Revelation 15–18

The Angels with the Last Plagues

15Then I saw in the sky another mysterious sight, great and amazing. There were seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last ones, because they are the final expression of God’s anger.

²Then I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. I also saw those who had won the victory over the beast and its image and over the one whose name is represented by a number. They were standing by the sea of glass, holding harps that God had given them ^3*and singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:

“Lord God Almighty,

how great and wonderful are your deeds!

King of the nations,^f

how right and true are your ways!

^4*Who will not stand in awe of you, Lord?

Who will refuse to declare your greatness?

You alone are holy.

All the nations will come

and worship you,

because your just actions are seen by all.”

^5*After this I saw the temple in heaven open, with the Sacred Tent in it. ⁶The seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, dressed in clean shining linen and with gold belts tied around their chests. ⁷Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven gold bowls full of the anger of God, who lives for ever and ever. ^8*The temple was filled with smoke from the glory and power of God, and no one could go into the temple until the seven plagues brought by the seven angels had come to an end.

The Bowls of God’s Anger

16Then I heard a loud voice speaking from the temple to the seven angels: “Go and pour out the seven bowls of God’s anger on the earth!”

^2*The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Terrible and painful sores appeared on those who had the mark of the beast and on those who had worshipped its image.

³Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea. The water became like the blood of a dead person, and every living creature in the sea died.

^4*Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. ⁵I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “The judgements you have made are just, O Holy One, you who are and who were! ⁶They poured out the blood of God’s people and of the prophets, and so you have given them blood to drink. They are getting what they deserve!” ⁷Then I heard a voice from the altar saying, “Lord God Almighty! True and just indeed are your judgements!”

⁸Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to burn people with its fiery heat. ⁹They were burnt by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God, who has authority over these plagues. But they would not turn from their sins and praise his greatness.

^10*Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. Darkness fell over the beast’s kingdom, and people bit their tongues because of their pain, ¹¹and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not turn from their evil ways.

^12*Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates. The river dried up, to provide a way for the kings who come from the east. ¹³Then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs. They were coming out of the mouth of the dragon, the mouth of the beast, and the mouth of the false prophet. ¹⁴They are the spirits of demons that perform miracles. These three spirits go out to all the kings of the world, to bring them together for the battle on the great Day of Almighty God.

^15*“Listen! I am coming like a thief! Happy is he who stays awake and guards his clothes, so that he will not walk around naked and be ashamed in public!”

^16*Then the spirits brought the kings together in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

¹⁷Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl in the air. A loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!” ^18*There were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder, and a terrible earthquake. There has never been such an earthquake since the creation of the human race; this was the worst earthquake of all! ^19*The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of all countries were destroyed. God remembered great Babylon and made her drink the wine from his cup—the wine of his furious anger. ^20*All the islands disappeared, all the mountains vanished. ^21*Huge hailstones, each weighing as much as fifty kilogrammes, fell from the sky on people, who cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because it was such a terrible plague.

The Famous Prostitute

17^*Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came to me and said, “Come, and I will show you how the famous prostitute is to be punished, that great city that is built near many rivers. ^2*The kings of the earth practiced sexual immorality with her, and the people of the world became drunk from drinking the wine of her immorality.”

^3*The Spirit took control of me, and the angel carried me to a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a red beast that had names insulting to God written all over it; the beast had seven heads and ten horns. ^4*The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and covered with gold ornaments, precious stones, and pearls. In her hand she held a gold cup full of obscene and filthy things, the result of her immorality. ⁵On her forehead was written a name that has a secret meaning: “Great Babylon, the mother of all the prostitutes and perverts in the world.” ⁶And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s people and the blood of those who were killed because they had been loyal to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was completely amazed. ⁷“Why are you amazed?” the angel asked me. “I will tell you the secret meaning of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the beast with seven heads and ten horns. ^8*That beast was once alive, but lives no longer; it is about to come up from the abyss and will go off to be destroyed. The people living on earth whose names have not been written before the creation of the world in the book of the living, will all be amazed as they look at the beast. It was once alive; now it no longer lives, but it will reappear.

⁹“This calls for wisdom and understanding. The seven heads are seven hills, on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings: ¹⁰five of them have fallen, one still rules, and the other one has not yet come; when he comes, he must rule only a little while. ¹¹And the beast that was once alive, but lives no longer, is itself an eighth king who is one of the seven and is going off to be destroyed.

^12*“The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet begun to rule, but who will be given authority to rule as kings for one hour with the beast. ¹³These ten all have the same purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴They will fight against the Lamb; but the Lamb, together with his called, chosen, and faithful followers, will defeat them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings.”

¹⁵The angel also said to me, “The waters you saw, on which the prostitute is sitting, are nations, peoples, races, and languages. ¹⁶The ten horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute; they will take away everything she has and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and destroy her with fire. ¹⁷For God has placed in their hearts the will to carry out his purpose by acting together and giving the beast their power to rule until God’s words come true.

¹⁸“The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

The Fall of Babylon

18After this I saw another angel coming down out of heaven. He had great authority, and his splendour brightened the whole earth. ^2*He cried out in a loud voice: “She has fallen! Great Babylon has fallen! She is now haunted by demons and unclean spirits; all kinds of filthy and hateful birds live in her. ^3*For all the nations have drunk her wine—the strong wine of her immoral lust. The kings of the earth practiced sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the world grew rich from her unrestrained lust.”

^4*Then I heard another voice from heaven, saying:

“Come out, my people! Come out from her!

You must not take part in her sins;

you must not share in her punishment!

^5*For her sins are piled up as high as heaven,

and God remembers her wicked ways.

^6*Treat her exactly as she has treated you;

pay her back double for all she has done.

Fill her cup with a drink twice as strong

as the drink she prepared for you.

^7*Give her as much suffering and grief

as the glory and luxury she gave herself.

For she keeps telling herself:

‘Here I sit, a queen!

I am no widow,

I will never know grief!’

^8*Because of this, in one day she will be struck with plagues—

disease, grief, and famine.

And she will be burnt with fire,

because the Lord God, who judges her, is mighty.”

^9*The kings of the earth who took part in her immorality and lust will cry and weep over the city when they see the smoke from the flames that consume her. ^10*They stand a long way off, because they are afraid of sharing in her suffering. They say, “How terrible! How awful! This great and mighty city Babylon! In just one hour you have been punished!”

^11*The merchants of the earth also cry and mourn for her, because no one buys their goods any longer; ^12*no one buys their gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; their goods of linen, purple cloth, silk, and scarlet cloth; all kinds of rare woods and all kinds of objects made of ivory and of expensive wood, of bronze, iron, and marble; ^13*and cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine and oil, flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and carriages, slaves, and even human lives. ¹⁴The merchants say to her, “All the good things you longed to own have disappeared, and all your wealth and glamour are gone, and you will never find them again!” ^15*The merchants, who became rich from doing business in that city, will stand a long way off, because they are afraid of sharing in her suffering. They will cry and mourn, ¹⁶and say, “How terrible! How awful…