The Seven Bowls of GOD's Wrath

       Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of GOD's wrath on the earth."
       The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.
       The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.
       The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

       "You are just in these judgments,
          You who are and who were, The Holy One,
          because You have so judged;
       for they have shed the blood of Your saints and prophets,
          and You have given them blood to drink as they deserve."

And I heard the altar respond:

       "Yes, Lord GOD Almighty,
          true and just are Your judgments."

       The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of GOD, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify Him.
       The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed The GOD of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
       The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of GOD Almighty.
       "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."
       Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
       The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. GOD remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of His wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed GOD on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.


The Book of Revelation: chapter 16

Seven Angels With Seven Plagues

       I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues--last, because with them GOD's wrath is completed. And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by GOD and sang the song of Moses the servant of GOD and the song of The Lamb:

       "Great and marvelous are Your deeds,
          Lord GOD Almighty.
       Just and true are Your ways,
          King of the ages.
       Who will not fear You, O Lord,
          and bring glory to Your name?
       For You alone are holy.
       All nations will come
          and worship before You,
       for Your righteous acts have been revealed."

       After this I looked and in heaven the temple, that is, the tabernacle of the Testimony, was opened. Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of GOD, who lives for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of GOD and from His power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.


The Book of Revelation: chapter 15

The Seventh Trumpet

       The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:

       "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ,
          and He will reign for ever and ever."

And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before GOD, fell on their faces and worshipped GOD, saying:

       "We give thanks to You, Lord GOD Almighty,
          The One who is and who was,
       because You have taken Your great power
          and have begun to reign.
       The nations were angry;
          and Your wrath has come.
       The time has come for judging the dead,
          and for rewarding Your servants the prophets
       and Your saints and those who reverence Your name,
          both small and great--and for destroying those who destroy the earth."

       Then GOD's temple in heaven was opened, and within His temple was seen the ark of His covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.


The Book of Revelation: chapter 11, verses 15 - 19

The Trumpets

       Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
       The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
       The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
       The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water--the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
       The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
       As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"
       The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of GOD on their foreheads. They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
       The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.
       The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
       The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before GOD. It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number.
       The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.
       The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.


The Book of Revelation: chapter 8, verses 6 - 13 & chapter 9

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

       When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
       And I saw the seven angels who stand before GOD, and to them were given seven trumpets.
       Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before GOD from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.


The Book of Revelation: chapter 8, verses 1 - 5

The Seals

       I watched as The Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
       When The Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
       When The Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
       When The Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
       When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of GOD and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
       I watched as He opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
       Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of The Lamb! For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who can stand?"


The Book of Revelation: chapter 6

The Call of Jeremiah

       The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. The word of The Lord came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.

       The word of The Lord came to me, saying,

       "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
          before you were born I set you apart;
          I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

       "Ah, Sovereign Lord," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."
       But The Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I Am with you and will rescue you," declares The Lord.
       Then The Lord reached out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put My words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."
       The word of The Lord came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?"
       "I see the branch of an almond tree," I replied.
       The Lord said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I Am watching to see that My word is fulfilled."
       The word of The Lord came to me again: "What do you see?"
       "I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north," I answered.
       The Lord said to me, "From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. I Am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms," declares The Lord.

       "Their kings will come and set up their thrones
          in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem;
       they will come against all her surrounding walls
          and against all the towns of Judah.
       I will pronounce My judgments on My people
          because of their wickedness in forsaking Me,
       in burning incense to other gods
          and in worshipping what their hands have made.

       "Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land--against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I Am with you and will rescue you," declares The Lord.


The Book of Jeremiah: chapter 1

The Living Creatures and the Glory of The Lord

In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of GOD.
       On the fifth of the month--it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin--the word of The Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of The Lord was upon him.
       I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north--an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings, and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
       Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing of another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body. Each one went straight ahead. Wherever The Spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
       As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not turn about as the creatures went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
       When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever The Spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
       Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and awesome. Under the expanse their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of The Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
       Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be His waist up He looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down He looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around Him.
       This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of The Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.


The Book of Ezekiel: chapter 1

Ezekiel's Call

He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." As He spoke, The Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me.
       He said: "Son of man, I Am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against Me to this very day. The people to whom I Am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what The Sovereign Lord says.' And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. You must speak My words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you."
       Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which He unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.
And He said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He gave me the scroll to eat.
       Then He said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I Am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
       He then said to me: "Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak My words to them. You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel--not to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the house of Israel is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to Me, for the whole house of Israel is hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house."
       And He said to me, "Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. Go now to your countrymen in exile and speak to them. Say to them, 'This is what The Sovereign Lord says,' whether they listen or fail to listen."
       Then The Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound--May the glory of The Lord be praised in His dwelling place!--the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound. The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of The Lord upon me. I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days--overwhelmed.


The Book of Ezekiel: chapter 2 & chapter 3 verses 1 - 15

The Scroll and The Lamb

       Then I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, The Lion of the tribe of Judah, The Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
       Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of GOD sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. And when He had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before The Lamb. Each had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:

       "You are worthy to take the scroll
          and to open its seals,
       because You were slain,
          and with Your blood You purchased men for GOD
          from every tribe and language and people and nation.
       You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our GOD,
          and they will reign on the earth."

       Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang:

       "Worthy is The Lamb, who was slain,
       to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
       and honor and glory and praise!"

       Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:

       "To Him who sits on the throne and to The Lamb
       be praise and honor and glory and power,
                                   for ever and ever!"

The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshipped.


The Book of Revelation: chapter 5

Taming the Tongue

       Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
       When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
       All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
       With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in GOD's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.


The Epistle of James: chapter 3, verses 1 - 12

Isaiah's Commission

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw The Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:

              "Holy, holy, holy is The Lord Almighty;
                 the whole earth is full of His glory."

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
       "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen The King, The Lord Almighty."
       Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
       Then I heard the voice of The Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
       And I said, "Here am I, Send me!"
He said, "Go and tell this people:

              " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
                 be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'
              Make the heart of this people calloused;
                 make their ears dull
                 and close their eyes.
              Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
                 hear with their ears,
                 understand with their hearts,
              and turn and be healed."
       Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?"
       And He answered:

              "Until the cities lie ruined
                 and without inhabitant,
              until the houses are left deserted
                 and the fields ruined and ravaged,
              until The Lord has sent everyone far away
                 and the land is utterly forsaken.
              And though a tenth remains in the land,
                 it will again be laid waste.
              But as the terebinth and oak
                 leave stumps when they are cut down,
                 so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."


The Book of Isaiah: chapter 6

The Throne in Heaven

       After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." At once I was in The Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And The One who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lighting, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of GOD. Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
       In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying:

                                   "Holy, holy, holy
                            is The Lord GOD Almighty
                     who was, and is, and is to come."

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and worship Him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

                     "You are worthy, our Lord and GOD,
                        to receive glory and honor and power,
                     for You created all things,
                        and by Your will they were created
                        and have their being."


The Book of Revelation: chapter 4

To the Church in Laodicea

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

       These are the words of The Amen, The Faithful and True Witness, The Ruler of GOD's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of My mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
       Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I Am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.
       To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what The Spirit says to the churches."


The Book of Revelation: chapter 3, verses 14 - 22

To the Church in Philadelphia

"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

       These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars--I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept My command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.
       I Am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My GOD. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of My GOD and the name of the city of My GOD, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from My GOD; and I will also write on him My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what The Spirit says to the churches.


The Book of Revelation: chapter 3, verses 7 - 13

To the Church in Sardis

"To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

       These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits of GOD and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of My GOD. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
       Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with Me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before My Father and His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what The Spirit says to the churches."


The Book of Revelation: chapter 3, verses 1 - 6

To the Church in Thyatira

"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

       These are the words of The Son of GOD, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
       Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I Am He who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come.
       To him who overcomes and does My will to the end, I will give authority over the nations--

       'He will rule them with an iron scepter;
          He will dash them to pieces like pottery'--

just as I have received authority from My Father. I will also give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what The Spirit says to the churches."


The Book of Revelation: chapter 2, verses 18 - 29

To the Church in Pergamum

"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

       These are the words of Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live--where satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to My name. You did not renounce your faith in Me, even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness, who was put to death in your city--where satan lives.
       Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
       He who has an ear, let him hear what The Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it."


The Book of Revelation: chapter 2, verses 12 - 17

To the Church in Smyrna

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

       These are the words of Him who is The First and The Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
       He who has an ear, let him hear what The Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.


The Book of Revelation: chapter 2, verses 8 - 11

To the Church in Ephesus

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

       These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for My name, and have not grown weary.
       Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
       He who has an ear, let him hear what The Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of GOD.


The Book of Revelation: chapter 2, verses 1 - 7

One Like a Son of Man

       I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of GOD and the testimony of Jesus. On The Lord's Day I was in The Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."
       I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to His feet and with a golden sash around His chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
       When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I Am The First and The Last. I Am The Living One; I was dead, and behold I Am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
       "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches."


The Book of Revelation: chapter 1, verses 9 - 20

Prologue | Greetings and Doxology

       The revelation of Jesus Christ, which GOD gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word of GOD and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.


       John,

       To the seven churches in the province of Asia:

       Grace and peace to you from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is The Faithful Witness, The Firstborn from the dead, and The Ruler of the kings of the earth.

       To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His GOD and Father--to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

       Look, He is coming with the clouds,
          and every eye will see Him,
       even those who pierced Him;
          and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him.
                                                        So shall it be! Amen.

       "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says The Lord GOD, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, The Almighty."


The Book of Revelation: chapter 1, verses 1 - 8

David's Plans for the Temple

       David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: the officers over the tribes, the commanders of the divisions in the service of the king, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, together with the palace officials, the mighty men and all the brave warriors.
       King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of The Lord, for the footstool of our GOD, and I made plans to build it. But GOD said to me, 'You are not to build a house for My Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.'
       "Yet The Lord, The GOD of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah He chose my family, and from my father's sons He was pleased to make me king over all Israel. Of all my sons--and The Lord has given me many--He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of The Lord over Israel. He said to me: 'Solomon your son is the one who will build My house and My courts, for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out My commands and laws, as is being done at this time.'
       "So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of The Lord, and in the hearing of our GOD: Be careful to follow all the commands of The Lord your GOD, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever.
       "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge The GOD of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for The Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. Consider now, for The Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work."
       Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. He gave him the plans of all that The Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of The Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of GOD and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of The Lord, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service. He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service: the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish; and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and shelter the ark of the covenant of The Lord.
       "All this," David said, "I have in writing from the hand of The Lord upon me, and He gave me understanding in all the details of the plan."
       David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for The Lord GOD, my GOD, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of The Lord is finished. The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of GOD, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command."


The Book of 1st Chronicles: chapter 28