Revelation 4-11

New American Standard Bible 1995

Scene in Heaven

4 After ^(A)these things I looked, and behold, ^(B)a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, ^(C)like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “^(D)Come up here, and I will ^(E)show you what must take place after these things.” ² Immediately I was ^[a](F)in the Spirit; and behold, ^(G)a throne was standing in heaven, and ^(H)One sitting on the throne. ³ And He who was sitting was like a ^(I)jasper stone and a ^(J)sardius in appearance; and there was a ^[b](K)rainbow around the throne, like an ^(L)emerald in appearance. ^4 (M)Around the throne were ^(N)twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw ^(O)twenty-four elders ^(P)sitting, clothed in ^(Q)white garments, and ^(R)golden crowns on their heads.

The Throne and Worship of the Creator

⁵ Out from the throne come ^(S)flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were ^(T)seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are ^(U)the seven Spirits of God; ⁶ and before the throne there was something like a ^(V)sea of glass, like crystal; and in the ^[c]center and ^(W)around the throne, ^(X)four living creatures ^(Y)full of eyes in front and behind. ^7 (Z)The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. ⁸ And the ^(AA)four living creatures, each one of them having ^(AB)six wings, are ^(AC)full of eyes around and within; and ^(AD)day and night ^[d]they do not cease to say,

⁹ And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who ^(AH)sits on the throne, to ^(AI)Him who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the ^(AJ)twenty-four elders will ^(AK)fall down before Him who ^(AL)sits on the throne, and will worship ^(AM)Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their ^(AN)crowns before the throne, saying,

The Book with Seven Seals

5 I saw ^[g]in the right hand of Him who ^(AQ)sat on the throne a ^[h](AR)book written inside and on the back, ^(AS)sealed up with seven seals. ² And I saw a ^(AT)strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the ^[i]book and to break its seals?” ³ And no one ^(AU)in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the ^[j]book or to look into it. ⁴ Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the ^[k]book or to look into it; ⁵ and one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the ^(AV)Lion that is ^(AW)from the tribe of Judah, the ^(AX)Root of David, has overcome so as to open the ^[l]book and its seven seals.”

⁶ And I saw ^[m]between the throne (with the four living creatures) and ^(AY)the elders a ^(AZ)Lamb standing, as if ^(BA)slain, having seven ^(BB)horns and ^(BC)seven eyes, which are ^(BD)the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. ⁷ And He came and took ^(BE)the book out of the right hand of Him who ^(BF)sat on the throne. ⁸ When He had taken the ^[n]book, the ^(BG)four living creatures and the ^(BH)twenty-four elders ^(BI)fell down before the ^(BJ)Lamb, each one holding a ^(BK)harp and ^(BL)golden bowls full of incense, which are the ^(BM)prayers of the ^[o]saints. ⁹ And they *sang a ^(BN)new song, saying,

Angels Exalt the Lamb

¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels ^(BV)around the throne and the ^(BW)living creatures and the ^(BX)elders; and the number of them was ^(BY)myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice,

¹³ And ^(CC)every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,

¹⁴ And the ^(CG)four living creatures kept saying, “^(CH)Amen.” And the ^(CI)elders ^(CJ)fell down and worshiped.

The First Seal—Rider on White Horse

6 Then I saw when the ^(CK)Lamb broke one of the ^(CL)seven seals, and I heard one of the ^(CM)four living creatures saying as with a ^(CN)voice of thunder, “Come^[q].” ² I looked, and behold, a ^(CO)white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and ^(CP)a crown was given to him, and he went out ^(CQ)conquering and to conquer.

The Second Seal—War

³ When He broke the second seal, I heard the ^(CR)second living creature saying, “Come^[r].” ⁴ And another, ^(CS)a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to ^(CT)take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.

The Third Seal—Famine

⁵ When He broke the third seal, I heard the ^(CU)third living creature saying, “Come^[s].” I looked, and behold, a ^(CV)black horse; and he who sat on it had a ^(CW)pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ And I heard something like a voice in the center of the ^(CX)four living creatures saying, “A ^[t]quart of wheat for a ^[u]denarius, and three ^[v]quarts of barley for a ^[w]denarius; and ^(CY)do not damage the oil and the wine.”

The Fourth Seal—Death

⁷ When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the ^(CZ)fourth living creature saying, “Come^[x].” ⁸ I looked, and behold, an ^[y](DA)ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name ^(DB)Death; and ^(DC)Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, ^(DD)to kill with sword and with famine and with ^[z]pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

The Fifth Seal—Martyrs

⁹ When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw ^(DE)underneath the ^(DF)altar the ^(DG)souls of those who had been slain ^(DH)because of the word of God, and because of the ^(DI)testimony which they had maintained; ¹⁰ and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “^(DJ)How long, O ^[aa](DK)Lord, ^(DL)holy and true, ^[ab]will You refrain from ^(DM)judging and avenging our blood on ^(DN)those who dwell on the earth?” ¹¹ And ^(DO)there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should ^(DP)rest for a little while longer, ^(DQ)until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be ^(DR)completed also.

The Sixth Seal—Terror

¹² I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great ^(DS)earthquake; and the ^(DT)sun became black as ^(DU)sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; ¹³ and ^(DV)the stars of the sky fell to the earth, ^(DW)as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. ^14 (DX)The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and ^(DY)every mountain and island were moved out of their places. ¹⁵ Then ^(DZ)the kings of the earth and the great men and the ^[ac]commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; ¹⁶ and they *^(EA)said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the ^[ad]presence of Him ^(EB)who sits on the throne, and from the ^(EC)wrath of the Lamb; ¹⁷ for ^(ED)the great day of their wrath has come, and ^(EE)who is able to stand?”

An Interlude

7 After this I saw ^(EF)four angels standing at the ^(EG)four corners of the earth, holding back ^(EH)the four winds of the earth, ^(EI)so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. ² And I saw another angel ascending ^(EJ)from the rising of the sun, having the ^(EK)seal of ^(EL)the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the ^(EM)four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, ³ saying, “^(EN)Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have ^(EO)sealed the bond-servants of our God on their ^(EP)foreheads.”

The 144,000

⁴ And I heard the ^(EQ)number of those who were sealed, ^(ER)one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

A Multitude from the Tribulation

⁹ After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from ^(ES)every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing ^(ET)before the throne and ^(EU)before the Lamb, clothed in ^(EV)white robes, and ^(EW)palm branches were in their hands; ¹⁰ and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,

“^(EX)Salvation to our God ^(EY)who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” ¹¹ And all the angels were standing ^(EZ)around the throne and around ^(FA)the elders and the ^(FB)four living creatures; and they ^(FC)fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying,

“^(FD)Amen, ^(FE)blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. ^(FF)Amen.”

¹³ Then one of the elders ^(FG)answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the ^(FH)white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” ¹⁴ I ^[ae]said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the ^(FI)great tribulation, and they have ^(FJ)washed their robes and made them ^(FK)white in the ^(FL)blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ For this reason, they are ^(FM)before the throne of God; and they ^(FN)serve Him day and night in His ^[af](FO)temple; and ^(FP)He who sits on the throne will spread His ^(FQ)tabernacle over them. ^16 (FR)They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun ^[ag]beat down on them, nor any heat; ¹⁷ for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their ^(FS)shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the ^[ah](FT)water of life; and ^(FU)God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

The Seventh Seal—the Trumpets

8 When the Lamb broke the ^(FV)seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ² And I saw ^(FW)the seven angels who stand before God, and seven ^(FX)trumpets were given to them.

^3 (FY)Another angel came and stood at the ^(FZ)altar, holding a ^(GA)golden censer; and much ^(GB)incense was given to him, so that he might ^[ai]add it to the ^(GC)prayers of all the ^[aj]saints on the ^(GD)golden altar which was before the throne. ⁴ And ^(GE)the smoke of the incense, ^[ak]with the prayers of the ^[al]saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. ⁵ Then the angel ^[am]took the censer and ^(GF)filled it with the fire of the altar, and ^(GG)threw it to the earth; and there followed ^(GH)peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an ^(GI)earthquake.

^6 (GJ)And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.

⁷ The first sounded, and there came ^(GK)hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and ^(GL)a third of the earth was burned up, and ^(GM)a third of the ^(GN)trees were burned up, and all the green ^(GO)grass was burned up.

⁸ The second angel sounded, and something like a great ^(GP)mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and ^(GQ)a third of the ^(GR)sea became blood, ⁹ and ^(GS)a third of the creatures which were in the sea ^[an]and had life, died; and a third of the ^(GT)ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded, and a great star ^(GU)fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a ^(GV)third of the rivers and on the ^(GW)springs of waters. ¹¹ The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a ^(GX)third of the waters became ^(GY)wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

¹² The fourth angel sounded, and a ^(GZ)third of the ^(HA)sun and a third of the ^(HB)moon and a ^(HC)third of the ^(HD)stars were struck, so that a ^(HE)third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a ^(HF)third of it, and the night in the same way.

¹³ Then I looked, and I heard ^[ao]an eagle flying in ^(HG)midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “^(HH)Woe, woe, woe to ^(HI)those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the ^(HJ)three angels who are about to sound!”

The Fifth Trumpet—the Bottomless Pit

9 Then the ^(HK)fifth angel sounded, and I saw a ^(HL)star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the ^(HM)key of the ^[ap](HN)bottomless pit was given to him. ² He opened the ^[aq]bottomless pit, and ^(HO)smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and ^(HP)the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. ³ Then out of the smoke came ^(HQ)locusts ^[ar]upon the earth, and power was given them, as the ^(HR)scorpions of the earth have power. ⁴ They were told not to ^(HS)hurt the ^(HT)grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the ^(HU)seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ And ^[as]they were not permitted to kill ^[at]anyone, but to torment for ^(HV)five months; and their torment was like the torment of a ^(HW)scorpion when it ^[au]stings a man. ⁶ And in those days ^(HX)men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.

⁷ The ^[av](HY)appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. ⁸ They had hair like the hair of women, and their ^(HZ)teeth were like the teeth of lions. ⁹ They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the ^(IA)sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. ¹⁰ They have tails like ^(IB)scorpions, and stings; and in their ^(IC)tails is their power to hurt men for ^(ID)five months. ¹¹ They have as king over them, the angel of the ^(IE)abyss; his name in ^(IF)Hebrew is ^[aw](IG)Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name ^[ax]Apollyon.

^12 (IH)The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

The Sixth Trumpet—Army from the East

¹³ Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard ^[ay]a voice from the ^[az]four ^(II)horns of the ^(IJ)golden altar which is before God, ¹⁴ one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the ^(IK)four angels who are bound at the ^(IL)great river Euphrates.” ¹⁵ And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were ^(IM)released, so that they would kill a ^(IN)third of ^[ba]mankind. ¹⁶ The number of the armies of the horsemen was ^(IO)two hundred million; ^(IP)I heard the number of them. ¹⁷ And ^[bb]this is how I saw ^(IQ)in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of ^[bc](IR)brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and ^(IS)out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and ^[bd](IT)brimstone. ¹⁸ A ^(IU)third of ^[be]mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the ^(IV)fire and the smoke and the ^[bf]brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. ¹⁹ For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.

²⁰ The rest of ^[bg]mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, ^(IW)did not repent of ^(IX)the works of their hands, so as not to ^(IY)worship demons, and ^(IZ)the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; ²¹ and they ^(JA)did not repent of their murders nor of their ^(JB)sorceries nor of their ^(JC)immorality nor of their thefts.

The Angel and the Little Book

10 I saw another ^(JD)strong angel ^(JE)coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the ^(JF)rainbow was upon his head, and ^(JG)his face was like the sun, and his ^(JH)feet like pillars of fire; ² and he had in his hand a ^(JI)little book which was open. He placed ^(JJ)his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; ³ and he cried out with a loud voice, ^(JK)as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the ^(JL)seven peals of thunder ^[bh]uttered their voices. ⁴ When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, ^(JM)I was about to write; and I ^(JN)heard a voice from heaven saying, “^(JO)Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.” ⁵ Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land ^(JP)lifted up his right hand to heaven, ^6 (JQ)and swore by ^(JR)Him who lives forever and ever, ^(JS)who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that ^(JT)there will be delay no longer, ⁷ but in the days of the voice of the ^(JU)seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then ^(JV)the mystery of God is finished, as He ^[bi]preached to His servants the prophets.

⁸ Then ^(JW)the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, “Go, take ^(JX)the ^[bj]book which is open in the hand of the angel who ^(JY)stands on the sea and on the land.” ⁹ So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he *said to me, “^(JZ)Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” ¹⁰ I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. ¹¹ And ^(KA)they *said to me, “You must ^(KB)prophesy again concerning ^(KC)many peoples and nations and tongues and ^(KD)kings.”

The Two Witnesses

11 Then there was given me a ^[bk](KE)measuring rod like a staff; ^[bl]and ^(KF)someone said, “Get up and measure the ^[bm]temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. ^2 [bn]Leave out the ^(KG)court which is outside the ^[bo]temple and do not measure it, for ^(KH)it has been given to the nations; and they will ^(KI)tread under foot ^(KJ)the holy city for ^(KK)forty-two months. ³ And I will grant authority to my two ^(KL)witnesses, and they will prophesy for ^(KM)twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in ^(KN)sackcloth.” ⁴ These are the ^(KO)two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. ⁵ And if anyone wants to harm them, ^(KP)fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, ^(KQ)he must be killed in this way. ⁶ These have the power to ^(KR)shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during ^(KS)the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to ^(KT)turn them into blood, and ^(KU)to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.

⁷ When they have finished their testimony, ^(KV)the beast that comes up out of the ^(KW)abyss will ^(KX)make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. ⁸ And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the ^(KY)great city which ^[bp]mystically is called ^(KZ)Sodom and ^(LA)Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. ⁹ Those from ^(LB)the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead ^[bq]bodies for three and a half days, and ^[br](LC)will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. ¹⁰ And ^(LD)those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will ^(LE)send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented ^(LF)those who dwell on the earth.

¹¹ But after the three and a half days, ^(LG)the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. ¹² And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “^(LH)Come up here.” Then they ^(LI)went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. ¹³ And in that hour there was a great ^(LJ)earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; ^[bs]seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and ^(LK)gave glory to the ^(LL)God of heaven.

¹⁴ The second ^(LM)woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

The Seventh Trumpet—Christ’s Reign Foreseen

¹⁵ Then the ^(LN)seventh angel sounded; and there were ^(LO)loud voices in heaven, saying,

“^(LP)The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of ^(LQ)His ^[bt]Christ; and ^(LR)He will reign forever and ever.” ¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders, who ^(LS)sit on their thrones before God, ^(LT)fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying,

“We give You thanks, ^(LU)O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to ^(LV)reign. ¹⁸ And ^(LW)the nations were enraged, and ^(LX)Your wrath came, and ^(LY)the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to ^[bu]reward Your ^(LZ)bond-servants the prophets and the ^[bv]saints and those who fear Your name, ^(MA)the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

¹⁹ And ^(MB)the ^[bw]temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and ^(MC)the ark of His covenant appeared in His ^[bx]temple, and there were flashes of ^(MD)lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a ^(ME)great ^[by]hailstorm.