Revelation 12; Revelation 13; Revelation 14; Revelation 15; Revelation 16; Revelation 17; Revelation 18

Revelation 12

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

2 She was pregnant and cried out with pain, because she was about to give birth.

3 Then another wonder appeared in heaven: There was a giant red dragon with seven heads and seven crowns on each head. He also had ten horns.

4 His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them down to the earth. He stood in front of the woman who was ready to give birth so he could eat her baby as soon as it was born.

5 Then the woman gave birth to a son who will rule all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was taken up to God and to his throne.

6 The woman ran away into the desert to a place God prepared for her where she would be taken care of for one thousand two hundred sixty days.

7 Then there was a war in heaven. Michaeln and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.

8 But the dragon was not strong enough, and he and his angels lost their place in heaven.

9 The giant dragon was thrown down out of heaven. (He is that old snake called the devil or Satan, who tricks the whole world.) The dragon with his angels was thrown down to the earth.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: "The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have now come. The accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accused them day and night before our God, has been thrown down.

11 And our brothers and sisters defeated him by the blood of the Lamb's death and by the message they preached. They did not love their lives so much that they were afraid of death.

12 So rejoice, you heavens and all who live there! But it will be terrible for the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you! He is filled with anger, because he knows he does not have much time."

13 When the dragon saw he had been thrown down to the earth, he hunted for the woman who had given birth to the son.

14 But the woman was given the two wings of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the desert. There she would be taken care of for three and one-half years, away from the snake.

15 Then the snake poured water out of its mouth like a river toward the woman so the flood would carry her away.

16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that came from the mouth of the dragon.

17 Then the dragon was very angry at the woman, and he went off to make war against all her other children -- those who obey God's commands and who have the message Jesus taught.

18 And the dragon stood on the seashore.

Revelation 13

1 Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, and there was a crown on each horn. A name against God was written on each head.

2 This beast looked like a leopard, with feet like a bear's feet and a mouth like a lion's mouth. And the dragon gave the beast all of his power and his throne and great authority.

3 One of the heads of the beast looked as if it had been killed by a wound, but this death wound was healed. Then the whole world was amazed and followed the beast.

4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given his power to the beast. And they also worshiped the beast, asking, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against it?"

5 The beast was allowed to say proud words and words against God, and it was allowed to use its power for forty-two months.

6 It used its mouth to speak against God, against God's name, against the place where God lives, and against all those who live in heaven.

7 It was given power to make war against God's holy people and to defeat them. It was given power over every tribe, people, language, and nation.

8 And all who live on earth will worship the beast -- all the people since the beginning of the world whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life. The Lamb is the One who was killed.

9 Anyone who has ears should listen:

10 If you are to be a prisoner, then you will be a prisoner. If you are to be killed with the sword, then you will be killed with the sword. This means that God's holy people must have patience and faith.

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.

12 This beast stands before the first beast and uses the same power the first beast has. By this power it makes everyone living on earth worship the first beast, who had the death wound that was healed.

13 And the second beast does great miracles so that it even makes fire come down from heaven to earth while people are watching.

14 It fools those who live on earth by the miracles it has been given the power to do. It does these miracles to serve the first beast. The second beast orders people to make an idol to honor the first beast, the one that was wounded by the deadly sword but sprang to life again.

15 The second beast was given power to give life to the idol of the first one so that the idol could speak. And the second beast was given power to command all who will not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

16 The second beast also forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a mark on their right hand or on their forehead.

17 No one could buy or sell without this mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

18 This takes wisdom. Let the one who has understanding find the meaning of the number, which is the number of a person. Its number is six hundred sixty-six.

Revelation 14

1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion. With him were one hundred forty-four thousand people who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.

2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the noise of flooding water and like the sound of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like people playing harps.

3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the new song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who had been bought from the earth.

4 These are the ones who did not do sinful things with women, because they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb every place he goes. These one hundred forty-four thousand were bought from among the people of the earth as people to be offered to God and the Lamb.

5 They were not guilty of telling lies; they are without fault.

6 Then I saw another angel flying high in the air. He had the eternal Good News to preach to those who live on earth -- to every nation, tribe, language, and people.

7 He preached in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him praise, because the time has come for God to judge all people. So worship God who made the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the springs of water."

8 Then the second angel followed the first angel and said, "Ruined, ruined is the great city of Babylon! She made all the nations drink the wine of the anger of her adultery."

9 Then a third angel followed the first two angels, saying in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his idol and gets the beast's mark on the forehead or on the hand,

10 that one also will drink the wine of God's anger, which is prepared with all its strength in the cup of his anger. And that person will be put in pain with burning sulfur before the holy angels and the Lamb.

11 And the smoke from their burning pain will rise forever and ever. There will be no rest, day or night, for those who worship the beast and his idol or who get the mark of his name."

12 This means God's holy people must be patient. They must obey God's commands and keep their faith in Jesus.

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Happy are the dead who die from now on in the Lord." The Spirit says, "Yes, they will rest from their hard work, and the reward of all they have done stays with them."

14 Then I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and sitting on the white cloud was One who looked like a Son of Man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sicklen in his hand.

15 Then another angel came out of the temple and called out in a loud voice to the One who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and harvest from the earth, because the time to harvest has come, and the fruit of the earth is ripe."

16 So the One who was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.

18 And then another angel, who has power over the fire, came from the altar. This angel called to the angel with the sharp sickle, saying, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the bunches of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe."

19 Then the angel swung his sickle over the earth. He gathered the earth's grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's anger.

20 They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the winepress as high as horses' bridles for a distance of about one hundred eighty miles.

Revelation 15

1 Then I saw another wonder in heaven that was great and amazing. There were seven angels bringing seven disasters. These are the last disasters, because after them, God's anger is finished.

2 I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. All of those who had won the victory over the beast and his idol and over the number of his name were standing by the sea of glass. They had harps that God had given them.

3 They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: "You do great and wonderful things, Lord God Almighty. Everything the Lord does is right and true, King of the nations.

4 Everyone will respect you, Lord, and will honor you. Only you are holy. All the nations will come and worship you, because the right things you have done are now made known."

5 After this I saw that the temple (the Tent of the Agreement) in heaven was opened.

6 And the seven angels bringing the seven disasters came out of the temple. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden bands tied around their chests.

7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the anger of God, who lives forever and ever.

8 The temple was filled with smoke from the glory and the power of God, and no one could enter the temple until the seven disasters of the seven angels were finished.

Revelation 16

1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the seven bowls of God's anger on the earth."

2 The first angel left and poured out his bowl on the land. Then ugly and painful sores came upon all those who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his idol.

3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.

4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.

5 Then I heard the angel of the waters saying: "Holy One, you are the One who is and who was. You are right to decide to punish these evil people.

6 They have poured out the blood of your holy people and your prophets. So now you have given them blood to drink as they deserve."

7 And I heard a voice coming from the altar saying: "Yes, Lord God Almighty, the way you punish evil people is right and fair."

8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and he was given power to burn the people with fire.

9 They were burned by the great heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these disasters. But the people refused to change their hearts and lives and give glory to God.

10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and darkness covered its kingdom. People gnawed their tongues because of the pain.

11 They also cursed the God of heaven because of their pain and the sores they had, but they refused to change their hearts and turn away from the evil things they did.

12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates so that the water in the river was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east to come.

13 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

14 These evil spirits are the spirits of demons, which have power to do miracles. They go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them together for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.

15 "Listen! I will come as a thief comes! Happy are those who stay awake and keep their clothes on so that they will not walk around naked and have people see their shame."

16 Then the evil spirits gathered the kings together to the place that is called Armageddon in the Hebrew language.

17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. Then a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is finished!"

18 Then there were flashes of lightning, noises, thunder, and a big earthquake -- the worst earthquake that has ever happened since people have been on earth.

19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations were destroyed. And God remembered the sins of Babylon the Great, so he gave that city the cup filled with the wine of his terrible anger.

20 Then every island ran away, and mountains disappeared.

21 Giant hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell from the sky upon people. People cursed God for the disaster of the hail, because this disaster was so terrible.

Revelation 17

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. He said, "Come, and I will show you the punishment that will be given to the great prostitute, the one sitting over many waters.

2 The kings of the earth sinned sexually with her, and the people of the earth became drunk from the wine of her sexual sin."

3 Then the angel carried me away by the Spirit to the desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a red beast. It was covered with names against God written on it, and it had seven heads and ten horns.

4 The woman was dressed in purple and red and was shining with the gold, precious jewels, and pearls she was wearing. She had a golden cup in her hand, a cup filled with evil things and the uncleanness of her sexual sin.

5 On her forehead a title was written that was secret. This is what was written: the great babylon mother of prostitutes and of the evil things of the earth

6 Then I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people and with the blood of those who were killed because of their faith in Jesus. When I saw the woman, I was very amazed.

7 Then the angel said to me, "Why are you amazed? I will tell you the secret of this woman and the beast she rides -- the one with seven heads and ten horns.

8 The beast you saw was once alive but is not alive now. But soon it will come up out of the bottomless pit and go away to be destroyed. There are people who live on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life since the beginning of the world. They will be amazed when they see the beast, because he was once alive, is not alive now, but will come again.

9 "You need a wise mind to understand this. The seven heads on the beast are seven mountains where the woman sits.

10 And they are seven kings. Five of the kings have already been destroyed, one of the kings lives now, and another has not yet come. When he comes, he must stay a short time.

11 The beast that was once alive, but is not alive now, is also an eighth king. He belongs to the first seven kings, and he will go away to be destroyed.

12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet begun to rule, but they will receive power to rule with the beast for one hour.

13 All ten of these kings have the same purpose, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.

14 They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. He will defeat them with his called, chosen, and faithful followers."

15 Then the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, races, nations, and languages.

16 The ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute. They will take everything she has and leave her naked. They will eat her body and burn her with fire.

17 God made the ten horns want to carry out his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until what God has said comes about.

18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."

Revelation 18

1 After the vision of these things, I saw another angel coming down from heaven. This angel had great power, and his glory made the earth bright.

2 He shouted in a powerful voice: "Ruined, ruined is the great city of Babylon! She has become a home for demons and a prison for every evil spirit, and a prison for every unclean bird and unclean beast.

3 She has been ruined, because all the peoples of the earth have drunk the wine of the desire of her sexual sin. She has been ruined also because the kings of the earth have sinned sexually with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the great wealth of her luxury."

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying: "Come out of that city, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive the disasters that will come to her.

5 Her sins have piled up as high as the sky, and God has not forgotten the wrongs she has done.

6 Give that city the same as she gave to others. Pay her back twice as much as she did. Prepare wine for her that is twice as strong as the wine she prepared for others.

7 She gave herself much glory and rich living. Give her that much suffering and sadness. She says to herself, 'I am a queen sitting on my throne. I am not a widow; I will never be sad.'

8 So these disasters will come to her in one day: death, and crying, and great hunger, and she will be destroyed by fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful."

9 The kings of the earth who sinned sexually with her and shared her wealth will see the smoke from her burning. Then they will cry and be sad because of her death.

10 They will be afraid of her suffering and stand far away and say: "Terrible! How terrible for you, great city, powerful city of Babylon, because your punishment has come in one hour!"

11 And the merchants of the earth will cry and be sad about her, because now there is no one to buy their cargoes --

12 cargoes of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, red cloth; all kinds of citron wood and all kinds of things made from ivory, expensive wood, bronze, iron, and marble;

13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, carriages, slaves, and human lives.

14 The merchants will say, "Babylon, the good things you wanted are gone from you. All your rich and fancy things have disappeared. You will never have them again."

15 The merchants who became rich from selling to her will be afraid of her suffering and will stand far away. They will cry and be sad

16 and say: "Terrible! How terrible for the great city! She was dressed in fine linen, purple and red cloth, and she was shining with gold, precious jewels, and pearls!

17 All these riches have been destroyed in one hour!" Every sea captain, every passenger, the sailors, and all those who earn their living from the sea stood far away from Babylon.

18 As they saw the smoke from her burning, they cried out loudly, "There was never a city like this great city!"

19 And they threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and being sad. They said: "Terrible! How terrible for the great city! All the people who had ships on the sea became rich because of her wealth! But she has been destroyed in one hour!

20 Be happy because of this, heaven! Be happy, God's holy people and apostles and prophets! God has punished her because of what she did to you."

21 Then a powerful angel picked up a large stone, like one used for grinding grain, and threw it into the sea. He said: "In the same way, the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, and it will never be found again.

22 The music of people playing harps and other instruments, flutes, and trumpets, will never be heard in you again. No workman doing any job will ever be found in you again. The sound of grinding grain will never be heard in you again.

23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's great people, and all the nations were tricked by your magic.

24 You are guilty of the death of the prophets and God's holy people and all who have been killed on earth."