Revelation 13–16

13The dragon stood on the seashore.

The Beast out of the Sea

I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads. There were ten crowns on his horns. On each head was an evil name that was displeasing to God.

²The beast I saw looked like a leopard. But he had feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power, his throne, and great authority. ³One of the beast’s heads seemed to have had a deadly wound. But the wound had been healed. The whole world was amazed and followed the beast.

⁴People worshiped the dragon, because he had given authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast. They asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?”

⁵The beast was given a mouth to brag and speak evil things against God. The beast was allowed to use his authority for 42 months. ⁶He opened his mouth to speak evil things against God. He told lies about God’s character and about the place where God lives and about those who live in heaven with him. ⁷He was allowed to make war against God’s people and to overcome them. He was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.

⁸All who live on earth whose names have not been written in the Book of Life will worship the beast. The Book of Life belongs to the Lamb whose death was planned before the world was created.

⁹Everyone who has ears should listen.

¹⁰Everyone who is supposed to be captured

will be captured.

Everyone who is supposed to be killed with a sword

will be killed with a sword.

So God’s people must be patient and faithful.

The Beast out of the Earth

¹¹Then I saw another beast. This one came out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb. But he spoke like a dragon. ¹²He had all the authority of the first beast. He did what that beast wanted. He made the earth and all who live on it worship the first beast. The first beast was the one whose deadly wound had been healed.

¹³The second beast did great and miraculous signs. He even made fire come from heaven. It came down to earth where everyone could see it. ¹⁴He did the signs the first beast wanted him to do. In that way the second beast tricked those who live on the earth. He ordered them to set up a statue to honor the first beast.

The first beast was the one who had been wounded by the sword and still lived.

¹⁵The second beast was allowed to give breath to the statue so it could speak. He was allowed to kill all who refused to worship the statue. ¹⁶He also forced everyone to receive a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. People great or small, rich or poor, free or slave had to receive the mark. ¹⁷They could not buy or sell anything unless they had the mark. The mark is the name of the beast or the number of his name.

¹⁸Here is a problem that you have to be wise to figure out. If you can, figure out what the beast’s number means. It is man’s number. His number is 666.

The Lamb and the 144,000

14I looked, and there in front of me was the Lamb. He was standing on Mount Zion. With him were 144,000 people. Written on their foreheads were his name and his Father’s name.

²I heard a sound from heaven. It was like the roar of rushing waters and loud thunder. The sound I heard was like the music of harps being played.

³Then everyone sang a new song in front of the throne. They sang it in front of the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000. They had been set free from the evil of the earth.

⁴They had not committed sexual sins with women. They had kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among people as a first offering to God and the Lamb. ⁵Their mouths told no lies. They are without blame.

The Three Angels

⁶I saw another angel. He was flying high in the air. He came to tell everyone on earth the good news that will always be true. He told it to every nation, tribe, language and people. ⁷In a loud voice he said, “Have respect for God. Give him glory. The hour has come for God to judge. Worship him who made the heavens and the earth. Worship him who made the sea and the springs of water.”

⁸A second angel followed him. He said, “Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen! The city of Babylon made all the nations drink the strong wine of her terrible sins.”

⁹A third angel followed them. He said in a loud voice, “Watch out, all you who worship the beast and his statue! Watch out, all you who have his mark on your forehead or your hand! ¹⁰You, too, will drink the wine of God’s great anger. His wine has been poured full strength into the cup of his anger. You will be burned with flaming sulfur. The holy angels and the Lamb will see it happen. ¹¹The smoke of your terrible suffering will rise for ever and ever. Day and night, there is no rest for you who worship the beast and his statue. There is no rest for you who receive the mark of his name.”

¹²God’s people need to be very patient. They are the ones who obey God’s commands. They remain faithful to Jesus.

¹³Then I heard a voice from heaven. “Write this,” it said. “Blessed are the dead who die as believers in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Holy Spirit. “They will rest from their labor. What they have done will not be forgotten.”

The Harvest of the Earth

¹⁴I looked, and there in front of me was a white cloud. Sitting on the cloud was One who looked “like a son of man.” He wore a gold crown on his head. In his hand was a sharp, curved blade for cutting grain.

¹⁵Then another angel came out of the temple. He called in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud. “Take your blade,” he said. “Cut the grain. The time has come. The earth is ready to be harvested.”

¹⁶So the one sitting on the cloud swung his blade over the earth. And the earth was harvested.

¹⁷Another angel came out of the temple in heaven. He too had a sharp, curved blade. ¹⁸Still another angel came from the altar. He was in charge of the fire on the altar. He called out in a loud voice to the angel who had the sharp blade. “Take your blade,” he said, “and gather the bunches of grapes from the earth’s vine. Its grapes are ripe.”

¹⁹So the angel swung his blade over the earth. He gathered its grapes. Then he threw them into a huge winepress. The winepress stands for God’s anger.

²⁰In the winepress outside the city, the grapes were stomped on. Blood flowed out of the pit. It spread over the land for about 180 miles. It rose as high as the horses’ heads.

Seven Angels With Seven Plagues

15I saw in heaven another great and miraculous sign. Seven angels were about to bring the seven last plagues. The plagues would complete God’s anger.

²Then I saw something that looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. Standing beside the sea were those who had won the battle over the beast. They had also overcome his statue and the number of his name. They held harps given to them by God.

³They sang the song of Moses, who served God, and the song of the Lamb. They sang,

“Lord God who rules over all,

everything you do is great and wonderful.

King of the ages,

your ways are true and fair.

⁴Lord, who will not have respect for you?

Who will not bring glory to your name?

You alone are holy.

All nations will come

and worship you.

They see that the things you do are right.”

⁵After this I looked, and the temple was opened in heaven. The temple is the holy tent where the tablets of the covenant were kept.

⁶Out of the temple came the seven angels who were bringing the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen. They wore gold strips of cloth around their chests.

⁷Then one of the four living creatures gave seven golden bowls to the seven angels. The bowls were filled with the anger of God, who lives for ever and ever. ⁸The temple was filled with smoke that came from the glory and power of God. No one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

The Seven Bowls of God’s Anger

16Then I heard a loud voice from the temple speaking to the seven angels. “Go,” it said. “Pour out the seven bowls of God’s anger on the earth.”

²The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land. Ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his statue.

³The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea. It turned into blood like the blood of a dead person. Every living thing in the sea died.

⁴The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and on the springs of water. They became blood.

⁵Then I heard the angel who was in charge of the waters. He said,

“The way you judge is fair.

You are the Holy One.

You are the One who is and who was.

⁶The beast’s worshipers have poured out the life’s blood of your people and your prophets.

So you have given those worshipers blood to drink.

That’s exactly what they should get.”

⁷Then I heard the altar reply,

“Lord God who rules over all,

the way you judge is true and fair.”

⁸The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun. The sun was allowed to burn people with fire. ⁹They were burned by the blazing heat. So they spoke evil things against the name of God, who controlled these plagues. But they refused to turn away from their sins. They did not give glory to God.

¹⁰The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. The kingdom of the beast became very dark. People bit their tongues because they were suffering so much. ¹¹They spoke evil things against the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. But they refused to turn away from the sins they had committed.

¹²The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates. Its water dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East.

¹³Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs. They came out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. ¹⁴They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs. They go out to gather the kings of the whole world for battle. That battle will take place on the great day of the God who rules over all.

¹⁵“Look! I am coming like a thief!…