Revelation 9–12

1The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky which had fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him.

2He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit.

3Then out of the smoke came locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

4They were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those people who don’t have God’s seal on their foreheads.

5They were given power, not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a person.

6In those days people will seek death, and will in no way find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them.

7The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like golden crowns, and their faces were like people’s faces.

8They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like those of lions.

9They had breastplates like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariots and horses rushing to war.

10They have tails like those of scorpions, with stingers. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months.

11They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is “Abaddon”, but in Greek, he has the name “Apollyon”.

12The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this.

13The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God,

14saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!”

15The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they might kill one third of mankind.

16The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million. I heard the number of them.

17Thus I saw the horses in the vision and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the horses’ heads resembled lions’ heads. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur.

18By these three plagues, one third of mankind was killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths.

19For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads; and with them they harm.

20The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn’t repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn’t worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood, which can’t see, hear, or walk.

21They didn’t repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.

1I saw a mighty angel coming down out of the sky, clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.

2He had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land.

3He cried with a loud voice, as a lion roars. When he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices.

4When the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from the sky saying, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don’t write them.”

5The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the sky

6and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there will no longer be delay,

7but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as he declared to his servants the prophets.

8The voice which I heard from heaven, again speaking with me, said, “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.”

9I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”

10I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. When I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.

11They told me, “You must prophesy again over many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”

1A reed like a rod was given to me. Someone said, “Rise and measure God’s temple, and the altar, and those who worship in it.

2Leave out the court which is outside of the temple, and don’t measure it, for it has been given to the nations. They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months.

3I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”

4These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands, standing before the Lord of the earth.

5If anyone desires to harm them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and devours their enemies. If anyone desires to harm them, he must be killed in this way.

6These have the power to shut up the sky, that it may not rain during the days of their prophecy. They have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.

7When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them.

8Their dead bodies will be in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

9From among the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations, people will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.

10Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, and they will be glad. They will give gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

11After the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them.

12I heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” They went up into heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.

13In that day there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe comes quickly.

15The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!”

16The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God’s throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God,

17saying: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and reigned.

18The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints and those who fear your name, to the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

19God’s temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed.

1A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

2She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth.

3Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns.

4His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God and to his throne.

6The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.

7There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war.

8They didn’t prevail. No place was found for them any more in heaven.

9The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.

11They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death.

12Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”

13When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.

14Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

15The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.

16The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.

17The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.