Revelation 8
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 8
The Seventh Seal.[a] 1 When the Lamb broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw that seven trumpets were given to the seven angels who stand in the presence of God.
3 Another angel came forward with a gold censer and stood at the altar.[b] He was given a large quantity of incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the gold altar that stood before the throne.
4 The smoke of the incense together with the prayers of the saints rose before God from the hand of the angel. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and emptied it upon the earth. Immediately, there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
6 The seven angels who held the seven trumpets now made ready to blow them.
The First Four Trumpets.[c] 7 When the first angel blew his trumpet, there was a storm of hail and fire, mixed with blood, and it fell upon the earth.[d] A third of the earth was burned up, as well as a third of the trees and all the green grass.
8 [e]When the second angel blew his trumpet, something that looked like a huge mountain ablaze with fire was hurled into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the creatures living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 When the third angel blew his trumpet, a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch. It came down on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 This star was called “Wormwood,” and a third of the waters turned to wormwood.[f] Great numbers of people died from the waters that had become bitter.
12 When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars. As a result, a third of their light was darkened, and the day lost its illumination for a third of the time, and so did the night.[g]
13 The Cry of the Eagle.[h] In my vision, I heard an eagle cry out in a loud voice as it flew high overhead, “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth because of the other trumpet blasts that the three angels have not yet blown!”
Footnotes
- Revelation 8:1 We are now at the great Day of God’s Coming. Everything is unmoving in a solemn silence. It is the hour when the prayer of those persecuted—which is symbolized by the incense—is going to be heard (see Rev 6:9-11). Calamities arise to jostle the earth. At the sound of the trumpets, which are part of the scene for the Coming of God (see 1 Thes 4:16), seven tableaus will pass before our eyes in a dramatization without letup.
- Revelation 8:3 The altar is the altar of incense in the Jewish sanctuary; the gold censer is the thurible or fire-shovel used to carry the burning coals from the altar of holocausts to the altar of incense.
- Revelation 8:7 The earth, sea, streams, sources, and stars—everything is disfigured. The universe becomes chaos and lays itself waste. The author amplifies images taken from the Book of Exodus (chs. 7–10).
- Revelation 8:7 See the seventh plague of Egypt (Ex 9:23f) and Joel 3:3.
- Revelation 8:8 See the first plague of Egypt (Ex 7:20f).
- Revelation 8:11 Wormwood: a bitter-tasting plant that is a metaphor for calamity, sorrow, and death (see Prov 5:3f; Jer 9:15; Lam 3:19).
- Revelation 8:12 See the darkness that occurred for three days during the ninth plague of Egypt (Ex 10:21-23).
- Revelation 8:13 After the universe, the human race will itself be struck. The eagle announces the three calamities.
Apocalipsis 8
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
El séptimo sello
8 Cuando el Cordero abrió el séptimo sello(A), hubo silencio en el cielo como por media hora. 2 Vi a los siete ángeles(B) que están de pie delante de Dios, y se les dieron siete trompetas(C).
3 Otro ángel(D) vino y se paró ante el altar(E) con[a] un incensario de oro(F), y se le dio mucho incienso(G) para que lo añadiera[b] a las oraciones de todos los santos(H) sobre el altar de oro(I) que estaba delante del trono. 4 De la mano del ángel subió ante Dios el humo del incienso con[c] las oraciones de los santos(J). 5 Después el ángel tomó el incensario, lo llenó con el fuego del altar(K) y lo arrojó a la tierra(L), y hubo truenos(M), ruidos[d], relámpagos, y un terremoto(N).
Las primeras cuatro trompetas
6 Entonces los siete ángeles que tenían las siete trompetas(O) se prepararon para tocarlas.
7 El primero tocó la trompeta, y vino granizo y fuego(P) mezclados con sangre, y fueron arrojados a la tierra. Se quemó la tercera parte de la tierra(Q), la tercera parte(R) de los árboles(S) y toda hierba verde(T).
8 El segundo ángel tocó la trompeta, y algo como una gran montaña ardiendo en llamas(U) fue arrojado al mar, y la tercera parte(V) del mar se convirtió en sangre(W). 9 Y murió la tercera parte de los seres(X) que estaban en el mar y que[e] tenían vida. Y la tercera parte de los barcos fue destruida(Y).
10 El tercer ángel tocó la trompeta, y cayó del cielo(Z) una gran estrella, ardiendo como una antorcha, y cayó sobre la tercera parte(AA) de los ríos y sobre los manantiales de las aguas(AB). 11 El nombre de la estrella es Ajenjo. La tercera parte(AC) de las aguas se convirtió en ajenjo(AD), y muchos hombres murieron por causa de las aguas, porque se habían vuelto amargas.
12 El cuarto ángel tocó la trompeta, y fue herida la tercera parte(AE) del sol(AF), la tercera parte de la luna(AG), y la tercera parte(AH) de las estrellas(AI), para que la tercera parte(AJ) de ellos se oscureciera y el día no resplandeciera en su tercera parte(AK), y asimismo en la noche.
13 Entonces miré, y oí volar un águila[f] en medio del cielo(AL), que decía a gran voz: «¡Ay, ay, ay(AM), de los que habitan en la tierra(AN), a causa de los toques de trompeta que faltan, que los otros tres ángeles están para tocar(AO)!».
Revelation 8
King James Version
8 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
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