John's Story (31 page)

The Certainty of God’s Witness

⁶
This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
⁷
For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
⁸
And there are three that bear witness on earth:
a
the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

⁹
If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which
a
He has testified of His Son.
¹⁰
He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
¹¹
And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
¹²
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
¹³
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life,
a
and that you may
continue to
believe in the name of the Son of God.

Confidence and Compassion in Prayer

¹⁴
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
¹⁵
And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

¹⁶
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin
which does
not
lead
to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not
leading
to death. There is sin
leading
to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.
¹⁷
All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not
leading
to death.

Knowing the True—Rejecting the False

¹⁸
We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself,
a
and the wicked one does not touch him.

¹⁹
We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies
under the sway of
the wicked one.

²⁰
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

²¹
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Greeting the Elect Lady

The Elder,

To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth,
²
because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:

³
Grace, mercy,
and
peace will be with you
a
from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

Walk in Christ’s
Commandments

⁴
I rejoiced greatly that I have found
some
of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.
⁵
And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.
⁶
This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

Beware of Antichrist Deceivers

⁷
For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ
as
coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
⁸
Look to yourselves, that we
a
do not lose those things we worked for, but
that
we
b
may receive a full reward.

⁹
Whoever transgresses
a
and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
¹⁰
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;
¹¹
for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

John’s Farewell Greeting

¹²
Having many things to write to you, I did not wish
to do so
with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

¹³
The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.

Greeting to Gaius

The Elder,

To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:

²
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
³
For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth
that is
in you, just as you walk in the truth.
⁴
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
a

Gaius Commended for Generosity

⁵
Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and
a
for strangers,
⁶
who have borne witness of your love before the church.
If
you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well,
⁷
because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles.
⁸
We therefore ought to receive
a
such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

⁹
I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.
¹⁰
Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting
them
out of the church.

¹¹
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but
a
he who does evil has not seen God.

¹²
Demetrius has a
good
testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.

Farewell Greeting

¹³
I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink;
¹⁴
but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face.

Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.

Introduction and Benediction

1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified
it
by His angel to His servant John,
²
who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.
³
Blessed
is
he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time
is
near.

Greeting the Seven Churches

⁴
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,
⁵
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him who loved us and washed
a
us from our sins in His own blood,
⁶
and has made us kings
a
and priests to His God and Father, to Him
be
glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

⁷
Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

⁸
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the
Beginning and
the
End,”
a
says the Lord,
b
“who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Vision of the Son of Man

⁹
I, John, both
a
your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
¹⁰
I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
¹¹
saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,”
a
and, “What you see, write in a book and send
it
to the seven churches which are in Asia:
b
to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

¹²
Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
¹³
and in the midst of the seven lampstands
One
like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
¹⁴
His head and hair
were
white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
¹⁵
His feet
were
like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
¹⁶
He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance
was
like the sun shining in its strength.
¹⁷
And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me,
a
“Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
¹⁸
I
am
He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
¹⁹
Write
a
the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
²⁰
The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw
a
are the seven churches.

The Loveless Church

2
“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,

‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
²
“I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
³
and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.
⁴
Nevertheless I have
this
against you, that you have left your first love.
⁵
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
⁶
But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’

The Persecuted Church

⁸
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,

‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:
⁹
“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and
I know
the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but
are
a synagogue of Satan.
¹⁰
Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw
some
of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

¹¹
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’

The Compromising Church

¹²
“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,

‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:
¹³
“I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne
is.
And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas
was
My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
¹⁴
But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
¹⁵
Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
a
¹⁶
Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

¹⁷
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives
it.
”’

The Corrupt Church

¹⁸
“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,

‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:
¹⁹
“I know your works, love, service, faith,
a
and your patience; and
as
for your works, the last
are
more than the first.
²⁰
Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow
a
that woman
b
Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce
c
My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
²¹
And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.
a
²²
Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their
a
deeds.
²³
I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

²⁴
“Now to you I say, and
a
to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will
b
put on you no other burden.
²⁵
But hold fast what you have till I come.
²⁶
And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—

²⁷
‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;

They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’
a
—

as I also have received from My Father;
²⁸
and I will give him the morning star.

²⁹
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’

The Dead Church

3
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,

‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
²
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.
a
³
Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
⁴
You
a
have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
⁵
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

⁶
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’

The Faithful Church

⁷
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true,
“He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”
:
a
⁸
“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it;
a
for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
⁹
Indeed I will make
those
of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
¹⁰
Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
¹¹
Behold,
a
I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
¹²
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And
I will write on him
My new name.

¹³
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’

The Lukewarm Church

¹⁴
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans
a
write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
¹⁵
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
¹⁶
So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,
a
I will vomit you out of My mouth.
¹⁷
Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
¹⁸
I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed,
that
the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
¹⁹
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
²⁰
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
²¹
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

²²
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”

The Throne Room of Heaven

4
After these things I looked, and behold, a door
standing
open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard
was
like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

²
Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and
One
sat on the throne.
³
And He who sat there was
a
like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and
there was
a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.
⁴
Around the throne
were
twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns
a
of gold on their heads.
⁵
And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices.
a
Seven lamps of fire
were
burning before the throne, which are the
b
seven Spirits of God.