To the Church in Sardis

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him (A)who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

“‘I know your works. You have the reputation (B)of being alive, (C)but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works (D)complete in the sight of my God. (E)Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, (F)I will come (G)like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not (H)soiled their garments, and they will walk with me (I)in white, for they are (J)worthy. (K)The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never (L)blot his name out of (M)the book of life. (N)I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. (O)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Philadelphia

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of (P)the holy one, (Q)the true one, (R)who has the key of David, (S)who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you (T)an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of (U)the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, (V)I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that (W)I have loved you. 10 (X)Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try (Y)those who dwell on the earth. 11 (Z)I am coming soon. (AA)Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize (AB)your crown. 12 (AC)The one who conquers, I will make him (AD)a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him (AE)the name of my God, and (AF)the name of the city of my God, (AG)the new Jerusalem, (AH)which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own (AI)new name. 13 (AJ)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

To the Church in Laodicea

14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the (AK)Amen, (AL)the faithful and true witness, (AM)the beginning of God's creation.

15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. (AN)Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 (AO)For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, (AP)blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you (AQ)to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and (AR)white garments so that you may clothe yourself and (AS)the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, (AT)so that you may see. 19 (AU)Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and (AV)knock. (AW)If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, (AX)I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 (AY)The one who conquers, (AZ)I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as (BA)I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 (BB)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

The Throne in Heaven

After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me (BC)like a trumpet, said, (BD)“Come up here, and (BE)I will show you what must take place after this.” At once (BF)I was in the Spirit, and behold, (BG)a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of (BH)jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was (BI)a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were (BJ)twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, (BK)clothed in white garments, with (BL)golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came (BM)flashes of lightning, and rumblings[a] and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning (BN)seven torches of fire, (BO)which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was (BP)as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are (BQ)four living creatures, (BR)full of eyes in front and behind: (BS)the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, (BT)each of them with six wings, are (BU)full of eyes all around and within, and (BV)day and night they never cease to say,

(BW)“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
    (BX)who was and is and is to come!”

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, (BY)who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders (BZ)fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast (CA)their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 (CB)“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for (CC)you created all things,
    and (CD)by your will they existed and were created.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:5 Or voices, or sounds

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