Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Call to Worship and Obedience

¹³ Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.”

¹⁴ And Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, ^(A)whatever the Lord says to me, that I will speak.”

¹⁵ Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?”

And he answered him, “Go and prosper, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king!”

¹⁶ So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”

¹⁷ Then he said, “I saw all Israel ^(B)scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’ ”

¹⁸ And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

¹⁹ Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: ^(C)I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, ^(D)and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. ²⁰ And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. ²¹ Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ ²² The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ^(E)‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ ^23 (F)Therefore look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and behold, ^[a]a ^(A)Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him ^(B)one hundred and forty-four thousand, ^[b]having His Father’s name ^(C)written on their foreheads. ² And I heard a voice from heaven, ^(D)like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of ^(E)harpists playing their harps. ³ They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song ^(F)except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. ⁴ These are the ones who were not defiled with women, ^(G)for they are virgins. These are the ones ^(H)who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These ^(I)were ^[c]redeemed from among men, ^(J)being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. ⁵ And ^(K)in their mouth was found no ^[d]deceit, for ^(L)they are without fault ^[e]before the throne of God.

The Proclamations of Three Angels

⁶ Then I saw another angel ^(M)flying in the midst of heaven, ^(N)having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—^(O)to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— ⁷ saying with a loud voice, ^(P)“Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; ^(Q)and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

⁸ And another angel followed, saying, ^(R)“Babylon^[f] is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because ^(S)she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

⁹ Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ^(T)“If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his ^(U)mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰ he himself ^(V)shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is ^(W)poured out full strength into ^(X)the cup of His indignation. ^(Y)He shall be tormented with ^(Z)fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. ¹¹ And ^(AA)the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”