Chronological
The Vision of Worship
19 After these things, I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a large crowd in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah!
Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God.
2 His judgments are true and just.
He has condemned the notorious prostitute
who corrupted the world with her immorality.
He has taken revenge on her
for the blood of his servants.”
3 A second time they said,
“Hallelujah!
The smoke goes up from her forever and ever.”
4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures bowed down and worshipped God, who was sitting on the throne. They said, “Amen! Hallelujah!” 5 A voice came from the throne, saying,
“Praise our God,
all who serve and fear him,
from the least important
to the most important.”
The Vision of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb
6 Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a large crowd, like the sound of raging waters, and like the sound of powerful thunderclaps, saying,
“Hallelujah!
The Lord our God, the Almighty, is reigning.
7 Let us rejoice, be glad, and give him glory,
because the marriage of the lamb has come
and his bride has made herself ready.
8 She has been given the privilege of wearing fine linen,
dazzling and pure.”
(The fine linen represents the righteous deeds of the saints.)
9 Then the angel[a] told me, “Write this: ‘How blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the lamb!’” He also told me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 I bowed down at his feet to worship him, but he told me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who rely on what Jesus is saying. Worship God, because what Jesus is saying is the spirit of prophecy!”
The Vision of the Coming of the Messiah
11 Then I saw heaven standing open, and there was a white horse! Its rider is named Faithful and True. He administers justice and wages war righteously. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many royal crowns. He has a name written on him that nobody knows except himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in[b] blood, and his name is called the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, follow him on white horses. 15 A sharp sword comes out of his mouth to strike down the nations. He will rule[c] them with an iron rod and tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe that covers[d] his thigh he has a name written:
King of Kings and Lord of Lords
The Vision of the Angel’s Invitation
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come! Gather for the great supper of God. 18 Eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of warriors,[e] the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, both unimportant and important.”
The Vision of the Judgment of the Beast and False Prophet
19 Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 The beast was captured, along with the false prophet who had performed signs on its behalf.[f] By these signs[g] the false prophet[h] had deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and worshipped its image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 The rest were killed by the sword that belonged to the rider on the horse and that came from his mouth, and all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh.
The Vision of the Millennial Reign
20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key to the bottomless pit,[i] with a large chain in his hand. 2 He captured the dragon, that ancient serpent, also known as the Devil and Satan, and tied him up for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the bottomless pit,[j] locked it, and sealed it over him to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were over. After that, he must be set free for a little while.
The Vision of the First Resurrection
4 Then I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. They came back to life and ruled with the Messiah[k] for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were over. This is the first resurrection. 6 How blessed and holy are those who participate in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them. They will be priests of God and the Messiah,[l] and will rule with him for a thousand years.
The Vision of the Final Judgment
7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be freed from his prison. 8 He will go out to deceive Gog and Magog, the nations at the four corners of the earth, and gather them for war. They are as numerous as the sands of the seashore. 9 They marched over the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire came from God[m] out of heaven and burned them up, 10 and the Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were. They will be tortured day and night forever and ever.
The Vision of the White Throne Judgment
11 Then I saw a large, white throne and the one who was sitting on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I saw the dead, both unimportant and important, standing in front of the throne, and books were open. Another book was opened—the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to their actions, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades[n] gave up the dead that were in them, and all were judged according to their actions. 14 Death and Hades[o] were thrown into the lake of fire. (This is the second death—the lake of fire.) 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
The Vision of the New Heaven and the New Earth
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and the sea was gone. 2 I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
3 I heard a loud voice from the throne say,
“See, the tent of God is among humans!
He will make his home with them,
and they will be his people.
God himself will be with them,
and he will be their God.[p]
4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There won’t be death anymore.
There won’t be any grief, crying, or pain,
because the first things have disappeared.”
5 The one sitting on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new!”
He said, “Write this: ‘These words are trustworthy and true.’”
6 Then he told me, “It has happened! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give a drink from the spring of the water of life to the one who is thirsty. 7 The person who overcomes[q] will inherit these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son. 8 But people who are cowardly, unfaithful, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars will find themselves[r] in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
The Vision of the New Jerusalem
9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came to me and said, “Come! I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb.” 10 He carried me away in the Spirit to a large, high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. 11 The glory of God was its radiance, and its light was like a valuable gem, like jasper, as clear as crystal. 12 It had a large, high wall with twelve gates. Twelve angels were at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. 13 There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the lamb were written on them.
15 The angel who[s] was talking to me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, its gates, and its walls. 16 The city was cubic in shape: its length was the same as its width. He measured the city with his rod, and it measured at 12,000 stadia:[t]Its length, width, and height were the same. 17 He also measured its wall. According to the human measurement that the angel was using, it was 144 cubits.[u] 18 Its wall was made of jasper. The city was made of pure gold, as clear as glass.
19 The foundations of the city wall were decorated with all kinds of gems: The first foundation[v] was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian,[w] the seventh chrysolite,[x] the eighth beryl,[y] the ninth topaz,[z] the tenth chrysoprase,[aa] the eleventh jacinth[ab] and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, and each gate was made of a single pearl. The street of the city was made of pure gold, as clear as glass.
22 I saw no temple in it, because the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple. 23 The city doesn’t need any sun or moon to give it light, because the glory of God gave it light, and the lamb was its lamp. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut at the end of the[ac] day—because there will be no night there. 26 People[ad] will bring the glory and wealth[ae] of the nations into it. 27 Nothing unclean, or anyone who does anything detestable, and no one who tells lies will ever enter it. Only those whose names[af] are written in the lamb’s Book of Life will enter it.[ag]
The Vision of the River of the Water of Life
22 Then the angel[ah] showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal. It was flowing from the throne of God and the lamb. 2 Between the city street and the river, the tree of life was visible from each side. It produced twelve kinds of fruit, each month having its own fruit. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and the lamb will be in the city.[ai] His servants will worship him 4 and see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night, and they will not need any light from lamps or the sun because the Lord God will shine on them. They will rule forever and ever.
He is Coming Soon
6 He told me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord God of the spirits and of the prophets has sent his messenger[aj] to show his servants the things that must happen soon.”
7 “See! I am coming soon! How blessed is the person who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book!”
The Vision of an Exhortation to Worship God
8 I, John, heard and saw these things. When I had heard and seen them, I bowed down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing me these things. 9 But he told me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you, your brothers the prophets, and those who keep the words in this book. Worship God!”
10 Then he told me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy in this book, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does what is evil continue to do what is evil. Let the filthy person continue to be filthy. Let the righteous person continue to do what is right. And let the holy person continue to be holy.”
Concluding Benediction
12 “See! I am coming soon! My reward is with me to repay everyone according to his behavior. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.[ak]
14 “How blessed are those who wash their robes[al] so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city! 15 Outside are dogs, sorcerers, immoral people, murderers, idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give this testimony to you for the churches. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Concluding Invitation
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”
Let everyone who hears this say, “Come!”
Let everyone who is thirsty come!
Let anyone who wants the water of life take it as a gift!
Concluding Warning
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy in this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will strike him with the plagues that are written in this book. 19 If anyone takes away any words from the book of this prophecy, God will take away his portion of the tree of life and the holy city that are described in this book.
Epilogue
20 The one who is testifying to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints.
Amen.[am]
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