Greeting the Seven Churches

⁴ John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from Him ^(A)who is and ^(B)who was and who is to come, ^(C)and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,

The Eternal Word^(A)

1 In the beginning ^(B)was the Word, and the ^(C)Word was ^(D)with God, and the Word was ^(E)God.

⁸ Jesus Christ is ^(A)the same yesterday, today, and forever.

⁶ And I looked, ^[a]and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood ^(A)a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and ^(B)seven eyes, which are ^(C)the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

⁵ And from the throne proceeded ^(A)lightnings, ^[a]thunderings, and voices. ^(B)Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are ^(C)the^[b] seven Spirits of God.

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.

^8 (A)“I am the Alpha and the Omega, ^[a]the Beginning and the End,” says the ^[b]Lord, ^(B)“who is and who was and who is to come, the ^(C)Almighty.”