Myths, Gods, and Men
Spring 2007 Readings - Week 7
The Apocalypse
Vulgate Bible - Book of Revelation 6, 8, 16, 20, 21, 22
To be read April 17, 2007 by Michael Cummings.
6.1 – 6.17
VI: I saw that the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, as with a voice of thunder, "Come and see!" [2] And behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. [3] When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come!" [4] Another came forth, a red horse. To him who sat on it was given to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. There was given to him a great sword. [5] When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, "Come and see!" And behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a balance in his hand. [6] I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenix of barley for a denarius! Don't damage the oil and the wine!" [7] When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living creature saying, "Come and see!" [8] And behold, a pale horse, and he who sat on him, his name was Death. Hades followed with him. Authority over one fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild animals of the earth was given to him. [9] When he opened the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for the Word of God, and for the testimony of the Lamb which they had. [10] They cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, Master, the holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" [11] A long white robe was given them. They were told that they should rest yet for a while, until their fellow servants and their brothers, who would also be killed even as they were, completed their course. [12] I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became as blood. [13] The stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when it is shaken by a great wind. [14] The sky was removed like a scroll when it is rolled up. Every mountain and island were moved out of their places. [15] The kings of the earth, the princes, the commanding officers, the rich, the strong, and every slave and free person, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. [16] They told the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, [17] for the great day of his wrath has come; and who is able to stand?"
8.1 – 9.21
VIII. et cum aperuisset sigillum septimum factum est silentium in caelo quasi media hora [2] et vidi septem angelos stantes in conspectu Dei et datae sunt illis septem tubae [3] et alius angelus venit et stetit ante altare habens turibulum aureum et data sunt illi incensa multa ut daret orationibus sanctorum omnium super altare aureum quod est ante thronum [4] et ascendit fumus incensorum de orationibus sanctorum de manu angeli coram Deo [5] et accepit angelus turibulum et implevit illud de igne altaris et misit in terram et facta sunt tonitrua et voces et fulgora et terraemotus [6] et septem angeli qui habebant septem tubas paraverunt se ut tuba canerent [7] et primus tuba cecinit et facta est grando et ignis mixta in sanguine et missum est in terram et tertia pars terrae conbusta est et tertia pars arborum conbusta est et omne faenum viride conbustum est [8] et secundus angelus tuba cecinit et tamquam mons magnus igne ardens missus est in mare et facta est tertia pars maris sanguis [9] et mortua est tertia pars creaturae quae habent animas et tertia pars navium interiit [10] et tertius angelus tuba cecinit et cecidit de caelo stella magna ardens tamquam facula et cecidit in tertiam partem fluminum et in fontes aquarum [11] et nomen stellae dicitur Absinthius et facta est tertia pars aquarum in absinthium et multi hominum mortui sunt de aquis quia amarae factae sunt [12] et quartus angelus tuba cecinit et percussa est tertia pars solis et tertia pars lunae et tertia pars stellarum ut obscuraretur tertia pars eorum et diei non luceret pars tertia et nox similiter [13] et vidi et audivi vocem unius aquilae volantis per medium caelum dicentis voce magna vae vae vae habitantibus in terra de ceteris vocibus tubae trium angelorum qui erant tuba canituri
IX: The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from the sky fallen to the earth. The key to the pit of the abyss was given to him. [2] He opened the pit of the abyss, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke from a burning furnace. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke from the pit. [3] Then out of the smoke came forth locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. [4] They were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those men who don't have God's seal on their foreheads. [5] They were given power not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion, when it strikes a man. [6] In those days men will seek death, and will in no way find it. They will desire to die, and death will flee from them. [7] The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like golden crowns, and their faces were like men's faces. [8] They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like those of lions. [9] They had breastplates, like breastplates of iron. The sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, or of many horses rushing to war. [10] They have tails like those of scorpions, and stings. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months. [11] They have over them as king the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is "Abaddon," but in Greek, he has the name "Apollyon." [12] The first woe is past. Behold, there are still two woes coming after this. [13] The sixth angel sounded. I heard a voice from the horns of the golden altar which is before God, [14] saying to the sixth angel who had one trumpet, "Free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!" [15] The four angels were freed who had been prepared for that hour and day and month and year, so that they would kill one third of mankind. [16] The number of the armies of the horsemen was ten thousands of ten thousands. I heard the number of them. [17] Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of lions. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur. [18] By these three plagues were one third of mankind killed: by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur, which proceeded out of their mouths. [19] For the power of the horses is in their mouths, and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads, and with them they harm. [20] The rest of mankind, who were not killed with these plagues, didn't repent of the works of their hands, that they wouldn't worship demons, and the idols of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of stone, and of wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk. [21] They didn't repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts.
16.1 – 16.21
XVI. et audivi vocem magnam de templo dicentem septem angelis ite et effundite septem fialas irae Dei in terram [2] et abiit primus et effudit fialam suam in terram et factum est vulnus saevum ac pessimum in homines qui habent caracterem bestiae et eos qui adoraverunt imaginem eius [3] et secundus effudit fialam suam in mare et factus est sanguis tamquam mortui et omnis anima vivens mortua est in mari [4] et tertius effudit fialam suam super flumina et super fontes aquarum et factus est sanguis [5] et audivi angelum aquarum dicentem iustus es qui es et qui eras sanctus quia haec iudicasti [6] quia sanguinem sanctorum et prophetarum fuderunt et sanguinem eis dedisti bibere digni sunt [7] et audivi altare dicens etiam Domine Deus omnipotens vera et iusta iudicia tua [8] et quartus effudit fialam suam in solem et datum est illi aestu adficere homines et igni [9] et aestuaverunt homines aestu magno et blasphemaverunt nomen Dei habentis potestatem super has plagas neque egerunt paenitentiam ut darent illi gloriam [10] et quintus effudit fialam suam super sedem bestiae et factum est regnum eius tenebrosum et conmanducaverunt linguas suas prae dolore [11] et blasphemaverunt Deum caeli prae doloribus et vulneribus suis et non egerunt paenitentiam ex operibus suis [12] et sextus effudit fialam suam in flumen illud magnum Eufraten et siccavit aquam eius ut praepararetur via regibus ab ortu solis
[13] I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, something like frogs; [14] for they are spirits of demons, performing signs; which go forth to the kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together for the war of that great day of God, the Almighty. [15] "Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his clothes, so that he doesn't walk naked, and they see his shame." [16] He gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew, Megiddo. [17] The seventh poured out his bowl into the air. A loud voice came forth out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" [18] There were lightnings, sounds, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since there were men on the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty. [19] The great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. [20] Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. [21] Great hailstones, about the weight of a talent, came down out of the sky on men. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for this plague is exceedingly severe.
20.11 – 20.15
XX: [11] I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them. [12] I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. [13] The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. [14] Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. [15] If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
21.5 – 21.8
XXI: [5] et dixit qui sedebat in throno ecce nova facio omnia et dicit scribe quia haec verba fidelissima sunt et vera [6] et dixit mihi factum est ego sum Alpha et Omega initium et finis ego sitienti dabo de fonte aquae vivae gratis [7] qui vicerit possidebit haec et ero illi Deus et ille erit mihi filius [8] timidis autem et incredulis et execratis et homicidis et fornicatoribus et veneficis et idolatris et omnibus mendacibus pars illorum erit in stagno ardenti igne et sulphure quod est mors secunda
22.18 – 22.21
XXII: [18] I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them, may God add to him the plagues which are written in this book. [19] If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, may God take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. [20] He who testifies these things says, "Yes, I come quickly." Amen! Yes, come, Lord Jesus. [21] The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints. Amen.