The Two Witnesses

   I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of GOD and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to MY two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before THE LORD of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

       Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their LORD was crucified. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

       But after the three and a half days a breath of life from GOD entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

       At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to THE GOD OF HEAVEN.

       The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.

Revelation: chapter 11, verses 1 - 14

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 worshiped 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.

Revelation: chapter 11, verses 15 - 19

The Woman and the Dragon

   A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to GOD and to HIS throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by GOD, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

       And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

       Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

       "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our GOD,

          and the authority of HIS CHRIST.

       For the accuser of our brothers,

          who accuses them before our GOD day and night,

          has been hurled down.

       They overcame him

          by the blood of THE LAMB

          and by the word of their testimony;

       they did not love their lives so much

          as to shrink from death.

       Therefore rejoice, you heavens

          and you who dwell in them!

       But woe to the earth and the sea,

          because the devil has gone down to you!

       He is filled with fury,

          because he knows that his time is short."

       When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring--those who obey GOD'S commandments and hold to the testimony of JESUS. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.

Revelation: chapter 12 & chapter 13, verse 1

The Beast out of the Sea

       And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"

       The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme GOD, and to slander HIS name and HIS dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to THE LAMB that was slain from the creation of the world.

       He who has an ear, let him hear.

       If anyone is to go into captivity,

          into captivity he will go.

       If anyone is to be killed with the sword,

          with the sword he will be killed.

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

Revelation: chapter 13, verses 1 - 10

The Beast out of the Earth

       Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

       This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

Revelation: chapter 13, verses 11 - 18

THE LAMB and the 144,000

   Then I looked, and there before me was THE LAMB, standing on Mount Zion, and with HIM 144,000 who had HIS name and HIS FATHER'S name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow THE LAMB wherever HE goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to GOD and THE LAMB. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

Revelation: chapter 14, verses 1 - 5

The Three Angels

       Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, "Fear GOD and give HIM glory, because the hour of HIS judgment has come. Worship HIM who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

       A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries."

       A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of GOD'S fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of HIS wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of THE LAMB. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey GOD'S commandments and remain faithful to JESUS.

       Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in THE LORD from now on."

       "Yes," says THE SPIRIT, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."

Revelation: chapter 14, verses 6 - 13

The Harvest of the Earth

       I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one "like a son of man" with a crown of gold on HIS head and a sharp sickle in HIS hand. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to HIM who was sitting on the cloud, "Take YOUR sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." So HE who was seated on the cloud swung HIS sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

       Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of GOD'S wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

Revelation: chapter 14, verses 14 - 20

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.

Revelation: chapter 15

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.

Revelation: chapter 16