12. God's people need to be very patient. They are the ones who obey God's commands. They remain faithful to Jesus.
13. Then I heard a voice from heaven. "Write this," it said. "Blessed are the dead who die as believers in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Holy Spirit. "They will rest from their labor. What they have done will not be forgotten."
14. I looked, and there in front of me was a white cloud. Sitting on the cloud was One who looked "like a son of man." (Daniel 7:13) He wore a gold crown on his head. In his hand was a sharp, curved blade for cutting grain.
15. Then another angel came out of the temple. He called in a loud voice to the one sitting on the cloud. "Take your blade," he said. "Cut the grain. The time has come. The earth is ready to be harvested."
16. So the one sitting on the cloud swung his blade over the earth. And the earth was harvested.