When the lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Go!”

     

       I looked, and there was a pale horse, and its rider’s name was Death. 

        Hell followed him. 

They were given power over one-fourth of the earth to kill people using wars, famines, plagues, and the wild animals on the earth.

When the lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Go!”

I looked, and there was a black horse, and its rider held a scale.  

      I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s pay or three quarts of barley for a day’s pay. 

           But do not damage the olive oil and the wine.”

When the lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Go!”

     A second horse went out. It was fiery red. Its rider was given the power to take peace away from the earth and to make people slaughter one another. 

       So he was given a large sword.

I watched as the lamb opened the first of the seven seals. I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Go!”

 

     Then I looked, and there was a white horse, and its rider had a bow. 

          He was given a crown and rode off as a warrior to win battles.

I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea. Every creature in those places was singing,
   “To the one who sits on the throne and to the lamb
     be praise, honor, glory, and power forever and ever.”

         The four living creatures said, “Amen!” Then the leaders bowed and worshiped.

Then I [John] heard the voices of many angels, the four living creatures, and the leaders surrounding the throne.

They numbered ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands times thousands.  

In a loud voice they were singing,
    “The lamb who was slain deserves to receive
      power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, 

      glory, and praise.”

When the lamb had taken the scroll,

the four living creatures and the 24 leaders bowed in front of him. Each held a harp and a gold bowl full of incense, the prayers of God’s holy people. Then they sang a new song,

   “You deserve to take the scroll and open the seals on it  because you were slaughtered. 
You bought people with your blood to be God’s own.    
They are from every tribe, language, people, and nation.     
You made them a kingdom and priests for our God.      They will rule as kings on the earth.”

I saw a lamb standing in the center near the throne with the four living creatures and the leaders.

     The lamb looked like he had been slaughtered. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent all over the world.

Then one of the leaders said to me, “Stop crying!

The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has won the victory. 

      He can open the scroll and the seven seals on it.”

I saw a powerful angel calling out in a loud voice,

“Who deserves to open the scroll and break the seals on it?” 

       No one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth could open the scroll or look inside it. 

            I [John] cried bitterly because no one was found who deserved to open the scroll or look inside it.

I [John] saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who sits on the throne. It had writing both on the inside and on the outside. 

It was sealed with seven seals.

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, to the one who lives forever and ever,

the 24 leaders bow in front of the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever. They place their crowns in front of the throne and say,

          “Our Lord and God, you deserve to receive glory, honor, and power because you created everything.
Everything came into existence and was created because of your will.”

In the center near the throne and around the throne were four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back.

 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like a young bull, the third had a face like a human, and the fourth was like a flying eagle.

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and were covered with eyes, inside and out. Without stopping day or night they were singing,
           “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, who is, and who is coming.”

     

Then the Spirit took control of me. There before me was a throne in heaven. Someone was sitting on the throne. The One who sat on the throne looked like precious stones, like jasper and carnelian.

All around the throne was a rainbow the color of an emerald. Around the throne there were 24 other thrones. There were 24 elders sitting on the 24 thrones. The elders were dressed in white, and they had golden crowns on their heads.

           Lightning flashes and noises of thunder came from the throne. Before the throne there were seven lamps burning. These lamps are the seven spirits of God. Also before the throne there was something that looked like a sea of glass. It was clear like crystal.

After this I [John] looked, and there before me was an open door in heaven.

And I heard the same voice that spoke to me before. It was the voice that sounded like a trumpet. The voice said,“Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” 

The Lord is in his holy temple.
The Lord’s throne is in heaven.
    His eyes see.
       They examine Adam’s descendants.
The Lord tests righteous people,
but he hates wicked people and the ones who love violence.
   The Lord is righteous.
He loves a righteous way of life.
Decent people will see his face.

The wicked people arrogantly pursues oppressed people.
They will be caught in the schemes that they planned.
  The wicked people boasts about their selfish desires.
They bless robbers, but they curse the Godly.
  They turns up their noses and say, “God doesn’t care.”
Their every thought concludes, “There is no God.”
  They always seems to succeed.
God's judgments are beyond their understanding.
  They says to themselves, “Nothing can shake us.
We will never face any trouble.”
  Their mouths are full of cursing, deception, and oppression.
Trouble and wrongdoing are on the tips of their tongues.

[US Government, president, congress, judges, those in authority]

Needy people will not always be forgotten.
Nor will the hope of oppressed people be lost forever.
Do not let mortals gain any power.
Let the nations be judged in your presence.
Strike them with terror, O Lord.
Let the nations know that they are only mortal.

The nations have sunk into the pit they have made.
Their feet are caught in the net they have hidden to trap others.

       The Lord is known by the judgment he has carried out. The wicked person is trapped by the work of his own hands. Wicked people, all the nations who forget God, will go to the place of torment.

Like sheep, they are driven to hell with death as their shepherd. (Decent people will rule them in the morning.) Their forms will decay in the grave, far away from their comfortable homes.

My anger has started a fire that will burn to the depths of hell. It will consume the earth and its crops and set the foundations of the mountains on fire.

Then the king will say to those on His left, ‘Get away from me! God has cursed you! Go into everlasting fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels! 

         These people will go away into eternal punishment, but those with God’s approval will go into eternal life.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all his angels are with him, He will sit on His glorious throne. The people of every nation will be gathered in front of Him. He will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right but the goats on His left.

        Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.

When the end comes, the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids. They took their oil lamps and went to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, but they didn’t take any extra oil. The wise bridesmaids, however, took along extra oil for their lamps. Since the groom was late, all the bridesmaids became drowsy and fell asleep.

       “At midnight someone shouted, ‘The groom is here! Come to meet him!’ Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready.

        “The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.’

        “But the wise bridesmaids replied, ‘We can’t do that. There won’t be enough for both of us. Go! Find someone to sell you some oil.’

        “While they were buying oil, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready went with him into the wedding hall, and the door was shut.

         “Later the other bridesmaids arrived and said, ‘Sir, sir, open the door for us!’

         “But he answered them, ‘I don’t even know who you are!’

         “So stay awake, because you don’t know the day or the hour.

If your hand or your foot causes you to lose your faith, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life disabled or injured than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into everlasting fire.

The one who is testifying to these things says, “Yes, I’m coming soon!”

      Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

              The good will of the Lord Jesus be with all of you. Amen!

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy in this book: If anyone adds anything to this, God will strike him with the plagues that are written in this book.

        If anyone takes away any words from this book of prophecy, God will take away his portion of the tree of life and the holy city that are described in this book.

Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 

         Outside are dogs, sorcerers, sexual sinners, murderers, idolaters, and all who lie in what they say and what they do.

See, I [Jesus] come quickly! I carry my reward with me, and repay every man according to his deeds. I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the Beginning and the End.