DONNIE DAILY GEMS FOR SATURDAY DECEMBER 30:
DAILY BIBLE READING
Revelation 16-18New King James Version (NKJV)
16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go
and pour out the bowls[a] of the wrath of God on the earth."
First Bowl: Loathsome Sores
2 So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and
loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who
worshiped his image.
Second Bowl: The Sea Turns to Blood
3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood
as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.
Third Bowl: The Waters Turn to Blood
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of
water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying:
"You are righteous, O Lord,[b]
The One who is and who was and who is to be,[c]
Because You have judged these things.
6
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
And You have given them blood to drink.
For[d] it is their just due."
7 And I heard another from[e] the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty,
true and righteous are Your judgments."
Fourth Bowl: Men Are Scorched
8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given
to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat,
and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and
they did not repent and give Him glory.
Fifth Bowl: Darkness and Pain
10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and
his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because
of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains
and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.
Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up
12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,
and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might
be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of
the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth
of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs,
which go out to the kings of the earth and[f] of the whole world, to gather
them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his
garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame."
16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew,
Armageddon.[g]
Seventh Bowl: The Earth Utterly Shaken
17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice
came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18
And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great
earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men
were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and
the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God,
to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then
every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail
from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men
blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was
exceedingly great.
The Scarlet Woman and the Scarlet Beast
17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with
me, saying to me,[h] "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot
who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed
fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine
of her fornication."
3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman
sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having
seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet,
and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a
golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.[i] 5
And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of
the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
The Meaning of the Woman and the Beast
7 But the angel said to me, "Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery
of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads
and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will
ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on
the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from
the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not,
and yet is.[j]
9 "Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on
which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one
is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a
short time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth,
and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.
12 "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom
as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13
These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the
beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome
them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him
are called, chosen, and faithful."
15 Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are
peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you
saw on[k] the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and
naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into
their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their
kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the
woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the
earth."
The Fall of Babylon the Great
18 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having
great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 2 And he
cried mightily[l] with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen,
is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every
foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3 For all the
nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of
the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the
earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."
4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people,
lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 For her
sins have reached[m] to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6
Render to her just as she rendered to you,[n] and repay her double according
to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. 7 In the
measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same
measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, 'I sit as
queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.' 8 Therefore her plagues
will come in one day-death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly
burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges[o] her.
The World Mourns Babylon's Fall
9 "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously
with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her
burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas,
alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your
judgment has come.'
11 "And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one
buys their merchandise anymore: 12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious
stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of
citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most
precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense,
fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle
and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 14 The fruit
that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are
rich and splendid have gone from you,[p] and you shall find them no more at
all. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand
at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying,
'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and
scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 For in
one hour such great riches came to nothing.' Every shipmaster, all who
travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a
distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying,
'What is like this great city?'
19 "They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and
saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea
became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.'
20 "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles[q] and prophets, for
God has avenged you on her!"
Finality of Babylon's Fall
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it
into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be
thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. 22 The sound of harpists,
musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No
craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a
millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. 23 The light of a lamp shall
not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be
heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth,
for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. 24 And in her was found
the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth."
Footnotes:
a.Revelation 16:1 NU-Text and M-Text read seven bowls.
b.Revelation 16:5 NU-Text and M-Text omit O Lord.
c.Revelation 16:5 NU-Text and M-Text read who was, the Holy One.
d.Revelation 16:6 NU-Text and M-Text omit For.
e.Revelation 16:7 NU-Text and M-Text omit another from.
f.Revelation 16:14 NU-Text and M-Text omit of the earth and.
g.Revelation 16:16 M-Text reads Megiddo.
h.Revelation 17:1 NU-Text and M-Text omit to me.
i.Revelation 17:4 M-Text reads the filthiness of the fornication of the
earth.
j.Revelation 17:8 NU-Text and M-Text read and shall be present.
k.Revelation 17:16 NU-Text and M-Text read saw, and the beast.
l.Revelation 18:2 NU-Text and M-Text omit mightily.
m.Revelation 18:5 NU-Text and M-Text read have been heaped up.
n.Revelation 18:6 NU-Text and M-Text omit to you.
o.Revelation 18:8 NU-Text and M-Text read has judged.
p.Revelation 18:14 NU-Text and M-Text read been lost to you.
q.Revelation 18:20 NU-Text and M-Text read saints and apostles.
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James VersionR. Copyright C 1982 by Thomas
Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
