yea, the ever-living One. I once was dead, but now I live forever and ever. I carry the keys of death and the underworld.

"I know what you have done; your hard work and patient endurance; that you cannot tolerate wicked persons; that you have tested those who claimed to be apostles although they were not, and have found them to be imposters,

"I know your pressing trouble and poverty, but still you are rich; I know how you are abused by those who claim to be Jews although they are not, but are only a synagogue of Satan.

"I know where you live, where Satan has his throne. Yet you are clinging to my name and have never renounced your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful martyred witness, who was put to death among you, right where Satan lives,

Let everyone who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give to him who conquers some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone with a new name written on it which no one knows except the man who receives it."'"

"I know what you are doing, I know your love and faithfulness, your service and patient endurance, and I know that you are now working harder than you did at first.

and I will surely strike her children dead. So all the churches will know that I am He who searches men's inmost hearts, and that I will repay each of you for exactly what you have done.

But to the rest of you at Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching and have not learned the 'deep things' of Satan -- as they speak of them -- to you I say, I have no extra burden to lay on you,

"To the messenger of the church at Sardis write: 'The One who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars speaks as follows: "I know what you are doing; you have the reputation of being alive, but in reality you are dead.

So remember what you have received and heard, and continue to obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know the hour when I come upon you.

"To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The Holy and True One, who carries the keys of David, who opens and no one can shut, who shuts and no one can open, speaks as follows:

"I know what you are doing. See! I have put before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have but little strength, and yet you have obeyed my message and you have not disowned my name.

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one may take away your crown.

I will make him who conquers a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall never again go out of it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name.

"I know what you are doing, and that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.

Because you say, 'I am rich, I have already become rich, I need nothing,' and you do not know that you are the very one that is wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked;

I am now standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I will be his guest and feast with him, and he with me.

But no one in heaven or on earth or underneath the earth could open the book or look into it.

Then I began to weep bitterly because no one could be found deserving to open the book or look into it.

Then they sang a new song: "You deserve to take the book and break its seals, because you have been slaughtered, and with your blood have bought men from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation,

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind should blow on the earth, the sea, or any tree.

After this I looked, and there was a vast throng that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

I answered him, "You know, my lord." He said to me: "These are the people who are coming through the great persecution, who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one-third of the sun was cursed with a plague, and one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars, so that one-third of them were darkened, and there was no light for one-third of the day and for one-third of the night.

and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and all that they contain, the earth and all that it contains, and the sea and all that it contains, that there should be no more delay,

They have the power to shut up the sky, so that no rain will fall upon the earth as long as they prophesy, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with any plague as often as they please.

The heathen were enraged, but now your anger has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for you to reward your slaves the prophets and your people, great and small, who revere your name, and to destroy the destroyers of the earth."

but they were defeated, and there was no room for them in heaven any longer.

and he permits no one to buy or sell anything unless he bears the mark; that is, the name of the wild beast or the number that represents the name.

They were singing a new song before the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders, and no one could learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth.

The smoke of their torture will go up forever and ever, and they will have no rest day or night -- those who worship the wild beast and his statue, and anyone who bears the mark of his name."

Who will not fear and glorify your name, O Lord? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship you, because the justice of your sentences has now been shown."

(15:7) and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory and power of God, and no one could go into the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were at an end.

The wild beast that you saw, once was but now is no more; he is going to come up out of the abyss, but he is going to be destroyed. The inhabitants of the earth, whose names from the foundation of the world have not been written in the book of life, will be astonished when they see that the wild beast once was but now is no more, and yet is to come.

So it is with the wild beast that once was but is no more; he is the eighth, and yet is one of the seven, and he is going to be destroyed.

The businessmen of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because no one can buy their cargoes anymore --

The sound of harpists, musicians, flute-players, and trumpeters will never be heard in you again. No craftsmen of any kind will ever be found in you again, and the sound of the grinding mill will never be heard in you again;

Then I heard something like the shout of a great multitude and the roar of many waters and the peal of mighty thunders, saying: "Praise the Lord! For the Lord, our Almighty God, has now begun to reign!

His eyes were like coals of fire. On His head were many diadems, and on Him a name was written which no one knew but Himself.

Blessed and holy is the man who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death will have no power, but they will be priests of God and Christ, and reign with Him the thousand years.

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it, from whose presence earth and sky fled away, no more to be found.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

And I saw the new Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride to join her husband.

and He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no death any longer, no sorrow, no crying, no pain. The first order of things has passed away."

Then He who was seated on the throne said, "See! I am making everything new." He continued, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true."

I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty Himself and the Lamb Himself are its temple.

Its gates will never be closed by day -- for there will be no night there --

No longer will there be anything that has a curse on it. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His slaves will worship Him,

There will be no night any longer; so they will need no lamplight nor sunlight, for the Lord God will give them light, and they will rule forever and ever.