Revelation 1; Revelation 2; Revelation 3

Revelation 1

1 This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. God gave it to him to show his servants the things that must happen soon. He sent this revelation through his angel to his servant John.

2 John testified about what he saw: God's word and the testimony about Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed is the one who reads, as well as those who hear the words of this prophecy and pay attention to what is written in it because the time is near.

4 From John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Good will and peace to you from the one who is, the one who was, and the one who is coming, from the seven spirits who are in front of his throne,

5 and from Jesus Christ, the witness, the trustworthy one, the first to come back to life, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. Glory and power forever and ever belong to the one who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

6 and has made us a kingdom, priests for God his Father. Amen.

7 Look! He is coming in the clouds. Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. Every tribe on earth will mourn because of him. This is true. Amen.

8 "I am the A and the Z," says the Lord God, the one who is, the one who was, and the one who is coming, the Almighty.

9 I am John, your brother. I share your suffering, ruling, and endurance because of Jesus. I was [exiled] on the island of Patmos because of God's word and the testimony about Jesus.

10 I came under the Spirit's power on the Lord's day. 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 I turned toward the voice which was talking to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lamp stands.

13 There was someone like the Son of Man among the lamp stands. He was wearing a robe that reached his feet. He wore a gold belt around his waist.

14 His head and his hair were white like wool--like snow. His eyes were like flames of fire.

15 His feet were like glowing bronze refined in a furnace. 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 in all its brightness.

17 When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. Then he laid his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the first and the last,

18 the living one. I was dead, but now I am alive forever. I have the keys of death and hell.

19 Therefore, write down what you have seen, what is, and what is going to happen after these things.

20 The hidden 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 of the seven churches, and the seven lamp stands are the seven churches.

Revelation 2

1 "To the messenger 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:

2 I know what you have done--how hard you have worked and how you have endured. I also know that you cannot tolerate wicked people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles but are not apostles. You have discovered that they are liars.

3 You have endured, suffered trouble because of my name, and have not grown weary.

4 However, I have this against you: The love you had at first is gone.

5 Remember how far you have fallen. Return to me and change the way you think and act, and do what you did at first. I will come to you and take your lamp stand from its place if you don't change.

6 But you have this in your favor--you hate what the Nicolaitans are doing. I also hate what they're doing.

7 "Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the privilege of eating from the tree of life, which stands in the paradise of God, to everyone who wins the victory.

8 "To the messenger of the church in Smyrna, write: The first and the last, who was dead and became alive, says:

9 I know how you are suffering, how poor you are--but you are rich. I also know that those who claim to be Jews slander you. They are the synagogue of Satan.

10 Don't be afraid of what you are going to suffer. The devil is going to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested. Your suffering will go on for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

11 Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Everyone who wins the victory will never be hurt by the second death.

12 "To the messenger of the church in Pergamum, write: The one who holds the sharp two-edged sword says:

13 I know where you live. Satan's throne is there. You hold on to my name and have not denied your belief in me, even in the days of Antipas. He was my faithful witness who was killed in your presence, where Satan lives.

14 But I have a few things against you: You have among you those who follow what Balaam taught Balak. Balak trapped the people of Israel by [encouraging] them to eat food sacrificed to idols and to sin sexually.

15 You also have some who follow what the Nicolaitans teach.

16 So return to me and change the way you think and act, or I will come to you quickly and wage war against them with the sword from my mouth.

17 Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give some of the hidden manna to everyone who wins the victory. I will also give each person a white stone with a new name written on it, a name that is known only to the person who receives it.

18 "To the messenger of the church in Thyatira, write: The Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire and whose feet are like glowing bronze, says:

19 I know what you do. I know your love, faith, service, and endurance. I also know that what you are doing now is greater than what you did at first.

20 But I have something against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. She teaches and misleads my servants to sin sexually and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

21 I gave her time to turn to me and change the way she thinks and acts, but she refuses to turn away from her sexual sins.

22 Watch me! I'm going to throw her into a sickbed. Those who commit sexual sins with her will also suffer a lot, unless they turn away from what she is doing.

23 I will kill her children. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches hearts and minds. I will reward each of you for what you have done.

24 But the rest of you in Thyatira--all who don't hold on to Jezebel's teaching, who haven't learned what are called 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 have received authority from my Father. I will give authority over the nations to everyone who wins the victory and continues to do what I want until the end.

27 Those people will rule the nations with iron scepters and shatter them like pottery.

28 I will also give them the morning star.

29 Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

Revelation 3

1 "To the messenger of the church in Sardis, write: The one who has God's seven spirits and the seven stars says: I know what you have done. 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 have found that what you are doing has not been completed in the sight of my God.

3 So remember what you received and heard. Obey, and change the way you think and act. If you're not alert, I'll come like a thief. You don't know when I will come.

4 But you have a few people in Sardis who have kept their clothes clean. They will walk with me in white clothes because they deserve it.

5 Everyone who wins the victory this way will wear white clothes. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life. I will acknowledge them in the presence of my Father and his angels.

6 Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

7 "To the messenger 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 no one can shut, and who shuts [a door] that no one can open, says:

8 I know what you have done. See, I have opened a door in front of you that no one can shut.You only have a little strength, but you have paid attention to my word and have not denied my name.

9 I will make those who are in Satan's synagogue come and bow at your feet and realize that I have loved you. They claim that they are Jewish, but they are lying.

10 Because you have obeyed my command to endure, I will keep you safe during the time of testing which is coming to the whole world to test those living on earth.

11 I am coming soon! Hold on to what you have so that no one takes your crown.

12 I will make everyone who wins the victory a pillar in the temple of my God. They will never leave it again. I will write on them the name of my God, the name of the city of my God (the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from my God), and my new name.

13 Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

14 "To the messenger of the church in Laodicea, write: The amen, the witness who is faithful and true, the source of God's creation, says:

15 I know what you have done, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.

16 But since you are lukewarm and not hot or cold, I'm going to spit you out of my mouth.

17 You say, 'I'm rich. I'm wealthy. I don't need anything.' Yet, you do not realize that you are miserable, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.

18 I advise you: Buy gold purified in fire from me so that you may be rich. Buy white clothes from me. Wear them so that you may keep your shameful, naked body from showing. Buy ointment to put on your eyes so that you may see.

19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. Take this seriously, and change the way you think and act.

20 Look, I'm standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I'll come in and we'll eat together.

21 I will allow everyone who wins the victory to sit with me on my throne, as I have won the victory and have sat down with my Father on his throne.

22 Let the person who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches."