Revelation 2-8

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:

The Lamb Takes the Scroll

5 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne ^(DI)a scroll written inside and on the back, ^(DJ)sealed with seven seals. ² Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ^(DK)“Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

⁴ So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open ^[an]and read the scroll, or to look at it. ⁵ But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, ^(DL)the Lion of the tribe of ^(DM)Judah, ^(DN)the Root of David, has ^(DO)prevailed to open the scroll ^(DP)and ^[ao]to loose its seven seals.”

⁶ And I looked, ^[ap]and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood ^(DQ)a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and ^(DR)seven eyes, which are ^(DS)the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand ^(DT)of Him who sat on the throne.

Worthy Is the Lamb

⁸ Now when He had taken the scroll, ^(DU)the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the ^(DV)prayers of the saints. ⁹ And ^(DW)they sang a new song, saying:

¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice:

¹³ And ^(EC)every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

¹⁴ Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the ^[au]twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped ^[av]Him who lives forever and ever.

First Seal: The Conqueror

6 Now ^(EF)I saw when the Lamb opened one of the ^[aw]seals; and I heard ^(EG)one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” ² And I looked, and behold, ^(EH)a white horse. ^(EI)He who sat on it had a bow; ^(EJ)and a crown was given to him, and he went out ^(EK)conquering and to conquer.

Second Seal: Conflict on Earth

³ When He opened the second seal, ^(EL)I heard the second living creature saying, “Come ^[ax]and see.” ^4 (EM)Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to ^(EN)take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth

⁵ When He opened the third seal, ^(EO)I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, ^(EP)a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of ^(EQ)scales^[ay] in his hand. ⁶ And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A ^[az]quart of wheat for a ^[ba]denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and ^(ER)do not harm the oil and the wine.”

Fourth Seal: Widespread Death on Earth

⁷ When He opened the fourth seal, ^(ES)I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” ^8 (ET)So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And ^[bb]power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, ^(EU)to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, ^(EV)and by the beasts of the earth.

Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs

⁹ When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under ^(EW)the altar ^(EX)the souls of those who had been slain ^(EY)for the word of God and for ^(EZ)the testimony which they held. ¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ^(FA)“How long, O Lord, ^(FB)holy and true, ^(FC)until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” ¹¹ Then a ^(FD)white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them ^(FE)that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disturbances

¹² I looked when He opened the sixth seal, ^(FF)and ^[bc]behold, there was a great earthquake; and ^(FG)the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the ^[bd]moon became like blood. ^13 (FH)And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. ^14 (FI)Then the sky ^[be]receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and ^(FJ)every mountain and island was moved out of its place. ¹⁵ And the ^(FK)kings of the earth, the great men, ^[bf]the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, ^(FL)hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, ^16 (FM)and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who ^(FN)sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! ¹⁷ For the great day of His wrath has come, ^(FO)and who is able to stand?”

The Sealed of Israel

7 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, ^(FP)holding the four winds of the earth, ^(FQ)that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. ² Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, ³ saying, ^(FR)“Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God ^(FS)on their foreheads.” ^4 (FT)And I heard the number of those who were sealed. ^(FU)One hundred and forty-four thousand ^(FV)of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:

A Multitude from the Great Tribulation

⁹ After these things I looked, and behold, ^(FW)a great multitude which no one could number, ^(FX)of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, ^(FY)clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ^(FZ)“Salvation belongs to our God ^(GA)who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ^11 (GB)All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and ^(GC)worshiped God, ^12 (GD)saying:

¹³ Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in ^(GE)white robes, and where did they come from?”

¹⁴ And I said to him, ^[bh]“Sir, you know.”

So he said to me, ^(GF)“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and ^(GG)washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will ^(GH)dwell among them. ^16 (GI)They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; ^(GJ)the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; ¹⁷ for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne ^(GK)will shepherd them and lead them to ^[bi]living fountains of waters. ^(GL)And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Seventh Seal: Prelude to the Seven Trumpets

8 When^(GM) He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ^2 (GN)And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, ^(GO)and to them were given seven trumpets. ³ Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with ^(GP)the prayers of all the saints upon ^(GQ)the golden altar which was before the throne. ⁴ And ^(GR)the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. ⁵ Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And ^(GS)there were noises, thunderings, ^(GT)lightnings, ^(GU)and an earthquake.

⁶ So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck

⁷ The first angel sounded: ^(GV)And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown ^(GW)to the ^[bj]earth. And a third ^(GX)of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck

⁸ Then the second angel sounded: ^(GY)And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, ^(GZ)and a third of the sea ^(HA)became blood. ^9 (HB)And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck

¹⁰ Then the third angel sounded: ^(HC)And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, ^(HD)and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. ^11 (HE)The name of the star is Wormwood. ^(HF)A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.

Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck

^12 (HG)Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day ^[bk]did not shine, and likewise the night.

¹³ And I looked, ^(HH)and I heard an ^[bl]angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, ^(HI)“Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”