Revelation 8 - 15

8:2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand firm and established in the presence of God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel came and stood at the golden altar, having a censer, and much incense was given to him, which he will offer with the prayers of all the devoted ones upon the golden altar before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense went up in the presence of God with the prayers of the devoted ones, out of the hand of the angel. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it out from the fire of the altar and cast it into the earth; and there were thunders, noises, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

6 And the seven angels, who had the seven trumpets, prepared themselves to sound their trumpets. 7 The first angel sounded his trumpet; and hail and fire mixed with blood were cast into the earth; and a third of the earth was consumed, a third of the trees were consumed, and all green grass was consumed.

8 The second angel sounded his trumpet; and something like a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood; 9 a third of the living creatures inside the sea died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 Then the third angel sounded his trumpet; and a great star fell out of heaven, burning like a torch. It fell upon a third of the rivers and upon the springs of waters. 11 The name of the star is called absinthe [in the common tongue called wormwood]; and a third of the waters became absinthe, and many humans died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet; and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars; that a third of them should be darkened, that the day should not appear for a third of it, and the night likewise.

13 And I looked, and I heard one eagle flying inside the zenith of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe, for those dwelling upon the earth because of the remaining trumpet voices of the three angels about to sound their trumpets.

 
9:1 Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen out from heaven into the earth, and the key of the pit of the abyss [a term for the place of the dead in Greek and Judaic thought] was given to it. 2 And he opened the pit of the abyss; and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened out of the smoke of the pit. 3 Then locusts came out of the smoke into the earth. Authority was given to them, like the authority of the scorpions of the earth, 4 but it was commanded them not to commit wrong against the grass of the earth nor any green things, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God upon their foreheads. 5 Yet they were not allowed to kill them, but only to torture them for five months; and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 And in those days, men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.

7 And the appearance [similitude, likeness – this is a term denoting things in a vision] of the locusts was like horses prepared into battle. Upon their heads were something resembling crowns, similar to gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 The locusts had hair like the hair of women; and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the noise of their wings was as the noise of many horse chariots driving into battle; 10 and they have tails with stings like scorpions. Their authority is inside their tails to act wickedly against men for five months. 11 They have a king over them, the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon [Destroyer], and in the Greek his name is Apollyon [also, Destroyer].

12 The first woe is past. Look and see, two more woes are still coming after this.

13 Then the sixth angel sounded his trumpet; and I heard one voice out from the four horns of the golden altar in the presence of God, 14 speaking to the sixth angel with a trumpet, “Release the four angels who were bound upon the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels, prepared for the exact hour, day, month, and year, were loosed to kill a third of mankind; 16 and the number of the detachments of cavalry was twice ten thousand times ten thousand, for I heard the number of them. 17 Then, in my vision, I saw the horses and the ones sitting on them who had fiery breastplates like dark purple and sulphur. The heads of the horses were like heads of lions, and fire proceeded out of their mouths, along with smoke and sulphur. 18 By these three blows, a third of mankind was killed, out of the fire, smoke and sulphur bursting forth from their mouths. 14 For the authority of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails were like serpents with heads and with them they act wickedly.

20 But the rest of the men who were not killed by these blows, did not even change their minds out from the works of their hands, to stop worshipping the demons or their gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood idols which have no ability to see or hear, nor to walk around. 21 They did not change their minds out of their killings nor out of their drugs nor out of their pornography nor out of their thefts.

 
10:1 Then I saw another strong angel coming out from heaven, clothed with a cloud and with a rainbow upon his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire, 2 and he had in his hand a little scroll opened. Then the angel placed his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth; 4 and he screamed with a loud voice as a lion roars. And when he screamed, the seven thunders spoke with their voices. 4 When the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to write; but I heard a voice out from heaven saying, “Seal the things the seven thunders have spoken and do not write them.”

5 And the angel whom I saw, standing upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his right hand into heaven, 6 and swore inside of the One who lives into the unfolding of the ages, who created heaven with the things inside of it, earth with the things inside of it, and the sea with the things inside of it, “There will be no more delay! 7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be completed as He Himself declared to His servants, the prophets.”

8 And the voice that I heard out from heaven again spoke with me, saying, “Go, take the little scroll that is open in the hand of the angel standing upon the sea and upon the earth. 9 So I went up to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little scroll.” And he said to me, “Take and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.”

10 So I took the little scroll out of the hand of the angel and ate it. It was as sweet honey inside my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach was bitter. 11 Then the angels said to me, “It is necessary for you to prophesy again concerning peoples, ethnic groups, and languages, and to many kings.


11:1 Then a measuring rod was given to me, like a scepter or staff of authority, saying, “Rise and measure the sanctuary, and measure the altar and those worshipping inside of it. 2 But do not measure the court outside, because it has been given to the ethnic groups and they will tread upon it forty-two months. 3 And I will give to My two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, enclothed with sackcloth.

4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, standing established in the presence of the Lord of the earth. 5 If anyone wants to commit injustice against them, fire goes forth out from their mouths and eats up their enemies. And if anyone wants to commit injustice against them, it is inevitable for them to be consumed. 6 These possess the authority to the heavens, that no rain should fall in the days of their prophecy. And they possess authority over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every wound or affliction as often as they want.

7 When these two shall have completed their testimony, the beast who ascends up out of the abyss will war against them and will overcome them and kill them. 8 And their bodies will be upon the street of the great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 Those who are of the peoples and tribes, languages and ethnic groups, will look upon their bodies for three and a half days, and they will not allow their bodies to be put into a tomb. 10 And those dwelling upon the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets have examined by torment those dwelling upon the earth.

11 Then, after the three and a half days, the Spirit of life out from God came inside of them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon those who saw them. 12 And they heard a great voice out from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended into heaven inside of the cloud, even as their enemies beheld them. 13 In that hour, there was a great earthquake; a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand names of men were killed in the earthquake. Then the rest became terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe has passed, look and see, the third woe is coming quickly.

15 Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet and there were great voices inside of heaven saying, “The kingdom of the world-cosmos has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign into the unfolding of the ages. 16 And the twenty-four elders, sitting on their thrones in the presence of God, fell upon their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying, “We speak good grace and give thanks to you, Lord God, the All-Carrying One, the One who is, who always is, and who is continuously and actively coming, for You have taken your great power and have reigned. 18 Then the peoples were enraged, and Your anger came and the time for the dead to be judged, and for You to give reward to Your servants the prophets and to the devoted ones, and to those fearing Your name, small and great, and to destroy those who are destroying the earth.”

19 Then the sanctuary of God inside of heaven was opened and the Ark of His Covenant was seen inside of His sanctuary, the place of His dwelling. There were flashes of lightning, voices, and thunders, and an earthquake and great hail.

 
12:1 Then a great sign was perceived in heaven, a woman enclothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and upon her head a garland of victory, a crown of twelve stars. 2 Having a child in her womb, she screamed in travail, being tortured to bring her child to birth.

3 But another sign was also perceived in heaven, look, a great fire-colored dragon with seven heads and ten horns and upon his heads, seven royal crowns. 4 And his tail {think of the “tail” of a comet} dragged a third of the stars of heaven which he cast into the earth. Then the dragon stood in the presence of the woman in travail, so that when she should bring her child to birth, he might devour her child. 5 And she brought forth a son, a boy who is about to shepherd all the ethnic families with a rod of iron, and her child was seized into God and into His throne. 6 Then the woman escaped into a desolate place where she found a place that had been prepared for her by God, where THEY will nourish her for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But the devil did not have the strength, nor was a place found for them any longer inside of heaven. 9 Then the great dragon was thrown out {expelled from the heavens, from the spiritual realms}, the original serpent who is called the devil, the accuser, and Satan, the adversary, the one who is deceiving the entire inhabited world. He was thrown down into the earth {into the physical realms}, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 Then I heard a great voice inside of heaven saying: “Now have come the salvation, the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who has accused them in the presence of our God day and night. 11 And THEY have overcome him through the blood of the Lamb, and through the word of their testimony; and they have not loved their souls unto death. 12 For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and those dwelling in them. But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down towards you filled with great fury, knowing that he has only a brief time.”

13 When the dragon perceived that he had been thrown down into the earth, he hunted down the woman who had brought forth the male child, to persecute her. 14 And the two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman so that she could fly into the desolate place, into her place where she is nourished for a time, times, and half a time away from the face of the serpent. 15 Then the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a torrent after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away by the flood. 16 But the earth quickly rescued the woman; the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had cast out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was furious with the woman and went to make war with the rest of her seed, those who keep the full completion of God and who possess the testimony of Jesus, and the dragon stood upon the sand of the sea.

 
13:1 I saw a wild beast rising out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and upon its horns, ten royal crowns, and upon its heads were slanderous names [calling good evil and evil good]. 2 And the beast that I saw resembled a leopard, and its feet like a bear’s, and its mouth like a lion’s mouth. The dragon gave to this wild beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 Now, one of its heads was as if it had been wounded into death. And the wound of its death was healed. Then all the earth marveled after the beast. 4 And they worshipped the dragon who had given authority to the wild beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is equal to the beast?” And, “Who is able to war against it?”

5 And a mouth was given to the beast, speaking great boastings and slanders, and authority was given to it to act for forty-two months. 6 Then it opened its mouth into slanders against God, to slander His name and His tabernacle, those dwelling in heaven. 7 And it was given to it to make war against the devoted ones and to defeat them. And authority was given to it over every tribe and people, language and ethnic group. 8 All dwelling upon the earth will worship it, those whose names have not been written inside the book of the Life of the Lamb who was slain, from the establishing of the world-cosmos.

9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear. 10 If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he goes. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, he must be killed by the sword. Here is the steadfastness, the patient endurance of the devoted ones.

11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth, and it had two horns in resemblance to a lamb, but it was speaking like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and causes the earth and those dwelling in it, that they will worship the first beast, the one whose death wound had been healed. 13 And this second beast works great signs, so that it should even cause fire to come down out of heaven into the earth in the presence of humans. 14 It deceives those who dwell upon the earth through the signs that were given to it to perform in the presence of the wild beast, telling those dwelling upon the earth to make an image to the beast that had the sword-wound and yet has lived. 15 And there was given it the ability to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should speak and should cause all who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 It causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, the free and the slaves, that it should give them an identification stamp or engraving upon their right hand or upon their forehead, 17 so that no one would be able to buy or to sell if they do not have the identification stamp, the name of the beast, or the number of its name.  

18 Here is wisdom. Let the one who has understanding count the number of the beast; for it is humanity’s number, and the number of it is six hundred sixty-six.

 
14:1 Then I looked, and I saw that the Lamb was standing upon Mount Zion and with Him one hundred forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice out from heaven, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of great thunder. The voice that I heard was like harpists playing on their harps. 3 And they were singing a new song in the presence of the throne, and in the presence of the four living things and the elders. No one was able to learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who are purchased  from the earth [as from a marketplace]. 4 These have not been defiled with women; for they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased out from humanity as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was not found any lie or falseness or pretending; blameless they are in the presence of the throne of God {referencing Hebrews 10:19-22 – entering all of God boldly with no consciousness of sins).

6 Then I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having the age-unfolding gospel to proclaim upon those sitting upon the earth, to proclaim it upon every ethnic group and tribe, language and people, 7 saying in a great voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgement has come. And worship the One who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of waters.” 8 And a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen prostrate, fallen prostrate, is Babylon the great, for she has given to all ethnic groups to drink of the wine of passion for her immorality.”

9 Then a third angel followed them, saying in a great voice, “If anyone worship the beast and its image, and receives a mark upon his forehead or upon his hand, 10 he will also drink of the wine of the passion of God, that has been mixed undiluted inside the cup of His opposition; and he will be examined inside of fire and sulphur, in the presence of devoted angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their examination arises into the unfolding of the ages, and they shall not have rest day and night, those worshiping the beast and its image, and anyone who receives the imprint of its name.
 
12 Here is the perseverance of the devoted ones, those watching over the completion of God and the faith of Jesus. 13 I heard a voice out of heaven saying, “Write, blessed are the dead inside of the Lord, those dying from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “So that they will rest from their toil; for their works accompany them.”

14 Then I looked, and I saw a white cloud, and upon the cloud was sitting One who resembles the Son of Man, having a golden crown upon His head and a sharp and eager sickle in His hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying in a great voice to the One sitting on the cloud, “Put forth Your sickle and reap, because the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth has ripened.” 16 And the One sitting upon the cloud swung His sickle upon the earth, and the earth was harvested.

17 Then another angel came out of the temple inside of heaven having also a sharp and eager sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, having authority over the fire, and he called in a great voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Send forth your sharp sickle and gather in the clusters from the vine of the earth, because its grapes have fully ripened.” 19 And the angel sent forth his sickle into the earth and gathered in the vine of the earth and cast it into the winepress of the great passion of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed out of the winepress, as high as the bridles of the horses, to the distance of one thousand six hundred stadia.

 
15:1 Then I saw another sign inside of heaven, great and wonderful, seven angels having the last seven wounds [caused by a blow], because in them the passion of God was completed.   

2 And I saw as if a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those overcoming out of the beast and out of its image, and out of the number of its name, standing firm upon the glass sea, having harps of God. 3 And they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and wonderful are Your works, Lord God, the All-Holding, All-Carrying One! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the ethnic groups. 4 Who should not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are Devoted. For all the ethnic groups will come and will worship inside of Your presence, for Your just actions have been made visible and clear.

5 After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony inside of heaven was opened. 6 And seven angels came forth out of the temple, having the seven wounds [caused by a blow]. They were clothed in pure shining linen, and girded around their chests with golden sashes. 7 And one of the four living things gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the passion of God, the One who lives into the unfolding of the ages. 8 And the temple was filled with smoke out from the glory of God and out from His power; and no one was able to enter into the temple until the seven wounds [caused by a blow] of the seven angels were finished.