Revelation 2

1 “To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: “He who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks among the seven golden lamp stands says these things:

2 “I know your works, and your toil and perseverance, and that you can’t tolerate evil men, and have tested those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and found them false.

3 You have perseverance and have endured for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary.

4 But I have this against you, that you left your first love.

5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I am coming to you swiftly, and will move your lamp stand out of its place, unless you repent.

6 But this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of my God.

8 “To the angel of the assembly in Smyrna write: “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things:

9 “I know your works, oppression, and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

10 Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.

11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes won’t be harmed by the second death.

12 “To the angel of the assembly in Pergamum write: “He who has the sharp two-edged sword says these things:

13 “I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. You hold firmly to my name, and didn’t deny my faith in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

15 So also you likewise have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

16 Repent therefore, or else I am coming to you quickly and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.

17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows but he who receives it.

18 “To the angel of the assembly in Thyatira write: “The Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like burnished brass, says these things:

19 “I know your works, your love, faith, service, patient endurance, and that your last works are more than the first.

20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.

21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.

22 Behold, I will throw her and those who commit adultery with her into a bed of great oppression, unless they repent of her works.

23 I will kill her children with Death, and all the assemblies will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

24 But to you I say, to the rest who are in Thyatira—as many as don’t have this teaching, who don’t know what some call ‘the deep things of Satan’—to you I say, I am not putting any other burden on you.

25 Nevertheless, hold that which you have firmly until I come.

26 He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.

27 He will rule them with a rod of iron, shattering them like clay pots, as I also have received of my Father;

28 and I will give him the morning star.

29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

Around Revelation 2

Context

Context for this book is being written. A note appears here only once it names its sources.

AI explanation

Revelation 2 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

Four letters, four towns, and one voice behind them all. Christ speaks to the assembly in Ephesus: I know your toil and perseverance, and you've tested false apostles. But “you left your first love”. Remember where you fell from, repent, do the first works.

To Smyrna he says he knows their oppression and poverty, though they are rich. Don't be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Be faithful to death and he will give the crown of life.

To Pergamum he says they hold firmly to his name even where Satan's throne is, and mentions Antipas, his witness, who was killed among them. But some hold the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolaitans.

To Thyatira he praises their love, faith, service and endurance, but speaks against a woman called Jezebel who leads his servants astray.

Each letter ends the same way: let those who have an ear hear what the Spirit says, and each promises something to the one who overcomes: the tree of life, escape from the second death, hidden manna and a white stone, authority over the nations and the morning star.

Background

These are the first four of seven letters to real congregations in Asia, and each follows a pattern: a title for Christ, what he knows, what he holds against them, a call to hear and a promise. Verse 9 speaks of a synagogue of Satan. That phrase belongs to a conflict between two groups who both claimed the heritage of Israel, and it has been tragically misused against Jews. It is not a judgment on the Jewish people.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 19 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes