Study Desk

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which ^(C1)God gave Him to ^(C2)show to His bond-servants, ^(C3)the things which must soon take place; and He sent and ^(F1)communicated it ^(C4)by His angel to His bond-servant ^(C5)John,

who testified to ^(C1)the word of God and to ^(C2)the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw.

^(C1)Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and ^(F1)keep the things which are written in it; ^(C2)for the time is near.

^(C1)John to ^(C2)the seven churches that are in ^(C3)Asia: ^(C4)Grace to you and peace from ^(C5)Him who is, and who was, and who ^(F1)is to come, and from ^(C6)the ^(F2)seven spirits who are before His throne,

and from Jesus Christ, ^(C1)the faithful witness, the ^(C2)firstborn of the dead, and the ^(C3)ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who ^(C4)loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—

and He made us into a ^(C1)kingdom, ^(C1)priests to ^(F1)(C2)His God and Father—^(C3)to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

^(C1)BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and ^(C2)every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will ^(C3)mourn over Him. ^(F1)So it is to be. Amen.

"I am ^(C1)the Alpha and the Omega," says the ^(C2)Lord God, "^(C3)who is and who was and who ^(F1)is to come, the Almighty."

^(C1)I, John, your ^(C2)brother and ^(C3)fellow participant in the tribulation and ^(C4)kingdom and ^(F1)(C5)perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos ^(C6)because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

I was ^(C1)in the ^(F1)Spirit on ^(C2)the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice ^(C3)like the sound of a trumpet,

saying, "^(C1)Write ^(F1)on a scroll what you see, and send it to the ^(C2)seven churches: to ^(C3)Ephesus, ^(C4)Smyrna, ^(C5)Pergamum, ^(C6)Thyatira, ^(C7)Sardis, ^(C8)Philadelphia, and ^(C9)Laodicea."

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw ^(C1)seven golden lampstands;

and ^(C1)in the middle of the lampstands I saw one ^(C2)like ^(F1)a son of man, ^(C3)clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and ^(C4)wrapped around the chest with a golden sash.

His head and His ^(C1)hair were white like white wool, like snow; and ^(C2)His eyes were like a flame of fire.

His ^(C1)feet were like ^(F1)burnished bronze when it has been heated to a glow in a furnace, and His ^(C2)voice was like the sound of many waters.

In His right hand He held ^(C1)seven stars, and out of His mouth came a ^(C2)sharp two-edged sword; and His ^(C3)face was like ^(C4)the sun ^(F1)shining in its strength.

When I saw Him, I ^(C1)fell at His feet like a dead man. And He ^(C2)placed His right hand on me, saying, "^(C3)Do not be afraid; ^(C4)I am the first and the last,

and the ^(C1)living One; and I ^(F1)(C2)was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have ^(C3)the keys of death and of Hades.

"Therefore ^(C1)write ^(C2)the things which you have seen, ^(F1)and the things which are, and the things which will take place ^(C3)after these things.

"As for the ^(C1)mystery of the ^(C2)seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the ^(C3)seven golden lampstands: the ^(C2)seven stars are the angels of ^(C4)the seven churches, and the seven ^(C5)lampstands are the seven churches.

"To the angel of the church in ^(C1)Ephesus write: The One who holds ^(C2)the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks ^(F1)(C3)among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

Footnotes:  

Cross References:  

'^(C1)I know your deeds and your labor and ^(F1)perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have ^(C2)put those who call themselves ^(C3)apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false;

and you have ^(F1)perseverance and have endured ^(C1)on account of My name, and have not become weary.

'But I have this against you, that you have ^(C1)left your first love.

'Therefore, remember from where you have fallen, and ^(C1)repent, and ^(C2)do the ^(F1)deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and I will remove your ^(C3)lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

'But you have this, that you hate the deeds of the ^(C1)Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

'^(C1)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(C2)To the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat from ^(C3)the tree of life, which is in the ^(C4)Paradise of God.'

"And to the angel of the church in ^(C1)Smyrna write: ^(C2)The first and the last, who ^(F1)(C3)was dead, and has come to life, says this:

Footnotes:  

Cross References:  

'I know your ^(C1)tribulation and your ^(C2)poverty (but you are ^(C2)rich), and the ^(F1)slander by those who ^(C3)say they are Jews, and are not, but are a synagogue of ^(C4)Satan.

'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you will be ^(C1)tested, and you will have tribulation ^(C2)for ten days. ^(F1)Be ^(C3)faithful until death, and I will give you ^(C4)the crown of life.

'^(C1)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(C2)The one who overcomes will not be hurt by the ^(C3)second death.'

"And to the angel of the church in ^(C1)Pergamum write: The One who has ^(C2)the sharp two-edged sword says this:

Footnotes:  

Cross References:  

'I know where you dwell, where ^(C1)Satan's throne is; and you hold firmly to My name, and did not deny ^(C2)My faith even in the days of Antipas, My ^(C3)witness, My ^(C4)faithful one, who was killed among you, ^(C5)where Satan dwells.

'But ^(C1)I have a few things against you, because you have some there who hold the ^(C2)teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a ^(F1)stumbling block before the sons of Israel, ^(C3)to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.

'So you too, have some who in the same way hold to the teaching of the ^(C1)Nicolaitans.

'Therefore ^(C1)repent; or else ^(C2)I am coming to you quickly, and I will wage war against them with ^(C3)the sword of My mouth.

'^(C1)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ^(C1)To the one who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden ^(C2)manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a ^(C3)new name written on the stone ^(C4)which no one knows except the one who receives it.'

"And to the angel of the church in ^(C1)Thyatira write: ^(C2)The Son of God, ^(C3)who has ^(F1)eyes like a flame of fire, and ^(F2)feet like burnished bronze, says this:

Footnotes:  

Cross References:  

'^(C1)I know your deeds, and your love and faith, and service and ^(F1)perseverance, and that your ^(F2)deeds of late are greater than ^(F3)at first.

'But ^(C1)I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman ^(C2)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they ^(C3)commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

'^(C1)I gave her time to repent, and she ^(C2)does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.

'Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who ^(C1)commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of ^(F1)her deeds.

'And I will kill her children with ^(F1)plague, and all the churches will know that I am He who ^(C1)searches the ^(F2)minds and hearts; and ^(C2)I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

'But I say to you, the rest who are in ^(C1)Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the ^(C2)deep things of Satan, as they call them—I ^(C3)place no other burden on you.

'Nevertheless ^(C1)what you have, hold firmly ^(C2)until I come.

'^(C1)The one who overcomes, and the one who keeps My deeds ^(C2)until the end, ^(C3)I will give him authority over the ^(F1)nations;

AND HE SHALL ^(F1)(C1)RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, ^(C2)AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE SHATTERED, as I also have received authority from My Father;

and I will give him ^(C1)the morning star.

'^(C1)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

"To the angel of the church in ^(C1)Sardis write: He who has ^(F1)(C2)the seven spirits of God and ^(C3)the seven stars, says this: '^(C4)I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, and yet you are ^(C5)dead.

Footnotes:  

Cross References:  

'Be constantly alert, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.

'So ^(C1)remember ^(F1)what you have received and heard; and ^(F2)keep it, and ^(C1)repent. Then if you are not alert, ^(C1)I will come ^(C2)like a thief, and you will not know at ^(C3)what hour I will come to you.

'But you have a few ^(F1)(C1)people in ^(C2)Sardis who have not ^(C3)soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me ^(C4)in white, for they are worthy.

'^(C1)The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, in ^(C2)white garments; and I will not ^(C3)erase his name from the book of life, and ^(C4)I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

'^(C1)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

"And to the angel of the church in ^(C1)Philadelphia write: ^(C2)He who is holy, ^(C3)who is true, who has ^(C4)the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

Footnotes:  

Cross References:  

'^(C1)I know your ^(F1)deeds. Behold, I have put before you ^(C2)an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have followed My word, and ^(C3)have not denied My name.

'Behold, I ^(F1)will make those of ^(C1)the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them ^(C2)come and bow down before your feet, and make them know that ^(C3)I have loved you.

'Because you have ^(C1)kept ^(C2)My ^(F1)word of perseverance, ^(C3)I also will keep you from the hour of the ^(F2)(C4)testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole ^(F3)(C5)world, to ^(F4)test ^(C6)those who live on the earth.

'^(C1)I am coming quickly; ^(C2)hold firmly to what you have, so that no one will take your ^(C3)crown.

'^(C1)The one who overcomes, I will make him a ^(C2)pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the ^(C3)name of My God, and ^(C4)the name of the city of My God, ^(C5)the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My ^(C6)new name.

'^(C1)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

"To the angel of the church in ^(C1)Laodicea write: ^(C2)The Amen, ^(C3)the faithful and true Witness, ^(C4)the ^(F1)Origin of the creation of God, says this:

Footnotes:  

Cross References:  

'^(C1)I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; ^(C2)I wish that you were cold or hot.

'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

'Because you say, "^(C1)I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything," and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked,

I advise you to ^(C1)buy from Me ^(C2)gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and ^(C3)white garments so that you may clothe yourself and ^(C4)the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see.

'^(C1)Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and ^(C2)repent.

'Behold, I stand ^(C1)at the door and ^(C2)knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, ^(C3)I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

'^(C1)The one who overcomes, I will grant to him ^(C2)to sit with Me on My throne, as ^(C3)I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne.

'^(C1)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"