When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man; but he laid his hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and Last,

I know where you dwell, where Satan sits enthroned, and yet you adhere to my Name, you have not renounced your faith in me even during the days when my witness, my faithful Antipas, was martyred in your midst ??where Satan dwells.

And when it took the scroll, the four living Creatures and the four and twenty Presbyters fell down before the Lamb, each with his harp and with golden bowls full of incense (that is, full of the prayers of the saints),

And when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, I looked, and I heard one of the four living Creatures calling like thunder, "Come."

And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living Creature calling, "Come."

And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living Creature calling, "Come." So I looked and there was a black horse; its rider held a pair of scales in his hand,

And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living Creature calling, "Come."

And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain for adhering to God's word and to the testimony which they bore;

And when he opened the sixth seal, I looked; and a great earthquake took place, the sun turned black as sackcloth, the full moon turned like blood,

And when he opened the seventh seal, silence reigned in heaven for about half-an-hour.

these they were allowed, not to kill but to torture, for five months ??and their torture was like the torture of a scorpion when it stings a man.

in the days of the seventh angel's voice, when he now blows his blast, then shall the secret purpose of God be fulfilled, as he assured his servants the prophets."

Then I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel and swallowed it; it did taste sweet, like honey, but when I had eaten it, it was bitter to digest.

They have power to shut up the sky, so that no rain falls during the days when they are prophesying; and they have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and also to smite the earth with all manner of plagues as often as they choose.

But, when they have finished their testimony, the Beast that ascends from the abyss will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,

And when the dragon found himself thrown down to earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child;

The Beast you have seen was, is not, but is to rise from the abyss ??yet to perdition he shall go ??and the dwellers on earth will wonder (all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of Life), when they see that the Beast was, is not, but is coming.

also, they are seven kings, of whom five have fallen, one is living, and the other has not arrived yet ??and when he does arrive, he can only stay a little while.

But when the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison,

I John saw and heard all this; and when I heard and saw it, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who had shown me it all.