REVELATION CHAPTER 17 - 22

REVELATION 17

1 One of the seven angels who
Had the seven bowls then came out to
Talk with me, saying to me, “Come,
I’ll show you the judgement in sum
Of the great harlot who sits on
Many waters, 2 “on whom they fawn,
And kings of the earth fornicate,
And earth’s dwellers were put in state
Of drunkenness and with the wine
Of her fornication’s design.”

When I consider what I’ve seen on earth
Of the oppression the harlot in girth
Has foiled, the blood she’s drunk not only in
The mocking sacrifice of Christ for sin,
But in the blood of martyrs, widows and
The orphan in a wasted, barren land,
I think that I should shout for joy to see
The judgement on the whore of mystery,
The corporate state of the Roman field,
The wealthy sinners of the oil-field’s yield.
But I am squeamish, though I know the fate
Of those tortured in past as well as late,
And so I’m glad Your hand comes to the act
To bring judgement upon the whore in fact.

3 He carried me away in spirit
Into the wilderness or near it.
I saw a woman sitting on
A scarlet beast on which was drawn
The names of blasphemy, with seven
Heads and ten horns and under heaven.

The seven heads no doubt represent all
The countries and kings left under the pall
Of Babylon and her suburb in Rome.
The ten horns are their powers upon the loam
To oppose each of Your ten words and make
A blasphemy of Your law for Your sake.
For every government beneath the sun
Opposes Your law with another done
In injustice to the poor and in showing
Acknowledgement to rich lobbies and growing.
Beloved, I flee to You to know what grace
Of justice is right and what’s the wrong trace,
And see that none is righteous in the face
Of temptation to power and wealth and mace.

4 The woman in purple arrayed
And scarlet, colour of her trade,
Adorned with gold and precious stones
And pearls, and having in her bones
Of hand a golden cup full of
Abominations, filthy love.
5 And on her forehead a name writ:
Mystery, Babylon, to wit,
The great, the mother of all whores,
And of the earth’s most shameful stores.
6 I saw the woman, drunk with blood
Of the saints, also with the blood
Of the martyrs of Jesus. And
When I saw her, I marvelled grand
Amazement all around the land.

The beast of Babylon has drunk the blood
Of martyrs from the time that in its bud
It went against Jerusalem to kill
Those who rebelled against Babylon’s will.
The beast came out to glory in the sun
And find who was the thirsty one when done.
Blood is the drink of all in Babylon,
Whether soldier of Yezid on the run
Or celibate of priests who carry on
The ancient faith of beastly Babylon
In every templed church where Your name’s held
In blasphemies and hymnodies unquelled.
Beloved, I see and marvel too that man
Can be so blind to seek that woman’s span.

7 But the angel said to me, “Why
Did you marvel? I’ll testify
To you of the woman’s mystery
And of the beast where she makes free,
Which has the seven heads, the ten horns.
8 “The beast that you saw was in bournes,
And is not, and will ascend out
Of the abyss, go to perdition.
And those who live on earth’s admission
Will marvel, whose names are not writ
In the Book of Life known as fit
From the foundation of the world,
When they see the beast that was curled,
And is not, and yet is once more.
9 “Here is the mind with understanding:
The seven heads are mountains standing
In number seven on which sits
The woman alone or in fits.
10 “There are also seven kings. Five
Have fallen, one is and alive,
And the other has not yet come.
And when he comes, he must make rum
A short time. 11 “And the beast that was,
And is not, is himself to pause
Also the eighth, and of the seven,
Shall go to perdition, not heaven.

Even after the return of Mahdi
There shall arise a king so to make free
As to oppose Your will, the mystery
Of wickedness is never done until
The day of judgement comes all to fulfil.
Let my name be writ in the book that You
From the foundation of the world in view
Have set upon the tablets of the race
Above and beyond hills that come to trace
Babylon in their artificial way
To pretend to the heavenly, hopeful day.
Beloved, the made-made mountains that possess
The world in wonder I come to confess
Are but the idols of those who oppress.

12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten
Kings who have received not again
As yet the kingdom, but receive
Authority one hour’s reprieve
As kings with the beast. 13 “And these are
Of one mind, give their strength and star
To the beast. 14 “And these will make war
With the Lamb, and the Lamb will win
Over them, for he’s lord of lords
And king of kings and without sin,
And those who are with him with swords
Are called, chosen, and faithful wards.”
15 He said to me, “The waters which
You saw with harlot in the ditch,
Are peoples, multitudes, and nations,
And languages set in their stations.
16 “And the ten horns which you saw on
The beast, these will hate the whore’s dawn,
Make her desolate and naked,
Eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
17 “For God’s put in their hearts wicked
To fulfil His purposed desire,
To be of one mind, and to give
Their kingdom to the beast to live,
Until God’s words are all fulfilled.
18 “And the woman whom you saw drilled
Is that great city which rules all
The kings of the earth under thrall.”

The ten kings of the beast who ruled a while
Are given just an hour to see the guile
Of the beast and the harlot in her stile.
Too late the come repudiate the song
Without repudiation of the wrong.
All nations that admire the iron hand
Built up from the Umayyad to the land
Across the western see, the civilized
Guided by the beast of the unrevised
Shall come to know that force is never right.
Too late they come to stand before Your sight.
The choice is made today, the book is signed
From the foundation of the world, designed
To show the universe both day and night.

REVELATION 18

1 After these things I saw one more
Angel coming down from the door
Of heaven, with great authority,
And earth lighted with his glory.

The message of the angel is that all
The kings and presidents of earth appal
In that they wag the whore by their greed and
False faith in religion and in the stand
Of commerce where by advertisement they
Cheat and keep the poor in oppression’s sway.
The worshippers of Baal beneath the green
Groves copulated till sweat’s glistening sheen
Gave faith the fields would ripen to the store
And cattle reproduce finely what’s more.
Since then that fatal faith of science lore
Pretends sophistication, but its root
Is rotten and condemned down to the boot.
Beloved, judge both the past and present gore.

2 And he cried mightily with shout,
Saying, “Babylon the great’s out,
Is fallen, fallen, and become
A dwelling place of demons dumb,
A prison for every foul spirit,
And a cage for all things to leer at,
Every unclean and hated bird!
3 “For all the nations have been stirred
To drunkenness by her wine’s wrath
Of fornication in her path,
The kings of earth have fornicated
With her, and earth’s merchants instated
Have become rich through abundance
Of her luxury.” 4 And in trance
I heard one more voice from the sky
Saying “Come, come out of her, my
People, lest you share in her sins,
And lest you receive of her wins
In plagues. 5 “For her sins have reached to
Heaven, and God’s remembered due
Her wickedness. 6 “So render to
Her just as she rendered to you,
And repay her double according
To her works, in her cup of lording
Which she has mixed, mix double share.
7 “In the measure that she did there
In glory to herself and lived
Luxuriously and negatived,
In same measure give her torment
And sorrow, for she’ll not repent
Saying in her heart, ‘I sit queen,
And am no widow, have not seen
Sorrow.’ 8 “Therefore her plagues will come
In one day, death, mourning in sum
And famine. And she will be burned
Outright with fire for what she spurned,
Strong is YHWH God who judges her.
9 “The kings of the earth who confer
To fornicate and live with her
Delicately, weep and lament
For her, seeing without relent
The smoke of her burning, 10 “and stand
Afar off fearing her torment,
Saying ‘Alas, alas, that land
And great city of Babylon,
That mighty city! For in one
Hour your judgement has come to keep.’
11 “And merchants of the earth will weep
And mourn for her, for no one buys
Their merchandise now, 12 “merchandise
Of gold and silver, precious stones
And pearls, fine linen, purple sewns,
Silk and scarlet, and every kind
Of citron wood, and every kind
Of thing in ivory, every kind
Of thing in precious wood refined,
And bronze, and iron, and marble, 13 “and
Cinnamon and incense at hand,
And fragrant oil and frankincense,
Wine, oil, fine flour and its contents
Of wheat, and cattle and sheep, horses
And chariots rushing in courses,
And bodies and the souls of men.
14 “The fruit your soul longed for again
Has gone from you, and all the things
Which are rich and have splendid wings
Have gone from you, and you shall find
Them no more ever. 15 “The merchants
Of these things, her rich elephants,
Will stand afar for fear of her
Torment, weeping and wailing stir,
16 “And saying ‘Alas, alas, that
Great city that was clothed and sat
In fine linen, purple, scarlet,
And adorned with gold and inset
With precious stones and pearls! 17 ‘For in
One hour such great riches have been
Brought to nought.’ Every shipmaster,
All who travel by ship and stir,

The pearls! The precious pearls are cast out now
That the whore turns into a bleeding sow.
Alas indeed, and yet my heart rejoices
To waken to the sound of human voices
At last renouncing what they always took
For truth and honour while in fact forsook
Your law and Your commandments, ah so few.
Beloved, I joy to see the end in view.
Give me the power and courage day to day
To keep Your law and find in Your law’s way
My joy and comfort under guidance’ sway.
Find me at sunrise by the window set
Against the east beneath the birches met
With aspens under snow to love You yet.

Sailors, and as many as trade
On the sea, stood afar unmade
18 “And cried out when they saw the smoke
Of her burning, saying ‘What stroke
Is like this great city?’ 19 “They threw
Dust on their heads and cried anew,
Weeping and wailing, and saying,
‘Alas, alas, that great town spring,
In which all who had ships on sea
Became rich by her wealth and spree!
For in one hour she’s desolate.’
20 “Rejoice over her, heaven, and great
Holy apostles and prophets,
For God’s avenged you where she sits!”

The din of Baal worship in every place
I turn to find You in this wicked race
Arises from the bar and concert hall,
The church of every Peter and of Paul,
And even in the synagogue and mosque
I find the heathen sounds or record kiosk
Beating out like a washing machine’s tumble
The trapset’s call to both the great and humble
To frolic and to rave in loving rate
Pretending to be free of vice and hate.
Beloved, I’m glad to see that noise is turned
Into the wail and weeping of the spurned
Who first despised Your law until they learned
That shipping slaves is wrong though done of late.

21 Then a mighty angel took up
A stone like a great millstone cup
And threw it into the sea, saying,
“Thus with violence not allaying
The great city Babylon shall
Be thrown down, and it no more shall
Be found. 22 “The sound of harpers and
Musicians, flutists by command,
And trumpeters shall not be heard
In you forever any more.
No craftsman of any craft stirred
Shall be found in you any more,
And the sound of a millstone shall
Not be heard in you prodigal.

Both industry and the great business of
Music so-called based on its sensual love
Will disappear before contortion’s weight,
The logical result of sale and hate.
Though craftsman fail, and I must say it’s true,
One cannot find today people who do
A decent job of work, the prophecy
Is echoing before its time to be,
Though craftsman fail and singers get sore throat,
And sailors find no ship or sunken boat,
I still come with a slender voice to You
To praise in cantillation in review
Creation from Your hand and judgement set,
Both life and death in the new deal they’ve met.

23 “The light of a lamp shall not shine
In you any more, and the sign
Of bridegroom’s voice and bride shall not
Be heard in you again for nought.
For your merchants were the great men
Of the earth, for by regimen
Of your sorcery all the nations
Were deceived to partake her rations.
24 “And in her was found prophets’ blood
And that of saints poured out in flood,
And of all who were slain on earth
From great to small of every worth.”

The prophets’ blood is found in stinking belly
Of the sweet Christians that perform on telly
Pretending to evangelize the world
With sexy songs and ditties new uncurled.
The prophets’ blood is found in mart and store
To be bought for a delicacy’s roar,
And drunk in every conference room that meets
To find a better way to get more treats.
Climbing on dead men’s bones passes for feats.
Beloved, the light goes out, the city’s dim,
The time has come at last for faces grim,
While merchants fling the ill-got coin to him
Who tempted to the treachery to give
A prophet up so that nation might live.

REVELATION 19

1 After these things I heard a loud
Voice in the heaven of a crowd
Saying “Alleluia! Salvation,
Glory, honour, and power’s the station
Of YHWH our God! 2 “For true and right
Are His judgements, because on site
He’s judged the great whore who corrupted
The earth with her unclean erupted,
And He’s avenged on her the blood
Of His servants shed by her stud.”

I praise Your name, Beloved, not that You love
Unconditionally all the above,
But that in wrath Your hand appears in power
To wield a greater sword than nuclear
Weapons thrust by the US and the fink
Upon the river Euphrates to drink
The poisoned sand where death comes up to stink.
I praise Your name, Beloved, because You judge
The wicked in wickedness who’ll not budge
From violence in weapon and on paper
To define the poor poorer with a caper.
Babylon and Rome join with New York’s sun
To corrupt earth from Paris to London.
I praise You because You’ve already won.

3 Again they said, “Alleluia!
Her smoke goes up forever awe!”
4 And the twenty-four elders and
The four living creatures at hand
Fell down and worshipped God who sat
Upon the throne, saying “Amen!”
And “Alleluia!” after that.
5 Then a voice came out from the throne,
Saying, “Praise to our God alone,
All you His servants and those who
Fear him, both small and great for true!”

The sons of Ishmael and of Jacob come
To prostrate before You and venturesome
Raise praises to Your name, the living four
With face of eagle, ox, lion and store
Of human heart, the occulted who make
Their home with You forever in the wake
Of their flight from the earth to heaven’s dome,
All worship You as God and turn from Rome.
Beloved, besides these divine guides that rate
The living at You throne, both small and great
Also come to serve You, and come not late.
I thank You that I too may be included
In that number of great or small deluded.
If small I be, still I am not denuded.

6 And I heard, as it were, the voice
Of a great multitude of choice,
As many waters’ sound and as
The sound that mighty thunder has,
Saying “Alleluia! For YHWH
God Omnipotent reigns as due!
7 “Let us be glad, rejoice and give
Him glory, for the amative
Marriage of the Lamb has come, and
His wife’s made ready and at hand.”

The Lamb is Muhammad, Ali, the Lamb
Is every divine guide in his time’s jamb,
And here the Lamb has come as the Mahdi,
The guided one to guide humanity.
Beloved, let Your sent one guide me also
Into the bridal chamber and the glow
Of faith, away from Babylon and her
Evil and wicked woman on the stir
Who represents false faith upon the beast
Of worldly kingdom’s violence increased.
Let me be ready to enjoy the presence
Of the reward to elephant and pheasants,
The creation redeemed and taken in
By the Mahdi forever without sin.

8 And to her it was granted to
Be arrayed in fine linen, true,
And clean and bright, because the fine
Linen’s the righteous works of saints.
9 Then he said to me, “Write and sign:
‘Blessed are those who without complaints
Are called to marriage supper of
The Lamb!’” And he said as above
To me, “These are true sayings of
God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to
Prostrate before him. But in due
Recourse he said to me, “See that
You do not do that! I am sat
As fellow servant with you, and
Of your brothers who have command
And witness of the martyrdom
Of Jesus. Worship God in sum!
For witness of Jesus consists
In spirit of prophecy’s lists.”

I too once walked in white and I was seen
To be Your guest upon the marble sheen
Around the Kaaba, between the two hills
That with their history send down cold chills
On the spine of the one whose memory
Turns to the bloodly time Muhammad free
Ran there to proclaim of Your unity,
To the time when Ishmael was left while she
Ran hopeless searching for water to drink.
I too once walked in white and on the brink
Of faith and love and doubt beneath the stars
To witness martyrdoms among the cars.
Beloved, I too once walked in white and still
Hope to walk so again, promise fulfil.

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and
Indeed, a white horse by command.
And he who sat on him was called
Faithful and True, and unappalled
In righteousness he judges and
Makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame
Of fire, and round his head did frame
Many crowns. And he had a name
Written that no one knew except
Himself. 13 And he was clothed and kept
With a robe dipped in blood, his name
Is called The Word of God in fame.

I see the blessed Jesus by command
Come riding on the white horse to the hand
To the Lamb and the Mahdi with mandate
To judge in righteousness and not be late
To make war on those who oppose Your name
And struggle against You, Your law, Your claim.
His eyes are like a flashing fire and he
Is crowned with diadems to grant the free
Life in his martyrdom, his name is called
The Word of God before all the appalled
To see him coming on the skies and on
The white horse that prevents the rosy dawn.
Beloved, I lift my eyes in faith to one
Called Jesus, the blessed martyr’s benison.

14 And heaven’s hosts, all clothed in fine
Linen, white and clean, there resign
To follow him on horses white.
15 Out of his mouth there goes a bright
Sharp sword, that with it he should strike
The nations. And he will take pike
To rule them with an iron rod.
He himself has the winepress trod
In fierce wrath of Almighty God.

King David, prophet of the sweet voice, laid
A hymn of tribute to the iron made
The rod to rule the world by Your anointed,
To still the tumult of the beast appointed.
Let him strike down the nations and the crowd
Of all who stand before altar allowed
To sacrifice to Caesar and to Baal.
Let him strike the world down to hear them wail.
Let Your fierce wrath appear before the wine
Of the blood of those who come in to dine
With Belshazzar and see the fatal sign.
Beloved, I hear the sharp sword singing still
And ringing on my ears, my heart to fill
With hope bows down to You: let the sword kill.

16 And he has on robe and on thigh
A name written: king of kings high
And lord of lords. 17 And then I saw
An angel stand in the sun’s awe,
And he cried with a loud voice, saying
To all the birds that fly obeying
Up in the air, “Come gather here
Together for the commandeer
Supper of the great God in fear,
18 “That you may eat the flesh of kings,
The flesh of captains without wings,
The flesh of mighty men, the flesh
Of horses and of those afresh
Who sit on them, and of the flesh
Of all, free, slave, both small and great.”
19 And I saw the beast in his state,
The kings of the earth, and their hosts,
Gathered together in their boasts
To make war against him who sat
On the horse and against out flat
His army. 20 Then the beast was taken,
And with him false prophet forsaken
Who worked signs in his presence, by
Which he deceived those who stood by
To receive the mark of the beast
And those who bowed down at the least
Before his image at his feast.
These two were cast alive into
The lake of fire burning with brew
Of brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed
With the sword from his mouth which spilled,
Who sat upon the horse. And all
The birds were filled with their flesh maul.

When I was just a child I once was taken
To where the fires burned the wastes that were shaken
From house and hauld, and where the stench was great
Beneath a smoky sky of brass and hate.
I saw the vultures chew the carrion,
I saw their great wings spread against the dawn
Of fiery sky and cloud, I saw it all
With heart gone fast against the pulsing wall.
Beloved, the amplified reward that comes
To those who oppose You and Your laws sums
Leaves that quick vision in a pall of dust.
Beyond the melodies faintly in hums,
I only see and know the simple crust.
I want the conflagration, not the rust.

REVELATION 20

1 Then I saw an angel come down
From heaven, having key to the town
Of the abyss and a great chain
In his hand. 2 He laid hold a-main
Of the dragon, serpent of old,
Who is the Devil, Satan bold,
And bound him for a thousand years,
3 And he cast him down in the fears
Of the abyss, and shut him up,
And set a seal upon his cup,
So that he should deceive the nations
No more till the thousand years’ rations
Were finished. But after these things
He must be released to the kings
For a short time. 4 And I saw thrones,
And they sat on them, and judgement
Was given to them. Then were sent
The souls whose heads had been cut off
For their witness to Jesus’ soph
And for the word of God, who had
Not bowed down there before the bad
Beast or his image, and had not
Received his mark on foreheads’ spot
Or on their hands. And they lived and
Reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead on land
Did not live again for their fears
Until the thousand years were done.
This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he who’s won
Part in the first resurrection.
Over such ones the second death
Has no power over life and breath,
But they shall be priests of God and
Of Christ, and reign with him thousand
Years. 7 Now when the thousand years end,
Satan will be released from fend
8 And will go out to deceive all
The nations that are in his thrall
In the four corners of the earth,
Gog and Magog, and from its girth
To gather them together to
Battle, whose number is not few
But as the sand upon the shore.
9 They went up on the breadth before
Of the earth and surrounded where
The camp of the saints and the fair
And the beloved city was there.
And fire came down from God and out
Of heaven and consumed them in rout.

The start of judgement day is but the dawn
Of a millennium of thrones whereon
The righteous see the history of the world
Cast down upon the empty screen unfurled.
The day rises and waits a thousand years
Before the cataclysmic fire and fears
Destroy evil and wickedness and make
All souls alive and righteous for Your sake.
Beloved, I trow that day is one both blessed
And bright for those who enter Sabbath rest,
And dark and filled with smoke for those who wait
Upon Satanic justice for their fate.
Beloved, I tremble with both fear and hope
To see the day approach and fill my scope.

When dear Muhammad said he was the city,
And Ali was the gate, he knew no pity
For either beast or the false prophet that
His followers would make him when they sat
Saqeefa bani Sa'idah to make
Imposters to follow him in his wake.
Beloved, take note of that fatal mistake
That turned the message raised against the great
Monophysitic heresy in state
Into the very false prophetic mate
Of the beast to at last flounder and sink
Beneath the lake of fire, and their last drink.
Beloved, take note and write it in the book
Where men and angels come to take a look.

10 The devil deceived them, was cast
Into the lake of fire at last
And lake of brimstone where the beast
And the false prophet are at least.
And they will be tormented day
And night forever in its sway.

Does this false prophet have a name now known?
False prophets have been many on the throne.
Which of these many is the one that’s thrown
Into the lake of fire to learn of grace
Appearing once at last before Your face?
It cannot be just one of those appearing,
But is defined as with the dragon fearing
And the beast, one of three, and one time met
As the lamblike beast with two horns to get
A kingdom and an empire and be set
At the time that the Ottomans rose up
To power usurping and to take the cup
Of Ali and the Lamb. Beloved I find
Chills of revulsion darken eye and mind.

11 And then I saw a great white throne
And him who sat on it alone,
From whose face earth and heaven fled.
And there was found no place for them.
12 I saw the dead, small and great, led
To stand before God at His hem,
And books were opened. And one more
Book was opened to read the score,
Which is the Book of Life in store.
And the dead were judged by their works,
By the things and by all their quirks
Which were written on the books’ pages.
13 The sea gave up the dead of ages
Who were in it, Hades and Death
Delivered up the dead with breath
Who were in them. And they were judged,
Each one by how his works were smudged.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast out
Into the lake of fire with shout.
This is the second death and rout.
15 And anyone not found inscribed
In Book of Life was cast unbribed
Into the lake of fire with clout.

I praise Your name, Beloved, to see these things,
Death and Hades themselves cast in the wings,
And only life and truth and hopefulness
Remain in heaven and earth and all things bless.
The stench of scorch is threatening the sky
Over the inner chamber where I cry,
And flames burn from the soul the will to do
Anything that is not according to
Your divine will, until nothing is left
Of evil in the evil camp bereft.
The silence before storms straightens the gate:
The cosmic soul and single soul await.
I lend my heart and will to join with yours
And see the rising on eternal shores.

REVELATION 21

1 Now I saw a new heaven and earth,
For the first heaven and the first earth
Had passed away. Also there was
No more that sea to foam and buzz.

Beloved, I waken day to day to find
New heavens and earth before my wondering mind.
The sun creeps out shy and new from Your hand
And blesses for the first time lake and land
And every island that arises from
The icy foam or from the waters come
To fill the world around me with address
Of birch and pine as well as rough caress
Of fir spread westward from the land of bears
And bright horizons caught beneath the snares
Of teeming life and empty tundra far
Until the new born ocean raises bar.
Beloved, each morning I seen new worlds made
Below the gloried window where I stayed.

2 Then I, John, saw the holy town,
The new Jerusalem, come down
Out of the sky and sent from God,
Prepared as a bride on the prod
Adorned for her bridegroom. 3 And I
Heard a loud voice from heaven reply,
“Indeed, the tent of God’s with men,
And He will live with them again,
And they shall be His people then.
God Himself will be with them and
Be their God throughout all the land.

As the sun rises on my wakened life
To quell the worried dawn with broken strife,
I see the heavenly city in the sky
Awakened with the brightness and the cry
Of all the winged angels in my keep:
The twittering and summered ones that peep,
The black-eyed beauties of the winter’s store,
I see them all beneath the pearly door.
Beloved, as daily I find heaven above
I turn my soul to that goodness that strove
To turn the evil of the cosmos and
The singly frightened soul in every manned
Body upon the soil back to Your heart.
I daily find after judgement Your part.

4 “And God will wipe away each tear
From their eyes, there shall be no fear
Again of death, sorrow, nor crying.
There shall be no more pain nor sighing,
For former things have passed away.”
5 He sat upon the throne to say,
“Indeed, I shall make all things new.”
And he told me, “Write, these words true
And faithful.” 6 And He said to me,
“It’s done! I am the Alpha and
The Omega, beginning and
The end. I will give of the fount
Of the water of life’s amount
Freely to him who thirsts. 7 “He who
Overcomes shall inherit due,
All things, and I will be his God
And he shall be my child unshod.
8 “But cowardly and unbelieving,
Abominable, and the deceiving
Of murderers, and fornicators,
And sorcerers, and among satyrs
Idolaters, and all liars shall
Have their part in the great canal
Which burns with fire and brimstone, which
Is the second death in the ditch.”

Beloved, cast all the cowardice in me
Into devouring flames of fire and free
My hand and heart from unbelief and all
Abomination, murder, and the thrall
Of fornication, sorcery and call
Of smug idolatry that lies that it
Is true faith representing You and fit.
Beloved, cast all this wickedness from my
Soul, hand and heart and lift me to the sky
Of Your obedience. Then I shall try
A newborn foot upon the golden floor
Where there shall be no crying any more,
And pain and sorrow’s left both flesh and mind
And there remains only You left to find.

9 One of the seven angels who
Had seven bowls filled with the due
Seven last plagues came to me and
Talked with me so I’d understand,
Saying “Come, I’ll show you the bride,
The Lamb’s wife to stand by his side.”

I look upon the mirror cast above
The world where I am turned about in love
Led by the angel of wrath and of tears
Who once was minister to all my fears,
And see that those fears that had been my fate
Where but the gargoyles gazing down in hate
Above the marbled and carven estate
That brought me to the bright celestial gate.
I look upon the cosmic mirror set
Above Your divine throne and there I get
The vision of the mystery of all:
The miracle hid in eternal rate,
The secret is my own soul cleansed in wall
And hearth and chamber for the bridegroom’s call.

10 And he carried me then away
In the spirit to a great way
And a high mountain, and showed me
The great city and the holy
Jerusalem, descending out
Of heaven from God, and with a shout,
11 Having God’s glory all about.
Her light was like a precious stone,
Like a jasper stone on a throne,
Clear as crystal. 12 Also she had
A great and high wall which was clad
With twelve gates, and twelve angels at
The gates, and names upon them sat,
Which are the twelve tribes of the sons
Of Israel: 13 three gates toward the sun’s
Rising, three gates on the north, three
Gates on the south, and three gates free
Toward the west. 14 The city wall
Had twelve foundations all in all,
And on them were the names of twelve
Apostles of the Lamb to delve.

I count the gates, I count foundations’ way
And my heart rises to greet heaven’s day
With the names of the twelve on lip and tongue:
I see the ancient pattern become young.
The seven days hinge on the words that rung
From Sinai in number of ten to strike
The hymns resounding all around and like
The thunder till the number counted out
Was twelve upon the folk gathered in doubt.
The twelve is doubled and resounds again
In righteousness and glory before men
To see the city of the bride and groom,
The place awaited and the sacred room
At once revealed to topple every doom.

15 And he who talked with me had reed
Of gold to measure the decreed
City, its gates, and its wall there.
16 The city is laid out in square,
Its length is as great as its bare
Breadth. And he took the city’s sound
With reed: there were twelve thousand found
Of furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height
Are equal on the glorious site.
17 Then he measured its wall again:
One hundred forty-four impen
Of cubits, by measure of men,
That is, of an angel in ken.

The holy number twelve comes out at last
To be the measure of the city vast,
The number of the army gathered round
The Lamb who came to Zion where he found
The battle and the victory resound.
The three days turn to four and to a week
And multiplied in everything I seek
Become twelve sons of Ishmael to reduce
All after sons and glories to their use
In Jacob and in Jesus and at last
In those twelve who remain and have not passed.
I seek the stays, the sons, the divine guides
And follow them all through the rising tides
Until You rise in all things, all besides.

18 The wall was built of jasper stone,
The city of pure gold alone,
Like clear glass. 19 The foundation stone
Of the wall of the city was
Adorned with stones of padishahs:
The first foundation jasper, and
The second sapphire blue and grand,
The third chalcedony, the fourth
An emerald green shining forth,
20 The fifth sardonyx followed by
The sixth sardius to glorify,
The seventh chrysolite, and then
The eighth a beryl halogen,
The ninth topaz, the tenth a stone
Of chrysoprase, eleventh known
As jacinth, and the twelfth at last
An amethyst of purple cast.

The twelve stones that lie on the high priest’s chest
Reflect in the foundation stones that rest
Beneath the golden walls that shine among
The stars above the firmament that sung
When You created universes with
Reality brighter, as bright as myth.
Beloved, I count the stones and touch their joy
In colours red and green and to employ
The frozen rainbow set above the throne,
I touch the mystic number set in stone.
The simple stony chamber of my heart
Lit only by a candle for its part
Against the glistening drab of wall and earth
Expands into a universe of worth.

21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each one
Was of one pearl. And the street done
In the city was purest gold,
Transparent like glass to behold.
22 But I saw no temple in it,
For YHWH God Almighty was fit
And the Lamb to be temple there.
23 The city had no need in air
Of the sun or of the moon fair
To shine in it, for God’s glory
Illuminated it freely.
And the Lamb is still its light there.

Above the walls of Babylon, above
The domes of Rome and market-strutting dove,
The sun stands as though justifying glove
Of tyrant with face set benignly wrong
To hear the pleasures of ungodly song.
Above Mecca’s sweet streets and fragile trees
The moon looks down on nonexistent seas
To bless the circumambulation of
Those who worship You only, not the love
Of any heavenly body that obeys
Your divine commands in its orbits’ ways.
The Kaaba of my heart that stands before
The judgement seat and city on that shore
Needs neither sun nor moon to sound Your praise.

24 The nations of those who are saved
Shall walk in its light golden paved,
And the kings of the earth bring their
Glory and honour into it.
25 Its gates shall not be shut to wit
At all by day, while there’s no night.
26 And they shall bring the glory sight
And honour of nations to it.
27 But there shall enter by no means
Anything that defiles its scenes,
Or causes an abomination
Or a lie, but only the nation
Written in the Lamb’s Book of Life
Has right to enter without strife.

Beloved, what miracles of love and grace
I see on the last pages of the face
Of revelation, Your revealing’s power:
There are some kings to face that awful hour
And live and walk that street of gold and shower
With glory and honour the new-sprung trace.
Beloved, that kings also should enter in
The chamber of righteousness without sin
Is cause above all others for surprise
And marvel in the human-guided eyes.
I praise You that the humble and the meek
Abound among the victors that I seek,
But more for the one lost than ninety-nine:
A king, a king set to appointed wine!

REVELATION 22

1 And he showed me a river pure,
Water of life that will endure,
Clear as crystal, proceeding from
The throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the midst of its street to come,
And on each riverside to dam,
Arose the tree of life to yield
Twelve fruits, each month a fruit revealed.
The leaves of the tree for the healing
Of the nations were there concealing.

The twelve Imams are the twelve fruits descended
From dear Muhammad when his life had ended.
The first was Ali come with drinking bowl
Of rare green alabaster to give soul
Of every man and woman a pure draught
Of Kauthar springing from Your crystal throne,
The same waters hidden that desert taught
To furnish tree of life with leaf and tone.
As the Islamic apostates ran free
In their oppression of posterity,
The tree of life bears its fruits quietly
Beside the hidden stream with humble fare.
Month by month age to age the cycles share
Divine guidance and healing everywhere.

3 And there shall be no more a curse,
But the throne of God to disburse
And of the Lamb in it rehearse,
And his servants shall serve him there.
4 They shall see his face, and his fair
Name shall be on their foreheads bare.
5 And there shall never be night there.
They need no lamp nor light of sun,
For YHWH God gives them light to run.
And they shall reign forever done.

Let every curse fail from my sluggish tongue,
I’m weak to curse the evil in the rung,
And now rejoice the need shall one day pass
Before Your throne and on the crisping grass
Of the Lamb and Mahdi, Ali with his
Alabaster bowl filled with Kauthar’s fizz.
Let every darkness fail from my suspense,
And take a way the lamp that I for sense
Keep burning in my darkened chamber here.
I have no longer need of spark and fear
Who enter in the glory of the day
That never fails of summer’s shining way.
For You give light without a gleaming show,
And You are the end of the path I go.

6 Then he said to me, “These words are
Faithful and true and like a star.”
And YHWH God of the prophet saints
Sent His angel to show in paints
To His servants the things that must
Soon come to pass. 7 “Indeed, I come
Quickly! Blessed is he who lifts thumb
To keep prophetic words of trust
In this book.” 8 And now I, John, saw
And heard these things out of the law.
And when I heard and saw, I fell
Down before the feet of angel
In worship to whom showed me these.
9 Then he said to me, “If you please
See that you do not do so. For
I’m your fellow slave at the door,
And of your brother prophets here,
Of those who keep what words appear
In this book. Worship God in fear.”
10 And he said to me, “Do not seal
What this book’s forecast words reveal,
For the time is at hand. 11 “He who
Is unjust, let him still pursue
Injustice, he who’s filthy, let
Him wallow in his lewdness yet,
He who is righteous, let him be
Righteous still, he who is holy,
Let him be holy still and free.”

Before the time pronouncing the set fate
Of evil and the good in judgement’s rate,
Let evil depart from my hand and foot,
Set life and good upon me and then put
Me in the garden of the city where
There is no evil anywhere to share.
Beloved, I choose the right as You describe
It in Your one sermon come to abide,
The Decalogue, I choose not to deride
With killing or with stealing on the side,
With lying tongue and covetous heart bred,
With idol and many gods that are fed
In every church for pagan’s helping hand.
Beloved, set my heart good beneath Your band.

12 “And indeed, I’m coming quickly,
And my reward is come with me,
To give to every one by what
He’s done before mercy’s door shut.
13 “I’m Alpha and Omega, stand
Beginning and the End to stand,
The First and the Last in command.”

Come, my Beloved, You who are never far
From me, not farther than a guiding star,
Your light years are a blink, so near that I
Cannot focus upon Your divine eye.
Come, my Beloved, indeed there is no where
For me to be outside Your love and care,
There is no place existing outside You
You have no bounds nor limits in the True.
Reward me with extinction of my trust,
Reward me with returning to the dust,
Reward me till there’s nothing left that must
Not return to the hand and heart that made
Me from the sod and breath of life and stayed
To call my name upon a garden’s crust.

14 Blessed are those who do His commands,
That they may have the right to bands
Of the tree of life, and may go
Through the gates in the city’s glow.
15 But outside are Sodomite whores,
And sorcerers, fornicators,
Idolaters, and those who love
To practice lying hand in glove.

Happy are they who do what You say to,
Happy are those who know the purpose true
That You once proclaimed on Sinai to few
And many brought out from the servitude
Of Egypt to rise upon quaint and crude.
Blessed indeed is the hand that does Your will
According to the commands from that hill.
Beloved, I rush to find the ten words here
Where they resound upon my lip and ear,
And find their duty sought and done as I
Lift thought and act upon my hand and eye.
Beloved, the gate of pearl, the tree of life,
Seduce my senses in the earthly strife,
And I turn to obey You without fear.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel
To witness to you these things well
In the groups of the called out ones.
I am the root of David’s sons,
The bright and morning star that runs.”
17 The spirit and the bride say “Come!”
And let the one who hears say “Come!”
And let the one who’s thirsty come.
Whoever wishes, let him take
The water of life for his sake.

Jesus speaks once more at the end of this
Grand prophecy taken from the fair bliss
Of Your heart and mind to recount the true
And what would happen to the godly few
Who stood beneath the iron hand to see
The coming of the beast and dragonly
Oppression from Abu Sufyan’s family,
And every tyrant set to defy what
You commanded humankind in the rut.
The bright star of the morning, David’s root
Reminds me of Your coming and Your suit.
I answer the cry with a welcome now
Despite the worry on my wrinkled brow,
Hoping that Your name is read there somehow.

18 For I bear witness to all men
Who hear this book’s forecast again,
If anyone adds to these things,
God will add to him what plague sings
Written in this book, 19 and if one
Takes away from the book’s words done
In forecast, God shall take away
His part from the Book of Life’s sway,
From the holy city, and from
The things which are written to come
In this book. 20 He who testifies
To these things says and never lies,
“Surely I come quickly.” Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus, then!
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
Be with you all. Amen sufficed.

Let me not add to this no more than I
Would add to the Torah where is the spy
First written in a curse to those who add.
I see every tradition is the sad
Result of adding to Your sacred word.
That is the root of all evil occurred.
Each church has more rules on record than ten,
All more difficult to acquire for men,
And often in conflict with what You gave.
Religions would reduce the soul to slave.
So I shall add no more to this book’s tone
Than that I, Loved, would bow to You alone.
Come quickly with Your book of judgement writ
To sanctify the temple where I sit.

AUTHOR: THOMAS G. MCELWAIN

Copyright © 2007 Adams & McElwain Publishers and Thomas McElwain First Published in two volumes, The Beloved and I 2005, and Led of the Beloved, 2006. Second Edition, 2010 Third and revised edition, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this verse commentary on the sacred Scriptures may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from publisher.

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