Revelation 2
2
The Letters to the Seven Churches
The Letter to Ephesus
1“Write to the angel # Or messenger here and elsewhere of the church in Ephesus:
“The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands # Rv 1:16,20 says: # Ac 21:11 2I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, # Rv 2:19; 3:1,8,15 and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, # 2Co 11:13 and you have found them to be liars. # 1Jn 4:1 3You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name # Mt 24:9 and have not grown weary. 4But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. # Jr 2:2 5Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. # Heb 10:32 Otherwise, I will come to you # Other mss add quickly and 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 # 1Jn 5:4-5 the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in # Other mss read in the midst of God’s paradise. # Gn 2:8-9; Lk 23:43; 2Co 12:4; Rv 22:2,14,19
The Letter to Smyrna
8“Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna:
“The First and the Last, # Rv 1:17 the One who was dead and came to life, says: 9I know your # Other mss add works and affliction 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. # Rv 3:9-10 10Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Devil # Mt 4:1; Eph 4:27; 6:11; 1Tm 3:6; Jms 4:7; 1Pt 5:8; Rv 12:9,12; 20:2 is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will have affliction for 10 days. # Dn 1:12,14 Be faithful until death, # Mt 10:22; 24:13; Rv 12:11 and I will give you the crown # Or wreath of life. # 1Co 9:25; Jms 1:12; Rv 3:11
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. # Rv 20:6,14; 21:8
The Letter to Pergamum
12“Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum:
“The One who has the sharp, double-edged sword # Is 49:2; Heb 4:12; Rv 1:16; 2:16; 19:15 says: 13I know # Other mss add your works and where you live — where Satan’s throne is! And you are holding on to My name and did not deny your faith in Me, # 1Tm 5:8 # Or deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness # Ac 22:20 who 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, # 2Pt 2:15 who taught Balak to place a stumbling block # Or to place a trap in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols # Ac 15:29; 1Co 8:10; 10:19 and to commit sexual immorality. # Nm 25:1; 31:16; 1Co 10:8 # Or commit fornication 15In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. # Other mss add which I hate 16Therefore repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly # Rv 22:7 and fight against them with the sword of My mouth. # 2Th 2:8
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. # Other mss add to eat # Ex 16:32-34 I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name # Is 55:13; 56:5; 62:2 is 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, # Ps 2:7-9 the One whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze, # Probably gleaming white hot; Rv 1:15 # Rv 1:14-15 says: 19I know your works — your love, faithfulness, # Or faith service, and endurance. # 1Th 1:3; Rv 2:2 Your last works are greater than the first. 20But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel, # 1Kg 16:30-33; 21:25; 2Kg 9:7,30-37 who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives My slaves to commit sexual immorality # Or commit fornication and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. # 2Kg 9:22; Ac 15:29; 1Co 10:20 21I gave her time to repent, # Rm 2:4; 2Pt 3:9 but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. # Or her fornication # Rv 9:20-21; 16:9,11 22Look! I will throw her into a sickbed # 2 Kgs 9:22 and those who commit adultery with her # Rv 17:2; 18:9 into great tribulation, # Mt 24:21; Ac 7:11 unless they repent of her # Other mss read their practices. 23I will kill her children with the plague. # Or I will surely kill her children, # Ezk 33:27 Then all the churches will know that I am the One who examines minds # Lit kidneys and hearts, # Ps 7:9; 26:2; 139:1; Jr 11:20; 17:10; Mt 16:27; Lk 16:15; Ac 1:24; Rm 8:27 and I will give to each of you according to your works. # Rm 2:6; 2Co 11:15; 2Tm 4:14; Rv 18:6; 20:12-13 24I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven’t known the deep things # Or the secret things # 2Co 2:10 of Satan # Rv 2:9 — as they say — I do not put any other burden on you. # Mt 11:30; Ac 15:28; 24:4; 1Jn 5:3 25But hold on to what you have until I come. # Rv 3:11 26The one who is victorious and keeps My works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations —
27and he will shepherd # Or rule ; see 19:15, # Rv 19:15 them with an iron scepter;
he will shatter them like pottery # Ps 2:9, # Ps 2:9 —
just as I have received this from My Father. 28I will also give him the morning star. # Is 14:12; 2Pt 1:19; Rv 22:1
29“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
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Revelation 2: HCSB
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