The Revelation of St. John the Divine

The Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, is the most important single source of the ideas of millennium, the Last Judgment, the marriage of Christ and the new Jerusalem, and the resulting "new heaven and . . . new earth." The passages below, chapters 14 and 20–22 (the last three of the book), point up the fierce destruction and punishment attending these events.

CHAPTER 14

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 first-fruits 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 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 the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

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CHAPTER 20

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.

CHAPTER 21

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.
   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 shewed 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, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysosprasus; 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.

CHAPTER 22

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, 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 fellow-servant, 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.