| |
The Revelation of John
from the
New Testament of the Bible
(King James Version, 1611) |
Michelangelo,
The Last Judgment (Sistine Chapel,
1537-41) |
St. John on Patmos |
Instructor's notes on use of King James Version of Bible:
-
You may read any translation,
but the King James Version (KJV) or Authorized Version from 1611 is our
default translation because of literary quality and influence + out of copyright.
-
Some spelling
is updated.
-
Highlights or bolds are
made
by the professor for association with objectives, lectures,
& discussions.
No distortion is intended. Unmarked translations are
widely available.
-
Brackets with comments or information are minimal, intended to
help reading or objectives.
- Direct references to the figure of
Christ are in red font to help trace the figure's emergence in the
book's narrative. (Occasional ambiguities: whether "he" refers to Christ or
to God the Father or the Holy Spirit)
|
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 1 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as Lamb of God |
The Revelation of
Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to
show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and
signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2: Who bare record
of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that
he saw.
3: Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words
of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for
the time
is at hand.
4: John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be
unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and
from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
5: And from Jesus
Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the
prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our
sins in his own blood,
6: And hath made us kings and priests unto God
and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7: Behold,
he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see
him, and
they also which pierced him: and
all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of
him. Even so, Amen.
8: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the
Almighty.
9: I John, who also am your brother, and companion in
tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle
that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus
Christ.
10: I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and
heard behind
me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11: Saying, I am Alpha and Omega,
the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto
the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto
Laodicea.
12: And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And
being turned, I saw seven
golden candlesticks;
13: And in the midst
of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man
[Christ],
clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps
[nipples]
with a golden girdle.
14:
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and
his eyes were
as a flame of fire; [phantasmagoric style]
15: And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they
burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
16:
And he had
in his right hand seven stars: and
out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and
his countenance was as the sun
shineth in his strength.
17: And when I saw him, I fell at
his feet as dead. And he laid
his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not;
I am
the first and the last:
18: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold,
I am alive for
evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
19: Write the
things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which
shall be hereafter;
20: The mystery of the seven stars which thou
sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks.
The seven stars are
the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest
are the seven churches.
[7 candlesticks / churches, 7 stars / angels:
7
as holy number (days of Creation) = numerology. In dreams and prophecies one thing often
turns into another, revealing a code behind every sign or phenomenon; in
literature repetitions are a way of ordering, unifying + mnemonic or
memorization device.]
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 2 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: Unto the angel of the church of
Ephesus write; These things saith
he that holdeth the
seven stars in
his right
hand, who walketh in the midst of the
seven golden candlesticks;
2: I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not
bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles,
and are not, and hast found them liars:
3: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for
my name's sake hast laboured, and
hast not fainted.
4: Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because
thou hast left thy
first love.
5: Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the
first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy
candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
6: But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which
I
also hate.
7: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To
him that overcometh will I give to eat of
the tree of life*, which is in the
midst of the paradise of God.
[*tree of life:
see also Genesis 2.9, 3.22]
8: And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith
the
first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
9: I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and
I
know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the
synagogue of Satan.
10: Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall
cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have
tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown
of life.
11: He that hath an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit saith unto the churches;
He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
12: And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith
he
which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
13: I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and
thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days
wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan
dwelleth.
14: But
I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold
the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the
children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit
fornication.
15: So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which
thing I hate.
16: Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will
fight against
them with the sword of my mouth.
17: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of
the hidden manna, and
will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man
knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
[great symbol:
very suggestive, impossible to conclude meaning]
18: And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira
write; These things saith
the
Son of God, who hath his
eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like
fine brass;
19: I
know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and
thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
20: Notwithstanding
I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest
that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce
my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
21: And
I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
22: Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her
into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
23: And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know
that I am
he
which searcheth the reins
[kidneys
(or inner parts)] and hearts: and
I will give
unto every one of you according to your works.
24: But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this
doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak;
I will
put upon you none other burden.
25: But that which ye have already
hold fast till
I come.
26: And he that overcometh, and keepeth
my works unto the end, to him will
I
give power over the nations:
27: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter
shall they be broken to shivers: even as I
received of my Father.
28: And I will give him the morning star.
29: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Christian Morning Star
.style7 {
font-family: Arial;
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 3 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And unto the angel of the church in
Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the
seven stars; I know thy works, that
thou hast a name that thou livest, and art
dead.
2: Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die:
for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3: Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and
repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and
thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
[cf. Matthew 24: 43 ("Little
Apocalypse")]
4: Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments;
and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
5: He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and
I will
not blot out his name out of the book of life, but
I will confess his
name before my Father, and before his angels.
6: He that hath an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit saith unto the churches.
7: And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith
he
that is holy, he that is true,
he that hath the key of David,
he that openeth,
and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8: I know thy works:
behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no
man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and
hast not denied my
name. [door = spiritual
metaphor drawn from daily life; makes
spiritual real or imaginable]
9: Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews,
and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy
feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
10: Because thou hast kept the word of
my patience,
I also will keep thee from
the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that
dwell upon the earth.
11: Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy
crown.
12: Him that overcometh will
I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and
he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of
my God, and
the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of
heaven from my God: and
I will write upon him
my
new name.
13: He that hath an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit saith unto the churches.
14: And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith
the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the
beginning of the creation of God;
15: I
know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot:
I would thou wert cold
or hot.
16: So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
I will spew
thee out of my mouth.
17: Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of
nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and
blind, and naked:
18: I counsel thee to buy of
me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich; and white raiment [clothing], that thou mayest be clothed, and
that the shame of thy
nakedness do not appear [Genesis
3:7]; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest
see.
19: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20: Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear
my voice, and open
the door, I will come
in to him, and will sup
[dine] with him, and he with
me.
21: To him that overcometh will
I grant to sit with me in
my throne, even as
I
also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22: He that hath an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit saith unto the churches.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 4 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: After this I looked, and,
behold,
a door was opened in heaven: and
the first voice which I heard was as it
were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and
I will
show thee things which must be hereafter.
2: And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven,
and one sat on the throne.
3: And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone
[a stone
from Sardinia, Mediterranean island]: and there was
a rainbow round about the
throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4: And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats
I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on
their heads crowns of gold.
5: And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and
there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the
seven
Spirits of God.
6: And before the throne there was
a sea of glass like unto crystal
[phantasmagoric style]: and
in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were
four beasts full
of eyes before and behind.
[the four beasts are traditionally
associated with the four Gospels: Matthew (winged human), Mark (winged lion),
Luke (winged ox), & John (eagle)]
|
|
7: And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and
the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying
eagle.
8: And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they
were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy,
holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9: And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the
throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10: The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and
worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the
throne, saying,
11: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou
hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 5 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And I saw
in the right hand of him
that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with
seven seals.
2: And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to
open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3: And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open
the book, neither to look thereon.
4: And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the
book, neither to look thereon.
5: And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe
of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the
seven seals thereof.
6: And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and
in the midst of the elders, stood a
Lamb as it had been slain, having seven
horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God
sent forth into all
the earth.
7: And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the
throne.
8: And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders
fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials
full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9: And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to
open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy
blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10: And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the
earth.
11: And I beheld, and I heard the voice of
many angels round about the
throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was
ten thousand
times ten thousand [sublime
or spectacular scale], and thousands of thousands;
12: Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the
Lamb that was slain to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and
blessing.
13: And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,
Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14: And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and
worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 6 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And I saw when
the Lamb opened one
of the seals, and I heard, as it were the
noise of thunder, one of
the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2: And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and
a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
3: And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come
and see.
4: And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to
him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one
another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
5: And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and
see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had
a
pair of balances in his hand.
6: And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat
for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the
oil and the wine.
7: And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast
say, Come and see.
8: And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was
Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the
fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death,
and with the beasts of the earth.
"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"
9: And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw
under the altar the souls of
them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true,
dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11: And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto
them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants
also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be
fulfilled.
12: And I beheld when he had
opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a
great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and
the moon
became as blood;
13: And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her
untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14: And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every
mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15: And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the
chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid
themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16: And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face
of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the
Lamb:
17: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
[6.12-17:
sublime]
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 7 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And after these things I saw
four
angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of
the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on
any tree.
2: And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the
living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was
given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3: Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have
sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4: And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed
an
hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5: Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were
sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6: Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim
were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve
thousand.
7: Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were
sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
8: Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph
were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve
thousand.
9: After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the
throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10: And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11: And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and
the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12: Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour,
and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13: And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are
arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14: And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me,
These are they
which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb.
15: Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night
in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16: They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun
light on them, nor any heat.
17: For
the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and
shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 8 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And when he had opened the seventh
seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
2: And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given
seven trumpets.
3: And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and
there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers
of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4: And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the
saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
5: And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and
cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings,
and an earthquake.
6: And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to
sound.
7: The first angel sounded, and there followed
hail and fire mingled with
blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt
up, and all green grass was burnt up.
8: And the second angel sounded, and as it were
a great mountain burning
with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9: And the third part of the
creatures which were in the sea, and had life,
died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10: And the third angel sounded, and
there fell a great star from heaven,
burning as it were a lamp [analogy],
and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11: And the name of the star is called Wormwood*: and the third part of
the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were
made bitter. [*Wormwood
=
plant Artemisia Absinthium,
proverbial for bitter taste. (Oxford English Dictionary)]
12: And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and
the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third
part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the
night likewise.
13: And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying
with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of
the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 9 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And the fifth angel sounded, and I
saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given
the key of
the bottomless pit.
2: And he opened the bottomless pit; and there
arose a smoke out of the pit,
as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by
reason of the smoke of the pit.
3: And there came out of the smoke
locusts upon the earth: and unto them
was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4: And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth,
neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not
the seal of God in their foreheads.
5: And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they
should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the
torment of a
scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6: And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and
shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7: And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle;
and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the
faces of men.
8: And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of
lions.
[phantasmagoric style]
9: And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of
their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10: And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their
tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
11: And they had a king over them, which is
the angel of the bottomless pit,
whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his
name Apollyon.
12: One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13: And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the
golden altar which is before God,
14: Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which
are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15: And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day,
and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16: And the number of the army of the horsemen were
two hundred thousand
thousand: and I heard the number of them.
[sublime]
17: And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having
breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and
the heads of the
horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke
and brimstone.
[phantasmagoric style]
18: By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the
smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19: For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were
like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
20: And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented
not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols
of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see,
nor hear, nor walk:
21: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their
fornication, nor of their thefts.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 10 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1.
And I saw another mighty angel
come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head,
and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
[phantasmagoric style]
2: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon
the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
3: And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried,
seven thunders
uttered their voices.
4: And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices,
I was about to write:
and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the
seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
5: And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his
hand to heaven,
6: And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the
things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the
sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
7: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to
sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his
servants the prophets.
8: And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and
take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon
the sea and upon the earth.
9: And I went unto the angel, and said unto him,
Give me the little book. And
he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter,
but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
[phantasmagoric style]
10: And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up;
and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly
was bitter.
11: And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and
nations, and tongues, and kings.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 11 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And there was given me a reed like
unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God,
and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2: But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for
it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot
forty and two months.
3: And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a
thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4: These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before
the God of the earth.
5: And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and
devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner
be killed.
6: These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their
prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the
earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
7: And when they shall have finished their testimony,
the beast that ascendeth
out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them,
and kill them.
8: And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9: And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their
dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be
put in graves.
10: And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry,
and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them
that dwelt on 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 which saw
them.
12: And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither.
And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud
[rapture?; cf. 1 Thessalonians 4]; and their enemies beheld them.
13: And the same hour was there
a great earthquake, and the tenth part of
the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand:
and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14: The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
15: And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven,
saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of
his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
16: And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell
upon their faces, and worshipped God,
17: Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and
art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and 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 give reward unto thy
servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and
great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
19: And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple
the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and
thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 12 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And there appeared
a great wonder
in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon
her head a crown of twelve stars:
2: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be
delivered. 3: And there appeared
another wonder in
heaven; and behold
a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and
seven crowns upon his heads.
4: And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to
the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be
delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
5: And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod
of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
6: And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of
God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
7: And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the
dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8: And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9: And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and
Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and
his angels were cast out with him.
10: And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and
strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the
accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and
night.
11: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their
testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12: Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the
inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you,
having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
13: And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the
woman which brought forth the man child.
14: And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly
into the wilderness, into 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 water as a flood after the woman,
that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16: And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and
swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17: And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the
remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony
of Jesus Christ.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 13 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And I stood upon the sand of the sea,
and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and
upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
2: And the beast which I saw was
like unto 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 power, and his seat, and great authority.
[phantasmagoric style]
3: And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound
was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
4: And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they
worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make
war with him?
5: And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies;
and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6: And he opened his mouth in blasphemy 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 all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8: And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not
written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9: If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10: He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with
the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of
the saints.
11: And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns
like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12: And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth
the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly
wound was healed.
13: And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on
the earth in the sight of men,
14: And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles
which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on
the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a
sword, and did live.
15: And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the
image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not
worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16: And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,
to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the
name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18: Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count
the number of the
beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore
and six. [666]
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 14 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And I looked, and, lo,
a Lamb stood
on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his
Father's name written in their foreheads.
2: And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the
voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their
harps:
3: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four
beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but
the hundred and
forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4: These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins.
These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed
from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5: And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the
throne of God.
6: And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting
gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and
kindred, and tongue, and people,
7: Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of
his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea,
and the fountains of waters.
8: And there followed another angel, saying,
Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that
great city, because she made all nations 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
worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his
hand,
10: The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out
without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with
fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of
the Lamb:
11: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have
no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever
receiveth the mark of his name.
12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments
of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13: And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me,
Write, Blessed are the
dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith
the Spirit, that they
may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
14: And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud
one sat like
unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp
sickle.
15: And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him
that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for
thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16: And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the
earth was reaped.
17: And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having
a sharp sickle.
18: And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and
cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy
sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her
grapes are fully ripe.
19: And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of
the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20: And the winepress was trodden without
[outside] the city, and
blood came
out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a
thousand and six hundred furlongs. [furlong = 1/8 mile]
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 15 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And I saw
another sign in heaven,
great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is
filled up the wrath of God.
2: And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that
had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark,
and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of
God.
3: And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of
the Lamb,
saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are
thy ways, thou King of saints.
4: Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art
holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are
made manifest.
5: And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the
testimony in heaven was opened:
6: And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the
seven plagues,
clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden
girdles.
7: And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels
seven golden vials full
of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
8: And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his
power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of
the seven angels were fulfilled.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 16 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And I heard a great voice out of the
temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and
pour out the vials of the
wrath of God upon the earth.
2: And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a
noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon
them which worshipped his image.
3: And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the
blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
4: And the third angel poured out his vial upon the
rivers and fountains of
waters; and they became blood.
5: And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord,
which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6: For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and
thou hast given them
blood to drink; for they are worthy.
7: And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true
and righteous are thy judgments.
8: And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given
unto him to scorch men with fire.
9: And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which
hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
10: And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his
kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
11: And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and
repented not of their deeds.
12: And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and
the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be
prepared.
13: And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the
dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false
prophet.
14: For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth
unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle
of that great day of God Almighty.
15: Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth
his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16: And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue
Armageddon.
17: And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came
a
great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
18: And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a
great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an
earthquake, and so great.
19: And the great city was divided into three parts, and
the cities of
the nations fell: and
great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give
unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20: And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21: And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the
weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail;
for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 17 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1. And there came one of the seven
angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come
hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that
sitteth upon many waters:
2: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, 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 the wilderness: and
I saw a woman
sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven
heads and ten horns.
4: And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked
with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full
of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE
MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6: And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood
of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7: And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel?
I will tell thee
the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the
seven heads and ten horns.
8: The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the
bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall
wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation
of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9: And here is the mind which hath wisdom.
The seven heads are seven mountains,
on which the woman sitteth.
10: And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not
yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11: And the beast that was, and is not,
even he is the eighth, and is of the
seven, and goeth into perdition.
12: And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have
received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13: These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14: These shall make war with
the Lamb, and
the Lamb shall overcome them: for
he
is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with
him are called, and
chosen, and faithful.
15: And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth,
are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16: And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the
whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn
her with fire.
17: For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give
their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18: And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the
kings of the earth.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 18 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And after these things I saw
another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was
lightened with his glory.
2: And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying,
Babylon the great is
fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of
every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3: For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and
the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of
the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people,
that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5: For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her
iniquities.
6: Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to
her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7: How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment
and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow,
and shall see no sorrow.
8: Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine;
and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who
judgeth her.
9: And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived
deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see
the smoke of her burning,
10: Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that
great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11: And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man
buyeth their merchandise any more:
12: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and
fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all
manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of
brass, and iron, and marble,
13: And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and
oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots,
and slaves, and souls of men.
14: And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all
things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find
them no more at all.
15: The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar
off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16: And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and
purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
17: For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and
all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar
off,
18: And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like
unto this great city!
19: And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying,
Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the
sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God
hath avenged you on her.
21: And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it
into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown
down, and shall be found no more at all.
22: And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters,
shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he
be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard
no more at all in thee;
23: And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and
the voice
of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for
thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all
nations deceived.
24: And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that
were slain upon the earth.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 19 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And after these things I heard
a
great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory,
and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore,
which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of
his servants at her hand.
3: And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
4: And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped
God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
5: And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his
servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
6: And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of
many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia:
for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. [sublime
or spectacular scale]
7: Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for
the marriage of
the
Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8: And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9: And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto
the
marriage supper of the
Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of
God.
10: And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it
not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of
Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of
Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
11: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and
he that sat
upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness
he doth judge and
make war.
12: His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and
he had a name written, that no man knew, but
he himself.
13: And he was
clothed with a vesture
[garment] dipped in blood: and
his name is called
The Word of God.
14: And the armies which were in heaven followed
him upon white horses, clothed
in fine linen, white and clean.
15: And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it
he should smite the
nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and
he treadeth the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16: And he hath
on his vesture and on
his thigh
a name written, KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
17: And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice,
saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather
yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18: That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh
of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the
flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
19: And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered
together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20: And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought
miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of
the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive
into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21: And the remnant were slain with the sword of
him that sat upon the horse,
which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their
flesh.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 20 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And I saw an angel come down from
heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2: And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and
Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3: And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal
upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more,
till the thousand years
should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:
and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of
Jesus, and for
the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image,
neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they
lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5: But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were
finished. This is the first resurrection.
6: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the
second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and
shall reign with him a thousand years.
7: And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his
prison,
8: And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the
earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is
as the sand of the sea.
9: And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the
saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven,
and devoured them.
10: And the devil that deceived them was
cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day
and night for ever and ever.
11: And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the
earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were
opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead
were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to
their works.
13: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered
up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to
their works.
14: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is
the second
death.
15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 21 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1:
And I saw a new heaven and a new
earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there
was no more sea.
2: And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of
heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
[analogy]
[artists' conceptions of the New Jerusalem]
3: And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God
is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God
himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4: And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away.
5: And he that sat upon the throne said,
Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6: And he said unto me, It is done.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the
end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life
freely.
7: He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he
shall be my son.
8: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part
in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
9: And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full
of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither,
I will
shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10: And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and
showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from
God,
11: Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious,
even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12: And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve
angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of
the children of Israel:
13: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three
gates; and on the west three gates.
14: And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of
the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15: And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the
gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
16: And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth:
and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and
the breadth and the height of it are equal.
17: And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits,
according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
18: And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and
the city was pure
gold, like unto clear glass.
19: And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all
manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second,
sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
20: The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the
eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a
jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21: And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one
pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22: And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the
temple of it.
23: And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it:
for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24: And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and
the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25: And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be
no night there.
26: And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27: And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither
whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in
the Lamb's book of life.
William Blake, Angel of the Revelation (1803-5) |
Revelation
Chapter 22 |
stained-glass depiction of Christ as the Lamb of God |
1: And he shewed me
a pure river of
water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of
the
Lamb.
2: In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was
there the tree of life
[compare
Genesis 2.9,
3.22], which bare twelve manner of fruits, and
yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nations.
3: And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall
be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5: And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of
the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and
ever.
6: And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of
the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must
shortly be done.
7: Behold,
I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the
prophecy of this book.
8: And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and
seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these
things.
9: Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of
thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book:
worship God.
10: And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for
the time is at hand.
11: He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him
be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he
that is holy, let him be holy still.
12: And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man
according as his work shall be.
13: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14: Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to
the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15: For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and
idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16: I Jesus
have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the
churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and
morning star.
17: And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come.
And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of
life freely.
18: For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of
this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the
plagues that are written in this book:
19: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy,
God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city,
and from the things which are written in this book.
20: He which testifieth these things saith,
Surely I come quickly. Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Respectfully copied and adapted from the Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia
Library:
http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=KjvReve
Stefan Lochner,
Last
Judgment (1435)
|