who keep God’s commands and have the testimony about Jesus.^{(O) 18} He^[j] stood on the sand of the sea.^[k]

The Beast from the Sea

13 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea.^(P) He^[l] had 10 horns and seven heads. On his horns were 10 diadems,^(Q) and on his heads were blasphemous names.^{[m](R) 2} The beast I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like a bear’s, and his mouth was like a lion’s mouth.^(S) The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. ³ One of his heads appeared to be fatally wounded,^[n] but his fatal wound was healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast.^{[o](T) 4} They worshiped the dragon^(U) because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast?^(V) Who is able to wage war against him?”

⁵ A mouth was given to him to speak boasts and blasphemies.^(W) He was also given authority to act^[p][q] for 42 months.^{(X) 6} He began to speak^[r] blasphemies against God: to blaspheme His name and His dwelling—those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ And he was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. He was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.^{(Y) 8} All those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book^[s] of life^(Z) of the Lamb who was slaughtered.^[t](AA)

⁹ If anyone has an ear, he should listen:^(AB)

This demands the perseverance^[v] and faith of the saints.^(AD)

The Beast from the Earth

¹¹ Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb,^[w](AE) but he sounded like a dragon. ¹² He exercises all the authority of the first beast on his behalf and compels the earth and those who live on it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. ¹³ He also performs great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people. ¹⁴ He deceives those who live on the earth^(AF) because of the signs that he is permitted to perform on behalf of the beast,^(AG) telling those who live on the earth to make an image^[x] of the beast who had the sword wound and yet lived. ¹⁵ He was permitted to give a spirit^[y] to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ And he requires everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark^[z] on his right hand or on his forehead,^{(AH) 17} so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of his name.

¹⁸ Here is wisdom:^[aa](AI) The one who has understanding must calculate^[ab] the number of the beast, because it is the number of a man.^[ac] His number is 666.^[ad]

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and there on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with Him were 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads.^{(AJ) 2} I heard a sound^[ae] from heaven like the sound of cascading waters^(AK) and like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was also like harpists playing on their harps.^{(AL) 3} They sang^[af] a new song^(AM) before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders,^(AN) but no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed^[ag] from the earth. ⁴ These are the ones not defiled with women, for they have kept their virginity.^(AO) These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They were redeemed^[ah][ai] from the human race as the firstfruits^(AP) for God and the Lamb. ⁵ No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.^(AQ)

The Proclamation of Three Angels

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying high overhead,^(AR) having the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.^{(AS) 7} He spoke with a loud voice: “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

⁸ A second angel^[aj] followed, saying: “It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen,^[ak] who made all nations drink the wine of her sexual immorality,^[al] which brings wrath.”^(AT)

⁹ And a third angel^[am] followed them and spoke with a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰ he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is mixed full strength in the cup of His anger.^(AU) He will be tormented with fire and sulfur^(AV) in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb, ¹¹ and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever.^(AW) There is no rest^[an] day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or anyone who receives the mark of his name. ¹² This demands the perseverance^[ao] of the saints,^(AX) who keep God’s commands and their faith in Jesus.”^[ap]

¹³ Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write: The dead who die in the Lord from now on are blessed.”^(AY)

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “let them rest from their labors, for their works follow them!”

Reaping the Earth’s Harvest

¹⁴ Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and One like the Son of Man^[aq](AZ) was seated on the cloud, with a gold crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. ¹⁵ Another angel came out of the sanctuary, crying out in a loud voice to the One who was seated on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap, for the time to reap has come, since the harvest of the earth is ripe.”^{(BA) 16} So the One seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

¹⁷ Then another angel who also had a sharp sickle came out of the sanctuary in heaven. ¹⁸ Yet another angel, who had authority over fire, came from the altar, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from earth’s vineyard, because its grapes have ripened.” ¹⁹ So the angel swung his sickle toward earth and gathered the grapes from earth’s vineyard, and he threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.^{(BB) 20} Then the press was trampled outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press up to the horses’ bridles for about 180 miles.^[ar](BC)