The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer

When he opened the seventh seal,(A) there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

And I saw the seven angels(B) who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.(C)

Another angel,(D) who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people,(E) on the golden altar(F) in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God(G) from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar,(H) and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder,(I) rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.(J)

The Trumpets

Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets(K) prepared to sound them.

The first angel(L) sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire(M) mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third(N) of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.(O)

The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain,(P) all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third(Q) of the sea turned into blood,(R) a third(S) of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky(T) on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water(U) 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[a] A third(V) of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.(W)

12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third(X) of them turned dark.(Y) A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.(Z)

13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair(AA) call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe(AB) to the inhabitants of the earth,(AC) because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 8:11 Wormwood is a bitter substance.

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

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.

And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

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.

And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

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.

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;

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, 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.

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!

The Woman and the Dragon

12 A great sign(A) appeared in heaven:(B) a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars(C) on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain(D) as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven:(E) an enormous red dragon(F) with seven heads(G) and ten horns(H) and seven crowns(I) on its heads. Its tail swept a third(J) of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.(K) The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child(L) the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[a](M) And her child was snatched up(N) to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.(O)

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael(P) and his angels fought against the dragon,(Q) and the dragon and his angels(R) fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent(S) called the devil,(T) or Satan,(U) who leads the whole world astray.(V) He was hurled to the earth,(W) and his angels with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven(X) say:

“Now have come the salvation(Y) and the power
    and the kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,(Z)
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over(AA) him
    by the blood of the Lamb(AB)
    and by the word of their testimony;(AC)
they did not love their lives so much
    as to shrink from death.(AD)
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens(AE)
    and you who dwell in them!
But woe(AF) to the earth and the sea,(AG)
    because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
    because he knows that his time is short.”

13 When the dragon(AH) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.(AI) 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle,(AJ) so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time,(AK) out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent(AL) spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war(AM) against the rest of her offspring(AN)—those who keep God’s commands(AO) and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 12:5 Psalm 2:9

12 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:

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

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.

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.

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.

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.

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

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.