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The REVELATION of St. JOHN the Theologian.

THE

CHAP. I.

8 I am Alpha and Omega, the HE Revelation of Jesus beginning and the ending, saith Christ, which God gave the Lord, who is, and who was, unto him, to show unto his servants and who is about to come, the things which must have happened Almighty. suddenly; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

3 Blessed is he that sifteth into, and they that hear, the words of this prophecy, and observe those things which are written therein for the time at hand.

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9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, OHN to the seven churches What thou seest, write in a book, which are in Asia: Grace and send it unto the seven churches be unto you, and peace, through which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, him who is, and who was, and who and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergais about to come; and through mos, and unto Thyatira, and unto the seven Spirits which are before Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and his throne; unto Laodicea.

5 And through Jesus Christ, 12 And I turned to see the voice who is the faithful witness, and that spoke with me. And, being the first begotten of the dead, and turned, I saw seven golden candlethe prince of the kings of the sticks; earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion in ages of ages. Amen.

7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and whosoever pierced him and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the breast with a golden girdle.

14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.*

"Waters" are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues-(ch. 17. v. 15)—the same Greek word, pwvǹ, means voice and sound; therefore read-his voice was as the voice of people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues—this alludes to the extension of Christianity over the face of the earth.

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16 And he had in his right hand thy candlestick out of its place, seven stars and out of his mouth except thou repent.

went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance shineth as the sun in his strength.

17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive in ages of ages, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be on account of these things;

20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. CHAP. II.

UNTO

NTO the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them that are evil: and thou hast tried them who say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4 Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and lived;

9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty (but thou art rich), and I know the blasphemy of them who say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

10 Fear none of those things which thou art about to suffer : behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you be tried; and you shall have may tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he who hath the sharp sword with two edges;

13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

5 Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do 14 But I have a few things athe first works; or else I will come gainst thee, because thou hast unto thee quickly, and will remove there them that hold the doctrine

of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.

16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee suddenly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

and I will give unto every one of you according to his works.

24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you no other burden.

25 But that which you have, hold fast till I come.

26 And he that overcometh, and performeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh 27 And he shall rule them with will I give to eat of the hidden a rod of iron; as the vessels of a manna, and will give him a white potter shall they be broken to stone, and upon the stone a new shivers: even as I received of my name written, which no man know- Father. eth except he that receiveth it.

18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass;

19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

28 And I will give him the morning star.

29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

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CHAP. III.

ND unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the Spirits of God,and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

4 Thou hast a few men even

23 And I will kill her children in Sardis which have not defiled with death; and all the churches their garments; and they shall shall know that I am he that walk with me in white: for they searcheth the reins and hearts: are worthy.

5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth ;

8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my

name.

9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11 Behold, I come suddenly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from my God, and my new name.

13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness may not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

I

21 To him that overcometh will grant to sit with me on my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with Father on his my throne.

22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

TRANSLATION.

CHAP. IV.

READING.

O

The ark of the covenant, and the ceremonial worship.

N account of these things I

N account of these things I looked, and, behold, a door

ON

looked, and, behold, a door opened in heaven: and the first opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard, as it were a voice which I heard, as it were a trumpet talking with me, said: trumpet talking with me, said: Come up hither, and I will show Come up hither, and I will show thee things which it behoveth to thee things which it behoveth to have been in connexion with these have been in connexion with these things. things.

2 And immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven," and one sat on the throne.

2 And immediately I was in the Spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven," and one sat on the throne.

3 And he that sat was to look 3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald." like unto an emerald."

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"" And they shall make an ark of shittim wood (Ex. xxv. 10), and thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. And thou shalt make a mercy-seat of pure gold. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the ."-Ex. xxv. 16-18. mercy-seat. A glorious high THRONE from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary."-Jer. xvii. 12. "Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said, O Lord God of Israel, who DWELLEST BETWEEN THE CHERUBIMS."-2 Kings xix. 15.

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'As it is not possible to see God and live, a medium like a jasper and a sardine stone was interposed, through which the rays of light having been transmitted were refracted into the vivid colours of a rainbow.

"And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service. And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided: among the sons of Eleazar there were SIXTEEN CHIEF MEN of the house of their fathers, and EIGHT among the sons of Ithamar, according to the house of their fathers. Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another: for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar."--1 Chron. xxiv. 3-5.

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