Day 99 – Praise God!

₁After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a large crowd of people in heaven, saying, “Praise God! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God! ₂True and just are his judgements! He has condemned the prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her immorality. God has punished her because she killed his servants.” ₃Again they shouted, “Praise God! The smoke from the flames that consume the great city goes up for ever and ever!” ₄The 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God, who was seated on the throne. They said, “Amen! Praise God!”

₅Then there came from the throne the sound of a voice, saying, “Praise our God, all his servants and all people, both great and small, who have reverence for him!” ₆Then I heard what sounded like a large crowd, like the sound of a roaring waterfall, like loud peals of thunder. I heard them say, “Praise God! For the Lord, our Almighty God, is King! ₇Let us rejoice and be glad; let us praise his greatness! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself for it. ₈She has been given clean shining linen to wear.” (The linen is the good deeds of God's people.)

₉Then the angel said to me, “Write this: happy are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And the angel added, “These are the true words of God.”

₁₀I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don't do it! I am a servant together with you and with your fellow-believers, all those who hold to the truth that Jesus revealed. Worship God!”

For the truth that Jesus revealed is what inspires the prophets.

₁₁Then I saw heaven open, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True; it is with justice that he judges and fights his battles. ₁₂His eyes were like a flame of fire, and he wore many crowns on his head. He had a name written on him, but no one except himself knows what it is. ₁₃The robe he wore was covered with blood. His name is “The Word of God”. ₁₄The armies of heaven followed him, riding on white horses and dressed in clean white linen. ₁₅Out of his mouth came a sharp sword, with which he will defeat the nations. He will rule over them with a rod of iron, and he will trample out the wine in the winepress of the furious anger of the Almighty God. ₁₆On his robe and on his thigh was written the name: “King of kings and Lord of lords”.

₁₇Then I saw an angel standing on the sun. He shouted in a loud voice to all the birds flying in mid air: “Come and gather together for God's great feast! ₁₈Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and soldiers, the flesh of horses and their riders, the flesh of all people, slave and free, great and small!”

₁₉Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to fight against the one who was riding the horse and against his army. ₂₀The beast was taken prisoner, together with the false prophet who had performed miracles in his presence. (It was by those miracles that he had deceived those who had the mark of the beast and those who had worshipped the image of the beast.) The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur. ₂₁Their armies were killed by the sword that comes out of the mouth of the one who was riding the horse; and all the birds ate all they could of their flesh.

₁Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the abyss and a heavy chain. ₂He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent — that is, the Devil, or Satan — and chained him up for a thousand years. ₃The angel threw him into the abyss, locked it, and sealed it, so that he could not deceive the nations any more until the thousand years were over. After that he must be let loose for a little while.

₄Then I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given the power to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been executed because they had proclaimed the truth that Jesus revealed and the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or its image, nor had they received the mark of the beast on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and ruled as kings with Christ for a thousand years. ₅(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over.) This is the first raising of the dead. ₆Happy and greatly blessed are those who are included in this first raising of the dead. The second death has no power over them; they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they will rule with him for a thousand years.

₇After the thousand years are over, Satan will be let loose from his prison, ₈and he will go out to deceive the nations scattered over the whole world, that is, Gog and Magog. Satan will bring them all together for battle, as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. ₉They spread out over the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people and the city that he loves. But fire came down from heaven and destroyed them. ₁₀Then the Devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown; and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

₁₁Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sits on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence and were seen no more. ₁₂And I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing before the throne. Books were opened, and then another book was opened, the book of the living. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. ₁₃Then the sea gave up its dead. Death and the world of the dead also gave up the dead they held. And all were judged according to what they had done. ₁₄Then death and the world of the dead were thrown into the lake of fire. (This lake of fire is the second death.) ₁₅Whoever did not have their names written in the book of the living were thrown into the lake of fire.