Historical

The Lamb opens six of the seven seals, and many things follow the opening thereof.

6 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say, as it were the noise of thunder, Come and see. ² And I saw, and behold, there was a white horse, and he that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering, and to overcome.

³ And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second creature say, Come and see. ⁴ And there went out another horse that was red. And power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another. And there was given to him a great sword.

⁵ And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third creature say, Come and see. And I looked, and lo, a black horse, and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. ⁶ And I heard a voice in the midst of the four creatures say, A measure of wheat for a denarius, and three measures of barley for a denarius; and oil and wine, see you do not harm.

⁷ And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth creature say, Come and see. ⁸ And I looked, and behold, a green horse. And the name of him who sat on it was death, and hell followed after him, and power was given to them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death that comes by the dangerous creatures of the earth.

⁹ And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who were killed for the word of God and for the testimony that they had. ¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long will you wait, O Lord holy and true, to judge, and to avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? ¹¹ And long white garments were given to every one of them. And it was said to them that they should rest for a little season, until the number of their fellows and brethren, and of those who would be killed as they were, was fulfilled.

¹² And I looked when he opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun was as black as sackcloth made of hair. And the moon became even as blood; ¹³ and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, even as a fig tree casts from her her figs when she is shaken by a mighty wind. ¹⁴ And heaven vanished away, like a scroll when it is rolled together. And all mountains and isles were moved out of their places.

¹⁵ And the kings of the earth, and the great leaders, and the rich, and the high commanders, and the mighty, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in dens and in the rocks of the hills, ¹⁶ and said to the hills and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the presence of him that sits on the seat, and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day of his wrath is come, and who can endure it?

He sees the servants of God sealed in their foreheads out of all nations and peoples, who, though they suffer trouble, yet the Lamb feeds them, and leads them to the fountains of living waters. God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.

7 And after that, I saw four angels stand on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth so that the winds would not blow on the land, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.  ² And I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, who had the seal of the living God, and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels (to whom power was given to hurt the land and the sea), ³ saying, Do not hurt the land, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

⁴ And I heard the number of those who were sealed, and there were sealed 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel. ⁵ Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. ⁶ Of the tribe of Asher were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Naphtali were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand. ⁷ Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. ⁸ Of the tribe of Zebulun were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

⁹ After this I looked, and lo, a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and people and tongues stood before the seat and before the Lamb, clothed with long white garments and palms in their hands, ¹⁰ and cried out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation be ascribed to him who sits upon the seat of our God and to the Lamb! ¹¹ And all the angels stood round about the seat, and about the elders and the four living creatures, and fell before the seat on their faces and worshipped God, ¹² saying, Amen! Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanks, and honour, and power, and might, be to our God forevermore. Amen.

¹³ And one of the elders spoke, saying to me, Who are these who are arrayed in long white garments, and where are they from? ¹⁴ And I said to him, Lord, you know. And he said to me, They are those who came out of great tribulation, and made their garments large, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ Therefore they are in the presence of the seat of God and serve him day and night in his temple. And he who sits in the seat will dwell among them. ¹⁶ They will hunger no more, neither thirst; nor will the sun light on them, nor any heat. ¹⁷ For the Lamb who is at the centre of the seat shall feed them, and shall lead them to fountains of living water, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

The seventh seal is opened. There is silence in heaven. The four angels blow their trumpets, and great plagues follow upon the earth.

8 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. ² And I saw angels standing before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. ³ And another angel came and stood before the altar having a golden censer, and much incense was given to him, that he should offer of the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar that was before the seat. ⁴ And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of all the saints ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.

⁵ And the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar, and cast it into the earth; and voices were made, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

⁶ And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to blow. ⁷ The first angel blew, and there was made hail and fire, which were mingled with blood. And they were cast into the earth, and the third part of trees was burnt, and all the green grass was burnt.

⁸ And the second angel blew, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea, and the third part of the sea turned to blood. ⁹ And the third part of the creatures that had life in the sea died, and the third part of ships was destroyed.

¹⁰ And the third angel blew, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp. And it fell into the third part of the rivers, and into springs of waters. ¹¹ And the name of the star is called wormwood. And the third part of the waters was turned to wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

¹² And the fourth angel blew, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of stars, so that the third part of them was darkened. And the day was smitten, so that the third part of it did not shine, and likewise the night.

¹³ And I looked, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth, because of the blasts to come of the trumpet of the three angels who were yet to blow.

The fifth and sixth angels blow their trumpets. The star falls from heaven. The locusts come out of the smoke: the 1st woe is past. The four angels that were bound are released, and the third part of mankind is killed.

9 And the fifth angel blew, and I saw a star fall from heaven to the earth. And to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. ² And he opened the bottomless pit, and there arose the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. ³ And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth, and to them was given power as the scorpions of the earth have power. ⁴ And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads. ⁵ And to them was commanded that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months. And their pain was as the pain that comes from a scorpion when he has stung a man. ⁶ And in those days people will seek death, but will not find it, and will desire to die, but death will escape them.

⁷ And the similitude of the locusts was as horses prepared for battle. And on their heads were as it were crowns, as of gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. ⁸ And they had hair as the hair of women. And their teeth were as the teeth of lions. ⁹ And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron. And the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots when many horses run together to battle. ¹⁰ And they had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. And their power was to hurt people for five months. ¹¹ And they had a king over them, who is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue, Apollyon. ¹² One woe is past, and behold, two woes come after this.

¹³ And the sixth angel blew. And I heard a voice from the four corners of the golden altar that is before God, ¹⁴ saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Release the four angels that are bound in the great river Euphrates! ¹⁵ And the four angels were released, who were prepared for an hour, for a day, for a month, and for a year, to slay the third part of man-kind. ¹⁶ And the number of horsemen of war was twenty times ten thousand. And I heard the number of them. ¹⁷ And thus I saw the horses in a vision, and those who sat on them, having fiery breastplates of a jacinth colour, and of crystal sulphur. And the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions. And out of their mouths went forth fire and smoke and brimstone. ¹⁸ And by these three the third part of mankind was killed; that is to say, by the fire, smoke, and brimstone that proceeded out of their mouths. ¹⁹ For their power was in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails were like serpents, and had heads, and with them they did harm.

²⁰ And the rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the deeds of their hands, so they would not worship devils, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear, nor go about. ²¹ Also, they did not repent of their murder, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their theft.

The angel has the book open. He swears that there shall be no more time. He gives the book to John, who eats it up.

10 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven clothed with a cloud, and a rainbow upon his head. And his face was as the sun, and his feet as it were pillars of fire. ² And he had in his hand a little book open. And he put his right foot upon the sea and his left foot on the land, ³ and bellowed with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. And when he had cried out, seven thunders spoke their voices. ⁴ And when the seven thunders had spoken their voices, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Seal up those things that the seven thunders spoke, and write them not.

⁵ And the angel that I saw standing upon the sea and upon the land lifted his hand up to heaven, ⁶ and swore by him who lives forevermore, who created heaven and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that time shall be no more, ⁷ but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he begins to blow, even the mystery of God shall be finished, as he preached by his servants the prophets.

⁸ And the voice that I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, Go, and take the little book that is open in the hand of the angel that stands upon the sea and upon the land. ⁹ And I went to the angel and said to him, Give me the little book. And he said to me, Take it and eat it up; and it will make your belly bitter, but it will be in your mouth as sweet as honey. ¹⁰ And I took the little book out of his hand and ate it up. And it was in my mouth as sweet as honey; and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. ¹¹ And he said to me, You must prophesy again among the people and nations and tongues, and to many kings.

The temple is measured. The 2nd woe is past. The seventh angel blows his trumpet.

11 And then was given me a reed like a measuring rod, and it was said to me, Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and those who worship therein. ² And the quire that is within the temple, cast out, and measure it not. For it is given to the Gentiles, and they will tread the holy city under foot 42 months.

³ And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. ⁴ These are two olive trees and two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. ⁵ And if anyone would hurt them, fire will proceed out of their mouths and consume their enemies. And if anyone would hurt them, so must he be killed. ⁶ These have power to shut heaven, so that it will not rain in the days of their prophesying, and have power over waters, to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all manner of plagues as often as they will.

⁷ And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, and will overcome them and kill them. ⁸ And their bodies will lie in the streets of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Eygpt, where our Lord was crucified. ⁹ And they of the peoples and kindreds and tongues, and they of the nations, will see their bodies three and a half days, and will not allow their bodies to be put in graves. ¹⁰ And they that dwell upon the earth will rejoice over them and be glad, and will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets plagued those who dwelt on the earth.

¹¹ And after three and a half days, the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood up upon their feet. And great fear came upon those who saw them. ¹² And they heard a great voice from heaven saying to them, Come up hither. And they ascended up into heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. ¹³ And at the same hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell. And in the earthquake were slain names of men 7,000. And the rest were cast into fear, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁴ The 2nd woe is past, and behold, the 3rd woe will come quickly.

¹⁵ And the seventh angel blew, and there were made great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are our Lord’s and his Christ’s, and he shall reign forevermore! ¹⁶ And the 24 elders that sit before God on their seats fell upon their faces and worshipped God, ¹⁷ saying, We give you thanks, Lord God Almighty, who is and was and is to come, for you have received your great might, and have reigned. ¹⁸ And the nations were angry, and your wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you should give reward to your servants the prophets and saints, and to those who fear your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth.

¹⁹ And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament. And there followed lightnings and voices and thunderings, and an earthquake, and much hail.