DELIVERED FROM THE WRATH OF GOD

THE INTRODUCTION OF THE WRATH OF GOD

REVELATIONS Chapter 8

¹ When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour.

      AT THIS POINT OF TIME, THE WRATH OF GOD VISITS THE EARTH.

I.               The Sounding of the Seven Trumpets

² Then I saw the seven angels who are in the presence of God, and seven trumpets were given to them. ³ And another angel came and stood close to the altar, carrying a censer of gold; and abundance of incense was given to him that he might place it with the prayers of all God's people upon the golden altar which was in front of the throne. ⁴ And the smoke of the incense rose into the presence of God from the angel's hand, and mingled with the prayers of His people. ⁵ So the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and flung it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder, and voices, and flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

⁶ Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets made preparations for blowing them.

⁷ The first blew his trumpet; and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, falling upon the earth; and a third part of the earth was burnt up, and a third part of the trees and all the green grass.

⁸ The second angel blew his trumpet; and what seemed to be a great mountain, all ablaze with fire, was hurled into the sea; and a third part of the sea was turned into blood. ⁹ And a third part of the creatures that were in the sea—those that had life—died; and a third part of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel blew his trumpet; and there fell from Heaven a great star, which was on fire like a torch. It fell upon a third part of the rivers and upon the springs of water. ¹¹ The name of the star is 'Wormwood;' and a third part of the waters were turned into wormwood, and vast numbers of the people died from drinking the water, because it had become bitter.

¹² Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet; and a curse fell upon a third part of the sun, a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, so that a third part of them were darkened and for a third of the day, and also of the night, there was no light.

¹³ Then I looked,

and I heard a solitary eagle crying in a loud voice, as it flew across the sky, "Alas, alas, alas, for the inhabitants of the earth, because of the significance of the remaining trumpets which the three angels are about to blow!"

Rev 8:1-13 (WEY)

Chapter 9

¹ The fifth angel blew his trumpet; and I saw a Star which had fallen from Heaven to the earth; and to him was given the key of the depths of the bottomless pit, ² and he opened the depths of the bottomless pit. And smoke came up out of the pit resembling the smoke of a vast furnace, so that the sun was darkened, and the air also, by reason of the smoke of the pit. ³ And from the midst of the smoke there came locusts on to the earth, and power was given to them resembling the power which earthly scorpions possess. ⁴ And they were forbidden to injure the herbage of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree.

They were only to injure human beings—those who have not the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ Their mission was not to kill, but to cause awful agony for five months; and this agony was like that which a scorpion inflicts when it stings a man. ⁶ And at that time people will seek death, but will by no possibility find it, and will long to die, but death evades them. ⁷ The appearance of the locusts was like that of horses equipped for war. On their heads they had wreaths which looked like gold. ⁸ Their faces seemed human and they had hair like women's hair, but their teeth resembled those of lions. ⁹ They had breast-plates which seemed to be made of steel; and the noise caused by their wings was like that of a vast number of horses and chariots hurrying into battle. ¹⁰ They had tails like those of scorpions, and also stings; and in their tails lay their power of injuring mankind for five months. ¹¹ The locusts had a king over them—the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is 'Abaddon,' while in the Greek he is called 'Apollyon.'

¹² The first woe is past; two other woes have still to come.

¹³ The sixth angel blew his trumpet; and I heard a single voice speaking from among the horns of the golden incense altar which is in the presence of God. ¹⁴ It said to the sixth angel—the angel who had the trumpet, "Set at liberty the four angels who are prisoners near the great river Euphrates." ¹⁵ And the four angels who had been kept in readiness for that hour, day, month, and year, were set at liberty, so that they might kill a third part of mankind. ¹⁶ The number of the cavalry was two hundred millions; I heard their number. ¹⁷ And this was the appearance of the horses which I saw in my vision—and of their riders. The body-armour of the riders was red, blue and yellow; and the horses' heads were shaped like the heads of lions, while from their mouths there came fire and smoke and sulphur. ¹⁸ By these three plagues a third part of mankind were destroyed—by the fire and the smoke, and by the sulphur which came from their mouths. ¹⁹ For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; their tails being like serpents, and having heads, and it is with them that they inflict injury.

²⁰ But the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues, did not even then repent and leave the things they had made, so as to cease worshipping the demons, and the idols of gold and silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear, nor move. ²¹ Nor did they repent of their murders, their practice of magic, their fornication, or their thefts.

Rev 9:1-21 (WEY)

Chapter 10

¹ Then I saw another strong angel coming down from Heaven. He was robed in a cloud, and over his head was the rainbow. His face was like the sun, and his feet resembled pillars of fire. ² In his hand he held a small scroll unrolled; and, planting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, ³ he cried out in a loud voice which resembled the roar of a lion. And when he had cried out, each of the seven peals of thunder uttered its own message. ⁴ And when the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write down what they had said; but I heard a voice from Heaven which told me to keep secret all that the seven peals of thunder had said, and not write it down. ⁵ Then the angel that I saw standing on the sea and on the land, lifted his right hand toward Heaven. ⁶ And in the name of Him who lives until the Ages of the Ages, the Creator of Heaven and all that is in it, of the earth and all that is in it, and of the sea and all that is in it, he solemnly declared, ⁷ "There shall be no further delay; but in the days when the seventh angel blows his trumpet—when he begins to do so—then the secret purposes of God are realized, in accordance with the good news which He gave to His servants the Prophets." ⁸ Then the voice which I had heard speaking from Heaven once more addressed me. It said, "Go and take the little book which lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." ⁹ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little book. "Take it," he said, "and eat the whole of it. You will find it bitter when you have eaten it, although in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey." ¹⁰ So I took the roll out of the angel's hand and ate the whole of it; and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey, but when I had eaten it I found it very bitter. ¹¹ And a voice said to me, "You must prophesy yet further concerning peoples, nations, languages, and many kings."

Rev 10:1-11 (WEY)

Chapter 11

¹ Then a reed was given me to serve as a measuring rod; and a voice said, "Rise, and measure God's sanctuary—and the altar—and count the worshipers who are in it. ² But as for the court which is outside the sanctuary, pass it over. Do not measure it; for it has been given to the Gentiles, and for forty-two months they will trample the holy city under foot. ³ And I will authorize My two witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. ⁴ "These witnesses are the two olive-trees, and they are the two lamps which stand in the presence of the Lord of the earth. ⁵ And if any one seeks to injure them—fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies; and if any one seeks to injure them, he will in this way certainly be killed. ⁶ They have power given to them to seal up the sky, so that no rain may fall so long as they continue to prophesy; and power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with various plagues whenever they choose to do so. ⁷ "And when they have fully delivered their testimony, the Wild Beast which is to rise out of the bottomless pit will make war upon them and overcome them and kill them. ⁸ And their dead bodies are to lie in the broad street of the great city which spiritually is designated 'Sodom' and 'Egypt,' where indeed their Lord was crucified. ⁹ And men belonging to all peoples, tribes, languages and nations gaze at their dead bodies for three days and a half, but they refuse to let them be laid in a tomb. ¹⁰ The inhabitants of the earth rejoice over them and are glad and will send gifts to one another; for these two Prophets had greatly troubled the inhabitants of the earth." ¹¹ But at the end of the three days and a half the breath of life from God entered into them, and they rose to their feet; and all who saw them were terrified. ¹² Then they heard a loud voice calling to them out of Heaven, and bidding them come up; and they went up to Heaven in the cloud, and their enemies saw them go. ¹³ And just as that time there was a great earthquake, and a tenth part of the city was overthrown. 7,000 people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of Heaven. ¹⁴ The second Woe is past; the third Woe will soon be here. ¹⁵ The seventh angel blew his trumpet; and there followed loud voices in Heaven which said, "The sovereignty of the world now belongs to our Lord and His Christ; and He will be King until the Ages of the Ages." ¹⁶ Then the twenty-four Elders, who sit on thrones in the presence of God, fell on their faces and worshipped God, ¹⁷ saying, "We give thee thanks, O Lord God, the Ruler of all, Who art and wast, because Thou hast exerted Thy power, Thy great power, and hast become King. ¹⁸ The nations grew angry, and Thine anger has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and the time for Thee to give their reward to Thy servants the Prophets and to Thy people, and to those who fear Thee, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." ¹⁹ Then the doors of God's sanctuary in Heaven were opened, and the Ark, in which His Covenant was, was seen in His sanctuary; and there came flashes of lightning, and voices, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and heavy hail.

Rev 11:1-19 (WEY)

Chapter 12

A Series of Marvels

(PARENTHETIC REFLECTION:

 THE STRUGGLE OF THE DEVIL TO ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM AGAINST CHRIST ESTABLISHING HIS KINGDOM)

A HEBREW PEOPLE: THE WOMAN ROBED WITH THE SUN

¹ And a great marvel was seen in Heaven— a woman who was robed with the sun and had the moon under her feet, and had also a wreath of stars round her head, was with child, ² and she was crying out in the pains and agony of childbirth.

THE DEVIL’S BATTLES AGAINST GOD’S WORK—NOTEABILY ISRAEL

³ And another marvel was seen in Heaven—a great fiery-red Dragon, with seven heads and ten horns; and on his heads were seven kingly crowns. ⁴ His tail was drawing after it a third part of the stars of Heaven, and it dashed them to the ground. And in front of the woman who was about to become a mother, the Dragon was standing in order to devour the child as soon as it was born.

THE COMING MESSIAH ENTERS THE BATTLE

(Interestingly, the events John doesn’t mention that should follow Christ’s birth.—the rejection, the crucifixtion, and the resurrection of the Messiah or the Church is not even mentioned.—in fact, the age of Grace. This is like the gap in Daniel’s 70 weeks never happened:

Yet Christ is represented by a Lamb throughout the later part of Revelation.

²⁶ "And after the sixty-two weeks [the section of seven weeks have already occurred] Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary….”

Jerusalem and the Temple—“The city and sanctuary” were destroyed by the Roman Legions in 70AD.  The Jews—Israel as a nation was destroyed in 70AD.  After almost 2000 years, Israel is now a nation and possesses the land--where the Temple stood: the Temple Mount.  

Of late, this is strongly disputed by a rising mid-East world power—the Islamic nations, especially the Moslum  radicals although very few Moslum believers would disagree with this dispute. Incredibly, there is even a dispute that the Temple even existed there, by these people. The nations that have come together as the European Union are the peoples that made up the Western Roman Empire.  However, there was an Eastern part to the Roman Empire. That certainly includes the rising mid-East world power—the Islamic nations of North Africa. Where this leaves America, with the present anti-Israel—proMoslum U.S. President Obama, one wonders.

REVELATIONS 12:5 CONTINUES:

“⁵ She gave birth to a son—a male child, destined before long to rule all nations with an iron scepter. But her child (Jesus Christ) was caught up to God and His throne,…”

Obviously, the Temple has to be built again, and the Anti-Christ will come for the rest of this passage to happen.

“…The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined. ²⁷ Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;” Daniel 9:26b-27

Again, obviously, “confirm a covenant…” sounds like a guarantee maybe of security—especially in view of Ezekial 37, which the Prime Minister Netenyahu mentioned, and Ezek. 38:11, …”unwalled villages” and “dwelling safely…without walls….” One needs to read the context of these verses to get the full meaning.

Then this happens as Daniel 9:27 continues:     

“But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate." Dan 9:26-27 (NKJV)

⁶ and the woman fled into the Desert, there to be cared for, for 1,260 days, (3 ½ years) in a place which God had prepared for her. ⁷ And war broke out in Heaven, Michael and his angels engaging in battle with the Dragon.

⁸ The Dragon fought and so did his angels; but they were defeated, and there was no longer any room found for them in Heaven. ⁹ The great Dragon, the ancient serpent, he who is called 'the Devil' and 'the Adversary' and leads the whole earth astray, was hurled down: he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.

 ¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice speaking in Heaven. It said,

"The salvation and the power and

the Kingdom of our God have now come, and

the sovereignty of His Christ;

for the accuser of our brethren has been hurled down—he who, day after day and night after night, was wont to accuse them in the presence of God. ¹¹ But they have gained the victory over him because of the blood of the Lamb and of the testimony which they have borne, and because they held their lives cheap and did not shrink even from death. ¹² For this reason be glad, O Heaven, and you who live in Heaven!

Alas for the earth and the sea! For the Devil has come down to you; full of fierce anger, because he knows that his appointed time is short." ¹³ And when the Dragon saw that he was hurled down to the earth, he went in pursuit of the woman who had given birth to the male child. ¹⁴ Then, the two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman to enable her to fly away into the Desert to the place assigned her, there to be cared for, for a period of time, two periods of time, and half a period of time, beyond the reach of the serpent. ¹⁵ And the serpent poured water from his mouth—a very river it seemed—after the woman, in the hope that she would be carried away by its flood. ¹⁶ But the earth came to the woman's help: it opened its mouth and drank up the river which the Dragon had poured from his mouth. ¹⁷ This made the Dragon furiously angry with the woman, and he went elsewhere to make war upon her other children—those who keep God's commandments and hold fast to the testimony of Jesus.

Rev 12:1-17 (WEY)

Chapter 13

¹ And he took up a position upon the sands of the sea-shore. Then I saw a Wild Beast coming up out of the sea, and he had ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten kingly crowns, and inscribed on his heads were names full of blasphemy. ² The Wild Beast which I saw resembled a leopard, and had feet like the feet of a bear, and his mouth was like the mouth of a lion; and it was to the Dragon that he owed his power and his throne and his wide dominion. ³ I saw that one of his heads seemed to have been mortally wounded; but his mortal wound was healed, and the whole world was amazed and followed him. ⁴ And they offered worship to the Dragon, because it was to him that the Wild Beast owed his dominion; and they also offered worship to the Wild Beast, and said, "Who is there like him? And who is able to engage in battle with him?" ⁵ And there was given him a mouth full of boastful and blasphemous words; and liberty of action was granted him for forty-two months. ⁶ And he opened his mouth to utter blasphemies against God, to speak evil of His name and of His dwelling-place—that is to say, of those who dwell in Heaven. ⁷ And permission was given him to make war upon God's people and conquer them; and power was given him over every tribe, people, language and nation. ⁸ And all the inhabitants of the earth will be found to be worshipping him: every one whose name is not recorded in the Book of Life—the Book of the Lamb who has been offered in sacrifice ever since the creation of the world. ⁹ Let all who have ears give heed. ¹⁰ If any one is eager to lead others into captivity, he must himself go into captivity. If any one is bent on killing with the sword, he must himself be killed by the sword. Here is an opportunity for endurance, and for the exercise of faith, on the part of God's people. ¹¹ Then I saw another Wild Beast, coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. ¹² And the authority of the first Wild Beast—the whole of that authority—he exercises in his presence, and he causes the earth and its inhabitants to worship the first Wild Beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. ¹³ He also works great miracles, so as even to make fire come down from Heaven to earth in the presence of human beings. ¹⁴ And his power of leading astray the inhabitants of the earth is due to the marvels which he has been permitted to work in the presence of the Wild Beast. And he told the inhabitants of the earth to erect a statue to the Wild Beast who had received the sword-stroke and yet had recovered. ¹⁵ And power was granted him to give breath to the statue of the Wild Beast, so that the statue of the Wild Beast could even speak and cause all who refuse to worship it to be put to death. ¹⁶ And he causes all, small and great, rich and poor, free men and slaves, to have stamped upon them a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ in order that no one should be allowed to buy or sell unless he had the mark—either the name of the Wild Beast or the number which his name represents. ¹⁸ Here is scope for ingenuity. Let people of shrewd intelligence calculate the number of the Wild Beast; for it indicates a certain man, and his number is 666.

Rev 13:1-18 (WEY)

Chapter 14

¹ Then I looked, and I saw the Lamb standing upon Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 people, having His name and His Father's name written on their foreheads. ² And I heard music from Heaven which resembled the sound of many waters and the roar of loud thunder; and the music which I heard was like that of harpists playing upon their harps. ³ And they were singing what seemed to be a new song, in front of the throne and in the presence of the four living creatures and the Elders; and no one was able to learn that song except the 144,000 people who had been redeemed out of the world. ⁴ These are those who had not defiled themselves with women: they are as pure as virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men, as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. ⁵ And no lie has ever been found upon their lips: they are faultless.

Four Voices From Heaven

⁶ And I saw another angel flying across the sky, carrying the Good News of the Ages to tell to every nation, tribe, language and people, among those who live on the earth. ⁷ He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give Him glory, because the time of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made sky and earth, the sea and the water-springs." ⁸ And another, a second angel, followed, exclaiming, "Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen—she who made all the nations drink the wine of the anger provoked by her fornication." ⁹ And another, a third angel, followed them, exclaiming in a loud voice, "If any one worships the Wild Beast and his statue, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰ he shall drink the wine of God's anger which stands ready, undiluted, in the cup of His fury, and he shall be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment goes up until the Ages of the Ages; and the worshipers of the Wild Beast and his statue have no rest day or night, nor has any one who receives the mark of his name. ¹² Here is an opportunity for endurance on the part of God's people, who carefully keep His commandments and the faith of Jesus!" ¹³ And I heard a voice speaking from Heaven. It said, "Write as follows: " 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from this time onward. Yes, says the Spirit, let them rest from their sorrowful labours; for what they have done goes with them.' " ¹⁴ Then I looked, and a white cloud appeared, and sitting on the cloud was some One resembling the Son of Man, having a wreath of gold upon His head and in His hand a sharp sickle. ¹⁵ And another, an angel, came out of the sanctuary, calling in a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, and saying, "Use your sickle and reap the harvest, for the hour for reaping it has come: the harvest of the earth is over-ripe." ¹⁶ Then He who sat on the cloud flung His sickle on the earth, and the earth had its harvest reaped. ¹⁷ And another angel came out from the sanctuary in Heaven, and he too carried a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ And another angel came out from the altar—he who had power over fire—and he spoke in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Use your sharp sickle, and gather the bunches from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are now quite ripe." ¹⁹ And the angel flung his sickle down to the earth, and reaped the vine of the earth and threw the grapes into the great winepress of God's anger. ²⁰ And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and out of it came blood reaching the horses' bridles for a distance of 200 miles.

Rev 14:1-20 (WEY)

Chapter 15

The Seven Plagues

¹ Then I saw another marvel in Heaven, great and wonderful—there were seven angels bringing seven plagues. These are the last plagues, because in them God's anger has found full expression. ² And I saw what seemed to be a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who had gained the victory over the Wild Beast and over his statue and the number of his name, standing by the sea of glass and having harps which belonged to God. ³ And they were singing the song of Moses, God's servant, and the song of the Lamb. Their words were, "Great and wonderful are Thy works, O Lord God, the Ruler of all. Righteous and true are Thy ways, O King of the nations. ⁴ Who shall not be afraid, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy. All nations shall come and shall worship Thee, because the righteousness of all that Thou hast done has been made manifest." ⁵ After this, when the doors of the sanctuary of the tent of witness in Heaven were opened, I looked; ⁶ and there came out of the sanctuary the seven angels who were bringing the seven plagues. The angels were clad in pure, bright linen, and had girdles of gold across their breasts. ⁷ And one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven bowls of gold, full of the anger of God who lives until the Ages of the Ages. ⁸ And the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one could enter the sanctuary till the seven plagues brought by the seven angels were at an end.

Rev 15:1-8 (WEY)

Chapter 16

¹ Then I heard a loud voice from the sanctuary say to the seven angels, "Go and pour on to the earth the seven bowls of the anger of God." ² So the first angel went away and poured his bowl on to the earth; and it brought a bad and painful sore upon the men who had on them the mark of the Wild Beast and worshipped his statue. ³ The second angel poured his bowl into the sea, and it became blood, like a dead man's blood, and every living creature in the sea died. ⁴ The third angel poured his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. ⁵ And I heard the angel of the waters say, "Righteous art Thou, who art and wast, the holy One, because Thou hast thus taken vengeance. ⁶ For they poured out the blood of Thy people and of the Prophets, and in return Thou hast given them blood to drink. And this they deserved." ⁷ And I heard a voice from the altar say, "Even so, O Lord God, the Ruler of all, true and righteous are Thy judgments." ⁸ Then the fourth angel poured his bowl on to the sun, and power was given to it to scorch men with fire. ⁹ And the men were severely burned; and yet they spoke evil of God who had power over the plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory. ¹⁰ The fifth angel poured his bowl on to the throne of the Wild Beast; and his kingdom became darkened. People gnawed their tongues because of the pain, ¹¹ and they spoke evil of the God in Heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their misconduct. ¹² The sixth angel poured his bowl into that great river, the Euphrates; and its stream was dried up in order to clear the way for the kings who are to come from the east. ¹³ Then I saw three foul spirits, resembling frogs, issue from the mouth of the Dragon, from the mouth of the Wild Beast, and from the mouth of the false Prophet. ¹⁴ For they are the spirits of demons working marvels—spirits that go out to control the kings of the whole earth, to assemble them for the battle which is to take place on the great day of God, the Ruler of all. ¹⁵ ("I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the man who keeps awake and guards his raiment for fear he walk about ill-clad, and his uncomeliness become manifest.") ¹⁶ And assemble them they did at the place called in Hebrew 'Har-Magedon.' ¹⁷ Then the seventh angel poured his bowl into the air; and a loud voice came out of the sanctuary from the throne, saying, "Everything is now ready." ¹⁸ Flashes of lightning followed, and voices, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake more dreadful than there had ever been since there was a man upon the earth—so terrible was it, and so great! ¹⁹ The great city was split into three parts; the cities of the nations fell; and great Babylon came into remembrance before God, for Him to make her drink from the wine-cup of His fierce anger. ²⁰ Every island fled away, and there was not a mountain anywhere to be seen. ²¹ And heavy hail, that seemed to be a talent in weight, fell from the sky upon the people; and they spoke evil of God on account of the plague of the hail—because the plague of it was exceedingly severe.

Rev 16:1-21 (WEY)

Chapter 17

The Great Harlot

¹ Then one of the seven angels who were carrying the seven bowls came and spoke to me. "Come with me," he said, "and I will show you the doom of the great Harlot who sits upon many waters. ² The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." ³ So he carried me away in the Spirit into a desert, and there I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored Wild Beast which was covered with names of blasphemy and had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and was brilliantly attired with gold and jewels and pearls. She held in her hand a cup of gold, full of abominations, and she gave filthy indications of her fornication. ⁵ And on her forehead was a name written: "I am a symbol of great Babylon, the mother of the harlots and of the abominations of the earth." ⁶ And I saw the woman drinking herself drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her I was filled with utter astonishment. ⁷ Then the angel said to me, "Why are you so astonished? I will explain to you the secret meaning of the woman and of the seven-headed, ten-horned Wild Beast which carries her. ⁸ "The Wild Beast which you have seen was, and is not, and yet is destined to re-ascend, before long, out of the bottomless pit and go his way into perdition. And the inhabitants of the earth will be filled with amazement—all whose names are not in the Book of Life, having been recorded there ever since the creation of the world—when they see the Wild Beast: because he was, and is not, and yet is to come. ⁹ Here is scope for the exercise of a mind that has wisdom! The seven heads are the seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ And they are seven kings: five of them have fallen, and the one is still reigning. The seventh has not yet come, but when he comes he must continue for a short time. ¹¹ And the Wild Beast which once existed but does not now exist—he is an eighth king and yet is one of the seven and he goes his way into perdition. ¹² "And the ten horns which you have seen are ten kings who have not yet come to the throne, but for a single hour they are to receive authority as kings along with the Wild Beast. ¹³ They have one common policy, and they are to give their power and authority to the Wild Beast. ¹⁴ They will make war upon the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings. And those who accompany Him—called, as they are, and chosen, and faithful—shall share in the victory." ¹⁵ He also said to me, "The waters which you have seen, on which the Harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes, nations and languages. ¹⁶ And the ten horns that you have seen—and the Wild Beast—these will hate the Harlot, and they will cause her to be laid waste and will strip her bare. They will eat her flesh, and burn her up with fire. ¹⁷ For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose, and to carry out a common purpose and to give their kingdom to the Wild Beast until God's words have come to pass. ¹⁸ And the woman whom you have seen is the great city which has kingly power over the kings of the earth."

Rev 17:1-18 (WEY)

Chapter 18

The Downfall of Babylon

¹ After these things I saw another angel coming down from Heaven, armed with great power. The earth shone with his splendor, ² and with a mighty voice he cried out, saying, "Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen, and has become a home for demons and a stronghold for every kind of foul spirit and for every kind of foul and hateful bird. ³ For all the nations have drunk the wine of the anger provoked by her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich through her excessive luxury." ⁴ Then I heard another voice from Heaven, which said, "Come out of her, My people, that you may not become partakers in her sins, nor receive a share of her plagues. ⁵ For her sins are piled up to the sky, and God has called to mind her unrighteous deeds. ⁶ Give back to her as she has given; repay her in accordance with her doings, twice as much; in the bowl that she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. ⁷ She has freely glorified herself and revelled in luxury; equally freely administer torment to her, and woe. For in her heart she boasts, saying, 'I sit enthroned as Queen: no widow am I: I shall never know sorrow.' ⁸ "For this reason calamities shall come thick upon her on a single day—death and sorrow and famine—and she shall be burned to the ground. For strong is the Lord God who has judged her. ⁹ The kings of the earth who have committed fornication with her, and have revelled in luxury, shall weep aloud and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, ¹⁰ while they stand afar off because of their terror at her heavy punishment, and say, 'Alas, alas, thou great city, O Babylon, the mighty city! For in one short hour thy doom has come!' ¹¹ And the merchants of the earth weep aloud and lament over her, because now there is no sale for their cargoes— ¹² cargoes of gold and silver, of jewels and pearls, of fine linen, purple and silk, and of scarlet stuff; all kinds of rare woods, and all kinds of goods in ivory and in very costly wood, in bronze, steel and marble. ¹³ Also cinnamon and amomum; odors to burn as incense or for perfume; frankincense, wine, oil; fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep; horses and carriages and slaves; and the lives of men. ¹⁴ The dainties that thy soul longed for are gone from thee, and all thine elegance and splendor have perished, and never again shall they be found. ¹⁵ Those who traded in these things, who grew wealthy through her, will stand afar off, struck with terror at her punishment, ¹⁶ weeping aloud and sorrowing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, for this great city, which was brilliantly arrayed in fine linen, and purple and scarlet stuff, and beautified with gold, jewels and pearls; ¹⁷ because in one short hour all this great wealth has been laid waste!' And every shipmaster and every passenger by sea and the crews and all who ply their trade on the sea, ¹⁸ stood afar off, and cried aloud when they saw the smoke of her burning. And they said, 'What city is like this great city?' ¹⁹ And they threw dust upon their heads, and cried out, weeping aloud and sorrowing. 'Alas, alas,' they said, 'for this great city, in which, through her vast wealth, the owners of all the ships on the sea have grown rich; because in one short hour she has been laid waste!' ²⁰ Rejoice over her, O Heaven, and you saints and Apostles and Prophets; for God has taken vengeance upon her because of you." ²¹ Then a single angel of great strength took a stone which resembled a huge millstone, and hurled it into the sea, saying, "So shall Babylon, that great city, be violently hurled down and never again be found. ²² No harp or song, no flute or trumpet, shall ever again be heard in thee; no craftsman of any kind shall ever again be found in thee; nor shall the grinding of the mill ever again be heard in thee. ²³ Never again shall the light of a lamp shine in thee, and never again shall the voice of a bridegroom or of a bride be heard in thee. For thy merchants were the great men of the earth, and with the magic which thou didst practise all nations were led astray. ²⁴ And in her was found the blood of Prophets and of God's people and of all who had been put to death on the earth."

Rev 18:1-24 (WEY)

Chapter 19

¹ After this I seemed to hear the far-echoing voices of a great multitude in Heaven, who said, "Hallelujah! The salvation and the glory and the power belong to our God. ² True and just are His judgments, because He has judged the great Harlot who was corrupting the whole earth with her fornication, and He has taken vengeance for the blood of His bondservants which her hands have shed." ³ And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! For her smoke ascends until the Ages of the Ages." ⁴ And the twenty-four Elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who sits upon the throne. "Even so," they said; "Hallelujah!" ⁵ And from the throne there came a voice which said, "Praise our God, all you His bondservants—you who fear Him, both the small and the great." ⁶ And I seemed to hear the voices of a great multitude and the sound of many waters and of loud peals of thunder, which said, "Hallelujah! Because the Lord our God, the Ruler of all, has become King. ⁷ Let us rejoice and triumph and give Him the glory; for the time for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready." ⁸ And she was permitted to array herself in fine linen, shining and spotless; the fine linen being the righteous actions of God's people. ⁹ And he said to me, "Write as follows: 'Blessed are those who receive an invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.' " And he added, still addressing me, "These are truly the words of God." ¹⁰ Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he exclaimed, "Oh, do not do that. I am a fellow bondservant of yours and a fellow bondservant of your brethren who have borne testimony to Jesus. Worship God." Testimony to Jesus is the spirit which underlies Prophecy. ¹¹ Then I saw a door open in Heaven, and a white horse appeared. Its rider was named "Faithful and True" —being One who in righteousness acts as Judge, and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many kingly crowns; and He has a name written upon Him which no one but He Himself knows. ¹³ The outer garment in which He is clad has been dipped in blood and His name is THE WORD OF GOD. ¹⁴ The armies in Heaven followed Him—mounted on white horses and clothed in fine linen, white and spotless. ¹⁵ From His mouth there comes a sharp sword with which He will smite the nations; and He will Himself be their Shepherd, ruling them with a scepter of iron; and it is His work to tread the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Ruler of all. ¹⁶ And on His outer garment and on His thigh He has a name written,

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

¹⁷ And I saw a single angel standing in the full light of the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds that flew across the sky, "Come and be present at God's great supper, ¹⁸ that you may feast on the flesh of kings and the flesh of generals and the flesh of mighty men, on the flesh of horses and their riders, and on the flesh of all mankind, whether they are free men or slaves, great men or small." ¹⁹ And I saw the Wild Beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, all assembled to make war, once for all, against the Rider upon the horse and against His army. And the Wild Beast was captured, and with him the false Prophet ²⁰ who had done the miracles in his presence with which he had led astray those who had received the mark of the Wild Beast, and those who worshipped his statue. Both of them were thrown alive into the Lake of fire that was all ablaze with sulphur. ²¹ But the rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the Rider on the horse. And the birds all fed ravenously upon their flesh.