New Testament Plan

¹After these things I heard something like the great and mighty shout of a vast multitude in heaven, exclaiming, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory (splendor, majesty) and power (dominion, might) belong to our God;

²because His judgments are true and righteous. He has judged [convicted and pronounced sentence on] the great prostitute (idolatress) who was corrupting and ruining and poisoning the earth with her adultery (idolatry), and He has imposed the penalty for the blood of His bond-servantson her."

³And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! Her smoke shall ascend forever and ever."

⁴Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures also fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah (praise the Lord)!"

⁵Then from the throne there came a voice, saying, "Praise our God, all you bond-servants of His, you who fear Him, the small (common) and the great (distinguished)."

⁶Then I heard something like the shout of a vast multitude, and like the boom of many pounding waves, and like the roar of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all] reigns.

⁷"Let us rejoice and shout for joy! Let us give Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb has come [at last] and His bride (the redeemed) has prepared herself."

⁸She has been permitted to dress in fine linen, dazzling white and clean—for the fine linen signifies the righteous acts of the saints [the ethical conduct, personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character of believers].

⁹Then the angel said to me, "Write, ' Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me [further], "These are the true and exact words of God."

¹⁰Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he [stopped me and] said to me, "You must not do that; I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who have and hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God [alone]. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy [His life and teaching are the heart of prophecy]."

¹¹And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who was riding it is called Faithful and True (trustworthy, loyal, incorruptible, steady), and in righteousness He judges and wages war [on the rebellious nations].

¹²His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many royal crowns; and He has a name inscribed [on Him] which no one knows or understands except Himself.

¹³He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

¹⁴And the armies of heaven, dressed in fine linen, [dazzling] white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

¹⁵From His mouth comes a sharp sword (His word) with which He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He will tread the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty [in judgment of the rebellious world].

¹⁶And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name inscribed, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

¹⁷Then I saw a single angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he shouted to all the birds that fly in midheaven, saying, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God,

¹⁸so that you may feast on the flesh of kings, the flesh of commanders, the flesh of powerful and mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all humanity, both free men and slaves, both small and great [in a complete conquest of evil]."

¹⁹Then I saw the beast and the kings and political leaders of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against Him who is mounted on the [white] horse and against His army.

²⁰And the beast (Antichrist) was seized and overpowered, and with him the false prophet who, in his presence, had performed [amazing] signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were hurled alive into the lake of fire which blazes with brimstone.

²¹And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds fed ravenously and gorged themselves with their flesh.

¹And then I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding the key of the abyss (the bottomless pit) and a great chain was in his hand.

²And he overpowered and laid hold of the dragon, that old serpent [of primeval times], who is the devil and Satan, and bound him [securely] for a thousand years (a millennium);

³and the angel hurled him into the abyss, and closed it and sealed it above him [preventing his escape or rescue], so that he would no longer deceive and seduce the nations, until the thousand years were at an end. After these things he must be liberated for a short time.

⁴And then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those to whom judgment [that is, the authority to act as judges] was given. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had refused to worship the beast or his image, and had not accepted his mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

⁵The rest of the dead [the non-believers] did not come to life again until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.

⁶Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) and holy is the person who takes part in the first resurrection; over these the second death [which is eternal separation from God, the lake of fire] has no power or authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and they will reign with Him a thousand years.

⁷And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison (the abyss),

⁸and will come out to deceive and mislead the nations which are in the four corners of the earth—[including] Gog and Magog—to gather them together for the war; their number is like the sand of the seashore.

⁹And they swarmed up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints (God's people) and the beloved city [ Jerusalem]; but fire came down from heaven and consumed them.

¹⁰And the devil who had deceived them was hurled into the lake of fire and burning brimstone (sulfur), where the beast (Antichrist) and false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever.

¹¹And I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them [for this heaven and earth are passing away].

¹²And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life; and the dead were judged according to what they had done as written in the books [that is, everything done while on earth].

¹³And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death and Hades (the realm of the dead) surrendered the dead who were in them; and they were judged and sentenced, every one according to their deeds.

¹⁴Then death and Hades [the realm of the dead] were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire [the eternal separation from God].

¹⁵And if anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire.