Wimbo Wa Ushindi

19 Baada ya haya nikasikia sauti kama sauti kuu ya umati mkubwa wa watu mbinguni ikisema kwa nguvu, “Haleluya! Wokovu na utukufu na uweza ni wa Mungu wetu. Maana hukumu zake ni za kweli na haki, amemhukumu yule kahaba mkuu aliyeuharibu ulimwengu kwa uasherati wake. Mungu amelipiza kisasi kwa ajili ya damu ya watumishi wake.” Kwa mara nyingine wakasema kwa nguvu, “Hale luya! Moshi wake huyo kahaba unapanda juu milele na milele.” Wale wazee ishirini na wanne pamoja na wale viumbe wanne wenye uhai walianguka kifudifudi wakamwabudu Mungu aliyekuwa ameketi katika kiti cha enzi. Wakasema kwa sauti kuu, “Amina! Hale luya!”

Na sauti ikatoka katika kile kiti cha enzi ikisema, “Msi funi Mungu wetu ninyi watumishi wake wote, nyote mnaomcha, wadogo kwa wakubwa.”

Kisha nikasikia sauti kama sauti ya umati mkubwa wa watu, kama sauti ya maporomoko ya maji mengi na kama ngurumo kuu ya radi kubwa ikisema, “Haleluya! Kwa maana Bwana Mungu wetu Mwe nyezi anatawala. Tufurahi na kushangilia na kumtukuza maana harusi ya Mwana-Kondoo imefika na bibi harusi wake amejitayar isha. Alipewa kitani safi nyeupe inayong’aa ili avae.” Hiyo kitani safi ni matendo ya haki ya watakatifu.

Na malaika akaniambia, “Andika haya: ‘Wamebarikiwa wal ioalikwa kwenye karamu ya harusi ya Mwana-Kondoo.”’ Na akaniambia, “Maneno haya ni maneno ya kweli ya Mungu.”

10 Ndipo nikaanguka kifudifudi miguuni pake kumwabudu, lakini yeye akaniambia, “Usifanye hivyo! Mimi pia ni mtumishi pamoja na wewe na ndugu zako wanaoshikilia ushuhuda wao kwa Yesu. Mwabudu Mungu! Maana ushuhuda wa Yesu ndio kiini cha unabii.”

Aliyepanda Farasi Mweupe

11 Kisha nikaona mbingu imefunguka na mbele yangu nikaona farasi mweupe! Aliyeketi juu ya huyo farasi aliitwa Mwaminifu na Kweli, naye huhukumu na kupigana vita kwa ajili ya haki. 12 Macho yake ni kama miali ya moto na juu ya kichwa chake kuna vilemba vingi; na ameandikwa jina ambalo hakuna mwingine anayeli jua isipokuwa yeye mwenyewe. 13 Amevaa vazi lililochovywa katika damu na jina analoitwa ni “Neno la Mungu”. 14 Na majeshi ya mbinguni yaliyovaa kitani safi nyeupe walimfuata wakiwa wamepanda farasi weupe.

15 Kinywani mwake mlitoka upanga mkali wa kuyapiga mataifa. Atawatawala kwa fimbo ya chuma na kukamua divai katika mtambo wa kutengenezea divai ya ghadhabu ya Mungu Mwenyezi. 16 Kwenye vazi lake na paja lake liliandikwa jina hili: “Mfalme wa wafalme na Bwana wa mabwana.”

Bwana wa mabwana.”

17 Kisha nikamwona malaika amesimama ndani ya jua, akaita ndege wote warukao angani kwa sauti kuu, “Njooni, kusanyikeni kwa ajili ya karamu kubwa ya Mungu. 18 Njooni mle nyama ya wafalme na nyama ya majemadari, na nyama ya watu hodari; nyama ya farasi na wapanda farasi, nyama ya wanadamu wote, wakubwa kwa wadogo, watumwa na watu huru.”

19 Na nikamwona yule mnyama na wafalme wa duniani pamoja na majeshi yao wakikusanyika kumpiga vita yeye aketiye juu ya yule farasi pamoja na jeshi lake. 20 Yule mnyama akatekwa pamoja na yule nabii wa uongo, aliyefanya ishara za uongo, kwa niaba yake, akawadanganya wale waliopokea alama ya huyo mnyama na kuiabudu sanamu yake. Hawa wawili walitupwa wangali hai katika ziwa la moto liwakalo kwa kiberiti. 21 Waliobakia waliuawa kwa upanga wa yule aketiye juu ya farasi, kwa ule upanga utokao kinywani mwake; na ndege wote wakala nyama yao mpaka wakakinai.

Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall

19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude(A) in heaven shouting:

“Hallelujah!(B)
Salvation(C) and glory and power(D) belong to our God,
    for true and just are his judgments.(E)
He has condemned the great prostitute(F)
    who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”(G)

And again they shouted:

“Hallelujah!(H)
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”(I)

The twenty-four elders(J) and the four living creatures(K) fell down(L) and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”(M)

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,
    all you his servants,(N)
you who fear him,
    both great and small!”(O)

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude,(P) like the roar of rushing waters(Q) and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!(R)
    For our Lord God Almighty(S) reigns.(T)
Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!(U)
For the wedding of the Lamb(V) has come,
    and his bride(W) has made herself ready.
Fine linen,(X) bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts(Y) of God’s holy people.)

Then the angel said to me,(Z) “Write this:(AA) Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”(AB) And he added, “These are the true words of God.”(AC)

10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him.(AD) But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!(AE) For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”(AF)

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

11 I saw heaven standing open(AG) and there before me was a white horse, whose rider(AH) is called Faithful and True.(AI) With justice he judges and wages war.(AJ) 12 His eyes are like blazing fire,(AK) and on his head are many crowns.(AL) He has a name written on him(AM) that no one knows but he himself.(AN) 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,(AO) and his name is the Word of God.(AP) 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen,(AQ) white(AR) and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword(AS) with which to strike down(AT) the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”[a](AU) He treads the winepress(AV) of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:(AW)

king of kings and lord of lords.(AX)

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds(AY) flying in midair,(AZ) “Come,(BA) gather together for the great supper of God,(BB) 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people,(BC) free and slave,(BD) great and small.”(BE)

19 Then I saw the beast(BF) and the kings of the earth(BG) and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse(BH) and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet(BI) who had performed the signs(BJ) on its behalf.(BK) With these signs he had deluded(BL) those who had received the mark of the beast(BM) and worshiped its image.(BN) The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake(BO) of burning sulfur.(BP) 21 The rest were killed with the sword(BQ) coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse,(BR) and all the birds(BS) gorged themselves on their flesh.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 19:15 Psalm 2:9