Revelation 2-4

New King James Version

The Loveless Church

2 “To the ^[a]angel of the church of Ephesus write,

‘These things says ^(A)He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, ^(B)who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ^2 (C)“I know your works, your labor, your ^[b]patience, and that you cannot ^[c]bear those who are evil. And ^(D)you have tested those ^(E)who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³ and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have ^(F)not become weary. ⁴ Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, ^(G)or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶ But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

^7 (H)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give ^(I)to eat from ^(J)the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’

The Persecuted Church

⁸ “And to the ^[d]angel of the church in Smyrna write,

‘These things says ^(K)the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: ⁹ “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are ^(L)rich); and I know the blasphemy of ^(M)those who say they are Jews and are not, ^(N)but are a ^[e]synagogue of Satan. ^10 (O)Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. ^(P)Be faithful until death, and I will give you ^(Q)the crown of life.

^11 (R)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by ^(S)the second death.” ’

The Compromising Church

¹² “And to the ^[f]angel of the church in Pergamos write,

‘These things says ^(T)He who has the sharp two-edged sword: ¹³ “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. ¹⁴ But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of ^(U)Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, ^(V)to eat things sacrificed to idols, ^(W)and to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵ Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, ^[g]which thing I hate. ¹⁶ Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and ^(X)will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

¹⁷ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden ^(Y)manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone ^(Z)a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’

The Corrupt Church

¹⁸ “And to the ^[h]angel of the church in Thyatira write,

‘These things says the Son of God, ^(AA)who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: ^19 (AB)“I know your works, love, ^[i]service, faith, and your ^[j]patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. ²⁰ Nevertheless I have ^[k]a few things against you, because you allow ^[l]that woman ^(AC)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, ^[m]to teach and seduce My servants ^(AD)to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ²¹ And I gave her time ^(AE)to ^[n]repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. ²² Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of ^[o]their deeds. ²³ I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who ^(AF)searches^[p] the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

²⁴ “Now to you I say, ^[q]and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the ^(AG)depths of Satan, as they say, ^(AH)I ^[r]will put on you no other burden. ²⁵ But hold fast ^(AI)what you have till I come. ²⁶ And he who overcomes, and keeps ^(AJ)My works until the end, ^(AK)to him I will give power over the nations—

as I also have received from My Father; ²⁸ and I will give him ^(AM)the morning star.

²⁹ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

The Dead Church

3 “And to the ^[s]angel of the church in Sardis write,

‘These things says He who ^(AN)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 ^[t]God. ^3 (AO)Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and ^(AP)repent. ^(AQ)Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you ^(AR)as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. ^4 [u]You have ^(AS)a few names ^[v]even in Sardis who have not ^(AT)defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me ^(AU)in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ He who overcomes ^(AV)shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not ^(AW)blot out his name from the ^(AX)Book of Life; but ^(AY)I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

^6 (AZ)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

The Faithful Church

⁷ “And to the ^[w]angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

‘These things says ^(BA)He who is holy, ^(BB)He who is true, ^(BC)“He who has the key of David, ^(BD)He who opens and no one shuts, and ^(BE)shuts and no one opens”: ^8 (BF)“I know your works. See, I have set before you ^(BG)an open door, ^[x]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 ^(BH)those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed ^(BI)I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. ¹⁰ Because you have kept ^[y]My command to persevere, ^(BJ)I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon ^(BK)the whole world, to test those who dwell ^(BL)on the earth. ^11 [z]Behold, ^(BM)I am coming quickly! ^(BN)Hold fast what you have, that no one may take ^(BO)your crown. ¹² He who overcomes, I will make him ^(BP)a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall ^(BQ)go out no more. ^(BR)I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the ^(BS)New Jerusalem, which ^(BT)comes down out of heaven from My God. ^(BU)And I will write on him My new name.

^13 (BV)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

The Lukewarm Church

¹⁴ “And to the ^[aa]angel of the church ^[ab]of the Laodiceans write,

^(BW)‘These things says the Amen, ^(BX)the Faithful and True Witness, ^(BY)the Beginning of the creation of God: ^15 (BZ)“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 ^[ac]cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, ^(CA)‘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 ^(CB)to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and ^(CC)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 (CD)As many as I love, I rebuke and ^(CE)chasten.^[ad] Therefore be ^[ae]zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, ^(CF)I stand at the door and knock. ^(CG)If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, ^(CH)I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. ²¹ To him who overcomes ^(CI)I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

^22 (CJ)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”

The Throne Room of Heaven^(CK)

4 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing ^(CL)open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a ^(CM)trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

² Immediately ^(CN)I was in the Spirit; and behold, ^(CO)a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. ^3 [af]And He who sat there was ^(CP)like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; ^(CQ)and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. ^4 (CR)Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, ^(CS)clothed in white ^[ag]robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ And from the throne proceeded ^(CT)lightnings, ^[ah]thunderings, and voices. ^(CU)Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are ^(CV)the^[ai] seven Spirits of God.

⁶ Before the throne there ^[aj]was ^(CW)a sea of glass, like crystal. ^(CX)And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. ^7 (CY)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 ^(CZ)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, ^(DD)who lives forever and ever, ^10 (DE)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: