'He is coming among the clouds!' Every eye shall see him, even those who pierced him; 'and all the nations of the earth shall wail for fear of him.' So shall it be. Amen.

I fell into a trance on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like the blast of a trumpet.

It said-- 'Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven Churches, to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamus, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicaea.'

I turned to see what voice it was that spoke to me; and when I turned, I saw seven golden lamps,

And, when I saw him, I fell at his feet like one dead. He laid his hand on me and said-- 'Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,

the mystic meaning of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamps. The seven stars are the Angels of the seven Churches, and the seven lamps are the seven Churches.

Yet I have a few things against you--You have among you those who hold to the Teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put temptations in the way of the Israelites, so that they should eat idol-offerings and commit licentious acts.

But I say to the rest of you at Thyatira--all who do not accept such teaching, whose who did not learn 'the secrets of Satan,' as men call them--I am not laying on you any further burden;

To the Angel of the Church in Sardis write:-- "These are the words of him who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars;--I know your life, and that men say of you that you are living, though you are dead.

I know your life (see, I have set a door open before you which no one is able to shut), I know that, though you have but little strength, you kept my teaching in mind, and did not disown my Name.

You say 'I am rich and have grown rich, and I want for nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked!

Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold which has been refined by fire, that you may grow rich; and white robes, that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness be hidden; and ointment to anoint your eyes, that you may see.

After this, in my vision, I saw an open door in the heavens, and the first voice that I heard was like the blast of a trumpet speaking to me. It said-- 'Come up here and I will show you what must take place.'

And round the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on these I saw twenty-four Councillors sitting clothed in white robes; and on their heads they had crowns of gold.

and in front of the throne is what seemed to be a sea of glass, 'resembling crystal, while within the space before the throne and round the throne are four Creatures full of eyes' in front and behind.

The first Creature is like a lion, the second Creature like a calf, the third Creature has a face like a man's, and the fourth Creature is like an eagle on the wing.

These four Creatures have each of them six wings, and all round, and within, they are full of eyes; and day and night they never cease to say-- 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, our God, the Almighty, who was, and who is, and who shall be.'

Then I saw at the right hand of him who was 'seated on the throne a book, with writing inside and out, and sealed' with seven seals;

and I saw a mighty angel who was proclaiming in a loud voice-- 'Who is worthy to open the book and break its seals?'

Then, within the space between the throne and the four Creatures, and in the midst of the Councillors, I saw, standing, a Lamb, which seemed to have been sacrificed. It had seven horns and seven eyes. (These eyes are the seven Spirits of God, and they are sent into all the world.)

And, when he had taken the book, the four Creatures and the twenty-four Councillors prostrated themselves before the Lamb, each of them holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense. (These are the prayers of Christ's People.)

And I heard every created thing in the air, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all that is in them crying--'To him who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be ascribed all blessing, and honour, and praise, and dominion for ever and ever.'

Then I saw the Lamb break one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four Creatures crying with a voice like thunder--'Come.'

And in my vision I saw 'a white horse.' Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

Then there went out another horse, 'a red horse,' and to its rider was given the power to deprive the earth of peace, so that men should kill one another; and he was given a great sword.

When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third Creature crying--'Come.' And in my vision I saw 'a black horse.' Its rider held scales in his hand.

And in my vision I saw a grey horse. His rider's name was Death, and the Lord of the Place of Death rode behind him; and power was given them over the fourth part of the earth, so that they might 'destroy with sword and famine and death, and by means of the wild beasts of the earth.'

When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the sake of God's Message and for the testimony which they had borne.

And I saw the Lamb break the sixth seal, and then there was a great earthquake. The sun became black, like sackcloth, and the moon, which was at its full, like blood.

After this, I saw four angels standing 'upon the four corners of the earth,' restraining the four winds of the earth, that no wind should blow over the earth, or over the sea, or against any tree.

And, in the east, I saw another angel, ascending, holding the seal of the Living God; and he cried in a loud voice to the four angels, to whom there had been given power to harm the earth and the sea--

'Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.'

After this, in my vision, I saw a vast throng which no man could number, of men from every nation and of all tribes, and peoples, and languages. They stood in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, robed in white, holding palm branches in their hands.

Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

Next, another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer in his hand; and a great quantity of incense was given to him, to mingle with the prayers of all Christ's People upon the golden altar before the throne.

The smoke of the incense ascended, with the prayers of Christ's People, from the hand of the angel before God.

Then the second angel blew; and what appeared to be a great mountain, burning, was hurled into the sea. A third of the sea became blood,

and a third part of all created things that are in the sea--that is, of all living things--died, and a third of the ships was destroyed.

(The star is called 'Wormwood.') A third of the water became bitter as wormwood, and so bitter was the water that many died from drinking it.

Then the fourth angel blew; and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were blasted, so that a third of them was eclipsed, and for a third part of the day there was no light, and at night it was the same.

Then the fifth angel blew; and I saw a Star that had fallen upon the earth from the heavens, and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

But those who were left of mankind, who had not perished through these Curses, did not repent and turn away from what their own hands had made; they would not abandon the worship of 'demons, and of idols made of gold or silver or brass or stone or wood, which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk';

Then I saw another mighty angel, descending from Heaven. His robe was a cloud; over his head was the rainbow; his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire;

in his hand he held a little book open. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land;

And, when they spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from Heaven say-- 'Keep secret what the seven peals of thunder said, and do not write it down.'

Then the angel, whom I had seen standing on the sea and on the land, 'raised his right hand to the heavens,

and swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, and the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it,' that time should cease to be.

Then came the voice which I had heard from Heaven. It spoke to me again, and said--'Go and take the book that is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.'

So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little book. And he said 'Take it, and eat it. It will be bitter to your stomach, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.'

I took the little book out of the angel's hand 'and ate it, and, while in my mouth, it was like the sweetest honey'; but, when I had eaten it, it was bitter to my stomach.

His tail draws after it a third of the stars in the heavens, and it hurled them down on the earth. The Dragon is standing in front of the woman who is about to give birth to the child, so that he may devour it as soon as it is born.

Therefore, be glad, O Heaven, and all who live in Heaven! Alas for the earth and for the sea, for the Devil has gone down to you in great fury, knowing that he has but little time.'

when the Dragon saw that he was hurled down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

But to the woman were given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she might fly to her place in the wilderness, where she is being tended for 'one year, and for two years, and for half a year' in safety from the Serpent.

Then the Serpent poured water from its mouth after the woman, like a river, so that it might sweep her away.

The Dragon was enraged at the woman, and went to fight with the rest of her offspring-- those who lay to heart the commands of God and bear their testimony to Jesus; and he took his stand on the sea-shore.

Then I saw, 'rising out of the sea, a wild Beast with ten horns' and seven heads. On its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads were blasphemous names.

The Beast that I saw was like a leopard; but its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth like the mouth of a lion. The Dragon gave it his power and his throne, and wide dominion.

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.

All who are living on earth will worship it--all whose names have not been written in the Lamb's Book of Life, the Lamb that has been sacrificed from the foundation of the world.

'Whoever is destined for captivity goes into captivity.' Whoever shall kill with the sword must inevitably be killed with the sword. (Here there is need for endurance and faith on the part of Christ's People.)

Then I saw, rising out of the earth, another wild Beast. It had two horns like those of a lamb, and its voice was like a dragon's.

It performs great marvels, even causing fire to fall from the heavens to the earth, before men's eyes;

It was permitted to breathe life into the image of the Beast, so that the image of the Beast might speak; and it was also permitted to cause all who refused to worship the image of the Beast to be put to death.

so that no one is able to buy or sell, except those that bear this brand--either the name of the Beast or the number indicated by the letters of his name.

(Here there is need for discernment.) Let him who has the ability compute the number of the Beast; for the number indicates a man's name. Its number is six hundred and sixty-six.

Then, in my vision, I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion. With him were a hundred and forty-four thousand men, with his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads.

Then I saw another angel, flying in mid-heaven. He had the Good News, decreed from eternity, to announce to those who dwell on the earth--to men of every nation, and tribe, and language, and people;

and he cried in a loud voice-- 'Reverence God, and give him praise (for the hour of his Judgment has come) and worship him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all springs of water.'

(Here there is need for endurance on the part of Christ's People--those who lay to heart the commands of God and the Faith of Jesus.)

Then, in my vision, I saw a white cloud, and on the cloud there was sitting one 'like a man.' On his head he had a crown of gold, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

Then I saw another portent in the heavens--a great and marvelous portent--seven angels with the seven last Curses; because with them the Wrath of God is ended.

Then I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mixed with fire; and, standing by this sea of glass, holding the harps of God, I saw those who had come victorious out of the conflict with the Beast and its image and the number that formed its name.

After this I saw that the inmost shrine of the Tabernacle of Revelation in Heaven was opened,

Then the second angel emptied his bowl upon the sea; and it turned to blood like the blood of a corpse, and every living thing died--everything in the sea.

for men shed the blood of Christ's People and of the Prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink. It is what they deserve.'

Then the sixth angel emptied his bowl upon the great river Euphrates; and the water in the river was dried up, so that the road for the Kings of the East might be made ready.

And I saw three foul spirits, like frogs, come from the mouth of the Dragon and from the mouth of the Beast and from the mouth of the false Prophet.

('I am coming like a thief! Happy will he be who is on the watch, and keeps his clothing at hand, so that he will not have to walk about unclothed and let men see his nakedness.')

There followed 'flashes of lightning, cries, and peals of thunder'; and there was a great earthquake, such as had not occurred since man began to be upon the earth--none so great;

And he bore me away in a trance to a lonely place, and I saw a woman seated upon a scarlet Beast, which was covered with blasphemous names; it had seven heads and ten horns.

And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of Christ's People and with the blood of the martyrs for Jesus. When I saw her, I was amazed beyond measure;

The Beast that you saw was, but is not, and is about to rise out of the bottomless pit, and is on its way to destruction. Those who are living on earth will be amazed--those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world--when they see that the Beast was, but is not, and yet will come.'

So must the Beast that was, but is not. He counts as an eighth king, although he is one of the seven, and is on his way to destruction.

The ten horns that you saw are ten kings. who have not yet received their kingdoms, but for an hour they receive the authority of kings, together with the Beast.

They will fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings; so, too, will those with him who have received the Call and are chosen and faithful.

And the angel said to me-- 'The waters that you saw, where the Harlot is seated, are throngs of people and men of all nations and languages.

The ten horns that you saw, and the Beast--they will hate the Harlot, and cause her to become deserted and strip her bare; they will eat her very flesh and utterly consume her with fire.

For God has put it into their minds to carry out his purpose, in carrying out their common purpose and surrendering their kingdoms to the Beast, until God's decrees shall be executed.

As for the woman whom you saw, she is the great city that holds sway over all the kings of the earth.'

After this I saw another angel, descending from Heaven, invested with great authority; and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.

All the kings of the earth who had licentious intercourse with her and shared her luxury will weep and lament over her, when they see the smoke from the burning city,

In a single hour your vast wealth vanished.' Every ship's captain and all who sail to any port, and sailors, and all who get their living from the sea, stood at a distance,

They threw dust on their heads, and, as they wept and wailed, they cried-- 'Alas! Alas! Great City! All who have ships on the sea grew rich through her magnificence. In a single hour it has vanished.'

Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and threw it into the sea, crying-- 'So shall Babylon, the Great City, be violently overthrown, never more to be seen.

Yes, and in her was to be found the blood of the Prophets and of Christ's People, and of all who have been put to death upon the earth.'

Then I saw that Heaven lay open. There appears a white horse; its rider is called 'Faithful' and 'True'; righteously does he judge and make war.

Then I saw an angel standing on the sun. He cried in a loud voice to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven-- 'Gather and come to the great feast of God,

Then I saw the Beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to fight with him who sat on the horse and with his army.

Then I saw an angel coming down from Heaven, with the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.