Beginning

The Vision of the Beast from the Sea

13 I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns, seven heads, and ten royal crowns on its horns. On its heads were blasphemous names. ² The beast that I saw was like a leopard. Its feet were like bear’s feet, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave it his power, his throne, and complete authority.

³ One of the beast’s^[a] heads looked like it had sustained a mortal wound, but its fatal wound was healed. Rapt with amazement, the whole world followed the beast. ⁴ They worshipped the dragon because it had given authority to the beast. They also worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight a war with it?” ⁵ The beast was allowed^[b] to speak arrogant and blasphemous things, and it was given authority for 42 months. ⁶ It uttered^[c] blasphemies against God, against his name, and against his residence,^[d] that is, against those who are living in heaven. ⁷ It was allowed to wage war against the saints and to conquer them.^[e] It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. ⁸ All those who had become settled down and at home, living on the earth, will worship it, everyone whose name had not been written in the Book of Life belonging to the lamb that had been slaughtered since the foundation of the world.

The Vision of the Beast from the Earth

Here is a call for endurance and faith of the saints:

¹¹ I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it talked like a dragon. ¹² It uses all the authority of the first beast on its behalf,^[g] and it makes the earth and those living on it worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. ¹³ It performs spectacular signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people. ¹⁴ It deceives those living on earth with the signs that it is allowed to do on behalf of^[h] the first^[i] beast, telling them to make an image for the beast who was wounded by a sword and yet lived. ¹⁵ The second beast^[j] was allowed to impart life to the image of the first^[k] beast so that the image of the beast could talk and order the execution of those who would not worship the image of the beast. ¹⁶ The second beast^[l] forces all people—important and unimportant, rich and poor, free and slaves—to be marked on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ so that no one may buy or sell unless he has the mark, which is the beast’s name or the number of its name.

¹⁸ In this case wisdom is needed: Let the person who has understanding^[m] calculate^[n] the total^[o] of the beast, since it is a human multitude,^[p] and the sum of the multitude^[q] is 600, 60, and six.^[r]

The Vision of the New Song on Mount Zion

14 Then I looked, and there was the lamb, standing on Mount Zion! With him were 144,000 people who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

² Then I heard a sound from heaven like that of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like harpists playing on their harps. ³ They were singing a new song in front of the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. ⁴ They have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins, and they follow the lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed from among humanity as the first fruits for God and the lamb. ⁵ In their mouth no lie was found. They are blameless.

The Vision of Angels Sounding a Warning

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying overhead with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live^[s] on earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. ⁷ He said in a loud voice,

⁸ Then another angel, a second one, followed him, saying,

⁹ Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying in a loud voice, “Whoever worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or his hand ¹⁰ will drink the wine of God’s wrath, which has been poured undiluted into the cup of his anger. He will be tortured with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the lamb. ¹¹ The smoke from their torture goes up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”

A Call for Endurance

¹² Here is a call for^[t] the endurance of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and hold fast to their faithfulness in Jesus:

¹³ I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this:

The Vision of Earth Harvested

¹⁴ Then I looked, and there was a white cloud! On the cloud sat someone who was like the Son of Man, with a gold victor’s crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ Another angel came out of the Temple, crying out in a loud voice to the one who sat on the cloud,

¹⁶ The one who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was harvested.

¹⁷ Then another angel came out of the Temple in heaven. He, too, had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ From the altar came another angel who had authority over fire. He called out in a loud voice to the angel^[u] who had the sharp sickle,

¹⁹ So the angel swung his sickle in the earth, gathered the grapes from the earth, and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. ²⁰ The wine press was trampled outside the city, and blood flowed from the wine press as high as a horse’s bridle for about 1,600 stadia.^[v]

The Vision of Seven Angels with Seven Plagues

15 I saw another sign in heaven. It was both spectacular and amazing. There were seven angels with the seven last plagues, with which God’s wrath is completed.

The Vision of the Sea of Glass

² Then I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. Those who had conquered the beast, its image, and the number of its name were standing on the sea of glass holding God’s harps in their hands. ³ They sang the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the lamb:

The Vision of the Temple Opened

⁵ After these things, I looked, and the Temple, which is the Tent of Testimony in heaven, was open! ⁶ The seven angels with the seven plagues came out of the Temple wearing clean, shining linen with gold sashes around their chests.^{[x] 7} One of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven gold bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. ⁸ The Temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and his power, and no one could enter the Temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels came to an end.

The Vision of the Seven Angels Pouring Out Their Bowls

16 Then I heard a loud voice from the Temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” ² So the first angel went and poured his bowl on the earth. A horrible, painful sore appeared on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshipped the image.

³ The second angel poured his bowl into the sea. It became like the blood of a dead body, and every living thing in the sea died.

⁴ The third angel poured his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. ⁵ Then I heard the angel in charge^[y] of the water say,

⁷ Then I heard the altar reply,

⁸ The fourth angel poured his bowl on the sun, which then was allowed to burn people with fire, ⁹ and they were burned by the fierce heat. They cursed the name of God, who has the authority over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

¹⁰ The fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast. Its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People^[z] gnawed on their tongues in anguish ¹¹ and cursed the God of heaven because of their pain-filled sores. But they did not repent of their behavior.

¹² The sixth angel poured his bowl on the great Euphrates River. Its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east. ¹³ Then I saw three disgusting spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. ¹⁴ They are demonic spirits that perform signs. They go to the kings of the whole earth and gather them for the war of the great Day of God Almighty.

¹⁶ The spirits^[aa] gathered the kings^[ab] to the place that is called Armageddon in Hebrew.

¹⁷ The seventh angel threw the contents of^[ac] his bowl across the sky. A loud voice came from the throne in the Temple and said, “It has happened!” ¹⁸ There were flashes of lightning, noises, peals of thunder, and a powerful earthquake. There has never been such a powerful earthquake since people have been on the earth. ¹⁹ The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. God remembered to give Babylon the Great the cup of wine filled with the fury of his wrath. ²⁰ Every island vanished,^[ad] and the mountains could no longer be found. ²¹ Huge hailstones, each weighing about a talent,^[ae] fell from the sky on people, who cursed God because the plague of hail was so terrible.