There are seven torches burning in front of the throne, which are the seven spirits of God; and in front of the throne is 6 what seemed to be a sea of glass, ‘resembling crystal, while within the space before the throne and round the throne are four Creatures full of eyes' in front and behind. The first 7 Creature is like a lion, the second Creature like a calf, the third Creature has a face like a man's, and the fourth Creature is like an eagle on the wing. These four Creatures have each 8 of them six wings, and all round, and within, they are full of eyes; and day and night they never cease to say— 6 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, our God, the And, whenever these Creatures give praise and honour and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, to him who lives for ever and ever,' the twenty-four Councillors prostrate themselves before him who is seated on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever, and throw down their crowns before the throne, saying 'Worthy art thou, our Lord and God, to receive all praise, and honour, and power, for thou didst create all things, and at thy bidding they came into being and were created.' · 9 10 II I 5 2 3 Then I saw at the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a book, with writing inside and out, and sealed ' with seven seals; and I saw a mighty angel who was proclaiming in a loud voice- Who is worthy to open the book and break its seals?' But no one either in Heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the book or look within it. At this I wept long, because no one could be found who was worthy to open the book or look within it. But one of the Councillors said to me-- -'Do not 5 weep. The Lion conquered--the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Scion of David-and can therefore open the book with its seven seals.' 4 7 Then, within the space between the throne and the four 6 Creatures, and in the midst of the Councillors, I saw, standing, a Lamb, which seemed to have been sacrificed. It had seven horns and seven eyes. (These eyes are the seven Spirits of God, and they are sent into all the world.) The Lamb came forward; and he has taken the book from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And, when he had 8 7 Ezek. 1. 10; 10. 14. 8 Isa. 6. 2, 3; Exod. 3. 14; Isa. 41. 4. 1 Isa. 6. 1; Ps. 47. 8; 6 Isa. 53. 7; Zech. 4. 10. 6 Ezek. 15, 18, 22, 26; 10. 1; Isa. 6. 1-2. Ezek. 1. 18; 10. 12; Amos 4. 13 (Septuagint); 9-10 Isa. 6. 1; Ps. 47. 8; Dan. 4. 34; 6. 26; 12. 7. Ezek. 2. 9-10; Isa. 29. 11. 5 Gen. 49. 9; Isa. 11. 10. 7 Isa. 6. 1; Ps. 47. 8. 8 Ps. 141. 2. taken the book, the four Creatures and the twenty-four Councillors prostrated themselves before the Lamb, each of them holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense. (These are the prayers of Christ's People.) And they are singing a new song 'Thou art worthy to take the book and break its seals, for thou wast sacrificed, and with thy blood thou didst buy for God men of every tribe, and language, and people, and nation, and didst make them a Kingdom of Priests in the service of our God, and they are reigning upon the earth.' Then, in my vision, I heard the voices of many angels round the throne, and of the Creatures, and of the Councillors. In number they were 'ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands,' and they cried in a loud voice 'Worthy is the Lamb that was sacrificed to receive all power, and wealth, and wisdom, and might, and honour, and praise, and blessing.' 9 ΙΟ II 12 And I heard every created thing in the air, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all that is in them crying 13 'To him who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be ascribed all blessing, and honour, and praise, and dominion for ever and ever.' And the four Creatures said 'Amen,' and the Councillors 14 prostrated themselves and worshipped. Then I saw the Lamb break one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four Creatures crying with a voice like thunder-' Come.' And in my vision I saw a white horse.' Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he went out conquering and to conquer. I 6 2 When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second 3 Creature crying-' Come.' Then there went out another 4 horse, a red horse,' and to its rider was given the power to deprive the earth of peace, so that men should kill one another; and he was given a great sword. ་ When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third 5 Creature crying-'Come.' And in my vision I saw a black horse.' Its rider held scales in his hand. And I heard what 6 seemed to be a voice, coming from among the four Creatures, 10 Exod. 19. 6. 11 Dan. 7. 10. 12 Isa. 53. 7. 13 Isa. 6. 1; Ps. 47. 8. 2-5 Zech. 1. 8; 6. 2—3, 6. 9 Ps. 144. 9. 8 crying-'A quart of wheat for a florin, and three quarts of barley for a florin ! But do not harm the oil and the wine.' When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of 7 the fourth Creature crying-' Come.' And in my vision I saw a grey horse. His rider's name was Death, and the Lord of the Place of Death rode behind him; and power was given them over the fourth part of the earth, so that they might destroy with sword and famine and death, and by means of the wild beasts of the earth.' When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar 9 the souls of those who had been killed for the sake of God's Message and for the testimony which they had borne. They 10 cried in a loud voice- How long, O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, before thou wilt give judgement and avenge our blood upon all who are living upon the earth?' Then to each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to rest yet a little longer, till the number of their fellow-servants and of their Brothers who were about to be put to death, as they had been, should be complete. II 12 The 13 And I saw the Lamb break the sixth seal, and then there was a great earthquake. The sun became black, like sackcloth, and the moon, which was at its full, like blood. stars of the heavens fell' to the earth, as when a fig-tree, shaken by a strong wind, drops its unripe fruit. The heavens 14 disappeared like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. Then all the 15 kings of the earth, and the princes, and the generals, and the rich, and the powerful, and every slave and free man, 'hid themselves in the caves and under the rocks' of the mountains; and they are crying to the mountains and the rocks- Fall 16 upon us, and hide us from the eyes of him who is seated on the throne, and from the Wrath of the Lamb, for the great 17 Day of their Wrath is come, and who can stand to meet it? After this, I saw four angels standing upon the four I corners of the earth,' restraining the four winds of the earth, that no wind should blow over the earth, or over the sea, or against any tree. And, in the east, I saw another angel, 2 ascending, holding the seal of the Living God; and he cried in a loud voice to the four angels, to whom there had been given power to harm the earth and the sea-' Do not harm the 3 earth, or the sea, or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.' I heard, 4 too, the number of those who had been sealed. It was one hundred and forty-four thousand; and they were from every tribe of the Israelites. 8 Hos. 13. 14; Ezek. 33. 27; 14. 21; Deut. 32. 43; 2 Kings 9. 7; Hos. 4. 1. 10 Zech. 1. 12; 13-14 Isa. 34.4; 13. 10. 5: 12; 29. 5; 34. 28. 15 Ps. 48. 4 (Septuagint); 2. 2; Isa. 24. 21; 34. 12; Jer. 4. 29; Isa. 2. 10. 16 Hos. 10. 8; Isa. 6. 1; Ps. 47. 8. 17 Joel 2. 11; Zeph. 1. 14-15, 18; Mal. 3. 2. 1 Ezek. 7. 2; 37. 9; Zech. 6. 5. 3 Ezek. 9. 4. 5 6 From the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed, After this, in my vision, I saw a vast throng which no man could number, of men from every nation and of all tribes, and peoples, and languages. They stood in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, robed in white, holding palm branches in their hands. And they are crying in a loud voice 'Salvation be ascribed to our God who is seated on his throne and to the Lamb.' And all the angels were standing round the throne and the II 'Amen. Blessing, and praise, and wisdom, and Then one of the Councillors turned to me and said 'Who are these who are robed in white? and whence did they come?' 'My Lord,' I answered, it is you who know.' 12 13 14 16 'These,' he said, are they who come through the Great Persecution; they washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. And therefore it is that they are before the 15 throne of God, and are serving him day and night in his Temple; and he who is seated on the throne will shelter them. Never again shall they be hungry, never again shall they be thirsty, nor shall the sun smite upon them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb that stands in the space before the throne will be their shepherd, and will lead them to lifegiving springs of water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.' 10 Isa. 6. 1; Ps. 47. 8. 16-17 Isa. 49. 10. 14 Dan. 12. 1; Gen. 49. II. 17 As soon as the Lamb had broken the seventh seal, there was silence in Heaven for, it might be, half-an-hour. III. THE VISION OF THE SEVEN TRUMpet-Blasts. I 8 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and 2 seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Next, another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer in his hand; and a great quantity of incense was given to him, to mingle with the prayers of all Christ's People upon the golden altar before the throne. The smoke 4 of the incense ascended, with the prayers of Christ's People, from the hand of the angel before God. Then the angel took 5 the censer, and filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it down upon the earth; and there followed 'peals of thunder, cries, flashes of lightning,' and an earthquake. Then the seven angels holding the seven trumpets prepared 6 to blow their blasts. The first blew; and there came hail and fire mixed with 7 blood, and it fell upon the earth. A third part of the earth was burnt up, and a third of the trees, and every blade of grass. Then the second angel blew; and what appeared to be a 8 great mountain, burning, was hurled into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, and a third part of all created things 9 that are in the sea—that is, of all living things-died, and a third of the ships was destroyed. Then the third angel blew; and there fell from the heavens 10 a great star, burning like a torch. It fell upon a third of the rivers and upon the springs. (The star is called 'Worm- II wood.') A third of the water became bitter as wormwood, and so bitter was the water that many died from drinking it. Then the fourth angel blew ; and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were blasted, so that a third of them was eclipsed, and for a third part of the day there was no light, and at night it was the same. And, in my vision, I heard an eagle flying in mid-heaven and crying in a loud voice—'Woe, woe, woe for all who live on the earth, at the other trumpet-blasts of the three angels who have yet to blow.' 12 Then the fifth angel blew; and I saw a Star that had fallen upon the earth from the heavens, and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. He opened the bottomless pit, and 2 5 Lev. 16. 12; Exod. 19. 16 (Hebrew and Septuagint). 7 Exod. 9. 24; Ezek. 38. 22; Joel 2. 30. 8 Jer. 51. 25; Exod. 7. 19. TO Isa. 14. 12. 2 Gen. 19. 28 (Hebrew); Exod. 19. 18; Joel 2. 10. 3 Amos 9. I. 3-4 Ps. 141. 2. 13 I 9 |