Revelation 2–3

The Letters to the Seven Churches

The Letter to Ephesus

2“Write to the angel ^tof the church in Ephesus:

“The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands ^usays: ^v2I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, ^wand that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, ^xand you have found them to be liars. ^y3You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name ^zand have not grown weary. ⁴But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. ^a5Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. ^bOtherwise, I will come to you ^cand remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor ^dthe right to eat from the tree of life, which is in ^eGod’s paradise. ^f

The Letter to Smyrna

⁸“Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna:

“The First and the Last, ^gthe One who was dead and came to life, says: ⁹I know your ^haffliction and poverty, yet you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a ^•synagogue of Satan. ⁱ¹⁰Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Devil ^jis about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will have affliction for 10 days. ^kBe faithful until death, ^land I will give you the crown ^mof life. ⁿ

¹¹“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor will never be harmed by the second death. ^o

The Letter to Pergamum

¹²“Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum:

“The One who has the sharp, double-edged sword ^psays: ¹³I know ^qwhere you live—where Satan’s throne is! And you are holding on to My name and did not deny your faith in Me, ^rseven in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness ^twho was killed among you, where Satan lives. ¹⁴But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, ^uwho taught Balak to place a stumbling block ^vin front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols ^wand to commit sexual immorality. ^xy15In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ^z16Therefore repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly ^aand fight against them with the sword of My mouth. ^b

¹⁷“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor some of the hidden manna. ^cdI will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name ^eis inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.

The Letter to Thyatira

¹⁸“Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira:

“The Son of God, ^fthe One whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze, ^ghsays: ¹⁹I know your works—your love, faithfulness, ⁱservice, and endurance. ^jYour last works are greater than the first. ²⁰But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, ^kwho calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives My ^•slaves to commit sexual immorality ^land to eat meat sacrificed to idols. ^m21I gave her time to repent, ⁿbut she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. ^op22Look! I will throw her into a sickbed ^qand those who commit adultery with her ^rinto great tribulation, ^sunless they repent of her ^tpractices. ²³I will kill her children with the plague. ^uvThen all the churches will know that I am the One who examines minds ^wand hearts, ^xand I will give to each of you according to your works. ^y24I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven’t known the deep things ^zaof Satan ^b—as they say—I do not put any other burden on you. ^c25But hold on to what you have until I come. ^d26The one who is victorious and keeps My works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations—

²⁷and he will shepherd ^efthem with an iron scepter;

he will shatter them like pottery ^gh—

just as I have received this from My Father. ²⁸I will also give him the morning star. ⁱ

²⁹“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

The Letter to Sardis

3“Write to the angel of the church in Sardis:

“The One who has the seven spirits of God ^jand the seven stars ^ksays: I know your works; ^lyou have a reputation ^mfor being alive, but you are dead. ⁿ²Be alert ^oand strengthen ^pwhat remains, which is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before My God. ³Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. But if you are not alert, I will come ^qlike a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come against you. ^rs4But you have a few people ^tin Sardis who have not defiled ^utheir clothes, ^vand they will walk with Me in white, because they are worthy. ⁵In the same way, the victor ^wwill be dressed in white clothes, ^xand I will never erase his name from the book of life ^ybut will acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels. ^z

⁶“Anyone who has an ear should listen ^ato what the Spirit says ^bto the churches.

The Letter to Philadelphia

⁷“Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:

“The Holy One, the True One, ^cthe One who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and closes and no one opens ^dsays: ⁸I know your works. Because you have limited strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name, look, I have placed before you an open door ^ethat no one is able to close. ⁹Take note! I will make those from the ^•synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying—note this—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, ^fand they will know that I have loved you. ^g10Because you have kept My command to endure, ^hI will also keep you from the hour of testing ⁱthat is going to come over the whole world to test those who live on the earth. ^j11I am coming quickly. ^kHold on to what you have, ^lso that no one takes your crown. ^m12The victor: I will make him a pillar ⁿin the sanctuary of My God, and he will never go out again. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God—the new Jerusalem, ^owhich comes down out of heaven from My God—and My new name. ^p

¹³“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.

The Letter to Laodicea

¹⁴“Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea:

“The ^•Amen, ^qthe faithful and true Witness, the Originator ^rsof God’s creation says: ¹⁵I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit ^tyou out of My mouth. ¹⁷Because you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ ^uand you don’t know that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, ¹⁸I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, ^vwhite clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, ^wand ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see. ¹⁹As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. ^xSo be committed ^yand repent. ²⁰Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me. ^z21The victor: I will give him the right to sit with Me on My throne, ^ajust as I also won the victory and sat down with My Father on His throne.

²²“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”