What John was commanded to write in commendation or reproof to the angels of the churches of 1Ephesus, 8Smyrna, 12Pergamos, 18Thyatira.
1UNTO the aangel of the church of bEphesus write; These things saith che that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, dwho walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
a ch. 1.20. Ac. 20.17,28. b Ac. 19. Ep. 1.17. c ch. 1.16,20. 2Co. 3.5. Phi. 4.13,19. d ch. 1.11,13,20. Le. 26.12. ch. 21.3. Eze. 46.10.
2eI know thy fworks, and thy labour, and gthy patience, and hhow thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
e v.9,13,19. ch. 3.1,8,15; 10.1,6; 11.4. Ps. 1.6. He. 13.17; 4.13. 2Ti. 2.19. Mat. 7.23. f 1Th. 5.12. 1Ti. 5.17. 1Co. 15.10,58. g Ro. 15.1,4. He. 6.10,12. h 1Jn. 4.1. Ga. 1.8. 2Co. 11.13. Ep. 4.14. 2Pe. 2.1,2.
3iAnd hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
i 2Th. 3.13. Ga. 6.9. He. 12.5. 2Co. 6.4-10.
4Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because jthou hast left thy first love.
j Ho. 4.16. Je. 2.2. Ga. 1.7; 3.3. Phi. 2.21. 2Ti. 1.15; 2.18.
5kRemember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and lwill remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
k ch. 3.3,19. Je. 3.14,22; 2.2,3. Ho. 14.1,8. l Mat. 21.40,41,43. Je. 7.12. ch. 3.16. Mat. 8.12. v.1.
6But this thou hast, that mthou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
m v.15. Ro. 12.9. Ps. 97.10. Ga. 5.19-21. Ro. 1.26-31.
7nHe that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; oTo him that overcometh will I give to eat of pthe tree of life, which is in the midst of qthe paradise of God.
n v.11,17,29. ch. 3.6,13,22; 13.9. Mat. 11.15. o 2Ti. 4.7. 1Jn. 5.4. Ro. 8.37. 2Co. 10.3,4; 6.4-10. Ep. 6.10-20. 1Ti. 6.11-14,20. Ga. 6.9. p ch. 22.2,14. Jn. 15.1; 14.6; 11.25; 1.4; 5.26; 6.32-58. 1Jn. 5.11,12. Ge. 3.22; 2.9. q Eze. 28.13. Lu. 23.43.
8And unto rthe angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith sthe first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
r ch. 1.20. s ch. 1.8,11,17,18.
9tI know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but uthou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which vsay they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
t v.2,13,19. ch. 3.1,8,15. Is. 54.11,12. Ac. 14.22. 2Ti. 3.12. Jn. 16.33. 1Co. 4.10-13. He. 10.32-34. u Ja. 2.5. He. 10.34. 2Co. 6.10. Mat. 19.21; 6.20. Lu. 12.21. 1Ti. 6.6,18. 1Pe. 1.4. v Ro. 2.17-29; 9.6,32; 10.2,3. Phi. 3.3. ch. 3.9. Ga. 6.12,13. Jn. 8.44.
10wFear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and xye shall have tribulation yten days: be thou zfaithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
w Is. 41.10,14; 43.1,2. Mat. 10.22,28; 24.9,13. 1Co. 9.25. 2Ti. 2.5; 4.7,8. Ja. 1.2,12. ch. 3.12,11; 22.5. x Jn. 16.33. y Da. 1.12,14. z ch. 12.11.
11aHe that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt bof the second death.
a v.7,17,26. ch. 3.5,12,21; 21.7; 13.9. b ch. 20.6,14; 21.8.
12And to cthe angel of the church in dPergamos write; These things saith he which hath ethe sharp sword with two edges;
c ch. 1.20. d ch. 1.11. e Jos. 5.13. Nu. 22.23. v.16. ch. 1.16; 19.15,21. De. 32.42,43.
13fI know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is : and gthou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, heven in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where iSatan dwelleth.
f v.2,9. He. 4.13. g 2Ti. 1.13; 2.12. He. 3.14; 4.14; 10.23. h Ge. 6.9. Lu. 22.28; 12.8. 1Sa. 2.30. i De. 32.16,17. Le. 17.7. ch. 11.7,8; 17.6. v.9.
14But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold jthe doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit kfornication.
j Nu. 25.1,3; 31.16. Eze. 44.7. Ac. 15.1,20,29. 2Co. 8; 10; 5. 2Pe. 2.15. Jude 11. Phi. 3.18,19. k 1Co. 6.13,18; 10.8.
15So hast thou also them that hold lthe doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
l v.6. Je. 44.4.
16mRepent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and nwill fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
m v.5. ch. 3.2,3,19. Je. 3.13,14,22; 31.18-20. n ch. 1.16; 11.5; 19.15,21. Is. 11.4; 49.2. Ep. 6.17. 2Th. 2.8. He. 4.11,12.
17oHe that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of pthe hidden manna, and will give him qa white stone, and in the stone ra new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
o v.7. ch. 3.6,13,22; 21.7; 13.9. p Ps. 25.14. Is. 62.8,9; 65.13. Jn. 4.32; 6.33,48-50,58. q Ex. 28.8. Ep. 1.6,7. Is. 1.1; 43.25; 44.22. Ep. 1.6,7. r Is. 56.4,5; 65.15; 62.2,4,12. ch. 3.12; 19.12,13. 1Jn. 3.2. 1Co. 2.14.
18sAnd unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith tthe Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
s ch. 1.11,20; 2.1,8,12. t ch. 1.5,14,15.
19uI know thy works, and *charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; vand the last to be more than the first.
*charity-love.
u v.2,9,13. Ro. 13.10. Ga. 5.6. Ja. 2.26. 2Co. 9.1,12. v Job 17.9. Pr. 4.18. Mat. 13.23. Ps. 92.13,14. 2Pe. 3.18.
20wNotwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
w v.4,14,15. ch. 17.1,2. 1Ki. 16.31; 21.25. Ac. 15.20,29. 1Co. 5; 8; 10. Ex. 34.15.
21And I gave her space xto repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
x Ro. 2.4,5. 2Pe. 3.9. Am. 4.6-11. Eze. 16; 20; 23. ch. 9.20,21; 16.9,11.
22yBehold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
y ch. 17.16; 18.4. Eze. 16.35-43; 20.30-36; 23.10,29,32. Lu. 13.1-9.
23And zI will kill her children with death; aand all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the *reins and hearts: band I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
*reins-mind, inmost being (literally kidneys).
z ch. 6.8. 2Sa. 12.14. 2Ki. 9.22; 10.6. Eze. 9.6. a Zep. 1.11. Ps. 7.9. Je. 11.20; 17.10; 20.12. 1Sa. 16.7. 1Ch. 28.9; 29.17. 2Ch. 6.30. Ac. 1.24. Ro. 8.27. b ch. 13.10; 20.12; 22.12. Ps. 62.12. Ro. 2.6; 14.12. 2Co. 5.10. Ga. 6.5. 2Th. 1.6-10.
24But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known cthe depths of Satan, as they speak; I will dput upon you none other burden.
c 2Co. 2.11. ch. 17.5. 2Th. 2.9-12. d Ac. 15.28.
25eBut that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
e Is. 8.20. 2Ti. 1.13. Ac. 15.19,20,28,29. Phi. 3.16. ch. 3.3,11. 2Jn. 8.
26fAnd he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to ghim will I give power over the nations:
f v.7,11,17. ch. 3.5,12,21; 21.7. Jn. 6.29. Ja. 2.20. 1Jn. 3.23. Tit. 2.11-14. Mat. 10.22; 24.13. Ga. 6.9. g Mat. 19.28. Lu. 22.28,29,30. 1Co. 6.2,3. Ps. 2.8,9; 49.14. Da. 7.22,27; 2.44,45. Ps. 149.5-9. ch. 12.5; 19.15; 20.4. Mat. 28.18. Ps. 110.
27And hhe shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
h Ps. 2.9.
28And I will give him ithe morning star.
i ch. 22.16. Nu. 24.17. Is. 49.6. 2Pe. 1.19. Lu. 1.78,79.
29jHe that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
j v.7. Mat. 11.15; 13.9,43. He. 12.25,26.