Revelation 1 - 7

1:1 The Unveiling, the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to show His servants what must happen immediately. And Jesus signed the Unveiling, having sent it through His angel to His servant, John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, of all that he saw. 3 Benefited and enlarged is the one knowing the Unveiling for certain and those who hear the words of the prophecy, watching over to guard the things written inside of it; because the time is near. 

4 John, to the seven gatherings of the church that are in the Roman province of Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is existing and who has always existed and is always continuously and actively coming; and from the seven Spirits who are inside the presence of His throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first of many just like Himself out from the dead, preeminent over the kings of the earth. To the one continuously and actively loving us, who releases us out from our sins inside of His blood. 6 who has made us His kingdom, priests to God His Father, to Him be the glory, and the strength of completion into the unfolding of the ages. Let it be so; it is so.

7 Behold He comes now with clouds, and every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him, and all the races of the earth will strike against Him. Even so, let it be so; it is so.

8 I am the A and the Z, the Source and the Completion, says the Lord God, the One who is existing and who has existed and who is continuously and actively coming, the One who holds and carries all, the All-Carrying.

9 John, your brother and fellow-sharer inside of the travail and kingdom and steadfastness inside of Jesus: I was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was inside of Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the A and the Z, the always first and the always final. Write what you see within a scroll and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.

12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me and having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. 13 Inside of the midst of the lampstands, I saw One resembling the Son of man, having been enclothed to the feet, and girded about at the chest with a golden sash. 14 His head and His hairs were white as if wool, white as snow; and His eyes resembled a flame of fire. 15 His feet were like fine bronze having been refined inside a furnace; and His voice was as the voice of many waters. 16 He was holding in His right hand seven stars, and an eager two-edged sword was presently being spoken forth out from His mouth. His face was like the sun, shining in its power.

17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as through dead, but He placed His right hand upon me, saying, “Do not fear; I am the always first and the always final. 18 I am the living One, and, although I was dead, look and see, I am living into the unfolding of the ages, and I possess the keys of death and of hades. 19 Write therefore the things you have seen and that exist, and that are at the very point of becoming with these things. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw upon My right hand and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angel messengers of the seven church assemblies; and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

 
2:1 To the angel messenger of the church in Ephesus write: These things says the One holding fast the seven stars inside His right hand and walking inside the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your works and your labor and steadfastness, and that you are not able to bear with evil or those who are evil. You have put to the proof those claiming to be apostles but are not, and you have found them to be fake. 3 You possess steadfastness and have carried on through My name and have not grown weary.

4 But I have this concerning you, that you have allowed your first love to depart. 5 Bring to mind, therefore, the place from which you have fallen; change your mind and do the first works. If not, I am continuously and actively coming to you, and I will remove your lampstand out of its place, if you do not change your minds. 6 But this you possess, that you detest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also detest. {possibly a sect that placed the flesh on a pedestal, from the extreme of abusing it, that is, under control, to shameless immorality, that is, in control.}

7 The one who has an ear, let him hear with the Spirit says to the churches. To the one presently and actively overcoming, I will give him to eat, immediately and ongoing, out from the Tree of Life which is inside the paradise of God.

8 To the angel messenger of the church in Smyrna write: These things says the always first and the always final, who once was dead and is now alive, 9 I know your travail and destitution – but you are rich – and the slander of those claiming themselves to be Judeans and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. You see, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison in an attempt to test you; and you will experience travail ten days. Be faithful as far as death, and I will give you the crown of life.

11 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one presently and actively overcoming shall not hurt others, that is, shall not act out from the second death.  

12 To the angel messenger of the church in Pergamum write: These things says the One speaking forth the eager two-edged sword. 13 I know where you dwell, where the throne of Satan is; and you hold fast My name and have not repudiated My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one who was killed beside you, in the place where Satan dwells.

14 But I have a few things concerning you; because you have some pushing the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a trap before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to worship pornography and immorality. 15 You also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Change your minds, therefore. For if you do not, I am continuously and actively coming to you with speed and will contend with them inside of the sword of My mouth.

17 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one presently and actively overcoming, I will give him the hidden manna, immediately and ongoing, and I will give him a white stone {a vote of confidence or affirmation}, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knows except the one who receives it.

18 To the angel messenger of the church in Thyatira write: These things says the Son of God, the One whose eyes resemble a flame of fire and whose feet are like fine bronze.  19 I know your works and love and faith, your service and steadfastness, and your recent works, greater than the first.

20 But I have this against you, that you permit the woman Jezebel, the one calling herself a prophetess, and who is teaching and is misleading my servants to worship pornographic idols of immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to change her mind, but she is not willing to change her mind out of her immoral worship. 22 Look and see, I will cast her into a bed, and those committing adultery with her into great pressures, if they will not change their minds out of her deeds. 23 And her children I will kill inside of death; and all the churches will know that I am the One searching the emotions and hearts; and I will give to each of you, immediately and ongoing, according to your works.

24 More than that, I say to the rest of those in Thyatira, those who do not hold to this teaching, those who have not known the “profound depths of Satan,” as they say; I will not cast upon you any other burden. 25 But hold fast what you have until I might come.

26 The one presently and actively overcoming and keeping watch until the completion of My works, I will give him, immediately and ongoing, authority upon the peoples, 27 and he will shepherd them inside of a staff of iron, broken as an earthen vessel; in just the same way that I also have received from My Father, 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.


3:1 To the angel messenger of the church in Sardis write: These things says the One who possesses the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works that seem to show that you are alive, and yet you are dead. 2 Watch vigilantly, and establish what remains, for it is about to die. Indeed, I have found your works incomplete inside the presence of My God. 3 Bring to mind what you have received and heard, therefore – and guard it and change your minds. If not, you shall watch [all you want] but I will come as a thief and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you. 4 But you have a few names in Sardis who have not stained their garments, and they will walk [the course of their lives] with Me in white [in all purity] because they are of great value to Me.

5 The one who is presently and actively overcoming will be enclothed in white garments. I will not erase his name from the scroll of life, but I will speak his name in the presence of my Father and before His angels. 6 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

7 To the angel messenger of the church in Philadelphia write: These things says the One who is Devoted and True, who possesses the key of David, the One who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. 8 I know your works. Look and see, I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut, because you have a little power; you have kept, watched over, and guarded My word and have not spoken against My name. 9 Look and see, I give you those who are out from the synagogue of Satan, those who claim to be Judeans, though they are not Judeans, for they lie. Look and see, I will cause them to come and to worship before your feet. They will know that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept the word of My steadfastness, I also will keep, guard, and watch over you out from the hour of trial about to come upon the whole inhabited earth, to try those who dwell upon the earth. 11  I come quickly. Hold tightly to what you have so that no one takes your crown.

12 I will make the one who is presently and actively overcoming to be a pillar inside of the temple of My God, and he shall not go out anymore. And I will write upon him, immediately and ongoing, the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, continuously and actively stepping forth out from heaven, from My God, and I will write upon him My new name. 13 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

14 And to the angel messenger of the church in Laodicea write: These things says the ‘Let it be so, it is so,’ the faithful and true Witness, the beginning and source of the creation of God. 15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish you would be cold or hot. 16 Because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am about to vomit you out of My mouth. 17 For you say, “I am rich, and have grown rich, and have need of nothing,” and do not realize that you are wretched and miserable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I take counsel together with you to buy from Me gold that has been refined out from fire, that you might be rich; and white garments, so that you might be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness might not be made visible to all; and eye-salve to anoint your eyes that you might see. 19 Those whom I love, I discipline and instruct. Be eager, then, and change the way you think. 20 Look and see, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone should hear My voice and open the door, I will go in to him, and I will dine with him and he with Me.

21 To the one who is presently and actively overcoming, I will give him, immediately and ongoing, to sit with Me inside of My throne, just exactly as I also overcame and sat down with My Father inside of His throne. 22 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.


4:1 After this I looked, and I saw a door open inside of heaven, and the voice I first heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show to you what must happen as a result of these things.”

2 Immediately, I was inside Spirit and I saw a throne set inside of heaven and One sitting upon the throne. 3 The One sitting there was in appearance [as in a vision] like a jasper stone and sardius; and a rainbow encircled the throne, which was in appearance [as in a vision] like an emerald. 4 All around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon these thrones sat twenty-four elders, enclothed all around in white garments and on their heads golden crowns. 5 Out from the throne burst forth flashes of lightning, voices and thunder. Seven lamps of fire burned inside the presence of the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. 6 In the presence of the throne as well was a sea of glass, resembling crystal.

Inside the middle of the throne and circling around it, were four living things full of eyes in front and behind. 7 The first living thing resembled a lion; the second living thing resembled a calf; the third living thing had a face as of a man; and the fourth living thing resembled a flying eagle. 8 And the four living things, one for each one of them, each had six wings full of eyes all around and within. And they had no rest day or night saying: “Devoted, devoted, devoted, Oh Lord God, the One who holds and carries all, the All-Carrying One, the One who is existing, has always existed, and is continuously and actively coming.”

9 Whenever the living things gave glory and honor, speaking good grace and giving thanks to the One sitting upon the throne, the One who lives, penetrating with purpose into the unfolding of the ages, 10 the twenty four elders would fall in the presence of the One sitting upon the throne, and they worshiped the One living into the unfolding of the ages. They cast their crowns before the throne saying, 11 “You are of great value, our Lord and God, to receive the glory, honor, and power, for You created all and through Your desire they exist and were created.”


5:1 And I saw a scroll upon the right hand of the One sitting upon the throne. The scroll was written on both sides, within the curve as well as on the back, and it was sealed with seven seals. 2 I saw a strong angel proclaim in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break away its seals?” 3 And no one was capable, neither inside of heaven nor upon the earth nor underneath the earth, to open the scroll or to perceive what was written in it.

4 I wept loudly, because no one of sufficient value was found who could open the scroll to perceive what is written in it. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Look and see, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome to open the scroll and to break off its seven seals.

6 And I saw in the middle of the throne and among the four living things and among the elders, a Lamb standing, set and appointed, a Lamb who was slain, but now possesses seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent [apostled] into all the earth. 7 The Lamb came and took the scroll out from the right hand of the One sitting upon the throne.

8 And when He had taken the scroll, the four living things and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each with a harp and golden bowls full of incenses, which are the prayers of the devoted ones. 9 They sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break off its seals, because You were slain and You purchased to God inside Your blood a people out from every tribe and language, people and ethnicity, 10 and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God; and they shall reign as kings upon the earth.”

11 Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels circled all around the throne and the voices of the living things and the elders. The number of the angels was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 and they all said with a loud voice, “Of great value is the Lamb who was slain, that He might receive the power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing!”

13 And every created thing which is inside of heaven and upon the earth and underneath the earth and upon the seas and everything inside of them, I heard  them all saying to the One sitting upon the throne and to the Lamb, “Blessing and honor, glory and might into the unfolding of the ages.” 14 And the four living things kept saying, “Let it be so; it is so.” And the elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives into the unfolding of the ages.  


6:1 And I watched when the Lamb removed one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living things say, as a voice of thunder, “Come!” 2 Then I looked, and I saw [the seal as] a white horse with the one sitting upon it holding a bow. A crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering, that he might conquer.

3 And when He removed the second seal, I heard the second living thing say, “Come.” 4 The [seal was as] another horse, bright red, going forth with one sitting upon it. It was granted to that one to take peace from the earth, that they would kill one another; and a great shield-wall sword was given to him.

5 And when the Lamb removed the third seal, I heard the third living thing say, “Come!” And I looked and saw a black horse and the one who sat upon it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard the resemblance of a voice in the midst of the four living things saying, “A measure of wheat for a denarius and three measures of barley for a denarius, and you will not do wickedly against the oil and the wine.”

7 And when He removed the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living thing say, “Come!” 8 Then I looked, and I saw [the seal was as] a pale horse with one sitting upon it; his name was Death and hades followed with him and authority was given to them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine, with death and by the wild beasts of the earth.

9 And when the Lamb removed the fifth seal, I saw under the altar of incense the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony which they possessed. 10 But they were screaming with a loud noise saying, “Until when, O Lord, devoted and true? Do you not judge and avenge our blood upon those dwelling upon the earth?” 11 White robes were then given to each of them; and they were told to rest, that is, to be quiet for awhile, until their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters alive on the earth, should be made complete, for many more would yet be killed.

12 And I saw when He removed the sixth seal, and [the seal was as] a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the entire moon became like blood 13 and the stars of heaven fell into the earth as the fig tree casts its unripe figs as it is shaken by a great wind. 15 And heaven was swept aside, like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones, the commanders, the rich and the strong, and every servant and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall upon us, and hide us away from the face of the One sitting upon the throne and away from the opposition of the Lamb, 17 because the day of Their great opposition has come and who is able to stand?” {Remember that these are liars, and that they hate Jesus WITHOUT a cause. He is nothing like their false accusations.}

 
7:1 After this [vision] I saw four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth that no wind should blow upon the earth, nor upon the sea, nor upon any tree. 2 And I saw another angel coming up from the rising sun, holding the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom had been given to do wrong, to act unjustly against the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not do wrong against the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, having been sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel.

5 Out of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed; out of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand;  out of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand; 6  out of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand;  out of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand;  out of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand;  7 out of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand;  out of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand;  out of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand;  8 out of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand;  out of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand;  and out of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

9 After this [vision] I looked, and I saw a great multitude which no one was able to number, out of every ethnic group and tribe, peoples and languages, standing in the presence of the throne and the presence of the Lamb. They were enclothed with white robes, and palm branches were in their hands. 10 They shouted with a loud voice saying, “Salvation unto our God, the One who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels stood circled around the throne with the elders and the four living things, and they fell upon their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying, “Let it be so; it is so! Blessing [speaking good words], and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving [speaking good grace], honor and power and strength to our God into the unfolding of the ages. Let it be so; it is so!”

13 One of the elders said to me, “These who have been enclothed with white robes, who are they and from where have they come?” 14 And I said to him, “My Lord, you know.”

And he said to me, “These are those who are coming out of great travail [pressures within and without]. They have washed their robes and made them white inside the blood of the Lamb. 15 Because they have done this, they are inside the presence of the throne of God and serve him day and night inside His temple. The One who sits upon the throne will tabernacle, will pitch His tent over them and dwell among them. 16 They will not hunger any more, neither will they thirst any more, nor shall the sun fall upon them at all, nor any burning heat, 17 because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them, and He will guide them to living fountains of waters. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

8:1 Then, when the Lamb removed the seventh seal, there was silence inside of heaven for about half an hour.