The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Part 61

(13)And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who brought forth the man-child. (14)And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

(15)And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.

(16)And the earth helped the woman; and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

(17)And the dragon was enraged at the woman; and he departed to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of G.o.d, and have the testimony of Jesus.

XIII.

AND I stood [13:1a] upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads names of blasphemy[1:16b]; (2)(and the beast which I saw was like to a leopard, and his feet as of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion, and the dragon gave to him his power, and his throne, and great authority;) (3)and one of his heads as it were wounded unto death. And his deadly wound was healed; and all the world wondered after the beast. (4)And they worshiped the dragon, because he gave the authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying: Who is like to the beast, and who is able to make war with him?

(5)And there was given to him a mouth speaking great and blasphemous things; and power was given him to work forty-two months. (6)And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against G.o.d, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, those who tabernacle in heaven. (7)And it was given him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them; and power was given him over every tribe, and tongue, and nation. (8)And all who dwell upon the earth will worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb which is slain, from the foundation of the world.

(9)If any one has an ear, let him hear.

(10)If any one is for captivity, he goes into captivity; if any to be killed with the sword, he must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

(11)And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. (12)And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. (13)And he does great signs, so that also he causes fire to come down out of heaven on the earth, in the sight of men; (14)and he leads astray those who dwell on the earth, because of the signs which it was given him to do in the presence of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which has the wound of the sword, and lived. (15)And it was given him to give breath[13:15] to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should also speak, and should cause that as many as worship not the image of the beast should be killed. (16)And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, to receive a mark[13:16] on their right hand, or on their forehead; (17)and that no one should be able to buy or sell, save he that has the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

(18)Here is wisdom. Let him that has understanding count up the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred and sixty-six.

XIV.

AND I saw, and behold, the Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his name, and the name of his Father written on their foreheads.

(2)And I heard a voice out of heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of loud thunder; the voice which I heard was as that of harpers, harping with their harps. (3)And they sing as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four animals and the elders; and no one was able to learn the song, except the hundred and forty-four thousand, who are redeemed from the earth. (4)These are they who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb, whithersoever he goes. These were redeemed from men, a first-fruits to G.o.d and to the Lamb. (5)And in their mouth was found no falsehood; for they are blameless.

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

(8)And another, a second angel followed, saying: Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, because she has made all the nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

(9)And another, a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: If any one worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead, or on his hand, (10)he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of G.o.d, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his wrath, and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. (11)And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.

(12)Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of G.o.d, and the faith of Jesus.

(13)And I heard a voice out of heaven saying: Write, Happy are the dead who die in the Lord, henceforth; yea, says the Spirit, that they shall rest from their labors, for their works follow with them.

(14)And I saw, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sitting like to the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. (15)And another angel came forth out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud: Put forth thy sickle, and reap; because the time to reap is come; because the harvest of the earth is ripe. (16)And he who sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle upon the earth; and the earth was reaped.

(17)And another angel came forth out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. (18)And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire; and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying: Put forth thy sharp sickle, and gather the cl.u.s.ters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. (19)And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of G.o.d. (20)And the wine-press was trodden without the city, and blood came forth out of the wine-press, even to the bits of the horses, as far as a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

XV.

AND I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having seven plagues; which are the last, because in them is completed the wrath of G.o.d.

(2)And I saw as it were a sea of gla.s.s, mingled with fire; and those who had gained the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over the number of his name, standing by the sea of gla.s.s, having harps of G.o.d. (3)And they sing the song of Moses the servant of G.o.d, and the song of the Lamb, saying: Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord G.o.d the Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of the nations. (4)Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? Because thou alone art holy; because all the nations shall come and worship before thee; because thy judgments are made manifest.

(5)And after these things I saw, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened; (6)and there came forth the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure, shining linen, and girded about the b.r.e.a.s.t.s with golden girdles. (7)And one of the four animals gave to the seven angels seven golden cups, full of the wrath of G.o.d, who lives forever and ever. (8)And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of G.o.d, and from his power; and no one was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels should be completed.

XVI.

AND I heard a loud voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels: Go, and pour out the seven cups of the wrath of G.o.d into the earth.

(2)And the first departed, and poured out his cup into the earth[16:2]; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men who have the mark of the beast, and who worship his image.

(3)And the second poured out his cup into the sea; and it became blood, as of a dead man; and every living thing died that was in the sea.

(4)And the third poured out his cup into the rivers, and the fountains of water; and they became blood. (5)And I heard the angel of the waters saying: Righteous art thou, who art and who wast holy, because thou didst thus judge; (6)because they shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink. They are worthy.

(7)And I heard, out of the altar, one saying[16:7]: Even so, Lord G.o.d the Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

(8)And the fourth poured out his cup upon the sun; and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. (9)And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of G.o.d, who has the power over these plagues, and repented not, to give him glory.

(10)And the fifth poured out his cup upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, (11)and blasphemed the G.o.d of heaven, because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their works.

(12)And the sixth poured out his cup upon the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the way of the kings, who are from the rising of the sun, might be prepared. (13)And I saw come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits as frogs; (14)for they are spirits of demons, working signs, which go forth over the kings of the whole habitable world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of G.o.d the Almighty.

(15)Behold, I come as a thief. Happy is he that watches, and keeps his garments, that he may not walk naked and they see his shame.

(16)And they gathered them into the place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon.

(17)And the seventh poured out his cup upon the air; and there came forth a loud voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying: It is done. (18)And there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there was a man upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, so great.

(19)And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell; and Babylon the great was remembered before G.o.d, to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

(20)And every island fled away, and mountains were not found. (21)And great hail, as of a talent's weight, comes down out of heaven upon men; and men blasphemed G.o.d on account of the plague of the hail; because the plague thereof was exceeding great.

XVII.

AND there came one of the seven angels who have the seven cups, and talked with me, saying: Come hither; I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot, that sits upon many waters; (2)with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. (3)And he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of the names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (4)And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and gilded with gold, and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication. (5)And upon her forehead was a name written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

(6)And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus; and I wondered when I saw her, with great wonder. (7)And the angel said to me: Wherefore didst thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. (8)The beast that thou sawest was, and is not, and is to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition; and they will wonder who dwell on the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, seeing the beast, that he was, and is not, and shall come.

(9)Here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits. (10)And they are seven kings; the five are fallen, and the one is; the other is not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little time. (11)And the beast that was, and is not, he also is an eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition.

(12)And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who received no kingdom as yet; but receive authority as kings one hour, along with the beast. (13)These have one mind, and give their power and authority to the beast. (14)These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them; because he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they who are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

(15)And he says to me: The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sits, are peoples and mult.i.tudes, and nations and tongues. (16)And the ten horns, and the beast, these will hate the harlot, and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh, and will burn her up with fire. (17)For G.o.d put it into their hearts to do his will, and to form one purpose, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of G.o.d shall be fulfilled.

(18)And the woman which thou sawest is the great city, which has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.