12 1 A great wonder appeared in heaven. A woman clothed with the son, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars.
2 She was pregnant and about to give birth.
3 Then a huge red dragon, with seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads appeared.
4 He threw a third of the stars onto the earth.
The dragon stood in front of the woman, waiting to eat the baby as soon as it was born.
5 She delivered a baby boy, who would rule all nations with an iron rod. The baby went up to God and his throne.
6 The woman ran into the wilderness, where she was fed for 1260 days.
7 There was a war in heaven, in which Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels.
8-9 The dragon lost the battle and was cast out of heaven to the earth, where that old serpent (the Devil and his Satan), deceives the whole world.
10 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
Salvation, strength, and God's kingdom has come. For the accuser is cast down.
11 They overcame him with the lamb's blood.
12 Woe to everyone who lives on the earth or sea. Because the devil has come down to you. He's angry since he knows he doesn't have much time.
13 When the dragon saw he was cast onto the earth, he persecuted the woman who delivered the baby boy.
14 The woman was given the wings of an eagle, so she could fly into the wilderness, where she is fed for a time, and times, and half a time.
15 The serpent spit out water to flood the woman.
16 But the earth helped the woman by swallowing the flood.
17 The dragon was angry with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed.
13 1 I saw a beast come out of the sea, who had seven heads, ten horns, and ten crowns, with the name "Blasphemy" written on each head.
2 The beast was like a leopard, with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion.
The dragon gave him great power and authority.
3 One of his heads had a deadly wound. But the wound healed and the whole world was amazed by it. 4 Everyone worshiped the dragon and beast, saying,
Who is like the beast?
Who can go to war against him?
5 The beast was given a mouth, with which he spoke for 42 months.
6 And he opened his mouth to blaspheme against God.
7 He was given power to defeat the saints in war.
8 Everyone on earth, whose names aren't written in the book of life, will worship him.
9 If you have an ear, hear.
11 I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns and spoke like a dragon.
12 He made everyone worship the first beast (whose deadly wound was healed).
13 He did great wonders, like make fire come down from heaven to earth.
14 He did miracles and told people to make an image of the beast (who was wounded with a sword but lived).
15 He made the image of the beast speak and killed whoever wouldn't worship it.
16 He forced everyone to receive the mark of the beast on their right hand or on their forehead.
17 No one could buy or sell without the mark or the name or the number of the beast.
18 This is wisdom: to count the number of the beast, which is the number of a man, and it is 666.
Copyright © 1999-2025
The Skeptic's Annotated Bible
Send comments to Steve Wells
at swwells(at)gmail.com
