Beginning

Chapter 13

¹ Then I saw a beast rising out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads were blasphemous names. ² The beast that I saw resembled a leopard, but it had feet like those of a bear, and its mouth was like the mouth of a lion. The dragon conferred on the beast his own power and his throne, as well as great authority.

³ One of his heads appeared to me to have been mortally wounded, but its mortal wound had been healed. The whole world then became fascinated with the beast, ⁴ and they worshiped the dragon because he had conferred authority on the beast. They also worshiped the beast, saying, “Who can compare with the beast? Who can fight against it?”

⁵ It was allowed to mouth its haughty and blasphemous words, and it was granted permission to exercise its authority for forty-two months.^{[a] 6} It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, as well as against his name and his dwelling and all those who live in heaven.

⁷ The beast was also allowed to wage war on the saints and conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. ⁸ All the inhabitants of the earth will worship it, all those whose names have not been written from the creation of the world^[b] in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.

⁹ Whoever has ears should listen to these words:

This demands patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

¹¹ A Beast Rises from the Earth.^[c] Then I saw another beast, this one rising up out of the earth. It had two horns like those of a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. ¹² It wielded all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and it forced the earth and all its inhabitants to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. ¹³ It performed great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of all.

¹⁴ By the signs it was allowed to perform on behalf of the beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth, persuading them to erect an image for the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet lived. ¹⁵ It was permitted to give life to the beast’s image so that it could even speak and cause all those to be put to death who would not worship the image of the beast.

¹⁶ It also forced all the people, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be branded on the right hand or on the forehead. ¹⁷ No one could buy or sell anything except one who has been branded with the name of the beast or with the number of its name.

¹⁸ There is wisdom here. Let anyone who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person. The number is six hundred and sixty-six.

Chapter 14

The Song of the Martyrs.^{[d] 1} Next in my vision, I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were one hundred and forty-four thousand^[e] people who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. ² I heard a sound from heaven like that of a mighty torrent or a loud peal of thunder. It was like the sound of harpists playing their harps.

³ They were singing a new song^[f] before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn this song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth. ⁴ These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women.^[g] They are virgins, and they follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been redeemed as the firstfruits of mankind for God and for the Lamb. ⁵ No lie was found on their lips. They are irreproachable.

The Nearness of the Judgment.^{[h] 6} Then I saw another angel flying in midair, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to all those who live on the earth, to every nation, race, language, and people. ⁷ He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, for the time has come for his judgment. Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

⁸ A second angel followed him, saying:

⁹ A third angel followed them, crying out in a loud voice, “Anyone who worships the beast or its image and receives its mark on his forehead or hand ¹⁰ will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured undiluted into the cup of his wrath.^[i] Such people will be tormented in burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. ¹¹ The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever. There will be no respite day or night for those who worship the beast or its image or for those who receive the mark of its name.”

¹² This demands patient endurance on the part of the saints who keep the commandments of God and remain faithful to Jesus.

¹³ Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed^[j] are those who die in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will find rest from their labors, for their deeds go with them.”

¹⁴ One Like a Son of Man.^[k] Now in my vision, I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one “like a son of man,”^[l] with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ Another angel then came out of the temple and called out in a loud voice to the one seated on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap, for the time to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” ¹⁶ So the one who was seated on the cloud swept over the earth with his sickle, and the earth was harvested.

¹⁷ Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he, too, had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ Then from the altar came forth still another angel who was in charge of the fire, and he cried out in a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vines of the earth, for her grapes are ripe.”

¹⁹ So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered in its vintage, which he then cast into the great winepress of God’s wrath. ²⁰ The winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress to the height of a horse’s bridle for a distance of two hundred miles.

Chapter 15

The Seven Angels and the Seven Plagues.^{[m] 1} Then I saw in heaven another great and wondrous sign: seven angels with the seven plagues, the last plagues of all, for through them the wrath of God is completed.

The Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb.^{[n] 2} I saw something that looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. Standing beside the sea of glass and holding the harps that God had given them were those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They were holding harps given them by God ³ and singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

The Justice and Triumph of God^[o]

Vision of the Temple. ⁵ After this, in my vision, the temple, that is, the tabernacle of the Testimony,^[p] was opened in heaven, ⁶ and from the temple emerged the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were robed in clean, shining linen, and breastplates of gold were fastened around their chests.

⁷ Then 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 the smoke from the glory of God and from his power, so that no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Chapter 16

The Seven Bowls of the Wrath of God.^{[q] 1} Then I heard a loud voice from the temple say to the seven angels, “Go forth and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”

² The first angel went forth and poured out his bowl on the earth. Immediately, foul and malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped its image.^[r]

^3 [s]The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea. It turned to blood, like the blood of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.

⁴ The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned to blood. ⁵ Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

⁷ And I heard the altar respond:

⁸ The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to burn people with its flames. ⁹ They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had the power to inflict those plagues, but they refused to repent and pay him homage.

¹⁰ The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.^[t] People gnawed their tongues in agony ¹¹ and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and sores, instead of repenting for what they had done.

¹² The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. ¹³ I saw three unclean spirits like frogs^[u] come forth from the mouth of the dragon, from the mouth of the beast, and from the mouth of the false prophet.

¹⁴ These are demonic spirits with the power to work miracles. They were sent to the kings of the entire world to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.

^15 [v]“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes close by so that he will not have to go naked and be exposed to shame.” ¹⁶ These spirits then assembled the kings at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.^[w]

¹⁷ The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done!” ¹⁸ Then there followed flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a violent earthquake—so violent that there has never been one like it since the human race has inhabited the earth.

¹⁹ The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed in ruin. Babylon the Great was also remembered by God, as he made her drink the cup filled with the wine of his fury and wrath. ²⁰ Every island vanished, and no mountains were to be found. ²¹ Huge hailstones, each weighing about one hundred pounds, fell from the sky on the people, and they cursed God on account of the plague of hail that turned out to be so terrible.