Book of Common Prayer

The angel endorses the revelation

⁶ Then the angel said to me, “These words are true and to be trusted, for the Lord God, who inspired the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must shortly happen.”

⁷ “See, I come quickly! Happy is the man who pays heed to the words of the prophecy in this book.”

John’s personal endorsement

^8-9 It is I, John, who have heard and seen these things. At the time when I heard and saw them I fell at the feet of the angel who showed them to me and I was about to worship him. but he said to me, “No! I am fellow-servant to you and to your brother, to the prophets and to those who keep the words of this book. give your worship to God!”

^10-11 Then he added, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy in this book, for the time of their fulfilment is near. Let the wicked man continue his wickedness and the filthy man his filthiness; let the good man continue his good deeds, and the holy man continue in holiness.

John’s testimony to this book

^18-19 Now I bear solemn witness to every man who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to these words God will add to him the disasters described in this book; if anyone takes away from the words of prophecy in this book, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city which are described in this book.

²⁰ He, who is witness to all this, says, “Yes, I am coming very quickly!” “Amen, come Lord Jesus!”

^57-58 Then came the time for Elisabeth’s child to be born, and she gave birth to a son. Her neighbours and relations heard of the great mercy the Lord had shown her and shared her joy.

^59-60 When the eighth day came, they were going to circumcise the child and call him Zacharias, after his father, but his mother said, “Oh, no! He must be called John.”

^61-66 “But none of your relations is called John,” they replied. And they made signs to his father to see what name he wanted the child to have. He beckoned for a writing-tablet and wrote the words, “His name is John”, which greatly surprised everybody. Then his power of speech suddenly came back, and his first words were to thank God. The neighbours were awe-struck at this, and all these incidents were reported in the hill-country of Judea. People turned the whole matter over in their hearts, and said, “What is this child’s future going to be?” For the Lord’s blessing was plainly upon him.