Study Desk

"I know what you have been doing, how hard you have worked, how you have persevered, and how you can't stand wicked people; so you tested those who call themselves emissaries but aren't — and you found them to be liars.

But I have this against you: you have lost the love you had at first.

But you have this in your favor: you hate what the Nicolaitans do — I hate it too.

"I know how you are suffering and how poor you are (though in fact you are rich!), and I know the insults of those who call themselves Jews but aren't — on the contrary, they are a synagogue of the Adversary.

But I have this against you: you continue to tolerate that Izevel woman, the one who claims to be a prophet, but is teaching and deceiving my servants to commit sexual sin and eat food that has been sacrificed to idols.

I gave her time to turn from her sin, but she doesn't want to repent of her immorality.

But to the rest of you in Thyatira, to those who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some people call the ‘deep things' of the Adversary, I say this: I am not loading you up with another burden;

"To the angel of the Messianic Community in Sardis, write: ‘Here is the message from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: "I know what you are doing — you have a reputation for being alive, but in fact you are dead!

"I know what you are doing. Look, I have put in front of you an open door, and no one can shut it. I know that you have but little power, yet you have obeyed my message and have not disowned me.

Here, I will give you some from the synagogue of the Adversary, those who call themselves Jews but aren't — on the contrary, they are lying — see, I will cause them to come and prostrate themselves at your feet, and they will know that I have loved you.

But no one in heaven, on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look inside it.

Then I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living beings say, "Two pounds of wheat for a day's wages! Six pounds of barley for the same price! But don't damage the oil or the wine!"

They were instructed not to harm the grass on the earth, any green plant or any tree, but only the people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.

In those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

The first woe has passed, but there are still two woes to come.

When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up the things the seven thunders said, do not write them down!"

So I went over to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll; and he said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey."

I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it; and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; but after I had swallowed it, my stomach turned bitter.

But the court outside the Temple, leave that out; don't measure it; because it has been given to the Goyim, and they will trample over the holy city for forty-two months.

But after the three-and-a-half days a breath of life from God entered them, they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.