Dec 27 - Revelation 1-5
Revelation
1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, in order to make known to his servants the things that must soon occur, and which he signified by sending his Angel to his servant John2he has offered testimony to the Word of God, and whatever he saw is the testimony of Jesus Christ3Blessed is he who reads or hears the words of this Prophecy, and who keeps the things that have been written in it. For the time is near4John, to the seven Churches, which are in Asia. Grace and peace to you, from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are in the sight of his throne5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the leader over the kings of the earth, who has loved us and has washed us from our sins with his blood6and who has made us into a kingdom and into priests for God and for his Father. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen7Behold, he arrives with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, even those who pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth shall lament for themselves over him. Even so. Amen8"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty9I, John, your brother, and a sharer in the tribulation and in the kingdom and in patient endurance for Christ Jesus, was on the island which is called Patmos, because of the Word of God and the testimony to Jesus10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a great voice, like that of a trumpet11saying, "What you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven Churches, which are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamus, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.12And I turned around, so as to see the voice which was speaking with me. And having turned around, I saw seven golden lampstands13And in the midst of the seven golden lampstands was one resembling the Son of man, clothed to the feet with a vestment, and wrapped to the breast with a wide belt of gold14But his head and hair were bright, like white wool, or like snow; and his eyes were like a flame of fire15and his feet resembled shining brass, just as in a burning furnace; and his voice was like the voice of many waters16And in his right hand, he held the seven stars; and from his mouth went out a sharp two-edged sword; and his face was like the sun, shining with all its might17And when I had seen him, I fell at his feet, like one who is dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last18And I am alive, though I was dead. And, behold, I live forever and ever. And I hold the keys of death and of Hell19Therefore, write the things which you have seen, and which are, and which must occur afterward20the mystery of the seven stars, which you have seen in my right hand, and of the seven golden lampstands. The seven stars are the Angels of the seven Churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven Churches.
1"And to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write: Thus says the One who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands2I know your works, and your hardship and patient endurance, and that you cannot stand those who are evil. And so, you have tested those who declare themselves to be Apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars3And you have patient endurance for the sake of my name, and you have not fallen away4But I have this against you: that you have relinquished your first charity5And so, call to mind the place from which you have fallen, and do penance, and do the first works. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent6But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate7Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. To him who prevails, I will give to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of my God8And to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna write: Thus says the First and the Last, he who was dead and now lives9I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich, and that you are blasphemed by those who declare themselves to be Jews and are not, but who are a synagogue of Satan10You should fear nothing amid those things which you will suffer. Behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison, so that you may be tested. And you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give to you the crown of life11Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. Whoever will prevail, he shall not be harmed by the second death12And to the Angel of the Church of Pergamus write: Thus says he who holds the sharp two-edged spear13I know where you dwell, where the seat of Satan is, and that you hold to my name and have not denied my faith, even in those days when Antipas was my faithful witness, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells14But I have a few things against you. For you have, in that place, those who hold to the doctrine of Balaam, who instructed Balak to cast a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat and to commit fornication15And you also have those who hold to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans16So do penance to the same extent. If you do less, I will come to you quickly and I will fight against these ones with the sword of my mouth17Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. To him who prevails, I will give the hidden manna. And I will give to him a white emblem, and on the emblem, a new name has been written, which no one knows, except the one who receives it18And to the Angel of the Church of Thyatira write: Thus says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like shining brass19I know your works, and your faith and charity, and your ministry and patient endurance, and that your more recent works are greater than the earlier ones20But I have a few things against you. For you permit the woman Jezabel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication and to eat the food of idolatry21And I gave her a time, so that she might do penance, but she is not willing to repent from her fornication22Behold, I will cast her onto a bed, and those who commit adultery with her shall be in a very great tribulation, unless they repent from their works23And I will put her sons to death, and all the Churches shall know that I am the one who examines temperaments and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. But I say to you,24and to the others who are at Thyatira: Whoever does not hold to this doctrine, and who has not ‘known the depths of Satan,’ as they say, I will not set any other weight upon you25Even so, that which you have, hold on to it until I return26And whoever will prevail and will observe my works even unto the end, I will give to him authority over the nations27And he shall rule them with an iron rod, and they shall be broken like the earthenware of a potter28The same I also have received from my Father. And I will give to him the morning star29Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.
1"And to the Angel of the Church of Sardis write: Thus says he who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works, that you have a name which is alive, but you are dead2Be vigilant, and confirm the things that remain, lest they soon die out. For I do not find your works to be full in the sight of my God3Therefore, keep in mind the way that you have received and heard, and then observe it and repent. But if you will not be vigilant, I will come to you like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you4But you have a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their garments. And these shall walk with me in white, because they are worthy5Whoever prevails, so shall he be clothed in white vestments. And I will not delete his name from the Book of Life. And I will confess his name in the presence of my Father and in the presence of his Angels6Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches7And to the Angel of the Church of Philadelphia write: Thus says the Holy One, the True One, he who holds the key of David. He opens and no one closes. He closes and no one opens8I know your works. Behold, I have set an open door before you, which no one is able to close. For you have little power, and you have observed my word, and you have not denied my name9Behold, I will take from the synagogue of Satan those who declare themselves to be Jews and are not, for they are lying. Behold, I will cause them to approach and to reverence before your feet. And they shall know that I have loved you10Since you have kept the word of my patient endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall overcome the whole world in order to test those living upon the earth11Behold, I am approaching quickly. Hold on to what you have, so that no one may take your crown12Whoever prevails, I will set him as a column in the temple of my God, and he shall not depart from it anymore. And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that descends out of heaven from my God, and my new name13Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches14And to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea write: Thus says the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, who is the Beginning of the creation of God15I know your works: that you are neither cold, nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot16But because you are lukewarm and are neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit you out of my mouth17For you declare, ‘I am wealthy, and I have been enriched further, and I have need of nothing.’ And you do not know that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked18I urge you to buy from me gold, tested by fire, so that you may be enriched and may be clothed in white vestments, and so that the shame of your nakedness may disappear. And anoint your eyes with an eye salve, so that you may see19Those whom I love, I rebuke and chastise. Therefore, be zealous and do penance20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone will hear my voice and will open the door to me, I will enter to him, and I will dine with him, and he with me21Whoever prevails, I will grant to him to sit with me on my throne, just as I also have overcome and have sat down with my Father on his throne22Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.
1After these things, I saw, and behold, a door was opened in heaven, and the voice that I heard speaking with me first was like a trumpet, saying: "Ascend to here, and I will reveal to you what must occur after these things.2And immediately I was in the Spirit. And behold, a throne had been placed in heaven, and there was One sitting upon the throne3And the One who was sitting there was similar in appearance to a stone of jasper and sardius. And there was an iridescence surrounding the throne, in aspect similar to an emerald4And surrounding the throne were twenty-four smaller thrones. And upon the thrones, twenty-four elders were sitting, clothed entirely in white vestments, and on their heads were gold crowns5And from the throne, lightnings and voices and thunders went forth. And there were seven burning lamps before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God6And in view of the throne, there was something that seemed like a sea of glass, similar to crystal. And in the middle of the throne, and all around the throne, there were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and in back7And the first living creature resembled a lion, and the second living creature resembled a calf, and the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature resembled a flying eagle8And each of the four living creatures had upon them six wings, and all around and within they are full of eyes. And they took no rest, day or night, from saying: "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come.9And while those living creatures were giving glory and honor and blessings to the One sitting upon the throne, who lives forever and ever10the twenty-four elders fell prostrate before the One sitting upon the throne, and they adored him who lives forever and ever, and they cast their crowns before the throne, saying11"You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you have created all things, and they became and were created because of your will.
1And in the right hand of the One sitting upon the throne, I saw a book, written inside and out, sealed with seven seals2And I saw a strong Angel, proclaiming with a great voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?3And no one was able, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor under the earth, to open the book, nor to gaze upon it4And I wept greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book, nor to see it5And one of the elders said to me: "Weep not. Behold, the lion from the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the book and to break its seven seals.6And I saw, and behold, in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb was standing, as if it were slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth to all the earth7And he approached and received the book from the right hand of the One sitting upon the throne8And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having stringed instruments, as well as golden bowls full of fragrances, which are the prayers of the saints9And they were singing a new canticle, saying: "O Lord, you are worthy to receive the book and to open its seals, because you were slain and have redeemed us for God, by your blood, from every tribe and language and people and nation10And you have made us into a kingdom and into priests for our God, and we shall reign over the earth.11And I saw, and I heard the voice of many Angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders, (and their number was thousands of thousands12saying with a great voice: "The Lamb who was slain is worthy to receive power, and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.13And every creature that is in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and all that is within the sea: I heard them all saying: "To the One sitting upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing, and honor, and glory, and authority, forever and ever.14And the four living creatures were saying, "Amen." And the twenty-four elders fell down on their faces, and they adored the One who lives forever and ever