My beloved, as I was strongly bent upon writing to you of our common salvation, I thought it necessary to write to you at present, and exhort you to contend earnestly for the faith, which was once delivered to the saints.

so it was with Sodom, Gomorrha, and the neighbouring cities, who abandoning themselves to the same licentiousness and abominable passions, were made examples by suffering the punishment of eternal fire.

JOHN to the seven churches which are in Asia: favour and peace be with you from him WHO IS, WHO WAS, WHO WILL BE; and from the seven spirits who are before his throne;

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who will be, the almighty.

I JOHN, who am your brother, and partake in the tribulation, in the reign, and in the patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony I gave of Jesus Christ.

there I was in an exstacy on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a loud voice, like the sound of a trumpet,

in his right hand he held seven stars: out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was as the sun shining in his full glory.

I am he that liveth; I was dead; but now you see I am alive for all eternity, amen; and I have the keys of the grave, and of death."

And to the angel of the church in Smyrna, write, "THESE things saith the first and last, who was dead, and is alive."

I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where the throne of satan is: thou maintainest my name, and hast not renounced your faith in me, even at a time when Antipas my faithful martyr was slain among you, where Satan dwells.

At another time I had a vision, when I saw a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard talking to me, was like the sound of a trumpet; which said, "come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter."

Immediately I was in an extasy: and I saw a throne placed in heaven, and one sitting on the throne.

he that sat, appear'd to the sight, like a jasper, and a sardine stone: and there was an arch like a rain-bow, round about the throne, which had the appearance of an emerald.

Before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and towards the throne, and round about the throne were four ANIMALS full of eyes before and behind.

the first animal was like a lion, the second animal like a calf, the third animal appear'd like a man, and the fourth animal was like a flying eagle.

the four animals had each of them six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within; and they never ceas'd day and night, crying, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, Lord God ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS, WHO IS, AND WHO WILL BE. and when those animals gave glory,

and no one in heaven, nor in earth, nor under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look therein.

and I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and read the book, nor to look therein.

and they sung a new song, saying, "thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every tribe, and language, and people, and nation;

saying with a loud voice, "worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."

I look'd, and there was a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth like a conqueror, to gain conquests.

and there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon, to banish peace from the land, and to make men kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

and I looked, and there was a pale horse; the name of him that sat thereon was DEATH, and the Grave followed with him: and power was given to them, over the fourth part of the land to kill with sword, with famine, with pestilence, and with wild beasts.

and white robes were given to every one of them, and it was said unto them, that they should have patience yet for a little while, till the number of their fellow-servants, and their brethren, that should be killed, as they were, should be complete.

And when I beheld the opening of the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake: the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; the stars

and I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud vioce to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

After this I beheld, and there was a great multitude, which no man could number, of every nation, tribe, people, and language, who stood before the throne, and before the lamb cloathed in white robes, having palms in their hands.

At the opening of the SEVENTH SEAL, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

and another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar, which was before the throne.

and the angel took the censer, and having filled it with the fire of the altar, he cast it upon the land: and there was a noise of thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

the first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, which fell upon the earth: and a third part of the earth, and a third part of the trees was burnt up, and all the green grass.

And the second angel sounded, and a great mountain as it were all on fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood:

the name of the star was wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkned, and the day lost a third part of its light, and the night likewise.

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

and there came out of the smoke locusts upon the land; and to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

and to them was power given, not to kill them, but to torment them five months: and their pain was like the pain which a scorpion produces when it strikes a man.

their hair was like that of women, and their teeth like the teeth of lions.

they were vested with breast-plates, as it were of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots and many horses running to battle.

Then I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, invested with a cloud, a rainbow was upon his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire.

he held in his hand a little book open: his right foot was upon the sea, and his left foot on the land.

his voice was as loud as the roaring of a lion: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

and when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: but I heard a voice saying to me, "seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not."

immediately having took the little book out of the angel's hand, I swallowed it down: and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey: but as soon as I had swallowed it, it was bitter within me.

Then there was given me a reed like a rod: with this direction, rise and measure the temple of God, with the altar, and those that worship therein.

their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which in the mystical stile is called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified.

at the same time there was a great earthquake; the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake seven thousand men were slain: and the remnant were frighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

saying, "we give thee thanks, O Lord God almighty, who. art, and who wast; because thou hast assum'd thy great power, and hast reigned.

THEN the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail.

and there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a WOMAN invested with glory like the sun: the moon was under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

she was with child, and cried in her labour with the pangs of her delivery.

And there appeared another wonder in heaven, it was a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

his tail swept the third part of the stars of heaven; and cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered, in order to devour her child as soon as it was born.

and she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up to be with God, and about his throne.

Then there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; on the other side fought the dragon with his angels: but these were defeated,

the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, call'd the devil or satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were precipitated with him.

The dragon then finding that he was precipitated to the earth, persecuted the woman, who brought forth the man-child.

and the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority.

and I saw one of his heads, as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world went wondring after the beast.

there was given to him a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemy; and power was given to him for two and forty months.

he was permitted to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all the tribes, and provinces, and nations.

all that dwell upon the earth will worship him, whose names are not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the lamb, that was slain.

he exercised all the power of the first beast by his authority, and caused the earth, and those who dwell therein, to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

he had power likewise to animate the image made for the beast, so that the image was made to speak, and as many as would not worship the image were order'd to be killed.

and I heard a voice from heaven, which was like the noise of many waters, or like a great thunder-clap: I heard too a sound like that of a harp, when touch'd by the hand of a musician.

and a new song was sung before the throne, and before the four animals, and the elders: and no one could learn that song, but the hundred forty four thousand, who were ransom'd from the earth.

in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without defect.

again I looked, and I saw a white cloud, and there was sitting upon the cloud one like the son of man, having a crown of gold upon his head,

harvest of the earth is ripe." so he that sat on the cloud, stretch'd out his sickle to the earth; and the earth was reaped.

After that I looked, and the tabernacle of the testimony in the heavenly temple was opened:

the temple was filled with smoke from the emanations of divine power; and no one could enter into the temple, till the seven plagues were executed by the seven angels.

The FOURTH angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given to him to scorch mankind with its fire.

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 the SIXTH angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

and there were voices, thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great.

and the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

and there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a TALENT: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

and the woman was arrayed in purple, and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of the abominable impurities of idolatry.

Upon her forehead this mystical title was written, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth.

the beast that thou sawest, was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, shall wonder when they behold the beast that was, and is not, but shall be.

the beast that was, and is not, is himself the eighth: he is of the seven, and shall be destroy'd.

After this I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightned with his glory.

crying, alas, alas, that great city, that was cloathed in fine linnen, purple, and scarlet: decked with gold, precious stones and pearls:

here it was, that the blood of the prophets, of the saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth, was found."

and I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, which was like the sound of many waters, or like a volley of thunder, saying, "alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent does reign."

for she was permitted to be arrayed in fine linnen, clean and white: for the fine linnen represents the virtues of the saints."

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse appear'd; and he that sat upon him was called the faithful and the true: in righteousness he judges and makes war:

on the mantle about his thigh was this inscription, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

and the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles in his favour, by which he seduc'd those that had received the mark of the beast, and those that worshipped his image. these were both cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

then cast him into the bottomless pit, there shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should seduce the nations no more, till the thousand years should he fulfilled: and after that, he was to be loosed for a short time.

I saw likewise thrones, where persons were seated, to whom the power of judging was given: and I saw the souls of those that were beheaded for the testimony they had given to Jesus, and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast, nor his image, nor had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before the throne; the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out. of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

and whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire.

Afterwards I saw a new heaven, and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were vanished; and there was no more sea .

it blaz'd with the glory of God: her luminary was like that of a brilliant, even like a jasper, as transparent as crystal.

the city was a square, the length being as large as the breadth: he measured the city with the reed, and found it twelve thousand furlongs: the length, the breadth, and the height of it were equal.

he measured the wall, and it was an hundred and forty four cubits, according to the common measure, which was what the angel employed.

the wall was built of jasper; and the city was of pure gold, as pure as glass.

the foundations of the citywall were embellished with all manner of precious stones. the first foundation was of jasper; the second, of sapphire; the third, of chalcedony; the fourth, of an emerald;

the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each single gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as splendid as glass.