Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The power to rule over the world belongs now to our Lord and his Messiah, and he will rule forever and ever!"

God's temple in heaven was opened, and the Covenant Box was seen there. Then there were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl in the air. A loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, "It is done!"

Then a voice said from heaven, "This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased."

It said, "Write down what you see, and send the book to the churches in these seven cities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: "This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands.

As soon as they spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice speak from heaven, "Keep secret what the seven thunders have said; do not write it down!"

Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Happy are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb." And the angel added, "These are the true words of God."

Then the one who sits on the throne said, "And now I make all things new!" He also said to me, "Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted."

Happy and greatly blessed are those who are included in this first raising of the dead. The second death has no power over them; they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they will rule with him for a thousand years.

Then I looked again at all the injustice that goes on in this world. The oppressed were crying, and no one would help them. No one would help them, because their oppressors had power on their side.

I envy those who are dead and gone; they are better off than those who are still alive.

Good people die, and no one understands or even cares. But when they die, no calamity can hurt them.

Those who live good lives find peace and rest in death.

We are full of courage and would much prefer to leave our home in the body and be at home with the Lord.

For what is life? To me, it is Christ. Death, then, will bring more.

I am pulled in two directions. I want very much to leave this life and be with Christ, which is a far better thing;

If we live, it is for the Lord that we live, and if we die, it is for the Lord that we die. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

It would also mean that the believers in Christ who have died are lost.

We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will take back with Jesus those who have died believing in him.

There will be the shout of command, the archangel's voice, the sound of God's trumpet, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first;

who died for us in order that we might live together with him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes.

Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the complete number of other servants and believers were killed, as they had been.

"I don't know, sir. You do," I answered. He said to me, "These are the people who have come safely through the terrible persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb.

Never again will they hunger or thirst; neither sun nor any scorching heat will burn them,

In the grave wicked people stop their evil, and tired workers find rest at last.

Everyone is there, the famous and the unknown, and slaves at last are free.

They will reach Jerusalem with gladness, singing and shouting for joy. They will be happy forever, forever free from sorrow and grief.

Those who live good lives find peace and rest in death.

But Abraham said, 'Remember, my son, that in your lifetime you were given all the good things, while Lazarus got all the bad things. But now he is enjoying himself here, while you are in pain.

God will do what is right: he will bring suffering on those who make you suffer,

and he will give relief to you who suffer and to us as well. He will do this when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven with his mighty angels,

As it is, however, there still remains for God's people a rest like God's resting on the seventh day.

Let us, then, do our best to receive that rest, so that no one of us will fail as they did because of their lack of faith.

They give knowledge to me, your servant; I am rewarded for obeying them.

Righteousness will go before the LORD and prepare the path for him.

I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes,

The righteous will then answer him, 'When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink?

When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?'

And Jesus went on to say, "And so I tell you: make friends for yourselves with worldly wealth, so that when it gives out, you will be welcomed in the eternal home.

So then, my dear friends, stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord's service is ever useless.

Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant.

If you plant in the field of your natural desires, from it you will gather the harvest of death; if you plant in the field of the Spirit, from the Spirit you will gather the harvest of eternal life.

Perhaps my life's blood is to be poured out like an offering on the sacrifice that your faith offers to God. If that is so, I am glad and share my joy with you all.

I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, and I have kept the faith.

And now there is waiting for me the victory prize of being put right with God, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day---and not only to me, but to all those who wait with love for him to appear.

God is not unfair. He will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for him in the help you gave and are still giving to other Christians.

Our great desire is that each of you keep up your eagerness to the end, so that the things you hope for will come true.