On day 363, Revelation 15-17 presents the final judgments and the definitive redemption of God's people. Hebrews 5-8 delves deeper into Christ's priesthood as the perfect intercessor. Proverbs 31:23-25 extols the virtue, strength, and dignity of the wise, reminding us of the importance of living with courage and purpose.
1. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful: seven angels having the seven last plagues. For in them is filled up the wrath of God.
2. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had overcome the beast, and his image, and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God:
3. And singing the canticle of Moses, the servant of God, and the canticle of the Lamb, saying: Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, O King of ages.
4. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and magnify thy name? For thou only art holy: for all nations shall come, and shall adore in thy sight, because thy judgments are manifest.
5. And after these things I looked; and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
6. And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed with clean and white linen, and girt about the breasts with golden girdles.
7. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden vials, full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the majesty of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
1. And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels: Go, and pour out the seven vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth, and there fell a sore and grievous wound upon men, who had the character of the beast; and upon them that adored the image thereof.
3. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea, and there came blood as it were of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea.
4. And the third poured out his vial upon the rivers and the fountains of waters; and there was made blood.
5. And I heard the angel of the waters saying: Thou art just, O Lord, who art, and who wast, the Holy One, because thou hast judged these things:
6. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
7. And I heard another, from the altar, saying: Yea, O Lord God Almighty, true and just are thy judgments.
8. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, and it was given unto him to afflict men with heat and fire:
9. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God, who hath power over these plagues, neither did they penance to give him glory.
10. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom became dark, and they gnawed their tongues for pain:
11. And they blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their pains and wounds, and did not penance for their works.
12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon that great river Euphrates; and dried up the water thereof, that a way might be prepared for the kings from the rising of the sun.
13. And I saw from the mouth of the dragon, and from the mouth of the beast, and from the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.
14. For they are the spirits of devils working signs, and they go forth unto the kings of the whole earth, to gather them to battle against the great day of the Almighty God.
15. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16. And he shall gather them together into a place, which in Hebrew is called Armagedon.
17. And the seventh angel poured out his vial upon the air, and there came a great voice out of the temple from the throne, saying: It is done.
18. And there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and there was a great earthquake, such an one as never had been since men were upon the earth, such an earthquake, so great.
19. And the great city was divided into three parts; and the cities of the Gentiles fell. And great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the indignation of his wrath.
20. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21. And great hail, like a talent, came down from heaven upon men: and men blasphemed God for the plague of the hail: because it was exceeding great.
1. And there came one of the seven angels, who had the seven vials, and spoke with me, saying: Come, I will shew thee the condemnation of the great harlot, who sitteth upon many waters,
2. With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication; and they who inhabit the earth, have been made drunk with the whine of her whoredom.
3. And he took me away in spirit into the desert. And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4. And the woman was clothed round about with purple and scarlet, and gilt with gold, and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of the abomination and filthiness of her fornication.
5. And on her forehead a name was written: A mystery; Babylon the great, the mother of the fornications, and the abominations of the earth.
6. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And I wondered, when I had seen her, with great admiration.
7. And the angel said to me: Why dost thou wonder? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast which carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8. The beast, which thou sawest, was, and is not, and shall come up out of the bottomless pit, and go into destruction: and the inhabitants on the earth (whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world) shall wonder, seeing the beast that was, and is not.
9. And here is the understanding that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, upon which the woman sitteth, and they are seven kings:
10. Five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come: and when he is come, he must remain a short time.
11. And the beast which was, and is not: the same also is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into destruction.
12. And the ten horns which thou sawest, are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but shall receive power as kings one hour after the beast.
13. These have one design: and their strength and power they shall deliver to the beast.
14. These shall fight with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, because he is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and they that are with him are called, and elect, and faithful.
15. And he said to me: The waters which thou sawest, where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and nations, and tongues.
16. And the ten horns which thou sawest in the beast: these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her with fire.
17. For God hath given into their hearts to do that which pleaseth him: that they give their kingdom to the beast, till the words of God be fulfilled.
18. And the woman which thou sawest, is the great city, which hath kingdom over the kings of the earth.
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1. For every high priest taken from among men, is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins:
2. Who can have compassion on them that are ignorant and that err: because he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
3. And therefore he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
4. Neither doth any man take the honour to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was.
5. So Christ also did not glorify himself, that he might be made a high priest: but he that said unto him: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
6. As he saith also in another place: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.
7. Who in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offering up prayers and supplications to him that was able to save him from death, was heard for his reverence.
8. And whereas indeed he was the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered:
9. And being consummated, he became, to all that obey him, the cause of eternal salvation.
10. Called by God a high priest according to the order of Melchisedech.
11. Of whom we have much to say, and hard to be intelligibly uttered: because you are become weak to hear.
12. For whereas for the time you ought to be masters, you have need to be taught again what are the first elements of the words of God: and you are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13. For every one that is a partaker of milk, is unskillful in the word of justice: for he is a little child.
14. But strong meat is for the perfect; for them who by custom have their senses exercised to the discerning of good and evil.
1. Wherefore leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us go on to things more perfect, not laying again the foundation of penance from dead works, and of faith towards God,
2. Of the doctrine of baptisms, and imposition of hands, and of the resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3. And this will we do, if God permit.
4. For it is impossible for those who were once illuminated, have tasted also the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5. Have moreover tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6. And are fallen away: to be renewed again to penance, crucifying again to themselves the Son of God, and making him a mockery.
7. For the earth that drinketh in the rain which cometh often upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is tilled, receiveth blessing from God.
8. But that which bringeth forth thorns and briers, is reprobate, and very near unto a curse, whose end is to be burnt.
9. But, my dearly beloved, we trust better things of you, and nearer to salvation; though we speak thus.
10. For God is not unjust, that he should forget your work, and the love which you have shewn in his name, you who have ministered, and do minister to the saints.
11. And we desire that every one of you shew forth the same carefulness to the accomplishing of hope unto the end:
12. That you become not slothful, but followers of them, who through faith and patience shall inherit the promises.
13. For God making promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom he might swear, swore by himself,
14. Saying: Unless blessing I shall bless thee, and multiplying I shall multiply thee.
15. And so patiently enduring he obtained the promise.
16. For men swear by one greater than themselves: and an oath for confirmation is the end of all their controversy.
17. Wherein God, meaning more abundantly to shew to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed an oath:
18. That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have the strongest comfort, who have fled for refuge to hold fast the hope set before us.
19. Which we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, and which entereth in even within the veil;
20. Where the forerunner Jesus is entered for us, made a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.
1. For this Melchisedech was king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him:
2. To whom also Abraham divided the tithes of all: who first indeed by interpretation, is king of justice: and then also king of Salem, that is, king of peace:
3. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but likened unto the Son of God, continueth a priest for ever.
4. Now consider how great this man is, to whom also Abraham the patriarch gave tithes out of the principal things.
5. And indeed they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is to say, of their brethren: though they themselves also came out of the loins of Abraham.
6. But he, whose pedigree is not numbered among them, received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
7. And without all contradiction, that which is less, is blessed by the better.
8. And here indeed, men that die, receive thithes: but there he hath witness, that he liveth.
9. And (as it may be said) even Levi who received tithes, paid tithes in Abraham:
10. For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedech met him.
11. If then perfection was by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchisedech, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?
12. For the priesthood being translated, it is necessary that a translation also be made of the law.
13. For he, of whom these things are spoken, is of another tribe, of which no one attended on the altar.
14. For it is evident that our Lord sprung out of Juda: in which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.
15. And it is yet far more evident: if according to the similitude of Melchisedech there ariseth another priest,
16. Who is made not according to the law of a carnal commandment, but according to the power of an indissoluble life:
17. For he testifieth: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.
18. There is indeed a setting aside of the former commandment, because of the weakness and unprofitableness thereof:
19. (For the law brought nothing to perfection,) but a bringing in of a better hope, by which we draw nigh to God.
20. And inasmuch as it is not without an oath, (for the others indeed were made priests without an oath;
21. But this with an oath, by him that said unto him: The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever.)
22. By so much is Jesus made a surety of a better testament.
23. And the others indeed were made many priests, because by reason of death they were not suffered to continue:
24. But this, for that he continueth for ever, hath an everlasting priesthood,
25. Whereby he is able also to save for ever them that come to God by him; always living to make intercession for us.
26. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
27. Who needeth not daily (as the other priests) to offer sacrifices first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, in offering himself.
28. For the law maketh men priests, who have infirmity: but the word of the oath, which was since the law, the Son who is perfected for evermore.
1. Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of majesty in the heavens,
2. A minister of the holies, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord hath pitched, and not man.
3. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is necessary that he also should have some thing to offer.
4. If then he were on earth, he would not be a priest: seeing that there would be others to offer gifts according to the law,
5. Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. As it was answered to Moses, when he was to finish the tabernacle: See (saith he) that thou make all things according to the pattern which was shewn thee on the mount.
6. But now he hath obtained a better ministry, by how much also he is a mediator of a better testament, which is established on better promises.
7. For if that former had been faultless, there should not indeed a place have been sought for a second.
8. For finding fault with them, he saith: Behold, the days shall come, saith the Lord: and I will perfect unto the house of Israel, and unto the house of Juda, a new testament:
9. Not according to the testament which I made to their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt: because they continued not in my testament: and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10. For this is the testament which I will make to the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will give my laws into their mind, and in their heart will I write them: and I will be their God, and they shall be my people:
11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me from the least to the greatest of them:
12. Because I will be merciful to their iniquities, and their sins I will remember no more.
13. Now in saying a new, he hath made the former old. And that which decayeth and groweth old, is near its end.
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23. Her husband is honourable in the gates, when he sitteth among the senators of the land.
24. She made fine linen, and sold it, end delivered a girdle to the Chanaanite.
25. Strength and beauty are her clothing, and she shall laugh in the latter day.
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"O bem dura eternamente." São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina
