Revelation 8-13

Christian Standard Bible

The Seventh Seal

8 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence^(A) in heaven for about half an hour. ² Then I saw the seven angels who stand in the presence of God;^(B) seven trumpets were given to them.^{(C) 3} Another angel, with a golden incense burner, came and stood at the altar. He was given a large amount of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar in front of the throne.^{(D) 4} The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up in the presence of God from the angel’s hand. ⁵ The angel took the incense burner, filled it with fire from the altar,^(E) and hurled it to the earth; there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.^(F)

The Seven Trumpets

⁶ And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

The First Trumpet

⁷ The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire, mixed with blood, were hurled to the earth.^(G) So a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.^(H)

The Second Trumpet

⁸ The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain ablaze with fire was hurled into the sea.^(I) So a third of the sea became blood,^{(J) 9} a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

The Third Trumpet

¹⁰ The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from heaven.^(K) It fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water. ¹¹ The name of the star is Wormwood,^(L) and a third of the waters became wormwood. So, many of the people died from the waters, because they had been made bitter.

The Fourth Trumpet

¹² The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day was without light and also a third of the night.^(M)

¹³ I looked and heard an eagle^[a] flying high overhead, crying out in a loud voice, “Woe!^(N) Woe! Woe to those who live on the earth, because of the remaining trumpet blasts that the three angels are about to sound!”

The Fifth Trumpet

9 The fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth.^(O) The key for the shaft to the abyss^(P) was given to him. ² He opened the shaft to the abyss, and smoke came up out of the shaft like smoke from a great^[b] furnace^(Q) so that the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft.^{(R) 3} Then locusts came out of the smoke on to the earth,^(S) and power^[c] was given to them^(T) like the power that scorpions have on the earth.^{(U) 4} They were told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green plant, or any tree,^(V) but only those people who do not have God’s seal on their foreheads.^{(W) 5} They were not permitted to kill them but were to torment them for five months; their torment is like the torment caused by a scorpion when it stings someone. ⁶ In those days people will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.^(X)

⁷ The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle.^(Y) Something like golden crowns was on their heads; their faces were like human faces; ⁸ they had hair like women’s hair; their teeth were like lions’ teeth;^{(Z) 9} they had chests like iron breastplates; the sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots with horses rushing into battle; ¹⁰ and they had tails with stingers like scorpions, so that with their tails they had the power to harm people for five months. ¹¹ They had as their king^[d] the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon,^[e](AA) and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.^[f]

¹² The first woe has passed. There are still two more woes to come after this.^(AB)

The Sixth Trumpet

¹³ The sixth angel blew his trumpet. From the four^[g] horns of the golden altar^(AC) that is before God, I heard a voice ¹⁴ say to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels^(AD) bound at the great river Euphrates.”^{(AE) 15} So the four angels who were prepared for the hour, day, month, and year^(AF) were released to kill a third^(AG) of the human race. ¹⁶ The number of mounted troops was two hundred million;^[h] I heard their number. ¹⁷ This is how I saw the horses and their riders in the vision: They had breastplates that were fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow. The heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and from their mouths came fire, smoke, and sulfur.^{(AH) 18} A third of the human race was killed by these three plagues—by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came from their mouths. ¹⁹ For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, because their tails, which resemble snakes, have heads that inflict injury.

²⁰ The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands^(AI) to stop worshiping demons^(AJ) and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood,^(AK) which cannot see, hear, or walk.^{(AL) 21} And they did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.

The Mighty Angel and the Small Scroll

10 Then I saw another mighty angel^(AM) coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow^(AN) over his head.^[i] His face was like the sun, his legs^[j] were like pillars of fire,^{(AO) 2} and he held a little scroll opened in his hand. He put his right foot on the sea, his left on the land, ³ and he called out with a loud voice like a roaring lion. When he cried out, the seven thunders raised their voices. ⁴ And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders said,^(AP) and do not write it down!”

⁵ Then the angel that I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. ⁶ He swore by the one who lives forever and ever,^(AQ) who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, “There will no longer be a delay, ⁷ but in the days when the seventh angel^(AR) will blow his trumpet, then the mystery of God^(AS) will be completed, as he announced to his servants the prophets.”^(AT)

⁸ Then the voice that I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

⁹ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take and eat it; it will be bitter in your stomach, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”^(AU)

¹⁰ Then I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I ate it, my stomach became bitter.^{(AV) 11} And they said to me, “You must prophesy again about^[k] many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”^(AW)

The Two Witnesses

11 Then I was given a measuring reed^(AX) like a rod,^[l] with these words: “Go^[m] and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who worship there. ² But exclude the courtyard outside the temple.^(AY) Don’t measure it, because it is given to the nations,^[n](AZ) and they will trample the holy city^(BA) for forty-two months.^{(BB) 3} I will grant^[o] my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.”^{(BC) 4} These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord^[p] of the earth.^{(BD) 5} If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies;^(BE) if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. ⁶ They have authority to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy.^(BF) They also have power over the waters to turn them into blood^(BG) and to strike the earth with every plague whenever they want.^(BH)

The Witnesses Martyred

⁷ When they finish their testimony, the beast^(BI) that comes up out of the abyss^(BJ) will make war on them, conquer them, and kill them. ⁸ Their dead bodies^[q](BK) will lie in the main street^[r] of the great city,^(BL) which figuratively^[s] is called Sodom^(BM) and Egypt,^(BN) where also their Lord was crucified. ⁹ And some of^[t] the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations^(BO) will view their bodies for three and a half days and not permit their bodies to be put into a tomb.^{(BP) 10} Those who live on the earth will gloat^(BQ) over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

The Witnesses Resurrected

¹¹ But after three and a half days, the breath^[u] of life^(BR) from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. ¹² Then they heard^[v] a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” They went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.^{(BS) 13} At that moment a violent earthquake took place,^(BT) a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake. The survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁴ The second woe^(BU) has passed. Take note: The third woe is coming soon!

The Seventh Trumpet

¹⁵ The seventh angel blew his trumpet,^(BV) and there were loud voices in heaven saying,

¹⁶ The twenty-four elders, who were seated before God on their thrones, fell facedown and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying,

¹⁹ Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant^[x] appeared in his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder,^(CC) an earthquake,^[y] and severe hail.

The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon

12 A great sign^[z] appeared in heaven:^(CD) a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.^{(CE) 2} She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth.^{(CF) 3} Then another sign^[aa] appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon^(CG) having seven heads and ten horns,^(CH) and on its heads were seven crowns.^{[ab] 4} Its tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.^(CI) And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth it might devour her child.^{(CJ) 5} She gave birth to a Son, a male who is going to rule^[ac] all nations with an iron rod.^(CK) 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,^(CL) to be nourished there^[ad] for 1,260 days.^(CM)

The Dragon Thrown Out of Heaven

⁷ Then war broke out in heaven: Michael^(CN) and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, ⁸ but he could not prevail,^(CO) and there was no place for them in heaven any longer.^{(CP) 9} So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent,^(CQ) who is called the devil and Satan,^(CR) the one who deceives the whole world.^(CS) He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.^{(CT) 10} Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,

The Woman Persecuted

¹³ When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted^[ae] the woman who had given birth to the male child. ¹⁴ The woman was given two wings of a great eagle,^(DA) so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time.^{(DB) 15} From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 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 went off to wage war^(DC) against the rest of her offspring^[af](DD)—those who keep the commands of God^(DE) and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.^(DF)

The Beast from the Sea

¹⁸ The dragon^[ag] stood on the sand of the sea.^[ah]

13 And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea.^(DG) It had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten crowns,^[ai](DH) and on its heads were blasphemous names.^{[aj](DI) 2} The beast I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth.^(DJ) The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. ³ One of its heads appeared to be fatally wounded, but its fatal wound was healed.

The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast.^{(DK) 4} They worshiped the dragon^(DL) because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast?^(DM) Who is able to wage war against it?”

⁵ The beast was given a mouth to utter boasts and blasphemies.^(DN) It was allowed to exercise authority^[ak][al] for forty-two months.^{(DO) 6} It began to speak^[am] blasphemies against God: to blaspheme his name and his dwelling—those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ And it was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them.^(DP) It was also given authority^(DQ) over every tribe, people, language, and nation.^{(DR) 8} All those who live on the earth will worship it, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book^[an] of life^(DS) of the Lamb who was slaughtered.^[ao](DT)

⁹ If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen.^(DU)

This calls for endurance^[aq] and faithfulness from the saints.^(DW)

The Beast from the Earth

¹¹ Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb,^[ar](DX) but it spoke like a dragon. ¹² It exercises all the authority of the first beast on its behalf and compels the earth and those who live on it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. ¹³ It also performs great signs,^(DY) even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people.^{(DZ) 14} It deceives those who live on the earth^(EA) because of the signs that it is permitted to perform in the presence of the beast,^(EB) telling those who live on the earth to make an image^[as] of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. ¹⁵ It was permitted to give breath^[at] 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.^{(EC) 16} And it makes everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead,^{(ED) 17} so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of its name.

¹⁸ This calls for wisdom:^[au](EE) Let the one who has understanding calculate^[av] the number of the beast, because it is the number of a person. Its number is 666.^[aw]