The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 73: Apocalypse
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15:7. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels
seven golden vials, full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and
ever.
15:8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the majesty of God and
from his power. And no man was able to enter into the temple, till the
seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
Apocalypse Chapter 16
The seven vials are poured out. The plagues that ensue.
16:1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven
angels: Go and pour out the seven vials of the wrath of God upon the
earth.
16:2. And the first went and poured out his vial upon the earth. And
there fell a sore and grievous wound upon men who had the character of
the beast: and upon them that adored the image thereof.
16:3. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea. And there
came blood as it were of a dead man: and every living soul died in the
sea.
16:4. And the third poured out his vial upon the rivers and the
fountains of waters. And there was made blood.
16:5. And I heard the angel of the waters saying: Thou art just, O Lord,
who art and who wast, the Holy One, because thou hast judged these
things.
16:6. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets: and thou hast
given them blood to drink. For they are worthy.
16:7. And I heard another, from the altar, saying: Yea, O Lord God
Almighty, true and just are thy judgments.
16:8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun. And it was
given unto him to afflict men with heat and fire.
16:9. And men were scorched with great heat: and they blasphemed the
name of God, who hath power over these plagues. Neither did they penance
to give him glory.
16:10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the
beast. And his kingdom became dark: and they gnawed their tongues for
pain.
16:11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and
wounds: and did not penance for their works.
16:12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon that great river
Euphrates and dried up the water thereof, that a way might be prepared
for the kings from the rising of the sun.
16:13. And I saw from the mouth of the dragon and from the mouth of the
beast and from the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits
like frogs.
16:14. For they are the spirits of devils, working signs: and they go
forth unto the kings of the whole earth, to gather them to battle
against the great day of the Almighty God.
16:15. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and
keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16:16. And he shall gather them together into a place which in Hebrew is
called Armagedon.
Armagedon... That is, the hill of robbers.
16:17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial upon the air. And
there came a great voice out of the temple from the throne, saying: It
is done.
16:18. And there were lightnings and voices and thunders: and there was
a great earthquake, such an one as never had been since men were upon
the earth, such an earthquake, so great.
16:19. And the great city was divided into three parts: and the cities
of the Gentiles fell. And great Babylon came in remembrance before God,
to give her the cup of the wine of the indignation of his wrath.
16:20. And every island fled away: and the mountains were not found.
16:21. And great hail, like a talent, came down from heaven upon men:
and men blasphemed God, for the plague of the hail: because it was
exceeding great.
Apocalypse Chapter 17
The description of the great harlot and of the beast upon which she
sits.
17:1. And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven vials and
spoke with me, saying: Come, I will shew thee the condemnation of the
great harlot, who sitteth upon many waters:
17:2. With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication. And
they who inhabit the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her
whoredom.
17:3. And he took me away in spirit into the desert. And I saw a woman
sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy,
having seven heads and ten horns.
17:4. And the woman was clothed round about with purple and scarlet, and
gilt with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in
her hand, full of the abomination and filthiness of her fornication.
17:5. And on her forehead a name was written: A mystery: Babylon the
great, the mother of the fornications and the abominations of the earth.
A mystery... That is, a secret; because what follows of the name and
title of the great harlot is to be taken in a mystical sense. Babylon...
Either the city of the devil in general; or, if this place be to be
understood of any particular city, pagan Rome, which then and for three
hundred years persecuted the church; and was the principal seat both of
empire and idolatry.
17:6. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with
the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And I wondered, when I had seen her,
with great admiration.
17:7. And the angel said to me: Why dost thou wonder? I will tell thee
the mystery of the woman and of the beast which carrieth her, which hath
the seven heads and ten horns.
17:8. The beast which thou sawest, was, and is not, and shall come up
out of the bottomless pit and go into destruction. And the inhabitants
on the earth (whose names are not written in the book of life from the
foundation of the world) shall wonder, seeing the beast that was and is
not.
The beast which thou sawest... This beast which supports Babylon, may
signify the power of the devil: which was and is not, being much limited
by the coming of Christ, but shall again exert itself under Antichrist.
The seven heads of this beast are seven mountains or empires,
instruments of his tyranny; of which five were then fallen. (See chap.
13.1, and below, ver. 10.) The beast itself is said to be the eighth,
and is of the seven; because they all act under the devil, and by his
instigation, so that his power is in them all, yet so as to make up, as
it were, an eighth empire, distinct from them all.
17:9. And here is the understanding that hath wisdom. The seven heads
are seven mountains, upon which the woman sitteth: and they are seven
kings.
17:10. Five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come: and when
he is come, he must remain a short time.
17:11. And the beast which was and is not: the same also is the eighth,
and is of the seven, and goeth into destruction.
17:12. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who have not
yet received a kingdom: but shall receive power as kings, one hour after
the beast.
Ten kings... Ten lesser kingdoms, enemies also of the church of Christ:
which, nevertheless, shall be made instruments of the justice of God for
the punishment of Babylon. Some understand this of the Goths, Vandals,
Huns, and other barbarous nations, that destroyed the empire of Rome.
17:13. These have one design: and their strength and power they shall
deliver to the beast.
17:14. These shall fight with the Lamb. And the Lamb shall overcome them
because he is Lord of lords and King of kings: and they that are with
him are called and elect and faithful.
17:15. And he said to me: The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot
sitteth, are peoples and nations and tongues.
17:16. And the ten horns which thou sawest in the beast: These shall
hate the harlot and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her
flesh and shall burn her with fire.
17:17. For God hath given into their hearts to do that which pleaseth
him: that they give their kingdom to the beast, till the words of God be
fulfilled.
17:18. And the woman which thou sawest is the great city which hath
kingdom over the kings of the earth.
Apocalypse Chapter 18
The fall of Babylon. Kings and merchants lament over her.
18:1. And after these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven,
having great power: and the earth was enlightened with his glory.
18:2. And he cried out with a strong voice, saying: Babylon the great is
fallen, is fallen: and is become the habitation of devils and the hold
of every unclean spirit and the hold of every unclean and hateful bird:
18:3. Because all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her
fornication: and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with
her; And the merchants of the earth have been made rich by the power of
her delicacies.
18:4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying: Go out from her, my
people; that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not
of her plagues.
18:5. For her sins have reached unto heaven: and the Lord hath
remembered her iniquities.
18:6. Render to her as she also hath rendered to you: and double unto
her double, according to her works. In the cup wherein she hath mingled,
mingle ye double unto her.
18:7. As much as she hath glorified herself and lived in delicacies, so
much torment and sorrow give ye to her. Because she saith in her heart:
I sit a queen and am no widow: and sorrow I shall not see.
18:8. Therefore, shall her plagues come in one day, death and mourning
and famine. And she shall be burnt with the fire: because God is strong,
who shall judge her.
18:9. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and
lived in delicacies with her, shall weep and bewail themselves over her,
when they shall see the smoke of her burning:
18:10. Standing afar off for fear of her torments, saying: Alas! alas!
that great city, Babylon, that mighty city: for in one hour is thy
judgment come.
18:11. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her: for
no man shall buy their merchandise any more.
18:12. Merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones: and of pearls
and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet: and all thyine wood: and
all manner of vessels of ivory: and all manner of vessels of precious
stone and of brass and of iron and of marble:
18:13. And cinnamon and odours and ointment and frankincense and wine
and oil and fine flour and wheat and beasts and sheep and horses and
chariots: and slaves and souls of men.
18:14. And the fruits of the desire of thy soul are departed from thee:
and all fat and goodly things are perished from thee. And they shall
find them no more at all.
18:15. The merchants of these things, who were made rich, shall stand
afar off from her, for fear of her torments, weeping and mourning,
18:16. And saying: Alas! alas! that great city, which was clothed with
fine linen and purple and scarlet and was gilt with gold and precious
stones and pearls.
18:17. For in one hour are so great riches come to nought. And every
shipmaster and all that sail into the lake, and mariners, and as many as
work in the sea, stood afar off,
18:18. And cried, seeing the place of her burning, saying: What city is
like to this great city?
18:19. And they cast dust upon their heads and cried, weeping and
mourning, saying: Alas! alas! that great city, wherein all were made
rich, that had ships at sea, by reason of her prices. For, in one hour
she is made desolate.
18:20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven and ye holy apostles and prophets.
For God hath judged your judgment on her.
18:21. And a mighty angel took up a stone, as it were a great millstone,
and cast it into the sea, saying: With such violence as this, shall
Babylon, that great city, be thrown down and shall be found no more at
all.
18:22. And the voice of harpers and of musicians and of them that play
on the pipe and on the trumpet shall no more be heard at all in thee:
and no craftsman of any art whatsoever shall be found any more at all in
thee: and the sound of the mill shall be heard no more at all in thee:
18:23. And the light of the lamp shall shine no more at all in thee: and
the voice of the bridegroom and the bride shall be heard no more at all
in thee. For thy merchants were the great men of the earth: for all
nations have been deceived by thy enchantments.
18:24. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of
all that were slain upon the earth.
Apocalypse Chapter 19
The saints glorify God for his judgments on the great harlot. Christ's
victory over the beast and the kings of the earth.
19:1. After these things, I heard as it were the voice of much people in
heaven, saying: Alleluia. Salvation and glory and power is to our God.
19:2. For true and just are his judgments, who hath judged the great
harlot which corrupted the earth with her fornication and hath revenged
the blood of his servants, at her hands.
19:3. And again they said: Alleluia. And her smoke ascendeth for ever
and ever.
19:4. And the four and twenty ancients and the four living creatures
fell down and adored God that sitteth upon the throne, saying: Amen.
Alleluia.
19:5. And a voice came out from the throne, saying: Give praise to our
God, all ye his servants: and you that fear him, little and great.
19:6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the
voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thunders, saying:
Alleluia: for the Lord our God, the Almighty, hath reigned.
19:7. Let us be glad and rejoice and give glory to him. For the marriage
of the Lamb is come: and his wife hath prepared herself.
19:8. And it is granted to her that she should clothe herself with fine
linen, glittering and white. For the fine linen are the justifications
of saints.
19:9. And he said to me: Write: Blessed are they that are called to the
marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith to me: These words of God are
true.
19:10. And I fell down before his feet, to adore him. And he saith to
me: See thou do it not. I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren who
have the testimony of Jesus. Adore God. For the testimony of Jesus is
the spirit of prophecy.
I fell down before, etc... St. Augustine (lib. 20, contra Faust, c. 21)
is of opinion, that this angel appeared in so glorious a manner, that
St. John took him to be God; and therefore would have given him divine
honour had not the angel stopped him, by telling him he was but his
fellow servant. St. Gregory (Hom. 8, in Evang.) rather thinks that the
veneration offered by St. John, was not divine honour, or indeed any
other than what might lawfully be given; but was nevertheless refused by
the angel, in consideration of the dignity to which our human nature had
been raised, by the incarnation of the Son of God, and the dignity of
St. John, an apostle, prophet, and martyr.
19:11. And I saw heaven opened: and behold a white horse. And he that
sat upon him was called faithful and true: and with justice doth he
judge and fight.
19:12. And his eyes were as a flame of fire: and on his head were many
diadems. And he had a name written, which no man knoweth but himself.
19:13. And he was clothed with a garment sprinkled with blood. And his
name is called: THE WORD OF GOD.
19:14. And the armies that are in heaven followed him on white horses,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
19:15. And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp two-edged sword, that
with it he may strike the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of
iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of
God the Almighty.
19:16. And he hath on his garment and on his thigh written: KING OF
KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
19:17. And I saw an angel standing in the sun: and he cried with a loud
voice, saying to all the birds that did fly through the midst of heaven:
Come, gather yourselves together to the great supper of God:
19:18. That you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of tribunes and
the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on
them: and the flesh of all freemen and bondmen and of little and of
great.
19:19. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies,
gathered together to make war with him that sat upon the horse and with
his army.
19:20. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who
wrought signs before him, wherewith he seduced them who received the
character of the beast and who adored his image. These two were cast
alive into the pool of fire burning with brimstone.
19:21. And the rest were slain by the sword of him that sitteth upon the
horse, which proceedeth out of his mouth: and all the birds were filled
with their flesh.
Apocalypse Chapter 20
Satan is bound for a thousand years. The souls of the martyrs reign with
Christ in the first resurrection. The last attempts of Satan against the
church. The last judgment.
20:1. And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
20:2. And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the
devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
Bound him, etc... The power of Satan has been very much limited by the
passion of Christ: for a thousand years; that is, for the whole time of
the New Testament; but especially from the time of the destruction of
Babylon or pagan Rome, till the new efforts of Gog and Magog against the
church, towards the end of the world. During which time the souls of the
martyrs and saints live and reign with Christ in heaven, in the first
resurrection, which is that of the soul to the life of glory; as the
second resurrection will be that of the body, at the day of the general
judgment.
20:3. And he cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a
seal upon him, that he should no more seduce the nations till the
thousand years be finished. And after that, he must be loosed a little
time.
20:4. And I saw seats. And they sat upon them: and judgment was given
unto them. And the souls of them that were beheaded for the testimony of
Jesus and for the word of God and who had not adored the beast nor his
image nor received his character on their foreheads or in their hands.
And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
20:5. The rest of the dead lived not, till the thousand years were
finished. This is the first resurrection.
20:6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection.
In these the second death hath no power. But they shall be priests of
God and of Christ: and shall reign with him a thousand years.
20:7. And when the thousand years shall be finished, Satan shall be
loosed out of his prison and shall go forth and seduce the nations which
are over the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog: and shall gather
them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
20:8. And they came upon the breadth of the earth and encompassed the
camp of the saints and the beloved city.
20:9. And there cane down fire from God out of heaven and devoured them:
and the devil, who seduced them, was cast into the pool of fire and
brimstone, where both the beast
20:10. And the false prophet shall be tormented day and night for ever
and ever.
20:11. And I saw a great white throne and one sitting upon it, from
whose face the earth and heaven fled away: and there was no place found
for them.
20:12. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of
the throne. And the books were opened: and another book was opened,
which was the book of life. And the dead were judged by those things
which were written in the books, according to their works.
20:13. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it: and death and hell
gave up their dead that were in them. And they were judged, every one
according to their works.
20:14. And hell and death were cast into the pool of fire. This is the
second death.
20:15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the pool of fire.
Apocalypse Chapter 21
The new Jerusalem described.
21:1. I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the
first earth was gone: and the sea is now no more.
The first heaven and the first earth was gone, being changed, not as to
their substance, but in their qualities.
21:2. And I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out
of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
21:3. And I heard a great voice from the throne, saying: Behold the
tabernacle of God with men: and he will dwell with them. And they shall
be his people: and God himself with them shall be their God.
21:4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and death shall
be no more. Nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be any more, for
the former things are passed away.
21:5. And he that sat on the throne, said: Behold, I make all things
new. And he said to me: Write. For these words are most faithful and
true.
21:6. And he said to me: It is done. I am Alpha and Omega: the Beginning
and the End. To him that thirsteth, I will give of the fountain of the
water of life, freely.
21:7. He that shall overcome shall possess these things. And I will be
his God: and he shall be my son.
21:8. But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers
and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, they shall
have their portion in the pool burning with fire and brimstone, which is
the second death.
21:9. And there came one of the seven angels, who had the vials full of
the seven last plagues, and spoke with me, saying: Come and I will shew
thee the bride, the wife of the Lamb.
21:10. And he took me up in spirit to a great and high mountain: and he
shewed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
21:11. Having the glory of God, and the light thereof was like to a
precious stone, as to the jasper stone even as crystal.
21:12. And it had a wall great and high, having twelve gates, and in the
gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of
the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
21:13. On the east, three gates: and on the north, three gates: and on
the south, three gates: and on the west, three gates.
21:14. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations: And in them, the
twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb,
21:15. And he that spoke with me had a measure of a reed of gold, to
measure the city and the gates thereof and the wall.
21:16. And the city lieth in a four-square: and the length thereof is as
great as the breadth. And he measured the city with the golden reed for
twelve thousand furlongs: and the length and the height and the breadth
thereof are equal.
21:17. And he measured the wall thereof an hundred forty-four cubits,
the measure of a man, which is of an angel.
The measure of a man, i.e., According to the measure of men, and used by
the angel... This seems to be the true meaning of these words.
21:18. And the building of the wall thereof was of jasper stone: but the
city itself pure gold like to clear glass.
21:19. And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all
manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper: the second,
sapphire: the third; a chalcedony: the fourth, an emerald:
21:20. The fifth, sardonyx: the sixth, sardius: the seventh, chrysolite:
the eighth, beryl: the ninth, a topaz: the tenth, a chrysoprasus: the
eleventh, a jacinth: the twelfth, an amethyst.
21:21. And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, one to each: and every
several gate was of one several pearl. And the street of the city was
pure gold, as it were, transparent glass.
21:22. And I saw no temple therein. For the Lord God Almighty is the
temple thereof, and the Lamb.
21:23. And the city hath no need of the sun, nor of the moon, to shine
in it. For the glory of God hath enlightened it: and the Lamb is the
lamp thereof.
21:24. And the nations shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of
the earth shall bring their glory and honour into it.
21:25. And the gates thereof shall not be shut by day: for there shall
be no night there.
21:26. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
21:27. There shall not enter into it any thing defiled or that worketh
abomination or maketh a lie: but they that are written in the book of
life of the Lamb.
Apocalypse Chapter 22
The water and tree of life. The conclusion.
22:1. And he shewed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal,
proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
22:2. In the midst of the street thereof, and on both sides of the
river, was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruits
every month: the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations.
22:3. And there shall be no curse any more: but the throne of God and of
the Lamb shall be in it. And his servants shall serve him.
22:4. And they shall see his face: and his name shall be on their
foreheads.
22:5. And night shall be no more. And they shall not need the light of
the lamp, nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall enlighten
then. And they shall reign for ever and ever.
22:6. And he said to me: These words are most faithful and true. And
the Lord God of the spirits of the prophets sent his angel to shew his
servant the things which must be done shortly.
22:7. And: Behold I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the words
of the prophecy of this book.