title: The ciphers of the Apocalypse; the great prophetic scriptural cryptogram that is woven into the Revelation,
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VVJ ^ > A ^ y ^ jaW/H, 0 \/> 0v^ 4 ^ w '" * 'b- ^ \° H 0 .N .s^ <?, . rv O A i \ '**<& ,Q"n' £ CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE <1 THE GREAT MYSTERY “OF MYSTERIES RE¬ PEALED,  New and Old Book The Ciphers of the Apocalypse The Great Prophetic Scriptural Cryptogram That is Woven into the Revelation % -$• “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath under* standing count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” ■M * * “For the Testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy* * % #- Deciphered and Written by LLOYD KENYON JONES 1 mi Cha RLES s. PRATT lei^Tvxu 0W B °° ks ’ S,ationer y> Blank Books 61 SIXTH AVE., Near 12th St., NEW YORK WB "' « "■ BOOK ,o. WANT. C.tIlo", s “ Table of Contents Title Page Introducing the Ciphers of the Apocalypse. 7 The Revelation of St. John the Divine.23 The Symbolical Significance of the Apocalypse.... 71 Foreshadowing the Millennium. 81 Evidence of Cipher Writings. 87 The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.. 97 The Interlocking Ciphers of the Apocalypse.99 The Master Cipher (The Ciphers Worked Out). .117 INTRODUCING THE CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE In offering the message of this volume to students, I am making it a brief to present my viewpoints and convictions relative to the chief purpose of the Book of Revelation. In common with countless others, I often have been impelled to regard Revelation, or the Apoca¬ lypse, as it is called sometimes, as a delirium of the writer’s art. The beasts with faces of birds or animals or men, and the other allegorical characters and ob¬ jects named, would make the universe a place to be feared, and could not harmonize with the fact of law and order which we see in all the operations of God’s nature. Yet for nineteen centuries, this Book of Revela¬ tion has occupied the chief position in the Bible. It is the culminating evidence of the Scriptures. Its name —Revelation—has challenged many to search for its real meaning. And even those who have attempted to take every passage in the Bible literally, have been forced to admit that this final Scriptural book must contain some allegorical or symbolic meaning. The majority of efforts that have been put forth to ferret out the secret purpose of the Apocalypse, have been to regard this Book of Revelation as an allegory contain¬ ing a prophecy. In “these latter days,” cipher writing maintains no place in the concern of the populace. For many cen¬ turies, cryptograms were the accepted methods of con- 7 THE CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE veying secret messages. Precisely as there have been times in the past when art of different kinds has ex¬ celled during certain periods, so were there times when cipher writings reached their highest state of refinement. For many years, I have been interested in ciphers. I have written many cipher stories, and have fitted together several hundred different cipher combina¬ tions, based on the alphabet, on words, and on words and the alphabet in conjunction with numbers. Cipher writings proceed from the simple forms in which 1 would represent A, and 2, B, and so on, to the more complex mathematical forms. The greater the necessity of concealing the message, the more intricate the system would become. In this volume, I give examples of ciphers, and offer propf of the fact that a hidden message actually may be woven into a running story. The more I examined the Book of Revelation, the more inclined I became to believe that, while it was filled with allegory, the main purpose was to bear out the testimony of prophecy. I could not get away from the fact that while many of the verses would indi¬ cate the wanderings of a fevered brain, they would evolve into direct, clear and purposeful statements. When the British Army, under General Allenby, fought at Armageddon and routed the Turks, and shortly thereafter the Central Powers began to crum¬ ble, in common with thousands of others I saw a real import in the specific reference to the Battle of Arma¬ geddon made in Revelation. 8 INTRODUCTION Contradicting this direct statement of the Battle of Armageddon was the reference to the fall of Baby¬ lon, which had fallen long before the Book of Revela¬ tion was written. For centuries, students of the Apocalypse had re¬ marked on the strange recurrence of certain numbers, particularly of 7. I found that there were other num¬ bers that also recurred at intervals, and that in certain chapters various numbers were brought into the text, while there would be many verses that in no manner referred to any numeral. After long thought and frequent reference to the Apocalypse, I began to see suggestions of law and order in the arrangement of the figures. To attempt to add up the different characters and objects mentioned from the first to the 22nd Chapter, inclusive, will bring no result of value. But there were statements, including the reference to Armageddon, the different colors of the horses of the Apocalypse, and the reference to the seven kings, one of which was the eighth and still of the seven, that inclined me to the belief that Revelation pointed to the present time, had special reference to the war, the Empire of Germany, and to the German Emperor. There was the definite statement in the very last verse of the 13th Chapter, that the number of the beast was the number of the man, and that number was six hundred and sixty-six. Being familiar with the law of ciphers, I was convinced that 666 was the key, or else would lead to finding the key. Then came a series of computations that indicated 9 THE CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE that Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany was the indi¬ vidual designated by the number 666. In the law of ciphers there must not be one flaw in the calculations. In the additions and divisions, the results were even. There was nothing left over. But there was one addition in the process that still re¬ mained unexplained. It occurred to me then that the Divine Source of inspiration that could look forward nineteen centuries and foretell definite dates, also could decide upon the proper chapter divisions throughout the translations. Dividing the number groups of different chapters, the ciphers began to re¬ veal themselves, and the missing number—17—in the master cipher was accounted for accurately—in Chap¬ ter 17, as you will find detailed in the cipher computations. I realize, in presenting this work to the public, that critics will say that, with such a variety of numbers, it would be easy enough to obtain similar results with any set of recurring numbers. I feel that no person has a right to criticize until he has made a careful and thorough study of the ciphers, of their interlocking relationship, and of their marvelous presentation of prophetic evidence. I have not altered any part of the Apocalypse. I have not added to or taken from. I believe that in addition to the ciphers I have uncovered, there are others ciphers, and that these may lead to the shedding of more light on other features of this remarkable prophecy. I think this is particularly true of those ciphers which apparently have no other purpose than to prove the cipher character of Revelation. 10 INTRODUCTION Believing that the evidence of the ciphers offers the strength of its own merit, I add to that evidence no claim whatever. Were I to put forth the claim that I had received any direct assistance from the spirit- side of life, critics would label this volume religious propaganda. Consequently, I am offering it for what it is, placing before every person the opportunity of doing his own figuring. In every drama there must be leading actors. No drama is complete without a hero, a heroine and a villain. This is true of world-dramas the same as it is of plays on the stage. It is apparent throughout Revelation, and, in fact, throughout the Scriptures as a whole, that the world’s greatest curse is the worship of the ephemeral mate¬ rial and the ignoring of that which is spiritual. There is ample evidence in the Book of Revelation to show that the great world conflict was a punishment which the world brought upon itself through its materialism, its selfishness, its sensuality. This volume is presented not in an effort to fix the source of any blame on any nation, apart from placing a just portion of the blame on all nations and all indi¬ viduals. Precisely as the Law of Compensation works for the individual, it operates for each nation and for the world. In this great war-drama, there were central fig¬ ures. That was necessary. The Emperor of Ger¬ many was the great central figure; and, instinctively, as though the thought existed in the very nature of things, Emperor Wilhelm was referred to in all parts of the world, except in those countries in his own alli¬ ance, as ‘‘the Beast.” This may, or may not, be signifi- II THE CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE cant as it is related to the same term employed in con¬ junction with the figure 666. Beyond the question of national hatred, lies a much more important problem, and this problem deals with world-destiny as revealed in the prophecy of the Apoc¬ alypse. In order to be a prophecy at all, this fore¬ telling of world events, of the passing of material su¬ premacy and the ascendancy of spiritual things, had to hinge upon a date, or dates. One of the most remarkable features of these ciphers is that they go back to the very days in which the Book of Revelation was written—the days during which the early persecutions of the Christians came into force. The dominant character of Nero, with his supreme egotism in deciding that he must not only be a ruler, but an actor, a philosopher, and nearly every¬ thing else; and the evidence of his vindictiveness, right¬ fully would give him a place in this prophecy. The reprehensible things done by Nero were to be re¬ flected in countless ways as the world moved through its periods of material aggrandizement. Many interesting thoughts could be introduced in conjunction with this prophecy, and with the condi¬ tions that made the prophecy exceptionally important, and such suggestions would include reference to nearly every chapter in the Old and New Testaments, to world history, and to other manifestations that have direct bearing on the thought and purpose of the Apoc¬ alypse. This goes beyond the purpose of this volume, which has as its aim the presentation of evidence of the existence of clear and purposeful ciphers in the Book of Revelation. 12 INTRODUCTION At the time this little volume is written, there is no material evidence that the world is done with its con¬ vulsions. There is no material evidence that the period of war has passed. And even the Millennial Dawn may not insure an abrupt cessation of all hos¬ tilities. If the Millennium is a period in evolution during which age-old causes are focused in their harmonizing effects, the process would still be in the nature of evolution—but would seem to move faster, because of this converging of the results of many causes that long have been in operation. If the Dawn of the Millennium is to come with un¬ usual manifestations, if through these ages the world has been undergoing preparation so that it is ready to receive the truth of immortality, and of the Father¬ hood of God, and of the mission of Jesus Christ; then the beginning of this period would be marked by most unusual happenings. I leave to the student, and to the passing years, the solution of these features of this new era. It is not within the power of human comprehension to analyze the various political, economic and spiritual conditions of the day and say that they will lead in one direction or another. The recent remarkable progress of prohibition and suffrage has run contrary to the opinions and predic¬ tions even of the recent past. The things that the ma¬ jority of people said could not be, have come to pass. Many writers on economic subjects long stated that they were convinced that the world could never be plunged into a war, because of the close and intricate 13 THE CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE weave of international trade relations. These very trade relations resulted in a struggle for monetary and political supremacy, and brought about the collapse of a condition of seeming amity, and in direct and indirect manners involved the entire world in its greatest, most far-reaching and most destructive war. I have been unable to discover in the ciphers of the Apocalypse any special reference to the year 1914.* I think that there is a reason why the year of the be¬ ginning of the war does not enter into the cipher com¬ putations. These ciphers hinge upon the three dates relating to Emperor Wilhelm: The date of his birth, the date of his ascension to the throne, and the date of his dethronement—and the three same dates in the life of Nero. To identify the period, and to give the prophecy a substance of proof, it was best to take a cycle of dates pertaining to one thing or one individual. Even if Emperor Wilhelm were to be restored to the German throne, this would not affect or abrogate the strength of the prophecy. The dates themselves are fixed, and from those dates proceed the other figures. *See page 154 for the missing cipher. It is noteworthy at this particular time—meaning the time in which this volume is written—that there should be inaugurated the great Interchurch World Movement. This great awakening of the churches would seem to be due to heeding the admonition of St. John the Divine: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” As we look back through history, we find no paral¬ lel of the conditions that have come into being through- 14 INTRODUCTION out the world in the past few years. Indeed, in the past century, most of the inventions and scientific dis¬ coveries upon which the world depends for its great commercial activities, have come into existence. We have witnessed such remarkable things as the over¬ throwing of the ancient monarchy of China, and the setting up of a republic. We have seen the masses rise against the oppression under which they have suffered since time immemorial, throwing off the yoke of their oppressors. During these past few years, we have witnessed the growing inclination of human be¬ ings to refuse to worship other human beings, which may lead shortly to a determination to worship the Creator. Surely, man can not serve two masters. He can not bow in servility before the throne of material su¬ premacy and still worship God as his Supreme Lord and Master. He must be done with the one before he can proceed to the other. He must make the material things the servants of his experience, and stand for their proper use and against their abuse. Viewed in one way, the unrest following the close of the great war would appear as nothing short of a disposition to disregard law and order. Viewed in another light, it would appear as a sincere effort at readjustment on a basis of equity. At the time this volume is written, the world has passed through one and one-half years of its reconstruction period—and if five more years are required before these various troubles subside, that would seem short enough time for so tremendously important readjustments. But 15 THE CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE when one ventures into an analysis of such complex conditions, one is likely to err. I offer the suggestions that I have set forth not as evidence, and certainly not as proof that would bear out the facts of the Apocalyptic prophecy. I mention them as things of our time and rather as difficulties in the way of any close approach of the Millennium. Most students would feel that if the Millennial pe¬ riod, either as evolution or as something unusual, has its beginning in 1925, as the ciphers indicate, there must be swift and unheralded solutions of the vexing problems of the world today. Looking at existing conditions, the inclination is to hesitate to present this cipher. That which we call human reason can see nothing but hazard and daring in saying that the ciphers of the Apocalypse point to 1925 as the Millennial Dawn. This feeling of hesi¬ tancy is increased by the knowledge that during the many centuries in which efforts have been put forth to decipher the Book of Revelation, nearly every one of these efforts sought to find the setting of the proph¬ ecy’s culmination in that particular period. Since St. John the Divine inscribed these remark¬ able writings, there never has been a time when the entire world was engaged in deadly conflict except during the period through which we have passed re¬ cently. There was never a time in these nineteen cen¬ turies, until the recent war, when the battle fought at Armageddon had any bearing on world history. If all these deductions are wrong, that does not make the Book of Revelation wrong. The authen¬ ticity, the value, the purpose of the Book of Revelation 16 INTRODUCTION need never repose upon human reasoning. No mortal has a right to tear down the Scriptures on the basis of his own limited experience and understanding. If the ciphers of the Apocalypse that are presented in this volume do not offer, or lead to, the solution of the prophecy, that would simply mean that the prophecy remains to be revealed in its own good time. Whether through accident or purpose, these ciphers have been brought out in this way, is immaterial. If these ciphers, and their meaning, are correct, it is only be¬ cause there must always be some source of what we refer to as secret. If this solution is incorrect, it simply means that this is not the source of the revealment. With the distinct understanding that the purpose back of this volume is not to interfere with the Scrip¬ tures, but is to offer to students a line of thought that may lead them into something far more remarkable, I am sure that the readers of this book will proceed in their examination of this evidence in! the isame spirit of fairness in which it is offered. Every mortal has the same right to an opinion that is possessed by any other mortal. Accept these ciphers, then, as opinion. But bear in mind that the ciphers work out—there are no figures left over or un¬ accounted for. There is relationship between all the ciphers. There is evident purpose back of this inter¬ locking co-ordination of these numerous ciphers in the Apocalypse. But in addition to the figures and the ciphers themselves, there are other considerations. To simply point out the groups of ciphers would not serve the purpose. There must be something beyond that, and that something has to do with the other facts of 17 THE CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE Revelation that substantiate these cipher computa¬ tions. A book that has lived so long as the Bible, must be fortified by something other than the habit of thought or human preference. The person who attacks the Bible because he does not understand it, and because nobody el&e in this world understands it, surely finds that his efforts are futile—that more Bibles are printed and sold today than ever before. No matter how logi¬ cal the arguments or how forceful the attacks, the standing of the Scriptures in the minds and hearts of hundreds of millions of people, remains unimpaired. And the coming generations, following the line of their own intuitive reasonings, perpetuate this same prefer¬ ence for the Scriptures that was exhibited by their parents and grandparents. During the great war, we have had very clear illus¬ tration of the truth that the world can not be changed by force. When the inventive genius of men turned from the art of construction to the infamous art of destruction—when the same intelligence that gave us useful machinery, also gave us machinery that had as its purpose the maiming and killing of human beings— it was evident that man was untrue to his stewardship. In searching out the truths of chemistry, man found out not only many helpful things, many serviceable drugs and chemicals, but he found also many poisons and many explosives. Left to his own selection, he yielded to the temptation of using the harmful things that manifested themselves by contrast as the good things were produced. If human beings had heeded the admonitions of the 18 INTRODUCTION Scriptures, they never would have arrived at a period where they felt that their own rights and their own success demanded the murder of their fellows. We may ascribe as the cause of the great war, any wrong act, or group of wrong acts, among any indi¬ viduals or in any country. But that does not answer away the truth that all countries made a fetish of mili¬ tary things and in varying degrees were prepared to destroy. We can not overlook the fact that material possessions and earthly fame and greed and sensuality became the most potent factors in shaping human thought and determining human action. These are the conditions to which the Scriptures refer repeatedly. They are the conditions emphasized in the final book of the Scriptures—the Apocalypse. Surely, these many references, and this crowning ref¬ erence to these wrong conditions, are not accidental. Truly, when we consider that those who were contrib¬ uting to these evils still found a magnetic attraction in the Bible, we must realize that back of this strange condition, stronger than this remarkable paradox, was a constructive, uplifting force emanating from God. In its narrowness, its egotism and its intolerance, the world has not been heeding the teachings that have come from God’s great faculty of instructors. And as certainly as the world has refused to follow those teachings, retribution has come as a just and fitting punishment. Still, in the great equity of life, it is apparent that there must be some limitation even to punishment— that there must be bounds of error beyond which the world will not proceed, and that the time must come 19 THE CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE when there will be regeneration of thought, theory and practice. Read from the viewpoint of the ciphers, the Book of Revelation does not hold a future of terror and suf¬ fering for God’s children, but promises a better time, which will be the product of a broader and deeper understanding. This apparently is the mission of the Apocalypse. In a measure, it is the purpose of the prophecy—but only in a measure. When this prophecy has proved itself beyond any question, even the most obstinate mortals must admit that the Intelligence that could dictate this prophecy nineteen hundred years ago, is an All-powerful Intelli¬ gence, and certainly is sufficiently capable of piloting the individual through the progress of eternity. The message given in the ciphers of the Apoca¬ lypse, is a message of hope and purpose. It is a con¬ structive message, and not simply an idle and mean¬ ingless display of arithmetical processes and results. These ciphers come with their offering of new hope and new purpose. They come on the basis that men believe that which they can figure out. Each indi¬ vidual must do his own accepting or rejecting. Accus¬ tomed to the evidence of his senses and to the rules of reasoning that he has been taught, each person must do his own computing. The evidence of this volume is the evidence of fig¬ ures. If this mass of closely-related, logical and or¬ derly results can be explained away as coincidence, then what right have we to say that it is nothing but coincidence that causes the computing machine to give its results? If these ciphers are only haphazard and 20 INTRODUCTION accidental, what right have we to claim that addition, multiplication, subtraction and division are anything other than accidental? You are now invited to read the evidence leading up to, and connecting with, the ciphers themselves. Mere reading will not serve the purpose. Diligent study is required. Before you take exceptions, read the statements that are presented. You now have before you certain problems in arithmetic, fortified by certain facts in the text of the Apocalypse and by certain definite rules, without which these various computations would not constitute ciphers. It is necessary to consider all of the elements; and to remember that I am not inventing ciphers, I am not creating their law, but simply am following that which for hundreds of years, and perhaps thou¬ sands of years, has been the definite law and order of cryptograms. Until we understand and recognize the rules and the law governing any line of thought, we are not in position to criticize because then our criti¬ cism is simply contradicting itself, though it may seem logical to us. The facts are before you for your thought, your study and your patient comparison. And beyond those facts is the story that the next few passing years will tell—if not in whole, at least in part. Respectfully submitted, Chicago, Illinois, April 24, 1920. 21 THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE (Following the Text of the Oxford Bible) Chapter I 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; 5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful wit¬ ness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all 23 THE CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen. 8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. 9 I John, who also am your brother, and compan¬ ion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Phila¬ delphia, and unto Laodicea. 12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candle¬ sticks; 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and 24 THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be here¬ after; 20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candle¬ sticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Chapter 2 1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, be¬ cause thou has left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will 25 THE CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candle¬ stick out of his place, except thou repent. 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: To him that over- cometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suf¬ fer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribu¬ lation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. 12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. 14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, 26 THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. 16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name writ¬ ten, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. 18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; 19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. 20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornica¬ tion; and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth 27 THE CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. 24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thya- tira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. 25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. 26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Chapter 3 1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which 28 THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no nlan openeth; 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusa- 29 THE CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE lem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodi- ceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that over cometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 30 THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE Chapter 4 1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, be¬ hold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. 5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. 7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the sec¬ ond beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 31 THE CIPHERS OF THE APOCALYPSE 9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, 10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11 Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Chapter 5 1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns 32 THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the| number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wis¬ dom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. 