Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 This is the revelation which God gave to Yeshua the Messiah, so that he could show his servants what must happen very soon. He communicated it by sending his angel to his servant Yochanan,

2 who bore witness to the Word of God and to the testimony of Yeshua the Messiah, as much as he saw.

3 Blessed are the reader and hearers of the words of this prophecy, provided they obey the things written in it! For the time is near!

4 From: Yochanan

To: The seven Messianic communities in the province of Asia:

Grace andshalomto you from the One who is, who was and who is coming; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne;

5 and from Yeshua the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the earth’s kings.

To him, the one who loves us, who has freed us from our sins at the cost of his blood,

6 who has caused us to be a kingdom, that is,cohanimfor God, his Father — to him be the glory and the rulership forever and ever.Amen.

7 Look! He is coming with the clouds!

Every eye will see him,

including those who pierced him;

and all the tribes of the Land will mourn him.

Yes!Amen!

8 “I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’” saysAdonai,

God of heaven’s armies,

the One who is, who was and who is coming.

9 I, Yochanan, am a brother of yours and a fellow-sharer in the suffering, kingship and perseverance that come from being united with Yeshua. I had been exiled to the island called Patmos for having proclaimed the message of God and borne witness to Yeshua.

10 I came to be, in the Spirit, on the Day of the Lord; and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet,

11 saying, “Write down what you see on a scroll, and send it to the seven Messianic communities — Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea!”

12 I turned around to see who was speaking to me; and when I had turned, I saw seven goldmenorahs;

13 and among themenorahs was someone like a Son of Man, wearing a robe down to his feet and a gold band around his chest.

14 His head and hair were as white as snow-white wool, his eyes like a fiery flame,

15 his feet like burnished brass refined in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of rushing waters.

16 In his right hand he held seven stars, out of his mouth went a sharp double-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

17 When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He placed his right hand upon me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last,

18 the Living One. I was dead, but look! — I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys to Death and Sh’ol.

19 So write down what you see, both what is now, and what will happen afterwards.

20 Here is the secret meaning of the seven stars you saw in my right hand, and of the seven goldmenorahs: the seven stars are the angels of the seven Messianic communities, and the sevenmenorahs are the seven Messianic communities.

1 “To the angel of the Messianic Community in Ephesus, write: ‘Here is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven goldmenorahs:

2 “I know what you have been doing, how hard you have worked, how you have persevered, and how you can’t stand wicked people; so you tested those who call themselves emissaries but aren’t — and you found them to be liars.

3 You are persevering, and you have suffered for my sake without growing weary.

4 But I have this against you: you have lost the love you had at first.

5 Therefore, remember where you were before you fell, turn from this sin, and do what you used to do before. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove yourmenorahfrom its place — if you don’t turn from your sin!

6 But you have this in your favor: you hate what the Nicolaitans do — I hate it too.

7 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities. To him winning the victory I will give the right to eat from the Tree of Life which is in God’s Gan-‘Eden.”’

8 “To the angel of the Messianic Community in Smyrna, write: ‘Here is the message from the First and the Last, who died and came alive again:

9 “I know how you are suffering and how poor you are (though in fact you are rich!), and I know the insults of those who call themselves Jews but aren’t — on the contrary, they are a synagogue of the Adversary.

10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Adversary is going to have some of you thrown in prison, in order to put you to the test; and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful, even to the point of death; and I will give you life as your crown.

11 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities. He who wins the victory will not be hurt at all by the second death.”’

12 “To the angel of the Messianic Community in Pergamum, write: ‘Here is the message from the one who has the sharp double-edged sword:

13 “I know where you are living, there where the Adversary’s throne is. Yet you are holding onto my name. You did not deny trusting me even at the time when my faithful witness Antipas was put to death in your town, there where the Adversary lives.

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: you have some people who hold to the teaching of Bil‘am, who taught Balak to set a trap for the people of Isra’el, so that they would eat food that had been sacrificed to idols and commit sexual sin.

15 Likewise, you too have people who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

16 Therefore, turn from these sins. Otherwise, I will come to you very soon and make war against them with the sword of my mouth.

17 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities. To him winning the victory I will give some of the hiddenman. I will also give him a white stone, on which is written a new name that nobody knows except the one receiving it.”’

18 “To the angel of the Messianic Community in Thyatira, write: ‘Here is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like burnished brass:

19 I know what you are doing, your love, trust, service and perseverance. And I know that you are doing more now than before.

20 But I have this against you: you continue to tolerate that Izevel woman, the one who claims to be a prophet, but is teaching and deceiving my servants to commit sexual sin and eat food that has been sacrificed to idols.

21 I gave her time to turn from her sin, but she doesn’t want to repent of her immorality.

22 So I am throwing her into a sickbed; and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great trouble, unless they turn from the sins connected with what she does;

23 and I will strike her children dead! Then all the Messianic communities will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and that I will give to each of you what your deeds deserve.

24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, to those who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some people call the ‘deep things’ of the Adversary, I say this: I am not loading you up with another burden;

25 only hold fast to what you have until I come.

26 To him who wins the victory and does what I want until the goal is reached,

I will give him authority over the nations;

27 he will rule them with a staff of iron

and dash them to pieces like pottery,

28 just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star.

29 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities.”’

1 “To the angel of the Messianic Community in Sardis, write: ‘Here is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know what you are doing — you have a reputation for being alive, but in fact you are dead!

2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains, before it dies too! For I have found what you are doing incomplete in the sight of my God.

3 So remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and turn from your sin! For if you don’t wake up, I will come like a thief; and you don’t know at what moment I will come upon you.

4 Nevertheless, you do have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; and they will walk with me, clothed in white, because they are worthy.

5 He who wins the victory will, like them, be dressed in white clothing; and I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life; in fact, I will acknowledge him individually before my Father and before his angels.

6 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities.”’

7 “To the angel of the Messianic Community in Philadelphia, write: ‘Here is the message ofHaKadosh, the True One, the one who has the key of David, who, if he opens something, no one else can shut it, and if he closes something, no one else can open it.

8 “I know what you are doing. Look, I have put in front of you an open door, and no one can shut it. I know that you have but little power, yet you have obeyed my message and have not disowned me.

9 Here, I will give you some from the synagogue of the Adversary, those who call themselves Jews but aren’t — on the contrary, they are lying — see, I will cause them to come and prostrate themselves at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you.

10 Because you did obey my message about persevering, I will keep you from the time of trial coming upon the whole world to put the people living on earth to the test.

11 I am coming soon; hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.

12 I will make him who wins the victory a pillar in the Temple of my God, and he will never leave it. Also I will write on him the name of my God and the name of my God’s city, the new Yerushalayim coming down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name.

13 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities.”’

14 “To the angel of the Messianic Community in Laodicea, write: ‘Here is the message from theAmen, the faithful and true witness, the Ruler of God’s creation:

15 “I know what you are doing: you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either one or the other!

16 So, because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth!

17 For you keep saying, ‘I am rich, I have gotten rich, I don’t need a thing!’ You don’t know that you are the one who is wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked!

18 My advice to you is to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich; and white clothing, so that you may be dressed and not have to be ashamed of your nakedness; and eyesalve to rub on your eyes, so that you may see.

19 As for me, I rebuke and discipline everyone I love; so exert yourselves, and turn from your sins!

20 Here, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If someone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with me.

21 I will let him who wins the victory sit with me on my throne, just as I myself also won the victory and sat down with my Father on his throne.

22 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities.”’”

1 After these things, I looked; and there before me was a door standing open in heaven; and the voice like a trumpet which I had heard speaking with me before said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things.”

2 Instantly I was in the Spirit, and there before me in heaven stood a throne, and on the throne Someone was sitting.

3 The One sitting there gleamed like diamonds and rubies, and a rainbow shining like emerald encircled the throne.

4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders dressed in white clothing and wearing gold crowns on their heads.

5 From the throne came forth lightnings, voices and thunderings; and before the throne were seven flaming torches, which are the sevenfold Spirit of God.

6 In front of the throne was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living beings covered with eyes in front and behind.

7 The first living being was like a lion, the second living being was like an ox, the third living being had a face that looked human, and the fourth living being was like a flying eagle.

8 Each of the four living beings had six wings and was covered with eyes inside and out; and day and night they never stop saying,

“Holy, holy, holy isAdonai, God of heaven’s armies

the One who was, who is and who is coming!”

9 And whenever the living beings give glory, honor and thanks to the One sitting on the throne, to the One who lives forever and ever,

10 the twenty-four elders fall down before the One sitting on the throne, who lives forever and ever, and worship him. They throw their crowns in front of the throne and say,

11 “You are worthy,AdonaiEloheinu,

to have glory, honor and power,

because you created all things —

yes, because of your will they were created

and came into being!”

1 Next I saw in the right hand of the One sitting on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals;

2 and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?”

3 But no one in heaven, on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look inside it.

4 I cried and cried, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or look inside it.

5 One of the elders said to me, “Don’t cry. Look, the Lion of the tribe of Y’hudah, the Root of David, has won the right to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6 Then I saw standing there with the throne and the four living beings, in the circle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been slaughtered. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the sevenfold Spirit of God sent out into all the earth.

7 He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of the One sitting on the throne.

8 When he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down in front of the Lamb. Each one held a harp and gold bowls filled with pieces of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people;

9 and they sang a new song,

“You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals;

because you were slaughtered;

at the cost of blood you ransomed for God

persons from every tribe, language, people and nation.

10 You made them into a kingdom for God to rule,

cohanimto serve him;

and they will rule over the earth.”

11 Then I looked, and I heard the sound of a vast number of angels — thousands and thousands, millions and millions! They were all around the throne, the living beings and the elders;

12 and they shouted out,

“Worthy is the slaughtered Lamb to receive

power, riches, wisdom, strength,

honor, glory and praise!”

13 And I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth and on the sea — yes, everything in them — saying,

“To the One sitting on the throne

and to the Lamb

belong praise, honor, glory and power

forever and ever!”

14 The four living beings said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshipped.

1 Next I watched as the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living beings say in a thundering voice, “Go!”

2 I looked, and there in front of me was a white horse; its rider had a bow and was given a crown; and he rode off as a conqueror to conquer.

3 When he broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, “Go!”

4 Another horse went out, a red one; and its rider was given the power to take peace away from the earth and make people slaughter each other. He was given a great sword.

5 When he broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, “Go!” I looked, and there in front of me was a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales.

6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living beings say, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages! Six pounds of barley for the same price! But don’t damage the oil or the wine!”

7 When he broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living being say, “Go!”

8 I looked, and there in front of me was a pallid, sickly-looking horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Sh’ol followed behind him. They were given authority to kill one-quarter of the world by war, by famine, by plagues and with the wild animals of the earth.

9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been put to death for proclaiming the Word of God, that is, for bearing witness.

10 They cried out in a loud voice, “Sovereign Ruler,HaKadosh, the True One, how long will it be before you judge the people living on earth and avenge our blood?”

11 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 should be reached, of their brothers who would be killed, just as they had been.

12 Then I watched as he broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, the sun turned black as sackcloth worn in mourning, and the full moon became blood-red.

13 The stars fell from heaven to earth just as a fig tree drops its figs when shaken by a strong wind.

14 The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

15 Then the earth’s kings, the rulers, the generals, the rich and the mighty — indeed, everyone, slave and free — hid himself in caves and among the rocks in the mountains,

16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us, and hide us from the face of the One sitting on the throne and from the fury of the Lamb!

17 For the Great Day of their fury has come, and who can stand?”

1 After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the land, on the sea or on any tree.

2 I saw another angel coming up from the east with a seal from the living God, and he shouted to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea,

3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads!”

4 I heard how many were sealed — 144,000 from every tribe of the people of Isra’el:

8

9 After this, I looked; and there before me was a huge crowd, too large for anyone to count, from every nation, tribe, people and language. They were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands;

10 and they shouted,

“Victory to our God,

who sits on the throne,

and to the Lamb!”

11 All the angels stood around the throne, the elders and the four living beings; they fell face down before the throne and worshipped God, saying,

12 “Amen!

“Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks,

honor and power and strength

belong to our God forever and ever!

“Amen!”

13 One of the elders asked me, “These people dressed in white robes — who are they, and where are they from?”

14 “Sir,” I answered, “you know.” Then he told me, “These are the people who have come out of the Great Persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb.

15 That is why they are before God’s throne.

“Day and night they serve him in his Temple;

and the One who sits on the throne

will put hisSh’khinahupon them.

16 “They will never again be hungry,

they will never again be thirsty,

the sun will not beat down on them,

nor will any burning heat.

17 “For the Lamb at the center of the throne

will shepherd them, will lead them

to springs of living water,

and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for what seemed like half an hour.

2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and they were given sevenshofars.

3 Another angel came and stood at the altar with a gold incense-bowl, and he was given a large quantity of incense to add to the prayers of all God’s people

4 on the gold altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense went up with the prayers of God’s people from the hand of the angel before God.

5 Then the angel took the incense-bowl, filled it with fire from the altar and threw it down onto the earth; and there followed peals of thunder, voices, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

6 Now the seven angels with the sevenshofars prepared to sound them.

7 The first one sounded hisshofar; and there came hail and fire mingled with blood, and it was thrown down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

8 The second angel sounded hisshofar, and what looked like an enormous blazing mountain was hurled into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood,

9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel sounded hisshofar; and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky onto a third of the rivers and onto the springs of water.

11 The name of the star was “Bitterness,” and a third of the water became bitter, and many people died from the water that had been turned bitter.

12 The fourth angel sounded hisshofar; and a third of the sun was struck, also a third of the moon and a third of the stars; so that a third of them were darkened, the day had a third less light, and the night likewise.

13 Then I looked, and I heard a lone eagle give a loud cry, as it flew in mid-heaven, “Woe! Woe! Woe to the people living on earth, because of the remaining blasts from the three angels who have yet to sound theirshofars!”

1 The fifth angel sounded hisshofar; and I saw a star that had fallen out of heaven onto the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft leading down to the Abyss.

2 He opened the shaft of the Abyss, and there went up smoke from the shaft like the smoke of a huge furnace; the sun was darkened, and the sky too, by the smoke from the shaft.

3 Then out of the smoke onto the earth came locusts, and they were given power like the power scorpions have on earth.

4 They were instructed not to harm the grass on the earth, any green plant or any tree, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

5 The locusts were not allowed to kill them, only to inflict pain on them for five months; and the pain they caused was like the pain of a scorpion sting.

6 In those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

7 Now these locusts looked like horses outfitted for battle. On their heads were what looked like crowns of gold, and their faces were like human faces.

8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like those of lions.

9 Their chests were like iron breastplates, and the sound their wings made was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.

10 They had tails like those of scorpions, with stings; and in their tails was their power to hurt people for five months.

11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is “Abaddon” and in our language, “Destroyer.”

12 The first woe has passed, but there are still two woes to come.

13 The sixth angel sounded hisshofar, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the gold altar before God,

14 saying to the sixth angel, the one with theshofar, “Release the four angels that are bound at the great river Euphrates!”

15 And they were released. These four angels had been kept ready for this moment, for this day and month and year, to kill a third of mankind;

16 and the number of cavalry soldiers was two hundred million! — I heard the number.

17 Here is how the horses looked in the vision: the riders had breastplates that were fire-red, iris-blue and sulfur-yellow; the horses’ heads were like lions’ heads; and from their mouths issued fire, smoke and sulfur.

18 It was these three plagues that killed a third of mankind — the fire, smoke and sulfur issuing from the horses’ mouths.

19 For the power of the horses was in their mouths — and also in their tails, for their tails were like snakes with heads, and with them they could cause injury.

20 The rest of mankind, those who were not killed by these plagues, even then did not turn from what they had made with their own hands — they did not stop worshipping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.

21 Nor did they turn from their murdering, their involvement with the occult and with drugs, their sexual immorality or their stealing.

1 Next I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was dressed in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun, his legs like columns of fire;

2 and he had a little scroll lying open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

3 and shouted in a voice as loud as the roar of a lion; and when he shouted, seven thunderclaps sounded with voices that spoke.

4 When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say,

“Seal up the things the seven thunders said,

do not write them down!”

5 Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted his right hand toward heaven

6 and swore by the One who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it: “There will be no more delay;

7 on the contrary, in the days of the sound from the seventh angel when he sounds hisshofar, the hidden plan of God will be brought to completion, the Good News as he proclaimed it to his servants the prophets.”

8 Next the voice which I had heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the scroll lying open in the hand of the angel standing on the sea and on the land!”

9 So I went over to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll; and he said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.”

10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it; and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; but after I had swallowed it, my stomach turned bitter.

11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”