Words to the Church in Sardis

3 “Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Sardis: ‘The One Who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, says this: I know what you are doing. I know people think you are alive, but you are dead. ² Wake up! Make stronger what you have before it dies. I have not found your work complete in God’s sight. ³ So remember what you have received and heard. Keep it. Be sorry for your sins and turn from them. If you will not wake up, I will come as a robber. You will not know at what time I will come. ⁴ But there are a few people in the church in the city of Sardis whose clothes are not dirty with sins. They will walk with Me wearing white clothes. They have done what they should. ⁵ Everyone who has power and wins will wear white clothes. I will not take his name from the book of life. I will speak of his name before My Father and His angels. ⁶ You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Words to the Church in Philadelphia

⁷ “Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Philadelphia: ‘He Who is holy and true, Who holds the key of David, Who opens and no man can shut, Who shuts and no man can open, says this: ⁸ I know what you are doing. See! You do not have much power, but you have obeyed My Word. You have not turned against Me. So I have given you an open door that no man can shut. ⁹ See! There are some who belong to Satan. They say they are Jews, but they are not. They are liars. See! I will make them come to you and get down at your feet. Then they will know that I love you. ¹⁰ I will keep you from the time of trouble. The time to test everyone is about to come to the whole world. I will do this because you have listened to Me and have waited long and have not given up. ¹¹ I am coming very soon. Hold on to what you have so no one can take your crown. ¹² I will make the one who has power and wins an important part that holds up the house of God. He will never leave it again. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God. It is the new Jerusalem. The new Jerusalem will come down from My God out of heaven. I will write My new name on him. ¹³ You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Words to the Church in Laodicea

¹⁴ “Write this to the angel of the church in the city of Laodicea: ‘The One Who says, Let it be so, the One Who is faithful, the One Who tells what is true, the One Who made everything in God’s world, says this: ¹⁵ I know what you are doing. You are not cold or hot. I wish you were one or the other. ¹⁶ But because you are warm, and not hot or cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ You say that you are rich and that you need nothing, but you do not know that you are so troubled in mind and heart. You are poor and blind and without clothes. ¹⁸ You should buy gold from Me that has been tested by fire that you may be rich. Buy white clothes to dress yourself so the shame of not wearing clothes will be taken away. Buy medicine to put on your eyes so you can see. ¹⁹ I speak strong words to those I love and I punish them. Have a strong desire to please the Lord. Be sorry for your sins and turn from them. ²⁰ See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and we will eat together. ²¹ I will allow the one who has power and wins to sit with Me on My throne, as I also had power and won and sat down with My Father on His throne. ²² You have ears! Then listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

The King’s Place of Power in Heaven

4 After this, I looked and saw a door standing open in heaven. The first voice I heard was like the loud sound of a horn. It said, “Come up here. I will show you what must happen after these things.” ² At once I was under the Spirit’s power. See! The throne was in heaven, and One was sitting on it. ³ The One Who sat there looked as bright as jasper and sardius stones. The colors like those of an emerald stone were all around the throne. ⁴ There were twenty-four smaller thrones around the throne. And on these thrones twenty-four leaders were sitting dressed in white clothes. They had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ Lightning and noise and thunder came from the throne. Seven lights of fire were burning before the throne. These were the seven Spirits of God.

⁶ Before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, shining and clear. Around the throne and on each side there were four living beings that were full of eyes in front and in back. ⁷ The first living being was like a lion. The second one was like a young cow. The third one had a face like a man. The fourth one was like a very large bird with its wings spread. ⁸ Each one of the four living beings had six wings. They had eyes all over them, inside and out. Day and night they never stop saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the All-powerful One. He is the One Who was and Who is and Who is to come.”

⁹ The four living beings speak of His shining-greatness and give honor and thanks to Him Who sits on His throne as King. It is He Who lives forever. ¹⁰ The twenty-four leaders get down before Him and worship Him Who lives forever. They lay their crowns before Him and say, ¹¹ “Our Lord and our God, it is right for You to have the shining-greatness and the honor and the power. You made all things. They were made and have life because You wanted it that way.”