Beginning

Worship in Heaven

4 After this, I looked and saw a door that opened into heaven. Then the voice that had spoken to me at first and that sounded like a trumpet said, “Come up here! I will show you what must happen next.” ^2 (A) Right then the Spirit took control of me, and there in heaven I saw a throne and someone sitting on it. ³ The one who was sitting there sparkled like precious stones of jasper^[a] and carnelian.^[b] A rainbow that looked like an emerald^[c] surrounded the throne.

⁴ Twenty-four other thrones were in a circle around that throne. And on each of these thrones there was an elder dressed in white clothes and wearing a gold crown. ^5 (B) Flashes of lightning and roars of thunder came out from the throne in the center of the circle. Seven torches, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning in front of the throne. ^6 (C)(D) Also in front of the throne was something that looked like a glass sea, clear as crystal.

Around the throne in the center were four living creatures covered front and back with eyes. ⁷ The first creature was like a lion, the second one was like a bull, the third one had the face of a human, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. ^8 (E) Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and their bodies were covered with eyes. Day and night they never stopped singing,

⁹ The living creatures kept praising, honoring, and thanking the one who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever. ¹⁰ At the same time the 24 elders knelt down before the one sitting on the throne. And as they worshiped the one who lives forever, they placed their crowns in front of the throne and said,

The Scroll and the Lamb

5 ^(G) In the right hand of the one sitting on the throne I saw a scroll^[d] that had writing on the inside and on the outside. And it was sealed in seven places. ² I saw a mighty angel ask with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³ No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look inside it.

⁴ I cried hard because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it. ^5 (H) Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying and look! The one who is called both the ‘Lion from the Tribe of Judah’^[e] and ‘King David's Great Descendant’^[f] has won the victory. He will open the scroll and its seven seals.”

^6 (I) Then I looked and saw a Lamb standing in the center of the throne surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb looked as if it had once been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits^[g] of God, sent out to all the earth.

⁷ The Lamb went over and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. ^8 (J) After he had taken it, the four living creatures and the 24 elders knelt down before him. Each of them had a harp and a gold bowl full of incense,^[h] which are the prayers of God's people. ^9 (K) Then they sang a new song,

^11 (M) As I looked, I heard the voices of a large number of angels around the throne and the voices of the living creatures and of the elders. There were millions and millions of them, ¹² and they were saying in a loud voice,

¹³ Then I heard all beings in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea offer praise. Together, all of them were saying,

¹⁴ The four living creatures said “Amen,” while the elders knelt down and worshiped.

Opening the Seven Seals

6 At the same time I saw the Lamb open the first of the seven seals, I heard one of the four living creatures shout with a voice like thunder. It said, “Come out!” ^2 (N) Then I saw a white horse. Its rider carried a bow and was given a crown. He had already won some victories, and he went out to win more.

³ When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come out!” ^4 (O) Then another horse came out. It was fiery red. And its rider was given the power to take away all peace from the earth, so people would slaughter one another. He was also given a big sword.

^5 (P) When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come out!” Then I saw a black horse, and its rider had a balance scale in one hand. ⁶ I heard what sounded like a voice from somewhere among the four living creatures. It said, “A liter of wheat will cost you a whole day's wages! Three liters of barley will cost you a day's wages too. But don't ruin the olive oil or the wine.”

⁷ When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come out!” ^8 (Q) Then I saw a pale green horse. Its rider was named Death, and Death's Kingdom followed close behind. They were given power over one fourth of the earth, and they could kill its people with swords, famines, diseases, and wild animals.

⁹ When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of everyone who had been killed for speaking God's message and telling about their faith. ¹⁰ They shouted, “Master, you are holy and faithful! How long will it be before you judge and punish the people of this earth who killed us?”

^11 (R) Then each of those who had been killed was given a white robe and told to rest for a little while. They had to wait until the complete number of the Lord's other servants and followers would be killed.

^12 (S) When I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, I looked and saw a great earthquake. The sun turned as dark as sackcloth,^[i] and the moon became red as blood. ^13 (T) The stars in the sky fell to earth, just like figs shaken loose by a windstorm. ^14 (U) Then the sky was rolled up like a scroll,^[j] and all mountains and islands were moved from their places.

^15 (V) The kings of the earth, its famous people, and its military leaders hid in caves or behind rocks on the mountains. They hid there together with the rich and the powerful and with all the slaves and free people. ^16 (W) Then they shouted to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us! Hide us from the one who sits on the throne and from the anger of the Lamb. ^17 (X) That terrible day has come! God and the Lamb will show their anger, and who can face it?”

The 144,000 Are Marked for God

7 ^1-2 (Y) After this I saw four angels. Each one was standing on one of the earth's four corners. The angels held back the four winds, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. These angels had also been given the power to harm the earth and the sea. Then I saw another angel come up from where the sun rises in the east, and he was ready to put the mark of the living God on people. He shouted to the four angels, ^3 (Z) “Don't harm the earth or the sea or any tree! Wait until I have marked the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

⁴ Then I heard how many people had been marked on the forehead. There were 144,000, and they came from every tribe of Israel:

People from Every Nation

^9 (AA) After this, I saw a large crowd with more people than could be counted. They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ as they shouted,

¹¹ The angels who stood around the throne knelt in front of it with their faces to the ground. The elders and the four living creatures knelt there with them. Then they all worshiped God ¹² and said,

¹³ One of the elders asked me, “Do you know who these people are that are dressed in white robes? Do you know where they come from?”

^14 (AB) “Sir,” I answered, “you must know.”

Then he told me:

The Seventh Seal Is Opened

8 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ² I noticed that the seven angels who stood before God were each given a trumpet.

^3 (AE) Another angel, who had a gold container for incense,^[k] came and stood at the altar. This one was given a lot of incense to offer with the prayers of God's people on the gold altar in front of the throne. ⁴ Then the smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up to God from the hand of the angel.

^5 (AF) After this, the angel filled the incense container with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth. Thunder roared, lightning flashed, and the earth shook.

The Trumpets

^6 (AG) The seven angels now got ready to blow their trumpets.

^7 (AH) When the first angel blew his trumpet, hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. A third of the earth, a third of the trees, and a third of all green plants were burned.

⁸ When the second angel blew his trumpet, something like a great fiery mountain was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood, ⁹ a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

^10 (AI) When the third angel blew his trumpet, a great star fell from heaven. It was burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on a third of the springs of water. ^11 (AJ) The name of the star was Bitter, and a third of the water turned bitter. Many people died because the water was so bitter.

^12 (AK) When the fourth angel blew his trumpet, a third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars were struck. They each lost a third of their light. So during a third of the day there was no light, and a third of the night was also without light.

¹³ Then I looked and saw a lone eagle flying across the sky. It was shouting, “Trouble, trouble, trouble to everyone who lives on earth! The other three angels are now going to blow their trumpets.”