Blessed is he who reads, and blessed are they who listen to, the words of this prophecy, and lay to heart what is here written; for The Time is near.

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.'

The two men heard a loud voice from Heaven which said to them-- 'Come up here,' and they went up to Heaven in the cloud, while their enemies watched them.

'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.)

(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.

(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 one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls came and spoke to me. 'Come here,' he said, 'and I will show you the sentence passed upon that Great Harlot who is seated at the meeting of many waters,

(Here there is need for the discerning mind.) The seven heads are seven mountains upon which the woman is seated.

for her self-glorification and her luxury, give her now an equal measure of torture and misery. In her heart she says 'I sit here a queen; no widow am I; I shall never know misery.'

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, and were laden with the seven last Curses, came and spoke to me. 'Come here,' he said, 'and I will show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb.'