Outline
I. Introduction (1:1-8)
IV. The Throne, the Scroll and the Lamb (chs. 4-5)
Revelation 2 NLT
1 “Write this letter to the angel of
the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven
stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold
lampstands:
2 “I know all the things you do. I have
seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil
people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are
not. You have discovered they are liars.
3 You have patiently suffered for me
without quitting.
4 “But I have this complaint against
you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!
5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn
back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come
and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.
6 But this is in your favor: You hate
the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen
to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who
is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of
God.
8 “Write this letter to the angel of
the church in Smyrna. This is the message from the one who is the First and the
Last, who was dead but is now alive:
9 “I know about your suffering and your
poverty—but you are rich! I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. They say
they are Jews, but they are not, because their synagogue belongs to
Satan.
10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about
to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into prison to test you. You will
suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will
give you the crown of life.
11“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to
the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. Whoever is
victorious will not be harmed by the second death.
12 “Write this letter to the angel of
the church in Pergamum. This is the message from the one with the sharp
two-edged sword:
13“I know that you live in the city where
Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me
even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you there in Satan’s
city.
14 “But I have a few complaints against
you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who
showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by
eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin.
15 In a similar way, you have some
Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching.
16 Repent of your sin, or I will come to
you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen
to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who
is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in
heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be
engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives
it.
18 “Write this letter to the angel of
the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are
like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze:
19 “I know all the things you do. I have
seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can
see your constant improvement in all these things.
20 “But I have this complaint against
you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to
lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food
offered to idols.
21 I gave her time to repent, but she
does not want to turn away from her immorality.
22“Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of
suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless
they repent and turn away from her evil deeds.
23 I will strike her children dead. Then
all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and
intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you
deserve.
24 “But I also have a message for the
rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching (‘deeper
truths,’ as they call them—depths of Satan, actually). I will ask nothing more
of you
25 except that you hold tightly to what
you have until I come.
26 To all who are victorious, who obey
me to the very end, To them I will give authority over all the nations.
27 They will rule the nations with an
iron rod and smash them like clay pots.
28 They will have the same authority I
received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!
29 “Anyone with ears
to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the
churches.
Revelation 3 NLT
1 “Write this letter to the angel of
the church in Sardis. This is the message from the one who has the sevenfold
Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know all the things you do, and that you
have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead.
2 Wake up! Strengthen what little
remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not
meet the requirements of my God.
3 Go back to what you heard and
believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t
wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.
4 “Yet there are some in the church in
Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in
white, for they are worthy.
5 All who are victorious will be
clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I
will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine.
6 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen
to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
7 “Write this letter to the angel of
the church in Philadelphia. This is the message from the one who is holy and
true, the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and
what he closes, no one can open:
8 “I know all the things you do, and I
have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet
you obeyed my word and did not deny me.
9Look, I will force those who belong to
Satan’s synagogue—those liars who say they are Jews but are not—to come and bow
down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.
10 “Because you have obeyed my command
to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come
upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you
have, so that no one will take away your crown.
12All who are victorious will become pillars
in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write
on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the
new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on
them my new name.
13 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen
to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
14 “Write this letter to the angel of
the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the
faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation:
15 “I know all the things you do, that
you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!
16 But since you are like lukewarm
water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!
17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have
everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are
wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
18So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold
that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments
from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes
so you will be able to see.
19 I correct and discipline everyone I
love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.
20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock.
If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a
meal together as friends.
21 Those who are victorious will sit
with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his
throne.
22 “Anyone with ears
to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the
churches.”