The person who reads this [book] and those who listen to the words of this prophecy and who obey what is written in it are blessed, for the time [when some of it will occur] is near. [See verse 1].

Wake up, and strengthen what remains [i.e., those few in the church who were trying to stay faithful], who are about to die. For I have not found [any] of your deeds to be complete before my God.

So, remember how you have received and heard the message [i.e., they had eagerly accepted the Gospel]; [now] obey it and repent. For if you do not become [spiritually] alert, I will come as a thief [i.e. unexpectedly] and you will not know the [exact] time that I will come upon you [in judgment. See 2:16, 25].

Because you have obeyed my command to remain steadfast [in the face of difficult times], I will also keep you from [giving up when] the time of trial comes, which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those living on the earth.

After [seeing all] these things, I looked, and there in heaven I saw [a vision of] an open door, and the voice I had first heard speaking to me like [the sound of] a trumpet [See 1:10], said, "Come up here [i.e., to heaven], and I will show you the things which must happen after these things [i.e., the things just revealed]."

And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who deserves to break the seals on it and open the book?" [Note: This "book" was probably a rolled up scroll written on both sides, with wax seals keeping it from unrolling and its contents from being exposed].

And the sky disappeared like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

And I saw another angel coming up from the east; he held the seal of the living God. [Note: This "seal" was a mark of identification or ownership]. And he called out with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given [the power] to harm the land and the ocean,

For the Lamb, who is at the center of the throne, will be their Shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

And the smoke of the [burning] incense, [mingled] with the prayers of the saints, ascended from [the incense holder in] the angel's hand up to the presence of God.

[When] the first trumpet sounded [I saw] hail and fire, mingled with blood, being hurled down onto the earth. And one third of it was burned up, and one third of the trees were burned up and all the green grass was [also] burned up.

And the fallen star opened the shaft leading to the deep pit and smoke drifted up from the shaft like smoke from a huge furnace. And the sun and the sky were darkened by the smoke from the shaft.

It said to the sixth angel with the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are tied up at the great Euphrates River."

And when the seven thunders spoke [words], I started to write down [what the voices said], but I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up what the seven thunders have [just] said, and do not write them down."

And the angel I saw standing on the ocean and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven

Then there was given to me a measuring stick that looked like a [tree] branch. I was told [Note: Neither the giver nor the speaker are identified], "Get up and measure the Temple of God, and the Altar and [count] those who worship there,

These witnesses have the authority to shut the sky up so that it does not rain during the time they are prophesying. And they have the authority to turn the waters into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague whenever they want to.

And when they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the pit [See 13:1ff; 17:3,7] will wage war against them, and overpower and kill them.

And after three and a half days, God breathed life into them and they stood up on their feet, and the people who saw them became terrified.

Then the two witnesses/prophets heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." So, they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.

But the earth helped the woman by opening up its mouth and swallowing the torrent of water which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

Then the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to wage war against the rest of the woman's offspring, who obey God's commandments and who remain true to their testimony about Jesus. {\o Rev 12:18} Then the dragon stood on the seashore. [Note: Some manuscripts say, "I stood"].

And I saw a beast coming up out of the ocean. It had ten horns and seven heads, and [it had] ten crowns on his horns and on each head there was a blasphemous name [i.e., a name that slandered God].

Then I saw another [i.e., a second] beast coming up from the earth. He had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

Here is [where] God's holy people, who obey His commandments and the faith of Jesus, [need] perseverance.

Then after these things I looked and [saw] in heaven the Temple [consisting] of the Tabernacle of the Testimony was opened up. [Note: This heavenly vision is described in language reminiscent of the Tabernacle of Moses' day].

And the sixth [angel] poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River and its water was dried up, so that the road would be prepared for the kings from the east [to travel on].

The beast you saw once existed, but now does not, and [yet] is about to come up out of the pit and go to [his] destruction. And those people living on the earth, whose names have not been recorded in the book of life from the creation of the world, will be amazed when they see the beast, because he had once existed, but now does not, and yet will come [again].

And the ten horns and the beast you saw will hate the prostitute and will take away everything from her, leaving her naked; they will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.

For her sins have piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her evil deeds.

So, all at once her plagues [i.e., judgments] will fall upon her. [They will be] death and grief and famine. And she will be burned up with fire, for the Lord God who judges her, is mighty.

Then a mighty angel picked up a rock the size of a huge millstone and threw it into the ocean, saying, "This is how the great city of Babylon will be violently thrown down and will never be found again.

And he took hold of the dragon, that old snake, who is the devil or Satan, and chained him up for a thousand years.

The ocean gave up the dead [bodies] that were in it; and death and the unseen place of departed spirits [also] gave up the dead [bodies and spirits] that were in them. And every person was judged according to his deeds.

And He will wipe away all the tears from their eyes, and there will not be death anymore, or mourning, or crying, or pain anymore, for these old things have passed away."

But he said to me, "Do not do that; I am [only] a fellow-servant with you and with your brothers, the prophets, and with those who obey the words of this book. You should worship God."

Then the angel said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near [i.e., for the events of its prophecies to begin to happen].