Revelation 13–16

The Beast from the Sea

13And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. ^xHe ^yhad 10 horns and seven heads. On his horns were 10 diadems, ^zand on his heads were blasphemous names. ^ab2The beast I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like a bear’s, and his mouth was like a lion’s mouth. ^cThe dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. ³One of his heads appeared to be fatally wounded, ^dbut his fatal wound was healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast. ^ef4They worshiped the dragon ^gbecause he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? ^hWho is able to wage war against him?”

⁵A mouth was given to him to speak boasts and blasphemies. ⁱHe was also given authority to act ^jkfor 42 months. ^l6He began to speak ^mblasphemies against God: to blaspheme His name and His dwelling—those who dwell in heaven. ⁷And he was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. ⁿHe was also given authority ^oover every tribe, people, language, and nation. ^p8All those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book ^qof life ^rof the Lamb who was slaughtered. ^st

⁹If anyone has an ear, he should listen: ^u

¹⁰If anyone is destined for captivity,

into captivity he goes.

If anyone is to be killed ^vwith a sword,

with a sword he will be killed. ^w

This demands the perseverance ^xand faith of the saints. ^y

The Beast from the Earth

¹¹Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb, ^zabut he sounded like a dragon. ¹²He exercises all the authority of the first beast on his behalf and compels the earth and those who live on it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. ¹³He also performs great signs, ^beven causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people. ^c14He deceives those who live on the earth ^dbecause of the signs that he is permitted to perform on behalf of the beast, ^etelling those who live on the earth to make an image ^fof the beast who had the sword wound and yet lived. ¹⁵He was permitted to give a spirit ^gto the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ^h16And he requires everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark ⁱon his right hand or on his forehead, ^j17so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast’s name or the number of his name.

¹⁸Here is wisdom: ^klThe one who has understanding must calculate ^mthe number of the beast, because it is the number of a man. ⁿHis number is 666. ^o

The Lamb and the 144,000

14Then I looked, and there on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, ^pand with Him were 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads. ^q2I heard a sound ^rfrom heaven like the sound of cascading waters ^sand like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was also like harpists playing on their harps. ^t3They sang ^ua new song ^vbefore the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, ^wbut no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed ^xfrom the earth. ⁴These are the ones not defiled with women, for they have kept their virginity. ^yThese are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They were redeemed ^zafrom the human race as the firstfruits ^bfor God and the Lamb. ⁵No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. ^c

The Proclamation of Three Angels

⁶Then I saw another angel ^dflying high overhead, ^ehaving the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. ^f7He spoke with a loud voice: ^g“Fear God ^hand give Him glory, ⁱbecause the hour of His judgment has come. ^jWorship the Maker of heaven and earth, ^kthe sea and springs of water.”

⁸A second angel ^lfollowed, saying: “It has fallen, Babylon the Great ^mhas fallen, ⁿwho made all nations drink the wine of her sexual immorality, ^owhich brings wrath.” ^p

⁹And a third angel ^qfollowed them and spoke with a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is mixed full strength in the cup of His anger. ^rHe will be tormented with fire and sulfur ^sin the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb, ¹¹and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever. ^tThere is no rest ^uvday or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or anyone who receives the mark ^wof his name. ¹²This demands the perseverance ^xof the saints, ^ywho keep God’s commands and their faith in Jesus.” ^z

¹³Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write: The dead who die in the Lord from now on are blessed.” ^a

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “let them rest from their labors, for their works follow them!”

Reaping the Earth’s Harvest

¹⁴Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and One like the Son of Man ^bcwas seated on the cloud, with a gold crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. ¹⁵Another angel came out of the sanctuary, crying out in a loud voice to the One who was seated on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap, for the time to reap has come, since the harvest of the earth is ripe.” ^d16So the One seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

¹⁷Then another angel who also had a sharp sickle came out of the sanctuary in heaven. ¹⁸Yet another angel, who had authority over fire, came from the altar, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from earth’s vineyard, because its grapes have ripened.” ¹⁹So the angel swung his sickle toward earth and gathered the grapes from earth’s vineyard, and he threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. ^e20Then the press was trampled outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press up to the horses’ bridles for about 180 miles. ^fg

Preparation for the Bowl Judgments

15Then I saw another great and awe-inspiring sign ^hin heaven: ⁱseven angels with the seven last plagues, for with them, God’s wrath will be completed. ^j2I also saw something like a sea of glass ^kmixed with fire, and those who had won the victory over the beast, his image, ^land the number of his name, were standing on the sea of glass with harps from God. ^mn3They sang the song of God’s servant Moses ^oand the song of the Lamb:

Great and awe-inspiring are Your works,

Lord God, the Almighty;

righteous and true ^pare Your ways,

King of the Nations. ^qr

⁴Lord, who will not fear

and glorify Your name?

Because You alone are holy, ^s

for all the nations will come

and worship before You ^t

because Your righteous acts

have been revealed.

⁵After this I looked, and the heavenly sanctuary—the tabernacle of testimony ^u—was opened. ^v6Out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, dressed in clean, bright linen, with gold sashes wrapped around their chests. ⁷One of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven gold bowls filled with the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. ^w8Then the sanctuary was filled with smoke from God’s glory and from His power, ^xand no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

The First Bowl

16Then I heard a loud voice from the sanctuary saying to the seven angels, ^y“Go and pour out the seven ^zbowls ^aof God’s wrath on the earth.” ²The first went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and severely painful sores ^bcbroke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

The Second Bowl

³The second ^dpoured out his bowl into the sea. It turned to blood like a dead man’s, and all life ^ein the sea died. ^f

The Third Bowl

⁴The third ^gpoured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood. ^h5I heard the angel of the waters say:

You are righteous,

who is and who was, ⁱthe Holy One, ^j

for You have decided these things.

⁶Because they poured out

the blood of the saints and the prophets, ^k

You also gave them blood to drink;

they deserve it! ^l

⁷Then I heard someone from the altar say:

Yes, Lord God, the Almighty,

true and righteous are Your judgments. ^m

The Fourth Bowl

⁸The fourth ⁿpoured out his bowl on the sun. He ^owas given the power ^pto burn people with fire, ⁹and people were burned by the intense heat. So they blasphemed the name of God, ^qwho had the power ^rover these plagues, and they did not repent and give Him glory. ^s

The Fifth Bowl

¹⁰The fifth ^tpoured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, ^uand his kingdom was plunged into darkness. ^vPeople ^wgnawed their tongues because of their pain ¹¹and blasphemed the God of heaven ^xbecause of their pains and their sores, yet they did not repent of their actions.

The Sixth Bowl

¹²The sixth ^ypoured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, ^zand its water was dried up ^ato prepare the way for the kings from the east. ¹³Then I saw three unclean spirits like frogs ^bcoming from the dragon’s mouth, ^cfrom the beast’s mouth, ^dand from the mouth of the false prophet. ^e14For they are spirits of demons performing signs, ^fwho travel to the kings of the whole world to assemble them ^gfor the battle of the great day of God, the Almighty. ^h

¹⁵“Look, I am coming like a thief. The one who is alert and remains clothed ^ijso that he may not go around naked and people see his shame ^kis blessed.” ^l

¹⁶So they assembled them at the place called in Hebrew, Armagedon. ^mno

The Seventh Bowl

¹⁷Then the seventh ^ppoured out his bowl into the air, ^qand a loud voice came out of the sanctuary ^rsfrom the throne, saying, “It is done!” ¹⁸There were flashes of lightning and rumblings of thunder. And a severe earthquake occurred like no other since man has been on the earth—so great was the quake. ^t19The great city ^usplit into three parts, and the cities of the nations ^vfell. Babylon the Great was remembered in God’s presence; He gave her the…