Wisdom Loves Righteousness

Introduction and Benediction

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, ^(A)which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must ^[a]shortly take place. And ^(B)He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, ^2 (C)who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things ^(D)that he saw. ^3 (E)Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for ^(F)the time is near.

Greeting the Seven Churches

⁴ John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from Him ^(G)who is and ^(H)who was and who is to come, ^(I)and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, ^(J)the faithful ^(K)witness, the ^(L)firstborn from the dead, and ^(M)the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him ^(N)who ^[b]loved us ^(O)and washed us from our sins in His own blood, ⁶ and has ^(P)made us ^[c]kings and priests to His God and Father, ^(Q)to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

⁷ Behold, He is coming with ^(R)clouds, and every eye will see Him, even ^(S)they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

^8 (T)“I am the Alpha and the Omega, ^[d]the Beginning and the End,” says the ^[e]Lord, ^(U)“who is and who was and who is to come, the ^(V)Almighty.”

Vision of the Son of Man

⁹ I, John, ^[f]both your brother and ^(W)companion in the tribulation and ^(X)kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. ^10 (Y)I was in the Spirit on ^(Z)the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me ^(AA)a loud voice, as of a trumpet, ¹¹ saying, ^[g]“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches ^[h]which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

¹² Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned ^(AB)I saw seven golden lampstands, ^13 (AC)and in the midst of the seven lampstands ^(AD)One like the Son of Man, ^(AE)clothed with a garment down to the feet and ^(AF)girded about the chest with a golden band. ¹⁴ His head and ^(AG)hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and ^(AH)His eyes like a flame of fire; ^15 (AI)His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and ^(AJ)His voice as the sound of many waters; ^16 (AK)He had in His right hand seven stars, ^(AL)out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, ^(AM)and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. ¹⁷ And ^(AN)when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But ^(AO)He laid His right hand on me, saying ^[i]to me, “Do not be afraid; ^(AP)I am the First and the Last. ^18 (AQ)I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, ^(AR)I am alive forevermore. Amen. And ^(AS)I have the keys of ^[j]Hades and of Death. ^19 [k]Write the things which you have ^(AT)seen, ^(AU)and the things which are, ^(AV)and the things which will take place after this. ²⁰ The ^[l]mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are ^(AW)the ^[m]angels of the seven churches, and ^(AX)the seven lampstands ^[n]which you saw are the seven churches.

The Loveless Church

2 “To the ^[o]angel of the church of Ephesus write,

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

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

The Persecuted Church

⁸ “And to the ^[r]angel of the church in Smyrna write,

‘These things says ^(BI)the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: ⁹ “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are ^(BJ)rich); and I know the blasphemy of ^(BK)those who say they are Jews and are not, ^(BL)but are a ^[s]synagogue of Satan. ^10 (BM)Do 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. ^(BN)Be faithful until death, and I will give you ^(BO)the crown of life.

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

The Compromising Church

¹² “And to the ^[t]angel of the church in Pergamos write,

‘These things says ^(BR)He 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. ¹⁴ But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of ^(BS)Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, ^(BT)to eat things sacrificed to idols, ^(BU)and to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵ Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, ^[u]which thing I hate. ¹⁶ Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and ^(BV)will 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 ^(BW)manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone ^(BX)a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’

The Corrupt Church

¹⁸ “And to the ^[v]angel of the church in Thyatira write,

‘These things says the Son of God, ^(BY)who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: ^19 (BZ)“I know your works, love, ^[w]service, faith, and your ^[x]patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. ²⁰ Nevertheless I have ^[y]a few things against you, because you allow ^[z]that woman ^(CA)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, ^[aa]to teach and seduce My servants ^(CB)to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ²¹ And I gave her time ^(CC)to ^[ab]repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. ²² Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of ^[ac]their deeds. ²³ I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who ^(CD)searches^[ad] the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

²⁴ “Now to you I say, ^[ae]and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the ^(CE)depths of Satan, as they say, ^(CF)I ^[af]will put on you no other burden. ²⁵ But hold fast ^(CG)what you have till I come. ²⁶ And he who overcomes, and keeps ^(CH)My works until the end, ^(CI)to him I will give power over the nations—

as I also have received from My Father; ²⁸ and I will give him ^(CK)the morning star.

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