Study Desk

The Seals

I watched as the Lamb^(a) opened the first of the seven seals.^(b) Then I heard one of the four living creatures^(c) say in a voice like thunder,^(d) "Come!"

I looked, and there before me was a white horse!^(e) Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown,^(f) and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.^(g)

When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature^(h) say, "Come!"

Then another horse came out, a fiery red one.⁽ⁱ⁾ Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth^(j) and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.

When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature^(k) say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse!^(l) Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.

Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures,^(m) saying, "Two pounds^[a] of wheat for a day's wages,^[b] and six pounds^[c] of barley for a day's wages,^[d](n) and do not damage^(o) the oil and the wine!"

When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature^(p) say, "Come!"

I looked, and there before me was a pale horse!^(q) Its rider was named Death, and Hades^(r) was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.^(s)

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under^(t) the altar^(u) the souls of those who had been slain^(v) because of the word of God^(w) and the testimony they had maintained.

They called out in a loud voice, "How long,^(x) Sovereign Lord,^(y) holy and true,^(z) until you judge the inhabitants of the earth^(aa) and avenge our blood?"^(ab)

Then each of them was given a white robe,^(ac) and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,^[e] were killed just as they had been.^(ad)

I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake.^(ae) The sun turned black^(af) like sackcloth^(ag) made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,

and the stars in the sky fell to earth,^(ah) as figs drop from a fig tree^(ai) when shaken by a strong wind.

The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,^(aj) and every mountain and island was removed from its place.^(ak)

Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free,^(al) hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.^(am)

They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us^(an) and hide us^[f] from the face of him who sits on the throne^(ao) and from the wrath of the Lamb!

For the great day^(ap) of their^[g] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?"^(aq)

144,000 Sealed

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners^(a) of the earth, holding back the four winds^(b) of the earth to prevent^(c) any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.

Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal^(d) of the living God.^(e) He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:^(f)

"Do not harm^(g) the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads^(h) of the servants of our God."

Then I heard the number⁽ⁱ⁾ of those who were sealed: 144,000^(j) from all the tribes of Israel.

From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000,

from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,

from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,

from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,^(k) standing before the throne^(l) and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes^(m) and were holding palm branches in their hands.

And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God,⁽ⁿ⁾ who sits on the throne,^(o) and to the Lamb."

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders^(p) and the four living creatures.^(q) They fell down on their faces^(r) before the throne and worshiped God,

saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"^(s)

Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes^(t)—who are they, and where did they come from?"

I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes^(u) and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.^(v)

Therefore, "they are before the throne of God^(w) and serve him^(x) day and night in his temple;^(y) and he who sits on the throne^(z) will shelter them with his presence.^(aa)

‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst.^(ab) The sun will not beat down on them,'^[a] nor any scorching heat.^(ac)

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;^(ad) ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.'^[b](ae) ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'^[c]"^(af)

The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

When he opened the seventh seal,^(a) there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

And I saw the seven angels^(b) who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.^(c)

Another angel,^(d) who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God's people,^(e) on the golden altar^(f) in front of the throne.

The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up before God^(g) from the angel's hand.

Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar,^(h) and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder,⁽ⁱ⁾ rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.^(j)

Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets^(k) prepared to sound them.

The first angel^(l) sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire^(m) mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third⁽ⁿ⁾ of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.^(o)

The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain,^(p) all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third^(q) of the sea turned into blood,^(r)

a third^(s) of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky^(t) on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water^(u)—

the name of the star is Wormwood.^[a] A third^(v) of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.^(w)

The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third^(x) of them turned dark.^(y) A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.^(z)

As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair^(aa) call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe^(ab) to the inhabitants of the earth,^(ac) because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"

The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth.^(a) The star was given the key^(b) to the shaft of the Abyss.^(c)

When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace.^(d) The sun and sky were darkened^(e) by the smoke from the Abyss.^(f)

And out of the smoke locusts^(g) came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions^(h) of the earth.

They were told not to harm⁽ⁱ⁾ the grass of the earth or any plant or tree,^(j) but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.^(k)

They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months.^(l) And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion^(m) when it strikes.

During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.⁽ⁿ⁾

The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle.^(o) On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces.^(p)

Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth.^(q)

They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.^(r)

They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.^(s)

They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss,^(t) whose name in Hebrew^(u) is Abaddon^(v) and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.^(w)

The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns^(x) of the golden altar that is before God.^(y)

It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels^(z) who are bound at the great river Euphrates."^(aa)

And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released^(ab) to kill a third^(ac) of mankind.^(ad)

The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.^(ae)

The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths^(af) came fire, smoke and sulfur.^(ag)

A third^(ah) of mankind was killed^(ai) by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur^(aj) that came out of their mouths.

The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.

The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent^(ak) of the work of their hands;^(al) they did not stop worshiping demons,^(am) and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.^(an)

Nor did they repent^(ao) of their murders, their magic arts,^(ap) their sexual immorality^(aq) or their thefts.

The Angel and the Little Scroll

Then I saw another mighty angel^(a) coming down from heaven.^(b) He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow^(c) above his head; his face was like the sun,^(d) and his legs were like fiery pillars.^(e)

He was holding a little scroll,^(f) which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,^(g)

and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion.^(h) When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders⁽ⁱ⁾ spoke.

And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write;^(j) but I heard a voice from heaven^(k) say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down."^(l)

Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land^(m) raised his right hand to heaven.⁽ⁿ⁾

And he swore^(o) by him who lives for ever and ever,^(p) who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it,^(q) and said, "There will be no more delay!^(r)

But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet,^(s) the mystery^(t) of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets."^(u)

Then the voice that I had heard from heaven^(v) spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll^(w) that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land."

So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.'^[a]"^(x)

I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth,^(y) but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.

Then I was told, "You must prophesy^(z) again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."^(aa)

The Two Witnesses

I was given a reed like a measuring rod^(a) and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers.

But exclude the outer court;^(b) do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles.^(c) They will trample on the holy city^(d) for 42 months.^(e)

And I will appoint my two witnesses,^(f) and they will prophesy for 1,260 days,^(g) clothed in sackcloth."^(h)

They are "the two olive trees"⁽ⁱ⁾ and the two lampstands, and "they stand before the Lord of the earth."^[a](j)

If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies.^(k) This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.^(l)

They have power to shut up the heavens^(m) so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying;⁽ⁿ⁾ and they have power to turn the waters into blood^(o) and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast^(p) that comes up from the Abyss^(q) will attack them,^(r) and overpower and kill them.

Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city^(s)—which is figuratively called Sodom^(t) and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.^(u)

For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation^(v) will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.^(w)

The inhabitants of the earth^(x) will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts,^(y) because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

But after the three and a half days^(z) the breath^[b] of life from God entered them,^(aa) and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.

Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here."^(ab) And they went up to heaven in a cloud,^(ac) while their enemies looked on.

At that very hour there was a severe earthquake^(ad) and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory^(ae) to the God of heaven.^(af)

The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.^(ag)

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet,^(ah) and there were loud voices^(ai) in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,^(aj) and he will reign for ever and ever."^(ak)

And the twenty-four elders,^(al) who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces^(am) and worshiped God,

saying: "We give thanks^(an) to you, Lord God Almighty,^(ao) the One who is and who was,^(ap) because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.^(aq)

The nations were angry,^(ar) and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead,^(as) and for rewarding your servants the prophets^(at) and your people who revere your name, both great and small^(au)— and for destroying those who destroy the earth."

Then God's temple^(av) in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.^(aw) And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder,^(ax) an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.^(ay)