The Vision of the Seven Seals

4 After this, in my vision, I saw an open door in the heavens, and the first voice that I heard was like the blast of a trumpet speaking to me. It said – “Come up here and I will show you what must take place.” 2 Immediately after this I fell into a trance. There stood a throne in heaven, and on the throne was One seated. 3 He who was seated on it was in appearance like a jasper and a sardius; and round the throne there was a rainbow of the colour of an emerald. 4 And round the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on these I saw twenty-four elders sitting clothed in white robes; and on their heads they had crowns of gold. 5 Out from the throne come flashes of lightning, cries, and peals of thunder! There are seven torches burning in front of the throne, which are the seven spirits of God; 6 and in front of the throne is what seemed to be a sea of glass, resembling crystal, while within the space before the throne and round the throne are four creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 7 The first creature is like a lion, the second creature like a calf, the third creature has a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature is like an eagle on the wing. 8 These four creatures have each of them six wings, and all round, and within, they are full of eyes; and day and night they never cease to say –

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, our God, the Almighty, who was, and who is, and who will be.”

9 And, whenever these creatures give praise and honour and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, to him who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders prostrate themselves before him who is seated on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever, and throw down their crowns before the throne, saying –

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive all praise, and honour, and power, for you did create all things, and at your bidding they came into being and were created.”

5 Then I saw at the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a book, with writing inside and out, and sealed with seven seals; 2 and I saw a mighty angel who was proclaiming in a loud voice – “Who is worthy to open the book and break its seals?” 3 But no one either in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the book or look within it. 4 At this I wept long, because no one could be found who was worthy to open the book or look within it. 5 But one of the elders said to me – “Do not weep. The Lion conquered – the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Scion of David – and can therefore open the book with its seven seals.”

6 Then, within the space between the throne and the four creatures, and in the midst of the elders, I saw, standing, a Lamb, which seemed to have been sacrificed. It had seven horns and seven eyes. (These eyes are the seven spirits of God, and they are sent into all the world.) 7 The Lamb came forward; and he has taken the book from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And, when he had taken the book, the four creatures and the twenty-four elders prostrated themselves before the Lamb, each of them holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense. (These are the prayers of Christ’s people.) 9 And they are singing a new song –

“You are worthy to take the book and break its seals, for you were sacrificed, and with your blood you did buy for God people of every tribe, and language, and people, and nation, 10 and did make them a kingdom of priests in the service of our God, and they are reigning on the earth.”

11 Then, in my vision, I heard the voices of many angels round the throne, and of the creatures, and of the elders. In number they were ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, 12 and they cried in a loud voice –

“Worthy is the Lamb that was sacrificed to receive all power, and wealth, and wisdom, and might, and honour, and praise, and blessing.”

13 And I heard every created thing in the air, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all that is in them crying –

“To him who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be ascribed all blessing, and honour, and praise, and dominion for ever and ever.”

14 And the four creatures said “Amen,” and the elders prostrated themselves and worshiped.

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6 Then I saw the Lamb break one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four creatures crying with a voice like thunder – “Come.” 2 And in my vision I saw a white horse. Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

3 When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second creature crying – “Come.” 4 Then there went out another horse, a red horse, and to its rider was given the power to deprive the earth of peace, so that people should kill one another; and he was given a great sword.

5 When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third creature crying – “Come.” And in my vision I saw a black horse. Its rider held scales in his hand. 6 And I heard what seemed to be a voice, coming from among the four creatures, crying – “A quart of wheat for a silver coin, and three quarts of barley for a silver coin! But do not harm the oil and the wine.”

7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth creature crying – “Come.” 8 And in my vision I saw a grey horse. His rider’s name was Death, and Hades rode behind him; and power was given them over the fourth part of the earth, so that they might destroy with sword and famine and death, and by means of the wild Beasts of the earth.

9 When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the sake of God’s message and for the testimony which they had borne. 10 They cried in a loud voice – “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, before you will give judgment and avenge our blood on all who are living on the earth?” 11 Then to each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to rest yet a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and of their friends in Christ’s service who were about to be put to death, as they had been, should be complete.

12 And I saw the Lamb break the sixth seal, and then there was a great earthquake. The sun became black, like sackcloth, and the moon, which was at its full, like blood. 13 The stars of the heavens fell to the earth, as when a fig tree, shaken by a strong wind, drops its unripe fruit. 14 The heavens disappeared like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. 15 Then all the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the generals, and the rich, and the powerful, and every slave and free person, hid themselves in the caves and under the rocks of the mountains; 16 and they are crying to the mountains and the rocks – “Fall on us, and hide us from the eyes of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath is come, and who can stand to meet it?”

7 After this, I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, restraining the four winds of the earth, so that no wind should blow over the earth, or over the sea, or against any tree. 2 And, in the east, I saw another angel, ascending, holding the seal of the living God; and he cried in a loud voice to the four angels, to whom there had been given power to harm the earth and the sea – 3 “Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 I heard, too, the number of those who had been sealed. It was one hundred and forty-four thousand; and they were from every tribe of the Israelites.

5 From the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,

6 from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Napthali twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,

7 from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,

8 from the tribe of Zebulon twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

9 After this, in my vision, I saw a vast throng which no one could number, of people from every nation and of all tribes, and peoples, and languages. They stood in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, robed in white, holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they are crying in a loud voice –

“Salvation be ascribed to our God who is seated on his throne and to the Lamb.”

11 And all the angels were standing round the throne and the elders and the four creatures, and they prostrated themselves on their faces in front of the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying –

“Amen. Blessing and praise, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might be ascribed to our God for ever and ever. Amen.”

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13 Then one of the elders turned to me and said “Who are these who are robed in white? And where did they come from?”

14 “My Lord,” I answered, “it is you who know.”

“These,” he said, “are they who come through the Great Persecution; they washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 And therefore it is that they are before the throne of God, and are serving him day and night in his Temple; and he who is seated on the throne will shelter them. 16 Never again will they be hungry, never again will they be thirsty, nor will the sun smite them, nor any scorching heat; 17 for the Lamb that stands in the space before the throne will be their shepherd, and will lead them to life-giving springs of water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

8 As soon as the Lamb had broken the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for, it might be, half an hour.