Category: Revelation

Worship in Heaven (REV 4:1-11)

[4:1] At this point I had another vision and saw an open door in heaven. And the voice that sounded like a trumpet, which I had heard speaking to me before, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.”

[4:2] At once the Spirit took control of me. There in heaven was a throne with someone sitting on it.

[4:3] His face gleamed like such precious stones as jasper and carnelian, and all around the throne there was a rainbow the color of an emerald.

[4:4] In a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, on which were seated twenty-four elders dressed in white and wearing crowns of gold.

[4:5] From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. In front of the throne seven lighted torches were burning, which are the seven spirits of God.

[4:6] Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. Surrounding the throne on each of its sides, were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and behind.

[4:7] The first one looked like a lion; the second looked like a bull; the third had a face like a human face; and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight.

[4:8] Each one of the four living creatures had six wings, and they were covered with eyes, inside and out. Day and night they never stop singing: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is to come.”

[4:9] The four living creatures sing songs of glory and honor and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever. When they do so,

[4:10] the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever. They throw their crowns down in front of the throne and say,

[4:11] “Our Lord and God! You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. For you created all things, and by your will they were given existence and life.”

The Scroll and the Lamb (REV 5:1-14)

[5:1] I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sits on the throne; it was covered with writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals.

[5:2] And I saw a mighty angel, who announced in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”

[5:3] But there was no one in heaven or on earth or in the world below who could open the scroll and look inside it.

[5:4] I cried bitterly because no one could be found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside it.

[5:5] Then one of the elders said to me, “Don't cry. Look! The Lion from Judah's tribe, the great descendant of David, has won the victory, and he can break the seven seals and open the scroll.”

[5:6] Then I saw a Lamb standing in the center of the throne, surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb appeared to have been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that have been sent through the whole earth.

[5:7] The Lamb went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sits on the throne.

[5:8] As he did so, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people.

[5:9] They sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to break open its seals. For you were killed, and by your sacrificial death you bought for God people from every tribe, language, nation, and race.

[5:10] You have made them a kingdom of priests to serve our God, and they shall rule on earth.”

[5:11] Again I looked, and I heard angels, thousands and millions of them! They stood around the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders,

[5:12] and sang in a loud voice: “The Lamb who was killed is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, and strength, honor, glory, and praise!”

[5:13] And I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, in the world below, and in the sea—all living beings in the universe—and they were singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor, glory and might, forever and ever!”

[5:14] The four living creatures answered, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

The Seals (REV 6:1-17)

[6:1] Then I saw the Lamb break open the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice that sounded like thunder, “Come!”

[6:2] I looked, and there was a white horse. Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown. He rode out as a conqueror to conquer.

[6:3] Then the Lamb broke open the second seal; and I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”

[6:4] Another horse came out, a red one. Its rider was given the power to bring war on the earth, so that people should kill each other. He was given a large sword.

[6:5] Then the Lamb broke open the third seal; and I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there was a black horse. Its rider held a pair of scales in his hand.

[6:6] I heard what sounded like a voice coming from among the four living creatures, which said, “A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages. But do not damage the olive trees and the vineyards!”

[6:7] Then the Lamb broke open the fourth seal; and I heard the fourth living creature say, “Come!”

[6:8] I looked, and there was a pale-colored horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades followed close behind. They were given authority over one fourth of the earth, to kill by means of war, famine, disease, and wild animals.

[6:9] Then the Lamb broke open the fifth seal. I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because they had proclaimed God's word and had been faithful in their witnessing.

[6:10] They shouted in a loud voice, “Almighty Lord, holy and true! How long will it be until you judge the people on earth and punish them for killing us?”

[6:11] Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the complete number of other servants and believers were killed, as they had been.

[6:12] And I saw the Lamb break open the sixth seal. There was a violent earthquake, and the sun became black like coarse black cloth, and the moon turned completely red like blood.

[6:13] The stars fell down to the earth, like unripe figs falling from the tree when a strong wind shakes it.

[6:14] The sky disappeared like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

[6:15] Then the kings of the earth, the rulers and the military chiefs, the rich and the powerful, and all other people, slave and free, hid themselves in caves and under rocks on the mountains.

[6:16] They called out to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the eyes of the one who sits on the throne and from the anger of the Lamb!

[6:17] The terrible day of their anger is here, and who can stand up against it?”

The 144,000 People of Israel (REV 7:1-4)

[7:1] After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so that no wind should blow on the earth or the sea or against any tree.

[7:2] And I saw another angel coming up from the east with the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels to whom God had given the power to damage the earth and the sea.

[7:3] The angel said, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we mark the servants of our God with a seal on their foreheads.”

[7:4] And I was told that the number of those who were marked with God's seal on their foreheads was 144,000. They were from the twelve tribes of Israel,

The Enormous Crowd (REV 7:9-17)

[7:9] After this I looked, and there was an enormous crowd—no one could count all the people! They were from every race, tribe, nation, and language, and they stood in front of the throne and of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.

[7:10] They called out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb!”

[7:11] All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. Then they threw themselves face downward in front of the throne and worshiped God,

[7:12] saying, “Amen! Praise, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever! Amen!”

[7:13] One of the elders asked me, “Who are these people dressed in white robes, and where do they come from?”

[7:14] “I don't know, sir. You do,” I answered. He said to me, “These are the people who have come safely through the terrible persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb.

[7:15] That is why they stand before God's throne and serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will protect them with his presence.

[7:16] Never again will they hunger or thirst; neither sun nor any scorching heat will burn them,

[7:17] because the Lamb, who is in the center of the throne, will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The Seventh Seal (REV 8:1-5)

[8:1] When the Lamb broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

[8:2] Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets.

[8:3] Another angel, who had a gold incense container, came and stood at the altar. He was given a lot of incense to add to the prayers of all God's people and to offer it on the gold altar that stands before the throne.

[8:4] The smoke of the burning incense went up with the prayers of God's people from the hands of the angel standing before God.

[8:5] Then the angel took the incense container, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth. There were rumblings and peals of thunder, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

The Trumpets (REV 8:6-9:21)

[8:6] Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

[8:7] The first angel blew his trumpet. Hail and fire, mixed with blood, came pouring down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees, and every blade of green grass.

[8:8] Then the second angel blew his trumpet. Something that looked like a huge mountain on fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea was turned into blood,

[8:9] a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

[8:10] Then the third angel blew his trumpet. A large star, burning like a torch, dropped from the sky and fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.

[8:11] (The name of the star is “Bitterness.”) A third of the water turned bitter, and many people died from drinking the water, because it had turned bitter.

[8:12] Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet. A third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that their light lost a third of its brightness; there was no light during a third of the day and a third of the night also.

[8:13] Then I looked, and I heard an eagle that was flying high in the air say in a loud voice, “O horror! horror! How horrible it will be for all who live on earth when the sound comes from the trumpets that the other three angels must blow!”

[9:1] Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet. I saw a star which had fallen down to the earth, and it was given the key to the abyss.

[9:2] The star opened the abyss, and smoke poured out of it, like the smoke from a large furnace; the sunlight and the air were darkened by the smoke from the abyss.

[9:3] Locusts came down out of the smoke upon the earth, and they were given the same kind of power that scorpions have.

[9:4] They were told not to harm the grass or the trees or any other plant; they could harm only the people who did not have the mark of God's seal on their foreheads.

[9:5] The locusts were not allowed to kill these people, but only to torture them for five months. The pain caused by the torture is like the pain caused by a scorpion's sting.

[9:6] During those five months they will seek death, but will not find it; they will want to die, but death will flee from them.

[9:7] The locusts looked like horses ready for battle; on their heads they had what seemed to be crowns of gold, and their faces were like human faces.

[9:8] Their hair was like women's hair, their teeth were like lions' teeth.

[9:9] Their chests were covered with what looked like iron breastplates, and the sound made by their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle.

[9:10] They have tails and stings like those of a scorpion, and it is with their tails that they have the power to hurt people for five months.

[9:11] They have a king ruling over them, who is the angel in charge of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon; in Greek the name is Apollyon (meaning “The Destroyer”).

[9:12] The first horror is over; after this there are still two more horrors to come.

[9:13] Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard a voice coming from the four corners of the gold altar standing before God.

[9:14] The voice said to the sixth angel, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River!”

[9:15] The four angels were released; for this very hour of this very day of this very month and year they had been kept ready to kill a third of all the human race.

[9:16] I was told the number of the mounted troops: it was two hundred million.

[9:17] And in my vision I saw the horses and their riders: they had breastplates red as fire, blue as sapphire, and yellow as sulfur. The horses' heads were like lions' heads, and from their mouths came out fire, smoke, and sulfur.

[9:18] A third of the human race was killed by those three plagues: the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur coming out of the horses' mouths.

[9:19] For the power of the horses is in their mouths and also in their tails. Their tails are like snakes with heads, and they use them to hurt people.

[9:20] The rest of the human race, all those who had not been killed by these plagues, did not turn away from what they themselves had made. They did not stop worshiping demons, nor the idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk.

[9:21] Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic, their sexual immorality, or their stealing.

The Angel and the Little Scroll (REV 10:1-11)

[10:1] Then I saw another mighty angel coming down out of heaven. He was wrapped in a cloud and had a rainbow around his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like columns of fire.

[10:2] He had a small scroll open in his hand. He put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

[10:3] and called out in a loud voice that sounded like the roar of lions. After he had called out, the seven thunders answered with a roar.

[10:4] As soon as they spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice speak from heaven, “Keep secret what the seven thunders have said; do not write it down!”

[10:5] Then the angel that I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven

[10:6] and took a vow in the name of God, who lives forever and ever, who created heaven, earth, and the sea, and everything in them. The angel said, “There will be no more delay!

[10:7] But when the seventh angel blows his trumpet, then God will accomplish his secret plan, as he announced to his servants, the prophets.”

[10:8] Then the voice that I had heard speaking from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go and take the open scroll which is in the hand of the angel standing on the sea and on the land.”

[10:9] I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will turn sour in your stomach, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.”

[10:10] I took the little scroll from his hand and ate it, and it tasted sweet as honey in my mouth. But after I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach.

[10:11] Then I was told, “Once again you must proclaim God's message about many nations, races, languages, and kings.”

The Two Witnesses (REV 11:1-14)

[11:1] I was then given a stick that looked like a measuring-rod, and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who are worshiping in the temple.

[11:2] But do not measure the outer courts, because they have been given to the heathen, who will trample on the Holy City for forty-two months.

[11:3] I will send my two witnesses dressed in sackcloth, and they will proclaim God's message during those 1, 260 days.”

[11:4] The two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lamps that stand before the Lord of the earth.

[11:5] If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and destroys their enemies; and in this way whoever tries to harm them will be killed.

[11:6] They have authority to shut up the sky so that there will be no rain during the time they proclaim God's message. They have authority also over the springs of water, to turn them into blood; they have authority also to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.

[11:7] When they finish proclaiming their message, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will fight against them. He will defeat them and kill them,

[11:8] and their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, where their Lord was crucified. The symbolic name of that city is Sodom, or Egypt.

[11:9] People from all nations, tribes, languages, and races will look at their bodies for three and a half days and will not allow them to be buried.

[11:10] The people of the earth will be happy because of the death of these two. They will celebrate and send presents to each other, because those two prophets brought much suffering upon the whole human race.

[11:11] After three and a half days a life-giving breath came from God and entered them, and they stood up; and all who saw them were terrified.

[11:12] Then the two prophets heard a loud voice say to them from heaven, “Come up here!” As their enemies watched, they went up into heaven in a cloud.

[11:13] At that very moment there was a violent earthquake; a tenth of the city was destroyed, and seven thousand people were killed. The rest of the people were terrified and praised the greatness of the God of heaven.

[11:14] The second horror is over, but the third horror will come soon!

The Seventh Trumpet (REV 11:15-19)

[11:15] Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The power to rule over the world belongs now to our Lord and his Messiah, and he will rule forever and ever!”

[11:16] Then the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones in front of God threw themselves face downward and worshiped God,

[11:17] saying: “Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who was! We thank you that you have taken your great power and have begun to rule!

[11:18] The heathen were filled with rage, because the time for your anger has come, the time for the dead to be judged. The time has come to reward your servants, the prophets, and all your people, all who have reverence for you, great and small alike. The time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth!”

[11:19] God's temple in heaven was opened, and the Covenant Box was seen there. Then there were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.