The Rider on the White Horse

       I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice HE judges and makes war. HIS eyes are like blazing fire, and on HIS head are many crowns. HE has a name written on HIM that no one knows but HE HIMSELF. HE is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and HIS name is THE WORD OF GOD. The armies of heaven were following HIM, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of HIS mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "HE will rule them with an iron scepter." HE treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of GOD ALMIGHTY. On HIS robe and on HIS thigh HE has this name written:

       KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

       And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of GOD, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great."

       Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and HIS army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Revelation: chapter 19, verses 11 - 21

The Thousand Years

   And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

       I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for JESUS and because of the word of GOD. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with CHRIST a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of GOD and of CHRIST and will reign with HIM for a thousand years.

Revelation: chapter 20, verses 1 - 6

Satan's Doom

       When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of GOD'S people, the city HE loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Revelation: chapter 20, verses 7 - 10

The Dead Are Judged

       Then I saw a great white throne and HIM who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from HIS presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation: chapter 20, verses 11 - 15

The New Jerusalem

   Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from GOD, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of GOD is with men, and HE will live with them. They will be HIS people, and GOD HIMSELF will be with them and be their GOD. HE will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

       HE who was seated on the throne said, "I AM making everything new!" Then HE said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

       HE said to me: "It is done. I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE END. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his GOD and he will be MY son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

       One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of THE LAMB." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from GOD. It shone with the glory of GOD, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of THE LAMB.

       The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second saphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.

       I did not see a temple in the city, because THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY and THE LAMB are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of GOD gives it light, and THE LAMB is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in THE LAMB'S book of life.

Revelation: chapter 21

The River of Life

   Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of GOD and of THE LAMB down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of GOD and of THE LAMB will be in the city, and HIS servants will serve HIM. They will see HIS face, and HIS name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for THE LORD GOD will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

       The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. THE LORD, THE GOD OF THE SPIRITS OF THE PROPHETS, sent HIS angel to show HIS servants the things that must soon take place."

Revelation: chapter 22, verses 1 - 6

JESUS IS Coming

       "Behold, I AM coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."

       I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship GOD!"

       Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."

       "Behold, I AM coming soon! MY reward is with ME, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE FIRST AND THE LAST, THE BEGINNING AND THE END.

       "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

       "I, JESUS, have sent MY angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I AM THE ROOT AND THE OFFSPRING OF DAVID, and THE BRIGHT MORNING STAR."

       THE SPIRIT and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

       I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, GOD will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, GOD will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

       HE who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I AM coming soon."

       Amen. Come, LORD JESUS.

       The grace of THE LORD JESUS be with GOD'S people. Amen.

Revelation: chapter 22, verses 7 - 21

The Beginning

          In the beginning GOD created the heavens

       and the earth. Now the earth was formless

       and empty, darkness was over the surface of

       the deep, and THE SPIRIT OF GOD

       was hovering over the waters.

And GOD said, "Let there be light," and there

       was light. GOD saw that the light was good,

       and HE separated the light from the darkness.

       GOD called the light "day," and the darkness

       HE called "night." And there was evening,

       and there was morning--the first day.

And GOD said, "Let there be an expanse between

       the waters to separate water from water." So

       GOD made the expanse and separated the

       water under the expanse from the water above

       it. And it was so. GOD called the expanse

       "sky." And there was evening, and there was

       morning--the second day.

And GOD said, "Let the water under the sky be

       gathered to one place, and let dry ground

       appear." And it was so. GOD called the dry

       ground "land," and the gathered waters HE

       called "seas." And GOD saw that it was good.

              Then GOD said, "Let the land produce

       vegetation: Seed-bearing plants and trees on

       the land that bear fruit with seed in it,

       according to their various kinds." And it was

       so. The land produced vegetation: plants

       bearing seed according to their kinds and

       trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to

       their kinds. And GOD saw that it was good.

       And there was evening, and there was

       morning--the third day.

And GOD said, "Let there be lights in the expanse

       of the sky to separate the day from the night,

       and let them serve as signs to mark seasons

       and days and years, and let them be lights in

       the expanse of the sky to give light on the

       earth." And it was so. GOD made two great

       lights--the greater light to govern the day and

       the lesser light to govern the night. HE also

       made the stars. GOD set them in the expanse

       of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern

       the day and the night, and to separate light

       from darkness. And GOD saw that it was

       good. And there was evening, and there was

       morning--the fourth day.

And GOD said, "Let the water teem with living

       creatures, and let birds fly above the earth

       across the expanse of the sky." So GOD

       created the great creatures of the sea and

       every living and moving thing with which the

       water teems, according to their kinds, and

       every winged bird according to its kind. And

       GOD saw that it was good. GOD blessed them

       and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number

       and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds

       increase on the earth." And there was

       evening, and there was morning--the fifth

       day.

And GOD said, "Let the land produce living

       creatures according to their kinds: livestock,

       creatures that move along the ground, and

       wild animals, each according to its kind."

       And it was so. GOD made the wild animals

       according to their kinds, the livestock

       according to their kinds, and all the creatures

       that move along the ground according to their

       kinds. And GOD saw that it was good.

          Then GOD said, "Let us make man in our

       image, in our likeness, and let them rule over

       the fish of the sea and the birds of the air,

       over the livestock, over all the earth, and over

       all the creatures that move along the

       ground."

       So GOD created man in HIS own image,

in the image of GOD HE created him;

male and female HE created them.

              GOD blessed them and said to them, "Be

       fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth

       and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea

       and the birds of the air and over every living

       creature that moves on the ground."

              Then GOD said, "I give you every seed

       bearing plant on the face of the whole earth

       and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.

       They will be yours for food. And to all the

       beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air

       and all the creatures that move on the

       ground--everything that has the breath of life

       in it--I give every green plant for food." And it

       was so.

              GOD saw all that HE had made, and it

       was very good. And there was evening, and

       there was morning--the sixth day.

          Thus the heavens and the earth were

       completed in all their vast array.

By the seventh day GOD had finished the work

       HE had been doing; so on the seventh day HE

       rested from all HIS work. And GOD blessed

       the seventh day and made it holy, because on

       it HE rested from all the work of creating that

       HE had done.

Genesis: chapter 1 & chapter 2, verses 1 - 3

Adam and Eve

       This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

       When THE LORD GOD made the earth and the heavens--and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for THE LORD GOD had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground--THE LORD GOD formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

       Now THE LORD GOD had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there HE put the man HE had formed. And THE LORD GOD made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

       A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.) The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

       THE LORD GOD took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And THE LORD GOD commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

       THE LORD GOD said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

       Now THE LORD GOD had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. HE brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.

       But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So THE LORD GOD caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, HE took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then THE LORD GOD made a woman from the rib HE had taken out of the man, and HE brought her to the man.

       The man said,

       "This is now bone of my bones

          and flesh of my flesh;

       she shall be called 'woman,'

          for she was taken out of man."

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

       The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Genesis: chapter 2, verses 4 - 25

The Fall of Man

   Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals THE LORD GOD had made. He said to the woman, "Did GOD really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

       The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but GOD did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

       "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For GOD knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like GOD, knowing good and evil."

       When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

       Then the man and his wife heard the sound of THE LORD GOD as HE was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from THE LORD GOD among the trees of the garden. But THE LORD GOD called to the man, "Where are you?"

       He answered, "I heard YOU in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."

       And HE said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"

       The man said, "The woman YOU put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

       Then THE LORD GOD said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"

       The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

       So THE LORD GOD said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,

       "Cursed are you above all the livestock

          and all the wild animals!

       You will crawl on your belly

          and you will eat dust

          all the days of your life.

       And I will put enmity

          between you and the woman,

          and between your offspring and hers;

       he will crush your head,

          and you will strike his heel."

       To the woman HE said,

       "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;

          with pain you will give birth to children.

       Your desire will be for your husband,

          and he will rule over you."

       To Adam HE said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'

       "Cursed is the ground because of you;

          through painful toil you will eat of it

          all the days of your life.

       It will produce thorns and thistles for you,

          and you will eat the plants of the field.

       By the sweat of your brow

          you will eat your food

       until you return to the ground,

          since from it you were taken;

       for dust you are

          and to dust you will return."

       Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

       THE LORD GOD made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And THE LORD GOD said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So THE LORD GOD banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After HE drove the man out, HE placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis: chapter 3