The New Testament Part 45

4 [6:7]And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth cherub say, Come. [6:8]And I saw, and behold, a pale horse, and one sat on it, whose name was Death, and Hades followed him, and there was given him power over a fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the beasts of the earth.

5 [6:9]And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those killed for the word of G.o.d and for the testimony which they had. [6:10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, Master, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on those that dwell on the earth? [6:11]And a white robe was given them, and it was told them to rest yet a little while, till their fellow servants and their brothers and those about to be killed as they also had been should finish [their testimony].

6 [6:12]And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and all the moon became as blood, [6:13]and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts down its unseasonable figs when shaken with a mighty wind, [6:14]and heaven departed like a book rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved from their places. [6:15]And the kings of the earth and the great men and the chiliarchs and the rich and the mighty and every servant and freeman hid themselves in caves and in the rocks of the mountains, [6:16]and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, [6:17]for the great day of his wrath has come, and who can stand?

7 [7:1]And after this I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. [7:2]And I saw another angel ascend from the east, having the seal of the living G.o.d, and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to injure the earth and the sea, [7:3] saying, Injure not the earth nor the sea nor the trees, till we seal the servants of our G.o.d on their foreheads. [7:4]And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand were sealed from every tribe of the children of Israel.

8 [7:5]From the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, [7:6]from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Mana.s.seh twelve thousand, [7:7]from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, [7:8]from the tribe of Zebulon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand.

9 [7:9]After this I saw, and behold, a great mult.i.tude, which no man could number, of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and having palm branches in their hands; [7:10]and they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation be to our G.o.d who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. [7:11]And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four cherubs, and fell down before the throne on their faces, and worshipped G.o.d, [7:12]saying, Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be to our G.o.d forever and ever.

10 [7:13]And one of the elders answered and said to me, Who are those clothed with white robes, and whence did they come? [7:14]And I said to him, My Lord, you know. And he said to me, These are those who come out from great affliction, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. [7:15] Therefore they are before the throne of G.o.d, and serve him day and night in his temple, and he that sits on the throne will dwell among them. [7:16]And they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun strike them nor any heat, [7:17]for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and lead them to fountains of the waters of life, and G.o.d shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.

CHAPTER V.

THE SEVENTH SEAL, THE FIRST FIVE TRUMPETS, THE STAR THAT FELL FROM HEAVEN, THE LOCUSTS, ETC.

1 [8:1]AND when he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about half an hour. [8:2]And I saw the seven angels who stand before G.o.d, and there were given them seven trumpets. [8:3]And another angel came and stood by the altar, having a golden censer, and there was given him much incense to present with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. [8:4] And a cloud of incense ascended with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before G.o.d. [8:5]And the angel took the censer and filled it from the fire of the altar, and cast it on the earth; and there were thunders and lightning and voices and an earthquake.

2 [8:6]And the seven angels having the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. [8:7]And the first sounded; and there was hail and fire mingled with blood, and it was cast on the earth; and a third part of the earth was consumed, and a third part of the trees were consumed, and all the green gra.s.s was consumed.

3 [8:8]And the second angel sounded; and the appearance of a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and a third part of the sea became blood, [8:9]and a third part of the creatures in the sea having life died, and a third part of the ships were destroyed.

4 [8:10]And the third angel sounded; and there fell from heaven a great star, burning like a lamp, and it fell on a third part of the rivers and on the fountains of waters. [8:11]And the name of the star was called Bitterness. And a third part of the waters became bitter, and many men died by the waters, because they were bitter.

5 [8:12]And the fourth angel sounded; and a third part of the sun was smitten, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, and a third part of them were darkened, and the day did not appear a third part of it, nor the night. [8:13]And I saw, and heard an eagle flying in the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to those who live on the earth on account of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound.

6 [9:1]And the fifth angel sounded; and I saw a star fall from heaven to the earth, and there was given him the key of the pit of the abyss.

[9:2]And he opened the pit of the abyss; and there arose up a smoke from the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. [9:3]And from the smoke went out locusts on the earth, and power was given them like the power which scorpions of the earth have. [9:4]And it was told them not to injure the gra.s.s of the earth nor any green thing nor any tree, but the men who had not the seal of G.o.d on their foreheads. [9:5]And it was given them not to kill them, but to sting them five months; and their sting was like the sting of a scorpion, when he strikes a man. [9:6]And in those days men shall seek death and not find it, and shall desire to die and death flee from them.

7 [9:7]And the forms of the locusts were like horses prepared for battle, and upon their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men, [9:8]and they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like [those] of lions, [9:9]and they had cuira.s.ses like steel cuira.s.ses, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running to battle.

[9:10]And they had tails like scorpions and stings, and in their tails was their power to injure men five months. [9:11]They had over them a king, an angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in the Greek he is called Apollyon. [9:12]One woe has pa.s.sed; behold, there come yet two woes after this.

8 [9:13]And the sixth angel sounded; and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before G.o.d, [9:14]saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Unbind the four angels bound by the river, the great Euphrates. [9:15] And the four angels were unbound, who were prepared for the hour, and day, and month, and year, to kill a third part of men. [9:16]And the number of the armies of the horse was two ten thousands of ten thousands; I heard the number of them. [9:17]And thus I saw the horses in the vision and those sitting on them, having cuira.s.sess of fire, of hyacinth and of sulphur; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and from their mouths proceeded fire and smoke and sulphur.

9 [9:18]By these three plagues a third part of men were killed, by the fire and the smoke and the sulphur which proceeded from their mouths.

[9:19]For the power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like serpents, having heads, and with them they did injury. [9:20]And the rest of men, who were not killed with these plagues, did not change their minds [to turn] from the works of their hands, not to worship demons and idols of gold and silver and bra.s.s and stone and wood, which cannot see nor hear nor walk, [9:21]

and did not change their minds [to turn] from their murders, nor from their magic arts, nor from their fornication, nor from their thefts.

CHAPTER VI.

THE LITTLE BOOK AND THE TWO WITNESSES.

1 [10:1]AND I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud, and an iris was about his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire, [10:2]and he had in his hand a little book opened. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land, [10:3]and cried with a loud voice, as a lion roars. And when he cried, seven thunders spoke their words. [10:4]And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Seal up what the seven thunders spoke, and write it not.

2 [10:5]And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land, lifted up his right hand to heaven, [10:6]and swore by him that lives forever and ever, that created heaven and the things in it and the earth and the things in it and the sea and the things in it, that time should be no longer, [10:7]but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of G.o.d shall be finished, as he told his servants the prophets.

3 [10:8]And the voice which I heard from heaven [I heard] again speak to me and say, Go and take the little opened book in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land. [10:9]And I went to the angel, and said to him, Give me the little book. And he said to me, Take and eat it, and it will embitter your stomach, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey. [10:10]And I took the little book from the hand of the angel and eat it; and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey; and when I eat it, my stomach was bitter. [10:11]And they said to me, You must prophesy again before peoples and nations and tongues and many kings.

4 [11:1]And a rod was given me like a staff, and he said, Arise and measure the temple of G.o.d and the altar and those that worship in it.

[11:2]And leave out the exterior court of the temple and measure it not, for it has been given to the gentiles, and they shall tread the holy city under foot forty-two months [three years and a half].

[11:3]And I will give charge to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy twelve hundred and sixty days [three years and a half] clothed with sackcloth. [11:4]These are the two olive trees, and the two lamps, which stand before the Lord of the earth. [11:5]And if any one will injure them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their adversaries; and if any one will injure them, he must thus be killed.

[11:6]These have power to shut heaven, that it may not rain in the days of their prophecy, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to smite the earth with every plague as often as they will.

5 [11:7]And when they shall finish their testimony, the beast which ascends from the abyss shall make war with them, and conquer them, and kill them. [11:8] And their dead bodies shall lie in the streets of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. [11:9] And the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not permit their dead bodies to be buried. [11:10]And those that dwell on the earth shall be glad, and rejoice over them, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two prophets tormented those that dwell on the earth. [11:11]And after three days and a half the spirit of life from G.o.d entered into them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those that saw them. [11:12]And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, Ascend hither; and they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them. [11:13]And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth part of the city fell, and seven thousand men were killed by the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the G.o.d of heaven. [11:14]The second woe has pa.s.sed; behold, the third woe comes quickly.

CHAPTER VII.

THE SEVENTH TRUMPET, THE WOMAN, THE DRAGON AND THE BEASTS.

1 [11:15]AND the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, the kingdom of the world has become our Lord's and his Christ's, and he shall reign forever and ever. [11:16]And the twenty-four elders who sit before G.o.d on their thrones fell on their faces, and worshipped G.o.d, [11:17]saying, We thank thee, Lord G.o.d Almighty, the Is and the Was, that thou didst take thy great power and reign, [11:18]and the nations were angry, and thy wrath came, and the time of the dead to be judged and to give the reward to thy servants the prophets and to the saints and those that fear thy name, small and great, and to destroy those that destroy the earth.

2 [11:19]And the temple of G.o.d was opened in heaven, and the ark of his covenant appeared in his temple, and there were lightnings and voices and thunders and great hail.

3 [12:1]And a great symbol appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars, [12:2]and being with child she cried out in pain and distress to give it birth. [12:3]And there appeared another symbol in heaven, and behold, a great fiery dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and upon his heads seven diadems, [12:4]and his tail drew a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them on the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear [a child], that when she had borne he might devour her son. [12:5]And she bore a male child, who is about to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to G.o.d, and to his throne. [12:6]And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by G.o.d, that they may nourish her there twelve hundred and sixty days [three years and a half].

4 [12:7]And there was a war in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting with the dragon. And the dragon fought and his angels, [12:8]and were not strong, neither was their place found any longer in heaven.

[12:9]And the great dragon, the old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, and who deceives all the world, was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast [to the earth] with him. [12:10]And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, Now has come the salvation and power and kingdom of our G.o.d, and the power of his Christ, for the accuser of the brothers, that accused them day and night before G.o.d, has been cast [to the earth]. [12:11]And they conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and exposed their lives to death.

[12:12]Therefore rejoice, heavens, and those who dwell in them; woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short time.

5 [12:13]And when the dragon saw that he was cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who bore the male child. [12:14]And there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly to the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished a time and times and half a time [three years and a half], from before the serpent.

[12:15]And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water like a river, that he might carry her away. [12:16]And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. [12:17]And the dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her children who keep the commandments of G.o.d, and have the testimony of Jesus.

6 [13:1]And I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast come up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy. [13:2]And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. [13:3]And one of his heads [was as if] mortally wounded, and its mortal wound was healed. And all the earth wondered after the beast, [13:4]and they worshipped the dragon, because he gave power to the beast, and worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, and who is able to make war with him? [13:5]And there was given him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemy, and power was given him to continue forty-two months [three years and a half]. [13:6]And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against G.o.d, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle and those that dwell in heaven.

[13:7]And it was given him to make war with the saints and to conquer them, and power was given him over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. [13:8]And all who dwell on the earth shall worship him, [every one] whose name is not enrolled in the Lamb's book of life who was killed from the foundation of the world. [13:9]If any one has an ear let him hear. [13:10]If any one [leads] into captivity, he shall go into captivity; if any one kills with the sword, he shall be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and faith of the saints.

7 [13:11]And I saw another beast come up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. [13:12]And he exercised all the power of the first beast in his presence. And he caused the earth and those that dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. [13:13]And he performs great miracles, so as even to make fire come down from heaven to the earth in the sight of men. [13:14]And he deceives those that dwell on the earth by the miracles which it was given him to perform before the beast, telling those that dwell on the earth to make an image of the beast which had the wound with the sword and lived. [13:15]And it was given him to give a spirit to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that all who would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. [13:16] And he caused all, small and great, and rich and poor, and freemen and servants, to receive the mark on their right hand or on their forehead, [13:17]and that no one should buy or sell unless he had the mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name. [13:18]Here is wisdom. Let him that has a mind count the number of the beast; for the number is man's. And his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE LAMB ON MOUNT ZION, AND HIS JUDGMENTS.

1 [14:1]AND I saw, and behold, the Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand having his name and the name of his father written on their foreheads. [14:2]And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like harpers playing on their harps. [14:3]And they sung a new song before the throne and before the four cherubs and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousand, who had been redeemed from the earth.

[14:4]These are they who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins; these are those who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from men a first fruit to G.o.d and the Lamb, [14:5]and in their mouth was found no deceit; for they are blameless.

2 [14:6]And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having the eternal gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people, [14:7]saying with a loud voice, Fear G.o.d and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him that made heaven and the earth and the sea and fountains of waters.

3 [14:8]And another, a second angel, followed, saying, Babylon the great has fallen, who made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

4 [14:9]And another, a third angel, followed them, saying with a loud voice, if any one worships the beast and his image, and receives the mark on his forehead or on his hand, [14:10]he shall drink of the wine of the wrath of G.o.d, mingled undiluted in the cup of his indignation, and he shall be tormented with fire and sulphur before the angels and before the Lamb. [14:11]And the smoke of their torment rises up forever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. [14:12]Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of G.o.d and the faith of Jesus. [14:13]And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth. Yes, says the Spirit, they shall rest from their labors; and their works follow after them.