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

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