Book of Revelation 20 - 22

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,

          having the key to the Abyss and 

          holding in his hand a great chain. 

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, 

          who is the devil, or Satan, 

          and bound him for a thousand years. 

He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, 

          to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore 

          until the thousand years were ended. 

After that, he must be set free for a short time.

I saw thrones on which were seated 

          those who had been given authority to judge. 

And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded 

          because of their testimony about Jesus and 

          because of the word of God. 

They had not worshiped the beast or 

          its image and 

          had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. 

They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

          (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) 

          This is the first resurrection. 

          Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. 

The second death has no power over them, 

          but they will be priests of God and of Christ and 

          will reign with him for a thousand years.

When the thousand years are over, 

          Satan will be released from his prison and 

          will go out to deceive the nations 

                    in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—        

                    and to gather them for battle. 

          In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 

          They marched across the breadth of the earth and 

                     surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. 

           But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 

And the devil, who deceived them, 

          was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, 

          where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. 

They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Then I saw a great white throne 

          and him who was seated on it. 

The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, 

          and there was no place for them. 

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, 

          and books were opened. 

          Another book was opened, which is the book of life. 

The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 

The sea gave up the dead that were in it, 

          and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, 

          and each person was judged according to what they had done. 

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. 

          The lake of fire is the second death. 

Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life 

          was thrown into the lake of fire.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” 

          for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and 

          there was no longer any sea. 

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, 

          coming down out of heaven from God, 

          prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 

          “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and 

          he will dwell with them. 

          They will be his people, and 

          God himself will be with them and be their God. 

                    He will wipe every tear from their eyes. 

                    There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, 

                              for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, 

         “I am making everything new!” 

          Then he said, 

                    “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

          He said to me: 

                    “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. 

                    "To the thirsty I will give water 

                              without cost 

                              from the spring of the water of life.                          

                    "Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and 

                              I will be their God and 

                              they will be my children.   

                    "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers,

                              the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, 

                              the idolaters and all liars—

                                         they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 

                    "This is the second death.”

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls 

          full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, 

          “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and 

          showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, 

          coming down out of heaven from God. 

It shone with the glory of God, and 

          its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, 

          like a jasper, clear as crystal. 

It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. 

          On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 

                    There were three gates on the east, 

                              three on the north, 

                              three on the south and 

                              three on the west. 

          The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and 

                    on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold 

          to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 

          The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. 

He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 

          12,000 stadia in length [2200 km, 1380 mi] 

          and as wide and high as it is long. 

The angel measured the wall using human measurement, 

          and it was 144 cubits thick [65.8 m, 216 ft]. 

The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 

The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. 

          The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, 

                    the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, 

                    the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, 

                    the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 

          The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. 

          The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

I did not see a temple in the city, 

          because the Lord God Almighty and 

          the Lamb are its temple. 

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, 

          for the glory of God gives it light, and 

          the Lamb is its lamp. 

                     The nations will walk by its light, and 

                     the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 

          On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 

          The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 

          Nothing impure will ever enter it, 

                     nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, 

                     but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, 

          as clear as crystal, 

          flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 

          down the middle of the great street of the city. 

On each side of the river stood the tree of life, 

          bearing twelve crops of fruit, 

          yielding its fruit every month. 

And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 

No longer will there be any curse. 

The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and 

          his servants will serve him. 

          They will see his face, and 

          his name will be on their foreheads. 

There will be no more night. 

          They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, 

          for the Lord God will give them light. 

                    And they will reign for ever and ever.

The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true.

          "The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, 

                    sent his angel to show his servants 

                    the things that must soon take place.”

“Look, I am coming soon! 

          Blessed is the one who 

                      keeps the words of the prophecy 

                      written in this scroll.”

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. 

          And when I had heard and seen them, 

                    I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel 

                    who had been showing them to me. 

But he said to me, 

          “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and 

                    with your fellow prophets and with all who 

                    keep the words of this scroll. 

                              Worship God!”

Then he [Jesus] told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, 

           because the time is near. 

                    Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; 

                    let the vile person continue to be vile; 

                    let the one who does right continue to do right; and 

                    let the holy person continue to be holy.

         “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and 

                    I will give to each person 

                    according to what they have done. 

         "I am the Alpha and the Omega, 

                    the First and the Last, 

                    the Beginning and the End.

         “Blessed are those who wash their robes, 

                    that they may have the right to the tree of life and 

                    may go through the gates into the city. 

         "Outside are the dogs, 

                    those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, 

                    the murderers, the idolaters and 

                    everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

         “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. 

                     I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and 

                     the bright Morning Star.

          "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' 

          "And let the one who hears say, 'Come!' 

          "Let the one who is thirsty come; and 

                      let the one who wishes take the free gift 

                      of the water of life.

          "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: 

                      If anyone adds anything to them, 

                      God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 

                      And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, 

                      God will take away from that person 

                                any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, 

                                which are described in this scroll.

           "He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.'”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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