Blessed is the one reading, and those hearing the word of the prophecy, and keeping the things which have been written in it: for the time is at hand.

I was in the spirit on a Sunday, and heard behind me a great voice, as it had been of a trumpet,

and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters.

"I know what you've been doing, your toil, and your endurance. I also know that you cannot tolerate evil people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles, but are not, and have found them to be false.

and thou didst bear, and hast endurance, and because of my name hast toiled, and hast not been weary.

But I have a few things against you, because you have there some [among you] who are holding to the [corrupt] teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, [enticing them] to eat things that had been sacrificed to idols and to commit [acts of sexual] immorality.

Let the one having ears hear what the Spirit says to the churches; unto the one conquering will I give to him of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone my new name having been written, which no one knows but the one receiving it.

"I know what you've been doing your love, faithfulness, service, and endurance and that your last actions are greater than the first.

Yet I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and by her teaching leads astray My servants, so that they commit fornication and eat what has been sacrificed to idols.

Her children too shall surely die; and all the Churches shall come to know that I am He who searches into men's inmost thoughts; and to each of you I will give a requital which shall be in accordance with what your conduct has been.

but I say to the rest that are in Thyatira, who do not follow this doctrine, and have not been initiated in the depths, as they are called, of satan, I will put upon you no other burden, but what you have:

"I know what you've been doing. You are known for being alive, but you are dead. Be alert, and strengthen the things that are left, which are about to die. I note that your actions are incomplete before my God.

I have knowledge of your works (see, I have put before you an open door which may be shut by no one), and that you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have been true to my name.

I know thy works; - that neither, cold, art thou, nor hot: I would that, cold, thou hadst been, or hot.

I counsel you to buy from me gold which has been purified by the fire, in order that you may be rich; and white garments, in order that you may be clothed, and the shame of your nakedness may not be exposed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.

I will permit him who is victorious to take his seat beside me on my throne, just as I have been victorious and taken my seat beside my Father on his throne.

Immediately, I was in [i.e., under the influence of] the Holy Spirit [See 1:10], and there before me was situated a throne in heaven, with Someone sitting on it [Note: From the following description, this appears to have been God].

Thou art worthy, O our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy will they were, and they have been created.

And I saw upon the right hand of the one sitting upon the throne a book having been written within and without, having been sealed with seven seals.

And I wept much because no one had been found worthy to open the book nor to regard it.

Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop crying. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

And they sing a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open its seals; because thou hast been slain, and hast redeemed to God, by thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation,

saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might and honor, and glory, and blessing.

Then I looked, and there was a white horse! Its rider had a bow, and a victor's crown had been given to him. He went out as a conqueror to conquer.

And when he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

Then they were each given a white robe; and they were told to rest and wait quietly for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed.

And I saw another angel ascending from the sunrising, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it had been given to hurt the earth and the sea,

And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousands, having been sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel.

Out of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand had been sealed. Out of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand had been sealed. Out of the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand had been sealed.

Out of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand had been sealed. Out of the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand had been sealed. Out of the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand had been sealed.

Out of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand had been sealed. Out of the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand had been sealed. Out of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand had been sealed.

Out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand had been sealed. Out of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand had been sealed. Out of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand had been sealed.

And answer did one of the elders, saying to me, 'These, who have been arrayed with the white robes -- who are they, and whence came they?'

And I said to him, My lord, you have knowledge. And he said to me, These are they who came through the great testing, and their robes have been washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb.

The name of the star is Wormwood, and a third of the waters became wormwood. So, many of the people died from the waters, because they had been made bitter.

They were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment and cause them extreme pain for five months; and their torment was like the torment from a scorpion when it stings a man.

And the similitude of the locusts was like unto horses prepared unto battle, and on their heads were as it were crowns, like unto gold: and their faces were as it had been the faces of men.

saying to the sixth angel, the one who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who have been bound at the great river Euphrates!"

And the four angels were loosed, that had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men.

For the power of these horses is in their mouths and their tails. Their tails have heads like snakes, which they use to inflict pain.

The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood -- idols that cannot see or hear or walk about.

and he called out in a loud voice, like a roaring lion. And when he shouted, the seven thunders responded to the voice [of the angel]. [Note: These "seven thunders" have not been previously mentioned].

but, in the days of the sounding of the seventh messenger, as soon as he is about to blow his trumpet, then shall have been completed the sacred secret of God as he told the good-news unto his own servants the prophets.

And the voice that I heard out of the heaven is again speaking with me, and saying, 'Go, take the little scroll that is open in the hand of the messenger who hath been standing upon the sea, and upon the land:'

And the court which is without the temple leave without, and measure it not; for it hath been given unto the nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

And those [non-believers] who live on the earth will gloat over them and rejoice; and they will send gifts [in celebration] to one another, because these two prophets tormented and troubled those who live on the earth.

And the nations have been full of wrath, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead to be judged, and to give the recompense to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to those who fear thy name, small and great; and to destroy those that destroy the earth.

and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered.

Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where a place had been prepared for her by God so that she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

And I heard a great voice in the heaven saying, Now is come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren has been cast out, who accused them before our God day and night:

And when the dragon saw that he had been cast out into the earth, he persecuted the woman which bore the male child.

And the dragon cast out of his mouth water after the woman, as it had been a river, because she should have been caught of the flood.

And I saw one of his heads as though it had been smitten unto death; and his death-stroke was healed: and the whole earth wondered after the beast;

It had been permitted to fight with Christ's People and to conquer them, and it had received power over men of every tribe, and people, and language, and nation.

And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain.

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.

Permission has also been given him to impart life to the statue of the wild beast so that it can speak, and to have all who do not worship the statue of the wild beast killed.

and they sing as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living creatures and the elders: and no man could learn the song save the hundred and forty and four thousand, even they that had been purchased out of the earth.

These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins: these are they who follow the Lamb wheresoever it goes. These have been bought from men as first-fruits to God and to the Lamb:

And no lie has ever been found upon their lips: they are faultless.

And another angel followed, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because all nations have been made to drink of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom.

he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, that hath been mingled unmixed in the cup of His anger, and he shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy messengers, and before the Lamb,

And the smoke of their pain goes up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, who give worship to the beast and his image, and have on them the mark of his name.

and another messenger did come forth out of the sanctuary crying in a great voice to him who is sitting upon the cloud, 'Send forth thy sickle and reap, because come to thee hath the hour of reaping, because ripe hath been the harvest of the earth;'

And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.

Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all the nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy righteous acts have been made manifest.

and I heard the angel of the waters say, "thou art just, who art, and hast always been holy, because thou hast judged thus:

And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and because of their sores, and they did not repent of their deeds.

So, the [demonic] spirits assembled the kings together at the place which is called "Armageddon" in Hebrew. [Note: "Armageddon" means "mountain of Megiddo" and was a site in northwestern Palestine where several decisive battles had been fought centuries earlier. See Judges 4,5,7].

Then the seventh [angel] poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the Temple from the throne [of God], saying, "It is over!" [i.e., the series of judgments have been completed].

And there were lightnings and sounds and thunders, and there was a great earthquake, as has not happened from the [time] humanity has been on the earth--so great in this way [was] the earthquake.

And there fell a great hail, as it had been talents, out of heaven upon the men; and the men blasphemed God, because of the plague of the hail, for it was great and the plague of it sore.

With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, they whose name hath not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and is not, and shall come.

And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which still have been given no kingdom; but they are given authority as kings, with the beast, for one hour.

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great has fallen, has fallen! And it has become the dwelling-place of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a cage of every unclean bird which has been hated,

because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the fury of her fornication; and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have been enriched through the might of her luxury.

for her sins have been heaped on one another up to the heaven, and God has remembered her unrighteousnesses.

As she gave glory to herself, and became more evil in her ways, in the same measure give her pain and weeping: for she says in her heart, I am seated here a queen, and am no widow, and will in no way see sorrow.

And weep for her, and lament over her, shall the kings of the earth having been debauched with her, and having led an insolent life, when they see the smoke of her burning,

Watching from far away, for fear of her punishment, saying, Sorrow, sorrow for Babylon, the great town, the strong town! for in one hour you have been judged.

The fruits which your soul lusted after have been lost to you, and all things that were dainty and sumptuous have perished from you, and you will find them no more at all.

The merchants of these things, who had been enriched through her, shall stand afar off through fear of her torment, weeping and grieving,

saying: Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! for in one hour, so great riches have been brought to ruin.

for in one hour so great riches has been made desolate. And every steersman, and every one who sailed to any place, and sailors, and all who exercise their calling on the sea, stood afar off,

and cast dust upon their heads, and cried, weeping and grieving, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, in which all that had ships in the sea were enriched through her costliness! for in one hour she has been made desolate.

Be glad over her, heaven, and you saints, and Apostles, and prophets; because she has been judged by God on your account.

and light of lamp shall shine no more at all in thee, and voice of bridegroom and bride shall be heard no more at all in thee; for thy merchants were the great ones of the earth; for by thy sorcery have all the nations been deceived.

And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth.

For true and upright are his decisions; for by him has the evil woman been judged, who made the earth unclean with the sins of her body; and he has given her punishment for the blood of his servants.

She has been permitted to dress in fine linen, dazzling white and clean—for the fine linen signifies the righteous acts of the saints [the ethical conduct, personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character of believers].

And he saith to me, 'Write: Happy are they who to the supper of the marriage of the Lamb have been called;' and he saith to me, 'These are the true words of God;'

And I saw the heaven having been opened, and lo, a white horse, and he who is sitting upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness doth he judge and war,

The outer garment in which He is clad has been dipped in blood and His name is THE WORD OF GOD.

And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, having been gathered together to make war with him who is sitting upon the horse, and with his army;

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

the rest of the dead did not live till the thousand years had been completed. This is the first resurrection.