This Year, in each Sunday during the season of Eastertide, our Epistle comes from the Book of Revelation. This is a very rare occurrence. In fact any reading from the Book of Revelation is a rare occurence in our Sunday lectionery. So below is the text from all six readings, if you are interested in seeing the progression.
Eastertide Readings from The Book of Revelation - 2013
Easter II
Revelation 1:4-8
John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you
and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven
spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood,
and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be
glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will
wail. So it is to be. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the
Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Easter III
Revelation 5:11-14
I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding
the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of
myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice,
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!"
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under
the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,
"To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and
ever!"
And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And
the elders fell down and worshiped.
Easter IV
Revelation 7:9-17
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no
one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm
branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
"Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the
throne, and to the Lamb!"
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the
elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the
throne and worshiped God, singing,
"Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are
these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" I said to him,
"Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These
are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Easter V
Revelation 21:1-6
I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and
the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy
city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
"See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them as their God;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away."
And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I
am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words
are trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the
Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give
water as a gift from the spring of the water of life."
Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5
In the spirit the angel carried me away to a great, high
mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from
God.
I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God
the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on
it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations
will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into
it. Its gates will never be shut by day-- and there will be no night there.
People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing
unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but
only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life,
bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the
middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of
life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the
leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be
found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and
his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on
their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or
sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and
ever.
Easter VII
Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21
At the end of the visions I, John, heard these words:
"See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay
according to everyone's work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the
last, the beginning and the end."
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will
have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.
"It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this
testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the
bright morning star."
The Spirit and the bride say, "Come."
And let everyone who hears say, "Come."
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.
The one who testifies to these things says, "Surely I
am coming soon."
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.
