Chapter 250 of 257

Matthew 24:29–30 “And immediately after the tribulation of those days,

And the fourth poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was granted to it to burn up people with fire. 9 And people were burned up by the great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has the authority over these plagues, and they did not repent to give him glory.

“And immediately after the tribulation of those days,

‘the sun will be darkened

and the moon will not give its light,

and the stars will fall from heaven,

and the powers of heaven will be shaken.’

30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

“And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity from the noise of the sea and its surging, 26 people fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man arriving in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these things begin to happen, stand up straight and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near!”

Blow the trumpet in Zion,

and sound the alarm on my holy mountain!

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,

for the day of Yahweh is coming

—it is indeed near.

2 A day of darkness and gloom,

a day of cloud and thick darkness,

like the dawn spreads on the mountains,

a great and strong army!

There has been nothing like it from old,

and after it nothing will be again for generations to come.

For everyone who practices evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed.

And the first living creature was similar to a lion, and the second living creature was similar to an ox, and the third living creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth living creature was similar to an eagle flying. 8 And the four living creatures, each one of them, had six wings apiece, full of eyes around and inside, and they do not have rest day and night, saying,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God All-Powerful,

the one who was and the one who is and the one who is coming!”

And I looked, and I heard one eagle flying directly overhead, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who live on the earth, from the remaining sounds of the trumpets of the three angels who are about to blow the trumpet!”

Because you have kept the word of my patient endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole inhabited world, to put to the test those who live on the earth.

and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, holy and true Lord, will you not judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?”

And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them, and will celebrate and will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who live on the earth.

Because of this, rejoice, you heavens,

and those who live in them!

Woe to the earth and to the sea,

because the devil has come down to you,

having great anger,

because he knows that he has little time!”

And all those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name is not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.

And he exercises all the authority of the first beast on behalf of him, and he causes the earth and those who live in it to worship the first beast whose fatal wound had been healed.

And he deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs that it has been granted to him to perform on behalf of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who has the wound of the sword and yet lived.

And I saw another angel flying directly overhead, having an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who reside on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and language and people,

with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those who live on the earth became drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.”

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is going to come up from the abyss, and he is going to destruction. And those who live on the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and will be present.

For many live, of whom I spoke about to you many times, but now speak about even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose God is the stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, the ones who think on earthly things. 20 For our commonwealth exists in heaven, from which also we eagerly await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our humble body to be conformed to his glorious body, in accordance with the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 16 because everything that is in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance of material possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.

And all those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name is not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.

And the fifth angel blew the trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to the earth, and the key of the shaft of the abyss was given to him. 2 And he opened the shaft of the abyss, and smoke went up from the shaft like smoke from a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came to the earth, and power was given to them like the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 And it was told to them that they should not damage the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, except those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And it was granted to them that they should not kill them, but that they would be tormented five months, and their torment is like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a person. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will never find it, and they will long to die, and death will flee from them.

7 And the appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle, and on their heads were something like crowns similar in appearance to gold, and their faces were like men’s faces, 8 and they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions, 9 and they had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of many horse-drawn chariots running into battle. 10 And they have tails similar in appearance to scorpions, and stings, and their power to injure people for five months is in their tails. 11 They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.

12 The first woe has passed. Behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

13 And the sixth angel blew the trumpet, and I heard one voice from the horns of the golden altar that is before God 14 saying to the sixth angel, the one who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who have been bound at the great river Euphrates!” 15 And the four angels who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year were released, in order that they should kill a third of humanity. 16 And the number of the troops of the cavalry was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And in this way I saw the horses in the vision, and those seated on them, who had fiery red and hyacinth-colored and sulphurous yellow breastplates, and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire and smoke and sulphur. 18 By these three plagues a third of humanity was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the sulphur that came out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are similar in appearance to snakes, having heads, and with them they cause injury.

20 And the rest of humanity who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands, in order not to worship the demons and the gold and silver and bronze and stone and wooden idols, which are able neither to see nor to hear nor to walk, 21 and they did not repent of their murders or of their magic spells or of their sexual immorality or of their thefts.

12 The first woe has passed. Behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

And they began imploring him that he would not order them to depart into the abyss.

And I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he seized the dragon—the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan—and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it above him, in order that he could not deceive the nations again until the thousand years are completed. After these things it is necessary for him to be released for a short time.

And when they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war with them and will conquer them and will kill them.

And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet also are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.

Finally, become strong in the Lord and in the might of his strength. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil, 12 because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Because of this, take up the full armor of God, in order that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, girding your waist with truth, and putting on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and binding shoes under your feet with the preparation of the good news of peace, 16 in everything taking up the shield of faith, with which you are able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one, 17 and receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 with all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit, and to this end being alert with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, 19 and for me, that a word may be given to me at the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for the sake of which I am an ambassador in chains, that in them I may speak freely, as it is necessary for me to speak.

21 Now, so that you also may know my circumstances, what I am doing, Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make known to you all things, 22 whom I have sent to you for this very reason, that you may know our circumstances, and he may encourage your hearts.

23 Peace to the brothers and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruptibility.

How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of dawn!

You are cut down to the ground, conqueror of nations!

13 And you yourself said in your heart,

‘I will ascend to heaven;

I will raise up my throne above the stars of God;

and I will sit on the mountain of assembly

on the summit of Zaphon;

14 I will ascend to the high places of the clouds,

I will make myself like the Most High.’

So he said to them, “I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven.

and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have made his heart insensitive and the heart of his servants in order to put these signs of mine in his midst, 2 so that you will tell in the ears of your child and your grandchild that I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and so that you will tell about my signs that I have done among them, and so you will know that I am Yahweh.”

3 And Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and they said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, ‘Until when will you refuse to submit before me? Release my people so that they may serve me. 4 But if you are refusing to release my people, look, I am about to bring locusts into your territory tomorrow. 5 And they will cover the surface of the land, and no one will be able to see the land, and they will eat the remainder of what is left—what is left over for you from the hail—and they will eat every sprouting tree belonging to you from the field. 6 And your houses will be full, and the houses of all your servants and the houses of all Egypt, something that your fathers and your grandfathers never saw from the day they were on the earth until this day.’ ” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

7 And the servants of Pharaoh said to him, “Until when will this be a snare for us? Release the men so that they may serve Yahweh their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” 8 And Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Serve Yahweh your God. Who are the ones going? 9 And Moses said, “With our young and with our old we will go; with our sons and with our daughters, with our sheep and goats and with our cattle we will go because it is the feast of Yahweh for us.” 10 And he said to them, “Let Yahweh be thus with you as soon as I release you and your dependents. See that evil is before your faces. 11 No indeed; just the men go and serve Yahweh, since this is what you are seeking.” And he drove them out from the presence of Pharaoh.

12 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt with the locusts so that they may come up over the land of Egypt, and let them eat all the vegetation of the land, all that the hail left behind.” 13 And Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and Yahweh drove an east wind into the land all that day and all night. The morning came, and the east wind had brought the locusts. 14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and they settled in all the territory of Egypt, very severe. Before it there were not locusts like them, nor will there be after it. 15 And they covered the surface of all the land, and the land was dark with them, and they ate all the vegetation of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left, and no green was left in the trees nor in the vegetation of the field in all the land of Egypt.

16 And Pharaoh hurried to call Moses and Aaron, and he said, “I have sinned against Yahweh your God and against you. 17 And now forgive my sin surely this time, and pray to Yahweh your God so that he may only remove from me this death.” 18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and he prayed to Yahweh. 19 And Yahweh turned a very strong west wind and lifted up the locusts and thrust them into the Red Sea, and not one locust remained in all the territory of Egypt. 20 And Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not release the Israelites.

“You shall carry out much seed to the field, but you shall gather little produce, for the locust shall devour it.

The cricket shall take possession of all your trees and the fruit of your ground.

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind could blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, holding the seal of the living God, and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels who were given permission to damage the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not damage the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the slaves of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of the ones who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

5 from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand,

6 from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand,

7 from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand,

8 from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

And death will be preferred to life by all the remaining of this evil clan in all the remaining places where I have driven them away,” declares Yahweh of hosts.

there is no king for the locust,

yet it marches in rank;

The thief comes only so that he can steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

and the one who lives, and I was dead, and behold, I am living forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and of Hades.

And you know that which restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his own time.

And the four angels who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year were released, in order that they should kill a third of humanity.

And the sixth angel blew the trumpet, and I heard one voice from the horns of the golden altar that is before God 14 saying to the sixth angel, the one who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who have been bound at the great river Euphrates!” 15 And the four angels who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year were released, in order that they should kill a third of humanity. 16 And the number of the troops of the cavalry was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And in this way I saw the horses in the vision, and those seated on them, who had fiery red and hyacinth-colored and sulphurous yellow breastplates, and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire and smoke and sulphur. 18 By these three plagues a third of humanity was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the sulphur that came out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are similar in appearance to snakes, having heads, and with them they cause injury.

And another angel who had a golden censer came and stood at the altar, and a large amount of incense was given to him, in order that he could offer the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that is before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense went up before God with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel. 5 And the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire from the altar and threw it to the earth, and there were thunders and sounds and lightnings and an earthquake.

And I looked, and behold, a pale green horse, and the one seated on it was named Death, and Hades followed after him. And authority was granted to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword and by famine and by pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

And the name of the third is Tigris. It flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

On that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram saying, “To your offspring I will give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates river,

And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the word of God and because of the testimony which they had, 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, holy and true Lord, will you not judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?” 11 And to each one of them a white robe was given, and it was said to them that they should rest yet a short time, until the number of their fellow slaves and their brothers who were about to be killed as they had been were completed also.

And the rest of humanity who were not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands, in order not to worship the demons and the gold and silver and bronze and stone and wooden idols, which are able neither to see nor to hear nor to walk, 21 and they did not repent of their murders or of their magic spells or of their sexual immorality or of their thefts.

Therefore, what am I saying? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but that the things which they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to become sharers with demons. 21 You are not able to drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You are not able to share the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of dawn!

You are cut down to the ground, conqueror of nations!

13 And you yourself said in your heart,

‘I will ascend to heaven;

I will raise up my throne above the stars of God;

and I will sit on the mountain of assembly

on the summit of Zaphon;

14 I will ascend to the high places of the clouds,

I will make myself like the Most High.’

15 But you are brought down to Sheol,

to the depths of the pit.

Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, 9 and he said to him, “I will give to you all these things, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan, for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ ”

In those days there was no king in Israel; each one did what was right in his own eyes.

And he will make a strong covenant with the many for one week, but in half of the week he will let cease sacrifice and offering and in its place a desolating abomination comes even until the determined complete destruction is poured out on the desolator.”

And leave out the courtyard outside of the temple, and do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will trample the holy city for forty two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days, dressed in sackcloth.”

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared there by God, so that they could feed her there for one thousand two hundred sixty days.

And the two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she could fly into the wilderness, to her place where she is fed there for a time, and times, and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

And a mouth was given to him speaking great things and blasphemies, and authority to act was given to him for forty-two months.

And I saw another powerful angel descending from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, and a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire, 2 and holding in his hand a little scroll that was opened. And he put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land. 3 And he cried out with a loud voice like a lion roars, and when he cried out, the seven thunders sounded their own voices. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write, and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders spoke, and do not write them!”

5 And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, “There will be no more delay! 7 But in the days of the sound of the seventh angel, whenever he is about to blow the trumpet, then the mystery of God is completed, as he announced to his own slaves the prophets.”

8 And the voice that I had heard from heaven was speaking with me again and saying, “Go, take the opened scroll in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 And I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll, and he said to me, “Take and eat it up, and it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it up, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth, and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. 11 And they said to me, “It is necessary for you to prophesy again about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

And a measuring rod similar in appearance to a staff was given to me, saying, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship in it. 2 And leave out the courtyard outside of the temple, and do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will trample the holy city for forty two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days, dressed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouth and consumes their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, in this way he must be killed. 6 These have the authority to shut the sky, so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy. And they have authority over the waters, to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with every plague as often as they wish.

7 And when they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war with them and will conquer them and will kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which is called symbolically Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 And those from peoples and tribes and languages and nations will see their dead bodies three and a half days, and they will not allow their dead bodies to be placed in a tomb. 10 And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them, and will celebrate and will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who live on the earth.

11 And after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here,” and they went up into heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour a great earthquake took place, and a tenth of the city collapsed, and seven thousand people were killed by the earthquake, and the rest became terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14 The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly!

And the seventh angel blew the trumpet, and there was a loud voice in heaven saying,

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord

and of his Christ,

and he will reign forever and ever.”

16 And the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God fell down on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,

“We give thanks to you, Lord God All-Powerful,

the one who is and the one who was,

because you have taken your great power

and have begun to reign.

18 And the nations were angry,

and your wrath has come,

and the time for the dead to be judged,

and to give their reward to your slaves the prophets

and to the saints and to the ones who fear your name,

the small and the great,

and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

19 And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant appeared in his temple, and there were lightnings and sounds and thunders and an earthquake and large hail.

Are they not all spirits engaged in special service, sent on assignment for the sake of those who are going to inherit salvation?

And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?”

Bless Yahweh, you his angels,

you mighty heroes who do his word

by obeying the sound of his word.

And the one seated was similar in appearance to jasper and carnelian stone, and a rainbow was around the throne similar in appearance to emerald.

O Yahweh, I have heard the report of you;

O Yahweh, I stand in awe of your works.

In the midst of the years, revive it!

In the midst of the years, make it known!

In wrath, may you remember to show compassion.

And at the moment of Aaron’s speaking to all the community of the Israelites, they turned to the desert, and just then the glory of Yahweh appeared in the cloud.

And Yahweh said to Moses, “Look, I am going to come to you in a thick cloud in order that the people will hear when I speak with you and will also trust in you forever.” And Moses told the words of the people to Yahweh.

And Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 And the glory of Yahweh settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days, and he called to Moses on the seventh day from the midst of the cloud. 17 And the appearance of the glory of Yahweh was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain to the eyes of the Israelites. 18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and he went up the mountain, and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

And Yahweh descended in the cloud, and he stood with him there, and he proclaimed the name of Yahweh.

the one who sets beams in the waters for his upper chambers,

who makes clouds his chariot,

who rides on the wings of the wind,

And after he had said these things, while they were watching, he was taken up, and a cloud received him from their sight.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds,

and every eye will see him,

even every one who pierced him,

and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him.

Yes, amen.

and he had in his right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword coming out of his mouth, and his face was like the sun shining in its strength.

and his feet were like fine bronze when it has been fired in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters,

And one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.

And the angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush, and he looked, and there was the bush burning with fire, but the bush was not being consumed.

And as the angel of Yahweh spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people wept bitterly.

The angel of Yahweh came and sat under the oak that was at Ophrah that belonged to Jehoash the Abiezrite; and Gideon his son was threshing wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 The angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, you mighty warrior.”

Then the angel of Yahweh reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and he touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of Yahweh went from his sight. 22 And Gideon realized that he was the angel of Yahweh; and Gideon said, “Oh, my lord Yahweh! For now I have seen the angel of Yahweh face to face.”

When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, Yahweh regretted about the evil, and he said to the angel who brought destruction among the people, “Enough, now relax your hand.” Now the angel of Yahweh was at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

And one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.

6 And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing as though slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one of whom had a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they were singing a new song, saying,

“You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slaughtered,

and bought people for God by your blood

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

10 and made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they will reign on the earth.”

11 And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and of the living creatures and of the elders, and their number was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands times thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered

to receive power and riches

and wisdom and strength

and honor and glory and praise!”

13 And I heard every creature that is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea and everything in them saying,

“To the one who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise and honor and glory and power

forever and ever.”

14 And the four living creatures were saying, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

After the death of Moses the servant of Yahweh, Yahweh said to Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, saying, 2 “My servant Moses is dead. Get up and cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. 3 Every place that the soles of your feet will tread, I have given it to you, as I promised to Moses.

“But as for me, I have set my king

on Zion, my holy mountain.”

7 I will tell the decree;

Yahweh said to me:

“You are my son;

today I have begotten you.

8 Ask from me and I will make the nations your heritage,

and your possession the ends of the earth.

9 You will break them with an iron rod.

Like a potter’s vessel you will shatter them.”

Be sober; be on the alert. Your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

For Yahweh is the great God,

and the great king over all gods,

4 in whose hand are the unexplored places of the earth,

and the heights of the mountains are his,

5 to whom belongs the sea that he made,

and the dry land that his hands formed.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand

and marked off the heavens with a span,

comprehended the dust of the earth in a third of a measure

and weighed out the mountains in the scales, and the hills in a balance?

13 Who has measured up the spirit of Yahweh

or informed him as his counselor?

14 With whom has he consulted, that he enlightened him

and taught him the path of justice,

and taught him knowledge,

and made the way of understanding known to him?

15 Look! The nations are like a drop from a bucket,

and they are counted like dust of the balances!

Look! He weighs the islands like a thin covering.

16 And Lebanon is not enough to light a fire,

and its animals not enough for a burnt offering.

17 All the nations are like nothing before him;

they are counted by him as nothing and emptiness.

And he said, “Go, Daniel, for the words are secret and are sealed up until the time of the end.

And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near!

Look, these are the outer fringes of his ways,

and how faint is the word that we hear of him!

But who can understand the thunder of his power?”

“God thunders with his voice in marvelous ways;

he does great things, and we cannot comprehend.

Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have both glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 Now the crowd that stood there and heard it said it had thundered. Others were saying, “An angel has spoken to him!”

“The hidden things belong to Yahweh our God, but the revealed things belong to us to know and to our children forever, in order to do all the words of this law.”

And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, “There will be no more delay! 7 But in the days of the sound of the seventh angel, whenever he is about to blow the trumpet, then the mystery of God is completed, as he announced to his own slaves the prophets.”

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying,

“Surely I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply you.”

15 And so, by persevering, he obtained the promise. 16 For people swear by what is greater than themselves, and the oath for confirmation is the end of all dispute for them. 17 In the same way God, because he wanted to show even more to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his resolve, guaranteed it with an oath, 18 in order that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge may have powerful encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us, 19 which we have like an anchor of the soul, both firm and steadfast, and entering into the inside of the curtain, 20 where Jesus, the forerunner for us, entered, because he became a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

And by as much as this was not without an oath (for these on the one hand have become priests without an oath, 21 but he with an oath by the one who said to him,

“The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,

‘You are a priest forever’ ”),

22 by so much more Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

“Men and brothers, it is possible to speak with confidence to you about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us until this day. 30 Therefore, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne,

and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, “There will be no more delay!

Dear friends, this is already the second letter I am writing to you, in both of which I am attempting to stir up your sincere mind by a reminder, 2 to remember the words proclaimed beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 above all knowing this, that in the last days scoffers will come with scoffing, following according to their own desires 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued just as they have been from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that the heavens existed long ago and the earth held together out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 by means of which things the world that existed at that time was destroyed by being inundated with water. 7 But by the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people.

8 Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your notice, that one day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. 9 The Lord is not delaying the promise, as some consider slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, holy and true Lord, will you not judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?” 11 And to each one of them a white robe was given, and it was said to them that they should rest yet a short time, until the number of their fellow slaves and their brothers who were about to be killed as they had been were completed also.

And the disciples came up and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered and said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those people it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

For the mystery of lawlessness is at work already; only the one who now restrains will do so until he is out of the way, 8 and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of his mouth, and wipe out by the appearance of his coming, 9 whose coming is in accordance with the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with every unrighteous deception against those who are perishing, in place of which they did not accept the love of the truth, so that they would be saved. 11 And because of this, God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but delighted in unrighteousness.

13 But we ought to give thanks to God always concerning you, brothers dearly loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you as first fruits for salvation by the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the truth, 14 for which purpose he called you through our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions which you were taught, whether by spoken word or by letter from us. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal encouragement and good hope by grace, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.

And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud was seated one like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to the one seated on the cloud, “Send out your sickle and reap, because the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe!” 16 And the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

17 And another angel came out of the temple that is in heaven; he also had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel who had authority over the fire went out from the altar, and he called out with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Send out your sharp sickle and harvest the clusters of grapes from the vine of the earth, because its grapes are at their prime!” 19 And the angel swung his sickle into the earth and harvested the vine of the earth, and threw the grapes into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was stomped outside the city, and blood went out from the winepress up to the bridles of the horses, about one thousand six hundred stadia.

The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly!

15 And the seventh angel blew the trumpet, and there was a loud voice in heaven saying,