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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The Revelation 2
2
Ephesus: Return to Your First Love
1To the angel of Messiah’s community in Ephesus write: “Thus says the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks in the midst of the seven golden menorot:
2I know all about your deeds and your toil and your patient endurance, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. You have tested those who call themselves emissaries and are not, and have found them to be liars.
3You have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.
4“But this I have against you, that you have forsaken your first love.
5Remember then from where you have fallen. Repent and do the deeds you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your menorah from its place—unless you repent.
6“Yet you have this going for you, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Ruach is saying to Messiah’s communities. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of God.”
Smyrna: Do Not Fear Satan’s Testing
8To the angel of Messiah’s community in Smyrna write: “Thus says the First and Last, who was dead and came to life.
9I know your tribulation and your poverty (yet you are rich), as well as the slander of those who say they are Jewish and are not, but are a synagogue of satan.
10Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Ruach is saying to Messiah’s communities. The one who overcomes shall never be harmed by the second death.”
Pergamum: Beware the Trap of Balaam
12To the angel of Messiah’s community in Pergamum write: “Thus says the One who has the sharp two-edged sword:
13I know where you live—where satan’s throne is. Yet you continue to hold firm to My name, and you did not deny your faith in Me even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness, who was killed among you, where satan resides.
14“But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who was teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before Bnei-Yisrael, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.
15Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
16Repent then! If not, I will come to you soon and make war against them with the sword of My mouth.
17He who has an ear, let him hear what the Ruach is saying to Messiah’s communities. To the one who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna , and I will give him a white stone—and written on the stone a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.”
Thyatira: Do Not Tolerate Jezebel
18To the angel of Messiah’s community in Thyatira write: “Thus says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like polished bronze:
19I know your deeds and your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your last deeds are greater than the first.
20“But this I have against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess—yet she is teaching and deceiving My servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
21I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her immorality.
22Behold, I will throw her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation—unless they repent of her doings.
23I will also strike her children with a deadly disease. Then all of Messiah’s communities will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your deeds.
24“But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to this teaching and have not learned the so-called ‘deep things’ of satan—I place on you no other burden.
25Only hold firm to what you have until I come.
26To the one who overcomes and guards My deeds until the end, ‘I will give him authority over the nations
27and he shall rule them with an iron rod, as when clay pots are broken into pieces.’
28Even as I have received from My Father, so I will give him the morning star.
29He who has an ear, let him hear what the Ruach is saying to Messiah’s communities.”
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