The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and behold, [a]a (A)Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him (B)one hundred and forty-four thousand, [b]having His Father’s name (C)written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, (D)like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of (E)harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song (F)except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, (G)for they are virgins. These are the ones (H)who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These (I)were [c]redeemed from among men, (J)being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And (K)in their mouth was found no [d]deceit, for (L)they are without fault [e]before the throne of God.

The Proclamations of Three Angels

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

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

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, (T)“If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his (U)mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself (V)shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is (W)poured out full strength into (X)the cup of His indignation. (Y)He shall be tormented with (Z)fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And (AA)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 (AB)Here is the [g]patience of the saints; (AC)here[h] are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying [i]to me, “Write: (AD)‘Blessed are the dead (AE)who die in the Lord from now on.’ ”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, (AF)“that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow (AG)them.”

Reaping the Earth’s Harvest

14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel (AH)came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, (AI)“Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come [j]for You to reap, for the harvest (AJ)of the earth is ripe.” 16 So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Reaping the Grapes of Wrath

17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

18 And another angel came out from the altar, (AK)who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, (AL)“Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into (AM)the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And (AN)the winepress was trampled (AO)outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, (AP)up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred [k]furlongs.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 14:1 NU, M the
  2. Revelation 14:1 NU, M add His name and
  3. Revelation 14:4 M adds by Jesus
  4. Revelation 14:5 NU, M falsehood
  5. Revelation 14:5 NU, M omit the rest of v. 5.
  6. Revelation 14:8 NU Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, which has made; M Babylon the great is fallen. She has made
  7. Revelation 14:12 steadfastness, perseverance
  8. Revelation 14:12 NU, M omit here are those
  9. Revelation 14:13 NU, M omit to me
  10. Revelation 14:15 NU, M omit for You
  11. Revelation 14:20 Lit. stadia, about 184 miles in all

Pjesma otkupljenih

14 Tada sam pogledao ispred sebe i ugledao Janje. Stajalo je na Sionskoj gori[a]. S njim su bile i sto četrdeset i četiri tisuće koje su na čelima imale zapisano Janjetovo ime i ime njegovog Oca. Tada sam začuo glas s neba sličan huci velikih voda ili jakoj grmljavini. No glas je također zvučao kao kada glazbenici sviraju harfe. Mnoštvo je pjevalo novu pjesmu pred prijestoljem, pred četirima bićima i starješinama. Nitko nije mogao naučiti tu pjesmu osim tih sto četrdeset i četiri tisuće. Oni su bili otkupljeni sa Zemlje. Oni su ti koji se nisu okaljali grešnim odnosima sa ženama. Održali su se čistima. Slijede Janje kamo god ono ide. Otkupljeni su od ostalog čovječanstva i prvi su plodovi žetve za Boga i Janje. U njihovim se ustima ne može naći laž. Oni su bez mane.

Trojica anđela

Tada sam spazio drugog anđela kako leti visoko na nebu. Trebao je onima koji žive na Zemlji—svakom narodu, plemenu, jeziku i rasi—objaviti vječnu poruku Radosne vijesti. Govorio je jakim glasom: »Poštujte Boga i dajte mu slavu! Došlo je vrijeme da on sudi svima. Poklonite se Bogu! On je stvorio nebo, Zemlju, more i izvore voda.«

Tada je drugi anđeo prišao i rekao: »Pao je! Pao je veliki Babilon, koji je natjerao sve narode da piju žestoko vino bijesa i bluda.«

Treći je anđeo došao za njima i rekao jakim glasom: »Oni koju štuju Zvijer i njezin kip, i prihvaćaju njezin znak na čelo ili ruku, 10 pit će vino Božje srdžbe koje je nerazblaženo u čaši njegovoga gnjeva. Bit će mučeni u gorućem sumporu u prisutnosti svetih anđela i Janjeta. 11 A dim od njihovog mučenja dizat će se zauvijek. Oni koji štuju Zvijer i njezin kip—i svi koji su obilježeni njezinim imenom—neće imati mira ni danju ni noću.« 12 Ovdje Božji ljudi, oni koji se pridržavaju Božjih zapovijedi, trebaju biti ustrajni i ostati vjerni Isusu.

13 Tada sam s neba začuo glas: »Zapiši: od sada su blagoslovljeni oni koji umru služeći Gospodinu!«

»Tako je«, kaže Duh. »Oni se mogu odmoriti od svoga truda jer ih prate njihova djela.«

Zemaljski urod

14 Tada sam pogledao ispred sebe i primijetio bijeli oblak. Na oblaku je sjedio netko sličan Sinu Čovječjem. Na glavi je imao zlatnu krunu, a u ruci oštar srp. 15 Tada je iz hrama izašao drugi anđeo. Viknuo je jakim glasom onomu što sjedi na oblaku: »Uzmi svoj srp i saberi urod! Došlo je vrijeme žetve. Zemaljski je urod dozrio.« 16 Onaj što je sjedio na oblaku zamahnuo je svojim srpom nad Zemljom i požnjeo urod na Zemlji.

17 Tada je iz hrama na Nebu izašao neki drugi anđeo. I on je imao oštar srp. 18 A sa žrtvenika je opet došao drugi anđeo koji je imao moć nad vatrom. Doviknuo je jakim glasom onomu što je imao oštar srp: »Uzmi svoj oštri srp i skupi grozdove zemaljske loze! Jer, grožđe je zrelo.« 19 Anđeo je zamahnuo srpom nad Zemljom i skupio urod zemaljskoga vinograda. Bacio je grožđe u veliki tijesak Božjega gnjeva 20 i zgazio ga izvan grada. Iz tijeska je tekla krv. Digla se sve do konjskih uzda, na daljinu od tristotinjak kilometara[b].

Footnotes

  1. 14,1 Sionska gora Drugi naziv za Jeruzalem. Ovdje se odnosi na duhovni grad u kojem Božji narod živi zajedno s Bogom.
  2. 14,20 tristotinjak kilometara Doslovno: »1.600 stadija«, starogrčka mjera za dužinu.