The Lamb and the 144,000
1Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No-one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
The three angels
6Then I saw another angel flying in mid-air, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth – to every nation, tribe, language and people. 7He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.’
8A second angel followed and said, ‘ “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,”14:8 Isaiah 21:9 which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.’
9A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: ‘If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.’ 12This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
13Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write this: blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’
‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labour, for their deeds will follow them.’
Harvesting the earth and trampling the winepress
14I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man14:14 See Daniel 7:13. with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, ‘Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ 16So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
17Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, ‘Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.’ 19The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.14:20 That is, about 300 kilometres
Janje i 144 000
1Ugledam zatim Jaganjca kako stoji na gori Sionu i s njim sto četrdeset četiri tisuće koji na čelima imaju napisano njegovo ime i ime njegova Oca. 2Začujem s neba zvuk poput huke velikog vodopada i tutnjavu silna groma, sličnu svirki mnoštva citara.
3Pjevali su novu pjesmu pred Božjim prijestoljem, pred četirima bićima i pred starješinama. Nitko nije mogao naučiti tu pjesmu osim tih sto četrdeset četiri tisuće otkupljenih sa zemlje. 4Oni su čisti jer se nisu okaljali sa ženama. Prate Jaganjca kamo god pođe. Otkupljeni su od ljudi kao posvećeni Bogu i Jaganjcu. 5Preko njihovih usta nije prešla laž. Besprijekorni su.
Tri anđela
6Ugledam još jednog anđela kako leti nebom noseći vječnu Radosnu vijest stanovnicima zemlje—svakome narodu i plemenu, jeziku i puku. 7“Bojte se Boga!” vikao je. “Dajte mu slavu jer je došao čas njegova suda! Poklonite se njemu koji je stvorio zemlju i nebo, more i izvore!”
8Za njim je letio drugi anđeo govoreći: “Pao je! Pao je veliki Babilon koji je sve narode opio vinom gnjeva i svojega bluda.”
9Za njima je išao i treći anđeo glasno vičući: “Tko god se klanja Zvijeri i njezinu kipu i tko primi žig na čelo ili na ruku, 10pit će nerazvodnjeno vino Božjega gnjeva—već je natočeno u čašu njegove srdžbe. Bit će mučen ognjem i gorućim sumporom pred svetim anđelima i pred Jaganjcem. 11Dim njihovih muka diže se u vijeke vjekova. Ni danju ni noću nemaju počinka oni koji se klanjaju Zvijeri i njezinu kipu i koji su primili žig s njezinim imenom. 12U tomu je postojanost svetih, onih koji su poslušni Božjim zapovijedima i vjeruju u Isusa.”
13Začujem glas s neba: “Zapiši: odsad su blaženi oni koji umiru u Gospodinu. Da, tako kaže Duh: otpočinut će od svojih napora jer ih prate njihova djela.”
Žetva na zemlji
14Ugledam zatim nekoga sličnog čovjeku14:14 U grčkome: sličnoga sinu čovječjemu. kako sjedi na bijelom oblaku, sa zlatnim vijencem na glavi i s oštrim srpom u ruci.
15Drugi anđeo iziđe iz hrama i dovikne jakim glasom onomu na oblaku: “Zamahni srpom i žanji! Kucnuo je čas. Zemaljska je žetva sazrela.” 16Anđeo na oblaku zamahne srpom prema zemlji i cijela je zemlja požnjevena.
17Iz nebeskoga hrama iziđe još jedan anđeo. I on je u ruci imao oštar srp. 18Njemu pak dovikne anđeo na žrtveniku, koji ima vlast nad ognjem: “Zamahni srpom i poberi grožđe u zemaljskom vinogradu jer je sazrelo za Sud!” 19Anđeo zamahne srpom prema zemlji i obere zemaljski vinograd. Ubrano grožđe ubaci u tijesak Božjega gnjeva. 20Gnječilo se u tijesku izvan grada, a krv iz tijeska poteče tristo kilometara14:20 U grčkome: 1 600 stadija. daleko. Bila je konjima do uzda.
