< Revelation 19 >
1 After these things I heard [what sounded] like a huge crowd in heaven. They were shouting things like, “(Hallelujah!/Praise our God!)” “He has saved us!” “He is glorious and mighty!”
After this I seemed to hear the far-echoing voices of a great multitude in Heaven, who said, "Hallelujah! The salvation and the glory and the power belong to our God.
2 “Praise him because he judges truly and justly!” “He has punished the very evil cities that are like a prostitute, because their people persuaded the other people of earth [MTY] to act immorally and idolatrously like they do.” “Praise him because he has punished them for murdering his servants [MTY]!”
True and just are His judgments, because He has judged the great Harlot who was corrupting the whole earth with her fornication, and He has taken vengeance for the blood of His bondservants which her hands have shed."
3 [The crowd] shouted a second time saying: (Hallelujah!/Praise God!) The smoke of the fire that is burning the cities will rise forever! (aiōn )
And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! For her smoke ascends until the Ages of the Ages." (aiōn )
4 The 24 elders and the four living [creatures] (prostrated themselves/knelt down) and worshipped God, who sits on the throne. Then they said, “[It] is true! (Hallelujah!/Praise God!)”
And the twenty-four Elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who sits upon the throne. "Even so," they said; "Hallelujah!"
5 Someone spoke from the throne and said, “All you who are our God’s servants, praise him! All you who reverence him, [whether you are socially] significant or insignificant, praise him! [Everyone]!”
And from the throne there came a voice which said, "Praise our God, all you His bondservants--you who fear Him, both the small and the great."
6 I heard something like the noise of a huge crowd [of people], like the sound of a huge waterfall (OR, a great/wide river of rushing water), and like the sound of loud thunder. They were shouting: (Hallelujah!/Praise God!) Because the Lord God, the Almighty One, reigns!
And I seemed to hear the voices of a great multitude and the sound of many waters and of loud peals of thunder, which said, "Hallelujah! Because the Lord our God, the Ruler of all, has become King.
7 We should rejoice, we should be extremely glad, and we should honor him, because it is now time for Jesus, the one who is like a lamb, to be united permanently with his people, which will be like a man [MET] marrying his bride, and because those who belong to him have prepared themselves to be united with him.
Let us rejoice and triumph and give Him the glory; for the time for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready."
8 God has permitted them to be completely pure, like a bride who [MET] dresses in fine linen that is bright and clean. Fine [bright and clean] linen represents the righteous acts of God’s people.
And she was permitted to array herself in fine linen, shining and spotless; the fine linen being the righteous actions of God's people.
9 Then the angel said to me, “Write [this: God will abundantly] bless the people who are {whom [he] has} invited to the feast [that celebrates Jesus, the one who is like a] lamb, [permanently uniting with his people, like someone] [MET] [marrying a wife].” He also said [to me]: “These words that God [declares] are true!”
And he said to me, "Write as follows: 'Blessed are those who receive an invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.'" And he added, still addressing me, "These are truly the words of God."
10 I [immediately] (prostrated myself/knelt down) at his feet in order to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not [worship me]! I am [just] your [(sg)] fellow servant and the fellow servant of your [(sg)] fellow believers who tell people about Jesus. God is the one whom you should worship, because it is the Spirit of God who gives people the power to tell others about Jesus (OR, [those who tell others about] Jesus are [truly] declaring [the words that the Spirit of God has given them])!”
Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he exclaimed, "Oh, do not do that. I am a fellow bondservant of yours and a fellow bondservant of your brethren who have borne testimony to Jesus. Worship God." Testimony to Jesus is the spirit which underlies Prophecy.
11 [In the vision] I saw heaven opened {open}, and I was surprised to see a white horse. [Jesus], the one who was riding on the horse, is called ‘Trustworthy and Genuine/True’. He judges [all people according to] what is right, and fights righteously [against his enemies].
Then I saw a door open in Heaven, and a white horse appeared. Its rider was named "Faithful and True" --being One who in righteousness acts as Judge, and makes war.
12 His eyes [shone like] [MET] a flame of fire. There were many royal crowns on his head. A name had been written [on him]. Only he knows [the meaning of that name].
His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many kingly crowns; and He has a name written upon Him which no one but He Himself knows.
13 The robe he was wearing was drenched with blood. His name is [also] “(The one who expresses what God is like/The Word of God).”
The outer garment in which He is clad has been dipped in blood and His name is THE WORD OF GOD.
14 The armies of heaven were following him. [They were also] riding on white horses. They were wearing clothes [made of] clean white linen.
The armies in Heaven followed Him--mounted on white horses and clothed in fine linen, white and spotless.
15 [The words] that Jesus speaks [are like] [MTY] a sharp sword with which he will strike [the rebellious people of] the nations. He himself will rule them [powerfully, as though he had] [MET] an iron rod. He will crush [his enemies just like] [MET] [a person crushes grapes in a] winepress. [He will do this for] God Almighty, who is extremely angry [with them because of their sins].
From His mouth there comes a sharp sword with which He will smite the nations; and He will Himself be their Shepherd, ruling them with a scepter of iron; and it is His work to tread the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Ruler of all.
16 On his cloak close to his thigh a name had been written {[he] had written a name}, which is “King who [rules over all other] kings and Lord who [rules over all other] lords.”
And on His outer garment and on His thigh He has a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 I saw an angel who was standing in [the light of] [MTY] the sun. He called loudly to all the [flesh-eating] birds flying high in the sky, “Come and gather for the wonderful feast that God [is providing for you]!
And I saw a single angel standing in the full light of the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds that flew across the sky, "Come and be present at God's great supper,
18 [Come] and eat the flesh of all [God’s enemies who are dead—] the flesh of kings, army commanders, [people who fought] powerfully, horses and the [soldiers] who rode them, [and the flesh of all other kinds of people], whether [they were] free or slaves, [socially] insignificant or significant. [All kinds]!”
that you may feast on the flesh of kings and the flesh of generals and the flesh of mighty men, on the flesh of horses and their riders, and on the flesh of all mankind, whether they are free men or slaves, great men or small."
19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of earth with their armies gathered together to fight against the Rider on the horse, and against his army.
And I saw the Wild Beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, all assembled to make war, once for all, against the Rider upon the horse and against His army. And the Wild Beast was captured, and with him the false Prophet
20 The beast and the false prophet were captured {[He] captured the beast and the false prophet}. The false prophet is the one who had performed miracles in the beast’s presence. By doing that he had deceived the people who had accepted the beast’s mark [on their foreheads] and who worshipped its image. The beast and the false prophet were thrown {[He] threw the beast and the one who falsely said that he spoke messages that came directly from God} alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. (Limnē Pyr )
who had done the miracles in his presence with which he had led astray those who had received the mark of the Wild Beast, and those who worshipped his statue. Both of them were thrown alive into the Lake of fire that was all ablaze with sulphur. (Limnē Pyr )
21 The rider on the horse killed the rest [of their armies] just by [speaking words], [which were like] [MTY] a sword that extended from his mouth. All those birds gorged themselves on the flesh of [the people whom he had killed].
But the rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the Rider on the horse. And the birds all fed ravenously upon their flesh.