Beginning
20 Then I saw an angel coming down from the sky. In his hand he had the key to the big hole that has no bottom, and a big chain.
2 He caught the dragon, that old snake who is called the devil and Satan. The angel tied him for a thousand years.
3 Then the angel threw him into the big hole that has no bottom. He shut it and locked him in. He did this so that the devil would not fool the nations again until the end of the thousand years. After that, the devil will be let free for a short time.
4 Then I saw thrones. Those who sat on them were given the right to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had their heads cut off because they told about Jesus and God's word. They had not worshipped the beast or its idol. And they had not taken its mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They became alive again and ruled with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The other dead people did not live again until the end of the thousand years. This is the first rising from death.
6 God has blessed those who rise this first time, and they are holy. They will not die the second kind of death. But they will be priests of God and of Christ. They will rule with him for the thousand years.
7 When the end of the thousand years comes, Satan will be set free from his prison.
8 He will go out to fool the nations all over the world. He will fool Gog and Magog. He will gather them to fight. They are many, as many as the sand on the seashore.
9 They marched far over the earth. They went all around the camp of God's people and the city his people loved. Then fire came down from the sky and burned them.
10 The devil who fooled them was thrown into the big fire which burns with dust that chokes people. The animal, and the prophet who is not true, were already in the fire. They will have a very hard time day and night, for ever and ever.
11 Then I saw a big white throne and the person sitting on it. The earth and sky went away from him. They were not there any more.
12 I saw the dead people, those who were great and those not great. They were standing in front of God's throne. Some books were opened. And another book was opened which is the book of life. The dead people were judged by the things they had done, which were written in the books.
13 The dead people in the sea came out. People came out of death and the world of the dead. One by one, each one was judged by the things he had done.
14 Then death and the world of the dead were thrown into the big fire. This fire is the second death.
15 Every person whose name was not written in the book of life was thrown into this big fire.
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had gone away. There was no sea any more.
2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It was all ready and waiting, like a woman dressed for her wedding and ready to meet her husband.
3 I heard a loud voice in heaven. It said, `Look! God's house is now set up among the people. God will live with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them.
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. No one will die. No one will ever cry or be sad for any reason. No one will ever have trouble. The old things are gone.'
5 The One who sat on the throne said, `Look, I make all things new.' And he said, `Write this, because these words can be trusted. they are true.'
6 He said to me, `It is finished! I am the First and the Last! I am the Beginning and the End. I will give the river of water that gives life to those who are thirsty. It will cost no money.
7 The one who wins will have these things. I will be his God and he will be my son.
8 Some people will be thrown into the big fire which burns with sulphur dust that chokes people. These are the people: those who give in to fear, those who do not believe, those who are bad, those who kill, those with wrong ways of using sex, the witch-doctors, those who worship idols, and all those who love lies. That fire is the second death.'
9 Then one of the seven angels who carried the seven bowls full of the last troubles came and talked to me. He said, `Come, I will show you the young woman who is the wife of the Lamb.'
10 The angel took me away in the Spirit to a very big hill. He showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down out of heaven from God.
11 The light of God was shining from it. It was bright like a very fine stone called jasper. It was as clear as glass.
12 The city had a wall that was big and high. It had twelve doors. At the doors were twelve angels. Names were written on the doors. They are the names of the twelve tribes of the people of Israel.
13 There were three doors on the east side. There were three doors on the north side. There were three doors on the south side and three doors on the west side.
14 The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones. On them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked to me had a gold stick to measure the city, its doors, and its walls.
16 The city is square. It is as long as it is wide. The angel measured the city with his stick and it was about fifteen hundred miles. It is as long as it is wide and as high as it is long.
17 Then he measured its wall. It was two hundred and sixteen feet by the way a man measures. That is the way the angel measured.
18 The wall of the city was made of a very fine stone called jasper. The city was all made of pure gold. It was clear like glass.
19 The bottom of the city wall was covered with all kinds of fine stones. The first stone was red jasper. The second stone was blue sapphire. The third stone was of many colours called agate. The fourth stone was green emerald.
20 The fifth stone was onyx. The sixth stone was red carnelian. The seventh stone was green crysolite. The eighth stone was green beryl. The ninth stone was yellow topaz. The tenth stone was green chrysoprase. The eleventh stone was red jacinth. And the twelfth stone was a blue amethyst.
21 The twelve doors were twelve pearls. Each door was made from one big pearl. The street of the city was all pure gold. It was as clear as glass.
22 I did not see any temple in the city. The Lord God, who has all power, and the Lamb, are its temple.
23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to give light in it. The glory of God gives light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
24 Those who are saved will walk in its light. The kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
25 The doors of the city will never be shut in the day time, and there will be no night.
26 The glory and the honour of all nations will be brought into the city.
27 Nothing that is not holy will ever go in. People who do wrong things and tell lies will never go in. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will go in.
22 Then the angel showed me a river of the water which gives life. It was as clear as glass. It flows from the throne of God and the Lamb.
2 It flows through the middle of the street of the city. On each side of the river is the tree which gives life. It has twelve kinds of fruit, and it bears its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree could heal the people of all nations.
3 Nothing that God hates will be in the city any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be there. And his servants will serve him.
4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
5 There will be no night there. They do not need the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun. The Lord God will give them light. They will rule for ever and ever.
6 Then the angel said to me, `These words can be trusted. They are true. The Lord God who gave his Spirit to the prophets has sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.'
7 `Look! I will come soon!' God will bless the person who obeys the words in this book.
8 I, John, heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them I kneeled down to worship in front of the angel who showed them to me.
9 But He said to me, `You must not do that. I am only a servant like you and your brothers, the prophets, and those who obey the words of this book. Worship God.'
10 The angel said to me, `Do not keep secret the words of God's message in this book. The time is near.
11 Let the bad man keep on doing wrong things. Let the person who does dirty things, keep on being dirty. Let the good person keep on doing what is good. Let the holy person keep on being holy.'
12 `Look, I will come soon! When I come, I will pay every man for what he has done.
13 I am the First and the Last. I am the Beginning and the End.'
14 God will bless the people who do what he says and keep themselves pure and clean. They can eat fruit from the tree that gives life. And they can go through the doors into the city.
15 Outside the city are the dirty people, and the witch-doctors, and those with wrong ways of using sex, those who kill people, those who worship idols, and all those who like lies and tell them.
16 `I, Jesus, have sent my angel to tell these things to you in the churches. I am the root and the branch of David. I am the bright star in the morning.'
17 The Spirit and the Lamb's wife say, `Come.' He who hears should say, `Come.' He who is thirsty should come. Anyone who wishes should drink the water that gives life. It costs no money.
18 I am talking to everyone who hears the words of God's message in this book. If any one adds anything to this book, God will add to him the troubles that are written in this book.
19 If any one takes away any of the words of God's message, God will take away from him his share of the tree which gives life and the holy city. This book tells about them.
20 He who shows these things says, `Yes, I will come soon.' Amen, Lord Jesus, come!
21 May the love and mercy of the Lord Jesus bless you all. Amen.
© 1969, 1971, 1996, 1998 by SOON Educational Publications