Message to Sardis
1 “To the angel (divine messenger) of the church inSardis write:
“These are the words of Him who hasthe seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds; you have a name (reputation) that you are alive, but[in reality]you are dead.
2 ~‘Wake up, and strengthenandreaffirm what remains[of your faithful commitment to Me],which is about to die; for I have not found[any of]your deeds completed in the sight of My Godormeeting His requirements.
3 ~‘So rememberandtake to heart the lessons you have received and heard. Keepandobey them, and repent[change your sinful way of thinking, and demonstrate your repentance with new behavior that proves a conscious decision to turn away from sin].So then, if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.
4 ~‘But you[still]have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes[that is, contaminated their character and personal integrity with sin];and they will walk with Me[dressed]in white, because they are worthy (righteous).
5 ~‘He who overcomes[the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God]will accordingly be dressed in white clothing; and I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, and I will confessandopenly acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels[saying that he is one of Mine].
6 ~‘He who has an ear, let him hearandheed what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Message to Philadelphia
7 “And to the angel (divine messenger) of the church inPhiladelphia write:
“These are the words of the Holy One, the True One, He who has the key[to the house]of David, He who opens and no one will[be able to]shut, and He who shuts and no one opens:
8 ‘I know your deeds. See, I have set before you an open door which no one is able to shut, for you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not renouncedordenied My name.
9 ~‘Take note, I will makethoseof the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie–I will make them come and bow down at your feet andmake themknow[without any doubt]that I have loved you.
10 ~‘Because you have kept the word of My endurance[My command to persevere],I will keep you[safe]from the hour of trial, thathourwhich is about to come on the whole[inhabited]world, to test those who live on the earth.
11 ~‘I am coming quickly. Hold tight what you have, so that no one will take your crown[by leading you to renounce the faith].
12 ~‘He who overcomes[the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God],I will make him apillar in the temple of My God; he will most certainly never be put out of it, and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which descends out of heaven from My God, and My[own]new name.
13 ~‘He who has an ear, let him hearandheed what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Message to Laodicea
14 “To the angel (divine messenger) of the church inLaodicea write:
“These are the words of the Amen, the trustedandfaithful and true Witness, theBeginningandOrigin of God’s creation:
15 ‘I know your deeds, that you areneither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you werecold or hot.
16 ~‘So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth[rejecting you with disgust].
17 ~‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have prosperedandgrown wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked[without hope and in great need],
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold that has been heated red hotandrefined by fire so that you may becometrulyrich; and white clothes[representing righteousness]to clothe yourself so that the shame of your nakedness will not be seen; andhealingsalve to put on your eyes so that you may see.
19 ~‘Those whom I[dearly and tenderly]love, I rebuke and discipline[showing them their faults and instructing them];so be enthusiastic and repent[change your inner self–your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior–seek God’s will].
20 ~‘Behold, I stand at the door[of the church]andcontinuallyknock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (restore him), and he with Me.
21 ~‘He who overcomes[the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God],I will grant to him[the privilege]to sit beside Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down beside My Father on His throne.
22 ~‘He who has an ear, let him hearandheed what the Spirit says to the churches.’”