Month: April 2025

And I saw another angel flyng through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world-to every nation, tribe, language, and people. “Fear God,” he shouted,” Give glory to Him. For the time has come when He will st as judge. Worship Him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and allthe springs of water.”

Then another angel followed him through the sky, shouting “Babylon is fallen-that great city is fallen-because she mad all the nations of the world drink the wine of her passionate immorality.”

Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength from God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfer in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. The smoke of their torture will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.

This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying His commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for their will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them. (vv 6-13, NLT)

Then I saw the Lamb on Mount Zion, and with Him were 144,000 had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound come from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder.It was like the sound of many harpists playing together.

This great choir sand a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who have been redeemed from the earth. They have kept themselves as pure as virgins following the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a “special offering” to God and to the Lamb. They have told not lies; they are without blame. (vv. 1-5, NLT)

Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down from earth from the sky while everyone was watching. And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.

He required everyone-small and great, rich and poor, free and slave- to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And not one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. Wisdom is needed here. Le the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.(vv 11-18, NLT)

Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on teach head were names that blasphemed God. This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave his own power and throne and great authority.

I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery-but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”

Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering His name and His dwelling-that is, those who dwell in heaven. And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule every other tribe and people and language and nation. And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made-the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered.

Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword.

This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution and patiently remain faithful. (vv. 1-10, NLT)

When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to a place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times , and half a time.

Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth. But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the moth of the dragon. And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war agains the rest of her children – all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus. Then the dragon took his stand on the shore beside the sea. (vv. 13-18, NLT)

Then I witnessed in heaven and event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.

Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he them them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about tro give birth, ready to devour her baby as son as it was born.

She gave girth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away form the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. The woman was fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a plae to care for her for 1,260 days.

Then there was a war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost his battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon-the ancient serpent called the devil- or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world-was thrown down to earth with all his angels.

Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,

“It has come at last-salvation and power and the Kingdom of God, and the authority of Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth-the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.” (vv. 1-12, NLT)

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:

“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped Him. And they said,

“We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty, the One who is and who always was, for now You have assumed Your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were filled with wrath, but not the time of Your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward Your servants and prophets, as well as Your holy people, and all who fear Your name, from the least to the greatest. It is time to destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth.”

Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of His covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was a terrible earthquake and a terrible hailstorm. (vv. 15-19, NLT)

Then I was given a measuring stick, and I was told, “God and measure the Temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers. But do not measure the outer courtyard, for it has been turned over to the nations. They will trample the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they wlll be clothed in burlap and will prophesy during those 1,260 days.

These two prophets are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of all the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire flashes from their mouths and consumes their enemies. This is how anyone who tries to harm then must die. They have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. And they have the power to turn the rivers and oceans into blood, and to strike the earth with every. kind of plague as often as they wish.

When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer then and kill them. And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt”, the city where their Lord was crucified. And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will star at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. All the people who belong to this world will gloat over them and give presents to each other to celebrate the death of the two prophets who had tormented them.

But after three and a half days, God breathed life into them , and they stood up! Terror struck all where were staring at them. Then a loud voice form heaven called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.

At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

The second terror is past, but look, the third terror is coming quickly. (vv 1-14, NLT)