Read the New Testament in 24 Weeks

People in Heaven Praise God

19 After this I heard what sounded like a great many people in heaven. They were saying:

³ Again they said:

⁴ Then the 24 elders^[b] and the four living things bowed down. They worshiped God, who sits on the throne. They said:

⁵ Then a voice came from the throne:

⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a great many people. It sounded like the noise of flooding water and like loud thunder. The people were saying:

(The fine linen means the good things done by God’s holy people.)

⁹ Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Those who are invited to the wedding meal of the Lamb are happy!” Then the angel said, “These are the true words of God.”

¹⁰ Then I bowed down at the angel’s feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not worship me! I am a servant like you and your brothers who have the truth of Jesus. Worship God! Because the truth about Jesus is the spirit that gives all prophecy.”

The Rider on the White Horse

¹¹ Then I saw heaven open. There before me was a white horse. The rider on the horse is called Faithful and True. He is right when he judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes are like burning fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him, but he is the only one who knows the name. No other person knows the name. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood. His name is the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him on white horses. They were dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ A sharp sword comes out of the rider’s mouth. He will use this sword to defeat the nations. He will rule them with a scepter of iron. He will crush out the wine in the winepress of the terrible anger of God All-Powerful. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his leg was written this name: “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

¹⁷ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun. The angel called with a loud voice to all the birds flying in the sky, “Come together for the great feast of God. ¹⁸ Come together so that you can eat the bodies of kings and generals and famous men. Come to eat the bodies of the horses and their riders and the bodies of all people—free, slave, small, and great.”

¹⁹ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth. Their armies were gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was captured and with him the false prophet. This false prophet was the one who did the miracles for the beast. The false prophet had used these miracles to trick those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his idol. The false prophet and the beast were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. ²¹ Their armies were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse. All the birds ate the bodies until they were full.

The 1,000 Years

20 I saw an angel coming down from heaven. He had the key to the bottomless pit. He also held a large chain in his hand. ² The angel grabbed the dragon, that old snake who is the devil. The angel tied him up for 1,000 years. ³ Then he threw him into the bottomless pit and closed it and locked it over him. The angel did this so that he could not trick the people of the earth anymore until the 1,000 years were ended. After 1,000 years he must be set free for a short time.

⁴ Then I saw some thrones and people sitting on them. They had been given the power to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been killed because they were faithful to the truth of Jesus and the message from God. They had not worshiped the beast or his idol. They had not received the mark of the beast on their foreheads or on their hands. They came back to life and ruled with Christ for 1,000 years. ⁵ (The others that were dead did not live again until the 1,000 years were ended.) This is the first raising of the dead. ⁶ Blessed and holy are those who share in this first raising of the dead. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests for God and for Christ. They will rule with him for 1,000 years.

⁷ When the 1,000 years are over, Satan will be set free from his prison. ⁸ He will go out to trick the nations in all the earth—Gog and Magog. Satan will gather them for battle. There will be so many people that they will be like sand on the seashore. ⁹ And Satan’s army marched across the earth and gathered around the camp of God’s people and the city that God loves. But fire came down from heaven and burned them up. ¹⁰ And Satan, who tricked them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur with the beast and the false prophet. There they will be punished day and night forever and ever.

People of the World Are Judged

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. Earth and sky ran away from him and disappeared. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And the book of life was opened. There were also other books opened. The dead were judged by what they had done, which was written in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades^[c] gave up the dead who were in them. Each person was judged by what he had done. ¹⁴ And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.