Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

19 After these things, I heard what sounded like the roar of a huge crowd in heaven, shouting,

³ And a second time they said,

⁴ The twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshipped God, sitting on the throne, and said,

⁵ A voice went out from the throne, saying,

⁶ Then I heard what sounded like the roar of a huge crowd, like the sound of rushing waters, like loud peals of thunder, saying,

(“Fine linen” means the righteous deeds of God’s people.)

⁹ The angel said to me, “Write: ‘How blessed are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!’” Then he added, “These are God’s very words.” ¹⁰ I fell at his feet to worship him; but he said, “Don’t do that! I’m only a fellow-servant with you and your brothers who have the testimony of Yeshua. Worship God! For the testimony of Yeshua is the Spirit of prophecy.”

¹¹ Next I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called Faithful and True, and it is in righteousness that he passes judgment and goes to battle. ¹² His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. And he had a name written which no one knew but himself. ¹³ He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which he is called is, “THE WORD OF GOD.” ¹⁴ The armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. ¹⁵ And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down nations — “He will rule them with a staff of iron.”^[b] It is he who treads the winepress from which flows the wine of the furious rage of Adonai, God of heaven’s armies. ¹⁶ And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written:

KING OF KINGS

AND

LORD OF LORDS.

¹⁷ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds that fly about in mid-heaven, “Come, gather together for the great feast God is giving, ¹⁸ to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of important men, the flesh of horses and their riders and the flesh of all kinds of people, free and slave, small and great!” ¹⁹ I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to do battle with the rider of the horse and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was taken captive, and with it the false prophet who, in its presence, had done the miracles which he had used to deceive those who had received the mark of the beast and those who had worshipped his image. The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. ²¹ The rest were killed with the sword that goes out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

20 Next I saw an angel coming down from heaven, who had the key to the Abyss and a great chain in his hand. ² He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan [the Adversary], and chained him up for a thousand years. ³ He threw him into the Abyss, locked it and sealed it over him; so that he could not deceive the nations any more until the thousand years were over. After that, he has to be set free for a little while.

⁴ Then I saw thrones, and those seated on them received authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for testifying about Yeshua and proclaiming the Word of God, also those who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands. They came to life and ruled with the Messiah for a thousand years. ⁵ (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over.) This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy is anyone who has a part in the first resurrection; over him the second death has no power. On the contrary, they will be cohanim of God and of the Messiah, and they will rule with him for the thousand years.

⁷ When the thousand years are over, the Adversary will be set free from his prison ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog,^[c] to gather them for the battle. Their number is countless as the sand on the seashore; ⁹ and they came up over the breadth of the Land and surrounded the camp of God’s people and the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them. ¹⁰ The Adversary who had deceived them was hurled into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

¹¹ Next I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened; and another book was opened, the Book of Life; and the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to what they had done. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead in it; and Death and Sh’ol gave up the dead in them; and they were judged, each according to what he had done. ¹⁴ Then Death and Sh’ol were hurled 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 hurled into the lake of fire.