Study Desk

Prologue

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave^(a) him to show his servants what must soon take place.^(b) He made it known by sending his angel^(c) to his servant John,^(d)

who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God^(e) and the testimony of Jesus Christ.^(f)

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it,^(g) because the time is near.^(h)

John, To the seven churches⁽ⁱ⁾ in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you^(j) from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,^(k) and from the seven spirits^[a](l) before his throne,

and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,^(m) the firstborn from the dead,⁽ⁿ⁾ and the ruler of the kings of the earth.^(o) To him who loves us^(p) and has freed us from our sins by his blood,^(q)

and has made us to be a kingdom and priests^(r) to serve his God and Father^(s)—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.^(t)

"Look, he is coming with the clouds,"^[b](u) and "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him";^(v) and all peoples on earth "will mourn^(w) because of him."^[c] So shall it be! Amen.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega,"^(x) says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come,^(y) the Almighty."^(z)

I, John,^(aa) your brother and companion in the suffering^(ab) and kingdom^(ac) and patient endurance^(ad) that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God^(ae) and the testimony of Jesus.^(af)

On the Lord's Day^(ag) I was in the Spirit,^(ah) and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,^(ai)

which said: "Write on a scroll what you see^(aj) and send it to the seven churches:^(ak) to Ephesus,^(al) Smyrna,^(am) Pergamum,^(an) Thyatira,^(ao) Sardis,^(ap) Philadelphia^(aq) and Laodicea."^(ar)

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,^(as)

and among the lampstands^(at) was someone like a son of man,^[d](au) dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet^(av) and with a golden sash around his chest.^(aw)

The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.^(ax)

His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,^(ay) and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.^(az)

In his right hand he held seven stars,^(ba) and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.^(bb) His face was like the sun^(bc) shining in all its brilliance.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet^(bd) as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me^(be) and said: "Do not be afraid.^(bf) I am the First and the Last.^(bg)

I am the Living One; I was dead,^(bh) and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!^(bi) And I hold the keys of death and Hades.^(bj)

"Write, therefore, what you have seen,^(bk) what is now and what will take place later.

The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand^(bl) and of the seven golden lampstands^(bm) is this: The seven stars are the angels^[e] of the seven churches,^(bn) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.^(bo)

"To the angel^[a] of the church in Ephesus^(a) write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand^(b) and walks among the seven golden lampstands.^(c)

I know your deeds,^(d) your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested^(e) those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.^(f)

You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name,^(g) and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.^(h)

Consider how far you have fallen! Repent⁽ⁱ⁾ and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand^(j) from its place.

But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans,^(k) which I also hate.

Whoever has ears, let them hear^(l) what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,^(m) I will give the right to eat from the tree of life,⁽ⁿ⁾ which is in the paradise^(o) of God.

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna^(p) write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last,^(q) who died and came to life again.^(r)

I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich!^(s) I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not,^(t) but are a synagogue of Satan.^(u)

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you,^(v) and you will suffer persecution for ten days.^(w) Be faithful,^(x) even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown.^(y)

Whoever has ears, let them hear^(z) what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.^(aa)

"To the angel of the church in Pergamum^(ab) write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.^(ac)

I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me,^(ad) not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness,^(ae) who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.^(af)

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:^(ag) There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam,^(ah) who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols^(ai) and committed sexual immorality.^(aj)

Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.^(ak)

Repent^(al) therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.^(am)

Whoever has ears, let them hear^(an) what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,^(ao) I will give some of the hidden manna.^(ap) I will also give that person a white stone with a new name^(aq) written on it, known only to the one who receives it.^(ar)

"To the angel of the church in Thyatira^(as) write: These are the words of the Son of God,^(at) whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.^(au)

I know your deeds,^(av) your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel,^(aw) who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.^(ax)

I have given her time^(ay) to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.^(az)

So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery^(ba) with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.

I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds,^(bb) and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.^(bc)

Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,^(bd)

except to hold on to what you have^(be) until I come.'^(bf)

To the one who is victorious^(bg) and does my will to the end,^(bh) I will give authority over the nations^(bi)—

that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter^(bj) and will dash them to pieces like pottery'^[b](bk)—just as I have received authority from my Father.

I will also give that one the morning star.^(bl)

Whoever has ears, let them hear^(bm) what the Spirit says to the churches.

"To the angel^[a] of the church in Sardis^(a) write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits^[b](b) of God and the seven stars.^(c) I know your deeds;^(d) you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.^(e)

Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.

Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent.^(f) But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief,^(g) and you will not know at what time^(h) I will come to you.

Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes.⁽ⁱ⁾ They will walk with me, dressed in white,^(j) for they are worthy.

The one who is victorious^(k) will, like them, be dressed in white.^(l) I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life,^(m) but will acknowledge that name before my Father⁽ⁿ⁾ and his angels.

Whoever has ears, let them hear^(o) what the Spirit says to the churches.

"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia^(p) write: These are the words of him who is holy^(q) and true,^(r) who holds the key of David.^(s) What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.

I know your deeds.^(t) See, I have placed before you an open door^(u) that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.^(v)

I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan,^(w) who claim to be Jews though they are not,^(x) but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet^(y) and acknowledge that I have loved you.^(z)

Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you^(aa) from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world^(ab) to test^(ac) the inhabitants of the earth.^(ad)

I am coming soon.^(ae) Hold on to what you have,^(af) so that no one will take your crown.^(ag)

The one who is victorious^(ah) I will make a pillar^(ai) in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God^(aj) and the name of the city of my God,^(ak) the new Jerusalem,^(al) which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.

Whoever has ears, let them hear^(am) what the Spirit says to the churches.

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea^(an) write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,^(ao) the ruler of God's creation.^(ap)

I know your deeds,^(aq) that you are neither cold nor hot.^(ar) I wish you were either one or the other!

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.'^(as) But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.^(at)

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire,^(au) so you can become rich; and white clothes^(av) to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness;^(aw) and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.^(ax) So be earnest and repent.^(ay)

Here I am! I stand at the door^(az) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,^(ba) I will come in^(bb) and eat with that person, and they with me.

To the one who is victorious,^(bc) I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,^(bd) just as I was victorious^(be) and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Whoever has ears, let them hear^(bf) what the Spirit says to the churches."

The Throne in Heaven

After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open^(a) in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet^(b) said, "Come up here,^(c) and I will show you what must take place after this."^(d)

At once I was in the Spirit,^(e) and there before me was a throne in heaven^(f) with someone sitting on it.

And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper^(g) and ruby.^(h) A rainbow⁽ⁱ⁾ that shone like an emerald^(j) encircled the throne.

Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.^(k) They were dressed in white^(l) and had crowns of gold on their heads.

From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.^(m) In front of the throne, seven lamps⁽ⁿ⁾ were blazing. These are the seven spirits^[a](o) of God.

Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass,^(p) clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,^(q) and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.^(r)

The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.^(s)

Each of the four living creatures^(t) had six wings^(u) and was covered with eyes all around,^(v) even under its wings. Day and night^(w) they never stop saying: "‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,'^[b](x) who was, and is, and is to come."^(y)

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne^(z) and who lives for ever and ever,^(aa)

the twenty-four elders^(ab) fall down before him^(ac) who sits on the throne^(ad) and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,^(ae) for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."^(af)