Study Desk

A great sign^[a] appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head.^(a)

She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth.

Then another sign^[b] appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and 10 horns,^(b) and on his heads were seven diadems.^[c]

His tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.^(c) And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth he might devour her child.

But she gave birth to a Son—a male who is going to shepherd^[d] all nations with an iron scepter^(d)—and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.

The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God,^(e) to be fed there^[e] for 1,260 days.^(f)

Then war broke out in heaven: Michael^(g) and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought,

but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer.

So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent,^(h) who is called the Devil^[f] and Satan,^[g](i) the one who deceives the whole world.^(j) He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Messiah have now come, because the accuser^(k) of our brothers has been thrown out: the one who accuses them before our God day and night.

They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives in the face of death.^(l)

Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the earth and the sea, for the Devil has come down to you with great fury, because he knows he has a short time.

When the dragon saw that he had been thrown to earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.

The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent's presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was fed for a time, times, and half a time.^[h](m)

From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away in a torrent.

But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth.

So the dragon was furious with the woman and left to wage war⁽ⁿ⁾ against the rest of her offspring^[i]—those who keep God's commands and have the testimony about Jesus.^(o)

He^[j] stood on the sand of the sea.^[k]

And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea.^(a) He^[a] had 10 horns and seven heads. On his horns were 10 diadems,^(b) and on his heads were blasphemous names.^[b](c)

The beast I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like a bear's, and his mouth was like a lion's mouth.^(d) The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

One of his heads appeared to be fatally wounded,^[c] but his fatal wound was healed. The whole earth was amazed and followed the beast.^[d](e)

They worshiped the dragon^(f) because he gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast?^(g) Who is able to wage war against him?"

A mouth was given to him to speak boasts and blasphemies.^(h) He was also given authority to act^[e][f] for 42 months.⁽ⁱ⁾

He began to speak^[g] blasphemies against God: to blaspheme His name and His dwelling—those who dwell in heaven.

And he was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them. He was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.^(j)

All those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book^[h] of life^(k) of the Lamb who was slaughtered.^[i](l)

If anyone has an ear, he should listen:^(m)

If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he goes. If anyone is to be killed^[j] with a sword, with a sword he will be killed.⁽ⁿ⁾ This demands the perseverance^[k] and faith of the saints.^(o)

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; he had two horns like a lamb,^[l](p) but he sounded like a dragon.

He exercises all the authority of the first beast on his behalf and compels the earth and those who live on it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.

He also performs great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people.

He deceives those who live on the earth^(q) because of the signs that he is permitted to perform on behalf of the beast,^(r) telling those who live on the earth to make an image^[m] of the beast who had the sword wound and yet lived.

He was permitted to give a spirit^[n] to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast could both speak and cause whoever would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

And he requires everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark^[o] on his right hand or on his forehead,^(s)

so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark: the beast's name or the number of his name.

Here is wisdom:^[p](t) The one who has understanding must calculate^[q] the number of the beast, because it is the number of a man.^[r] His number is 666.^[s]

Then I looked, and there on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with Him were 144,000 who had His name and His Father's name written on their foreheads.^(a)

I heard a sound^[a] from heaven like the sound of cascading waters^(b) and like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was also like harpists playing on their harps.^(c)

They sang^[b] a new song^(d) before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders,^(e) but no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed^[c] from the earth.

These are the ones not defiled with women, for they have kept their virginity.^(f) These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They were redeemed^[d][e] from the human race as the firstfruits^(g) for God and the Lamb.

No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.^(h)

Then I saw another angel flying high overhead,⁽ⁱ⁾ having the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.^(j)

He spoke with a loud voice: "Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."

A second angel^[f] followed, saying: "It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen,^[g] who made all nations drink the wine of her sexual immorality,^[h] which brings wrath."^(k)

And a third angel^[i] followed them and spoke with a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,

he will also drink the wine of God's wrath, which is mixed full strength in the cup of His anger.^(l) He will be tormented with fire and sulfur^(m) in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb,

and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever.⁽ⁿ⁾ There is no rest^[j] day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or anyone who receives the mark of his name.

This demands the perseverance^[k] of the saints,^(o) who keep God's commands and their faith in Jesus."^[l]

Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write: The dead who die in the Lord from now on are blessed."^(p) "Yes," says the Spirit, "let them rest from their labors, for their works follow them!"

Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and One like the Son of Man^[m](q) was seated on the cloud, with a gold crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.

Another angel came out of the sanctuary, crying out in a loud voice to the One who was seated on the cloud, "Use your sickle and reap, for the time to reap has come, since the harvest of the earth is ripe."^(r)

So the One seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

Then another angel who also had a sharp sickle came out of the sanctuary in heaven.

Yet another angel, who had authority over fire, came from the altar, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, "Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from earth's vineyard, because its grapes have ripened."

So the angel swung his sickle toward earth and gathered the grapes from earth's vineyard, and he threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath.^(s)

Then the press was trampled outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press up to the horses' bridles for about 180 miles.^[n](t)

Then I saw another great and awe-inspiring sign^[a] in heaven:^(a) seven angels with the seven last plagues, for with them, God's wrath will be completed.^(b)

I also saw something like a sea of glass^(c) mixed with fire, and those who had won the victory over the beast, his image,^[b] and the number of his name, were standing on the sea of glass with harps from God.^[c](d)

They sang the song of God's servant Moses^(e) and the song of the Lamb: Great and awe-inspiring are Your works, Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the Nations.^[d]

Lord, who will not fear and glorify Your name? Because You alone are holy, for all the nations will come and worship before You because Your righteous acts have been revealed.

After this I looked, and the heavenly sanctuary—the tabernacle of testimony^(f)—was opened.^(g)

Out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, dressed in clean, bright linen, with gold sashes wrapped around their chests.

One of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven gold bowls filled with the wrath of God who lives forever and ever.

Then the sanctuary was filled with smoke from God's glory and from His power,^(h) and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Then I heard a loud voice from the sanctuary saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the seven^[a] bowls of God's wrath on the earth."

The first went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and severely painful sores^[b](a) broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

The second^[c] poured out his bowl into the sea. It turned to blood like a dead man's, and all life^[d] in the sea died.^(b)

The third^[e] poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.^(c)

I heard the angel of the waters say: You are righteous, who is and who was,^(d) the Holy One, for You have decided these things.

Because they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets, You also gave them blood to drink; they deserve it!^(e)

Then I heard someone from the altar say: Yes, Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.^(f)

The fourth^[f] poured out his bowl on the sun. He^[g] was given the power^[h] to burn people with fire,

and people were burned by the intense heat. So they blasphemed the name of God,^(g) who had the power^[i] over these plagues, and they did not repent and give Him glory.

The fifth^[j] poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,^(h) and his kingdom was plunged into darkness.⁽ⁱ⁾ People^[k] gnawed their tongues because of their pain

and blasphemed the God of heaven^(j) because of their pains and their sores, yet they did not repent of their actions.

The sixth^[l] poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,^(k) and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the east.

Then I saw three unclean spirits like frogs^(l) coming from the dragon's mouth,^(m) from the beast's mouth,⁽ⁿ⁾ and from the mouth of the false prophet.^(o)

For they are spirits of demons performing signs,^(p) who travel to the kings of the whole world to assemble them for the battle of the great day of God, the Almighty.^(q)

"Look, I am coming like a thief. The one who is alert and remains clothed ^[m](r) so that he may not go around naked and people see his shame ^(s) is blessed." ^(t)

So they assembled them at the place called in Hebrew, Armagedon.^[n][o](u)

Then the seventh^[p] poured out his bowl into the air,^[q] and a loud voice came out of the sanctuary^[r](v) from the throne, saying, "It is done!"

There were flashes of lightning and rumblings of thunder. And a severe earthquake occurred like no other since man has been on the earth—so great was the quake.^(w)

The great city^(x) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations^[s] fell. Babylon the Great was remembered in God's presence; He gave her the cup filled with the wine of His fierce anger.^(y)

Every island fled, and the mountains disappeared.^[t](z)

Enormous hailstones, each weighing about 100 pounds,^[u] fell from the sky on people, and they blasphemed God^(aa) for the plague of hail because that plague was extremely severe.^(ab)

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls^(a) came and spoke with me: "Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute^[a] who sits on many^[b] waters.^(b)

The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality."^(c)

So he carried me away in the Spirit^[c](d) to a desert. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered^[d] with blasphemous names and had seven heads and 10 horns.^(e)

The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She had a gold cup in her hand filled with everything vile^(f) and with the impurities of her^[e] prostitution.

On her forehead a cryptic name^(g) was written: BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE VILE THINGS OF THE EARTH.

Then I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the saints and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.

Then the angel said to me, "Why are you astonished? I will tell you the secret meaning of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the 10 horns, that carries her.

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss^(h) and go to destruction.⁽ⁱ⁾ Those who live on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world^(j) will be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and will be present again.^(k)

"Here is the mind with wisdom:^[f](l) The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated.

They are also seven kings:^[g] Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for a little while.

The beast that was and is not, is himself an eighth king, yet he belongs to the seven and is going to destruction.

The 10 horns you saw are 10 kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.

These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.

These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings.^(m) Those with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."

He also said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.⁽ⁿ⁾

The 10 horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute.^(o) They will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire.^(p)

For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His plan by having one purpose^(q) and to give their kingdom^[h] to the beast until God's words are accomplished.

And the woman you saw is the great city that has an empire^[i] over the kings of the earth."