And He made us to be a kingdom [See 5:10] and priests [See I Pet. 2:5, 9] for [serving] His God and Father. May it be so.

I know about your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. [I know] that you cannot tolerate wicked men and that you have tested those who call themselves apostles, but really are not, and found them to be liars.

"But, this is what I have against you, that you have forsaken your first love [i.e., love for Christ and His church].

But you have this [in your favor]: You hate the [evil] deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate [Note: These people were probably followers of someone named Nicolas and were known to be false teachers. See verse 15].

"And write [this] to the angel of the church at Smyrna: These things are the words of the First and the Last [i.e., Jesus], who was dead, but has come [back] to life:

I know [about] your suffering and your poverty (but you are [really] rich), and the slander of those who say they are Jews, though they [really] are not, but are a synagogue of Satan [i.e., they claimed to be an assembly of God's people, but in reality were serving Satan].

Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. [For] look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, so that you may be tested, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. [But], you should be faithful [to God] even to the point of dying [for Him], and I will give you the crown of [never ending] life.

"But I have a few things against you because you have people there [in the church] who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumblingblock in front of the Israelites, [causing them] to eat food sacrificed to idols and to be sexually immoral [See Num. 23-24].

But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman [named] Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and deceives my servants into [practicing] sexual immorality and into eating things sacrificed to idols.

And I gave her time to repent, but she refused to repent of her sexual immorality.

Listen, I will throw her, and those who commit sexual unfaithfulness with her, into a bed where they will experience terrible suffering unless they repent of her [or, their] practices.

But I say to all the rest of you there in Thyatira who have not followed this [false] teaching [See verse 20], that is, those who have not known "the deep things of Satan," as people call them --- I will not burden you with anything else [i.e., beyond this problem about Jezebel's false teaching].

"And write [this] to the angel of the church at Sardis: These are the words of Him who has the seven Spirits of God [i.e., Jesus, who has the Holy Spirit] and the seven stars [i.e., the seven angels of the seven churches. See 1:20]: I know about your deeds, that you have a reputation for being [spiritually] alive, but you are [really] dead.

"But you have a few people [there] in Sardis who have not [spiritually] polluted their clothing, and they will walk with me in [robes of] white [i.e., probably now on earth as well as in heaven], for they are worthy.

I know about your deeds. (See, I have placed before you an open door, which no one can close). [Note: This probably refers to their being assured of some unspecified opportunity]. [I know] that you have [only] a little bit of strength, but [in spite of that] you have obeyed my word and did not deny my name.

Look at those who belong to the synagogue of Satan [See 2:9]; they claim to be Jews, yet they are not, but are lying. Watch, I will make them come and bow down at your feet [in respect] and [they will] know that I have loved you.

But since you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am about to vomit you out of my mouth.

For you are saying, 'I am wealthy; I have made plenty of money and do not need anything.' But you do not know that you are [spiritually] wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

And I heard what sounded like a voice coming from among the four living beings, saying, "A quart [measure] of wheat sells for a day's pay [Note: This amount would be $60-$84 in 1994, based on one day of a farm laborer's wages. See Matt. 20:2]; three quart measures of barley sell for a day's pay; but do not damage the [olive] oil and wine [i.e., the orchards and vineyards].

They will not be hungry anymore, nor will they get thirsty anymore. The sun will not beat down on them, nor will they become scorched by the heat.

And as I looked, I heard an eagle flying in midair, saying in a loud voice, "It is bad, very bad, awful bad for those people who live on earth, because of the sound of the trumpets of the remaining three angels!" [i.e., because of the messages they will deliver].

[When] the fifth angel sounded its trumpet, I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. And the key to the shaft leading to the deep pit [Note: This is thought to be the place where the devil and his demons live] was given to him.

And the fallen star opened the shaft leading to the deep pit and smoke drifted up from the shaft like smoke from a huge furnace. And the sun and the sky were darkened by the smoke from the shaft.

And they were told not to harm the grass on earth, or any greenery, or any tree, but only those people who did not have God's seal on their foreheads.

And the locusts were not given the power to kill these people, but [only] to torture them for five months. And the torment they would inflict was like a scorpion stinging a person.

And in those days people will be looking for death, but they will not find it; and they will want to die, but death will elude them.

They had a king over them who was the angel of the deep pit [See verses 1-2]. His name in Hebrew was "Abaddon," and in Greek it was "Apollyon" [Note: These words both mean "Destroyer"].

And when the seven thunders spoke [words], I started to write down [what the voices said], but I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up what the seven thunders have [just] said, and do not write them down."

But in the days when the seventh angel is ready to sound his trumpet, then the secret plan of God will be accomplished, just as He [had] announced to His servants the prophets."

So, I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little book. And he said to me, "Take it and eat it; it will be sweet as honey to your taste, but will cause you to have a sour stomach."

So, I took the little book from the angel's hand and ate it. And [sure enough], it was sweet as honey to my taste, but after eating it, it gave me a sour stomach.

but do not include the court on the outside of the Temple in your measurements, because it has been given to the [unconverted] Gentiles. And they will trample underfoot the holy city [i.e., Jerusalem ? See 21:10] for forty-two months.

And when they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the pit [See 13:1ff; 17:3,7] will wage war against them, and overpower and kill them.

And the nations were enraged, but your wrath has come [anyway]. The time has come for the dead to be judged and for your servants the prophets to receive their reward, [along with] the saints and [both] the insignificant and important ones who revere your name. [It is also time] to destroy those who destroy the earth."

But they did not win and so lost their place in heaven.

So, rejoice, you heavens and you who live there. It is too bad for the earth and for the ocean, because the devil has gone down to you with great rage, knowing that he has [only] a short time left."

But the earth helped the woman by opening up its mouth and swallowing the torrent of water which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

And one of the beast's heads looked like it had been fatally wounded, but the wound healed and the entire world was amazed and followed after him.

And people were seared by the intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these judgments [i.e., the authority to inflict them], but they refused to repent and honor God. [See verse 2].

and they cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores. But they [still] refused to repent of their [evil] deeds.

The beast you saw once existed, but now does not, and [yet] is about to come up out of the pit and go to [his] destruction. And those people living on the earth, whose names have not been recorded in the book of life from the creation of the world, will be amazed when they see the beast, because he had once existed, but now does not, and yet will come [again].

five have fallen, one continues [to rule], and the other one has not yet come. But when he comes, he must remain for [only] a short time.

And the beast that once existed, but now does not, is actually the eighth one [i.e., head/hill/king. See verse 9], and yet he belongs to the seven; and he will go to his destruction.

"And the ten horns you saw are ten kings, who have not received a kingdom yet, but for one hour they will receive authority as kings, along with the beast.

They will stand far away, out of fear over her torment [Note: They will keep their distance for fear of becoming involved in the torment themselves], saying, 'It is too bad for the great, strong city of Babylon! Your judgment has come in a single hour.'

saying, 'It is too bad for the great city that was dressed in expensive linen and purple and scarlet [clothing], and that was adorned with gold, precious stones and pearl [jewelry]!

And they threw dust on their heads, and lamented and cried out loud, saying, 'It is too bad for the great city, from which all ocean shipping companies got rich on her wealth! For in a single hour she was wasted.

Then I fell down in front of him to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do that; I am [only] a fellow-servant with you and with your brothers who hold onto the testimony about Jesus. You should worship God. For the testimony about Jesus is the spirit [i.e., the purpose, or source] of prophecy."

But the beast was captured, along with the false prophet [See 16:13], who performed [supernatural] signs in his presence. [He had performed these signs] to deceive those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his statue. [See 13:15-16]. The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key to the pit and a huge chain in his hand.

He threw him into the pit, and closed it and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that time, he must be released for a short while.

The person who shares in this first resurrection is blessed and holy [i.e., for being so dedicated to God]. The second death does not have power over these people, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will rule with Him for the thousand years.

And these [enemies of God] crossed the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people and the much-loved city [i.e., the church of God]. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.

But the place for cowards, and unbelievers, and disgusting people [i.e., because of their terrible sins], and murderers, and sexually immoral people, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will be the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This is the second death."

But I did not see a Temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the city's Temple.

And there will never be anything [morally] unclean allowed to enter it, nor any person who practices disgusting behavior [i.e., probably such sins as sexual perversion], or [any person] who is a liar. But the only ones [allowed there] are those [whose names are] recorded in the Lamb's book of life.

But he said to me, "Do not do that; I am [only] a fellow-servant with you and with your brothers, the prophets, and with those who obey the words of this book. You should worship God."

I testify to every person who hears the words of the prophecy of this book [Note: This is probably Jesus speaking, but could possibly be John]. If anyone adds to these words, God will add to him the calamities described in this book.