Revelation 2–3

The Loveless Church

2“To the ¹angel of the church of Ephesus write,

‘These things says ^aHe who holds the seven stars in His right hand, ^bwho walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ^2c“I know your works, your labor, your ²patience, and that you cannot ³bear those who are evil. And ^dyou have tested those ^ewho say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have ^fnot become weary. ⁴Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, ^gor else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

^7h“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give ⁱto eat from ^jthe tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’

The Persecuted Church

⁸“And to the ⁴angel of the church in Smyrna write,

‘These things says ^kthe First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: ⁹“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are ^lrich); and I know the blasphemy of ^mthose who say they are Jews and are not, ⁿbut are a ⁵synagogue of Satan. ^10oDo not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. ^pBe faithful until death, and I will give you ^qthe crown of life.

^11r“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by ^sthe second death.” ’

The Compromising Church

¹²“And to the ⁶angel of the church in Pergamos write,

‘These things says ^tHe who has the sharp two-edged sword: ¹³“I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. ¹⁴But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of ^uBalaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, ^vto eat things sacrificed to idols, ^wand to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, ⁷which thing I hate. ¹⁶Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and ^xwill fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

¹⁷“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden ^ymanna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone ^za new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’

The Corrupt Church

¹⁸“And to the ⁸angel of the church in Thyatira write,

‘These things says the Son of God, ^awho has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: ^19b“I know your works, love, ⁹service, faith, and your ¹patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. ²⁰Nevertheless I have ²a few things against you, because you allow ³that woman ^cJezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, ⁴to teach and seduce My servants ^dto commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ²¹And I gave her time ^eto ⁵repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. ²²Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of ⁶their deeds. ²³I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who ^fsearches ⁷the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

²⁴“Now to you I say, ⁸and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the ^gdepths of Satan, as they say, ^hI ⁹will put on you no other burden. ²⁵But hold fast ⁱwhat you have till I come. ²⁶And he who overcomes, and keeps ^jMy works until the end, ^kto him I will give power over the nations—

²⁷‘He ^lshall rule them with a rod of iron;

They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—

as I also have received from My Father; ²⁸and I will give him ^mthe morning star.

²⁹“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

The Dead Church

3“And to the ¹angel of the church in Sardis write,

‘These things says He who ^ahas the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. ²Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before ²God. ^3bRemember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and ^crepent. ^dTherefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you ^eas a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. ⁴³You have ^fa few names ⁴even in Sardis who have not ^gdefiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me ^hin white, for they are worthy. ⁵He who overcomes ⁱshall be clothed in white garments, and I will not ^jblot out his name from the ^kBook of Life; but ^lI will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

^6m“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

The Faithful Church

⁷“And to the ⁵angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

‘These things says ⁿHe who is holy, ^oHe who is true, ^p“He who has the key of David, ^qHe who opens and no one shuts, and ^rshuts and no one opens”: ^8s“I know your works. See, I have set before you ^tan open door, ⁶and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. ⁹Indeed I will make ^uthose of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed ^vI will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. ¹⁰Because you have kept ⁷My command to persevere, ^wI also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon ^xthe whole world, to test those who dwell ^yon the earth. ¹¹⁸Behold, ^zI am coming quickly! ^aHold fast what you have, that no one may take ^byour crown. ¹²He who overcomes, I will make him ^ca pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall ^dgo out no more. ^eI will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the ^fNew Jerusalem, which ^gcomes down out of heaven from My God. ^hAnd I will write on him My new name.

¹³ⁱ“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

The Lukewarm Church

¹⁴“And to the ⁹angel of the church ¹of the Laodiceans write,

^j‘These things says the Amen, ^kthe Faithful and True Witness, ^lthe Beginning of the creation of God: ^15m“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither ²cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷Because you say, ⁿ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—¹⁸I counsel you ^oto buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and ^pwhite garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. ^19qAs many as I love, I rebuke and ^rchasten. ³Therefore be ⁴zealous and repent. ²⁰Behold, ^sI stand at the door and knock. ^tIf anyone hears My voice and opens the door, ^uI will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. ²¹To him who overcomes ^vI will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

^22w“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”