圣经-新约（天主教思高圣经）

不认识圣经，就是不认识基督，不认识基督，就是不认识基督所建立的天主教会。

 

新约·若望默示录

共22章:

 

第一章(20)

序言
1:1 耶稣基督的启示，是天主赐给他，叫他把那些必须快要发生的事，指示给自己的仆人们；他遂打发天使，告诉自己的仆人若望；
1:2 若望便为天主的话和为耶稣基督作了见证，即对他所见到的一切作了证。
1:3 那诵读和那些听了这预言，而又遵行书中所记载的，是有福的！因为时期已临近了。

致七教会书

致候辞　
1:4 若望致书给亚细亚的七个教会：愿恩宠与平安由那今在、昔在及将来永在者，由在他宝座前的七神，
1:5 并由那原为忠实的见证，死者中的首生者，和地上万王的元首耶稣基督赐与你们。愿光荣与权能归於那爱我们，并以自己的血解救我们脱离我们的罪过，
1:6 使我们成为国度，成为侍奉他的天主和父的司祭的那位，直到万世万代。阿们。

启示的要义　
1:7 看，他乘著云彩降来，众目都要瞻望他，连那些刺透了他的人，也要瞻望他，地上的各种族都要哀悼他。的确这样。阿们。
1:8 「我是『阿耳法』和『敖默加』，」那今在、昔在及将来永在的全能者上主天主这样说。

人子的异像　
1:9 我若望，你们的弟兄，并在耶稣内与你们共患难，同王权和同忍耐的，为天主的话，并为给耶稣作证，曾到了一座名叫帕特摩的海岛上。
1:10 在一个主日上，我在神魂超拔中，听见在我背后有一个大声音，好似号角的声音，
1:11 说：「将你所听见的写在书上，送到厄弗所、斯米纳、培尔加摩、提雅提辣，撒尔德、非拉德非雅和劳狄刻雅七个教会。」
1:12 我就转过身来，要看看那同我说话的声音；我一转身就看见了七盏金灯台，
1:13 在灯台当中有似人子的一位，身穿长衣，胸间佩有金带。
1:14 他的头和头发皓白，有如洁白的羊毛，又如同雪；他的眼睛有如火焰；
1:15 他的脚相似在烈窑中烧炼的光铜；他的声音有如大水的响声；
1:16 他的右手持有七颗星；从他的口中发出一把双刃的利剑；他的面容有如发光正烈的太阳。
1:17 我一看见他，就跌倒在他脚前，有如死人，他遂把右手按在我身上说：「不要害怕！我是元始，我是终末，
1:18 我是生活的；我曾死过，可是，看，我如今却活著，一直到万世万代；我持有死亡和阴府的钥匙，
1:19 所以你应把你看见的事，现今的，以及这些事以後要发生的事，都写下来。
1:20 至于你看见在我右手中的七颗星，和七盏金灯台的奥义，就是：七颗星是指七个教会的天使，七盏灯台是指七个教会。」

 

 

第二章(29)

致厄弗所教会书
2:1 你给厄弗所教会的天使写：「那右手握著七颗星，而在那七盏金灯台当中行走的这样说：
2:2 我知道你的作为、你的苦劳和你的坚忍；也知道你不能容忍恶人，并且你也曾查验出那些自称为宗徒而实非宗徒的人，发现他们是撒谎的人；
2:3 也知道你有坚忍，为了我的名字受了苦，而毫不厌倦。
2:4 可是，我有反对你的一条，就是你抛弃了你起初的爱德，
2:5 所以你该回想你是从那里跌下的，你该悔改，行先前所行的事：若你不悔改，我就要临于你，把你的灯台从原处挪去。
2:6 不过你有一条：就是你恼恨了尼苛劳党人的行为，这也是我所恼恨的。
2:7 有耳朵的，应听圣神向各教会说的话：胜利的，我要把天主乐园中生命树的果实，赐给他吃。」

致斯米纳教会书　
2:8 你给斯米那教会的天使写：「那身为元始和终末，曾死过而复生的这样说：
2:9 我知道你的困苦和贫穷，其实你是富足的；也知道你由那些自称为犹太人的人受的诽谤，其实他们不是犹太人，而是撒殚的会众。
2:10 不要怕你要受的苦！看，魔鬼要把你们中的一些人投在监里，叫你们受试探；你们要遭受困难十天之久。你应当忠信至死，我必要赐给你生命的华冠。
2:11 有耳朵的，应听圣神向各教会说的话：胜利的必不受第二次死亡的害。」

致培尔加摩教会书　
2:12 你给培尔加摩教会的天使写：「那持有双刃利剑的这样说：
2:13 我知道你居住的地方，在那里有撒殚的宝座；当我忠信的见证安提帕在你们中间，即在撒殚居住的地方被杀的时日，你仍坚持了我的名字，从未否认对我的信仰。
2:14 可是，我有反对你的几条，就是：在你们那里，你容忍了一些坚持巴郎教训的人；巴郎曾教巴拉克在以色列子民前安放了绊脚石，叫他们吃祭肉，行邪淫；
2:15 同样，你也容忍了一些坚持尼苛劳党人教训的人。
2:16 所以你应当悔改，不然，我就要迅速临於你，用我口中的利剑攻击他们。
2:17 有耳朵的，应听圣神向各教会说的话：胜利的，我要赐给他隐藏的「玛纳」，也要赐给他一块刻有新名号的白石，除领受的人外，谁也不认得这名号。」

致提雅提辣教会书　
2:18 你给提雅提辣教会的天使写：「那位眼睛有如火焰，双脚有如光铜的天主子这样说：
2:19 我知道你的作为、你的爱德、信德、服务和坚忍，也知道你末后的作为比先前的更多。
2:20 可是我有反对你的一条，就是你曾容许那自称为先知的妇人依则贝耳教训我的仆人，并引诱他们行邪淫，吃祭肉。
2:21 我原给了她悔改的时间，可是她不肯悔改自己的淫行。
2:22 看，我要把她投在病床上，并且把那些与她行邪淫的人，若他们对她的恶行不予以悔改，也投到重大的困苦中，
2:23 并将她的子女置於死地；这样各教会都知道我是洞察人心和肺腑的主，并且我要按照你们的行为，报应你们每一个人。
2:24 至於你们其余的提雅提辣人，凡不随从这种教训，不认识那所谓「撒殚奥义」的人，我对你们说：我不再把别的重担加在你们身上，
2:25 可是你们应该坚持已有的，直到我来。
2:26 胜利的，并且到最末坚守我事业的人，我必赐给他治理万民的权柄－－
2:27 他将用铁杖管辖他们，有如打碎瓦器－－
2:28 正如我由我父所领受的权柄一样；我还要赐给他那颗晨星。
2:29 有耳朵的，应听圣神向各教会说的话。」

 

 

第三章(22)

致撒尔德教会书　
3:1 你给撒尔德教会的天使写：「那持有天主的七神和七颗星的这样说：我知道你的作为，也知道你有生活之名，其实你是死的。
3:2 你该儆醒，坚固其余将要死的人，因为我没有发见你的作为，在我天主面前是齐全的，
3:3 所以你应回想当初你是怎样接受了，是怎样听了天主的道：你该遵守，又该悔改；假如你不儆醒，我必要像盗贼一样来临，你也不知道我何时临于你。
3:4 可是，在撒尔德你还有几个没有玷污自己的衣服，他们必要穿上白衣，与我同行，因为他们当得起。
3:5 胜利的必要这样穿上白衣，我决不将他的名字从生命册上抹去；反之，我要在我父面前，在他的天使面前，承认他的名字。
3:6 有耳朵的，应听圣神向各教会说的话。」

致非拉德非雅教会书　
3:7 你给非拉德非雅教会的天使写：「那圣洁而真实的，掌有达味钥匙的，开了无人能关，关了无人能开的这样说：
3:8 我知道你的作为；看，我在你面前安置了一个敞开的门，谁也不能关闭它；我知道你能力虽小，却遵守了我的话，没有否认我的名字。
3:9 看，我要从撒殚的会众，即从那些自称为犹太人的人中－－其实不是，而只是撒谎的人－－把一些人交给你；看，我要使他们前来，俯伏在你脚前，使他们承认我爱了你。
3:10 因为你遵守了我论坚忍的训言，我也要在试探期中保存你，这时期将要临于全世界，为试探世界上的居民。
3:11 我快要来；你应坚持你所有的，免得人拿去你的花冠。
3:12 胜利的，我要使他成为我天主殿宇的柱子，决不再让他到外面去；我还要把我天主的名号，和从天上我天主那里降下的我天主的城邑，即新耶路撒冷的名号，以及我的新名号，写在他身上。
3:13 有耳朵的，应听圣神向各教会说的话。」

致劳狄刻雅教会书　
3:14 你给劳狄刻雅教会的天使写：「那做『阿们』，做忠信而真实见证的，做天主创造万物根源的这样说：
3:15 我知道你的作为：你也不冷，也不热；巴不得你或冷或热！
3:16 但是，你既然是温的，也不冷，也不热，我必要从我口中把你吐出来。
3:17 你说：我是富有的，我发了财，什麽也不缺少；殊不知你是不幸的，可怜的，贫穷的，瞎眼的，赤身裸体的。
3:18 我给你出个主意：你要向我买用火炼好的黄金，为使你富有，也买件白衣穿上，为不显露你裸体的羞耻，又买点眼药，抹在你的眼上，为使你能看见。
3:19 凡我所疼爱的人，我要谴责他，管教他；所以你应当发奋热心，痛悔改过！
3:20 看，我立在门口敲门，谁若听见我的声音而给我开门，我要进到他那里，同他坐席，他也要同我一起坐席。
3:21 胜利的，我要赐他同我坐在我的宝座上，就如我得胜了，同我的父坐在他的宝座上一样。
3:22 有耳朵的，应听圣神向各教会说的话。」

 

 

第四章(11)

天庭的异像

今後之事
4:1 这些事以后，我看见天上有一个门开了，并且有我初次听见，那同我说话像似号角的声音，说：「你上到这里来，我要指示给你，这些事以后必须要发生的事。」
4:2 我立即神魂超拔了。看，在天上安置了一个宝座，有一位坐在那宝座上的。
4:3 那位坐着的，看来好似水苍玉和红玛瑙；围绕宝座的虹霓，看来好似翡翠。
4:4 宝座周围还有二十四个宝座，宝座上坐著二十四位长老：身穿白衣，头戴金冠。
4:5 有闪电、响声和雷霆从那宝座发出来；在宝座前还燃著七个火炬，那就是天主的七神。
4:6 宝座前面有如玻璃海，彷佛水晶；在宝座每一面当中，在宝座周围，有四个活物，前後都满了眼睛：
4:7 第一个活物像狮子，第二个活物像牛犊，第三个活物面貌像人，第四个活物像飞鹰。
4:8 那四个活物，个个都有六个翅膀，周围内外都满了眼睛，日夜不停的说：「圣！圣！圣！上主，全能的天主，是昔在、今在、及将来永在者。」
4:9 每逢那些活物将光荣、尊威和颂谢归於那坐在宝座上的，万世万代的永生者时，
4:10 二十四位长老就俯伏在坐于宝座的那位前，朝拜那万世万代的永生者，且把他们的荣冠投在宝座前说：
4:11 「上主，我们的天主！你是堪享光荣、尊威和权能的，因为你创造了万物，万物都是因了你的旨意而存在，而造成的。」

 

 

第五章(14)

密封的书卷　
5:1 我看见在那坐于宝座者的右手上，有一书卷，内外都写著字，用七个印密封著。
5:2 我又看见一位强有力的天使大声宣布说：「谁当得起展开这书卷，开启它的印呢？」
5:3 但是，不论在天上、地上、或地下，没有一个能展开那书卷的，没有能阅读它的。
5:4 我就大哭起来，因为没有找著一位当得起展开那书卷，和阅读它的。
5:5 长老中有一位对我说：「不要哭！看，那出於犹大支派中的狮子，达味的苗裔已得了胜利，他能展开那书卷和那七个印。」

羔羊取书受赞扬　
5:6 我就看见在宝座和四个活物中间，并在长老们中间，站著一只羔羊，好像被宰杀过的，他有七个角和七只眼：那眼睛就是被派往全地的天主的七神。
5:7 他于是前来，从坐在宝座上的那位右手中接了那书卷。
5:8 当他接那书卷的时候，那四个活物和那二十四位长老，都俯伏在羔羊前，各拿着弦琴和盛满了香料的金盂－－这香料即是众圣徒的祈祷，
5:9 并唱新歌说：「惟有你当得起接受那书卷和开启它的印，因为你曾被宰杀，曾用你的血，从各支派、各异语、各民族、各邦国中，把人赎来归于天主，
5:10 并使他们成为国度和司祭，事奉我们的天主；他们必要为王，统治世界。」
5:11 我又看见，且听见在宝座、活物和长老的四周，有许多天使的声音，他们的数目千千万万，
5:12 大声喊说：「被宰杀的羔羊堪享权能、富裕、智慧、勇毅、尊威、光荣、和赞颂！」
5:13 此后我又听见一切受造物，即天上、地上、地下和海中的万物都说：「愿赞颂、尊威、光荣和权力，归于坐在宝座上的那位和羔羊，至于无穷之世！」
5:14 那四个活物就答说：「阿们。」长老们遂俯伏朝拜。

 

 

第六章(17)

开前四印　
5:1 以后我看见：当羔羊开启七个印中第一个印的时候，我听见四个活物中第一个，如打雷的响声说：「来！」
5:2 我就看见，有一匹白马出现，骑马的持着弓，并给了他一顶冠冕；他像胜利者出发，必百战百胜。
5:3 当羔羊开启第二个印的时候，我听见第二个活物说：「来！」
5:4 就出来了另一匹马，是红色的，骑马的得到从地上除去和平的权柄，为使人彼此残杀；于是给了他一把大刀。
5:5 当羔羊开启第三个印的时候，我听见第三个活物说：「来！」我就看见，出来了一匹黑马，骑马的手中拿著天秤。
5:6 我听见在那四个活物当中彷佛有声音说：「麦子一升值一「德纳，」大麦三升也值一「德纳，」只不可糟蹋了油和酒。」
5:7 当羔羊开启第四个印的时候，我听见第四个活物的声音说：「来！」
5:8 我就看见，出来了一匹青马，骑马的名叫「死亡，」阴间也跟着他；并给了他们统治世界四分之一的权柄，好借刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫，并借地上的野兽，去执行杀戮。

开第五印　殉道者的喊冤　
5:9 当羔羊开启第五个印的时候，我看见在祭坛下面，那些曾为了天主的话，并为了他们所持守的证言，而被宰杀者的灵魂，
5:10 大声喊说：「圣洁而真实的主啊！你不行审判，不向世上的居民为我们的血伸冤，要到几时呢？」
5:11 遂给了他们每人一件白衣，并告诉他们还要静候片时，直到他们的同仆，和那些将要如他们一样被杀的弟兄，达到了圆满的数目为止。

开第六印　天地动摇　
5:12 以后我看见，当羔羊开启第六个印的时候，发生了大地震，太阳变黑，有如粗毛衣；整个月亮变得像血，
5:13 天上的星辰坠落在地上，有如无花果树为大风所动摇而坠下的未熟的果实；
5:14 天也隐退，有如卷起的书卷；一切山岭和岛屿都移了本位。
5:15 世上的君王、首领、军长、富人、勇士，以及一切为奴的和自由的人，都隐藏在洞穴和山岭的岩石中，
5:16 向山岭和岩石说：「倒在我们身上，遮盖我们罢！好避免那坐在宝座上的面容和那羔羊的震怒，
5:17 因为他们发怒的大日子来临了，有谁能站立得住？」

 

 

第七章(17)

额上受印的人　
7:1 这事以后，我看见了四位天使，站在大地的四角上，握住地上的四股风，不让风吹向大地、海洋和各种树木。
7:2 我又看见了另一位天使，从太阳出升之地上来，拿着永生天主的印，大声向那领了伤害大地和海洋权柄的四位天使呼喊，
7:3 说：「你们不可伤害大地、海洋和树木，等我们在我们天主的众仆额上，先盖上印。」
7:4 以後，我听见盖了印的数目：在以色列子孙各支派中盖了印的，共有十四万四千。

被选者的数目　
7:5 由犹大支派中盖上印的有一万二千；勒乌本支派一万二千；加得支派一万二千；
7:6 阿协尔支派一万二千；纳斐塔里支派一万二千；默纳协支派一万二千；
7:7 西默盎支派一万二千；肋未支派一万二千；依撒加尔支派一万二千；
7:8 则步隆支派一万二千；若瑟支派一万二千；由本雅明支派中盖上印的有一万二千。

被选者的歌声和欢乐　
7:9 在这些事以后，我看见有一大伙群众，没有人能够数清，是来自各邦国、各支派、各民族、各异语的，他们都站在宝座和羔羊面前，身穿白衣，手持棕榈枝，
7:10 大声呼喊说：「救恩来自那坐在宝座上的我们的天主，并来自羔羊！」
7:11 于是所有站在宝座、长老和那四个活物周围的天使，在宝座前俯伏於地，朝拜天主，
7:12 说：「阿们。愿赞颂、光荣、智慧、称谢、尊威、权能和勇毅，全归于我们的天主，至于无穷之世。阿们。」
7:13 长老中有一位问我说：「这些穿白衣的人是谁？他们是从那里来的？」
7:14 我回答他说：「我主，你知道。」于是他告诉我说：「这些人是由大灾难中来的，他们曾在羔羊的血中洗净了自己的衣裳，使衣裳雪白，
7:15 因此，他们得站在天主的宝座前，且在他的殿宇内日夜事奉他；那坐在宝座上的，也必要住在他们中间。
7:16 他们再也不饿，再也不渴，烈日和任何炎热，再也不损伤他们，
7:17 因为，那在宝座中间的羔羊要牧放他们，要领他们到生命的水泉那里；天主也要从他们的眼上拭去一切泪痕。」

 

 

第八章(13)

开第七印　
8:1 当羔羊开启了第七个印的时候，天上静默了约半小时。

七位天使接受号角　
8:2 然后，我看见那站在天主面前的七位天使；给了他们七个号角。
8:3 又来了另一位天使，持着金香炉，站在祭坛旁；给了他许多乳香，为同众圣徒的祈祷，一起献在宝座前的金坛上。
8:4 乳香的烟与圣徒的祈祷，遂由那位天使的手中，升到天主面前。
8:5 此后，那位天使提起香炉，盛满了祭坛上的火，抛到地上，遂发生了雷霆、响声、闪电和地动。

吹前四号角　
8:6 以后，那七位持着七个号角的天使，就准备着吹号角。
8:7 第一位一吹号角，就有搀着血的冰雹和火抛到地上；于是大地被烧毁了三分之一，树木也被烧毁了三分之一，青草全被烧尽。
8:8 第二位天使一吹号角，就好像有一座燃着火的大山，投入海中；于是海的三分之一便成了血，
8:9 海里一切有生命之物也死了三分之一，船只也毁坏了三分之一。
8:10 第三位天使一吹号角，就有一颗大星，炽燃有如火把，从天上落下来，落在河的三分之一和水泉上。
8:11 这星的名字叫「苦艾；」於是水的三分之一变成苦的，许多人因水变苦了而死去。
8:12 第四位天使一吹号角，太阳的三分之一，月亮的三分之一和星辰的三分之一，都受了打击，以致它们的三分之一黑暗了，白日三分之一失了光，黑夜也是一样。

三种灾祸的预报　
8:13 以后，我看见，也听见在天空中飞翔的一只鹰大声说：「还有另三位吹号角的天使，当他们发出号声时，祸哉！祸哉！祸哉，地上的居民！」

 

 

第九章(21)

第五号角　精神的困扰　
9:1 第五位天使一吹号角，我看见有一颗星从天上落到地上；并给了他深渊洞穴的钥匙。
9:2 他一开了深渊的洞穴，就有烟从洞穴里冒上来，像大火窑里的烟，太阳和天空都因那洞穴里的烟昏暗了，
9:3 遂有蝗虫从烟里，来到地上；又赋给了它们，好似地上的蝎子具有的权柄，
9:4 且吩咐它们不可伤害地上的草：凡青物，凡树木都不可伤害，只可伤害那些在额上没有天主印号的人；
9:5 并且吩咐蝗虫不可杀死他们，但要使他们受痛苦五个月，他们所受的痛苦，就如人被蝎子螫着时所受的痛苦。
9:6 在那日期内，人求死而不得；渴望死，死却避开他们。
9:7 蝗虫的形状彷佛准备上阵的战马，它们的头上好似有像黄金的荣冠，面貌有如人的面貌；
9:8 它们的头发好似女人的头发，牙好似狮子的牙；
9:9 它们的胸甲有如铁甲，它们翅膀的响声，有如许多马车奔驰上阵的响声；
9:10 它们有相似蝎子的尾和刺；它们的尾能伤害世人，五个月之久。
9:11 它们以深渊的使者为它们的王子，他的名字，希伯来文叫「阿巴冬，」希腊文叫「阿颇隆。」
9:12 第一种灾祸过去了，看，还有两种灾祸随後而来。

第六号角　战争的灾祸　
9:13 第六位天使一吹了号角，我听见有一种声音，由天主前的金祭坛四角发出，
9:14 向那持有号角的第六位天使说：「放开那在幼发拉的大河所捆着的四位天使罢！」
9:15 於是那四位天使被放开了；他们已准备於某年、某月、某日、某时，把世人杀死三分之一。
9:16 那马队的数目共有两万万；我也听见了他们的这个数目。
9:17 我在异像中看见的马和骑马的是这样：他们穿着火红、紫青和硫磺色的铠甲；马头像狮子头，从它们的口中射出火、烟和硫磺。
9:18 由于从它们口中所射出的火、烟和硫磺这三种灾害，世人被杀死了三分之一。
9:19 马的能力就在它们的口和它们的尾上；它们的尾相似蛇，并且有害人的头。
9:20 可是，其余没有被这灾害杀死的人，仍然没有悔改，离开他们手所作的，仍旧去崇拜邪魔和那看不见，听不见，走不动的金、银、铜、石、木神像；
9:21 他们也没有悔改，放弃各种凶杀、邪术、奸淫和偷窃。

 

 

第十章(11)

吞小书的异像
10:1 以后，我看见了另一位强有力的天使，由天降下，身披云彩，头上有虹，容貌像太阳，两腿像火柱，
10:2 手中拿着一卷展开的小书，右脚踏海，左脚踏地。
10:3 他大声呼喊，有如狮子怒吼。正当他呼喊时，就有七个雷霆发出说话的声音。
10:4 那七个雷霆说话以后，我正要写出来，就听见有声音从天上说：「你应把七个雷霆所说的话，密封起来，不要写出来。」
10:5 我看见的那位踏着海和踏着地的天使，向天举起了右手，
10:6 指着那创造天及天上的一切，地及地上的一切，海及海中的一切的万世万代的永生者起誓说：「时候不再延长了！
10:7 但当第七位天使将要吹号角发声的日期，天主的奥秘必定完成，正如天主向自己的众仆先知所宣告的。」
10:8 我听见那从天上来的声音，又对我说道：「你去，从那踏着海和踏着地的天使手中，取过那卷展开的小书来！」
10:9 我便往那位天使跟前去，请他给我那卷小书。他就对我说：「你拿去吞下它罢！它必使你肚子发苦，但在你的嘴里却甘甜如蜜。」
10:10 我就从天使手中接过那卷小书来，吞下它，果然它在我嘴里甘甜如蜜；但我一吃下去，我的肚子就苦起来了。
10:11 随后有声音对我说：「关于诸民族、诸邦国、诸异语人民和诸君王，你应再讲预言。」

 

 

第十一章(19)

测量圣殿与两见证的异象
11:1 然后给了我一根长芦苇，当作测量杖说：「你起来，去测量天主的圣殿和祭坛，计算在殿内朝拜的人！
11:2 圣殿外面的庭院要除外，不要测量，因为已交给了异民；他们必要践踏圣城，共四十二个月。
11:3 可是，我要打发我的两位见证人，穿着苦衣，做先知劝人，共一千二百六十天。」
11:4 这两位就是立在大地的主宰前的那两棵橄榄树，和那两座灯台。
11:5 假使有人想谋害他们，必有火从他们的口中射出，吞灭他们的仇人；所以谁若想谋害他们，必定这样被杀。
11:6 他们具有关闭上天的权柄，以致在他们尽先知任务的时日内，不叫雨下降；对水也有权柄，能使水变血；几时他们愿意，就能以各种灾祸打击大地。
11:7 当他们一完成了自己作见证的职分，那从深渊中上来的巨兽，要同他们作战，且战胜他们，杀死他们。
11:8 他们的尸体要被抛弃在大城的街市上－－这城的寓意名字叫作索多玛和埃及，他们的主子也曾在此地被钉在十字架上－－
11:9 由各民族、各支派、各异语、各邦国来的人，要观看他们的尸体三天半之久，且不许把他们安葬在坟墓里。
11:10 地上的居民必要因他们的死而高兴欢乐，彼此送礼，因为那两位先知实在磨难了地上的居民。
11:11 过了三天半，由天主来的生气进入了他们身内，他们就立足站了起来，凡看见的人，都起了大恐怖。
11:12 以后，他们二人听见从天上来的大声音向他们说：「上这里来罢！」他们遂乘着云彩升了天，他们的仇人也看见了。
11:13 正在那个时辰，发生了大地震，那城倒塌了十分之一，因地震而死的人就有七千名；其余的人都害怕起来，就归光荣于天上的天主。
11:14 第二个灾祸过去了；看，第三个灾祸快要来了。

吹第七号角　
11:15 第七位天使一吹号角，天上就发出大声音说：「世上的王权已归属我们的上主，和他的基督，他要为王，至于无穷之世！」
11:16 那在天主前坐在自己宝座上的二十四位长老，遂俯伏在地，朝拜天主，
11:17 说：「上主，全能的天主！今在，昔在者！我们称谢你，因为你取得了你的大权，登上了王位。
11:18 异民发了怒，可是你的震怒也到了，就是审判死者，赏报你的众仆先知、圣徒，以及敬畏你名字的大者小者的时候到了，并且也到了消灭那毁坏大地之人的时候。」
11:19 那时，天主在天上的圣殿敞开了，天主的约柜也在他的圣殿中显出来了；紧接着便有闪电、响声、雷霆、地震和大冰雹。

 

 

第十二章(18)

两大异兆　女人与红龙　
12:1 那时，天上出现了一个大异兆：有一个女人，身披太阳，脚踏月亮，头戴十二颗星的荣冠；
12:2 她胎中怀了孕，在产痛和苦劳中，呼疼呻吟。
12:3 随着天上又出现了另一个异兆：有一条火红的大龙，有七个头，十只角，头上戴着七个王冠。
12:4 它的尾巴将天上的星辰勾下了三分之一，投在地上。那条龙便站在那要生产的女人面前，待她生产后，要吞下她的孩子。
12:5 那女人生了一个男孩子，他就是那要以铁杖牧放万民的；那女人的孩子被提到天主和他的宝座前。
12:6 女人就逃到旷野去了，在那里有天主已给她准备好的地方，叫她在那里受供养一千二百六十天。

弥额尔战胜红龙　
12:7 以后，天主就发生了战争：弥额尔和他的天使一同与那龙交战，那龙也和它的使者一起应战，
12:8 但它们敌不住，在天上遂再也没有它们的地方了。
12:9 於是那大龙被摔了下来，它就是那远古的蛇，号称魔鬼或撒殚的。那欺骗了全世界的，被摔到地上，它的使者也同它一起被摔了下来。

凯旋歌　
12:10 那时我听见天上有大声音说：「如今我们的天主获得了胜利、权能和国度，也显示了他基督的权柄，因为那日夜在我们的天主前，控告我们弟兄的控告者，已被摔下去了。
12:11 他们赖羔羊的血和他们作证的话，得胜了那条龙，因为他们情愿牺牲自己的性命死了。
12:12 为此，高天和住在那里的，你们欢乐罢！祸哉，大地和海洋！因为魔鬼怀着大怒下到你们那里去了，因为他知道自己只有很短的时间了。」

大龙迫害那女人和她的子女　
12:13 那条龙一看见自己被摔到地上，就去追赶那生了男婴的女人。
12:14 可是有大鹰的两个翅膀给了那女人，为叫她飞入旷野，到自己的地方去，在那里受供养一段时期、两段时期和半段时期，远离那蛇的面。
12:15 那蛇遂在女人后面，从自己的口中吐出一道像河的水，为使那女人被河水冲去；
12:16 可是大地却援助了那女人，大地裂开一个口，把那条龙从口中所吐出的河水吸了去。
12:17 那条龙便对那女人大发忿怒，遂去与她其余的後裔，即那些遵行天主的诫命，且为耶稣作证的人交战；
12:18 于是它就站在海滩上。

 

 

第十三章(18)

由海中上来的兽　
13:1 我看见从海里上来一只兽，它有十只角和七个头，角上有十个王冠，头上有亵圣的名号。
13:2 我所看见的那兽，相似豹子，它的脚像熊脚，它的口象狮子口；那龙遂把自己的能力、宝座和大权交给了它。
13:3 我看见那兽的头中，有一个似乎受了致死的伤，但它那致死的伤却治好了；故此全地的人都惊奇，而跟随了那兽。
13:4 世人遂都朝拜那龙，因为它把权柄赐给了那兽；世人朝拜那兽说：「谁可与这兽相比？谁能和它交战？」
13:5 又赐给了那兽一张说大话和亵圣的口，并且赐给了它可妄为四十二个月的权柄；
13:6 它便张开自己的口，向天主说亵渎的话，亵渎他的圣名、他的帐幕和那些居住在天上的人。
13:7 又允许它可与圣徒们交战，且战胜他们；又赐给它制服各支派、各民族、各异语和各邦国的权柄。
13:8 地上的居民，凡名字从创造之初没有记录在被宰杀的羔羊生命册中的人，都要朝拜它。
13:9 谁若有耳朵，就听罢！
13:10 谁若该被俘掳，就去受俘掳；谁若该受刀杀，就去受刀杀：圣徒们的坚忍和忠信即在于此。

由地下上来的兽　
13:11 以后我看见另一只兽由地中上来，它有两只相似羔羊的角，说话却相似龙。
13:12 它在那前一只兽面前，施行前一只兽所有的一切权柄，使大地和居住在地上的人，朝拜前一只兽，就是那只受过致死的伤而被治好的兽。
13:13 它又行大奇迹，甚至在众人面前使火从天降到地上。
13:14 它因着在那兽面前所行的那些奇迹，迷惑了地上的居民，便劝告地上的居民，给那受过刀伤而还活着的兽，立一个像。
13:15 它又得了能力，把生气赋给那兽像，甚至叫那兽像说话，并使那些凡不朝拜兽像的人死亡。
13:16 它给所有的人，无论大小贫富，自主的和为奴的，都在他们的右手上，或在他们的额上，打了一个印号；
13:17 如此，除非有这印号的，就是有那兽的名字或它名字的数字的，谁也不能买，谁也不能卖。
13:18 在这里应有智慧：凡有明悟的，就让他计算一下那兽的数字，因为是人的数字，它的数字是六百六十六。

 

 

第十四章(20)

被选者与羔羊为伍　
14:1 以后，我看见羔羊站在熙雍山上，同他在一起的，还有十四万四千人，他们的额上都刻着羔羊的名号和他父的名号。
14:2 我听见一个声音来自天上，好像大水的声音，又好像巨雷的声音；我所听见的那声音，也好像弹琴者在自己的琴上所弹的声音。
14:3 他们在宝座前，在那四个活物和长老前唱的歌，似乎是一首新歌；除了那些从地上赎回来的十四万四千人外，谁也不能学会那歌。
14:4 这些人没有与女人有过沾染，仍是童身；羔羊无论到那里去，他们常随着羔羊。这些人是从人类中赎回来，献给天主和羔羊当作初熟之果的；
14:5 他们口中没有出过谎言，他们身上也没有瑕疵。

宣布审判来临　
14:6 随后，我看见另一位天使，飞翔于天空中，拿着永恒的福音，要传报给住在地上的人，给各邦国、各支派、各异语和各民族，
14:7 大声喊说：「你们要敬畏天主，光荣他，因为他审判的时辰到了；你们要钦崇造成天地、海洋和水泉的上主。」
14:8 又有第二位天使接着说：「伟大的巴比伦陷落了！那曾使万民喝她那荒淫烈酒的巴比伦陷落了！」
14:9 又有第三位天使也随他们之后，大声喊说：「谁若朝拜了那兽和它的像，并在自己的额上，或在自己的手上，接受了它的印号，
14:10 就必要喝天主愤怒的酒，即那注在他愤怒之杯的纯酒；必在圣天使面前和羔羊面前，遭受烈火与硫磺的酷刑。
14:11 他们受刑的烟向上直冒，至于万世无穷；那些朝拜了兽和兽像的，以及凡接受了它名字的印号的，日夜得不到安息。」
14:12 圣徒的恒心，就是在遵守天主的诫命，坚持对耶稣的信德。
14:13 以后，我听见有声音从天上说：「你写下：『从今而后，凡在主内死去的，是有福的！』的确，圣神说，让他们劳苦之后安息罢，因为他们的功行常随着他们。」

人子借天使施行审判　
14:14 以后，我看见有一片白云，云上坐着相似人子的一位，头戴金冠，手拿一把锐利的镰刀。
14:15 有另一位天使从殿里出来，高声向坐在云上的那位喊道：「伸出你的镰刀收割罢，因为收割的时期已到，地上的庄稼已成熟了。」
14:16 坐在云上的那位就向地上伸出镰刀，地上的庄稼就被收割了。
14:17 有另一位天使从天上的殿里出来，也拿着一把锐利的镰刀。
14:18 又有一位掌管火的天使，从祭坛那里出来，高声向那拿着锐利镰刀的喊说：「伸出你锐利的镰刀，收割地上葡萄园的葡萄罢，因为葡萄已成熟了。」
14:19 那天使就向地上伸出了镰刀，收割了地上的葡萄，把葡萄扔到天主义怒的大榨酒池内。
14:20 那在城外的榨酒池受到践踏，遂有血由榨酒池中流出，直到马嚼环那麽深，一千六百「斯塔狄」那麽远。

 

 

第十五章(8)

七位天使领受七盂
15:1 我看见在天上又出现了一个又大又奇妙的异兆：有七位天使拿着七种最后的灾祸，因为天主的义怒就要借着这些灾祸发泄净尽。
15:2 我又看见好象有个搀杂着火的玻璃海；那些战胜了兽和兽像及它名号数字的人，站在玻璃海上，拿著天主的琴，
15:3 歌唱天主的仆人梅瑟的歌曲和羔羊的歌曲说：「上主，全能的天主！你的功行伟大奇妙；万民的君王！你的道路公平正直；
15:4 谁敢不敬畏你？上主！谁敢不光荣你的名号？因为只有你是圣善的；万民都要前来崇拜你，因为你正义的判断，已彰明较著。」
15:5 这些事以后，我又看见天上盟约的帐幕－－圣殿敞开了，
15:6 那七位拿着七种灾祸的天使，从圣殿那里出来，身穿洁白而明亮的亚麻衣，胸间佩有金带。
15:7 那时，四个活物中的一个，给了那七位天使七个满盛万世万代永生天主义怒的金盂。
15:8 因着天主的荣耀和威能，殿内充满了烟，没有一个人能进入殿内，直到那七位天使的七样灾祸降完为止。

 

 

第十六章(21)

前六盂　
16:1 我听见由殿里发出一个大声音，向那七位天使说：「你们去，把那满盛天主义怒的七个盂倒在地上！」
16:2 第一位天使便去，把他的盂倒在地上，遂在那些带有兽印和朝拜兽像的人身上，生出了一种恶毒而剧痛的疮。
16:3 第二位天使把他的盂倒在海里，海水就变成好似死人的血，因而海中的一切活物都死了。
16:4 第三位天使把他的盂倒在河流和水泉上，水就变成了血。
16:5 那时，我听见掌管水的天使说：「今在和昔在的圣善者，你这样惩罚，真是公义，
16:6 因为他们曾倾流了圣徒和先知们的血，你如今给他们血喝，这是他们应得的。」
16:7 我又听见从祭坛有声音说：「是的，上主，全能的天主！你的惩罚，真实而公义。」
16:8 第四位天使把他的盂倒在太阳上，致使太阳以烈火炙烤世人。
16:9 世人因被剧热所炙烤，便亵渎掌管这些灾祸的天主的名号，没有悔改将光荣归于天主。
16:10 第五位天使把他的盂倒在那兽座上，它的王国就陷入黑暗，人痛苦的咬自己的舌头；
16:11 他们因自己的痛苦和疮痍，便亵渎天上的天主，没有悔改自己的行为。
16:12 第六位天使把他的盂倒在幼发拉的大河中，河水就干涸了，为给那些由日出之地要来的诸王，准备了一条道路。

三个不洁的淫神　
16:13 我又看见从龙口、兽口和假先知口中出来了三个不洁的神，状如青蛙；
16:14 他们是邪魔之神，施行奇迹，往全世界的诸王那里去，召集他们，为在全能天主的那伟大日子上交战。「
16:15 看，我来有如盗贼一样；那醒着并保持自己的衣服，不至于赤身行走，而叫人看见自己的耻辱的，才是有福的！」
16:16 那三个神就把诸王聚集到一个地方，那地方希伯来文叫「阿玛革冬。」

第七盂　
16:17 第七位天使把他的盂倒在空气中，于是就由【天上的】殿里，从宝座那里发出了一个巨大声音说：「成了！」
16:18 遂有闪电、响声和雷霆，又发生了大地震，是自从在地上有人类以来，从未有过这样大的地震。
16:19 那大城分裂为三段，异民的城也都倾覆了；天主想起了那伟大的巴比伦，遂递给她那盛满天主烈怒的酒杯。
16:20 各岛屿都消失了，诸山岭也不见了。
16:21 又有像「塔冷通」般的大冰雹，从天上落在世人的身上；世人因冰雹的灾祸便亵渎天主，因为那灾祸太惨重了。

 

 

第十七章(18)

淫妇巴比伦和兽　
17:1 那七位拿着七个盂的天使中，有一位前来，向我说道：「你来，我要指给你看，那在多水之旁为王的大淫妇受的惩罚；
17:2 世上的诸王都同她行过邪淫，地上的居民也都喝醉了她淫乱的酒。」
17:3 于是天使叫我神魂超拔，提我到了旷野，我便看见了一个妇人，坐在一只朱红色且满了亵渎名号的兽身上，它有七个头，十只角。
17:4 这妇人身穿紫红和朱红色的衣服，全身点缀着金子、宝石和珍珠；她手里拿着满盛可憎之物和她淫污的金杯。
17:5 她的额上写着一个含有奥秘的名字：「伟大的巴比伦！淫乱和地上可憎之物的母亲。」
17:6 我又看见这妇人痛饮了圣徒的血，和为耶稣殉道者的血；我一看见她，遂大为惊奇。

淫妇和巨兽之所指　
17:7 天使便对我说：「你为什麽惊奇？我要告诉你这妇人和驮着她，而有七个头和十只角的那兽的奥秘：
17:8 你所看见的那兽，先前在而今不在，可是它又要从深渊中上来，自趋于丧亡；地上的居民，凡他们的名字从创世之初，没有记录在生命册中的，看见那先前在，而今不在，将来又在的兽，都必要惊奇。
17:9 这里需要一个有智慧的明悟去理解：七个头是指那妇人所坐的七座山，也是指七位君王；
17:10 五位已经倒了，一位仍在，另一位还没有来到；当他来到时，必要存留片刻。
17:11 至于那先前在而今不在的兽，是第八位，也属于那七位中之一，它要趋于丧亡。
17:12 你所看见的那十只角，是指十个君王，他们还没有领受王位，但必要同那兽一起得到权柄；他们当国王，只一个时辰。
17:13 他们的意见都一致：就是把自己的能力和权柄都交给那兽。
17:14 他们要同羔羊交战，羔羊却要战胜他们，因为他是万主之主，万王之王，同他在一起的蒙召、被选和忠信的人，也必要获胜。」
17:15 天使又对我说：「你看见那淫妇所统治的水，是指诸民族、群众、邦国和异语人民。
17:16 你看见的那十只角和那兽，必要憎恨那淫妇，使她成为孤独凄凉，赤身裸体的，并吞食她的肉，且用火焚烧她，
17:17 因为天主使它们的心中有这意念，叫它们实行天主的计划，就是叫它们一心，把它们的王权交给那兽，直到天主的话完全应验为止。
17:18 你所看见的那妇人，是指那座对地上的诸王握有王权的大城。」

 

 

第十八章(24)

宣布巴比伦的灭亡　
18:1 这些事以后，我看见另一位天使从天降下，掌有大权，下地被他的光荣照亮了。
18:2 他用强大的声音喊说：「伟大的巴比伦陷落了！陷落了！她变成了邪魔的住所，一切不洁之神的牢狱，一切不洁和可憎飞禽的巢穴，【以及一切不洁和可憎走兽的圈槛，】
18:3 因为万民都喝了她荒淫的烈酒，地上的诸王都同她行过邪淫，地上的商人，也因她的放荡奢侈，而发了财。」
18:4 我又听到了另一个声音从天上说：「我的百姓，你们从她中间出来罢！免得你们分沾她的罪恶，也免得遭受她的灾祸，
18:5 因为她的罪恶已堆积得直达上天，使天主想起了她的不义。
18:6 她怎样虐待了人，你们也该怎样虐待她，并按照她所行的，要加倍报复她；她用什么杯斟给人，你们也要用什么杯加倍斟给她；
18:7 她以前怎样自夸自耀，奢侈享乐，你们也就怎样加给她痛苦与哀伤；因为她心里说过：「我坐着当皇后，而不是寡妇，必见不到哀伤。」
18:8 为此，一日之内，她的灾祸：瘟疫、哀伤和饥荒全都来到；她要被火焚烧，因为惩治她的上主天主，是强而有力的。」

诸君王商人船员的哀悼　
18:9 当时那些曾同她行过邪淫，和享过快乐的地上诸王，看到焚烧她的烟，都要为她流泪哀悼。
18:10 他们因害怕她受的痛苦，就远远站着说：「可怜，可怜！你这座伟大的城，这座强盛的巴比伦城！在一小时之内，你就受到了惩罚。」
18:11 地上的商人也为她流泪哀伤，因而再没有人来买他们的货物：
18:12 金银、宝石、珍珠、细麻布、紫红布、绸缎、朱红布等货物，以及各种香木、各种象牙器皿、各种贵重木器、铜、铁、大理石的器皿，
18:13 还有肉桂、香膏、香料、香液、乳香、酒、油、面粉、麦子、牲口、羊群、骏马、车辆、奴隶与人口。
18:14 商人说：「你心中所爱吃的果品，都远离了你；一切肥美和华丽的物品，都在你前消逝了，再也寻不见了。」
18:15 贩卖这些货物，而由她发财的人，因害怕她受的痛苦，远远站著，流泪哀伤，
18:16 说：「可怜，可怜！这伟大的城！这曾穿戴过细麻、紫红和朱红布衣裳，并以黄金、宝石和珍珠作装饰的城，
18:17 在一小时内，这样多的财富，就荡然无存了。」一切船长、一切到处航海的人、船员以及那些靠海谋生的人，都远远站着，
18:18 看见焚烧她的烟，就呼喊说：「那有一座城可与这座伟大的城相比呢！」
18:19 他们在自己的头上撒灰，流泪哀伤，喊说：「可怜，可怜！这座伟大的城！凡在海中有船的人，都因她的富饶而发了大财。她怎么在一时之内就荡然无存了。」
18:20 上天、圣徒、宗徒和先知们，你们因她的毁灭而欢腾罢！因为天主在她身上给你们伸了冤。

绝对灭亡的象征　
18:21 然后，一位强而有力的天使，举起一块大如磨盘的石头，抛在海中说：「伟大的巴比伦城必要这样猛力地被人抛弃，再也找不着她了！
18:22 弹琴者、歌唱者、吹笛者和吹号者的声音，在你中间再也听不到了；各种工艺的匠人，在你中间再也找不到了；推磨的响声，在你中间再也听不到了；
18:23 灯台上的光，在你中间再也不发亮了；新郎与新娘的声音，在你中间再也听不到了，因为你的商人都是地上的要人，又因为万民都因你的邪术受了迷惑；
18:24 且在此城中找到了诸先知、诸圣徒以及一切在地上被杀者的血。」

 

 

第十九章(21)

天上欢乐的凯歌　
19:1 这些事以后，我听见天上彷佛有一大伙人群发出的大声音说：「亚肋路亚！胜利、光荣和能力，应归于我们的天主，
19:2 因为，他的判断是正确而正义的；他惩罚了那曾以自己的邪淫败坏了下地的大淫妇，并给被她所杀的仆人报了仇。」
19:3 他们又重覆说：「亚肋路亚！她的烟向上直冒，至于无穷之世。」
19:4 于是，那二十四位长老和那四个活物，便俯伏朝拜那坐在宝座上的天主说：「阿们。亚肋路亚！」
19:5 遂有声音由宝座那里发出说：「天主的众仆人，凡敬畏他的，无论大小，请赞美我们的天主罢！」
19:6 我听见彷佛有一大伙人群的声音，就如大水的响声，又如巨雷的响声，说：「亚肋路亚！因为我们全能的天主，上主为王了！
19:7 让我们欢乐鼓舞，将光荣归于他罢！因为羔羊的婚期来近了，他的新娘也准备好了；
19:8 天主又赏赐她穿上了华丽而洁白的细麻衣：这细麻衣就是圣徒们的义行。」
19:9 有位天使给我说：「你写下：被召赴羔羊婚宴的人，是有福的！」他又给我说：「这都是天主真实的话。」
19:10 我就俯伏在他脚前要朝拜他；他给我说：「万不要这样作，我只是你和你那些为耶稣作见证的弟兄们的同仆，你只该朝拜天主！」因为预言之神就是为耶稣作证。

今世的终结

天主圣言的胜利　
19:11 随后我看见天开了，见有一匹白马；骑马的那位，称为「忠信和真实者，」他凭正义去审判，去作战。
19:12 他的眼睛有如火焰，他头上戴着许多冠冕，还有写的一个名号，除他自己外，谁也不认识；
19:13 他身披一件染过血的衣服，他的名字叫作：「天主的圣言。」
19:14 天上的军队也乘着白马，穿著洁白的细麻衣跟随着他。
19:15 从他口中射出一把利剑，用来打败异民；他要用铁杖统治他们，并践踏那充满全能天主忿怒的榨酒池。
19:16 在衣服上，即在盖他大腿的衣服上写着「万王之王，万主之主」的名号。

反基督者的惨败　
19:17 我又看见一位天使，站在太阳上，大声向一切飞翔于天空的飞鸟喊说：「请你们来一齐赴天主的大宴席，
19:18 前来吃列王的肉、诸将帅的肉、众勇士的肉、骏马和骑马者的肉，并一切自主的或为奴的，以及大小人民的肉。」
19:19 我也看见那兽、地上的君王和他们的军队都聚在一起，要与骑马的那位和他的军队作战。
19:20 可是，那兽被捉住了，在它面前行过奇迹，并借这些奇迹，欺骗了那些接受那兽的印号，和朝拜兽像的那位假先知，也和它一起被捉住了；它们两个活活的被扔到那用硫磺燃烧的火坑里去了。
19:21 其余的人也被骑马者口中所射出的剑杀死了；所有的飞鸟都吃饱了他们的肉。

 

 

第二十章(15)

千年王国　
20:1 以后，我看见一位天使从天降下，手持深渊的钥匙和一条大锁链。
20:2 他捉住了那龙，那古蛇，就是魔鬼－－撒殚，把它捆起来，共一千年之久；
20:3 将它抛到深渊里，关起来，加上封条，免得它再迷惑万民，直到满了一千年，此后应该释放它一个短时辰。
20:4 我又看见一些宝座，有些人在上面坐着，赐给了他们审判的权柄，他们就是那些为给耶稣作证，并为了天主的话被斩首之人的灵魂；还有那些没有朝拜那兽，也没有朝拜兽像，并在自己的额上或手上也没有接受它印号的人，都活了过来，同基督一起为王一千年。
20:5 这是第一次复活。其余的死者没有活过来，直到那一千年满了。
20:6 于第一次复活有分的人是有福的，是圣洁的。第二次的死亡对这些人无能为力；他们将作天主和基督的司祭，并同他一起为王一千年。

毒龙被释后的遭遇　
20:7 及至一千年满了，撒殚就要从监牢里被释放出来。
20:8 他一出来便去迷惑地上四极的万民，就是哥格和玛哥格；他聚集他们准备作战，他们的数目有如海滨的沙粒。
20:9 于是他们上到那广大的地区，围困了众圣徒的营幕和蒙爱的城邑；但是有火自天上，从天主那里降下，吞灭了他们。
20:10 迷惑他们的魔鬼，也被投入那烈火与硫磺的坑中，就是那兽和那位假先知所在的地方；他们必要日夜受苦，至于无穷之世。

公审判　
20:11 以后，我看见了一个洁白的大宝座，和坐于其上的那位；地和天都从他面前消失不见了，再也找不到它们的地方了。
20:12 我又看见死过的人，无论大小，都站在宝座前，案卷就展开了；还有另一本书，即生命册也展开了，死过的人都按那案卷上所记录的，照他们的行为受了审判。
20:13 海洋把其中的死者交出，死亡和阴府都把其中的死者交出，人人都按照自己的行为受了审判。
20:14 然后死亡和阴府也被投入火坑，这火坑就是第二次死亡。
20:15 凡是没有记载在生命册上的人，就被投入火坑中。

 

 

第二十一章

新天新地(27)　
21:1 随后，我看见了一个新天新地，因为先前的天与先前的地已不见了，海也没有了。
21:2 我看见那新耶路撒冷圣城，从天上由天主那里降下，就如一位装饰好迎接自己丈夫的新娘。
21:3 我听见由宝座那里有一巨大声音说：「这就是天主与人同在的帐幕，他要同他们住在一起；他们要作他的人民，他亲自要『与他们同在，』作他们的天主；
21:4 他要拭去他们眼上的一切泪痕；以后再也没有死亡，再也没有悲伤，没有哀号，没有苦楚，因为先前的都已过去了。」
21:5 那位坐在宝座上的说：「看，我已更新了一切。」又说：「你写下来！因为这些话都是可信而真实的。」
21:6 他又给我说：「已完成了！我是「阿耳法」和「敖默加，」元始和终末。我要把生命的水白白地赐给口渴的人喝。
21:7 胜利者必要承受这些福分：我要作他的天主，他要作我的儿子。
21:8 可是，为那些怯懦的、失信的、可耻的、杀人的、奸淫的、行邪术的、拜偶像的，以及一切撒谎的人，他们的地方是在烈火与硫磺燃烧着的坑中：这就是第二次死亡。」

新耶路撒冷
21:9 那拿着七个满盛最后七种灾祸盂的七位天使，其中有一位来告诉我说：「你来！我要把羔羊的净配新娘指给你看。」
21:10 天使就使我神魂超拔，把我带到一座又大又高的山上，将那从天上，由天主那里降下的圣城耶路撒冷，指给我看。
21:11 这圣城具有天主的光荣；城的光辉，好似极贵重的宝石，象水晶那么明亮的苍玉；
21:12 城墙高而且大，有十二座门，守门的有十二位天使，门上写着以色列子民十二支派的名字。
21:13 东面三门，北面三门，南面三门，西面三门。
21:14 城墙有十二座基石，上面刻着羔羊的十二位宗徒的十二个名字。
21:15 同我谈话的那位天使拿着金芦苇测量尺，要测量那城、城门和城墙。
21:16 城是四方形的，长宽相同。天使用芦苇测量尺测量了那城，共计一万二千「斯塔狄，」长、宽、高都相等；
21:17 又测量了城墙，有一百四十四肘；天使用的，是人的尺寸。
21:18 城墙是用水苍玉建造的，城是纯金的，好像明净的玻璃。
21:19 城墙的基石，是用各种宝石装饰的：第一座基石是水苍玉，第二座是蓝玉，第三座是玉髓，第四座是翡翠，
21:20 第五座是赤玛瑙，第六座是斑玛瑙，第七座是橄榄石，第八座是绿柱石，第九座是黄玉，第十座是绿玉，第十一座是紫玉，第十二座是紫晶。
21:21 十二座门是十二种珍珠，每一座门是由一种珍珠造的；城中的街道是纯金的，好似透明的玻璃。
21:22 在城内我没有看见圣殿，因为上主全能的天主和羔羊就是她的圣殿。
21:23 那城也不需要太阳和月亮光照，因为有天主的光荣照耀她；羔羊就是她的明灯。
21:24 万民都要着她的光行走，世上的君王也要把自己的光荣带到她内。
21:25 她的门白日总不关闭，因为那里已没有黑夜。
21:26 万民都要把自己的光荣和财富运到她内。
21:27 凡不洁净、行可耻的事及撒谎的，绝对不得进入她内；只有那些记载在羔羊生命册上的，才得进入。

 

 

第二十二章

永远的福乐(21)　
22:1 天使又指示给我一条生命之水的河流，光亮有如水晶，从天主和羔羊的宝座那里涌出，
22:2 流在城的街道中央；沿河两岸，有生命树，一年结十二次果子，每月结果一次，树的叶子可治好万民。
22:3 一切诅咒不再存在了。天主和羔羊的宝座必在其中，他的众仆要钦崇他，
22:4 瞻望他的容貌；他们额上常带着他的名字。
22:5 也不再有黑夜了，他们不需要灯光，也不需要日光，因为上主天主要光照他们；他们必要为王，至于无穷之世。

结尾语

必要实现的预言　
22:6 天使又给我说：「这些话都是可信而真实的，因为是赐先知神恩的上主天主，派遣了自己的使者，把那些必须快要发生的事指示给自己的仆人们。」
22:7 「记住！我快要来。凡遵守本书预言的，是有福的。」
22:8 我若望听见了，也看见了这一切；我听完看完以后，便俯伏在指示我这些事的那天使脚前，要朝拜他；
22:9 他却对我说：「万不可这样作！我只是你和你的弟兄诸先知，以及那些遵守本书预言的同仆，你只该朝拜天主。」

基督最后的忠告　
22:10 耶稣对我说：「你不可密封本书的预言，因为时期已临近了。
22:11 让不义的，仍行不义罢！让污秽的，仍旧污秽罢！让行义的，仍旧行义罢！让圣洁的，仍旧圣洁罢！
22:12 记住！我快要来。我随身带着报酬，要按照各人的行为还报各人。
22:13 我是「阿耳法」和「敖默加，」最初的和最末的，元始和终末。
22:14 那些洗净自己衣服的，是有福的！他们有吃生命树果的权利，并得由门进入圣城。
22:15 凡为狗的，行邪术的，奸淫的，杀人的，拜偶像的，以及一切喜爱撒谎并实在撒谎的人，都留在城外。
22:16 我耶稣派遣了我的使者，给你们证明了有关教会的这些事。我是出于达味家族的后裔，我是那颗明亮的晨星。」

圣神和教会的回答　
22:17 圣神和新娘都说：「你来罢！」凡听见的也要说：「你来罢！」凡口渴的，请来罢！凡愿意的，可白白领取生命的水，］

警戒增删本书的人　
22:18 我向一切听本书预言的人警告说：谁若在这些预言上加添什么，天主必要把载于本书上的灾祸，加在他身上；
22:19 谁若从这书上的预言删除什么，天主必要从本书所载的生命树和圣城中，删除他的名分。

祝福辞　
22:20 为这些事而作证的那位说：「的确，我快要来。」「阿们。主耶稣，你来罢！」
22:21 愿主耶稣的恩宠与众圣徒同在！阿们。

 

 

BOOK ENDS. Seraphim, April 2009.

JB REVELATION Chapter 1

 

Prologue

1:1 This is the revelation given by God to Jesus Christ so that he could tell his servants about the things which are now to take place[*a] very soon; he sent his angel to make it known to his servant John,

1:2 and John has written down everything he saw and swears it is the word of God guaranteed by Jesus Christ.

1:3 Happy the man who reads this prophecy, and happy those who listen to him, if they treasure all that it says, because the Time is close.

 

1. THE LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES OF ASIA

 

Address and greeting.[*b]

1:4 From John, to the seven churches of Asia: grace and peace to you from him who is, who was, and who is to come, from the seven spirits in his presence before his throne,

1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood,

1:6 and made us a line of kings, priests to serve his God and Father; to him, then, be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

1:7 It is he who is coming on the clouds; everyone will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the races of the earth will mourn over him. This is the truth. Amen.

1:8 ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’ says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.

 

The beginning of the vision

1:9 My name is John, and through our union in Jesus I am your brother and share your sufferings, your kingdom, and all you endure. I was on the island of Patmos[*c] for having preached God’s word and witnessed for Jesus;

1:10 it was the Lord’s day and the Spirit possessed me, and I heard a voice behind me, shouting like a trumpet,

1:11 ‘Write down all that you see in a book, and send it to the seven churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea’.

1:12 I turned round to see who had spoken to me, and when I turned I saw seven golden lamp-stands

1:13 and, surrounded by them, a figure like a Son of man,[*d] dressed in a long robe tied at the waist with a golden girdle.

1:14 His head and his hair were white as white wool or as snow, his eyes like a burning flame,

1:15 his feet like burnished bronze when it has been refined in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of the ocean.[*e]

1:16 In his right hand he was holding seven stars, out of his mouth came a sharp sword, double-edged, and his face was like the sun shining with all its force.

1:17 When I saw him, I fell in a dead faint at his feet, but he touched me with his right hand and said, ‘Do not be afraid; it is I, the First and the Last; I am the Living One,

1:18 I was dead and now I am to live for ever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and of the underworld.

1:19 Now write down all that you see of present happenings and things that are still to come[*f]

1:20 The secret of the seven stars you have seen in my right hand, and of the seven golden lamp-stands is this: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp-stands are the seven churches themselves.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 2

 

1. Ephesus

2:1 ‘Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus and say, “Here is the message of the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who lives surrounded by the seven golden lamp-stands:

2:2 I know all about you: how hard you work and how much you put up with. I know you cannot stand wicked men, and how you tested the impostors who called themselves apostles and proved they were liars.

2:3 know, too, that you have patience, and have suffered for my name without growing tired.

2:4 Nevertheless, I have this complaint to make; you have less love now than you used to.

2:5 Think where you were before you fell; repent, and do as you used to at first, or else, if you will not repent, I shall come to you and take your lamp-stand from its place.

2:6 It is in your favour, nevertheless, that you loathe as I do what the Nicolaitans are doing.

2:7 If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches: those who prove victorious I will feed from the tree of life set in God’s paradise.”[*a]

 

2. Smyrna

2:8 ‘Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna and say, “Here is the message of the First and the Last, who was dead and has come to life again:

2:9 I know the trials you have had, and how poor you are – though you are rich – and the slanderous accusations that have been made by the people who profess to be Jews but are really members of the synagogue of Satan.

2:10 Do not be afraid of the sufferings that are coming to you: I tell you, the devil is going to send some of you to prison to test you, and you must face an ordeal for ten days.[*b] Even if you have to die, keep faithful, and I will give you the crown of life for your prize.

2:11 If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches: for those who prove victorious there is nothing to be afraid of in the second death.”

 

3. Pergamum

2:12 ‘Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum and say, “Here is the message of the one who has the sharp sword, double-edged:

2:13 I know where you live, in the place where Satan is enthroned, and that you still hold firmly to my name, and did not disown your faith in me even when my faithful witness, Antipas, was killed in your own town, where Satan lives.[*c]

2:14 Nevertheless, I have one or two complaints to make: some of you are followers of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a trap for the Israelites so that they committed adultery by eating food that had been sacrificed to idols;

2:15 and among you, too, there are some as bad who accept what the Nicolaitans teach.

2:16 You must repent, or I shall soon come to you and attack these people with the sword out of my mouth.

2:17 If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches: to those who prove victorious I will give the hidden manna and a white stone[*d] – a stone with a new name written on it, known only to the man who receives it.”

4. Thyatira

2:18 ‘Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira and say, “Here is the message of the Son of God who has eyes like a burning flame and feet like burnished bronze:

2:19 I know all about you and how charitable you are; I know your faith and devotion and how much you put up with, and I know how you are still making progress.

2:20 Nevertheless, I have a complaint to make: you are encouraging the woman Jezebel[*e] who claims to be a prophetess, and by her teaching she is luring my servants away to commit the adultery of eating food which has been sacrificed to idols.

2:21 I have given her time to reform but she is not willing to change her adulterous life.

2:22 Now I am consigning her to bed, and all her partners in adultery to troubles that will test them severely, unless they repent of their practices;

2:23 and I will see that her children die, so that all the churches realise that it is I who search heart and loins and give each one of you what your behaviour deserves.[*f]

2:24 But on the rest of you in Thyatira, all of you who have not accepted this teaching or learnt the secrets of Satan, as they are called, I am not laying any special duty;

2:25 but hold firmly on to what you already have until I come.

2:26 To those who prove victorious, and keep working for me until the end,

2:27 I will give the authority over the pagans[*g]

2:28 which I myself have been given by my Father, to rule them with an iron sceptre and shatter them like earthenware. And I will give him the Morning Star.[*h]

2:29 If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 3

 

5. Sardis

3:1 ‘Write to the angel of the church in Sardis and say, “Here is the message of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know all about you: how you are reputed to be alive and yet are dead.

3:2 Wake up; revive what little you have left: it is dying fast. So far I have failed to notice anything in the way you live that my God could possibly call perfect,

3:3 and yet do you remember how eager you were. when you first heard the message? Hold on to that. Repent. If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, without telling you at what hour to expect me.

3:4 There are a few in Sardis, it is true, who have kept their robes from being dirtied, and they are fit to come with me, dressed in white.

3:5 Those who prove victorious will be dressed, like these, in white robes; I shall not blot their names out of the book of life, but acknowledge their names in the presence of my Father and his angels.

3:6 If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

 

6. Philadelphia

3:7 Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia and say, “Here is the message of the holy and faithful one who has the key of David, so that when he opens, nobody can close, and when he closes, nobody can open:[*a]

3:8 I know all about you; and now I have opened in front of you a door that nobody will be able to close – and I know that though you are not very strong, you have kept my commandments and not disowned my name.

3:9 Now I am going to make the synagogue of Satan – those who profess to be Jews, but are liars, because they are no such thing – I will make them come and fall at your feet[*b] and admit that you are the people that I love.[*c]

3:10 Because you have kept my commandment to endure trials, I will keep you safe in the time of trial which is going to come for the whole world, to test the people of the world.

3:11 Soon I shall be with you: hold firmly to what you already have, and let nobody take your prize away from you.

3:12 Those who prove victorious I will make into pillars in the sanctuary of my God, and they will stay there for ever; I will inscribe on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God in heaven, and my own new name as well.

3:13 If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

 

7. Laodicea

3:14 ‘Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea and say, “Here is the message of the Amen, the faithful, the true witness, the ultimate source of God’s creation:

3:15 I know all about you: how you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were one or the other,

3:16 but since you are neither, but only lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth.

3:17 You say to yourself, ‘I am rich, I have made a fortune, and have everything I want’, never realising that you are wretchedly and pitiably poor, and blind and naked too.

3:18 I warn you, buy from me the gold that has been tested in the fire to make you really rich, and white robes to clothe you and cover your shameful nakedness, and eye ointment to put on your eyes so that you are able to see.

3:19 I am the one who reproves and disciplines all those he loves:[*d] so repent in real earnest.

3:20 Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share his meal, side by side with him.

3:21 Those who prove victorious I will allow to share my throne, just as I was victorious myself and took my place with my Father on his throne.

3:22 If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”‘

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 4

 

1. THE PROPHETIC VISIONS

 

1. THE PRELUDE TO THE GREAT DAY

 

God entrusts the future of the world to the Lamb

4:1 Then, in my vision, I saw a door open in heaven and heard the same voice speaking to me, the voice like a trumpet, saying, ‘Come up here: I will show you what is to come in the future’.

4:2 With that, the Spirit possessed me and I saw a throne standing in heaven, and the One who was sitting on the throne,

4:3 and the Person sitting there looked like a diamond and a ruby. There was a rainbow encircling the throne, and this looked like an emerald.[*a]

4:4 Round the throne in a circle were twenty-four thrones, and on them I saw twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white robes with golden crowns on their heads.

4:5 Flashes of lightning were coming from the throne, and the sound of peals of thunder, and in front of the throne there were seven flaming lamps burning, the seven Spirits of God.

4:6 Between the throne and myself was a sea that seemed to be made of glass, like crystal. In the centre, grouped round the throne itself, were four animals [*b] with many eyes, in front and behind.

4:7 The first animal was like a lion, the second like a bull, the third animal had a human face, and the fourth animal was like a flying eagle.

4:8 Each of the four animals had six wings and had eyes all the way round as well as inside; and day and night they never stopped singing: ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty; he was, he is and he is to come’.

4:9 Every time the animals glorified and honoured and gave thanks to the One sitting on the throne, who lives for ever and ever,

4:10 the twenty-four elders prostrated themselves before him to worship the One who lives for ever and ever, and threw down their crowns in front of the throne, saying,

4:11 ‘You are our Lord and our God, you are worthy of glory and honour and power, because you made all the universe and it was only by your will that everything was made and exists’.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 5

 

5:1 I saw that in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne there was a scroll that had writing on back and front[*a] and was sealed with seven seals.

5:2 Then I saw a powerful angel who called with a loud voice, ‘Is there anyone worthy to open the scroll and break the seals of it?’

5:3 But there was no one, in heaven or on the earth or under the earth, who was able to open the scroll and read it.

5:4 I wept bitterly because there was nobody fit to open the scroll and read it,

5:5 but one of the elders said to me, ‘There is no need to cry: the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root[*b] of David, has triumphed, and he will open the scroll and the seven seals of it’.

5:6 Then I saw, standing between the throne with its four animals and the circle of the elders, a Lamb that seemed to have been sacrificed; it had seven horns, and it had seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits God has sent out all over the world.[*c]

5:7 The Lamb came forward to take the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on the throne,

5:8 and when he took it, the four animals prostrated themselves before him and with them the twenty-four elders; each one of them was holding a harp and had a golden bowl full of incense made of the prayers of the saints.

5:9 They sang a new hymn: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and break the seals of it, because you were sacrificed, and with your blood you bought men for God of every race, language, people and nation

5:10 and made them a line of kings and priests,[*d] to serve our God and to rule the world’.

5:11 In my vision, I heard the sound of an immense number of angels gathered round the throne and the animals and the elders; there were ten thousand times ten thousand of them[*e] and thousands upon thousands,

5:12 shouting, ‘The Lamb that was sacrificed is worthy to be given power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing’.

5:13 Then I heard all the living things in creation – everything that lives in the air, and on the ground, and under the ground, and in the sea, crying, ‘To the One who is sitting on the throne and to the Lamb, be all praise, honour, glory and power, for ever and ever’.

5:14 And the four animals said, ‘Amen’; and the elders prostrated themselves to worship.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 6

 

The Lamb breaks the seven seals

6:1 Then I saw the Lamb break one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four animals shout in a voice like thunder, ‘Come’.

6:2 Immediately a white horse appeared, and the rider on it was holding a bow; he was given the victor’s crown and he went away, to go from victory to victory.

6:3 When he broke the second seal, I heard the second animal shout, ‘Come’.

6:4 And out came another horse, bright red, and its rider was given this duty: to take away peace from the earth and set people killing each other. He was given a huge sword.

6:5 When he broke the third seal, I heard the third animal shout, ‘Come’. Immediately a black horse appeared, and its rider was holding a pair of scales;

6:6 and I seemed to hear a voice shout from among the four animals and say, ‘A ration of corn for a day’s wages, and three rations of barley for a day’s wages, but do not tamper with the oil or the wine’.

6:7 When he broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth animal shout, ‘Come’.

6:8 Immediately another horse appeared, deathly pale, and its rider was called Plague, and Hades followed at his heels. They were given authority over a quarter of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague and wild beasts.[*a]

6:9 When he broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of all the people who had been killed on account of the word of God, for witnessing to it.

6:10 They shouted aloud, ‘Holy, faithful Master, how much longer will you wait before you pass sentence and take vengeance for our death on the inhabitants of the earth?’

6:11 Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little longer, until the roll was complete and their fellow servants and brothers had been killed just as they had been.

6:12 In my vision, when he broke the sixth seal, there was a violent earthquake and the sun went as black as coarse sackcloth; the moon turned red as blood all over,

6:13 and the stars of the sky fell[*b] on to the earth like figs dropping from a fig tree when a high wind shakes it;

6:14 the sky disappeared like a scroll rolling up and all the mountains and islands were shaken from their places.

6:15 Then all the earthly rulers, the governors and the commanders, the rich people and the men of influence, the whole population, slaves and citizens, took to the mountains to hide in caves and among the rocks.[*c]

6:16 They said to the mountains[*d] and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us away from the One who sits on the throne and from the anger of the Lamb.

6:17 For the Great Day of his anger has come, and who can survive it?'[*e]

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 7

 

God’s servants will be preserved

7:1 Next I saw four angels, standing at the four corners of the earth[*a], holding the four winds of the world back to keep them from blowing over the land or the sea or in the trees.

7:2 Then I saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea,

7:3 ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads[*b] of the servants of our God’.

7:4 Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand,[*c] out of all the tribes of Israel.

7:5 From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand had been sealed; from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand;

7:6 from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand;

7:7 from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand;

7:8 from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand; from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand; and from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

 

The rewarding of the saints

7:9 After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud,

7:10 ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’

7:11 And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words,

7:12 ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’

7:13 One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’

7:14 I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord’. Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution,[*d] and because they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb,

7:15 they now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

7:16 They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them,

7:17 because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water;[*e] and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.[*f]

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 8

 

The seventh seal

8:1 The Lamb then broke the seventh seal, and there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.[*a]

 

The prayers of the saints bring the coming of the Great Day nearer

8:2 Next I saw seven trumpets being given to the seven angels who stand in the presence of God.

8:3 Another angel, who had a golden censer,[*b] came and stood at the altar.[*c] A large quantity of incense was given to him to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that stood in front of the throne;

8:4 and so from the angel’s hand the smoke of the incense went up in the presence of God and with it the prayers of the saints.

8:5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire from the altar, which he then threw down on to the earth; immediately there came peals of thunder and flashes of lightning, and the earth shook.

 

The first four trumpets

8:6 The seven angels that had the seven trumpets now made ready to sound them.

8:7 The first blew his trumpet and, with that, hail and fire, mixed with blood, were dropped on the earth; a third of the earth was burnt up, and a third of all trees, and every blade of grass was burnt.

8:8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and it was as though a great mountain, all on fire, had been dropped into the sea: a third of the sea turned into blood,

8:9 a third of all the living things in the sea were killed, and a third of all ships were destroyed.

8:10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a huge star fell from the sky, burning like a ball of fire, and it fell on a third of all rivers and springs;

8:11 this was the star called Wormwood, and a third of all water turned to bitter wormwood, so that many people died from drinking it.

8:12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were blasted, so that the light went out of a third of them and for a third of the day there was no illumination, and the same with the night.

8:13 In my vision, I heard an eagle, calling aloud as it flew high overhead, ‘Trouble, trouble, trouble, for all the people on earth at the sound of the other three trumpets which the three angels are going to blow’.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 9

 

The fifth trumpet

9:1 Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star[*a] that had fallen from heaven on to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft leading down to the Abyss.[*b]

9:2 When he unlocked the shaft of the Abyss, smoke poured up out of the Abyss like the smoke from a huge furnace[*c] so that the sun and the sky were darkened by it,

9:3 and out of the smoke dropped locusts which were given the powers that scorpions have on the earth:

9:4 they were forbidden to harm any fields or crops or trees and told only to attack any men who were without God’s seal on their foreheads.

9:5 They were not to kill them, but to give them pain for five months, and the pain was to be the pain of a scorpion’s sting.

9:6 When this happens, men will long for death and not find it anywhere ;[*d] they will want to die and death will evade them.

9:7 To look at, these locusts were like horses armoured for battle[*e]; they had things that looked like gold crowns on their heads, and faces that seemed human,

9:8 and hair like women’s hair, and teeth like lions’ teeth.

9:9 They had body-armour like iron breastplates, and the noise of their wings sounded like a great charge of horses and chariots into battle.

9:10 Their tails were like scorpions’, with stings, and it was with them that they were able to injure people for five months.

9:11 As their leader they had their emperor, the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, or Apollyon[*f] in Greek.

9:12 That was the first of the troubles; there are still two more to come.

 

The sixth trumpet

9:13 The sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice come out of the four horns of the golden altar in front of God.

9:14 It spoke to the sixth angel with the trumpet, and said, ‘Release the four angels that are chained up at the great river Euphrates’.

9:15 These four angels had been put there ready for this hour of this day of this month of this year, and now they were released to destroy a third of the human race.

9:16 I learnt how many there were in their army: twice ten thousand times ten thousand mounted men.

9:17 In my vision I saw the horses, and the riders with their breastplates of flame colour, hyacinth-blue and sulphur-yellow; the horses had lions’ heads, and fire, smoke and sulphur were coming out of their mouths.

9:18 It was by these three plagues, the fire, the smoke and the sulphur coming out of their mouths, that the one third of the human race was killed.

9:19 All the horses’ power was in their mouths and their tails: their tails were like snakes, and had heads that were able to wound.

9:20 But the rest of the human race, who escaped these plagues, refused either to abandon the things they had made with their own hands[*g] – the idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood[*h] that can neither see nor hear nor move – or to stop worshipping devils.

9:21 Nor did they give up their murdering, or witchcraft, or fornication or stealing.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 10

 

The imminence of the last punishment

10:1 Then I saw another powerful angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were pillars of fire.

10:2 In his hand he had a small scroll, unrolled; he put his right foot in the sea and his left foot on the land

10:3 and he shouted so loud, it was like a lion roaring. At this, seven claps of thunder made themselves heard

10:4 and when the seven thunderclaps had spoken, I was preparing to write, when I heard a voice from heaven say to me, ‘Keep the words of the seven thunderclaps secret and do not write them down’.

10:5 Then the angel that I had seen, standing on the sea and the land, raised his right hand to heaven,[*a]

10:6 and swore by the One who lives for ever and ever, and made heaven and all that is in it, and earth and all it bears, and the sea and all it holds,[*b] ‘The time of waiting is over;

10:7 at the time when the seventh angel is heard sounding his trumpet, God’s secret intention will be fulfilled, just as he announced in the Good News told to his servants the prophets’.

 

The seer eats the small scroll

10:8 Then I heard the voice I had heard from heaven speaking to me again. ‘Go,’ it said ‘and take that open scroll out of the hand of the angel standing on sea and land.’

10:9 I went to the angel and asked him to give me the small scroll, and he said, ‘Take it and eat it; it will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey’.

10:10 So I took it out of the angel’s hand, and swallowed it; it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach turned sour.

10:11 Then I was told, ‘You are to prophesy again, this time about many different nations and countries and languages and emperors’.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 11

 

The two witnesses

11:1 I was given a long cane as a measuring rod, and I was told, ‘Go and measure God’s sanctuary, and the altar, and the people who worship there;

11:2 but leave out the outer court and do not measure it, because it has been handed over to pagans – they will trample on the holy city for forty-two months.[*a]

11:3 But I shall send my two witnesses to prophesy for those twelve hundred and sixty days, wearing sackcloth.

11:4 These are the two olive trees[*b] and the two lamps that stand before the Lord of the world.[*c]

11:5 Fire can come from their mouths and consume their enemies if anyone tries to harm them; and if anybody does try to harm them he will certainly be killed in this way.

11:6 They are able to lock up the sky so that it does not rain as long as they are prophesying; they are able to turn water into blood and strike the whole world with any plague as often as they like.

11:7 When they have completed their witnessing, the beast that comes out of the Abyss is going to make war on them and overcome them[*d] and kill them.

11:8 Their corpses will lie in the main street of the Great City known by the symbolic names Sodom and Egypt, in which their Lord was crucified.[*e]

11:9 Men out of every people, race, language and nation will stare at their corpses, for three-and-a-half days, not letting them be buried,

11:10 and the people of the world will be glad about it and celebrate the event by giving presents to each other, because these two prophets have been a plague to the people of the world.’

11:11 After the three-and-a-half days, God breathed life into them and they stood up,[*f] and everybody who saw it happen was terrified;

11:12 then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come up here’, and while their enemies were watching, they went up to heaven in a cloud.

11:13 Immediately, there was a violent earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed; seven thousand persons[*g] were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors, overcome with fear, could only praise the God of heaven.

 

The seventh trumpet

11:14 That was the second of the troubles; the third is to come quickly after it.

11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and voices could be heard shouting in heaven, calling, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever’.

11:16 The twenty-four elders, enthroned in the presence of God, prostrated themselves and touched the ground with their foreheads worshipping God

11:17 with these words, ‘We give thanks to you, Almighty Lord God, He-Is-and-He-Was, for using your great power and beginning your reign.

11:18 The nations were seething with rage[*h] and now the time has come for your own anger, and for the dead to be judged, and for your servants the prophets, for the saints and for all who worship you, small or great, to be rewarded. The time has come to destroy those who are destroying the earth.’

11:19 Then the sanctuary of God in heaven opened and the ark of the covenant could be seen inside it. Then came flashes of lightning, peals of thunder and an earthquake, and violent hail.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 12

 

The vision of the woman and the dragon

12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, adorned with the sun, standing on the moon, and with the twelve stars on her head for a crown.

12:2 She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth.

12:3 Then a second sign appeared in the sky, a huge red dragon which had seven heads and ten horns, and each of the seven heads crowned with a coronet.

12:4 Its tail dragged a third of the stars from the sky and dropped them to the earth,[*a] and the dragon stopped in front of the woman as she was having the child, so that he could eat it as soon as it was born from its mother.

12:5 The woman brought a male child into the world, the son who was to rule all the nations with an iron sceptre,[*b] and the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne,

12:6 while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had made a place of safety ready, for her to be looked after in the twelve hundred and sixty days.

12:7 And now war broke out in heaven, when Michael with his angels attacked the dragon. The dragon fought back with his angels,

12:8 but they were defeated and driven out of heaven.

12:9 The great dragon, the primeval serpent, known as the devil or Satan, who had deceived all the world, was hurled down to the earth and his angels were hurled down with him.

12:10 Then I heard a voice shout from heaven, ‘Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ, now that the persecutor, who accused our brothers day and night before our God, has been brought down.

12:11 They have triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the witness of their martyrdom, because even in the face of death they would not cling to life.

12:12 Let the heavens rejoice and all who live there; but for you, earth and sea, trouble is coming – because the devil has gone down to you in a rage, knowing that his days are numbered.’

12:13 As soon as the devil found himself thrown down to the earth, he sprang in pursuit of the woman, the mother of the male child,

12:14 but she was given a huge pair of eagle’s wings to fly away from the serpent into the desert, to the place where she was to be looked after for a year and twice a year and half a year[*c]

12:15 So the serpent vomited water from his mouth, like a river, after the woman, to sweep her away in the current,

12:16 but the earth came to her rescue; it opened its mouth and swallowed the river thrown up by the dragon’s jaws.

12:17 Then the dragon was enraged with the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, that is, all who obey God’s commandments and bear witness for Jesus.

 

The dragon delegates his power to the beast

12:18 I was standing on the seashore.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 13

 

13:1 Then I saw a beast emerge from the sea:[*a] it had seven heads and ten horns, with a coronet on each of its ten horns, and its heads were marked with blasphemous titles.[*b]

13:2 I saw that the beast was like a leopard, with paws like a bear and a mouth like a lion;[*c] the dragon had handed over to it his own power and his throne and his worldwide authority.

13:3 I saw that one of its heads seemed to have had a fatal wound but that this deadly injury had healed and, after that, the whole world had marvelled and followed the beast.

13:4 They prostrated themselves in front of the dragon because he had given the beast his authority; and they prostrated themselves in front of the beast, saying, ‘Who can compare with the beast?[*d] How could anybody defeat him?’

13:5 For forty-two months the beast was allowed to mouth its boasts[*e] and blasphemies and to do whatever it wanted;

13:6 and it mouthed its blasphemies against God, against his name, his heavenly Tent and all those who are sheltered there.

13:7 It was allowed to make war against the saints and conquer them, and given power over every race, people, language and nation;

13:8 and all people of the world will worship it, that is, everybody whose name has not been written down since the foundation of the world in the book of life of the sacrificial Lamb.

13:9 If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen:

13:10 Captivity for those who are destined for captivity; the sword for those who are to die by the sword.[*f] This is why the saints must have constancy and faith.

 

The false prophet as the slave of the beast

13:11 Then I saw a second beast;[*g] it emerged from the ground; it had two horns like a lamb, but made a noise like a dragon.

13:12 This second beast was servant to the first beast, and extended its authority everywhere, making the world and all its people worship the first beast, which had had the fatal wound and had been healed.

13:13 And it worked great miracles, even to calling down fire from heaven on to the earth while people watched.

13:14 Through the miracles which it was allowed to do on behalf of the first beast, it was able to win over the people of the world and persuade them to put up a statue in honour of the beast that had been wounded by the sword and still lived.

13:15 It was allowed to breathe life into this statue, so that the statue of the beast was able to speak, and to have anyone who refused to worship the statue of the beast[*h] put to death.

13:16 He compelled everyone – small and great, rich and poor, slave and citizen – to be branded on the right hand or on the forehead,

13:17 and made it illegal for anyone to buy or sell anything unless he had been branded with the name of the beast or with the number of its name.

13:18 There is need for shrewdness here: if anyone is clever enough he may interpret the number of the beast: it is the number of a man, the number 666[*i].

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 14

 

The companions of the Lamb

14:1 Next in my vision I saw Mount Zion, and standing on it a Lamb who had with him a hundred and forty-four thousand people, all with his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

14:2 I heard a sound coming out of the sky like the sound of the ocean or the roar of thunder; it seemed to be the sound of harpists playing their harps.

14:3 There in front of the throne they were singing a new hymn in the presence of the four animals and the elders, a hymn that could only be learnt by the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the world.

14:4 These are the ones who have kept their virginity[*a] and not been defiled with women; they follow the Lamb wherever he goes; they have been redeemed from amongst men to be the first-fruits for God[*b] and for the Lamb.

14:5 They never allowed a lie to pass their lips[*c] and no fault can be found in them.

 

Angels announce the day of Judgement

14:6 Then I saw another angel, flying high overhead, sent to announce the Good News of eternity to all who live on the earth, every nation, race, language and tribe.

14:7 He was calling, ‘Fear God and praise him, because the time has come for him to sit in judgement; worship the maker of heaven and earth and sea[*d] and every water-spring’.

14:8 A second angel followed him, calling, ‘Babylon has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen,[*e] Babylon which gave the whole world the wine of God’s anger to drink’.

14:9 A third angel followed, shouting aloud, ‘All those who worship the beast and his statue, or have had themselves branded on the hand or forehead,

14:10 will be made to drink the wine of God’s fury which is ready, undiluted, in his cup of anger; in fire and brimstone[*f] they will be tortured in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb

14:11 and the smoke of their torture will go up for ever[*g] and ever. There will be no respite, night or day, for those who worshipped the beast or its statue or accepted branding with its name.’

14:12 This is why there must be constancy in the saints who keep the commandments of God and faith in Jesus.

14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say to me, ‘Write down: Happy are those who die in the Lord! Happy indeed, the Spirit says; now they can rest for ever after their work, since their good deeds go with them.’

 

The harvest and vintage of the pagans

14:14 Now in my vision I saw a white cloud and, sitting on it, one like a son of man with a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

14:15 Then another angel came out of the sanctuary, and shouted aloud to the one sitting on the cloud, ‘Put your sickle in and reap: harvest time has come and the harvest of the earth is ripe'[*h].

14:16 Then the one sitting on the cloud set his sickle to work on the earth, and the earth’s harvest was reaped.

14:17 Another angel, who also carried a sharp sickle, came out of the temple in heaven,

14:18 and the angel in charge of the fire left the altar and shouted aloud to the one with the sharp sickle, ‘Put your sickle in and cut all the bunches off the vine of the earth; all its grapes are ripe’.

14:19 So the angel set his sickle to work on the earth and harvested the whole vintage of the earth and put it into a huge winepress, the winepress of God’s anger,

14:20 outside the city, where it was trodden until the blood that came out of the winepress was up to the horses’ bridles as far away as sixteen hundred furlongs.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 15

 

The hymn of Moses and the Lamb

15:1 What I saw next, in heaven, was a great and wonderful sign: seven angels were bringing the seven plagues that are the last of all, because they exhaust the anger of God.

15:2 It seemed to see a glass lake suffused with fire, and standing by the lake of glass, those who had fought against the beast and won, and against his statue and the number which is his name. They all had harps from God,

15:3 and they were singing the hymn of Moses, the servant of God, and of the Lamb: ‘How great and wonderful are all your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are all your ways, King of nations.

15:4 Who would not revere and praise your name, O Lord? You alone are holy, and all the pagans will come and adore you for the many acts of justice you have shown.'[*a]

 

The seven bowls of plagues

15:5 After this, in my vision, the sanctuary, the Tent of the Testimony, opened in heaven,

15:6 and out came the seven angels with the seven plagues, wearing pure white linen, fastened round their waists with golden girdles.

15:7 One of the four animals gave the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the anger of God who lives for ever and ever.

15:8 The smoke from the glory and the power of God filled the temple so that no one could go into it[*b] until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 16

 

16:1 Then I heard a voice from the sanctuary shouting to the seven angels, ‘Go, and empty the seven bowls of God’s anger over the earth’.

16:2 The first angel went and emptied his bowl over the earth; at once, on all the people who had been branded with the mark of the beast and had worshipped its statue, there came disgusting and virulent sores.

16:3 The second angel emptied his bowl over the sea, and it turned to blood, like the blood of a corpse, and every living creature in the sea died.

16:4 The third angel emptied his bowl into the rivers and water-springs and they turned into blood.

16:5 Then I heard the angel of water say, ‘You are the holy He-Is-and-He-Was, the Just One, and this is a just punishment:

16:6 they spilt the blood of the saints and the prophets, and blood is what you have given them to drink; it is what they deserve’.

16:7 And I heard the altar itself say, ‘Truly, Lord God Almighty, the punishments you give are true and just’.

16:8 The fourth angel emptied his bowl over the sun and it was made to scorch people with its flames;

16:9 but though people were scorched by the fierce heat of it they cursed the name of God who had the power to cause such plagues, and they would not repent and praise him.

16:10 The fifth angel emptied his bowl over the throne of the beast and its whole empire was plunged into darkness. Men were biting their tongues for pain,

16:11 but instead of repenting for what they had done, they cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and sores.

16:12 The sixth angel emptied his bowl over the great river Euphrates; all the water dried up so that a way was made for the kings of the East[*a] to come in.

16:13 Then from the jaws of dragon and beast and false prophet I saw three foul spirits come; they looked like frogs

16:14 and in fact were demon spirits, able to work miracles, going out to all the kings of the world to call them together for the war of the Great Day of God the Almighty.-

16:15 This is how it will be: I shall come like a thief. Happy is the man who has stayed awake and not taken off his clothes so that he does not go out naked and expose his shame. –

16:16 They called the kings together at the place called, in Hebrew, Armageddon.[*b]

16:17 The seventh angel emptied his bowl into the air, and a voice shouted from the sanctuary, ‘The end has come’.

16:18 Then there were flashes of lightning and peals of thunder and the most violent earthquake that anyone has ever seen since there have been men on the earth.[*c]

16:19 The Great City was split into three parts and the cities of the world collapsed; Babylon the Great was not forgotten: God made her drink the full winecup of his anger.

16:20 Every island vanished and the mountains disappeared;

16:21 and hail, with great hailstones weighing a talent each, fell from the sky on the people. They cursed God for sending a plague of hail; it was the most terrible plague.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 17

 

1. THE PUNISHMENT OF BABYLON

 

The famous prostitute

17:1 One of the seven angels that had the seven bowls came to speak to me, and said, ‘Come here and I will show you the punishment given to the famous prostitute[*a] who rules enthroned beside abundant waters[*,]b

17:2 the one with whom all the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and who has made all the population of the world drunk with the wine of her adultery’.[*c]

17:3 He took me in spirit to a desert, and there I saw a woman riding a scarlet beast which had seven heads and ten horns and had blasphemous titles written all over it.

17:4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and glittered with gold and jewels and pearls, and she was holding a gold winecup filled with the disgusting filth of her fornication;

17:5 on her forehead was written a name, a cryptic name: ‘Babylon the Great, the mother of all the prostitutes and all the filthy practices on the earth’.

17:6 I saw that she was drunk, drunk with the blood of the saints, and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus; and when I saw her, I was completely mystified.

17:7 The angel said to me, ‘Don’t you understand? Now I will tell you the meaning of this woman, and of the beast she is riding, with the seven heads and the ten horns.

 

The symbolism of the beast and the prostitute

17:8 ‘The beast you have seen once was and now is not;[*d] he is yet to come up from the Abyss, but only to go to his destruction. And the people of the world, whose names have not been written since the beginning of the world in the book of life, will think it miraculous when they see how the beast once was and now is not and is still to come.

17:9 Here there is need for cleverness, for a shrewd mind; the seven heads are the seven hills, and the woman is sitting on them.

17:10 The seven heads are also seven emperors. Five of them have already gone, one is here now, and one is yet to come; once here, he must stay for a short while.

17:11 The beast, who once was and now is not, is at the same time the eighth and one of the seven, and he is going to his destruction.

17:12 The ten horns are ten kings[*e] who have not yet been given their royal power but will have royal authority only for a single hour and in association with the beast.

17:13 They are all of one mind in putting their strength and their powers at the beast’s disposal,

17:14 and they will go to war against the Lamb; but the Lamb is the Lord of lords and the King of kings,[*f] and he will defeat them and they will be defeated by his followers, the called, the chosen, the faithful.’

17:15 The angel continued, ‘The waters you saw, beside which the prostitute was sitting, are all the peoples, the populations, the nations and the languages.

17:16 But the time will come when the ten horns and the beast will turn against the prostitute, and strip off her clothes and leave her naked;[*g] then they will eat her flesh and burn the remains in the fire.

17:17 In fact, God influenced their minds to do what he intended, to agree together to put their royal powers at the beast’s disposal until the time when God’s words should be fulfilled.

17:18 The woman you saw is the great city which has authority over all the rulers on earth.’

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 18

 

An angel announces the fall of Babylon

18:1 After this, I saw another angel come down from heaven, with great authority given to him; the earth was lit up with his glory.[*a]

18:2 At the top of his voice he shouted, ‘Babylon has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen, and has become the haunt of devils[*b] and a lodging for every foul spirit and dirty, loathsome bird.

18:3 All the nations have been intoxicated by the wine of her prostitution; every king in the earth has committed fornication with her, and every merchant grown rich through her debauchery.’

 

The people of God summoned away

18:4 A new voice spoke from heaven; I heard it say, ‘Come out, my people, away from her, so that you do not share in her crimes and have the same plagues to bear.

18:5 Her sins have reached up to heaven,[*c] and God has her crimes in mind:

18:6 she is to be paid in her own coin.[*d] She must be paid double the amount she exacted. She is to have a doubly strong cup of her own mixture.

18:7 Every one of her shows and orgies is to be matched by a torture or a grief. I am the queen on my throne, she says to herself,[*e] and I am no widow and shall never be in mourning.

18:8 For that, within a single day, the plagues will fall on her: disease and mourning and famine. She will be burnt right up. The Lord God has condemned her, and he has great power.’

 

The people of the world mourn for Babylon

18:9 There will be mourning and weeping for her by the kings of the earth who have fornicated with her and lived with her in luxury. They see the smoke as she burns,

18:10 while they keep at a safe distance from fear of her agony. They will say: ‘Mourn, mourn for this great city, Babylon, so powerful a city, doomed as you are within a single hour’.

18:11 There will be weeping and distress over her among all the traders of the earth when there is nobody left to buy their cargoes of goods;

18:12 their stocks of gold and silver, jewels and pearls, linen and purple and silks and scarlet; all the sandalwood, every piece in ivory or fine wood, in bronze or iron or marble;

18:13 the cinnamon and spices, the myrrh and ointment and incense; wine, oil, flour and corn; their stocks of cattle, sheep, horses and chariots, their slaves, their human cargo.

18:14 ‘All the fruits you had set your hearts on have failed you; gone for ever, never to return, is your life of magnificence and ease.’

18:15 The traders who had made a fortune out of her will be standing at a safe distance from fear of her agony, mourning and weeping.

18:16 They will be saying: ‘Mourn, mourn for this great city; for all the linen and purple and scarlet that you wore, for all your finery of gold and jewels and pearls;

18:17 your riches are all destroyed within a single hour’. All the captains and seafaring men, sailors and all those who make a living from the sea will be keeping a safe distance,

18:18 watching the smoke as she burns, and crying out, ‘Has there ever been a city as great as this!’

18:19 They will throw dust on their heads and say, with tears and groans: ‘Mourn, mourn for this great city whose lavish living has made a fortune for every owner of a sea-going ship; ruined within a single hour.’

18:20 ‘Now heaven, celebrate her downfall, and all you saints, apostles and prophets: God has given judgement for you against her.’

18:21 Then a powerful angel picked up a boulder like a great millstone, and as he hurled it into the sea, he said, ‘That is how the great city of Babylon is going to be hurled down, never to be seen again.

18:22 Never again in you, Babylon, will be heard the song of harpists and minstrels, the music of flute and trumpet; never again will craftsmen of every skill be found or the sound of the mill[*f] be heard;

18:23 never again will shine the light of the lamp, never again will be heard the voices of bridegroom and bride. Your traders were the princes of the earth, all the nations were under your spell.

18:24 In her you will find the blood of prophets and saints, and all the blood that was ever shed on earth.’

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 19

 

Songs of victory in heaven

19:1 After this I seemed to hear the great sound of a huge crowd in heaven, singing, ‘Alleluia! Victory and glory and power to our God!

19:2 He judges fairly, he punishes justly, and he has condemned the famous prostitute who corrupted the earth with her fornication; he has avenged his servants that she killed’.

19:3 They sang again, ‘Alleluia! The smoke of her will go up for ever and ever.’

19:4 Then the twenty-four elders and the four animals prostrated themselves and worshipped God seated there on his throne, and they cried, ‘Amen, Alleluia’.

19:5 Then a voice came from the throne; it said, ‘Praise our God, you servants of his and all who, great or small, revere him’.

19:6 And I seemed to hear the voices of a huge crowd, like the sound of the ocean or the great roar of thunder, answering, ‘Alleluia! The reign of the Lord our God Almighty has begun;

19:7 let us be glad and joyful and give praise to God, because this is the time for the marriage of the Lamb.

19:8 His bride is ready, and she has been able to dress herself in dazzling white linen, because her linen is made of the good deeds of the saints.’

19:9 The angel said, ‘Write this: Happy are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb’, and he added, ‘All the things you have written are true messages from God’.

19:10 Then I knelt at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, ‘Don’t do that: I am a servant just like you and all your brothers who are witnesses to Jesus. It is God that you must worship.’ The witness Jesus gave is the same as the spirit of prophecy.

 

1. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE PAGAN NATIONS

 

The first battle of the End

19:11 And now I saw heaven open, and a white horse appear; its rider was called Faithful and True; he is a judge with integrity[*a], a warrior for justice.

19:12 His eyes were flames of fire, and his head was crowned with many coronets; the name written on him was known only to himself,

19:13 his cloak was soaked in blood[*b] He is known by the name, The Word of God.

19:14 Behind him, dressed in linen of dazzling white, rode the armies of heaven on white horses.

19:15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike the pagans with; he is the one who will rule them with an iron sceptre,[*c] and tread out the wine of Almighty God’s fierce anger.

19:16 On his cloak and on his thigh[*d] there was a name written: The King of kings and the Lord of lords.

19:17 I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he shouted aloud to all the birds that were flying high overhead in the sky, Come here. Gather together at the great feast[*e] that God is giving.

19:18 There will be the flesh of kings for you, and the flesh of great generals and heroes, the flesh of horses and their riders and of all kinds of men, citizens and slaves, small and great.’

19:19 Then I saw the beast, with all the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to fight the rider and his army.

19:20 But the beast was taken prisoner, together with the false prophet who had worked miracles on the beast’s behalf and by them had deceived all who had been branded with the mark of the beast and worshipped his statue. These two were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur.

19:21 All the rest were killed by the sword of the rider, which came out of his mouth, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 20

 

The reign of a thousand years

20:1 Then I saw an angel come down from heaven with the key of the Abyss in his hand and an enormous chain.

20:2 He overpowered the dragon, that primeval serpent which is the devil and Satan, and chained him up for a thousand years.

20:3 He threw him into the Abyss, and shut the entrance and sealed it over him, to make sure he would not deceive the nations again until the thousand years had passed. At the end of that time he must be released, but only for a short while.

20:4 Then I saw some thrones, and I saw those who are given the power to be judges[*a] take their seats on them. I saw the souls of all who had been beheaded for having witnessed for Jesus and for having preached God’s word, and those who refused to worship the beast or his statue and would not have the brand-mark on their foreheads or hands; they came to life, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

20:5 This is the first resurrection; the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over.

20:6 Happy and blessed are those who share in the first resurrection; the second death cannot affect them but they will be priests of God and of Christ and reign with him for a thousand years.

 

The second battle of the End

20:7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison

20:8 and will come out to deceive all the nations in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog,[*b] and mobilise them for war. His armies will be as many as the sands of the sea;

20:9 they will come swarming over the entire country and besiege the camp of the saints, which is the city that God loves. But fire will come down on them from heaven[*c] and consume them.

20:10 Then the devil, who misled them, will be thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet are, and their torture will not stop, day or night, for ever and ever.

 

The punishment of the pagans

20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace.

20:12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the book of life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged.

20:13 The sea gave up all the dead who were in it;

20:14 Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and every one was judged according to the way in which he had lived. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the burning lake. This burning lake is the second death;

20:15 and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 21

 

1. THE JERUSALEM OF THE FUTURE

 

The heavenly Jerusalem

21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth ;[*a] the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea.

21:2 I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride all dressed for her husband.

21:3 Then I heard a loud voice call from the throne, ‘You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them; they shall be his people,[*b] and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them.

21:4 He will wipe away all tears from their eyes;[*c] there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone.’

21:5 Then the One sitting on the throne spoke: ‘Now I am making the whole of creation new’ he said. ‘Write this: that what I am saying is sure and will come true.’

21:6 And then he said, ‘It is already done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water from the well of life free to anybody who is thirsty;

21:7 it is the rightful inheritance of the one who proves victorious; and I will be his God and he a son to me.[*d]

21:8 But the legacy for cowards, for those who break their word, or worship obscenities, for murderers and fornicators, and for fortune-tellers, idolaters or any other sort of liars, is the second death in the burning lake of sulphur.’

 

The messianic Jerusalem

21:9 One of the seven angels that had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came to speak to me, and said, ‘Come here and I will show you the bride that the Lamb has married’.

21:10 In the spirit, he took me to the top of an enormous high mountain[*e] and showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven.

21:11 It had all the radiant glory of God[*f] and glittered like some precious jewel of crystal-clear diamond.

21:12 The walls of it were of a great height, and had twelve gates; at each of the twelve gates there was an angel, and over the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel;

21:13 on the east there were three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates[*g].

21:14 The city walls stood on twelve foundation stones, each one of which bore the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

21:15 The angel that was speaking to me was carrying a gold measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and wall.

21:16 The plan of the city is perfectly square, its length the same as its breadth. He measured the city with his rod and it was twelve thousand furlongs in length and in breadth, and equal in height.

21:17 He measured its wall, and this was a hundred and forty-four cubits high – the angel was using the ordinary cubit.

21:18 The wall was built of diamond, and the city of pure gold, like polished glass.

21:19 The foundations of the city wall were faced with all kinds of precious stone: the first with diamond, the second lapis lazuli, the third turquoise, the fourth crystal,

21:20 the fifth agate, the sixth ruby, the seventh gold quartz, the eighth malachite, the ninth topaz, the tenth emerald, the eleventh sapphire and the twelfth amethyst.

21:21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate being made of a single pearl, and the main street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass.

21:22 I saw that there was no temple in the city since the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb were themselves the temple,

21:23 and the city did not need the sun or the moon for light, since it was lit by the radiant glory of God and the Lamb was a lighted torch for it.

21:24 The pagan nations will live by its light[*h] and the kings of the earth will bring it their treasures.

21:25 The gates of it will never be shut by day – and there will be no night there –

21:26 and the nations will come, bringing their treasure and their wealth.

21:27 Nothing unclean may come into it: no one who does what is loathsome or false, but only those who are listed in the Lamb’s book of life.

 

JB REVELATION Chapter 22

 

22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of life, rising from the throne of God and of the Lamb and flowing crystal-clear

22:2 down the middle of the city street. On either side of the river were the trees of life, which bear twelve crops of fruit in a year, one in each month, and the leaves of which are the cure for the pagans.[*a]

22:3 The ban will be lifted.[*b] The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in its place in the city; his servants will worship him,

22:4 they will see him face to face, and his name will be written on their foreheads.

22:5 It will never be night again and they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining on them. They will reign for ever and ever.

22:6 The angel said to me, ‘All that you have written is sure and will come true: the Lord God who gives the spirit to the prophets has sent his angel to reveal to his servants what is soon to take place.

22:7 Very soon now, I shall be with you again.’ Happy are those who treasure the prophetic message of this book.

22:8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I had heard and seen them all, I knelt at the feet of the angel who had shown them to me, to worship him;

22:9 but he said, ‘Don’t do that: I am a servant just like you and like your brothers the prophets and like those who treasure what you have written in this book. It is God that you must worship.’

22:10 This, too, he said to me, ‘Do not keep the prophecies in this book a secret, because the Time is close.

22:11 Meanwhile let the sinner go on sinning, and the unclean continue to be unclean; let those who do good go on doing good, and those who are holy continue to be holy.

22:12 Very soon now, I shall be with you again, bringing the reward to be given to every man according to what he deserves.[*c]

22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

22:14 Happy are those who will have washed their robes clean, so that they will have the right to feed on the tree of life and can come through the gates into the city.

22:15 These others must stay outside: dogs, fortune-tellers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone of false speech and false life.’

 

EPILOGUE

22:16 I, Jesus, have sent my angel to make these revelations to you for the sake of the churches. I am of David’s line, the root of David and the bright star of the morning.

22:17 The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come’. Let everyone who listens answer, ‘Come’. Then let all who are thirsty come:[*d] all who want it may have the water of life, and have it free.

22:18 This is my solemn warning to all who hear the prophecies in this book: if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him every plague mentioned in the book;

22:19 if anyone cuts anything out of the prophecies in this book, God will cut off his share of the tree of life and of the holy city, which are described in the book.

22:20 The one who guarantees these revelations repeats his promise: I shall indeed be with you soon. Amen; come, Lord Jesus.

22:21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen.

 

END OF JB REVELATION [22 Chapters].