3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it,because the time is near.7 Whoever has ears, let them hearwhat the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,I will give the right to eat from the tree of life,which is in the paradiseof God.11 Whoever has ears, let them hearwhat the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.17 Whoever has ears, let them hearwhat the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,I will give some of the hidden manna.I will also give that person a white stone with a new namewritten on it, known only to the one who receives it.26 To the one who is victoriousand does my will to the end,I will give authority over the nations—27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepterand will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father.28 I will also give that one the morning star.29 Whoever has ears, let them hearwhat the Spirit says to the churches.
12 The one who is victoriousI will make a pillarin the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my Godand the name of the city of my God,the new Jerusalem,which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.13 Whoever has ears, let them hearwhat the Spirit says to the churches.
2 And I saw a mighty angelproclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lionof the tribe of Judah,the Root of David,has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb,looking as if it had been slain,
because you were slain,and with your bloodyou purchasedfor Godpersons from every tribe and language and people and nation.9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underthe altarthe souls of those who had been slainbecause of the word of Godand the testimony they had maintained.10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long,Sovereign Lord,holy and true,until you judge the inhabitants of the earthand avenge our blood?”11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,were killed just as they had been.
12 For the word of Godis aliveand active.Sharper than any double-edged sword,it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”
And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robesand made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For the Lamb at the center of the thronewill be their shepherd;‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
