The Scroll with Seven Seals

I saw [a]in the right hand of Him who (A)sat on the throne a [b](B)scroll written inside and on the back, (C)sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a (D)strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” And no one (E)in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the (F)Lion that is (G)from the tribe of Judah, the (H)Root of David, has overcome so as to be able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And I saw [c]between the throne (with the four living creatures) and (I)the elders a (J)Lamb standing, as if (K)slaughtered, having seven (L)horns and (M)seven eyes, which are [d](N)the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And He came and took (O)the scroll out of the right hand of Him who (P)sat on the throne. When He had taken the scroll, the (Q)four living creatures and the (R)twenty-four elders (S)fell down before the (T)Lamb, each one holding a (U)harp and (V)golden bowls full of incense, which are the (W)prayers of the [e]saints. And they *sang a (X)new song, saying,

(Y)Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were (Z)slaughtered, and You (AA)purchased people for God with Your blood from (AB)every tribe, language, people, and nation.

10 You have made them into a (AC)kingdom and (AD)priests to our God, and they will (AE)reign upon the earth.”

Angels Exalt the Lamb

11 Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels (AF)around the throne and the (AG)living creatures and the (AH)elders; and the number of them was [f](AI)myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,

(AJ)Worthy is the (AK)Lamb that was (AL)slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.”

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

“To Him who (AN)sits on the throne and to the (AO)Lamb (AP)be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever.”

14 And the (AQ)four living creatures were saying, “(AR)Amen.” And the (AS)elders (AT)fell down and worshiped.

The First Seal: Conqueror on a White Horse

Then I saw when the (AU)Lamb broke one of the (AV)seven seals, and I heard one of the (AW)four living creatures saying as with a (AX)voice of thunder, “Come[g]!” I looked, and behold, a (AY)white horse, and the one who sat on it had a bow; and (AZ)a crown was given to him, and he went out (BA)conquering and to conquer.

The Second Seal: War

When He broke the second seal, I heard the (BB)second living creature saying, “Come[h]!” And another, (BC)a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to (BD)take peace from the earth, and that people would kill one another; and a large sword was given to him.

The Third Seal: Famine

When He broke the third seal, I heard the (BE)third living creature saying, “Come[i]!” I looked, and behold, a (BF)black horse, and the one who sat on it had a (BG)pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the (BH)four living creatures saying, “A [j]quart of wheat for a [k]denarius, and three [l]quarts of barley for a [m]denarius; and (BI)do not damage the oil and the wine.”

The Fourth Seal: Death

When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the (BJ)fourth living creature saying, “Come[n]!” I looked, and behold, [o]an (BK)ashen horse; and the one who sat on it had the name (BL)Death, and (BM)Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, (BN)to kill with sword, and famine, and [p]plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.

The Fifth Seal: Martyrs

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw (BO)underneath the (BP)altar the (BQ)souls of those who had been killed (BR)because of the word of God, and because of the (BS)testimony which they had maintained; 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “(BT)How long, O [q](BU)Lord, (BV)holy and true, [r]will You refrain from (BW)judging and avenging our blood on (BX)those who live on the earth?” 11 And a (BY)white robe was given to each of them; and they were told that they were to (BZ)rest for a little while longer, (CA)until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, was (CB)completed also.

The Sixth Seal: Terror

12 And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great (CC)earthquake; and the (CD)sun became as black as (CE)sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and (CF)the stars of the sky fell to the earth, (CG)as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 (CH)The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and (CI)every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then (CJ)the kings of the earth and the eminent people, and the commanders and the wealthy and the strong, and every slave and free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they *(CK)said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the [s]sight of Him (CL)who sits on the throne, and from the (CM)wrath of the Lamb; 17 for (CN)the great day of Their wrath has come, and (CO)who is able to stand?”

An Interlude

After this I saw (CP)four angels standing at the (CQ)four corners of the earth, holding back (CR)the four winds of the earth (CS)so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending (CT)from the rising of the sun, holding the (CU)seal of (CV)the living God; and he called out with a loud voice to the (CW)four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “(CX)Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have (CY)sealed the bond-servants of our God on their (CZ)foreheads.”

The 144,000

And I heard the (DA)number of those who were sealed: (DB)144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, and from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

A Multitude from the Tribulation

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from (DC)every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing (DD)before the throne and (DE)before the Lamb, clothed in (DF)white robes, and (DG)palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they *cried out with a loud voice, saying,

(DH)Salvation belongs to our God (DI)who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

11 And all the angels were standing (DJ)around the throne and around (DK)the elders and the (DL)four living creatures; and they (DM)fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,

(DN)Amen, (DO)blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. (DP)Amen.”

13 Then one of the elders (DQ)responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the (DR)white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” 14 I [t]said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the (DS)great tribulation, and they have (DT)washed their robes and made them (DU)white in the (DV)blood of the Lamb. 15 For this reason they are (DW)before the throne of God, and they (DX)serve Him day and night in His [u](DY)temple; and (DZ)He who sits on the throne will spread His (EA)tabernacle over them. 16 (EB)They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun [v]beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; 17 for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their (EC)shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the [w](ED)water of life; and (EE)God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 5:1 Lit upon
  2. Revelation 5:1 Or book, and so throughout the ch
  3. Revelation 5:6 Lit in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders
  4. Revelation 5:6 Possibly a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit in His fullness, or to seven key angels
  5. Revelation 5:8 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
  6. Revelation 5:11 Gr for 10,000s of 10,000s
  7. Revelation 6:1 One early ms and see
  8. Revelation 6:3 One early ms and see
  9. Revelation 6:5 One early ms and see
  10. Revelation 6:6 Gr choenix; i.e., a dry measure almost equal to a qt.
  11. Revelation 6:6 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
  12. Revelation 6:6 Gr choenix; i.e., a dry measure almost equal to a qt.
  13. Revelation 6:6 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
  14. Revelation 6:7 One early ms and see
  15. Revelation 6:8 Or a sickly pale green
  16. Revelation 6:8 Lit death; i.e., a particular kind of death
  17. Revelation 6:10 Or Master
  18. Revelation 6:10 Lit do You not judge and avenge
  19. Revelation 6:16 Lit face
  20. Revelation 7:14 Lit have said
  21. Revelation 7:15 Or sanctuary
  22. Revelation 7:16 Lit fall
  23. Revelation 7:17 Lit waters

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