Revelation 2-3
1599 Geneva Bible
2 1 John is commanded to write those things which the Lord knew necessary to the Churches of Ephesus. 8 Of the Smyrnians, 12 of Pergamos, 18 and of Thyatira, as that they keep those things which they received of the Apostles.
1 [a]Unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write, [b]These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, and walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.
2 [c]I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear with them which are evil, and hast examined them which say they are Apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.
3 And thou wast burdened, and hast patience, and for my Name’s sake hast labored, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless, I have somewhat [d]against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works: or else I will come against thee shortly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou amend.
6 But this thou hast that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 [e]Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches: To him that overcometh, will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in [f]the midst of the [g]Paradise of God.
8 ¶ [h]And unto the Angel of the Church of the [i]Smyrnians write, These things saith he that is first and last, which was dead and is alive.
9 [j]I know thy works and tribulation, and poverty (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them, which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the Synagogue of Satan.
10 Fear none of those things, which thou shalt suffer: behold, it shall come to pass, that the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have [k]tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto the death, and I will give thee the crown of life.
11 [l]Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt [m]of the second death.
12 [n]And to the Angel of the Church, which is at [o]Pergamos write, Thus saith he which hath that sharp sword with two edges.
13 [p]I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s throne is, and thou keepest my Name, and hast not denied my faith, even in [q]those days when Antipas my faithful martyr was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that maintain the doctrine of (A)Balaam, which taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, that they should [r]eat of things sacrificed unto idols, and commit fornication.
15 Even so hast thou them that maintain the doctrine of the [s]Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
16 Repent thyself, or else I will come unto thee shortly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 [t]Let him that hath an ear, hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches. To him that overcometh, will I give to eat [u]of the [v]Manna that is hid, and will give him a [w][x]white stone, and in the stone a new [y]name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it.
18 ¶ And unto [z]the Angel of the Church which is at Thyatira write, These things saith the Son of God, which hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass.
19 I know [aa]thy works and thy love, and [ab]service and faith, and thy patience, and thy works, and that they are more at the last, than at the first.
20 Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to deceive my servants, to make them commit [ac]fornication and to eat meat sacrificed unto idols.
21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not.
22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit fornication with her, into great affliction, except they repent them of their works.
23 And I will kill her children with death, and all the Churches shall know that I am he which (B)search the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according unto your works.
24 And unto you I say, the rest of them of Thyatira, As many as have not this learning, neither have known the [ad]deepness of Satan (as they speak) I will [ae]put upon you none other burden,
25 But that which ye have already, hold fast till I come.
26 [af]For he that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end, to him will I give [ag]power over nations.
27 (C)And he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and as the vessels of a potter, shall they be broken:
28 Even as I received of my Father, so will I give him [ah]the morning Star.
29 Let him that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches.
3 1 The first Epistle sent to the Pastors of the Church of Sardis, 7 of Philadelphia, 14 And of the Laodiceans, 16 that they be not lukewarm, 20 but endeavor to further God’s glory.
1 [ai]And write unto the Angel of the Church which is at [aj]Sardis, These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars, [ak]I know thy works: for thou hast a [al]name that thou livest, but thou art dead.
2 Be awake, and strengthen the things which remain, that are [am]ready to die: for I have not found thy work perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent. (D)If therefore thou wilt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 Notwithstanding thou hast a few names yet in Sardis, [an]which have not defiled their garments: and they shall walk with me in [ao]white: for they are [ap]worthy.
5 He [aq]that overcometh, shall be clothed in white array, and I will not put out his Name out of the (E)book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his Angels.
6 Let him that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.
7 ¶ [ar]And write unto the Angel of the Church which is of Philadelphia, These things saith he that is Holy, and True, which hath the [as]key of David, which openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth.
8 [at]I know thy works: behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my Name.
9 Behold, I will make them [au]of the Synagogue of Satan, which call themselves Jews, and are not, but do lie: behold, I say, I will make them that they shall come [av]and worship before thy feet, and shall know that I have loved thee.
10 Because thou hast [aw]kept the word of my patience, therefore I will deliver thee from the hour of tentation, which will come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come shortly: hold that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12 [ax]Him that overcometh, will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: [ay]and I will write upon him the Name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new Name.
13 Let him that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.
14 [az]And unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write, These things saith [ba]Amen, the faithful and true witness, that [bb]beginning of the creatures of God.
15 [bc]I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou werest cold or hot.
16 Therefore because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, it will come to pass, that I shall spew thee out of my mouth.
17 For thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not how thou art wretched and miserable, [bd]and poor, and blind, and naked.
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried by the fire, that thou mayest be made rich: and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that thy filthy nakedness do not appear: and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, (F)I rebuke and chasten: be [be]zealous therefore and amend.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock, [bf]If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in unto him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 [bg]To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I overcame, and sit with my Father in his throne.
22 Let him that hath an ear, hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.
Footnotes
- Revelation 2:1 The former part of this book is comprised in a narration of those things which then were as S. John taught us, Rev. 1:19, it belongeth wholly to instruction and in these next two Chapters, containeth seven places according to the number and condition of those Churches which were named before, Rev. 1:11, figured verse 12, distributed most aptly into their Pastors and flocks, verse 20, which verse of that Chap. is as it were a passage unto the first part. Every one of the seven places hath three principal members, an Exordium taken from the person of the Author: a Proposition, in which is praise and commendation of that which is good, reprehension of that which is evil: an instruction containing either an exhortation alone, or withal a dissuasion opposite unto it, and a conclusion stirring unto attention by divine promises. And this first place is unto the Pastors of the Church of Ephesus.
- Revelation 2:1 The exordium wherein are contained the special praises of Christ Jesus the Author of this prophecy, out of verses 16 and 13 of the first Chapter.
- Revelation 2:2 The proposition, first condemning the Pastor of this Church, verses 2, 3, then reproving him, verse 4, after informing him and withal threatening that he will translate the Church to another place, verse 5. This commutation or threat Christ mitigateth by a kind of correction, calling to mind the particular virtue and piety of the Church, which God never leaveth without recompense, verse 6. Concerning the Nicolaitans see after upon verse 11.
- Revelation 2:4 To deal with thee for.
- Revelation 2:7 The conclusion, containing a commandment of attention and a promise of everlasting life, shadowed out in a figure of which, Gen. 2:9.
- Revelation 2:7 That is, in Paradise after the manner of the Hebrew phrase.
- Revelation 2:7 Thus Christ speaketh as the Mediator.
- Revelation 2:8 The second place is unto the Pastors of the Church of the Smyrnians. The exordium is taken out of verses 17 and 18 of the first Chap.
- Revelation 2:8 Smyrna was one of the cities of Ionia in Asia.
- Revelation 2:9 The proposition of praise is in this verse and of exhortation joined with promise, is in the next verse.
- Revelation 2:10 That is, of ten years. For so commonly both in this book and in Daniel, years are signified by the name of days: that God thereby might declare, that the space of time is appointed by him, and the same very short. Now because Saint John wrote this book in the end of Domitian the Emperor his reign, as Justin and Ireneus do witness, it is altogether necessary that this should be referred unto that persecution which was done by the authority of the Emperor Trajan: who began to make havoc of the Christian Church in the tenth year of his reign, as the Historiographers do write: and his bloody persecution continued until Adrian the Emperor had succeeded in his place: the space of which time is precisely ten years, which are here mentioned.
- Revelation 2:11 The conclusions as verse 7.
- Revelation 2:11 See Rev. 20:6.
- Revelation 2:12 The third place is unto the Pastors of Pergamos. The Exordium is taken out of verse 16 of the first Chapter.
- Revelation 2:12 Pergamos was the name of a famous city in old time in Asia, where the Kings of the Attalians were always resident.
- Revelation 2:13 The proposition of praise is in this verse, of reprehension in the two following, and of exhortation joined with a conditional threat, verse 16. Now this Antipas was the Angel or minister of the Church of Pergamos, as Aretas writeth.
- Revelation 2:13 The faith of them of Pergamos is so much the more highly commended because they remained constant even in the very heat of persecution.
- Revelation 2:14 That which is here spoken of things offered to idols, is meant of the same kind which Paul speaketh of, 1 Cor. 10:13.
- Revelation 2:15 Which follow the footsteps of Balaam, and such as are abandoned unto all filthiness, as he showed in the verse foregoing, and is here signified by a note of similitude. And thus also must the next verse be understood. For this matter especially Ireneus must be consulted withal.
- Revelation 2:17 The conclusion, standing of exhortation as before, and of promise.
- Revelation 2:17 He alludeth to that sermon which we read of John 6, and to the place we find, Ps. 105:40.
- Revelation 2:17 Aretas writeth, that such a stone was wont to be given to wrestlers at games, or else that such stones did in old times witness the quitting of a man.
- Revelation 2:17 The bread of life, invisible, spiritual, and heavenly, which is kept secretly with God, from before all eternity.
- Revelation 2:17 Which is a sign and witness of forgiveness and remission of sins, of righteousness and true holiness, and of purity uncorrupted, after that the old man is killed.
- Revelation 2:17 A sign and testimony of newness of life in righteousness and true holiness, by putting on the new man, whom none doth inwardly know, save the spirit of man which is in himself, the praise whereof is not of man, but of God, Rom. 2:28.
- Revelation 2:18 The fourth place is unto the Pastors of Thyatira. The exordium is taken out of verses 14 and 15 of the first Chapter.
- Revelation 2:19 The proposition of praise is in this verse: of reprehension, for they tolerated with them, the doctrine of ungodliness and unrighteousness, is verse 20, the authors whereof though they were called back of God, yet repented not verse 21, whereunto is added a most heavy threatening, verses 22 and 23, of a conditional promise, and of exhortation to hold fast the truth, is in the two verses following.
- Revelation 2:19 So he calleth those offices of charity which are done to the saints.
- Revelation 2:20 By Fornication, is often in the Scripture idolatry meant.
- Revelation 2:24 He pointeth out the bragging of certain men, which boasted of their deep, that is, plentiful and common knowledge, which notwithstanding is devilish.
- Revelation 2:24 I will speak no worse thing against you, being content to have showed you what I require to be in you.
- Revelation 2:26 The conclusion, wherein Christ assureth unto his servants the communion of his Kingdom and glory, in this verse and the next following, and commandeth an holy attention in the last verse.
- Revelation 2:26 That is, I will make him a King by communion with me, and my fellow heir, as it is promised, Matt. 19:28 and 25:34; Rom. 8:17 and 1 Cor. 6:3; Eph. 2:6 and 1 Tim. 2:12.
- Revelation 2:28 The brightness of greatest glory and honor nearest approaching unto the light of Christ, who is the Son of righteousness, and our head, Matt. 4.
- Revelation 3:1 The fifth place is unto the Pastors of Sardis. The exordium is taken out of verses 4 and 16 of the first Chap.
- Revelation 3:1 Sardis is the name of a most flourishing and famous City, where the Kings of Lydia kept their courts.
- Revelation 3:1 The proposition of reproof is in this verse: of exhortation joined with a threatening in the two verses that follow, and of qualification by way of correction unto the comfort of the good which yet remained there, verse 4.
- Revelation 3:1 Thou art said to live, but art dead indeed.
- Revelation 3:2 Other things, whose state is such, that they are now going, and unless they be confirmed, will perish forthwith.
- Revelation 3:4 That is, who have with all religion guarded themselves from sin and moral contagion, even from the very show of evil, as S. Jude exhorteth, verse 23.
- Revelation 3:4 Pure from all spot and shining with glory. So it is to be understood always hereafter as in the next verse.
- Revelation 3:4 They are meet and fit, to wit, because they are justified in Christ, as they have truly showed it: for he is righteous that worketh righteousness: but so, as the tree bringeth forth fruit. See Rom. 8:18.
- Revelation 3:5 The conclusion standing upon a promise and a commandment as before.
- Revelation 3:7 The sixth place is unto the Pastors of Philadelphia. The exordium is taken out of verse 18 of the first chapter.
- Revelation 3:7 All power of rule in commanding and forbidding, delivering and punishing. And the house of David is the Church, and the continual promise of David’s Kingdom belongeth to Christ.
- Revelation 3:8 The proposition of praise is in this verse, of promises, to bring home again them that wander, verse 9, and to preserve the godly, verse 10, and of exhortation, verse 11.
- Revelation 3:9 I will bring them to that case.
- Revelation 3:9 That is, fall down and worship either thee civilly, or Christ religiously at thy feet (and thus I had rather take it) whether here in the Church (which seemeth more proper to the argument of this place) or there in the world to come. For Christ verily shall fulfill his word.
- Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast been patient and constant, as I would my servants should be.
- Revelation 3:12 The conclusion, which containeth a promise and a commandment.
- Revelation 3:12 That is, the new man shall be turned after his Father, Mother, and head Christ.
- Revelation 3:14 The seventh place is unto the pastors of the Church of Laodicea. The exordium is taken out of verse 15 of the first chapter.
- Revelation 3:14 Amen soundeth as much in the Hebrew tongue, as Truly, or Truth itself.
- Revelation 3:14 Of whom all things that are made, have their beginning.
- Revelation 3:15 The proposition of reproof is in this verse, whereunto is adjoined a threatening, verse 16, with a confirmation declaring the same, verse 17, and of exhortation unto faith and repentance, verses 18, 19, whereunto is added a conditional promise, verse 20.
- Revelation 3:17 The spiritual misery of men is metaphorically expressed in three points: unto which are matched as correspondent those remedies which are offered, verse 18.
- Revelation 3:19 Zeal is set against them which are neither hot nor cold.
- Revelation 3:20 This must be taken after the manner of an allegory, as John 14:23.
- Revelation 3:21 The conclusion, consisting of a promise, as Rev. 2:26, and of an exhortation. Hitherto hath been the first part of the book of the Apocalypse.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
Bible Gateway Recommends
