The Throne

I, John, your brother and sharer in the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in Jesus, was on the island that is called Patmos because of God’s word and the witness of Jesus. I was in the pneuma on the Lord’s Day and I heard a loud voice behind me, like a trumpet, saying, ‘Write what you see in a scroll.’

And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me, and see, a door was open in the sky. And the voice I first heard like a trumpet was speaking to me, saying, ‘Come up here and I will show you what must happen after these things.’

Immediately I was in the pneuma, and see, a throne was set in the sky, and one was sitting on the throne. And the one sitting appeared like a stone of jasper and carnelian, and a rainbow like an emerald was around the throne. And twenty four thrones were around the throne, and twenty four elders were sitting on the thrones, dressed in white clothes, and golden laurels were on their heads. And from the throne came lightning flashes and booms and thunders. And seven lamps of fire were burning in front of the throne (which are God’s seven pneumas). And in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the middle of the throne and around the throne were four animals, full of eyes in front and back. And the first animal was like a lion, and the second animal was like a bull, and the third animal had a face like a man’s, and the fourth animal was like a flying eagle. And the four animals, each one of them had six wings, full of eyes all around and within. And they did not rest day or night, saying, ‘Holy holy holy, Lord God the Almighty, who was and who is and who is coming.’

And whenever the animals give glory and honor and thanksgiving to the one sitting on the throne—the one who lives for ever and ever—the twenty four elders fall in front of the one sitting on the throne and worship the one who lives for ever and ever, and they throw their laurels in front of the throne, saying, ‘Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because you created all things and through your will they exist and were created.’

The Lamb

And I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one sitting on the throne, written on inside and back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong messenger, heralding in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’ And no one in the sky, nor on the earth, nor under the earth, was able to open the scroll, nor to look at it. And I lamented a lot, because no one worthy was found to open the scroll, nor to look at it.

And one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not lament. See, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered to open the scroll and its seven seals.’ And I saw in the middle of the throne and the four animals, and in the middle of the elders, a slain lamb standing. He had seven horns and seven eyes (which are God’s seven pneumas sent into all the earth). And he came and took it from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne.

And when he had taken the scroll the four animals and the twenty four elders fell down in front of the lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the holy ones). And they sang a new song, saying, ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals because you were slain, and you bought with your blood for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you made them a kingdom and priests for our god, and they will reign on the earth.’

And I saw, and I heard the sound of many messengers around the throne and the animals and the elders, and their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying in a loud voice, ‘The slain lamb is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and favor.’

And I heard every creature which is in the sky and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, ‘To the one sitting on the throne and to the lamb, favor and honor and glory and power for ever and ever.’

And the four animals were saying, ‘Amen.’ And the elders fell down and worshiped.

The Seven Seals

And I saw when the lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four animals say like a boom of thunder, ‘Come!’ And I saw, and see, a white horse. And the one sitting on it had a bow, and a laurel was given to him, and he went conquering so he could conquer.

And when he opened the second seal I heard the second animal say, ‘Come!’ And another horse, fiery red, went out. And the one sitting on it was allowed to take peace from the earth, so that they will slaughter each other. And he was given a large sword.

And when he opened the third seal I heard the third animal say, ‘Come!’ And I saw, and see, a black horse. And the one sitting on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the middle of the four animals saying, ‘A measure of wheat for a denarius, and three measures of barley for a denarius, and do not injure the oil and wine.’

And when he opened the fourth seal I heard the voice of the fourth animal say, ‘Come!’ And I saw, and see, a green horse, and the name of the one sitting on it was Death, and Hades followed him. And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and with famine and with plague and with the earth’s wild animals.

And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw souls under the altar, those who were slaughtered for God’s word and the witness they held. And they were yelling in a loud voice, saying, ‘Holy and true Lord, why do you not judge and avenge our blood from those dwelling on the earth?’ And each of them were given white robes, and it was said to them that they should rest for a little time until their fellow slaves and their brothers—those about to be killed like them—were complete too.

And I saw when he opened the sixth seal. And there was a massive earthquake, and the sun became black like a sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became like blood, and the sky’s stars fell to the earth, like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when shaken by a heavy wind. And the sky split apart, like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island were removed from their places. And the earth’s kings and the moguls and the chiliarchs and the rich and the powerful and every slave and freeman hid themselves in the caves and in the mountains’ rocks. And they said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of the one sitting on the throne and from the lamb’s anger, because the great day of their anger has come, and who is able to stand?’

And when he opened the seventh seal there was silence in the sky for about half an hour.

The Seven Trumpets

And I saw the seven messengers who stand in front of God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another messenger came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer. And a lot of incense was given to him to offer the prayers of all the holy ones on a golden altar in front of the throne. And the smoke of the incense rose up with the prayers of the holy ones from the messenger’s hand in front of God. And the messenger took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it onto the earth. And there were thunders and booms and lightning flashes and an earthquake. And the seven messengers holding the seven trumpets prepared themselves to blast.

And the first blasted, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was thrown onto the earth. And a third of the earth burned, and a third of the trees burned, and all the green grass burned.

And the second messenger blasted, and something like a huge mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

And the third messenger blasted, and a huge star burning like a torch fell from the sky. And it fell into a third of the rivers and the streams of waters. And the star is called the name Wormwood. And a third of the waters became wormwood, and many of the men died from the waters because they were made bitter.

And the fourth messenger blasted, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon and a third of the stars, so that a third of them should be darkened and the day should not appear for a third of it, and likewise the night.

And I saw, and I heard one eagle flying in the mid-sky, saying in a loud voice, ‘Woe, woe, woe to those dwelling on the earth because of the remaining sounds of the three messengers’ trumpets which are about to blast.’

And the fifth messenger blasted, and I saw a star falling from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key of the abyssal pit. And he opened the abyssal pit and smoke rose from the pit, like a large furnace’s smoke, and the sun and the air were darkened by the pit’s smoke. And locusts went from the smoke onto the earth, and authority was given to them, like the authority of the earth’s scorpions. And it was said to them that they should not injure the earth’s grass, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have God’s seal on their foreheads. And it was allowed that they should not kill them, but they should torture them for five months. And their torture was like a scorpion’s torture when it strikes a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it anymore. And they will be eager to die, but death will flee from them. And the locusts’ appearance was like horses prepared for battle, and things like golden laurels were on their heads, and their faces were like men’s faces, and they had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’, and they had armor like iron armor, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of horse-chariots rushing into battle, and they have tails like scorpions, and stingers. Their authority to injure men for five months is in their tails. They have a king over them: the messenger of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and he has the name Destroyer in Greek.

‘The first woe is past. See, two woes are still coming after these things.’

And the sixth messenger blasted, and I heard one voice from the four horns of the golden altar in front of God, saying to the sixth messenger who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four messengers who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’ And the four messengers were released, prepared for the hour and day and month and year, so they may kill a third of men. And the number of the armies of the cavalry was double myriads of myriads. I heard their number. And so I saw the horses in the vision, and those sitting on them had fiery and hyacinthine and sulfurous armor. And the horses’ heads were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur went out from their mouths. By these three plagues a third of men were killed, from the fire and the smoke and the sulfur coming from their mouths, because the authority of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, since their tails are like snakes, having heads, and they injure with them. And the rest of the men who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands so that they would not worship daemons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see, nor hear, nor walk. And they did not repent from their murders, nor from their sorceries, nor from their whoredom, nor from their thefts.

‘The second woe is past. See, the third one is coming soon.’

And the seventh messenger blasted, and there were loud voices in the sky, saying, ‘The kingdom of the cosmos has become our Lord’s and his Anointed One’s, and he will reign for ever and ever.’

And the twenty four elders who sit on their thrones in front of God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, ‘We give thanks to you, Lord God the Almighty, who is and who was, that you took your immense power and began to reign. And the nations were angry, and your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and to give the reward to your slaves, the prophets and the holy ones and the ones who fear your name, small and great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.’

And God’s temple in the sky was opened and the ark of his covenant was seen. And there were lightning flashes and booms and thunders and an earthquake and large hail.

The Seven Bowls

And I saw another great and amazing sign in the sky: seven messengers holding the last seven plagues, because God’s wrath is completed in them.

And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and the ones who conquered the wild animal and its image and the number of its name—they stood at the sea of glass, holding God’s harps. And they sang the song of Moses, God’s slave, and the lamb’s song, saying, ‘Your works are great and amazing, Lord God the Almighty. Your ways are just and true, king of the nations. Who should not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? Because you alone are holy, because all nations will come and worship in front of you, because your justice is revealed.’

And after these things I saw, and the temple of the tent of witness was opened in the sky. And the seven messengers holding the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in pure, bright linen, and girded with golden belts around the chests. And one of the four animals gave the seven messengers seven bowls full of God’s wrath, the one who lives for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven messengers were complete.

And I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven messengers, ‘Go and pour the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.’

And the first went and poured his bowl on the earth, and evil and painful wounds came on the men who had the wild animal’s mark and the ones who worshiped its image.

And the second poured his bowl in the sea, and it became blood like a corpse’s, and every living soul that was in the sea died.

And the third poured his bowl into the rivers and the streams of water, and they became blood.

And the fourth poured his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch men with fire. And the men were scorched with intense heat, and they cursed God’s name—who has authority over these plagues—and they did not repent to give him glory.

And the fifth poured his bowl on the wild animal’s throne, and its kingdom was darkened. And they gnawed their tongues from the pain, and they cursed the god of the sky because of their pain and because of their wounds, and they did not repent from their works.

And the sixth poured his bowl on the great river Euphrates and its water dried up so the way would be ready for the kings from the rising sun.

And the seventh poured his bowl in the air, and a loud voice came from the temple, from the throne, saying, ‘It has happened.’

And there were lightning flashes and booms and thunders. And there was a massive earthquake, like has never been since men were on the earth, so immense was the massive earthquake. And the great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and the great Babylon was remembered in front of God, to give her the cup of wine of his anger’s wrath. And every island fled, and no mountains were found. And large hail, like a talent weight, fell from the sky on the men. And the men defamed God because of the plague of hail since it was so exceedingly large.

The Final Judgment

And I saw an august white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and the sky fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in front of the throne, and scrolls were opened. And another scroll was opened, which is the one of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, which were written in the scrolls. And the sea gave the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave the dead who were in them, and they were judged according to their works. And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.