Book of Common Prayer

¹¹ Then I saw a large white throne, and the one who was sitting on it. Earth and heaven fled away from his presence, and there was no room left for them. ¹² Then I saw the dead, great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged on the basis of what was written in the books, in accordance with what they had done. ¹³ The sea gave back the dead that were in it; Death and Hades gave back the dead that were in them; and each was judged in accordance with what they had done. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, they were thrown into the lake of fire.

New heaven, new earth

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, from God, prepared like a bride dressed up for her husband. ³ I heard a loud voice from the throne, and this is what it said: “Look! God has come to dwell with humans! He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning or weeping or pain anymore, since the first things have passed away.”

⁵ The one who sat on the throne said, “Look, I am making all things new.” And he said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”

New Jerusalem

⁶ Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give water to the thirsty, water from the spring of the water of life. ⁷ The one who conquers will inherit these things. I will be his God and he shall be my son. ⁸ But as for cowards, faithless people, the unclean, murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars—their destiny will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Gabriel visits Zechariah

⁵ In the time when Herod was king of Judaea, there was a priest called Zechariah, of the priestly division of Abijah. His wife, who came from the Aaron family, was called Elizabeth. ⁶ Both of them were righteous in God’s sight; they followed all the Lord’s commandments and ordinances without fault. ⁷ They had no children. Elizabeth was barren, and both of them were of an advanced age.

⁸ It so happened, when Zechariah was performing his priestly service before God, according to the order of his division, ⁹ that the lot fell to him, according to the priestly custom, to go in to the Lord’s sanctuary to offer incense. ¹⁰ The people were praying outside in a large crowd, at the time of the incense-offering. ¹¹ An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right hand side of the incense-altar. ¹² Zechariah was troubled and terror-struck when he saw the angel.

¹³ But the angel said to him: “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah: your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. ¹⁴ This will bring you joy and celebration, and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵ He will be a great man in God’s sight; he will drink no wine or strong drink. He will be filled with the holy spirit from his mother’s womb, ¹⁶ and will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, and he will turn the hearts of fathers to children, and of unbelievers to the wisdom of the righteous. He will get ready for the Lord a prepared people.”

¹⁸ “How can I be sure of this?” said Zechariah to the angel. “I’m an old man! My wife’s not as young as she used to be, either!”

¹⁹ “Look here,” replied the angel, “I’m Gabriel. I stand in God’s presence. I was sent to speak to you and give you this splendid news. ²⁰ Now, listen: you will be silent—you won’t be able to speak—until the day when it all happens, because you didn’t believe my words. But they will come true at the proper time.”

²¹ Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, and were surprised that he was taking such a long time in the sanctuary. ²² But when he came out he couldn’t speak to them, and they understood that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He made gestures to them, but remained speechless.

²³ So, when the days of his priestly service were complete, he went back home. ²⁴ After that time, Elizabeth his wife conceived. She stayed in hiding for five months.

²⁵ “This is the Lord’s doing,” she said; “at last he has looked on me, and taken away my public shame.”