Then I looked, and saw where the Lamb stood on mount Sion, amidst a company of a hundred and forty-four thousand, with his name, and his Father’s name, written on their foreheads.

And I heard a sound from heaven, louder than water in full flood, or heavy thunder. This sound which I heard seemed to come from harpers, playing on their harps,

as they sang a new song, there before the throne, and the living figures, and the elders. It was a song none else might learn to sing but the hundred and forty-four thousand that were ransomed from the earth.

These have kept their virginity undefiled by the touch of woman; these are the Lamb’s attendants, wherever he goes; these have been ransomed for God and the Lamb as the first-fruits of mankind.

Falsehood was not found on their lips; they stand there untainted before the throne of God.

I saw, too, another angel flying in mid-heaven, carrying with him a final gospel to preach to all those who dwell on the earth, to every race and tribe and language and people.✻

Fear the Lord, he cried aloud, and give him the praise; the hour of his judgement has come. Fall down before him who made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the springs of water.

A second angel followed, who cried out, Babylon, great Babylon has fallen; she who made all the nations drunk with the maddening wine of her fornication.

And these were followed by a third angel, who cried aloud, Whoever worships the beast and his image, or wears the beast’s mark on forehead or hand,

he too shall drink; but the wine he shall drink is God’s anger, untempered wine poured out in the cup of his vengeance. Fire and brimstone shall be his torment, in the presence of the holy angels, in the presence of the Lamb.

The smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; day and night no rest is theirs, who worshipped the beast and his image, who bore the mark of his name.

This is the test which the saints endure, keeping true to God’s commandment, and the faith of Jesus.

I heard a voice, too, from heaven, Write thus: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. Yes, for ever henceforward, the Spirit says; they are to have rest from their labours; but the deeds they did in life go with them now.✻

Then, in my vision, a white cloud appeared; and on this cloud sat one who seemed like a son of man, with a crown of gold on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.

And now, from the temple, came another angel, crying out to him who sat on the cloud, Put in thy sickle, and reap; the crop of earth is dry, and the time has come to reap it.

So he who sat on the cloud put in his sickle, and earth’s harvest was reaped.

Then another angel came from the heavenly temple; he too had a sharp sickle.

And from the altar came another angel, the same that had power over the fire on it,✻ and cried aloud to the angel with the sharp sickle, Put in thy sharp sickle, and gather the grapes from earth’s vineyard; its clusters are ripe.

So the angel put in his sickle over the earth, and gathered in earth’s vintage, which he threw into the great wine-press of God’s anger;

and when the wine-press was trodden out, away from the city, blood came from the wine-press, and reached as high as a horse’s bridle, sixteen hundred furlongs off.