Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech, Revelation Part 1

Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech, Revelation.

by R F Weymouth.

001:001 The revelation given by Jesus Christ, which G.o.d granted Him, that He might make known to His servants certain events which must shortly come to pa.s.s: and He sent His angel and communicated it to His servant John.

001:002 This is the John who taught the truth concerning the Word of G.o.d and the truth told us by Jesus Christ--a faithful account of what he had seen.

001:003 Blessed is he who reads and blessed are those who listen to the words of this prophecy and lay to heart what is written in it; for the time for its fulfillment is now close at hand.

001:004 John sends greetings to the seven Churches in the province of Asia.

May grace be granted to you, and peace, from Him who is and was and evermore will be; and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne; 001:005 and from Jesus Christ, the truthful witness, the first of the dead to be born to Life, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth.

To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins with His own blood, 001:006 and has formed us into a Kingdom, to be priests to G.o.d, His Father-- to Him be ascribed the glory and the power until the Ages of the Ages. Amen.

001:007 He is coming in the clouds, and every eye will see Him, and so will those who pierced Him; and all the nations of the earth will gaze on Him and mourn. Even so. Amen.

001:008 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord G.o.d, "He who is and was and evermore will be--the Ruler of all."

001:009 I John, your brother, and a sharer with you in the sorrows and Kings.h.i.+p and patient endurance of Jesus, found myself in the island of Patmos, on account of the Word of G.o.d and the truth told us by Jesus.

001:010 In the Spirit I found myself present on the day of the Lord, and I heard behind me a loud voice which resembled the blast of a trumpet.

001:011 It said, "Write forthwith in a roll an account of what you see, and send it to the seven Churches--to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyateira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."

001:012 I turned to see who it was that was speaking to me; and then I saw seven golden lampstands, 001:013 and in the center of the lampstands some One resembling the Son of Man, clothed in a robe which reached to His feet, and with a girdle of gold across His breast.

001:014 His head and His hair were white, like white wool--as white as snow; and His eyes resembled a flame of fire.

001:015 His feet were like silver-bronze, when it is white-hot in a furnace; and His voice resembled the sound of many waters.

001:016 In His right hand He held seven stars, and a sharp, two-edged sword was seen coming from His mouth; and His glance resembled the sun when it is s.h.i.+ning with its full strength.

001:017 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if I were dead.

But He laid His right hand upon me and said, "Do not be afraid: I am the First and the Last, and the ever-living One.

001:018 I died; but I am now alive until the Ages of the Ages, and I have the keys of the gates of Death and of Hades!

001:019 Write down therefore the things you have just seen, and those which are now taking place, and those which are soon to follow: 001:020 the secret meaning of the seven stars which you have seen in My right hand, and of the seven lampstands of gold.

The seven stars are the ministers of the seven Churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven Churches.

002:001 "To the minister of the Church in Ephesus write as follows: "'This is what He who holds the seven stars in the grasp of His right hand says--He who walks to and fro among the seven lampstands of gold.

002:002 I know your doings and your toil and patient suffering.

And I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, but have put to the test those who say that they themselves are Apostles but are not, and you have found them to be liars.

002:003 And you endure patiently and have borne burdens for My sake and have never grown weary.

002:004 Yet I have this against you--that you no longer love Me as you did at first.

002:005 Be mindful, therefore, of the height from which you have fallen.

Repent at once, and act as you did at first, or else I will surely come and remove your lampstand out of its place-- unless you repent.

002:006 Yet this you have in your favor: you hate the doings of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

002:007 "'Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. To him who overcomes I will give the privilege of eating the fruit of the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of G.o.d.'

002:008 "To the minister of the Church at Smyrna write as follows: "'This is what the First and the Last says--He who died and has returned to life.

002:009 Your sufferings I know, and your poverty--but you are rich-- and the evil name given you by those who say that they themselves are Jews, and are not, but are Satan's synagogue.

002:010 Dismiss your fears concerning all that you are about to suffer.

I tell you that the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be put to the test, and for ten days you will have to endure persecution. Be faithful to the End, even if you have to die, and then I will give you the victor's Wreath of Life.

002:011 "'Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. He who overcomes shall be in no way hurt by the Second Death.'

002:012 "To the minister of the Church at Pergamum write as follows: "'This is what He who has the sharp, two-edged sword says.

I know where you dwell.

002:013 Satan's throne is there; and yet you are true to Me, and did not deny your faith in Me, even in the days of Antipas My witness and faithful friend, who was put to death among you, in the place where Satan dwells.

002:014 Yet I have a few things against you, because you have with you some that cling to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling-block in the way of the descendants of Israel-- to eat what had been sacrificed to idols, and commit fornication.

002:015 So even you have some that cling in the same way to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

002:016 Repent, at once; or else I will come to you quickly, and will make war upon them with the sword which is in My mouth.

002:017 "'Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. He who overcomes--to him I will give some of the hidden Manna, and a white stone; and--written upon the stone and known only to him who receives it--a new name.'

002:018 "To the minister of the Church at Thyateira write as follows: "'This is what the Son of G.o.d says--He who has eyes like a flame of fire, and feet resembling silver-bronze.

002:019 I know your doings, your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance; and that of late you have toiled harder than you did at first.

002:020 Yet I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and by her teaching leads astray My servants, so that they commit fornication and eat what has been sacrificed to idols.

002:021 I have given her time to repent, but she is determined not to repent of her fornication.

002:022 I tell you that I am about to cast her upon a bed of sickness, and I will severely afflict those who commit adultery with her, unless they repent of conduct such as hers.

002:023 Her children too shall surely die; and all the Churches shall come to know that I am He who searches into men's inmost thoughts; and to each of you I will give a requital which shall be in accordance with what your conduct has been.

002:024 But to you, the rest of you in Thyateira, all who do not hold this teaching and are not the people who have learnt the "deep things," as they call them (the deep things of Satan!)-- to you I say that I lay no other burden on you.

002:025 Only that which you already possess, cling to until I come.

002:026 "'And to him who overcomes and obeys My commands to the very end, I will give authority over the nations of the earth.

002:027 And he shall be their shepherd, ruling them with a rod of iron, just as earthenware jars are broken to pieces; and his power over them shall be like that which I Myself have received from My Father; 002:028 and I will give him the Morning Star.

002:029 Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.'

003:001 "To the minister of the Church at Sardis write as follows: "'This is what He who has the seven Spirits of G.o.d and the seven stars says. I know your doings--you are supposed to be alive, but in reality you are dead.

003:002 Rouse yourself and keep awake, and strengthen those things which remain but have well-nigh perished; for I have found no doings of yours free from imperfection in the sight of My G.o.d.

003:003 Be mindful, therefore, of the lessons you have received and heard.

Continually lay them to heart, and repent. If, however, you fail to rouse yourself and keep awake, I shall come upon you suddenly like a thief, and you will certainly not know the hour at which I shall come to judge you.

003:004 Yet you have in Sardis a few who have not soiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white; for they are worthy.

003:005 "'In this way he who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments; and I will certainly not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but will acknowledge him in the presence of My Father and His angels.

003:006 Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.'

003:007 "To the minister of the Church at Philadelphia write as follows: "'This is what the holy One and the true says--He who has the key of David--He who opens and no one shall shut, and shuts and no one shall open.

003:008 I know your doings. I have put an opened door in front of you, which no one can shut; because you have but a little power, and yet you have guarded My word and have not disowned Me.

003:009 I will cause some belonging to Satan's synagogue who say that they themselves are Jews, and are not, but are liars-- I will make them come and fall at your feet and know for certain that I have loved you.

003:010 Because in spite of suffering you have guarded My word, I in turn will guard you from that hour of trial which is soon coming upon the whole world, to put to the test the inhabitants of the earth.

003:011 I am coming quickly: cling to that which you already possess, so that your wreath of victory be not taken away from you.

003:012 "'He who overcomes--I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My G.o.d, and he shall never go out from it again.

And I will write on him the name of My G.o.d, and the name of the city of My G.o.d, the new Jerusalem, which is to come down out of Heaven from My G.o.d, and My own new name.

003:013 Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.'

003:014 "And to the minister of the Church at Laodicea write as follows: "'This is what the Amen says--the true and faithful witness, the Beginning and Lord of G.o.d's Creation.

003:015 I know your doings--you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot!

003:016 Accordingly, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, before long I will vomit you out of My mouth.

003:017 You say, I am rich, and have wealth stored up, and I stand in need of nothing; and you do not know that if there is a wretched creature it is *you*--pitiable, poor, blind, naked.

003:018 Therefore I counsel you to buy of Me gold refined in the fire that you may become rich, and white robes to put on, so as to hide your shameful nakedness, and eye-salve to anoint your eyes with, so that you may be able to see.

003:019 All whom I hold dear, I reprove and chastise; therefore be in earnest and repent.

003:020 I am now standing at the door and am knocking. If any one listens to My voice and opens the door, I will go in to be with him and will feast with him, and he shall feast with Me.

003:021 "'To him who overcomes I will give the privilege of sitting down with Me on My throne, as I also have overcome and have sat down with My Father on His throne.

003:022 Let all who have ears give heed to what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.'"

004:001 After all this I looked and saw a door in Heaven standing open, and the voice that I had previously heard, which resembled the blast of a trumpet, again spoke to me and said, "Come up here, and I will show you things which are to happen in the future."

004:002 Immediately I found myself in the Spirit, and saw a throne in Heaven, and some One sitting on the throne.

004:003 The appearance of Him who sat there was like jasper or sard; and encircling the throne was a rainbow, in appearance like an emerald.

004:004 Surrounding the throne there were also twenty-four other thrones, on which sat twenty-four Elders clothed in white robes, with victors' wreaths of gold upon their heads.

004:005 Out from the throne there came flashes of lightning, and voices, and peals of thunder, while in front of the throne seven blazing lamps were burning, which are the seven Spirits of G.o.d.

004:006 And in front of the throne there seemed to be a sea of gla.s.s, resembling crystal. And midway between the throne and the Elders, and surrounding the throne, were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind.

004:007 The first living creature resembled a lion, the second an ox, the third had a face like that of a man, and the fourth resembled an eagle flying.

004:008 And each of the four living creatures had six wings, and in every direction, and within, are full of eyes; and day after day, and night after night, they never cease saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord G.o.d, the Ruler of all, who wast and art and evermore shalt be."

004:009 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who is seated on the throne, and lives until the Ages of the Ages, 004:010 the twenty-four Elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and wors.h.i.+p Him who lives until the Ages of the Ages, and they cast their wreaths down in front of the throne, 004:011 saying, "It is fitting, O our Lord and G.o.d, That we should ascribe unto Thee the glory and the honor and the power; For Thou didst create all things, And because it was Thy will they came into existence, and were created."

005:001 And I saw lying in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written on both sides and closely sealed with seven seals.

005:002 And I saw a mighty angel who was exclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and break its seals?"

005:003 But no one in Heaven, or on earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book or look into it.

005:004 And while I was weeping bitterly, because no one was found worthy to open the book or look into it, 005:005 one of the Elders said to me, "Do not weep. The Lion which belongs to the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed, and will open the book and break its seven seals."

005:006 Then, midway between the throne and the four living creatures, I saw a Lamb standing among the Elders. He looked as if He had been offered in sacrifice, and He had seven horns and seven eyes.

The last-named are the seven Spirits of G.o.d, and have been sent far and wide into all the earth.

005:007 So He comes, and now He has taken the book out of the right hand of Him who is seated on the throne.

005:008 And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four Elders fell down before the Lamb, having each of them a harp and bringing golden bowls full of incense, which represent the prayers of G.o.d's people.

005:009 And now they sing a new song. "It is fitting," they say, "that Thou shouldst be the One to take the book And break its seals; Because Thou hast been offered in sacrifice, And hast purchased for G.o.d with Thine own blood Some out of every tribe and language and people and nation, 005:010 And hast formed them into a Kingdom to be priests to our G.o.d, And they reign over the earth."

005:011 And I looked, and heard what seemed to be the voices of countless angels on every side of the throne, and of the living creatures and the Elders. Their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 005:012 and in loud voices they were singing, "It is fitting that the Lamb which has been offered in sacrifice should receive all power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."