Revelation 3-4
New American Standard Bible
Message to Sardis
3 “To the angel of the church in (A)Sardis write:
He who has [a](B)the seven spirits of God and (C)the seven stars, says this: ‘(D)I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, and yet you are (E)dead. 2 Be constantly alert, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3 So (F)remember [b]what you have received and heard; and [c]keep it, and (G)repent. Then if you are not alert, (H)I will come (I)like a thief, and you will not know at (J)what hour I will come to you. 4 But you have a few [d](K)people in (L)Sardis who have not (M)soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me (N)in white, for they are worthy. 5 (O)The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, in (P)white garments; and I will not (Q)erase his name from the book of life, and (R)I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. 6 (S)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Message to Philadelphia
7 “And to the angel of the church in (T)Philadelphia write:
(U)He who is holy, (V)who is true, who has (W)the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
8 ‘(X)I know your [e]deeds. Behold, I have put before you (Y)an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have followed My word, and (Z)have not denied My name. 9 Behold, I [f]will make those of (AA)the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them (AB)come and bow down before your feet, and make them know that (AC)I have loved you. 10 Because you have (AD)kept (AE)My [g]word of perseverance, (AF)I also will keep you from the hour of the [h](AG)testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole [i](AH)world, to [j]test (AI)those who live on the earth. 11 (AJ)I am coming quickly; (AK)hold firmly to what you have, so that no one will take your (AL)crown. 12 (AM)The one who overcomes, I will make him a (AN)pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the (AO)name of My God, and (AP)the name of the city of My God, (AQ)the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My (AR)new name. 13 (AS)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Message to Laodicea
14 “To the angel of the church in (AT)Laodicea write:
(AU)The Amen, (AV)the faithful and true Witness, (AW)the [k]Origin of the creation of God, says this:
15 ‘(AX)I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; (AY)I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, “(AZ)I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, 18 I advise you to (BA)buy from Me (BB)gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and (BC)white garments so that you may clothe yourself and (BD)the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see. 19 (BE)Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and (BF)repent. 20 Behold, I stand (BG)at the door and (BH)knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, (BI)I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 (BJ)The one who overcomes, I will grant to him (BK)to sit with Me on My throne, as (BL)I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne. 22 (BM)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
Scene in Heaven
4 After (BN)these things I looked, and behold, (BO)a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, (BP)like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “(BQ)Come up here, and I will (BR)show you what must take place after these things.” 2 Immediately I was (BS)in the [l]Spirit; and behold, (BT)a throne was standing in heaven, and (BU)someone was sitting on the throne. 3 And He who was sitting was like a (BV)jasper stone and a (BW)sardius in appearance; and there was a [m](BX)rainbow around the throne, like an (BY)emerald in appearance. 4 (BZ)Around the throne were (CA)twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw (CB)twenty-four elders (CC)sitting, clothed in (CD)white garments, and (CE)golden crowns on their heads.
The Throne and Worship of the Creator
5 Out from the throne *came (CF)flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were (CG)seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are [n](CH)the seven spirits of God; 6 and before the throne there was something like a (CI)sea of glass, like crystal; and in the [o]center and (CJ)around the throne, (CK)four living creatures (CL)full of eyes in front and behind. 7 (CM)The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like a calf, the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8 And the (CN)four living creatures, each one of them having (CO)six wings, are (CP)full of eyes around and within; and (CQ)day and night [p]they do not cease to say,
“(CR)Holy, holy, holy is the (CS)Lord God, the Almighty, (CT)who was and who is and who [q]is to come.”
9 And when the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who (CU)sits on the throne, to (CV)Him who lives forever and ever, 10 the (CW)twenty-four elders will (CX)fall down before Him who (CY)sits on the throne, and they will worship (CZ)Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their (DA)crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “(DB)Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You (DC)created all things, and because of Your will they [r]existed, and were created.”
Footnotes
- Revelation 3:1 Possibly a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit in His fullness, or to seven key angels
- Revelation 3:3 Lit how
- Revelation 3:3 Or follow
- Revelation 3:4 Lit names
- Revelation 3:8 Or deeds (behold...shut), that you have
- Revelation 3:9 Lit give
- Revelation 3:10 Or instruction
- Revelation 3:10 Or temptation
- Revelation 3:10 Lit inhabited earth
- Revelation 3:10 Or tempt
- Revelation 3:14 Or Beginning; i.e., Originator
- Revelation 4:2 Or spirit
- Revelation 4:3 Or halo
- Revelation 4:5 Possibly a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit in His fullness, or to seven key angels
- Revelation 4:6 Lit middle of the throne and around
- Revelation 4:8 Lit they have no rest, saying,
- Revelation 4:8 Or is coming
- Revelation 4:11 Lit were
Revelation 3-4
New King James Version
The Dead Church
3 “And to the [a]angel of the church in Sardis write,
‘These things says He who (A)has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before [b]God. 3 (B)Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and (C)repent. (D)Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you (E)as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4 [c]You have (F)a few names [d]even in Sardis who have not (G)defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me (H)in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes (I)shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not (J)blot out his name from the (K)Book of Life; but (L)I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
6 (M)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’
The Faithful Church
7 “And to the [e]angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
‘These things says (N)He who is holy, (O)He who is true, (P)“He who has the key of David, (Q)He who opens and no one shuts, and (R)shuts and no one opens”: 8 (S)“I know your works. See, I have set before you (T)an open door, [f]and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 Indeed I will make (U)those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed (V)I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept [g]My command to persevere, (W)I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon (X)the whole world, to test those who dwell (Y)on the earth. 11 [h]Behold, (Z)I am coming quickly! (AA)Hold fast what you have, that no one may take (AB)your crown. 12 He who overcomes, I will make him (AC)a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall (AD)go out no more. (AE)I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the (AF)New Jerusalem, which (AG)comes down out of heaven from My God. (AH)And I will write on him My new name.
13 (AI)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’
The Lukewarm Church
14 “And to the [i]angel of the church [j]of the Laodiceans write,
(AJ)‘These things says the Amen, (AK)the Faithful and True Witness, (AL)the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 (AM)“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither [k]cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, (AN)‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you (AO)to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and (AP)white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 (AQ)As many as I love, I rebuke and (AR)chasten.[l] Therefore be [m]zealous and repent. 20 Behold, (AS)I stand at the door and knock. (AT)If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, (AU)I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes (AV)I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22 (AW)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”
The Throne Room of Heaven(AX)
4 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing (AY)open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a (AZ)trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
2 Immediately (BA)I was in the Spirit; and behold, (BB)a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 [n]And He who sat there was (BC)like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; (BD)and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. 4 (BE)Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, (BF)clothed in white [o]robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne proceeded (BG)lightnings, [p]thunderings, and voices. (BH)Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are (BI)the[q] seven Spirits of God.
6 Before the throne there [r]was (BJ)a sea of glass, like crystal. (BK)And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 (BL)The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having (BM)six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, (BQ)who lives forever and ever, 10 (BR)the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
11 “You(BS) are worthy, [t]O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
(BT)For You created all things,
And by (BU)Your will they [u]exist and were created.”
Footnotes
- Revelation 3:1 Or messenger
- Revelation 3:2 NU, M My God
- Revelation 3:4 NU, M Nevertheless you
- Revelation 3:4 NU, M omit even
- Revelation 3:7 Or messenger
- Revelation 3:8 NU, M which no one can shut
- Revelation 3:10 Lit. the word of My patience
- Revelation 3:11 NU, M omit Behold
- Revelation 3:14 Or messenger
- Revelation 3:14 NU, M in Laodicea
- Revelation 3:16 NU, M hot nor cold
- Revelation 3:19 discipline
- Revelation 3:19 eager
- Revelation 4:3 M omits And He who sat there was, making the following a description of the throne.
- Revelation 4:4 NU, M robes, with crowns
- Revelation 4:5 NU, M voices, and thunderings.
- Revelation 4:5 M omits the
- Revelation 4:6 NU, M add something like
- Revelation 4:8 M has holy nine times.
- Revelation 4:11 NU, M our Lord and God
- Revelation 4:11 NU, M existed
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
