Then ¹  one of the elders asked ²  me, “These dressed in long white robes – who are they and where have they come from?”

After these things I saw another angel, who possessed great authority, coming down out of heaven, and the earth was lit up by his radiance. ¹ 

After these things I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a vast throng in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,

(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished.) ¹  This is the first resurrection.

Then ¹  Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death – the lake of fire.

For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken: ¹  “The voice ²  of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make ³  his paths straight.’” ⁴ 

Whenever ¹  they persecute you in one place, ²  flee to another. I tell you the truth, ³  you will not finish going through all the towns ⁴  of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, ¹  who will prepare your way before you.’ ² 

The people ¹  of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them ²  – and now, ³  something greater than Jonah is here!

The queen of the South ¹  will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, ²  something greater than Solomon is here!

When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one ¹  comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; ²  this is the seed sown along the path.

The ¹  seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth ²  choke the word, ³  so it produces nothing.

But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” ¹ 

The field is the world and the good seed are the people ¹  of the kingdom. The weeds are the people ²  of the evil one,

Then ¹  he came to his hometown ²  and began to teach the people ³  in their synagogue. ⁴  They ⁵  were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?

Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Mary? ¹  And aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead! And because of this, miraculous powers are at work in him.”

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades ¹  will not overpower it.

While he was still speaking, a ¹  bright cloud ²  overshadowed ³  them, and a voice from the cloud said, ⁴  “This is my one dear Son, ⁵  in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!” ⁶ 

He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, ¹  “Permit ²  these two sons of mine to sit, one at your ³  right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”