ND there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and it was said to me: Arise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that adore therein. 2 But the court which is without the temple, cast out, and measure it not: because it is given unto the gentiles, and the holy city they shall tread under foot two-and-forty months: 3 And I will give unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. 4 These are the two olivetrees, and the two candlesticks, that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if any man will hurt them, fire shall come out of their mouths, and shall devour their enemies. And if any man will hurt them, in this manner must he be slain. 6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy and they have power over waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues as often as they will, 7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast, that ascended out of the abyss, shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their bodies shall lie in the streets of the great city, which is called spiritually 80dom and Egypt, where their Lord also was crucified. 9 And they of the tribes, and peoples, and tongues, and nations, shall see their bodies for three days and a half: and they shall not suffer their bodies to be laid in sepulchres. 10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice ove1 them, and make merry: and shall send gifts one to another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the earth. 11 And after three days and a half, the spirit of life from God entered into them. And they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them that saw them. 12 And they heard a great voice from heaven, saying to them: Come up hither. And they went up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies saw them. 13 And at that hour there was made a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell: and there were slain in the earthquake names of men seven thousand: and the rest were cast into a fear, and gave glor to the God of heaven. 14 The second wo is past: | and behold the third wo will come quickly. 15 And the seventh angel sounded the trumpet: and there were great voices in heaven, saying: The kingdom of this world is become our Lord's and his Christ's, and he shall reign for ever and ever: Amen. 16 And the four-and-twenty ancients, who sit on their seats in the sight of God, fell on their faces and adored God, saying: 17 We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who art, and who wast, and who art to come: because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and thou hast reigned. 18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest render reward to thy servants the prophets and the saints, and to them that fear thy name, little and great, and shouldest destroy them who have corrupted the earth. 19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven: and the ark of his testament was seen in his temple, and there were lightnings, and voices, and an earthquake, and great hail. under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: 2. And being with child, she cried travailing in birth, and was in pain to be delivered. 3 And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold a great red dragon having seven. heads, and ten horns: and on his heads seven diadems, 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered; that, when she should be delivered, he might devour her son. 5 And she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod and her son was taken up to God, and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, that. there they should feed her a thousand two hundred sixty days. 7 And there was a great battle in beaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels: 8 And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, who is called the devil and satan, who seduceth the whole world. and he was cast unto the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. of the world, under her feet: and the twelve stars with which she is crowned, are the twelve apostles: she is in forth her children, and Christ in labour and pain, whilst she brings them, in the midst of afflictions and persecutions. 10 And 1 heard a loud voice in heaven, saying. Now is come salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: because the accuser of our brethren is cast forth, who accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of the testimony, and they loved not their lives. unto death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you that dwell therein. Wo to the earth, and to the sea, because the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time. ND 1 saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy. 2 And the beast, which I saw, was like to a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his own strength, and great power. 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were slain to death: and 13 And when the dragon his death's wound was healed. saw that he was cast unto the And all the earth was in adearth, he persecuted the wo-miration after the beast. man who brought forth the forth the man child: 14 And there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the desert unto her place, where she is nourished for a time and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman, water as it were a river; that he might cause her to be carried away by the river. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the river, which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was angry against the woman: and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of JESUS Christ. a Or. flood. 4 And they adored the dragon, which gave power to the beast: and they adored the beast, saying: Who is like to the beast? and who shall be able to fight with him? CHAP. XIII. Ver. 1. A beast. This first beast with seven heads and ten horns, is probably the whole com tors of the people of God, from the pany of infidels, enemies and persecu. beginning to the end of the world. The seven heads are seven kings, that is, seven principal kingdoms or em pires, which have exercised, or shal' exercise, tyrannical power over the people of God; of these, five were then Chaldean, Persian, and Grecian mo. fallen, riz., the Egyptian, Assyrian. narchies: one was present, vix, the empire of Rome; and the seventh and Antichrist and his empire. chiefest was to come, viz., the great The ten horns may be understood of ten lesser persecutors. understand this of the mortal wound, Ver. 3. One of his heads, &c. Some which the idolatry of the Roman em. pire (signified by the sixth head) re. ceived from Constantine; which was, as it were, healed again by Julian thi apostate. 5 And there was given to | him a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies: and power was given to him to do two-and-forty months. 6 And he opened his mouth unto blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. And power was given him over every tribe, and people, and tongue, and nation. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth adored him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb, which was slain from the beginning of the world. 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear. 10 He that shall lead into captivity, shall go into captivity: he that shall kill by the sword, must be killed by the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. 11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns, like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. 12 And he executed all the power of the former beast in his sight and he caused the earth, and them that dwell therein, to adore the first heast, whose wound to death was healed. 13 And he did great signs, 80 that he made also fire to come down from heaven unto the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he seduced them that dwell on the earth, for the signs, which were given him to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make the image of the beast, which had the wound by the sword, and lived. 15 And it was given him to give life to the image of the beast, and that the image of the beast should speak: and should cause, that whosoever will not adore the image of the beast, should be slain. 16 And he shall make all, both little and great, rich and poor, freemen and bondmen, to have a character in their right hand, or on their foreheads. 17 And that no man might buy or sell, but he that hath the character, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast. For it is the number of a man: and the number of him is six hundred sixty-six. CHAP. XIV. of the Lamb, and of the virgins that follow him: Of the judgments that shall fall upon the wicked." AND I beheld: and lo a Lamb stood upon mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty The numeral letters of his name shal Ver. 18. Six hundred sixty-six. make up this number, four thousand having his name, | lon, is fallen, is fallen: which and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the noise of many waters, and as the voice of great thunder: and the voice which I heard, was as the voice of harpers, harping on their harps, 3 And they sung as it were a new canticle, before the throne, and before the four living creatares, and the ancients; and no man could say the canticle, but those hundred forty-four thousand, who were purchased from the earth. 4 These are they who were not defiled with women: for they are virgins. These follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, the first-fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth there was found no lie: for they are without spot before the throne of God. 6 And I saw another Angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the eternal gospel, to preach unto them that sit upon the earth, and over every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people : 7 Saying with a loud voice: Fear the Lord and give him honour, because the hour of his judgment is come: and adore ye him, that made heaven and earth, the sea, and the fountains of waters. 8 And another Angel followed, saying: That great Baby made all nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 9 And the third Angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: If any man shall adore the beast and his image, and receive his character in his forehead, or in his hand; 10 He also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mingled with pure wine in the cup of his wrath, and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, in the sight of the holy Angels and in the sight of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torments shall ascend up for ever and ever: neither have they rest day nor night, who have adored the beast, and hig image, and whosoever receiveth the character of his name. 12 Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of JESUS. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying to me: Write; Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. From henceforth now, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours: for their works follow them. 14 And I saw, and behold a which God will punish, and destroy after the short time of this mortal life: or it may signify every great city wherein enormous sins and abominations are daily committed, and that when the measure of its iniquities is full, the punishments due to its crimes are poured on it. It also may be some city of the description in the text, that will exist, and be destroyed as here described, towards the end of the world. Ver. 13. Die in the Lord. It K understood of the martyrs who die for the Lord. |