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The Lamb and the 144,000 on Mount Zion

¹ Then I looked, and this is what I saw: ^(C1)the Lamb stood firmly established on ^(C2)Mount Zion, and with Him ^(C3)a hundred and forty-four thousand who had ^(C4)His name and His Father's ^(C4)name inscribed ^(C5)on their foreheads signifying God's own possession. ^(VR1)2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like ^(C1)the sound of great waters and like the ^(C2)rumbling of mighty thunder; and the voice that I heard seemed like music and was like the sound of ^(C3)harpists playing on their harps.³ And they sang ^(C1)a new song before the throne of God and before the ^(C2)four living creatures and the ^(C3)elders; and ^(C4)no one could learn the song except the ^(C5)hundred and forty-four thousand who had been ^(C1)purchased (ransomed, redeemed) from the earth. ^(VR1)4 (C1)These are the ones who have not been defiled by relations with women, for they are celibate. These are the ones who ^(C2)follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been ^(C3)purchased and redeemed from among men of Israel ^(C4)as the first fruits sanctified and set apart for special service for God and the Lamb. ^(VR1)5 (C1)No lie was found in their mouth, for they are ^(C2)blameless (spotless, untainted, beyond reproach).

The Angel with the Gospel

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying in ^(C1)midheaven, with ^(C2)an ^(F1)eternal gospel to preach to ^(C3)the inhabitants of the earth, to ^(C4)every nation and tribe and language and people; ^(VR1)7 and he said with a loud voice, "^(C1)Fear God with awe and reverence, and ^(C2)give Him glory and honor and praise in worship, because the hour of His judgment has come; with all your heart worship Him who ^(C3)created the heaven and the earth, the sea and the ^(C4)springs of water."

Doom for Proud Babylon

⁸ Then another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "^(C1)Fallen, fallen is ^(C2)Babylon the great, she who has ^(C3)made all nations drink the ^(C4)wine of the passion of her immorality corrupting them with idolatry." ^(VR1)

Doom for Worshipers of the Beast

⁹ Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "Whoever ^(C1)worships the beast and his ^(C2)image and receives the ^(C3)mark of the beast on his forehead or on his hand,¹⁰ he too will have to drink of the ^(C1)wine of the wrath of God, ^(F1)mixed undiluted ^(C2)into the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with ^(C3)fire and brimstone (flaming sulfur) in the presence of the ^(C4)holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (Christ). ^(VR1)11 "And the ^(C1)smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and ^(C2)they have no rest day and night—those who ^(C3)worship the beast and his ^(C3)image, and whoever receives the ^(C4)mark of his name." ^(VR1)12 Here is encouragement for ^(C1)the steadfast endurance of the saints (God's people), those who habitually ^(C2)keep God's commandments and ^(C3)their faith in Jesus.

¹³ Then I heard the distinct words of a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, '^(F1)(C1)Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are the dead who ^(C2)die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes, blessed indeed," ^(C3)says the Spirit, "so that they may ^(C4)rest and have relief from their labors, for their ^(C5)deeds do follow them."

The Reapers

¹⁴ Again I looked, and this is what I saw: a ^(C1)white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was One ^(C2)like the Son of Man, with a ^(C3)crown of gold on His head and a sharp sickle of swift judgment in His hand. ^(VR1)15 And another angel ^(C1)came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to Him who was sitting upon the cloud, "^(C2)Put in Your sickle and reap at once, for the hour to reap in judgment has arrived, because the earth's ^(C3)harvest is fully ripened." ^(VR1)16 So He who was sitting on the cloud cast His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped (judged).

¹⁷ Then another angel ^(C1)came out of the temple (sanctuary) in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.¹⁸ And another angel came from ^(C1)the altar, ^(C2)the one who has power over fire; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "^(C3)Put in your sharp sickle and reap the clusters of grapes from the vine of the earth, ^(C4)because her grapes are ripe for judgment." ^(VR1)19 So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and harvested the grapevine of the earth, and threw the grapes into ^(C1)the great wine press of the wrath and indignation of God as judgment of the rebellious world. ^(VR1)20 And the grapes in ^(C1)the wine press were trampled and crushed ^(C2)outside the city, and ^(C3)blood poured from the wine press, reaching up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of ^(F1)sixteen hundred stadia. ^(VR1)