World English Bible · Under Rome
Revelation 14
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I saw, and behold, standing on Mount , and with him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand, having his name and the name of his written on their foreheads. I heard a sound from like the sound of many waters and like the sound of a great thunder. The sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their harps. They sing a new song before and before and the . No one could learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand, those who had been out of the earth. These are those who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow wherever he goes. These were by from among men, the to and to . In their was found no lie, for they are blameless. I saw flying in mid , having an to proclaim to those who on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. He said with a loud voice, ", and give him , for the hour of his has come. him who made the , the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!" Another, a second , followed, saying, " the great has fallen, which has made all the nations to drink of the of the of her sexual immorality." Another , a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, "If anyone worships and his , and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the of , which is prepared unmixed in of his . He will be tormented with and sulfur in the of the and in the of . The smoke of their torment goes up and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who and his , and whoever receives the mark of his name. Here is the of , those who keep of and the of ." I heard a voice from saying, "Write, ' are who in from now on.'" "Yes," says , "that they may rest from their labors, for their works follow with them." I looked, and saw a white cloud, and on the cloud one sitting like a , having on his head a golden , and in his hand a sharp sickle. Another came out of , crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Send your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!" He who sat on the cloud thrust his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. Another came out of which is in . He also had a sharp sickle. Another came out from the , he who has over , and he called with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Send your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of of the earth, for the earth's grapes are fully ripe!" thrust his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth and threw it into the great press of . The press was trodden outside of the city, and came out of the press, up to the bridles of the horses, as far as one thousand six hundred stadia.
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.