Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

The Woman and the Dragon

12 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. ² She was with child and cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. ³ Then another sign appeared in heaven: There was a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. ⁴ His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as He was born. ⁵ She gave birth to a male Child, “who was to rule all nations with an iron scepter.”^[a] And her Child was caught up to God and to His throne. ⁶ The woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God, that they may nourish her there for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

⁷ Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought, ⁸ but they did not prevail, nor was there a place for them in heaven any longer. ⁹ The great dragon was cast out, that ancient serpent called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying:

¹³ When the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. ¹⁴ The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is to be nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. ¹⁵ Then the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. ¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the flood which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. ¹⁷ Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and he went to wage war with the remnant of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The Two Beasts

13 I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on his horns, and blasphemous names on his heads. ² The beast which I saw was like a leopard. His feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. ³ I saw one of his heads as if it was mortally wounded, but his deadly wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast. ⁴ They worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast. And they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war with him?”

⁵ He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. And he was given authority to wage war for forty-two months. ⁶ He opened his mouth to speak blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle and those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ It was granted to him to wage war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe and tongue and nation. ⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, all whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.

⁹ If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

Here is a call for the patience and the faith of the saints.

¹¹ Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and he spoke like a dragon. ¹² He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth and those who dwell on it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. ¹³ He performs great signs, making fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. ¹⁴ He deceives those who dwell on the earth by the signs which he was granted to do in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by a sword and lived. ¹⁵ He was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ He causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, ¹⁷ so that no one may buy or sell, except he who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name.

¹⁸ Here is a call for wisdom: Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast. It is the number of a man. His number is six hundred and sixty-six.