A Vision of a Golden Lampstand

4 And ^(A)the angel who talked with me came again ^(B)and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. ² And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, ^(C)a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and ^(D)seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. ³ And there are ^(E)two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” ⁴ And I said to ^(F)the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” ⁵ Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, ^(G)“Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” ⁶ Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to ^(H)Zerubbabel: ^(I)Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. ⁷ Who are you, ^(J)O great mountain? Before ^(K)Zerubbabel ^(L)you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward ^(M)the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ^9 (N)“The hands of ^(O)Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also ^(P)complete it. ^(Q)Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. ^10 (R)For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see ^(S)the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.

^(T)“These seven ^(U)are the eyes of the Lord, ^(V)which range through the whole earth.” ¹¹ Then I said to him, “What are these ^(W)two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” ¹² And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these ^(X)two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil^[a] is poured out?” ¹³ He said to me, ^(Y)“Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” ¹⁴ Then he said, ^(Z)“These are the two anointed ones^[b] who stand by ^(AA)the Lord of the whole earth.”

God Himself Is Judge

A Psalm of ^(A)Asaph.

⁹ And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, ^(A)who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders ^(B)fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast ^(C)their crowns before the throne, saying,

The Scroll and the Lamb

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne ^(G)a scroll written within and on the back, ^(H)sealed with seven seals. ² And ^(I)I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, ⁴ and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵ And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, ^(J)the Lion ^(K)of the tribe of Judah, ^(L)the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ^(A)ten virgins who took their lamps^[a] and went to meet ^(B)the bridegroom.^{[b] 2} Five of them were foolish, and five were ^(C)wise. ³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ As the bridegroom ^(D)was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. ⁶ But ^(E)at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those virgins rose and ^(F)trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and ^(G)those who were ready went in with him to ^(H)the marriage feast, and ^(I)the door was shut. ¹¹ Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ^(J)‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ^12 (K)But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, ^(L)I do not know you.’ ^13 (M)Watch therefore, for you ^(N)know neither the day nor the hour.