012:003 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.

012:004 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.

012:005 She gave birth to a son--a male child, destined before long to rule all nations with an iron scepter. But her child was caught up to G.o.d and His throne, 012:006 and the woman fled into the Desert, there to be cared for, for 1,260 days, in a place which G.o.d had prepared for her.

012:007 And war broke out in Heaven, Michael and his angels engaging in battle with the Dragon.

012:008 The Dragon fought and so did his angels; but they were defeated, and there was no longer any room found for them in Heaven.

012:009 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.

012:010 Then I heard a loud voice speaking in Heaven.

It said, "The salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our G.o.d 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 G.o.d.

012:011 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.

012:012 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."

012:013 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.

012:014 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 a.s.signed 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.

012:015 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.

012:016 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.

012:017 This made the Dragon furiously angry with the woman, and he went elsewhere to make war upon her other children--those who keep G.o.d's commandments and hold fast to the testimony of Jesus.

013:001 And he took up a position upon the sands of the sea-sh.o.r.e. 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.

013:002 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.

013:003 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.

013:004 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?"

013:005 And there was given him a mouth full of boastful and blasphemous words; and liberty of action was granted him for forty-two months.

013:006 And he opened his mouth to utter blasphemies against G.o.d, to speak evil of His name and of His dwelling-place-- that is to say, of those who dwell in Heaven.

013:007 And permission was given him to make war upon G.o.d's people and conquer them; and power was given him over every tribe, people, language and nation.

013:008 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.

013:009 Let all who have ears give heed.

013:010 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 G.o.d's people.

013:011 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.

013:012 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.

013:013 He also works great miracles, so as even to make fire come down from Heaven to earth in the presence of human beings.

013:014 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.

013:015 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.

013:016 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, 013:017 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.

013:018 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.

014:001 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.

014:002 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.

014:003 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.

014:004 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 G.o.d and to the Lamb.

014:005 And no lie has ever been found upon their lips: they are faultless.

014:006 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.

014:007 He said in a loud voice, "Fear G.o.d 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."

014:008 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."

014:009 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, 014:010 he shall drink the wine of G.o.d'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.

014:011 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.

014:012 Here is an opportunity for endurance on the part of G.o.d's people, who carefully keep His commandments and the faith of Jesus!"

014:013 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.'"

014:014 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.

014:015 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."

014:016 Then He who sat on the cloud flung His sickle on the earth, and the earth had its harvest reaped.

014:017 And another angel came out from the sanctuary in Heaven, and he too carried a sharp sickle.

014:018 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."

014:019 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 G.o.d's anger.

014:020 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and out of it came blood reaching the horses' bridles for a distance of 200 miles.

015:001 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 G.o.d's anger has found full expression.

015:002 And I saw what seemed to be a sea of gla.s.s 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 gla.s.s and having harps which belonged to G.o.d.

015:003 And they were singing the song of Moses, G.o.d's servant, and the song of the Lamb. Their words were, "Great and wonderful are Thy works, O Lord G.o.d, the Ruler of all.

Righteous and true are Thy ways, O King of the nations.

015:004 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."

015:005 After this, when the doors of the sanctuary of the tent of witness in Heaven were opened, I looked; 015:006 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 b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

015:007 And one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven bowls of gold, full of the anger of G.o.d who lives until the Ages of the Ages.

015:008 And the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of G.o.d and from His power; and no one could enter the sanctuary till the seven plagues brought by the seven angels were at an end.

016:001 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 G.o.d."

016:002 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.

016:003 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.

016:004 The third angel poured his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.

016:005 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.

016:006 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."

016:007 And I heard a voice from the altar say, "Even so, O Lord G.o.d, the Ruler of all, true and righteous are Thy judgments."

016:008 Then the fourth angel poured his bowl on to the sun, and power was given to it to scorch men with fire.

016:009 And the men were severely burned; and yet they spoke evil of G.o.d who had power over the plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.

016:010 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, 016:011 and they spoke evil of the G.o.d in Heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their misconduct.

016:012 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.

016:013 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.

016:014 For they are the spirits of demons working marvels-- spirits that go out to control the kings of the whole earth, to a.s.semble them for the battle which is to take place on the great day of G.o.d, the Ruler of all.

016:015 ("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.") 016:016 And a.s.semble them they did at the place called in Hebrew 'Har-Magedon.'

016:017 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."

016:018 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!

016:019 The great city was split into three parts; the cities of the nations fell; and great Babylon came into remembrance before G.o.d, for Him to make her drink from the wine-cup of His fierce anger.

016:020 Every island fled away, and there was not a mountain anywhere to be seen.

016:021 And heavy hail, that seemed to be a talent in weight, fell from the sky upon the people; and they spoke evil of G.o.d on account of the plague of the hail--because the plague of it was exceedingly severe.

017:001 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.

017:002 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."

017:003 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.

017:004 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.

017:005 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."

017:006 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.

017:007 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.

017:008 "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.

017:009 Here is scope for the exercise of a mind that has wisdom!

The seven heads are the seven hills on which the woman sits.