Chapter 246 of 257

Psalm 80:1 Give ear, O shepherd of Israel,

And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.

But as for the cowards and unbelievers and detestable persons and murderers and sexually immoral people and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their share is in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, when it takes place to test you, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 But to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, so that also at the revelation of his glory you may rejoice and be glad. 14 If you are reviled on account of the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 By all means do not let anyone of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 But if someone suffers as a Christian, he must not be ashamed, but must glorify God with this name. 17 For it is the time for the judgment to begin out from the household of God. But if it begins out from us first, what will be the outcome for those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous are saved with difficulty, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? 19 So then also those who suffer according to the will of God must entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing good.

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

“This is what the one who has the sharp double-edged sword says: 13 ‘I know where you live, where the throne of Satan is. And you hold fast to my name and did not deny your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan lives. 14 But I have a few things against you: that you have there those who hold fast to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. 15 So likewise you also have those who hold fast to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent! But if you do not, I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war with them with the sword from my mouth. 17 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give to him some of the hidden manna, and I will give to him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

‘I know where you live, where the throne of Satan is. And you hold fast to my name and did not deny your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan lives.

But I am afraid lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds may be led astray from the sincerity and the purity of devotion to Christ.

And the great dragon was thrown down, the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

And he seized the dragon—the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan—and bound him for a thousand years,

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

“This is what the one who has the sharp double-edged sword says:

Therefore repent! But if you do not, I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war with them with the sword from my mouth.

But I have a few things against you: that you have there those who hold fast to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. 15 So likewise you also have those who hold fast to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

Be sober; be on the alert. Your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

But you do have this: that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, things which I also hate.

When Israel dwelled in Shittim, the people began to prostitute themselves with the daughters of Moab. 2 And they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and worshiped their gods. 3 So Israel was joined together to Baal Peor, and Yahweh became angry with Israel. 4 Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and hang them before Yahweh in the sun, so the fierce anger of Yahweh will turn from Israel.” 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who are joined together with Baal Peor.”

6 And behold, a man from the Israelites came and brought to his brothers a Midianite woman before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of all of the community of the Israelites, and they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of assembly. 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest saw, he got up from the midst of the community and took a spear in his hand. 8 He went after the man of Israel into the woman’s section of the tent, and he drove the two of them, the man of Israel and the woman, into her belly. And the plague among the Israelites stopped. 9 The ones who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

I wish that you would put up with me in something a little foolish—but indeed you are putting up with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds may be led astray from the sincerity and the purity of devotion to Christ. 4 For if the one who comes proclaims another Jesus whom we have not proclaimed, or you receive a different spirit which you did not receive, or a different gospel which you did not accept, you put up with it well enough!

Therefore repent! But if you do not, I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war with them with the sword from my mouth. 17 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give to him some of the hidden manna, and I will give to him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, both joints and marrow, and able to judge the reflections and thoughts of the heart.

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

“This is what the one who has the sharp double-edged sword says:

The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give to him some of the hidden manna, and I will give to him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

And Moses said, “This is the word that Yahweh has commanded. ‘A full omer of it is for safekeeping for your generations so that they will see the bread that I fed you in the desert when I brought you from the land of Egypt.’ ” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, “Take one jar and put there a full omer of manna. Leave it before Yahweh for safekeeping for your generations.” 34 As Yahweh had commanded Moses, so Aaron left it before the testimony for safekeeping. 35 And the Israelites ate the manna forty years, until their coming to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until their coming to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 (And an omer is a tenth of an ephah.)

containing the golden incense altar and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which were a golden jar containing the manna and the rod of Aaron that budded and the tablets of the covenant.

But he answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man will not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’ ”

Then Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, Moses did not give you bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven! 33 For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 So they said to him, “Sir, always give us this bread!”

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty again. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and do not believe. 37 Everyone whom the Father gives to me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never throw out, 38 because I have come down from heaven not that I should do my will, but the will of the one who sent me. 39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me: that everyone whom he has given me, I would not lose any of them, but raise them up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks at the Son and believes in him would have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

41 Now the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” 42 and they were saying, “Is this one not Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves! 44 No one is able to come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who hears from the Father and learns comes to me. 46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God—this one has seen the Father.) 47 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that someone may eat from it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

52 So the Jews began to quarrel among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves! 54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so also the one who eats me—that one will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”

59 He said these things while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 Thus many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, “This saying is hard! Who can understand it?” 61 But Jesus, because he knew within himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “Because of this I said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by the Father.”

66 For this reason many of his disciples drew back and were not walking with him any longer. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 And we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus replied to them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is the devil?” 71 (Now he was speaking about Judas son of Simon Iscariot, because this one—one of the twelve—was going to betray him.)

David got up and went and all the people who were with him, from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called the name, the name of Yahweh of hosts, upon which the cherubim sit.

Give ear, O shepherd of Israel,

who leads Joseph like a flock.

Shine forth, you who sits enthroned above the cherubim.

“Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel who is enthroned on the cherubim, you are the one, God by yourself, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you are the one who made the heavens and the earth.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, indeed I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me.

And I heard something like the sound of a great crowd and something like the sound of many waters and something like the sound of powerful thunder, saying,

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord God, the All-Powerful, reigns!

7 Let us rejoice and be glad

and give him the glory,

because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come,

and his bride has prepared herself.

8 And it has been granted to her that she be dressed in bright, clean fine linen (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints).

9 And he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet of the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

“This is what the Son of God says, the one who has his eyes like a fiery flame and his feet like fine bronze: 19 ‘I know your works, and your love, and faith, and service, and patient endurance—and your last works are greater than the first. 20 But I have against you that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, the one who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and deceives my slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 And I have given her time in order to repent, and she did not want to repent from her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I am throwing her into a sickbed and those who committed adultery with her into great affliction, unless they repent from her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with deadly disease, and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 24 But I say to you, to the rest who are in Thyatira, all those who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they say, I do not put upon you any other burden. 25 Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come. 26 And the one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him authority over the nations, 27 and “he will shepherd them with an iron rod; he will break them in pieces like jars made of clay,” 28 as I also have received from my Father, 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.’

‘I know your works, and your love, and faith, and service, and patient endurance—and your last works are greater than the first.

But I have against you that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, the one who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and deceives my slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 And I have given her time in order to repent, and she did not want to repent from her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I am throwing her into a sickbed and those who committed adultery with her into great affliction, unless they repent from her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with deadly disease, and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow into him with reference to all things, who is the head, Christ,

Then Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah, the king, “Have you seen what apostate Israel has done? She has gone on every high hill and under every leafy tree and she has prostituted herself there. 7 And I thought, ‘After her doing all these things to me she will return,’ but she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 And I saw that for this very reason, that on account of apostate Israel committing adultery I divorced her and gave the letter of divorce to her. Yet her treacherous sister Judah was not afraid and she went and prostituted herself also. 9 And it was because of the frivolity of her fornication that she defiled the land and committed adultery with the stone and with the tree. 10 Yet even in all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares Yahweh.

11 Then Yahweh said to me, “Apostate Israel has proved herself more upright than treacherous Judah. 12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,

‘Return, apostate Israel,’ declares Yahweh.

‘I will not cause my anger to fall on you.

For I am loyal,’ declares Yahweh.

‘I will not be angry forever.

13 Only acknowledge your guilt,

that against Yahweh your God you have rebelled,

and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every leafy tree,

and you have not obeyed my voice,’ declares Yahweh.”

14 “Return, apostate children,” declares Yahweh. “For I am your master, and I will take you one from a city and two from a clan, and I will bring you to Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart and they will feed you knowledge and insight. 16 And it will be when you have multiplied and become fruitful in the land in those days,” declares Yahweh, “they will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of Yahweh.’ And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of Yahweh,’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh, to Jerusalem, and they will no longer go after the stubbornness of their evil heart. 18 In those days the house of Judah will walk along with the house of Israel and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave as an inheritance to your ancestors.

19 Then I thought, ‘How I would set you among the children,

and I would give you a land of desire,

an inheritance of the glory of the hosts of nations.’

And I thought, ‘You would call me, “My father,”

and you would not turn back from behind me.’

20 However, as a wife departs treacherously from her lover,

so you have dealt treacherously with me,

O house of Israel,” declares Yahweh.

21 “A voice is heard on the barren heights,

the weeping of the pleas for mercy of the children of Israel,

because they have perverted their way,

they have forgotten Yahweh their God.

22 Return, O apostate children,

I will heal your backsliding.

‘Look, we come to you,

for you are Yahweh our God.

23 Surely, an illusion comes from the hills,

the turmoil on the mountains.

Surely, in Yahweh our God

is the salvation of Israel.

24 But the shameful thing has devoured

the labor of our ancestors from our youth,

their flocks, and their cattle,

their sons and their daughters.

25 Let us lie down in our shame,

and let our disgrace cover us.

For against Yahweh our God we have sinned,

we and our ancestors,

from our youth and until this day.

and we have not obeyed the voice of Yahweh our God.’

Do not rejoice, O Israel,

do not exult like the nations!

For you played the whore, departing from your God;

you loved a harlot’s wage

on all the threshing floors of grain.

2 Threshing floor and wine vat will not feed them,

and new wine will fail her.

3 They will not remain

in the land of Yahweh.

But Ephraim will return to Egypt,

and in Assyria they will eat unclean food.

4 They will not pour drink offerings of wine to Yahweh,

and their sacrifices will not please him.

They are like mourners’ bread for them;

all those who eat it will be defiled.

For their bread will be for their hunger;

it will not come to the house of Yahweh.

5 What will you do on the day of the appointed time,

and on the day of the festival of Yahweh?

6 For look! If they flee from the destruction,

Egypt will gather them;

Memphis will bury them.

Nettles will possess

their precious things of silver;

thorns will be in their tents.

7 The days of punishment have come;

the days of retribution have come;

Israel knows!

The prophet is a fool,

the man of the spirit is acting like a madman.

Because of the greatness of your sin,

your hostility is great.

8 The prophet keeps watch over Ephraim for my God;

the snare of a fowler is on all his ways,

and hostility in the house of his God.

9 They deeply corrupted themselves

as in the days of Gibeah;

he will remember their sin,

he will punish their sins.

10 Like the grapes in the wilderness,

I found Israel.

Like early ripened fruit on the fig tree in the first season,

I saw your ancestors.

They themselves came to Baal Peor,

and they consecrated themselves to shame.

And they became detestable things,

like the thing they love.

11 Ephraim’s glory is like a bird;

it will fly away—

no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception.

12 Even though they bring up their children,

I will bereave them before maturity.

Woe to them indeed,

when I depart from them!

13 Ephraim, as I see it,

is like a palm in a meadow;

but Ephraim must bring out

his children to the slayer.

14 Give them, O Yahweh—

what will you give them?

Give them a miscarrying womb

and dry breasts.

15 Every evil of theirs began at Gilgal,

so I began to hate them there;

because of the evil of their deeds

I will drive them out from my house.

I will love them no more;

all their officials are rebels.

16 Ephraim is stricken,

their root is dried up,

they shall not bear fruit.

Even if they give birth,

I will kill the cherished offspring of their womb.

17 My God will reject them

because they did not listen to him,

and they will be wanderers among the nations.

But I say to you, to the rest who are in Thyatira, all those who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they say, I do not put upon you any other burden. 25 Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come. 26 And the one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him authority over the nations, 27 and “he will shepherd them with an iron rod; he will break them in pieces like jars made of clay,” 28 as I also have received from my Father, 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.’

For to us God has revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

Therefore remember how you have received and heard, and observe it, and repent. If therefore you are not on the alert, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you.

(Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who is on the alert and who keeps his clothing, so that he does not walk around naked and they see his shamefulness!)

“And behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And the one who hears, let him say, “Come!” And the one who is thirsty, let him come. The one who wants, let him take the water of life freely.

The one who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

Now we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you will not grieve as also the rest, who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, thus also God will bring those who have fallen asleep through Jesus together with him. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain until the Lord’s coming, will not possibly precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who remain, will be snatched away at the same time together with them in the clouds for a meeting with the Lord in the air, and thus we will be together with the Lord always. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds,

and every eye will see him,

even every one who pierced him,

and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him.

Yes, amen.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and the one seated on it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice he judges and makes war. 12 Now his eyes were a flame of fire, and on his head were many royal headbands having a name written that no one except he himself knows. 13 And he was dressed in an outer garment dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. 14 And the armies that are in heaven, dressed in clean, white fine linen, were following him on white horses. 15 And out of his mouth came a sharp sword, so that with it he could strike the nations. And he will shepherd them with an iron rod, and he stomps the winepress of the wine of the furious wrath of God, the All-Powerful. 16 And he has a name written on his outer garment and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”

17 And I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly directly overhead,

“Come! Assemble for the great banquet of God,

18 in order that you may eat the flesh of kings,

and the flesh of military tribunes,

and the flesh of the powerful,

and the flesh of horses and those seated on them,

and the flesh of all people,

both free and slave,

and small and great!”

19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war with the one who is seated on the horse and with his army. 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs before him, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who had worshiped his image. The two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur. 21 And the rest were killed by the sword of the one who is seated on the horse—the sword that comes out of his mouth—and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

And I saw thrones, and they sat down on them, and authority to judge was granted to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and did not receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand, and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Ask from me and I will make the nations your heritage,

and your possession the ends of the earth.

9 You will break them with an iron rod.

Like a potter’s vessel you will shatter them.”

“I, Jesus, sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

as I also have received from my Father, and I will give him the morning star.

Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, 9 and he said to him, “I will give to you all these things, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan, for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’ ” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and began ministering to him.

How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of dawn!

You are cut down to the ground, conqueror of nations!

And this I pray: that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is superior, in order that you may be sincere and blameless in the day of Christ, 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Therefore do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord should come, who will both enlighten the hidden things of darkness and will reveal the counsels of hearts, and then praise will come to each one from God.

Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the works you did at first. But if you do not, I am coming to you, and I will remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write:

“This is what the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: ‘I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, and you are dead. 2 Be on the alert and strengthen the remaining things that are about to die, for I have not found your works completed before my God. 3 Therefore remember how you have received and heard, and observe it, and repent. If therefore you are not on the alert, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you. 4 But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothing, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy. 5 The one who conquers in this way will be dressed in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, and I will declare his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

one body and one Spirit (just as also you were called with one hope of your calling),

And from the throne came out lightnings and sounds and thunders, and seven torches of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing as though slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth.

As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands—the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

And do this because you know the time, that it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we believed. 12 The night is far gone, and the day has drawn near. Therefore let us throw off the deeds of darkness and put on the weapons of light. 13 Let us live decently, as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and licentiousness, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and do not make provision for the desires of the flesh.

Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the works you did at first. But if you do not, I am coming to you, and I will remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Therefore repent! But if you do not, I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war with them with the sword from my mouth.

But you have a few people in Sardis who have not defiled their clothing, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy.

The one who conquers in this way will be dressed in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, and I will declare his name before my Father and before his angels.

the military tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying he was to be examined with a lash so that he could find out for what reason they were crying out against him in this way. 25 But when they had stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it permitted for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 And when the centurion heard this, he went to the military tribune and reported it, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen!” 27 So the military tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 And the military tribune replied, “I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I indeed was born a citizen. 29 Then immediately those who were about to examine him kept away from him, and the military tribune also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman citizen and that he had tied him up. 30 But on the next day, because he wanted to know the true reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble, and he brought down Paul and had him stand before them.

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,

and let them not be recorded with the righteous.

And all those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name is not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is going to come up from the abyss, and he is going to destruction. And those who live on the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and will be present.

just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love,

Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!

Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are inscribed in heaven.”

and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous people made perfect,

And I saw the dead—the great and the small—standing before the throne, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and each one was judged according to their deeds. 14 And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

And every unclean thing and one who practices detestable things and falsehood will never enter into it, except those who are written in the book of life of the Lamb.

And now if you will forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me from your scroll that you have written.”

For I could wish myself to be accursed from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my fellow countrymen according to the flesh,

And you, although you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

“This is what the holy one, the true one, the one who has the key of David, the one who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one can open, says: 8 ‘I know your works (behold, I have put before you an opened door that no one is able to shut) that you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and did not deny my name. 9 Behold, I am causing those of the synagogue of Satan, the ones who call themselves Jews and are not, but are lying—behold, I will make them come and kneel down before your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept the word of my patient endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole inhabited world, to put to the test those who live on the earth. 11 I am coming quickly! Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may take away your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never go outside again, and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God, and my new name. 13 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

But concerning brotherly love, I do not have need to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,

We love, because he first loved us.

“A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

For even if after all there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many gods and many lords,

6 yet to us there is one God, the Father,

from whom are all things, and we are for him,

and there is one Lord, Jesus Christ,

through whom are all things, and we are through him.

and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, holy and true Lord, will you not judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?”

The Lord, Yahweh of hosts, says this:

“Go! Go to this steward, to Shebna,

who is over the house:

16 ‘What business do you have here,

and who do you have here,

that you have cut a grave cutting here for yourself,

carving his grave on the height,

a dwelling place for him in the rock?

17 Look! Yahweh is about to really hurl you, man!

And he is about to grasp you firmly;

18 he will wind a winding tightly around you like a ball, to a wide land.

There you shall die,

and there the chariots of your splendor will be,

disgrace to your master’s house!

19 And I will push you from your office,

and he will throw you down from your position.

20 And this shall happen:

On that day I will call to my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah,

21 and I will clothe him with your tunic,

and I will bind your sash firmly about him,

and I will put your authority into his hand,

and he shall be like a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem

and to the house of Judah.

22 And I will put the key of the house of David on his shoulder,

and he shall open and no one will be able to shut;

and he shall shut and no one will be able to open.

23 And I will drive him in like a peg into a secure place,

and he will become like a throne of glory to the house of his father.

24 And they will hang all of the heaviness of his father’s house on him,

the offspring and the offshoot,

all of the small vessels,

from the bowls to the jars.

25 On that day, declares Yahweh of hosts, the peg that was driven will move away into a secure place, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on her will be cut off. For Yahweh has spoken.’ ”

and the one who lives, and I was dead, and behold, I am living forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and of Hades.

And when they arrived and called the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles.

for a great and effective door has opened for me, and there are many opponents.

Now when I arrived in Troas for the gospel of Christ and a door was opened for me by the Lord,

praying at the same time for us also, that God may open for us a door of the message, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which also I am a prisoner,

And they traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. 7 And when they came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them. 8 So going through Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul during the night: a certain Macedonian man was standing there and imploring him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 And when he had seen the vision, we wanted at once to go away to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

‘I know your works (behold, I have put before you an opened door that no one is able to shut) that you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and did not deny my name.

Because you have kept the word of my patient endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole inhabited world, to put to the test those who live on the earth.

Behold, I am causing those of the synagogue of Satan, the ones who call themselves Jews and are not, but are lying—behold, I will make them come and kneel down before your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.

because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve the things that are superior, because you are instructed by the law, 19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light of those in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth in the law. 21 Therefore, the one who teaches someone else, do you not teach yourself? The one who preaches not to steal, do you steal? 22 The one who says not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? The one who abhors idols, do you rob temples? 23 Who boast in the law, by the transgression of the law you dishonor God! 24 For just as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

25 For circumcision is of value if you do the law, but if you should be a transgressor of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if the uncircumcised person follows the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be credited for circumcision? 27 And the uncircumcised person by nature who carries out the law will judge you who, though provided with the precise written code and circumcision are a transgressor of the law. 28 For the Jew is not one outwardly, nor is circumcision outwardly, in the flesh. 29 But the Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter, whose praise is not from people but from God.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! 9 And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 10 Already now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

They replied to him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have not been enslaved to anyone at any time. How do you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus replied to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, that everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And the slave does not remain in the household forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the son sets you free, you will be truly free. 37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham. But you are seeking to kill me, because my word makes no progress among you. 38 I speak the things that I have seen with the Father; so also you do the things that you have heard from the Father.”

39 They answered and said to him, “Abraham is our father!” Jesus said to them, “If you are children of Abraham, do the deeds of Abraham! 40 But now you are seeking to kill me, a man who spoke to you the truth which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do. 41 You are doing the deeds of your father!”

They said to him, “We were not born from sexual immorality! We have one father, God!” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I have come forth from God and have come. For I have not come from myself, but that one sent me. 43 Why do you not understand my way of speaking? Because you are not able to listen to my message. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father! That one was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand firm in the truth, because truth is not in him. Whenever he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I am telling the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Who among you convicts me concerning sin? If I am telling the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 The one who is from God listens to the words of God. Because of this you do not listen—because you are not of God.”

48 The Jews answered and said to him, “Do we not correctly say that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus replied, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me! 50 But I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges! 51 Truly, truly I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never experience death forever.”

52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham and the prophets died, and you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death forever.’ 53 You are not greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself to be?” 54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 And you have not known him, but I know him. And if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you! But I know him and I keep his word. 56 Abraham your father rejoiced that he would see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”

57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am!” 59 Then they picked up stones in order to throw them at him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple courts.

And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,

“Now the salvation and the power

and the kingdom of our God

and the authority of his Christ have come,

because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down,

the one who accuses them before our God day and night.

‘I know your affliction and poverty (but you are rich), and the slander of those who call themselves Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

for a great and effective door has opened for me, and there are many opponents.

And the children of those who oppressed you shall come to you bending low,

and all those who treated you disrespectfully shall bow down at the soles of your feet.

And they shall call you the city of Yahweh,

Zion of the holy one of Israel.

so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bow,

of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, holy and true Lord, will you not judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?”

And I looked, and I heard one eagle flying directly overhead, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who live on the earth, from the remaining sounds of the trumpets of the three angels who are about to blow the trumpet!”

And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them, and will celebrate and will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who live on the earth.

Because of this, rejoice, you heavens,

and those who live in them!

Woe to the earth and to the sea,

because the devil has come down to you,

having great anger,

because he knows that he has little time!”

And all those who live on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name is not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slaughtered.

And he exercises all the authority of the first beast on behalf of him, and he causes the earth and those who live in it to worship the first beast whose fatal wound had been healed.

And he deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs that it has been granted to him to perform on behalf of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who has the wound of the sword and yet lived.

And I saw another angel flying directly overhead, having an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who reside on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and language and people,

with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those who live on the earth became drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.”

The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never go outside again, and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God, and my new name.

And I did not see a temple in it, for the Lord God All-Powerful is its temple, and the Lamb.

and when James and Cephas and John—those thought to be pillars—acknowledged the grace given to me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, in order that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcision.

And now, little children, remain in him, so that whenever he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

“This is what the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God’s creation, says: 15 ‘I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! 16 Thus, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am about to vomit you out of my mouth! 17 Because you are saying, “I am rich, and have become rich, and I have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and pitiable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire, in order that you may become rich, and white clothing, in order that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed, and eye salve to smear on your eyes, in order that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I reprove and discipline. Be zealous, therefore, and repent! 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, indeed I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also have conquered and have sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”

Whoever blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of trustworthiness,

and the one who swears an oath in the land shall swear by the God of trustworthiness,

because the former troubles are forgotten,

and they are hidden from my eyes.

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

“This is what the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God’s creation, says:

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

“This is what the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God’s creation, says:

All things came into being through him, and apart from him not one thing came into being that has come into being.

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