Beginning
The Revelation of Jesus the Messiah to the Seven Churches
1 This is[a] the revelation of Jesus the Messiah,[b] which God gave him to show his servants the things that must happen soon. He made it known by sending his messenger[c] to his servant John, 2 who testified about this message from God and the testimony about Jesus the Messiah.[d] 3 How blessed is the one who reads aloud and those who hear the words of this prophecy and obey what is written in it, for the time is near!
4 From[e] John to the seven churches in Asia. May grace and peace be yours from the one who is, who was, and who is coming, from the seven spirits who are in front of his throne, 5 and from Jesus the Messiah,[f] the witness, the faithful one,[g] the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To the one who loves us and has freed[h] us from our sins by his blood 6 and has made us a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
7 Look! He is coming in the clouds.
Every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him,
and all the tribes of the earth will mourn
because of him.
So be it! Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” declares the Lord God, “the one who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty.”
John’s Vision of the Messiah
9 I am John, your brother and partner in the oppression, kingdom, and patience that comes because of Jesus. I was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus. 10 I came to be in the Spirit on the Day of the Lord, when I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet, 11 saying, “Write on a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see who[i] was talking to me, and when I turned I saw seven gold lamp stands. 13 Among the lamp stands there was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash around his chest.[j] 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, in fact, as white as snow. His eyes were like flames of fire, 15 his feet were like glowing bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of raging waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword. His face was like the sun when it shines with full force.
17 When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. But he placed his right hand on me and said, “Stop being afraid! I am the first and the last, 18 the living one. I was dead—but look!—I am alive forever and ever! I have the keys of Death and Hades.[k] 19 Therefore, write down what you have seen, what is, and what is going to happen after this. 20 The secret meaning of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lamp stands is this: the seven stars are the messengers[l] of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches.”
The Letter to the Church in Ephesus
2 “To the messenger[m] of the church in Ephesus, write:
‘The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lamp stands, says this:
2 ‘I know what you’ve been doing, your toil, and your endurance. I also know that you cannot tolerate evil people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles, but are not, and have found them to be false. 3 You have endured and suffered because of my name, yet you have not grown weary. 4 However, I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Therefore, remember how far you have fallen. Repent and go back to what you were doing at first. If you don’t, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place—unless you repent. 6 But this is to your credit: You hate the actions of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 ‘Let everyone[n] listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the privilege of eating from the tree of life that is in God’s paradise to everyone who overcomes.’”[o]
The Letter to the Church in Smyrna
8 “To the messenger[p] of the church in Smyrna, write:
‘The first and the last, who was dead and became alive, says this:
9 ‘I know your suffering and your poverty—though you are rich—and the slander committed by those who claim to be Jews but are not. They are the synagogue of Satan. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are going to suffer. Look! The Devil is going to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested. For ten days you will undergo suffering. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the victor’s crown of life.
11 ‘Let everyone[q] listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who overcomes[r] will never be hurt by the second death.’”
The Letter to the Church in Pergamum
12 “To the messenger[s] of the church in Pergamum, write:
‘The one who holds the sharp, two-edged sword, says this:
13 ‘I know where you live. Satan’s throne is there. Yet you hold on to my name and have not denied your faith in me,[t] even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed in your presence, where Satan lives. 14 But I have a few things against you: You have there some who hold to the teaching of Balaam, the one who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and practice immorality. 15 You also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 So repent. If you don’t, I will come to you quickly and wage war against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 ‘Let everyone[u] listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give some of the hidden manna to everyone who overcomes.’”[v] I will also give him a white stone. On the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the person who receives it.’”
The Letter to the Church in Thyatira
18 “To the messenger[w] of the church in Thyatira, write:
‘The Son of God, whose eyes are like flaming fire and whose feet are like glowing bronze, says this:
19 ‘I know what you’ve been doing—your love, faithfulness,[x] service, and endurance—and that your last actions are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and who teaches and leads my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refused to repent of her immorality. 22 Look! I am going to strike her with illness.[y] Those who commit adultery with her will also suffer greatly, unless they repent from acting like her. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will reward each of you as your actions deserve.
24 ‘But as for the rest of you in Thyatira—you who do not hold to this teaching and who have not learned what some people call the deep things of Satan—I won’t burden you with anything else. 25 Just hold on to what you have until I come. 26 I will give authority over the nations to the person who overcomes[z] and continues to do what I’ve commanded[aa] to the end, and
27 ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter;
shattering them like clay pots.’[ab]
28 ‘Just as I have received authority from my Father, I will also give him the morning star.
29 ‘Let everyone[ac] listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
The Letter to the Church in Sardis
3 “To the messenger[ad] of the church in Sardis, write:
‘The one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says this:
‘I know what you’ve been doing. You are known for being alive, but you are dead. 2 Be alert, and strengthen the things that are left, which are about to die. I note that your actions are incomplete before my God. 3 So remember what you received and heard. Obey it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you won’t know the time when I will come to you. 4 But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me in white clothes because they are worthy. 5 The person who overcomes[ae] in this way will wear white clothes, and I will never erase his name from the Book of Life. I will acknowledge his name in the presence of my Father and his angels.
6 ‘Let everyone[af] listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
The Letter to the Church in Philadelphia
7 “To the messenger[ag] of the church in Philadelphia, write:
‘The one who is holy, who is true,
who has the key of David,
who opens a door that[ah] no one can shut,
and who shuts a door that[ai] no one can open,
‘says this:
8 ‘I know what you’ve been doing. Look! I have put in front of you an open door that no one can shut. You have only a little strength, but you have obeyed my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who belong to the synagogue of Satan—those who claim to be Jews and aren’t, but are lying—come and bow down at your feet. Then they will realize that I have loved you. 10 Because you have obeyed my command to endure,[aj] I will keep you from the hour of testing that is coming to the whole world to test those living on the earth. 11 I am coming soon! Hold on to what you have so that no one takes your victor’s crown. 12 I will make the one who overcomes[ak] to become a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, and he will never go out of it again. I will write on him the name of my God, the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God), and my own new name.
13 ‘Let everyone[al] listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
The Letter to the Church in Laodicea
14 “To the messenger[am] of the church in Laodicea, write:
‘The Amen, the witness who is faithful and true, the originator of God’s creation, says this:
15 ‘I know your actions, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. 16 Since you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, “I am rich. I have become wealthy. I don’t need anything.” Yet you don’t realize that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 Therefore, I advise you to buy from me gold purified in fire so you may be rich, white clothes to wear so your shameful nakedness won’t show, and ointment to put on your eyes so you may see. 19 I correct and discipline those whom I love, so be serious and repent! 20 Look! I am standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat[an] with me. 21 I will give a place to sit with me on my throne to the one who overcomes,[ao] just as I have overcome[ap] and have sat down with my Father on his throne.
22 ‘Let everyone[aq] listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
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