Book of Common Prayer

The monster defeated

¹¹ Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. The one who was sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war justly. ¹² His eyes are like a flaming fire, and there are many coronets on his head. He has a name written there which nobody knows except himself. ¹³ He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and he is called by the name “God’s Word.” ¹⁴ The armies of heaven follow him on white horses, all wearing shining, pure linen. ¹⁵ A sharp two-edged sword is coming out of his mouth, so that with it he can strike down the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron, and he will tread the winepress of the wine of the anger of the wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ On his robe, and on his thigh, is written a name: King of kings, and Lord of lords.

¹⁷ Then I saw a single angel standing in the sun, and shouting in a loud voice, calling to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven: “Come here! Gather round! This is God’s great feast! ¹⁸ Come and eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of generals, the flesh of the strong, the flesh of horses and their riders, the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great!” ¹⁹ And I saw the monster and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered for war with the one who sits on the horse and with his army. ²⁰ And the monster was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs in its presence, with which it had deceived those who received the monster’s mark and those who worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with sulfur. ²¹ All the rest were killed by the sword which came out of the mouth of the one who was sitting on the horse. All the birds feasted on their flesh.

The parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin

15 All the tax-collectors and sinners were coming close to listen to Jesus. ² The Pharisees and the legal experts were grumbling. “This fellow welcomes sinners!” they said. “He even eats with them!”

³ So Jesus told them this parable. ⁴ “Supposing one of you has a hundred sheep,” he said, “and you lose one of them. What will you do? Why, you’ll leave the ninety-nine out in the countryside, and you’ll go off looking for the lost one until you find it! ⁵ And when you find it, you’ll be so happy—you’ll put it on your shoulders ⁶ and come home, and you’ll call your friends and neighbors in. ‘Come and have a party!’ you’ll say. ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’

⁷ “Well, let me tell you: that’s how glad they will be in heaven over one sinner who repents—more than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.

⁸ “Or supposing a woman has ten drachmas and loses one of them. What will she do? Why, she’ll light a lamp, and sweep the house, and hunt carefully until she finds it! ⁹ And when she finds it she’ll call her friends and neighbors in. ‘Come and have a party!’ she’ll say. ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost coin!’

¹⁰ “Well, let me tell you: that’s how glad God’s angels feel when a single sinner repents.”