10 1-4 I saw another powerful Angel coming down out of Heaven wrapped in a cloud. There was a rainbow over his head, his face was sun-radiant, his legs pillars of fire. He had a small book open in his hand. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on land, then called out thunderously, a lion roar. When he called out, the Seven Thunders called back. When the Seven Thunders spoke, I started to write it all down, but a voice out of Heaven stopped me, saying, “Seal with silence the Seven Thunders; don’t write a word.”

5-7 Then the Angel I saw astride sea and land lifted his right hand to Heaven and swore by the One Living Forever and Ever, who created Heaven and everything in it, earth and everything in it, sea and everything in it, that time was up—that when the seventh Angel blew his trumpet, which he was about to do, the Mystery of God, all the plans he had revealed to his servants, the prophets, would be completed.

8-11 The voice out of Heaven spoke to me again: “Go, take the book held open in the hand of the Angel astride sea and earth.” I went up to the Angel and said, “Give me the little book.” He said, “Take it, then eat it. It will taste sweet like honey, but turn sour in your stomach.” I took the little book from the Angel’s hand and it was sweet honey in my mouth, but when I swallowed, my stomach curdled. Then I was told, “You must go back and prophesy again over many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

The Two Witnesses

11 1-2 I was given a stick for a measuring rod and told, “Get up and measure God’s Temple and Altar and everyone worshiping in it. Exclude the outside court; don’t measure it. It’s been handed over to non-Jewish outsiders. They’ll desecrate the Holy City for forty-two months.

3-6 “Meanwhile, I’ll provide my two Witnesses. Dressed in sackcloth, they’ll prophesy for 1,260 days. These are the two Olive Trees, the two Lampstands, standing at attention before God on earth. If anyone tries to hurt them, a blast of fire from their mouths will incinerate them—burn them to a crisp just like that. They’ll have power to seal the sky so that it doesn’t rain for the time of their prophesying, power to turn rivers and springs to blood, power to hit earth with any and every disaster as often as they want.

7-10 “When they’ve completed their witness, the Beast from the Abyss will emerge and fight them, conquer and kill them, leaving their corpses exposed on the street of the Great City spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, the same City where their Master was crucified. For three and a half days they’ll be there—exposed, prevented from getting a decent burial, stared at by the curious from all over the world. Those people will cheer at the spectacle, shouting ‘Good riddance!’ and calling for a celebration, for these two prophets pricked the conscience of all the people on earth, made it impossible for them to enjoy their sins.

11 “Then, after three and a half days, the Living Spirit of God will enter them—they’re on their feet!—and all those gloating spectators will be scared to death.”

12-13 I heard a strong voice out of Heaven calling, “Come up here!” and up they went to Heaven, wrapped in a cloud, their enemies watching it all. At that moment there was a gigantic earthquake—a tenth of the city fell to ruin, seven thousand perished in the earthquake, the rest frightened to the core of their being, frightened into giving honor to the God-of-Heaven.

14 The second doom is past, the third doom coming right on its heels.

The Last Trumpet Sounds

15-18 The seventh Angel trumpeted. A crescendo of voices in Heaven sang out,

The kingdom of the world is now
    the Kingdom of our God and his Messiah!
He will rule forever and ever!

The Twenty-four Elders seated before God on their thrones fell to their knees, worshiped, and sang,

We thank you, O God, Sovereign-Strong,
    Who Is and Who Was.
You took your great power
    and took over—reigned!
The angry nations now
    get a taste of your anger.
The time has come to judge the dead,
    to reward your servants, all prophets and saints,
Reward small and great who fear your Name,
    and destroy the destroyers of earth.

19 The doors of God’s Temple in Heaven flew open, and the Ark of his Covenant was clearly seen surrounded by flashes of lightning, loud shouts, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a fierce hailstorm.

The Woman, Her Son, and the Dragon

12 1-2 A great Sign appeared in Heaven: a Woman dressed all in sunlight, standing on the moon, and crowned with Twelve Stars. She was giving birth to a Child and cried out in the pain of childbirth.

3-4 And then another Sign alongside the first: a huge and fiery Dragon! It had seven heads and ten horns, a crown on each of the seven heads. With one flick of its tail it knocked a third of the Stars from the sky and dumped them on earth. The Dragon crouched before the Woman in childbirth, poised to eat up the Child when it came.

5-6 The Woman gave birth to a Son who will shepherd all nations with an iron rod. Her Son was seized and placed safely before God on his Throne. The Woman herself escaped to the desert to a place of safety prepared by God, all comforts provided her for 1,260 days.

7-12 War broke out in Heaven. Michael and his Angels fought the Dragon. The Dragon and his Angels fought back, but were no match for Michael. They were cleared out of Heaven, not a sign of them left. The great Dragon—ancient Serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, the one who led the whole earth astray—thrown out, and all his Angels thrown out with him, thrown down to earth. Then I heard a strong voice out of Heaven saying,

Salvation and power are established!
    Kingdom of our God, authority of his Messiah!
The Accuser of our brothers and sisters thrown out,
    who accused them day and night before God.
They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb
    and the bold word of their witness.
They weren’t in love with themselves;
    they were willing to die for Christ.
So rejoice, O Heavens, and all who live there,
    but doom to earth and sea,
For the Devil’s come down on you with both feet;
    he’s had a great fall;
He’s wild and raging with anger;
    he hasn’t much time and he knows it.

13-17 When the Dragon saw he’d been thrown to earth, he went after the Woman who had given birth to the Man-Child. The Woman was given wings of a great eagle to fly to a place in the desert to be kept in safety and comfort for a time and times and half a time, safe and sound from the Serpent. The Serpent vomited a river of water to swamp and drown her, but earth came to her help, swallowing the water the Dragon spewed from its mouth. Helpless with rage, the Dragon raged at the Woman, then went off to make war with the rest of her children, the children who keep God’s commands and hold firm to the witness of Jesus.

The Beast from the Sea

13 1-2 And the Dragon stood on the shore of the sea. I saw a Beast rising from the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads—on each horn a crown, and each head inscribed with a blasphemous name. The Beast I saw looked like a leopard with bear paws and a lion’s mouth. The Dragon turned over its power to it, its throne and great authority.

3-4 One of the Beast’s heads looked as if it had been struck a deathblow, and then healed. The whole earth was agog, gaping at the Beast. They worshiped the Dragon who gave the Beast authority, and they worshiped the Beast, exclaiming, “There’s never been anything like the Beast! No one would dare go to war with the Beast!”

5-8 The Beast had a loud mouth, boastful and blasphemous. It could do anything it wanted for forty-two months. It yelled blasphemies against God, blasphemed his Name, blasphemed his Church, especially those already dwelling with God in Heaven. It was permitted to make war on God’s holy people and conquer them. It held absolute sway over all tribes and peoples, tongues and races. Everyone on earth whose name was not written from the world’s foundation in the slaughtered Lamb’s Book of Life will worship the Beast.

9-10 Are you listening to this? They’ve made their bed; now they must lie in it. Anyone marked for prison goes straight to prison; anyone pulling a sword goes down by the sword. Meanwhile, God’s holy people passionately and faithfully stand their ground.

The Beast from Under the Ground

11-12 I saw another Beast rising out of the ground. It had two horns like a lamb but sounded like a dragon when it spoke. It was a puppet of the first Beast, made earth and everyone in it worship the first Beast, which had been healed of its deathblow.

13-17 This second Beast worked magical signs, dazzling people by making fire come down from Heaven. It used the magic it got from the Beast to dupe earth dwellers, getting them to make an image of the Beast that received the deathblow and lived. It was able to animate the image of the Beast so that it talked, and then arrange that anyone not worshiping the Beast would be killed. It forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a mark on the right hand or forehead. Without the mark of the name of the Beast or the number of its name, it was impossible to buy or sell anything.

18 Solve a riddle: Put your heads together and figure out the meaning of the number of the Beast. It’s a human number: 666.

A Perfect Offering

14 1-2 I saw—it took my breath away!—the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, 144,000 standing there with him, his Name and the Name of his Father inscribed on their foreheads. And I heard a voice out of Heaven, the sound like rapids, like the crash of thunder.

2-5 And then I heard music, harp music and the harpists singing a new song before the Throne and the Four Animals and the Elders. Only the 144,000 could learn to sing the song. They were bought from earth, lived without compromise, virgin-fresh before God. Wherever the Lamb went, they followed. They were bought from humankind, firstfruits of the harvest for God and the Lamb. Not a false word in their mouths. A perfect offering.

Voices from Heaven

6-7 I saw another Angel soaring in Middle-Heaven. He had an Eternal Message to preach to all who were still on earth, every nation and tribe, every tongue and people. He preached in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory! His hour of judgment has come! Worship the Maker of Heaven and earth, salt sea and fresh water!”

A second Angel followed, calling out, “Ruined, ruined, Great Babylon ruined! She made all the nations drunk on the wine of her whoring!”

9-11 A third Angel followed, shouting, warning, “If anyone worships the Beast and its image and takes the mark on forehead or hand, that person will drink the wine of God’s wrath, prepared unmixed in his chalice of anger, and suffer torment from fire and brimstone in the presence of Holy Angels, in the presence of the Lamb. Smoke from their torment will rise age after age. No respite for those who worship the Beast and its image, who take the mark of its name.”

12 Meanwhile, the saints stand passionately patient, keeping God’s commands, staying faithful to Jesus.

13 I heard a voice out of Heaven, “Write this: Blessed are those who die in the Master from now on; how blessed to die that way!”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “and blessed rest from their hard, hard work. None of what they’ve done is wasted; God blesses them for it all in the end.”

Harvest Time

14-16 I looked up, I caught my breath!—a white cloud and one like the Son of Man sitting on it. He wore a gold crown and held a sharp sickle. Another Angel came out of the Temple, shouting to the Cloud-Enthroned, “Swing your sickle and reap. It’s harvest time. Earth’s harvest is ripe for reaping.” The Cloud-Enthroned gave a mighty sweep of his sickle, began harvesting earth in a stroke.

17-18 Then another Angel came out of the Temple in Heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. Yet another Angel, the one in charge of tending the fire, came from the Altar. He thundered to the Angel who held the sharp sickle, “Swing your sharp sickle. Harvest earth’s vineyard. The grapes are bursting with ripeness.”

19-20 The Angel swung his sickle, harvested earth’s vintage, and heaved it into the winepress, the giant winepress of God’s wrath. The winepress was outside the City. As the vintage was trodden, blood poured from the winepress as high as a horse’s bridle, a river of blood for two hundred miles.

The Angel and the Little Scroll

10 Then I saw another mighty angel(A) coming down from heaven.(B) He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow(C) above his head; his face was like the sun,(D) and his legs were like fiery pillars.(E) He was holding a little scroll,(F) which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,(G) and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion.(H) When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders(I) spoke. And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write;(J) but I heard a voice from heaven(K) say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”(L)

Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land(M) raised his right hand to heaven.(N) And he swore(O) by him who lives for ever and ever,(P) who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it,(Q) and said, “There will be no more delay!(R) But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet,(S) the mystery(T) of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”(U)

Then the voice that I had heard from heaven(V) spoke to me once more: “Go, take the scroll(W) that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’[a](X) 10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth,(Y) but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy(Z) again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”(AA)

The Two Witnesses

11 I was given a reed like a measuring rod(AB) and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. But exclude the outer court;(AC) do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles.(AD) They will trample on the holy city(AE) for 42 months.(AF) And I will appoint my two witnesses,(AG) and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,(AH) clothed in sackcloth.”(AI) They are “the two olive trees”(AJ) and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”[b](AK) If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies.(AL) This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.(AM) They have power to shut up the heavens(AN) so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying;(AO) and they have power to turn the waters into blood(AP) and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast(AQ) that comes up from the Abyss(AR) will attack them,(AS) and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city(AT)—which is figuratively called Sodom(AU) and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.(AV) For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation(AW) will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.(AX) 10 The inhabitants of the earth(AY) will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts,(AZ) because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

11 But after the three and a half days(BA) the breath[c] of life from God entered them,(BB) and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.”(BC) And they went up to heaven in a cloud,(BD) while their enemies looked on.

13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake(BE) and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory(BF) to the God of heaven.(BG)

14 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.(BH)

The Seventh Trumpet

15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet,(BI) and there were loud voices(BJ) in heaven, which said:

“The kingdom of the world has become
    the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,(BK)
    and he will reign for ever and ever.”(BL)

16 And the twenty-four elders,(BM) who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces(BN) and worshiped God, 17 saying:

“We give thanks(BO) to you, Lord God Almighty,(BP)
    the One who is and who was,(BQ)
because you have taken your great power
    and have begun to reign.(BR)
18 The nations were angry,(BS)
    and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,(BT)
    and for rewarding your servants the prophets(BU)
and your people who revere your name,
    both great and small(BV)
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

19 Then God’s temple(BW) in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.(BX) And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,(BY) an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.(BZ)

The Woman and the Dragon

12 A great sign(CA) appeared in heaven:(CB) a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars(CC) on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain(CD) as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven:(CE) an enormous red dragon(CF) with seven heads(CG) and ten horns(CH) and seven crowns(CI) on its heads. Its tail swept a third(CJ) of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.(CK) The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child(CL) the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[d](CM) And her child was snatched up(CN) to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.(CO)

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael(CP) and his angels fought against the dragon,(CQ) and the dragon and his angels(CR) fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent(CS) called the devil,(CT) or Satan,(CU) who leads the whole world astray.(CV) He was hurled to the earth,(CW) and his angels with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven(CX) say:

“Now have come the salvation(CY) and the power
    and the kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,(CZ)
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over(DA) him
    by the blood of the Lamb(DB)
    and by the word of their testimony;(DC)
they did not love their lives so much
    as to shrink from death.(DD)
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens(DE)
    and you who dwell in them!
But woe(DF) to the earth and the sea,(DG)
    because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
    because he knows that his time is short.”

13 When the dragon(DH) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.(DI) 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle,(DJ) so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time,(DK) out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent(DL) spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war(DM) against the rest of her offspring(DN)—those who keep God’s commands(DO) and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.(DP)

The Beast out of the Sea

13 The dragon[e] stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.(DQ) It had ten horns and seven heads,(DR) with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.(DS) The beast I saw resembled a leopard,(DT) but had feet like those of a bear(DU) and a mouth like that of a lion.(DV) The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.(DW) One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.(DX) The whole world was filled with wonder(DY) and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like(DZ) the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies(EA) and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.(EB) It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.(EC) It was given power to wage war(ED) against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.(EE) All inhabitants of the earth(EF) will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life,(EG) the Lamb(EH) who was slain from the creation of the world.[f](EI)

Whoever has ears, let them hear.(EJ)

10 “If anyone is to go into captivity,
    into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed[g] with the sword,
    with the sword they will be killed.”[h](EK)

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness(EL) on the part of God’s people.(EM)

The Beast out of the Earth

11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth.(EN) It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.(EO) 12 It exercised all the authority(EP) of the first beast on its behalf,(EQ) and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast,(ER) whose fatal wound had been healed.(ES) 13 And it performed great signs,(ET) even causing fire to come down from heaven(EU) to the earth in full view of the people. 14 Because of the signs(EV) it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived(EW) the inhabitants of the earth.(EX) It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.(EY) 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship(EZ) the image to be killed.(FA) 16 It also forced all people, great and small,(FB) rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads,(FC) 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark,(FD) which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.(FE)

18 This calls for wisdom.(FF) Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[i](FG) That number is 666.

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb,(FH) standing on Mount Zion,(FI) and with him 144,000(FJ) who had his name and his Father’s name(FK) written on their foreheads.(FL) And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters(FM) and like a loud peal of thunder.(FN) The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.(FO) And they sang a new song(FP) before the throne and before the four living creatures(FQ) and the elders.(FR) No one could learn the song except the 144,000(FS) who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins.(FT) They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.(FU) They were purchased from among mankind(FV) and offered as firstfruits(FW) to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths;(FX) they are blameless.(FY)

The Three Angels

Then I saw another angel flying in midair,(FZ) and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth(GA)—to every nation, tribe, language and people.(GB) He said in a loud voice, “Fear God(GC) and give him glory,(GD) because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made(GE) the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”(GF)

A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’[j](GG) which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”(GH)

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast(GI) and its image(GJ) and receives its mark on their forehead(GK) or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury,(GL) which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.(GM) They will be tormented with burning sulfur(GN) in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever.(GO) There will be no rest day or night(GP) for those who worship the beast and its image,(GQ) or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”(GR) 12 This calls for patient endurance(GS) on the part of the people of God(GT) who keep his commands(GU) and remain faithful to Jesus.

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord(GV) from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit,(GW) “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Harvesting the Earth and Trampling the Winepress

14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud,(GX) and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man[k](GY) with a crown(GZ) of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple(HA) and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle(HB) and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest(HC) of the earth is ripe.” 16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle.(HD) 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar(HE) and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle(HF) and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath.(HG) 20 They were trampled in the winepress(HH) outside the city,(HI) and blood(HJ) flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.[l]

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 10:9 Ezek. 3:3
  2. Revelation 11:4 See Zech. 4:3,11,14.
  3. Revelation 11:11 Or Spirit (see Ezek. 37:5,14)
  4. Revelation 12:5 Psalm 2:9
  5. Revelation 13:1 Some manuscripts And I
  6. Revelation 13:8 Or written from the creation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was slain
  7. Revelation 13:10 Some manuscripts anyone kills
  8. Revelation 13:10 Jer. 15:2
  9. Revelation 13:18 Or is humanity’s number
  10. Revelation 14:8 Isaiah 21:9
  11. Revelation 14:14 See Daniel 7:13.
  12. Revelation 14:20 That is, about 180 miles or about 300 kilometers