Beginning

The Throne in Heaven

4 After this I looked, and there in front of me was a door standing open in heaven. I heard the voice I had heard before. It sounded like a trumpet. The voice said, “Come up here. I will show you what must happen after this.” ² At once the Holy Spirit gave me a vision. There in front of me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. ³ The one who sat there shone like jasper and ruby. Around the throne was a rainbow shining like an emerald. ⁴ Twenty-four other thrones surrounded that throne. Twenty-four elders were sitting on them. The elders were dressed in white. They had gold crowns on their heads. ⁵ From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and thunder. Seven lamps were blazing in front of the throne. These stand for the seven spirits of God. ⁶ There was something that looked like a sea of glass in front of the throne. It was as clear as crystal.

In the inner circle, around the throne, were four living creatures. They were covered with eyes, in front and in back. ⁷ The first creature looked like a lion. The second looked like an ox. The third had a man’s face. The fourth looked like a flying eagle. ⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings. Each creature was covered all over with eyes. It had eyes even under its wings. Day and night, they never stop saying,

⁹ The living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to the one who sits on the throne. He lives for ever and ever. ¹⁰ At the same time, the 24 elders fall down and worship the one who sits on the throne. He lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns in front of the throne. They say,

The Scroll and the Lamb

5 Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. The scroll had writing on both sides. It was sealed with seven seals. ² I saw a mighty angel calling out in a loud voice. He said, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll. No one could even look inside it. ⁴ I cried and cried. That’s because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not cry! The Lion of the tribe of Judah has won the battle. He is the Root of David. He is able to break the seven seals and open the scroll.”

⁶ Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if he had been put to death. He stood at the center of the area around the throne. The Lamb was surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes. The eyes stand for the seven spirits of God, which are sent out into all the earth. ⁷ The Lamb went and took the scroll. He took it from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. ⁸ Then the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down in front of the Lamb. Each one had a harp. They were holding golden bowls full of incense. They stand for the prayers of God’s people. ⁹ Here is the new song they sang.

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of millions and millions of angels. They surrounded the throne. They surrounded the living creatures and the elders. ¹² In a loud voice they were saying,

¹³ All creatures in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea were speaking. The whole creation was speaking. I heard all of them say,

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

The Seals of the Scroll Are Broken

6 I watched as the Lamb broke open the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice that sounded like thunder, “Come!” ² I looked, and there in front of me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow in his hands. He was given a crown. He rode out like a hero on his way to victory.

³ The Lamb broke open the second seal. Then I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” ⁴ Another horse came out. It was red like fire. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth. He was given power to make people kill each other. He was given a large sword.

⁵ The Lamb broke open the third seal. Then I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there in front of me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ Next, I heard what sounded like a voice coming from among the four living creatures. It said, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s pay. And six pounds of barley for a day’s pay. And leave the olive oil and the wine alone!”

⁷ The Lamb broke open the fourth seal. Then I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” ⁸ I looked, and there in front of me was a pale horse! Its rider’s name was Death. Following close behind him was Hell. They were given power over a fourth of the earth. They were given power to kill people by swords. They could also use hunger, sickness and the earth’s wild animals to kill.

⁹ The Lamb broke open the fifth seal. I saw souls under the altar. They were the souls of people who had been killed. They had been killed because of God’s word and their faithful witness. ¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice. “How long, Lord and King, holy and true?” they asked. “How long will you wait to judge those who live on the earth? How long will it be until you pay them back for killing us?” ¹¹ Then each of them was given a white robe. “Wait a little longer,” they were told. “There are still more of your believing brothers and sisters who will be killed. They will be killed just as you were.”

¹² I watched as the Lamb broke open the sixth seal. There was a powerful earthquake. The sun turned black like the clothes people wear when they’re sad. Those clothes are made out of goat’s hair. The whole moon turned as red as blood. ¹³ The stars in the sky fell to earth. They dropped like figs from a tree shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The sky rolled back like a scroll. Every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

¹⁵ Everyone hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. This included the kings of the earth, the princes and the generals. It included rich people and powerful people. It also included everyone else, both slaves and people who were free. ¹⁶ They called out to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us! Hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne! Hide us from the anger of the Lamb! ¹⁷ The great day of their anger has come. Who can live through it?”

144,000 People Are Marked With the Seal of the Living God

7 After this I saw four angels. They were standing at the four corners of the earth. They were holding back the four winds of the earth. This kept the winds from blowing on the land or the sea or on any tree. ² Then I saw another angel coming up from the east. He brought the official seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels. They had been allowed to harm the land and the sea. ³ “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees,” he said. “Wait until we mark with this seal the foreheads of those who serve our God.” ⁴ Then I heard how many people were marked with the seal. There were 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

The Huge Crowd Wearing White Robes

⁹ After this I looked, and there in front of me was a huge crowd of people. They stood in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb. There were so many that no one could count them. They came from every nation, tribe and people. That’s true no matter what language they spoke. They were wearing white robes. In their hands they were holding palm branches. ¹⁰ They cried out in a loud voice,

¹¹ All the angels were standing around the throne. They were standing around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces in front of the throne and worshiped God. ¹² They said,

¹³ Then one of the elders spoke to me. “Who are these people dressed in white robes?” he asked. “Where did they come from?”

¹⁴ I answered, “Sir, you know.”

He said, “They are the ones who have come out of the time of terrible suffering. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ So

The Seventh Seal and the Gold Cup

8 The Lamb opened the seventh seal. Then there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

² I saw the seven angels who stand in front of God. Seven trumpets were given to them.

³ Another angel came and stood at the altar. He had a shallow gold cup for burning incense. He was given a lot of incense to offer on the golden altar. The altar was in front of the throne. With the incense he offered the prayers of all God’s people. ⁴ The smoke of the incense rose up from the angel’s hand. The prayers of God’s people rose up together with it. The smoke and the prayers went up in front of God. ⁵ Then the angel took the gold cup and filled it with fire from the altar. He threw it down on the earth. There were rumblings and thunder, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

The Trumpets

⁶ Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets got ready to blow them.

⁷ The first angel blew his trumpet. Hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up. A third of the trees were burned up. All the green grass was burned up.

⁸ The second angel blew his trumpet. Something that looked like a huge mountain on fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood. ⁹ A third of the living creatures in the sea died. A third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel blew his trumpet. Then a great star fell from the sky. It looked like a blazing torch. It fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. ¹¹ The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the water turned bitter. Many people died from it.

¹² The fourth angel blew his trumpet. Then a third of the sun was struck. A third of the moon was struck. A third of the stars were struck. So a third of each of them turned dark. Then a third of the day had no light. The same thing happened to a third of the night.

¹³ As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying high in the air. It called out in a loud voice, “How terrible! How terrible it will be for those living on the earth! How terrible! They will suffer as soon as the next three angels blow their trumpets!”