The Seven Seals
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Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of e the seven seals, and I heard f one of the four living creatures say g with a voice like thunder, h "Come!"
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And I looked, and behold, i a white horse! And j its rider had a bow, and k a crown was given to him, and he came out l conquering, and to conquer.
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When he opened the second seal, I heard m the second living creature say, "Come!"
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And out came another horse, n bright red. Its rider was permitted o to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.
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When he opened the third seal, I heard the m third living creature say, "Come!" And I looked, and behold, p a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand.
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And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, q "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and r do not harm the oil and wine!"
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When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of m the fourth living creature say, "Come!"
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And I looked, and behold, s a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill t with sword and with famine and with pestilence and u by wild beasts of the earth.
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When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under v the altar w the souls of those who had been slain x for the word of God and for y the witness they had borne.
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They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, z holy and true, a how long b before you will judge and c avenge our blood on d those who dwell on the earth?"
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Then they were each given e a white robe and f told to rest a little longer, g until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers h should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
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When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, i there was a great earthquake, and j the sun became black as k sackcloth, the full moon became like blood,
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and l the stars of the sky fell to the earth m as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.
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n The sky vanished m like a scroll that is being rolled up, and o every mountain and island was removed from its place.
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Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, p hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,
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q calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of r him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,
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for s the great day of their wrath has come, and t who can stand?"
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Cross References
Revelation 5:1
Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
Revelation 5:5 - 7
And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.
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Cross References
Revelation 4:7
The first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight.
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Cross References
Revelation 14:2
And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.
Revelation 19:6
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
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Cross References
Revelation 22:20
He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
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Cross References
Zechariah 6:3
The third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses - all of them strong.
Revelation 19:11
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
Revelation 19:19
And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.
Revelation 19:21
And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.
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Cross References
Psalms 45:4 - 5
In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!
Habakkuk 3:8 - 9
Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord ? Was your anger against the rivers, or your indignation against the sea, when you rode on your horses, on your chariot of salvation?
Zechariah 9:13 - 14
For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior's sword.
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Cross References
Revelation 14:14
Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.
Zechariah 6:11
Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
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Cross References
Revelation 3:21
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
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Cross References
Revelation 4:7
The first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight.
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Cross References
Zechariah 1:8
I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.
Zechariah 6:2
The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses.
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Cross References
Matthew 10:34
Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Matthew 24:6 - 7
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
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Cross References
Revelation 6:3
When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!
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Cross References
Zechariah 6:2
The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses.
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Cross References
Ezekiel 4:10 - 11
And your food that you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from day to day you shall eat it.
Ezekiel 5:10
Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to all the winds.
Ezekiel 5:16
When I send against you the deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you and break your supply of bread.
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Cross References
Revelation 7:3
Saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.
Revelation 9:4
They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
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Cross References
Revelation 6:3
When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!
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Cross References
Zechariah 6:3
The third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses - all of them strong.
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Cross References
Ezekiel 14:21
For thus says the Lord God : How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast!
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Cross References
Leviticus 26:22
And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted.
Deuteronomy 32:24
They shall be wasted with hunger, and devoured by plague and poisonous pestilence; I will send the teeth of beasts against them, with the venom of things that crawl in the dust.
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Cross References
Revelation 14:18
And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, "Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.
Revelation 16:7
And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!
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Cross References
Revelation 20:4
Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
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Cross References
Revelation 1:9
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
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Cross References
Revelation 1:2
Who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
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Cross References
Revelation 3:7
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.
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Cross References
Psalms 94:3
O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?
Zechariah 1:12
Then the angel of the Lord said, 'O Lord of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which you have been angry these seventy years?
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Cross References
Revelation 11:18
The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.
Revelation 19:2
For his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.
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Cross References
Psalms 79:10
Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes!
Psalms 119:84
How long must your servant endure? When will you judge those who persecute me?
Luke 18:7 - 8
And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?
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Cross References
Revelation 3:10
Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.
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Cross References
Revelation 3:4
Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
Revelation 7:9
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
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Cross References
Revelation 14:13
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!
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Cross References
Hebrews 11:40
Since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
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Cross References
Genesis 15:16
And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.
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Cross References
Revelation 11:13
And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Revelation 16:18
And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.
Hebrews 12:26
At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.
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Cross References
Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
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Cross References
Isaiah 50:3
I clothe the heavens with blackness and make sackcloth their covering.
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Cross References
Revelation 8:10
The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.
Revelation 9:1
And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit.
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Cross References
Isaiah 34:4
All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.
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Cross References
Revelation 20:11
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
Revelation 21:1
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
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Cross References
Revelation 6:13
And the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.
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Cross References
Revelation 16:20
And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.
Isaiah 54:10
For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
Jeremiah 4:24
I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro.
Ezekiel 38:20
The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground.
Nahum 1:5
The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it.
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Cross References
Isaiah 2:19
And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.
Isaiah 2:21
To enter the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.
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Cross References
Hosea 10:8
The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed. Thorn and thistle shall grow up on their altars, and they shall say to the mountains, "Cover us," and to the hills, "Fall on us.
Luke 23:30
Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.
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Cross References
Revelation 4:2
At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.
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Cross References
Jeremiah 30:7
Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it.
Joel 2:11
The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it?
Joel 2:31
The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
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Cross References
Ezra 9:15
O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.
Psalms 76:7
But you, you are to be feared! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused?
Malachi 3:2
But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.
Luke 21:36
But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.