Part 3 (1/2)

017:010 And they are seven kings: five of them have fallen, and the one is still reigning. The seventh has not yet come, but when he comes he must continue for a short time.

017:011 And the Wild Beast which once existed but does not now exist-- he is an eighth king and yet is one of the seven and he goes his way into perdition.

017:012 ”And the ten horns which you have seen are ten kings who have not yet come to the throne, but for a single hour they are to receive authority as kings along with the Wild Beast.

017:013 They have one common policy, and they are to give their power and authority to the Wild Beast.

017:014 They will make war upon the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings.

And those who accompany Him--called, as they are, and chosen, and faithful--shall share in the victory.”

017:015 He also said to me, ”The waters which you have seen, on which the Harlot sits, are peoples and mult.i.tudes, nations and languages.

017:016 And the ten horns that you have seen--and the Wild Beast-- these will hate the Harlot, and they will cause her to be laid waste and will strip her bare. They will eat her flesh, and burn her up with fire.

017:017 For G.o.d has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose, and to carry out a common purpose and to give their kingdom to the Wild Beast until G.o.d's words have come to pa.s.s.

017:018 And the woman whom you have seen is the great city which has kingly power over the kings of the earth.”

018:001 After these things I saw another angel coming down from Heaven, armed with great power. The earth shone with his splendor, 018:002 and with a mighty voice he cried out, saying, ”Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen, and has become a home for demons and a stronghold for every kind of foul spirit and for every kind of foul and hateful bird.

018:003 For all the nations have drunk the wine of the anger provoked by her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich through her excessive luxury.”

018:004 Then I heard another voice from Heaven, which said, ”Come out of her, My people, that you may not become partakers in her sins, nor receive a share of her plagues.

018:005 For her sins are piled up to the sky, and G.o.d has called to mind her unrighteous deeds.

018:006 Give back to her as she has given; repay her in accordance with her doings, twice as much; in the bowl that she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.

018:007 She has freely glorified herself and revelled in luxury; equally freely administer torment to her, and woe.

For in her heart she boasts, saying, 'I sit enthroned as Queen: no widow am I: I shall never know sorrow.'

018:008 ”For this reason calamities shall come thick upon her on a single day-- death and sorrow and famine--and she shall be burned to the ground.

For strong is the Lord G.o.d who has judged her.

018:009 The kings of the earth who have committed fornication with her, and have revelled in luxury, shall weep aloud and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, 018:010 while they stand afar off because of their terror at her heavy punishment, and say, 'Alas, alas, thou great city, O Babylon, the mighty city! For in one short hour thy doom has come!'

018:011 And the merchants of the earth weep aloud and lament over her, because now there is no sale for their cargoes-- 018:012 cargoes of gold and silver, of jewels and pearls, of fine linen, purple and silk, and of scarlet stuff; all kinds of rare woods, and all kinds of goods in ivory and in very costly wood, in bronze, steel and marble.

018:013 Also cinnamon and amomum; odors to burn as incense or for perfume; frankincense, wine, oil; fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep; horses and carriages and slaves; and the lives of men.

018:014 The dainties that thy soul longed for are gone from thee, and all thine elegance and splendor have perished, and never again shall they be found.

018:015 Those who traded in these things, who grew wealthy through her, will stand afar off, struck with terror at her punishment, 018:016 weeping aloud and sorrowing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, for this great city, which was brilliantly arrayed in fine linen, and purple and scarlet stuff, and beautified with gold, jewels and pearls; 018:017 because in one short hour all this great wealth has been laid waste!'

And every s.h.i.+pmaster and every pa.s.senger by sea and the crews and all who ply their trade on the sea, 018:018 stood afar off, and cried aloud when they saw the smoke of her burning. And they said, 'What city is like this great city?'

018:019 And they threw dust upon their heads, and cried out, weeping aloud and sorrowing. 'Alas, alas,' they said, 'for this great city, in which, through her vast wealth, the owners of all the s.h.i.+ps on the sea have grown rich; because in one short hour she has been laid waste!'

018:020 Rejoice over her, O Heaven, and you saints and Apostles and Prophets; for G.o.d has taken vengeance upon her because of you.”

018:021 Then a single angel of great strength took a stone which resembled a huge millstone, and hurled it into the sea, saying, ”So shall Babylon, that great city, be violently hurled down and never again be found.

018:022 No harp or song, no flute or trumpet, shall ever again be heard in thee; no craftsman of any kind shall ever again be found in thee; nor shall the grinding of the mill ever again be heard in thee.

018:023 Never again shall the light of a lamp s.h.i.+ne in thee, and never again shall the voice of a bridegroom or of a bride be heard in thee.

For thy merchants were the great men of the earth, and with the magic which thou didst practise all nations were led astray.

018:024 And in her was found the blood of Prophets and of G.o.d's people and of all who had been put to death on the earth.”

019:001 After this I seemed to hear the far-echoing voices of a great mult.i.tude in Heaven, who said, ”Hallelujah! The salvation and the glory and the power belong to our G.o.d.

019:002 True and just are His judgments, because He has judged the great Harlot who was corrupting the whole earth with her fornication, and He has taken vengeance for the blood of His bondservants which her hands have shed.”

019:003 And a second time they said, ”Hallelujah! For her smoke ascends until the Ages of the Ages.”

019:004 And the twenty-four Elders and the four living creatures fell down and wors.h.i.+pped G.o.d who sits upon the throne.

”Even so,” they said; ”Hallelujah!”

019:005 And from the throne there came a voice which said, ”Praise our G.o.d, all you His bondservants--you who fear Him, both the small and the great.”

019:006 And I seemed to hear the voices of a great mult.i.tude and the sound of many waters and of loud peals of thunder, which said, ”Hallelujah! Because the Lord our G.o.d, the Ruler of all, has become King.

019:007 Let us rejoice and triumph and give Him the glory; for the time for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready.”

019:008 And she was permitted to array herself in fine linen, s.h.i.+ning and spotless; the fine linen being the righteous actions of G.o.d's people.

019:009 And he said to me, ”Write as follows: 'Blessed are those who receive an invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.'”

And he added, still addressing me, ”These are truly the words of G.o.d.”

019:010 Then I fell at his feet to wors.h.i.+p him. But he exclaimed, ”Oh, do not do that. I am a fellow bondservant of yours and a fellow bondservant of your brethren who have borne testimony to Jesus. Wors.h.i.+p G.o.d.” Testimony to Jesus is the spirit which underlies Prophecy.

019:011 Then I saw a door open in Heaven, and a white horse appeared.

Its rider was named ”Faithful and True”--being One who in righteousness acts as Judge, and makes war.

019:012 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many kingly crowns; and He has a name written upon Him which no one but He Himself knows.

019:013 The outer garment in which He is clad has been dipped in blood and His name is THE WORD OF G.o.d.

019:014 The armies in Heaven followed Him--mounted on white horses and clothed in fine linen, white and spotless.

019:015 From His mouth there comes a sharp sword with which He will smite the nations; and He will Himself be their Shepherd, ruling them with a scepter of iron; and it is His work to tread the winepress of the fierce anger of G.o.d, the Ruler of all.

019:016 And on His outer garment and on His thigh He has a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.