Liber I
The revelation of the risen Christ—and realms on earth begin to shake—
Is shown to faithful servants now, how soon the wrath must now descend.
God joined His words to John the seer, and judgment, with angelic voice
Can testify these truths in words, that triumph now reveals the Son.
So bless the brother reading here, and bless these visionary words.
Blessed is the man who takes to heart; the time is almost come.
Salute the seven churches now who suffer in the province of the beast.
And worship Him who wields all grace, Who was, and is, and is to come,
Through seven holy Spirits there before the center throne, and from
The Christ, the firstborn King and Lord who conquered now all realms of earth,
Our head in heaven and Lord on earth, all hail to His most glorious might,
To Him who made us kings and priests, all through His blood, amen.
He comes, with clouds, a gathering host and calls so every eye will see,
And those who thought to pierce His side will through that sin begin to mourn.
He is the First, the Father’s Son; He is the faithful one at Last,
“Who is, who was, who is to come,” the everlasting Lord has called.
Our brother John has brought this word and bears with us the common pain
Which comes with kingdom peace and joy and calls us to endure.
A prisoner bound in Patmos now was persecuted for the Word,
And for the future lasting gain which frees all witnesses to Christ,
Who testify to truth and grace, who testify that peace is here.
This summoned vision I soon saw in the Spirit on this Lord’s Day;
A trumpet spoke, and truly said this testimony must be loud.
“The Alpha first, Omega last, I am still the First and Last”
“What you see, write in a book and write it to the laboring churches there,
The seven churches scattered round who suffer in the province of the beast:
To Ephesus, to Smyrna fair, effectually to Pergamos,
Thyatira, turning then to Sardis write, and then to Philadelphia,
And last these letters shall finally come and Laodicea shall read these words.”
He said to write this in a book so that the saints could always read.
I turned to try to see the voice, the trumpet that had spoken with me,
And having turned at heaven’s call I hailed the seven lamps of gold.
There in the midst the Son of Man was in this manner rightly clothed —
With garment long, a golden band was girt around His priestly chest
His head and hair were white like wool, His hair was white as snow,
With flaming eyes He looked at me and told me what to write.
His feet were fine like polished brass, as if refined in glowing heat.
His speech was full of spreading sound of singing waters, many falls;
And seven stars were shining there all set in His right hand,
And from His mouth a fiery sword came forth to conquer all the earth.
The sun at noon shines like His face; I saw and fell as though struck down.
He laid His hand on me, and said, “My servants must not be afraid.”
“I am the First and Final Word and forevermore I live,
Though dead I never die again and declare that life is good. Amen.
I hold the keys of Hades now and have undone all infernal locks.
So write this down, what you have seen, now write these things now seen,
The things which are, the things which come that will take place in times to come
Are all predestinated now, so write this vision in a book.
“The seven stars which you have seen are servants—mysteries in My right hand
And serve the seven lampstands there: which sing their flickering praises now.
The ministers are moving there among the seven synagogues,
And light from lampstands standing firm is light from seven churches true.
These are the words of wisdom now which warn the unbelieving saints.
The seven lampstands which you saw are seven churches gathered here.
Canto I
To the Ephesian angel write,
‘These things says He who holds the stars,
All seven stars in His right hand,
Who walks between these golden stands,
These seven lanterns which you are:
I know your works, your patient work,
Your hatred of all wicked men. And how
You test those apostolic frauds,
And found their lies contemptible.
And you have persevered throughout
Your patient labor for My name’s sake
And have not stumbled in that work.
But still I state and hold your guilt,
I have this charge against you now—
That you have fallen from your love.
Recall the heights from which you fell;
Repent and do your former works,
Or I will come and take your light,
Your lampstand from its noble place
Unless repentance restores that love,
That love which you first held for Me.
But this is left, your hate is sound
You hate these Nicolaitan works,
Which I also hate and loathe.
The one who has an ear may hear,
So let him hear, the Spirit speaks
To churches which will give their ear.
To him who overcomes I give
To eat from that great tree of life,
In the garden of our God.
The one who overcomes may eat the fruit of life from Eden’s tree.
Where once the burning cherub stood is now a golden, open street,
Inviting all to come and see, to come and taste; the Lord is good.
Canto II
“And to the second angel in his church
At Smyrna write these faithful words,
‘These things the First and Last declares,
Who once was dead, and came to life:
“I know your works, and trials now,
And poverty (but you are rich);
I know the blasphemy of those
Who falsely say that they are Jews,
But are a synagogue of Satanists.
“Do not fear those testing things
In which you soon will come to bleed
Indeed, the devil soon descends
And in prison you will be thrown,
You will be tested, in pain ten days.
Be faithful to the point of death,
And I will give a living crown.
The one who has an ear may hear,
Let him hear what the Spirit says
He who overcomes shall stand
And not receive the second death.
The one who overcomes has life and will not see the second death.
The fiery lake can have no claim on those who, as a gentle wife,
Receive their master’s living breath which thus bequeaths to them a name
Canto III
And to the angel of the church
In Pergamos write piercing words,
These things says He who has the sword,
A two-edged sword upon His thigh:
I know your works, and where you dwell,
where Satan’s throne is standing fast.
And how you held fast to My name,
and how your faith would not deny
My faith, despite the fate of Antipas
My faithful martyr, who was killed
There, the place where Satan dwells.
But still I have a few things held
against your name, because you have
there those who hold to Balaam’s word,
who taught Balak to seduce
the children of all Israel,
to eat the sacrificial meat
of idols, and to fornicate.
And in your midst you also have
the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
‘Repent, or else I come to you
And will quickly strike them down
By the sword within My mouth.
The one who has an ear may hear,
Let him hear the Spirit’s word
He who overcomes I give
Some hidden manna, a whitened stone,
A new name written on that stone,
Which no one but the blessed one knows.
The one who overcomes receives some hidden manna, glistening white
And with their name enscribed, a stone, bdellium wrapped in healing leaves.
They do not fear the outer night; they stand in love; in Him alone
Canto IV
“Now to the angel of the church
In Thyatira write these words,
These words the Son of God must speak,
Who has the flaming, fiery eyes,
And feet like glorious, burnished brass:
“I know your works, love, service, faith,
And how you stand in patient calm.
As for your works, your growth in grace.
Yet still I have a few complaints
You tolerate that Jezebel
Who calls herself a prophetess
And lures my sons to fornicate
And eat vile meat to idols slain.
I gave her time to turn from sin,
But she refused to turn away
“Indeed I bring a sickness down,
Upon her bed and lay her low
Along with those who lie with her
Unless they repent their evil deeds.
I will kill her children then
With death, and all the saints shall know
I am the One who searches hearts.
And I will give to each of you
According to your varied works.
Now so to you, and to the rest,
To all who do not hold these words,
And have not plumbed satanic depths
I put on you no other weight.
But hold you fast until I come.
The one who overcomes this trial,
And keeps My works until the end,
To him I surely give true power
Over all the tribes of men—
‘He shall rule with iron rod
They shall be smashed like potter’s clay—
As I received, I give to him
My Father gives, and I will give
The morning star at break of day.
The one who has an ear may hear
The Spirit’s voice which fills these words.
The one who overcomes will rule; the nations will submit to him
Who wields with Christ the iron rod; His enemies are made his stool
The anthem of the cherubim is lifted up to Father God.
Canto V
And to the angel of the church
In Sardis write rebuking words,
These things says He who has the truth,
The seven Spirits of our God
And also all the seven stars.
I know your works, you have a name,
You think you live, but you are dead.
Wake up, and strengthen what remains,
Those fading things about to die.
I have not your works sincere,
Remember how you first received
And heard the Word as it was preached;
Hold fast that Word and turn away
From all of your hypocrises
And if you will not turn to watch,
I will steal up suddenly,
A thief, you will not know the hour
When I will come and judge your works.
But still you have a few names there,
In Sardis, even there are those,
Who have not yet defiled their clothes
And who shall walk with me in white,
For they are worthy of My name.
The one who overcomes receives,
And shall be clothed, in garments white.
And I will never blot his name
From the Book of Life in heaven;
But I will surely own his name
Before My Father and my God,
And before angelic hosts.
The one who has an ear may hear,
And hear the Spirit’s words come down.’
The one who overcomes receives a garment clean, and always white,
A name which cannot be removed from God’s own Book, so he believes
That he will stand and live upright, his name before all angels proved.
Canto VI
And to the angel of the church
In Philadelphia write kind words,
These things are from the holy one,
The one who is the Truth Himself,
He has the key of David’s house,
He opens doors and no one shuts,
He shuts, and no one enters in.
I know your works, I know your strength.
And I have made an open door,
And no man can undo His work
Although you have but little strength,
Still you have kept My holy word,
Have not denied My sacred name.
And so I vow that I will make
The synagogue of Satan fall,
And those who say that they are Jews
But are not Jews, and speak in lies—
Indeed I will make them come
And worship prostrate at your feet,
And confess that I loved you.
Because you knew to keep My words
And persevered through loss and pain,
I will keep you from that hour
Of trial which soon shall come upon
This world, to test all living men
Behold, I come, and quickly come!
Hold fast to what you have,
That no one may possess your crown.
The one who overcomes, I make
A pillar in the house of God,
And he shall never be removed.
And I will write on him the name
Of God, My God, the living God,
And then the New Jerusalem,
Will be inscribed upon him there,
That city which comes down from God.
And I will write on him the name,
The name which lives in newness now.
The one who has an ear may hear,
So let him hear the Spirit’s voice.
The one who overcomes I make a pillar in God’s house, and known,
From which he never leaves again. And God, a Scribe, will undertake
To carve his name upon the stone and will in New Jerusalem reign.
Canto VII
And to the angel of the church
Of the Laodiceans write,
The Amen speaks and says these things
The Faithful and the Witness True,
The First of all the works of God:
I know your works, I know your heart
That you are neither cold nor hot;
I wish that you were hot or cold;
Because you are a tepid church
I will spit you from My mouth.
You say that you are rich and well
You say that you need nothing now,
But do not know that you are poor
And blind, and naked, wretched poor.
I counsel you to buy some gold
From Me, refine it in the fire,
That you may come at last to wealth,
And garments white, which cover you
So that your nakedness is done.
And so you may anoint your eyes
With salve, that you may come to see.
As many as I love, I strike,
But not in hate or bitterness.
Therefore turn through zeal, repent!
Behold, I stand outside and knock.
And if he hears My voice and comes
Then I will enter in to him
And dine with him, and he with Me.
The one who overcomes I give
To sit with Me upon My throne,
As also once I sat upon
My Father’s throne in joy
Because I overcame the world.
The one who has an ear may hear,
And hear the Spirit’s words come down.
The one who overcomes I give to sit with Me upon a throne
And he will never come to death for all who reign with Me will live.
He rules in Me, and not alone, and does not have a mortal’s breath.
Liber II
He lifted up his eyes, he looked, a luminous door was open there,
And so he heard a silver trumpet speak; which said to him, “Come here, come up,
And I will show you seven things which shortly must all come to pass.”
So he was in the Spirit’s hand; and there, behold, he saw the throne.
A sovereign king like jasper stone, and much like sardius he was.
The rainbow round the throne above shone radiantly in emerald green.
Around this throne were lesser thrones, and there upon them twenty-four
Elders sitting, sealed in white; with silver crowns upon their heads.
And from the throne fierce lightnings came, with fire, voices, thunderings.
Now seven lamps of fire shone before the sovereign mighty throne,
The seven Spirits of our God; the seven Spirits He has sent.
The seven lamps of God above are seven Spirits sent abroad.
Before the throne a bright, lit sea, of burnished glass, and crystal clear
And in its midst, and measured round, were marvelous beasts, in number four.
In the front, and front to back, these fiery beasts were full of eyes—
One leonine, a living beast, a second lesser beast, a calf,
A third was there, a man, and then the fourth, an eagle in its flight.
They had six wings, these living beasts, and all were full of seeing eyes.
These numinous ones can never rest because, all night and day, they must cry out
“He is Holy, ever holy! Holy Lord! All holy God!
He is the One who was and is, He is the One who is to come!”
And when these flying wisdoms sang, and did not whisper glorious thanks
To God enthroned in glorious light, the elders, giving glory, fell,
And worshipped Him who ever lives; they cast their crowns before His throne.
And so the elders spoke, and cried, “You are the sovereign, Mighty Lord,
The wise will worship You in praise, for You are worthy of all light
And will receive all reverent praise, and righteous honor, light and power;
You are the King, the Crown is Yours, creative words were Your own breath,
And by Your blessed holy will all things beneath, and things above
Exist and through Your holy will were finally brought to live and sing.”
Liber III
And then I saw a sealed scroll with seven seals on the right,
The hand of Him who sits enthroned, exalted high above the heavens.
The sealed scroll was filled with words, fine script was written, front and back,
I turned and saw titanic strength, an angel tall, with great voice said,
“Who is worthy? Who can come with true authority and unseal?”
And no one in the heavens could, and none on earth or under earth.
There was no strength to unseal the book, to see the glorious words within.
And so I wept with weighted tears, for worthy must the reader be.
But soon an elder spoke and said, “Be silent now and do not weep.
Behold, He comes! He surely comes, Behold the Lion’s royal tribe,
Our Jesus, Lord, from Judah’s tribe, our Joshua from David’s Root,
And He has conquered, He may take the scroll and He may loose its seals.”
With measured sight, and motionless I saw the middle of the throne,
The living creatures lifted up, and love through elders, twenty-four,
And in the midst a mighty Lamb, a murdered Lamb, though now alive,
With seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God,
The Spirit sent through all the earth to seal the judgments, now unsealed.
The Lamb received the written scroll from His right hand, upon the throne.
Now when He took the written scroll, with writing holy, front and back
The elders and immortal beasts fell into worship of the Lamb,
The slaughtered Lamb, the sovereign Lamb and each was singing with a harp,
And golden bowls of incense good, which are the glorious prayers of saints.
And so a song was lifted up; they sang a new song joyfully,
“You alone may take the scroll, and You have strength to loose its seals
For You were slain, and so have bought these sinners for Your God, the living God
And by Your bleeding sacrifice You bought all men, redeeming them,
From every tribe, and every tongue, and every nation found with men,
And You have made us majestic kings and in Your mercy, priests to serve
Our Father God, who founded earth and founded it again in love,
And we shall ever reign with You and Him upon the purchased earth.
Then in the vision, I heard the voice of victory won, angelic song
Around the throne, and raised to sing, the rushing of their many wings.
The living beasts, and elder lords; a lofty, heavenly multitude
New heaven’s own, innumerable, the number there was very great—
Ten thousand times ten thousand more, and tens of thousands more beyond.
And they all cried with mighty strength, “Still worthy is the slaughtered Lamb.”
He was slain to soon receive all strength, and riches, wisdom, power,
Blessing, glory, bounty, thanks! We boast in God with living praise!”
And every creature kept heavenward, and every creature on the earth,
And all that live beneath the earth and all within the sea cried out,
“May blessing, honor, glory be,” I heard all beasts and creatures say,
Now to the One upon the throne, and to the Lamb, amen, amen!”
Now then the living seraph lords, with lifted voice cried out,“Amen!”
And all elders fell before the Lamb and worshiped only Him,
The Lamb who lives eternally, the Lamb upon the Throne of God.
The heavenly host assembled there and high, majestic praises sang,
And all created servants sang and said their thunder whispering,
Forevermore, forevermore, forevermore, amen, amen!
Liber IV
I looked, the Lamb had opened a seal and lifted wisdom high.
I heard what heaven’s message was, a heavy noise like thundershowers.
And one of wisdom’s great four beasts called and welcomed me to see—
I saw, with saddle on a pure white horse, there sat a prince with a mighty bow.
A crown for conquests was bestowed and conquering he went riding forth
Come and see, the beast had said, come see the conquest of the world
The second seal was opened then, the second beast said come and see.
The horse was red, and ravaged all, its rider came to waste all peace.
To take down peace, to try men’s souls a terrifying sword was given.
So men with malice came to fight and murderous warfare filled the earth,
And blood ran by the water’s edge and baked with earth, dry under sun.
Come and see, the beast had said, come see the wasting of the world.
Now come and see the third beast called, now come and see this seal
The horse came riding heavily and hot to ride through all the earth,
As black as hell, and bleak as night with balances in the rider’s hand.
A voice came from the vision’s midst, a voice had called out after him.
A penny buys a peck of wheat, a penny buys of barley two more,
But do not touch the oil and wine, you must not touch their luxuries.
The fourth beast turned and in triumph said to take my gaze to judgment come;
And seated there, the spectre Death, was on a sickly pale green horse,
And Hades rode hard after him and had the power with him to slay,
By many grim and various means with murder, hunger, and wild beasts,
Those men who mastered not themselves, those men who loved a lie.
Come and see, the beast had said, those starving men who hate good bread.
And when the fifth seal followed on the altar’s fire reached and leapt
And down below and bleeding there were blessed saints and martyrs slain
Who had been killed as Christians fair and kept their testimony white.
In love with God they cried aloud How long, O Lord, will You delay?
Avenge our blood on vicious men, and take their victory away.
How long, O Lord, will You delay, how long before Your blow?
And then a white robe, white like snow was washed and given to each of them;
And it was said to these dear saints that they should rest a little more
Until the number of their names was known and registered complete
Including many in their midst, those blessed martyrs yet to come.
They do not see dominion yet, they do not see the victory.
The hammer of the Lord is held until the final hated time.
The number of the seals was six, and so I saw the trembling earth.
The sun above was sackcloth black, the skies were woven, made of hair,
And men began to mourn and quake, the moon became like blood.
And stars of heaven stumbled then and staggered down to earth,
Just as we see the fallen figs when fig trees shake before the wind.
And like a scroll the sky rolled up, and every mountain and isle was moved.
And so the kings and crowns of earth, and great commanders, mighty men,
And royalty, and rich, and poor, both writhing slaves and bleeding free,
All hid themselves in hills and caves and held on to the mountain rocks,
They said to all the silent stones “Now seal us, hide us, cover us!
And hide us from His face and throne and the height of the Lamb’s full wrath!
For His great wrath has finally come, and who is able now to stand?”
And after seeing this I saw four angels standing on the earth
One at each corner of the earth, holding air, their four winds back,
So the winds should wield no rule and work their terrifying strength.
Angelic bellows will not blow the earth, or bend the trees, or whip the sea.
These four will give a quiet calm and call the wind to rest.
And so the angels stand their post, and all the earth was quiet and still.
Another angel ascending now from the east has quickly come,
And has the seal of sovereignty, the seal of the living God,
And he cried out with conquering voice to these corners, and angels there
To whom was given the grant of power to go and harm the earth and sea,
Saying, “Do not harm the heavens or earth, the heaving sea, or budding trees
Till we have sealed the servants of God on the forehead of the soul.”
And so I heard the number of the sealed.
One hundred thousand and forty-four
With all the tribes of Israel revealed.
From Judah’s tribe, twelve thousand came
Twelve thousand more with Reuben’s name
From Gad twelve thousand men were sealed;
And Asher’s faithfulness revealed,
Twelve thousand came from Naphtali,
Manasseh brought twelve thousand free;
From Simeon, twelve thousand stood;
And Levi’s tribe, a brotherhood;
Of Issachar, twelve thousand brought;
And Zebulun with blood was bought;
The faith of Joseph stood revealed;
And all dear Benjamin’s sons were sealed.
Liber V
And so I looked, and suddenly behold, this symbol was fulfilled
A multitude immeasurable, beyond the minds of counting men,
Of tribes and tongues, and nations all, these tribal nations now complete
Were standing silent, solemnly, before the silver throne and Lamb,
All clothed in white, in robes of white, with fronds of palm within their hands,
They all cried out before the crown with kingly and majestic voice,
And saying that salvation comes from our sovereign and almighty God,
Who sits enthroned on the silver throne, and sing now to the Lamb!”
And all the angels stood around this advancing throne and fell,
The elders fell and all four beasts, on their faces and worshiped God,
“All glory, wisdom, blessed might be unto God forever now.”
Then one of the elders answered and said, “Who are these arrayed in white,
And when did wisdom summon them?” I wished to know: “Lord God, you know.”
And so the elder said to me, “This singing multitude has come
From tribulation, trial and sword and tested past the point of blood
They washed their robes and made them white in witness and in the Lamb’s red blood.
And so they are before this throne and serve His temple night and day.
Now He who sits on heaven’s throne will from that height still dwell with them.
And they shall never hunger, never thirst, the sun shall never strike them down,
The heat of heaven misses them, and holiness will shelter them.
The Lamb who lives within the throne will lead and shepherd all of them
And bring them back to living fonts of brooking waters, tumbling down.
And God will wipe each tear away from every eye of every saint.
Liber VI
The seventh seal was opened then, and silence reigned through all of heaven
For half an hour we stood and heard the heavy silences of heaven.
I saw the seven angels standing there with seven trumpets before their God,
And another angel stood before the altar with a golden censer.
He was given incense, a great amount, that he should give it with the prayers
Which all the saints had lifted there on gold before the throne.
The prayers of saints, the incense smoke ascended from the angel’s hand,
And lifted to the living God who loves to hear His saints’ requests.
This terrifying angel took the censer, filled with trouble, fire, and prayers
And threw it down to desolate the now despairing sinful earth.
So there were noises numinous, and noisesome thunder, fire, and quakes.
Their house is left now desolate because the prayers of saints are heard.
And so the seven angels stood with seven trumpets now to sound.
The first one sounded, and suddenly a sheer of wind, and hail, and fire
Was mixed and mingled with human blood, and measured wrath was thrown to earth.
A third of all these trees were burned, two thirds left standing desolate,
And all green grass was burned, consumed, the glory of unbounded wrath.
The trumpet of the first was blown; the other six still potent, mute.
And then the second sounded long, and something like a mountain fell,
With fire burning, black and charred, into the boiling clotted sea.
A third was blood, a third soon died a third of all the ships destroyed.
The mountain moved, the mountain fell just as the Master grimly taught,
The worship of His warrior saints has witnessed here the harlot’s fall.
The second angel sealed well the death of old Jerusalem’s walls.
The third angel sounded solemnly and sovereign judgment fell to earth:
A burning star broke through the heavens, and burning like a torch it fell,
It dried the rivers, a third, to dust, brought death upon the water springs.
The name of the star is never blessed, the name is called by us Wormwood.
A third of the waters became wormwood, and withered men who drank soon died,
The burning star that fell to earth both brought and made a bitter hell.
The fourth angel found his trumpet voice and fit the earth for blackened wrath.
A third of the sun, a third of the moon, a third of the stars were darkened all,
A third of the day did not dare to shine, and down to horror fell the night.
And I lifted up my eyes and looked, and a loud voice I soon heard call,
A kingly angel calling out was crying through the midst of heaven,
“Woe, more woe, and woe to come, to all who hear three trumpets sound.”
And soon I saw a falling star at the sounding of the fifth angel’s horn,
Fallen from heaven to the heartsick earth. To him was given the master key
To the bottomless pit, to the blackest hole, to the back door of the deepest hell.
He opened the pit, and pitch-like smoke arose like a pillar of smoke from a fire,
A fire from a furnace fully stoked, and finally erupting its smokey wrath.
The sun, the ground, the air between, were dark from smoke out of the pit.
Then locusts came from the lowering smoke, and left to them was a desolate earth.
And to this plague was given great power, the power of a scorpion’s tail.
They were commanded not to kill, or visit cruel wrath on green, living things,
The grass of the earth, the green of the trees, the growth of the flowers in lonely fields,
But only upon those impudent men who envy and hate the saints of the earth,
All men who still refuse to take the seal of God upon their heads.
The locusts were not given leave to kill, but still were loosed to torture men
For five months of fiery pain, with torment fierce like scorpion’s sting.
And in those days men longed for death and all of them desired to die
But death fled from them, and their desire, died itself as pain prolonged
Settled heaven’s wrath, and hope was heavy with gravid despair.
God’s anger now is adamant; forsaken men will chew their tongues.
The locusts’ shape was stallion-like; they surged ahead in battle lines.
Their heads were crowned with kingly gold; their countenances were faces of men.
They all had hair like women’s hair, and horrifying lions’ teeth,
Their breastplates were blackened iron, and the beating of their wings
Was like the sound of several thousand chariots and stallions running to war.
With sting entailed, these satans of war, devoured the men of earth five months.
They had as king a conquering lord, the cruel angel of the bottomless hole,
Whose Hebrew name is held Abaddon, but to Hellenes the name Apollyon.
They pour like smoke from Stygian depths and strike the disobedient earth;
They wheel like warriors, disciplined, and welts appear beneath their hate.
Our race cries out, rebellious yet, and still does not repent the sin.
One woe is past, but still two more will come upon the men of earth.
The sixth angel sounded: and a certain voice I heard
From the horns, four golden horns of the fiery altar before our God,
Which said to this sixth angel now, with silver trumpet in his hand
“Release the bonds of bitterness, the bonds of this Euphrates wall.”
And four angelic ferocities, who had been fitted for this hour,
Were soon released to kill their third of all mankind upon the earth.
And so I heard the horsemen come, two hundred million horses come,
And soon I saw the horses there and those who sat on them were decked
With breastplates of a burning red, and blue like hyacinth upon
The sulfur yellow, yellow pale, all yearning for the blood of men.
These heads of horses were leonine; and heavy from their breathing mouths
Came brimstone, fire, and burning smoke, and judgment snaked along the ground
A third of all mankind lay dead by these three plagues from God’s right hand,
The first was raging, scorching fire, and following fire was burning smoke,
Behind these two the brimstone fell and buried men beneath the coals.
For their poison power is in their mouth and in their persecuting tails—
Their tails are treacherous serpents’ heads, with venomous tails they do their harm.
But all the rest, who were not killed, did not repent their idolworks.
They did not repent of their wretched works of reaching with their hands for gods,
Which are demonic deities, their dumb and idle blocks of stone,
They worshiped silver, gold, and stone and served their gods of brass and wood
Which cannot see or hear or save, or speak to their devoted fools.
These rebels all would not repent of robberies, or blood, or spells
And all their fornications gave was pleasure at the edge of hell.
And more, another mighty angel came, coming down from heaven,
He was clothed with a cloud and covered over with brilliant white.
A rainbow was on his radiant head, his royal face was like the sun,
His feet were fire, like pillars of fire; his fist contained a little book.
His left foot planted on the land, he left his right foot in the sea
And he cried out with awesome voice, as when a lion in the forest roars.
And when he cried, his awful cry, the crack of seven thunders spoke.
I wondered whether I should write; but wisdom said to seal the words
Which all the seven thunders spoke, and sealed they are.
The angel standing on the sea and also standing on the land
Raised his right hand up to the heavens and gave a royal conquering oath
By Him who lives forevermore, who made the heaven and earth and sea
The time has come; no more delay.
This is the hour to break the day.
Liber VII
But in the days of this deliverance, the days when the seventh angel sounds
The mystery of God would soon mend this earth, as He His mind to His servants spoke.
And then the word from heaven woke and in his wakening said to me,
“Go, take the terrifying book which detains the angel of the earth and sea.”
So I went to the angel clothed in white and waited for the little book.
“Take and eat, though sour within, it will be sweetness in your mouth.”
So by his leave I took the little book out of the living angel’s hand
And ate the book, and afterwards it was as sweet as honey tastes.
But then when thinking down the words I thought the words too bitter were.
He said to me, “O, son of man, you soon must come to prophesy again
About many crowns, and many kings, and come to peoples, nations, tongues,
And you will know that all these words are from this bitter doomsday book.
Then I received a measuring reed, and to the right the angel stood,
And said to me, his servant there, “Ascend, and measure all the temple of God,
The altar, and the incense smoke and all the men who worship there.
But leave alone the outer court, and do not look to measure it,
For God has given it to outer tribes, the Gentiles who will trample it,
And they will tread the city down for forty months and then two more.”
“And I will empower to prophesy my prophets there, two witnesses,
For one thousand, then two hundred, and then for sixty following days,
These call all creatures to repent, while clothed in sackcloth they prophesy.
These are the two great olive trees, the two great lampstands before our God.
And harm that seeks these holy ones is hurt by a great devouring fire
Proceeding from the mouths of them who preach the fire of holy words.
These witnesses have power to wait while heaven shuts her watery doors,
No rain will fall in the remaining days of their righteous prophecy;
And they will have persistant power to pollute the waters to blood,
To strike the suffering earth with plagues, so often as they might desire.
But when they finish their faithful words, the filthy beast from out the pit
Will rise and bring his war to them, and throw them down and take their lives.
And down they fell and dead they lie and do not stir in death’s cold grasp
While both their bodies lie in the streets of Babylon, in Sodom’s hand,
That great and grasping Egypt where our gracious Lord was crucified.
Then those from tribes and various tongues will tell the nations to come and see
Their carcases that are kept in view and crowns will gloat for three days and more,
And not allow their bodies fair to lie at peace within their graves.
And they who dwelt on this darkening earth then dared to feast and celebrate,
They chose to make great merriment, and moved, they sent their precious gifts,
Because these two had tormented those who turned from heaven to love the earth.
But before the fourth day came a breath of life came into them,
They stood again, two saints alive, and struck with fear were those who saw.
A voice from heaven invited them, and in a cloud they left this world.
In that same hour it happened that the wrath of heaven sent a quake,
A tenth of the terrible city fell which told of judgments still to come.
Seven thousand souls were killed, and so the rest became afraid
And finally gave some glory to the God who rules both heaven and earth.
They praised the power of God above, they praised the only God.
The second woe has come to pass, and now the third woe swiftly comes.
Liber VIII
Then the seventh angel sounded: and celestial voices quickly said,
“All earthly kingdoms have become the kingdoms of our Lord and Christ,
And He shall reign, and He shall rule, yes, He shall reign forevermore!”
And the senators, with silver crowns, who sat on thrones before their God
Fell on their faces worshiping and fully praised the God of power,
“We give You thanks, O Great Lord God, the One who was and is to come”
The nations were full of angered noise, but knew that wrath from heaven was come,
And the time of terror for the dead, the time was come when judgment falls,
When the God of goodness should reward His gracious servants, prophets and saints,
All those who thought to fear His name, though great or small, they always feared
The one who wonders brings to earth and works his judgments terrible,
And will destroy those wicked men who have themselves destroyed the earth.
The sky was torn, the heavenly temple doors with terrifying grandeur opened up,
The ark of His covenant was clearly seen a call for wrath from the mercy seat.
And lightnings, noises, numinous thunder, and never had such hail been seen.
With heavenly anger, an earthquake spoke and over all the darkness spread.
The world beneath the wrath of God was waiting for the final blow.
The cherubim had covering wings of mercy once but now just fire.
But now a great sign, glorious, appeared from God in heaven above:
A woman, surrounded in the sun, with the silver moon beneath her feet,
On her dear head a diadem of David’s twelve and lofty stars.
And being with child, she broke in pain, and giving birth, she cried in pain.
And then another sign appeared in heaven above, and so beheld,
A seraph great, with seven heads, and seven crowns, and ten small horns.
His tail threw a third of the heavens’ stars, his tail threw them down to the earth.
And the seraph stood before the sanctified who was suffering in her pains of birth,
To devour her child divine if He should dare to come to earth.
She brought to birth a manchild who was born to rule all nations of men.
And her child king was caught up to God and came up to His mighty throne.
And robbed of his desired prey, the dragon raged and turned away.
And the woman fled to the wilderness, a place where God made refuge safe,
For here one thousand two hundred sixty days they hid and sheltered her.
And heavenly war broke out on high: the holy Michael and his angels fought
With the devilish dragon hot for blood; so the dragon and his angels fought,
Overpowered, they did not prevail, nor could a place be found for them,
In heaven’s vault they came to grief, and then were thrown to earth below.
The great dragon, called the Devil, was cast out, who deceives the entire world,
That serpent Satan of ages old, who seduces the nations of men,
Was cast to earth, his crown removed and crushed beneath the wrath of God
And all his angels with him were under the weight of an holy white.
Then I heard a loud and heavenly voice, a herald of the great good news,
“See now the kingdom of God and Christ, with this accuser now thrown down.”
“And martyrs bested him with the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,
And they did not love their lives to the death, and they left their witness clear.
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, rejoice and raise a shout who dwell therein!
Woe to the inhabitants of the world besieged and woe to those who live in the sea!
For the devil was finally driven from heaven and in despair has come down to you,
And filled with wrath, he seeks to kill because he knows his time is short.”
Now when the dragon saw defeat, that he had been driven to the earth,
He persecuted the pious woman who praised her God in her travail.
But the woman was given two wings to fly, the wings of an eagle to fly away,
That she might wait in the wilderness, and wait for her deliverance.
And for time, times, and half a time she took her bread from God
And the serpent could not reach her there, and could not do her any harm.
So the serpent spewed great waters from his slanderous and destroying mouth
And in a flood the waters flowed to follow after the woman there,
That he might cause her to be carried away by the coming of a flood.
But the earth opened up its mouth and overcoming helped her live,
By swallowing up the sudden flood which that serpent vomited.
The dragon was enraged with her, and went to war on all her seed.
Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising from that sea,
Having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns he had ten crowns,
And on his heads I then beheld a hellish and a blasphemous name.
Now that beast had the feet of a bear and was built like a tawny leopard,
His lying mouth was the mouth of a lion and the monstrous dragon empowered him,
And gave a throne, authority, and power to rule the sons of men.
And one of his heads was wounded deep, but then this deadly wound was healed.
And all the world astounded stood and filled with awe followed this beast.
So they worshiped the wicked dragon who wielded authority through the beast;
And they also bowed before the beast, saying, “Who is better than this man?
Who is willing to war with him? And who can now withstand his power? ”
And he was given blasphemous power to rage and hate for forty-two months.
Then he opened his mouth, offered insolence, in order to blaspheme the living Lord,
To insult His name, His sanctuary, and those saints who dwell in heaven.
It was granted to him to war with God and His good saints and to overcome.
And authority was given him over every tribe, over every tongue and nation on earth.
All dwellers on this darkling earth will dare to worship him,
Whose names have not been written down from the founding of the world.
If anyone has an open ear, let all who have an ear still hear:
Who leads to captivity shall captive go; he who kills with the sword must also die
Here is patience and the pious faith of all the persevering saints.
Then came another blaspheming beast coming from the blackened earth,
And he had two horns upon his head, the head of a lamb and a dragon’s voice.
He wields the power of the first beast, and makes the earth to worship him.
They worship him whose wound was healed, they worship then the greater beast
And the second beast works wondrous signs and sends down fire from heaven above.
And he deceives all those who dwell upon the devastated earth
By those signs he was sent to do in the sight of the ravening beast,
Telling those who dwell on this dark earth to dare make his image there.
And he gave voice unto the stone which bore the image of the beast.
And those who would not worship him, not willing to forfeit their mortal souls,
Were killed before this cruel god, and caused to die in agonies.
And he brought all, both small and great, both rich and poor, and free and slave,
To receive on their right hands, or reveal on their cowardly heads
A cursed and contemptuous mark, the mark of Cain forevermore
And no one could come buy or sell without the mark or bestial name.
And here is wisdom finally.
Let one with understanding come
To calculate the number right,
And not arrive at folly’s sum.
This is the number of a man
And dust is what the serpent licks.
See the number if you can
The number there is 666.
Liber IX
And then I looked, and saw a Lamb, the Lord was standing on Zion’s hill,
With Him one hundred thousand and forty-four, and having His Father’s heavenly name,
The blessed name, and not a beast’s written boldly on their heads.
And I heard a voice from heaven above, like a heavy voice of watersfalls,
And like the voice of thunder loud. And I lifted up my head to hear
The sound of harpists playing well; they sang a new song to the throne.
They sang before the living beasts, and before the twenty-four;
No man alive could learn that song except believing, those redeemed,
By Him, the hundred thousand and forty-four, who had been ransomed from the earth.
These are ones from women pure, and without eros they live their lives.
These faithful men follow the Lamb and follow Him however He leads.
These were redeemed from sinful man, and are firstfruits to God’s own Lamb.
In their mouth was mercy found, not more, not less, and no deceit,
All faithful men and without fault they fall before the throne of God.
And then I saw another sign, a single angel flying high
In the midst of mercy’s sky, an everlasting message of hope
Was promised and preached upon the earth and which pious men took to heart,
For those who dwell upon the earth—for every nation, tribe, and tongue.
He lifted up his voice aloud, to those who love the sovereign God he said
“Fear God and first give glory unto Him, for now His fiery judgment comes;
And worship Him, the worthy one who with His Word made heaven and earth,
The sea and all the earthly springs, and standing water in its place.”
And another angel followed hard, another angel spoke and said
“Great is the fall of Babylon, who was the fornicating queen.”
And then a third angel followed them, with thunderous voice he came to say,
“If any bows to the worshiped beast or bows before his image grim,
And receives the wretched mark on his rebellious head or hand,
Then he himself shall also drink the heavy wine of God’s full wrath
Which is poured with potent strength into the pestilential cup
And he will be tortured with sulphorous fire in the presence of the Lamb.
“And the smoke of their sufferings ascends forever and for aye;
And they do not rest, day or night, those who dared to worship this foul beast
Or his image, his idol lie, fierce indignation for the hellish mark.”
Here is patience for persevering faith in those pious saints who stand;
Here are those who think to keep the third commandment of our God
And all His other laws and words, as well as faith in our Lord Christ.
Then I heard a victorious voice from heaven, a voice triumphant said to me,
Saying, “Write these blessed words: ‘The wise are blessed who die,
Those dead who died in their covering Lord, from this day on, from this time forth.’”
“The Spirit, answering, also spoke, “Let these saints rest from their standing works.”
Then I looked, and on a lowering cloud, aloft and high sat an Holy One,
And like the Son of Man he had a crown, and in His hand a scythe.
And from the temple a terrible angel came, and in triumph cried out to the cloud,
“Thrust Your sickle and surely reap, the standing grain is ready to fall,
For the harvest of the hateful earth is ripe, and heavy grain bends grieving low.”
So He who sat on the heavenly cloud thrust His sickle down to earth,
And everlasting judgment on evil fell, and the earth was finally reaped.
An empty field lay desolate where once had grown the pride of man.
And then another angel came out of the avenging temple of heaven,
He also bore a sharpened sickle blade, and swung it low and ominously.
And an angel from the altar’s fire, cried angrily to him who had the scythe,
“Thrust in your thin and glittering blade and thoroughly gather all clusters here.
The vines bow groaning, the harvest great, the grapes of wrath are fully ripe.”
And so the angel gathered grapes, and threw them in the vats of God.
Liber X
Outside the city judgment came and soon the blood flowed from the press,
The blood flowed up to bridle height, for better than furlongs sixteen thousand.
And then I saw another sign, in the starred heavens, great and marvelous:
Seven angels with the seven last plagues, and saw in them the wrath of God complete.
And then I saw a sea of glass and saw it mixed with bleeding fire,
And standing, those who have defied the beast, his number and his mark.
With harps, they sang the song of Moses, the servant of Almighty God,
And the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and sovereign are all Your works,
Lord God Almighty! Lord of heaven! Just and loving are all Your ways,
O King of all the conquering saints! Your crown is everlasting glory.
Who shall not fear You, sovereign Lord, who shall not glorify Your name?
For You alone are holiness. All nations come and worship You.
After this I thought to look, and then I saw the temple doors
Of the tabernacle’s testimony in a triumphal heavenly opening.
And out of the temple opening came out seven angels, and in their hands
They held out seven holy plagues, and in holiness poured them down
Their chests were girded with golden bands, and going from the temple they cried aloud.
And they were clothed in linen bright, and wore it as the wrath of God.
Then one of the wonderous cherubim with wisdom gave all judgment then
To seven angels with seven golden bowls full of seething wrath from God,
Who lives forever and ever lives, Who lifts the earth to sudden wrath.
The celestial temple filled with smoke from the sovereign glory of God
And from the fullness of His power, and from the glory of His strength.
And no one could come in until the seven plagues were finally done.
Then I heard a heavenly voice from the highest temple cry,
Summoning the seven angels then, “Go, pour your silver bowls of wrath,
Bowls filled with fiery wrath from God, to fall upon this wretched earth.”
So the first went and faithfully poured his flowing bowl upon the earth,
And so a foul and loathsome sore came and struck idolatrous men
Who had received the bestial mark and bowed themselves within his name.
And then the second prince came and poured his punishing bowl upon the sea,
Which then became like crimson blood, the blood as of a man who died;
And every living creature, lingering, died and littered the surface of the rotting sea.
And then the third angel came to pour his thickened bowl on rivers and springs,
And all fresh water faltered then, and finally they too became like blood.
And then I heard the angel’s voice which said that all who see may hear.
“You are righteous, righteous Lord, the ruling One who is and was and is to be,
For You have judged, in justice firm, a jury for the universe.
For they have shed the blood of saints and struck Your faithful prophets down,
And You have given gore to drink, a judgment good and their just due.”
And I heard another heavenly voice come from high above the altar then,
“Even so, Lord God above, how true and good Your judgments are.”
And then a fourth, ferociously poured fire on the sun and moon,
And a great and punishing power was placed with him to scorch all men.
But rebellious men in melting heat, still murmuring would yet blaspheme
The only name of our great God whose angry goodness wields these plagues,
And whose holiness in justice hates these haughty little lords of earth.
And yet they did not turn from sin, and did not give Him glorious praise.
Then the fifth angel, with his fifth bowl poured fire on the bestial throne
And his bestial kingdom soon became full of blackness, filled with dark;
They knew not God, they never loved; they gnawed their tongues because of pain.
They blasphemed God, the blessed God because their bleeding pains and sores
Afflicted them, and filled with hate they fled from God to chew their tongues,
And they could not repent their deeds or turn from sin to worship God.
Then the sixth angel, six of seven, poured out his seething bowl of wrath
On the great Euphrates, and men afraid, saw its flood soon come to dust
So that the way of wicked kings who wielded power in the east
Might have their path of blood prepared in their pursuit of battle spoil.
And I saw three foul spirits, like unclean frogs coming from the dragon’s mouth
And from the mouth of Asia’s beast, and from the lying prophet’s throat.
They are demonic spirits, performing signs, which signal to the kings of the earth
And to the whole rebellious world, to war! to gather for the bloody battle
Of that great and gruesome day of God the Lord Almighty God.
“Behold, I come as a creeping thief. Bless the Christian with open eyes,
Who keeps his garments clean and white, lest he not cover up his shame.”
They gathered them together there within the place the Hebrews call
Armageddon,
the place where every sinful army fails.
Liber XI
Then the seventh angel summoned forth poured seething wrath into the air,
And a loud voice was lifted up, a lordly and a kingly voice,
Which came out conquering with calls of final war,
A tempest from the temple of heaven, a trial for the earth below,
And from the furious throne, saying, “It is finally and completely done!”
And there was noise and thunderings, earth trembling in fear.
Now groaning, that great city fell into grief, three bleeding parts,
And the cities of the central nations fell. And soon great Babylon came to be
Remembered before our mighty God; He ministered the cup of wine
Which holds His holy wrath, the hatred of His furious zeal.
Then every island empty fled and every mountain was not found.
And hail from heaven fell on men, and men blasphemed their holy God.
Each hailstone was heavy then, each hailstone a talent’s weight.
And men profane would preach their filth, because that plague was exceeding great.
Then one of the wondrous angels there, who wielded the seven bowls,
Came and talked and testified, and told me, “Come, I show you now
The sentence of the sinful whore who sits on many waters,
With whom the kings of earth have slept, in whom all men are drunk with lust.”
So he carried me, captive away, covered in the Spirit’s cloud
Into desert, desolation, into depths of wilderness.
And I saw a woman sitting there on a scarlet beast, and full of names
Of blasphemy and bitterness, a beast with seven heads, ten horns.
Adorned with precious stones and pearls, in purple and scarlet she was arrayed
And in her hand a golden cup was full of filth and blasphemies.
And on her head of harlotry a horrid name was written there:
Great Mystery of Babylon, Mother of Whores, and Mistress of Filth.
I saw that woman, wild and drunk with the witness blood of saints,
And when I saw, I wondered then and with amazement very great.
But the angel answered and said to me, “Son of Adam, why did you marvel?
For I will tell this mystery—the woman and the beast beneath.
The beast you saw with seven heads and on the seven heads, ten horns,
This beast once was, and now is not, and will ascend to go to Hell.
And those who dwell in this dark world will, deaf to God, still marvel yet
When they boast to see the beast that buried was, and yet still is.
Their wretched names have never seen the numinous glory, the Book of Life,
Which God had written down before He spoke the world’s long final end.
“Wise is the mind which marvels not: the seven mountains, the seven heads,
On which the evil woman sits are wicked kings, all seven.
Five have fallen, and one is, for another has not yet come.
And when he finally conquering, comes, he must continue a very short time.
And the beast that was, this beast is not, and bends himself to be an eighth,
Is of the seven devouring kings, and will in time descend to Hell.
The ten horns which you heard and saw are heartless kings without a kingdom yet
But they receive unrighteous authority, a royal kingly hour with the beast.
These hold one thought, are of one mind, and they give scepters to the beast.
They will make war in wickedness, and wage their war upon the Lamb,
And the Lord of lords will conquer them, the Lamb will finally overcome,
For He is King of every king; and He will rule all names below.
Those saints with Him who suffer now are chosen saints and truly called.
Then he said the waters which you saw, where sinning, that great harlot sits,
Are many peoples, multitudes, and many nations, with their tongues.
The ten small horns are filled with hate, and on the harlot they will turn
To make her desolate in death, undressed and naked she will die.
These kings will come to eat her flesh, and burn her flesh with raging fire.
The God of glory made this plan to give to them their evil hate
And fulfill His final end, and to bring fierce hatred on the whore,
Giving their kingdom to the conquering beast, until the call of God is done.
And the woman whom you saw, that witch a majestic city is,
Which reigns in all unrightousness and overruns the kings of earth.
Seducing men, she lies and buys the souls of every lustful man.
And after all these troubling things I saw a thundering angel coming down,
Having great and good authority; his glory shone upon the earth.
And he cried mightily with conquering voice, “Consider how Babylon the great
Is fallen, is fallen low, and is forever a demons’ haunt,
A prison for every spiritual pest, a place for every hateful bird!
A cage for crows and carrion, a filthy hole in which to die.
Now drunk, the nations are delivered up and drunk they share her bed.
Her wine of wrath is all consumed, and wicked kings have lain with her.
And lying there, the merchant lords have taken luxury to heart.
And I heard another heavenly voice, “Come out of her, my people, come
Lest you share in all her sins, and lest you suffer from her pox.
For her iniquities have come before almighty God our Lord.
Render now what she has wrought, repay her double for her works;
And in her wine of wantonness, the wine which she has mixed for you,
Mix double for this damning hour, the dregs of wrath take fully in.
With the measure she meted out to saints, in that same measure torture her;
In her cold heart she claims no want, ‘I sit as queen, and cannot mourn.’
Her boasts, her charms, her withered breasts and wrinkled arms will soon decay.
Therefore her plagues and pestilence will pursue her to the grave below.
In one day—death and mourning— in one day the famine comes.
And Babylon will burn with fire, the bastard queen will be brought low,
For sovereign strength is with the Lord, the saving God who judges her.
Those kings who kept her in their beds, will cry and weep, lament for her,
They lived in opulence with her, and cry to see her smoke and ruin.
Alas, alas, great Babylon, they stand apart for torment’s sake,
That mighty, great, and marvelous city! In one small moment your judgment came.
And the merchants of earth will mourn and weep; their merchandise is bought no more:
Merchandise of gold and gifts and goodly silver, precious stones,
Pearls and purple, silk and scarlet, and citron wood of every kind,
The goods are gone, forever gone, and lost is all their carnal wealth.
The ivory, and the incense rich, the iron, fashioned bronze, and marble;
Fragrant oil and frankincense, fine flour and wheat, wine and oil,
The scents of spices, cinnamon, ascend inside that reek of smoke.
The worth of all their precious wood, is wasted now in judgment deep;
The cattle and sheep are slain, slaughtered horses, and chariots burn,
And Babylon will sell no more the bodies and the souls of men.
The fruit of your frustrated soul is forever gone from you,
And all those things which you had though rich and splendid are forever lost,
And you, helpless, shall have no more the hope that wealth will stay.
The merchants of these many things, who missing life, were rich by her,
Will weep and wail for all their goods, and stand away, fearing her torment.
Alas, alas, great Babylon, with all your costly silks and stones!
For in the heat of just one hour great honors and riches fell to the ground.
Every shipmaster, every sailor, those on the sea who travel and trade,
Stood at a distance on the day she fell, and despairing cried out for the smoke,
When they saw the smoke of her burning, and said, ‘What great city is like this?’
They threw in the air the dust of death and wailed their deep laments and cries.
Alas, alas, great Babylon, that city which grew rich by sea
In just one hour justice fell, rejoice you saints in God above
O heaven, holy apostles and prophets, the Most High God has vengeance sought.
And then a mighty angel, masterful, took up a massive giant stone,
A stone like a great millstone and in the sea he threw it down
Thus with violence the vicious city falls, a victim Babylon becomes.
She is thrown down, and praise to God, she is not found forevermore.
The sound of harpists, and sweet flutes, and silver trumpets shall not be heard.
No craftsman for any craft be found, and quiet will the millstones be.
The light of lamps shall cease to shine and lovers will not come to bed.
The voice of bridegroom and of bride are banished here forevermore.
Your merchants were great men on earth, and by your magic the nations fell.
And on your hands the blood of saints was found, all those upon the earth.
And soon after I heard a shout, the shout of heaven’s multitude,
Saying, “Alleluia! Salvation, sudden glory and sovereign honor and power
Belong to the Lord, the living God! who loved and saved His people here.
For true and terrible His judgments are, He tried and judged the harlot queen,
Who corrupted all these carnal men who craved her fornicating bed;
He has avenged on her the blood of all His servants shed by her.
Again they said, “Alleluia! Her acrid smoke forever rises up.
The twenty‑four elders and the four living beasts fell down and worshipped before the throne,
And worshiped the one who sat enthroned, saying in wonder, “Alleluia! Amen!”
Then a voice came out from victory’s throne, saying the vision was almost done,
“Praise our God, in goodly fear, all you servants, great and small!”
He has destroyed this city now, which had seduced the lusting world.
And I heard, from the holy, as it might be, the hurried voice of multitudes,
As the sound of many streaming waters and as the sound of thunderings,
Saying, Alleluia! Alleluia! For the Omnipotent Lord God reigns!
Let us be glad and give to Him glory and honor, rejoicing now
For the wedding of the white Lamb has come, and His wife is ready now.
Assemble all the living saints, who are together guests and bride.
To her it was granted to dress in good linen, her glory was clean and beautiful,
The linen was white and whitened by grace and woven from righteous acts of saints.
Then he said, “Write these words down, write down the wisdom that you hear.
‘Blessed are those guests, invited in grace, who are given a place at this wedding feast’
And then God’s servant said to me, “These are the sayings, true sayings from God.”
So read the invitation given here, prepare now for the lasting feast.
And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he forbade and said to me,
“See that you not sin that way! I am a servant, just like you,
And like your living brethren who love the testimony of our Lord
Worship God! The glory is His, His greatness is forever sure.
For the testimony of the triumph of Christ is the test of all prophectic words.”
The witness of our Lord and Christ is now the way of life and truth and light.
Now I saw heaven opened, and I beheld a great white horse, and one in the saddle
And He was called a faithful king and conquered in righteousness to judge.
His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His forehead were many crowns.
He had a name which no one knew, which no one but Himself could read.
And He was clothed in crimsoned bloody robes, and He was called the Word of God.
His name is now forever blessed, and He will reign above all kings.
And on white horses, the armies of heaven, heeded the voice of their great commander,
Clothed in fine linen, and following Him, they fought with those who hated God.
Now out of His mouth there came a sharp sword, and with it He struck all the nations of men.
And He will rule them with an iron rod; His royal will forever imposed.
And He will tread the terrible press in the terror and wrath of Almighty God.
All men will cry in great despair as holy weight will crush their sin.
And on His robe of righteousness a name is written: King of Kings;
On His thigh, the thought enscribed, was then invoked as Lord of Lords.
Then an angel was standing in the sun; and soon he cried aloud
And said to all the battle birds that feed on bloated carcases
“Come from the sky for supper now, the supper of our great God and king,
That you may eat the flesh of kings and all who served beneath them here.
And I saw the beast, the vile beast, and the boastful kings of all the earth,
Their armies gathered in greed and pride to give defiance to the Lord,
The one who sat on heaven’s horse, the one who led the holy host.
The cunning beast was captured then, and his court prophet was taken too,
Who worked his lying wonders there, by which he took those with the mark.
These two were cast in burning fire; the rest were justly judged and killed.
And all the birds were filled with flesh.
Liber XII
Then I saw a conquering angel coming down, he came from heaven above,
And held the key to captivity, the cavern, the bottomless pit;
He held a great chain in his hand, and he laid hold of the dragon.
This dragon was the Devil vile, this dragon was the serpent of old,
That slanderer, that Satan, was seized with strength and holiness;
God cast him down and shut him up, and bound him for a thousand years.
A perfect seal was on the pit, so pressing lies were finally past,
The nations were no more deceived, and knew until the thousand years were done
That after this the serpent would be thrown on the earth a time.
I saw great thrones, they sat on them, with thorough judgments in their hands,
I saw the souls of ruling saints, those saints who gave their heads for Christ,
Those saints who had not worshipped snakes, or taken his defiling mark.
And for the final word of God, they fell beneath a tyrant’s sword,
But had not kissed the hateful beast or in their hearts his image kept,
And faithful, would not take his filthy mark on their foreheads, or on their hands.
Instead they sang the law of God and saw they kept it dear,
Believing God will liberate all those who live within His grace.
And so they lived and reigned with Christ throughout their thousand years.
But the dead who did not live again til all millennial days were finally past.
Thus is written the first resurrection. Righteous, blessed and holy is he
Who takes a terrifying part in the triumph of how the dead are raised.
Over such the second death has no suffocating power,
But persevering, patient men, shall be priests to God forever now,
And priests of Christ, they reign with Him a thousand years or even more.
Now when the golden years are gone, and goodness is fulfilled,
Bright Satan soon released will be and sent out of his darkened pit,
And so will go and soon deceive the simple nations at the earth’s four ends.
He summons Gog and Magog there, to gather them for battle now,
As the sand around the suffering sea, as sand their numbers are.
And they went up from all the earth and then beseiged the city of saints.
And fire fell, and, coming down, a fear from God devoured them.
The devil, who deceived them all, was dragged into the fiery lake
Of brimstone where the vile beast and blaspheming prophet were.
And holy terrors torment them there, a trial long, forever night.
And then a great white throne I saw and thought of Him who sat on it,
So earth and heaven all fled away, and no place could be found for them.
And I saw, both small and great, the standing dead before their God,
Where books were brought and base men were condemned.
Another book—of blessing now— the Book of Life was finally read.
And all the dead were damned or blessed according to their deeds and works,
By the things, the idle thoughts, the thunder written in the books.
The saints were saved through faith alone; the damned condemned through all their works.
The dead, all drowned, came from the sea, and Death and Hades gave up their dead.
With justice all these men were judged, a jury of their works condemned them all.
Then Death and deathly Hades were cast down into the lake of fire.
This suffering is the second death, this sentence will forever stand
And if one is not written down in the wondrous Book of Life
He there is taken, hand and foot, and cast down to the lake of fire.
Liber XIII
And now I saw all heaven new and a new earth was also made,
For finally the first heaven and first earth passed away.
And so there was a sea no more, the seas all passed away.
Then I, John, saw New Jerusalem, I, John saw the bride
Coming down out of deep heaven, a devoted bride from God,
And she was gloriously prepared, just as a bride adorns herself.
And I heard a loud and heavenly voice from heaven saying, calling down
“Behold, the Tabernacle is taken to earth, and tenderly God dwells with men,
And His people they are and God Himself will hold them them now and be their God.
“And the God of all goodness will wipe away every grieving tear that falls;
And swallowing death has finally died, devoured is sorrow, with every tear.
And never shall our pains return, for former things have passed away.”
Then He who sat on the heavenly throne said, “Hear, behold, all things are new.”
And so He turned and said to me, “Write, son of man, these words are true,
And faithful words bear fruit below.” And following this He said to me,
“Done! All done! I am the death, I am the birth
The Alpha and the Omega here, the End and the Beginning now.
And I will freely give the font of life to every man who thirsts.
“The overcomer inherits all all things are his; I am his God
And he shall be My faithful son, and I shall be his God.
But cowards and creeping infidels, along with cruel murderers,
With those who crawl from bed to bed, and those whose belly is their god
And sorcerers, and sodden idolaters, and sinners who speak out their lies,
These all shall have their second death, a lake that burns with sulpher’s stone.
Then one of the seven angels sent, who had the seven plague-filled bowls,
Came to me and called to me, saying, “Come, and I will show to you the bride,
The lovely one, the Lamb’s own wife.” And leaving then he carried me
Away in the Spirit sent from God to ascend a great and holy mount,
And then I saw, he showed to me the city called holy and new Jerusalem,
Descending down from heaven and God, and having the glory of our great God.
Her light was luminous there, and like a precious jasper stone,
As clear as any crystal made she came, and radiant, down to earth.
She also had great,majestic gates, and at these gates an angel stood
Twelve gates around, twelve angels there, and for each tribe a name:
Three gates east, three gates north, three gates south, and three to the west.
The wall had twelve foundation stones, and written there were apostles’ names.
And my guide had a golden reed to measure gates, city, and wall,
A city laid out as a square; its side as long as its whole breadth.
And he measured miles with his reed, and marked twelve thousand furlongs there.
He saw equal length, and equal breadth, and equal height the same.
He measured cubits on its mighty wall and marked one hundred forty‑four,
According to the measure then, the measure of an angelic man.
And the city was gold, like clearest glass, the glorious walls were jasper stone.
The foundation firm with heavy stones, the wall was filled with precious stones:
The first foundation was jasper stone, and following this was sapphire blue,
The third was costly chalcedony, and then was kingly emerald,
The fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh was regal chrysolite,
Then beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, with jacinth then, and amethyst.
These twelve gates were twelve single pearls: each towering gate a single pearl.
The street of the city was shining gold, shimmering as transparent glass.
But I saw no towering temple there, for the temple is the Lord and Lamb.
The city had no need for sun or silver moon to give their light,
For the glory of God illumined all. The glorious Lamb is all her light.
And all the nations being saved shall walk within its radiant light.
The kings of all the conquered earth shall come and bring their honor in.
By day its doors and gates shall never shut and day is all there ever is.
And godly kings shall glory bring and give great honor up to Him.
And no defiling, deadly thing can come, nor a deceitful, loathsome lie,
No unclean thing, no ugly heart, no unforgiven lying tongue,
But only those whose names are there, written in that Book of Life.
Proceeding from the princely throne I saw a most pure river of life,
Clear as crystal, flowing down, and clean as heavenly water is.
In the middle of this marvelous way, and meant to grow on both river banks,
Was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, and each tree bearing every month.
The leaves of life upon these trees were lifting, healing all nations’ ills.
And there shall never be a curse, and sorrows never here can grow.
But the throne of God, the throne of the Lamb, shall there forever His servants rule.
And they shall see His glorious face, bear His saving name upon their heads.
And never shall a night descend: they need no lamp nor light of sun,
For the Lord, the living God gives them light forevermore.
And they shall reign and rule forever and ruling in His name do right.
So then the angel said to me, “These words are faithful, always true.”
The God of all the prophets gave and giving, sent His angel to show
His suffering servants all the things which soon must finally, quickly come.
“Behold, I come, I quickly come! And he who keeps these words is blessed.”
Now I, the seer John, I saw and seeing, heard these terrible things.
I fell down before the angel’s feet but he forbade me worship more.
“I am your fellow servant here, and of your brethren who obey. Now worship God.”
He said to me, “You must not seal the symbols and the words within
The pointed prophecy of this book, for the painful hour is nigh.
“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; if unrighteous, let him stay that way
The one who is filthy, filthy still; but forgiven and righteous, let him be righteous yet;
He who is holy, let him be holy still. And now behold, I quickly come.”
And My reward is in my hand, to give according to their works.”
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the End and the Beginning,
I am the First and Final One, the fear of God alone.”
And blessed are those obedient ones who buy His word and will not sell,
They all delight to do His law, that doing they may come to eat
And triumph at the tree of life, the tree that gives eternal life.
That they may enter through the gates into the city of our God.
But sodomite dogs and sorcerers and the sexually foul are all outside,
And murderers and mumming idolaters, and men who love and practice lies.
“I, Jesus, the Just and holy one, have justly sent My angel down
To testify, and tell to you these triumphs in the churches.
I am the root and the royal seed of reigning David, my father and son.
I am the Bright and Morning Star, I rule the coming shining Day.”
The Spirit and the silver bride together say, “Who hears may come!”
And let the willing listener say, now let the one who hears say, “Come!”
And one with thick and dusty thirst, let him think like a prodigal and come.
Whoever desires to drink down life, let him drink this water, this well of grace.
Foretelling, I testify to all who hear the testimony of this book:
If any add their words to this, my God will add to him these plagues.
And if any trifler takes away from the terrible words of this prophecy,
Our gracious God shall take away his goodly part from the Book of Life,
From the holy city, the heavenly world, and the holy things which are written here.
He who testifies to this truth says, “Truly I am coming soon.”
Amen, our Lord, amen again And even so, Lord Jesus come!
The grace and peace of Jesus Christ, our living Lord be with you all.
Amen.