Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

God’s victory

19 After this I heard something like a loud voice coming from a huge crowd in heaven. “Alleluia!” they were saying. “Salvation and glory and power belong to our God! ² His judgments are true and just! He has judged the great whore who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged the blood of his servants for which she was responsible.” ³ Once more they said, “Alleluia! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”

⁴ Then the twenty-four elders and the four creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne. “Amen!” they said. “Alleluia!” ⁵ And a voice came from the throne: “Give praise to our God, all you his servants, and you who fear him, both small and great.” ⁶ Then I heard something like the sound of a great crowd, like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of strong thunder, saying, “Alleluia! The Lord our God, the Almighty, has become king! ⁷ Let us celebrate and rejoice and give him the glory, because the marriage of the lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself. ⁸ She has been given shining, pure linen to wear.” (The linen is the righteous deeds of God’s holy people.)

⁹ “Write this,” he said to me. “God’s blessing on those who are called to the marriage supper of the lamb.” And he added, “These words are the true words of God.” ¹⁰ I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Look! Don’t do that! I am a fellow-servant with you, and with your brothers and sisters who hold on to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!” (The testimony of Jesus, you see, is the spirit of prophecy.)

The monster defeated

¹¹ Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. The one who was sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war justly. ¹² His eyes are like a flaming fire, and there are many coronets on his head. He has a name written there which nobody knows except himself. ¹³ He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and he is called by the name “God’s Word.” ¹⁴ The armies of heaven follow him on white horses, all wearing shining, pure linen. ¹⁵ A sharp two-edged sword is coming out of his mouth, so that with it he can strike down the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron, and he will tread the winepress of the wine of the anger of the wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ On his robe, and on his thigh, is written a name: King of kings, and Lord of lords.

¹⁷ Then I saw a single angel standing in the sun, and shouting in a loud voice, calling to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven: “Come here! Gather round! This is God’s great feast! ¹⁸ Come and eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of generals, the flesh of the strong, the flesh of horses and their riders, the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great!” ¹⁹ And I saw the monster and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered for war with the one who sits on the horse and with his army. ²⁰ And the monster was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs in its presence, with which it had deceived those who received the monster’s mark and those who worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with sulfur. ²¹ All the rest were killed by the sword which came out of the mouth of the one who was sitting on the horse. All the birds feasted on their flesh.

Reigning for a thousand years

20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven. In his hand he held the key to the Abyss, and a large chain. ² He grabbed hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and the satan. He tied him up for a thousand years, ³ threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, so that he wouldn’t be able to deceive the nations anymore, until the thousand years were complete. After that he must be let out for a short time.

⁴ Then I saw thrones, with people sitting on them, who were given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had had their heads cut off because they had borne witness to Jesus, and because of the word of God; and also those who had not worshiped the monster or its image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life, and reigned with the Messiah for a thousand years. ⁵ The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy is the one who has a share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them. They will be priests to God and the Messiah, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Final judgment

⁷ When the thousand years are complete, the satan will be released from his prison. ⁸ Out he will come to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog. He will summon them for battle, a throng like the sand of the sea in number. ⁹ They came up over the full width of the earth, and closed in on the place where God’s holy people are encamped, and the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and burnt them up. ¹⁰ And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the monster and the false prophet had already been thrown. They will be tortured day and night forever and ever.

¹¹ Then I saw a large white throne, and the one who was sitting on it. Earth and heaven fled away from his presence, and there was no room left for them. ¹² Then I saw the dead, great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged on the basis of what was written in the books, in accordance with what they had done. ¹³ The sea gave back the dead that were in it; Death and Hades gave back the dead that were in them; and each was judged in accordance with what they had done. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, they were thrown into the lake of fire.