King James Version · Under Rome
Revelation 2
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Unto of of write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his , who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy , and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are , and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast , and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and , and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou . But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of , which is in the midst of the of . And unto of in write; These things saith the first and the last, which was , and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and , (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are , and are not, but are the of . Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou unto , and I will give thee a of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second . And to of in write; These things saith he which hath the sharp with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where ’s seat is: and thou holdest my name, and hast not denied my , even in those days wherein was my martyr, who was slain among you, where dwelleth. But I have things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of , who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the , to eat things unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. ; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with of my . He that hath an ear, let him hear what saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden , and will give him a , and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. And unto of in write; These things saith the Son of , who hath his eyes like unto a , and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and , and , and thy , and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman , which calleth herself a , to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things unto idols. And I gave her space to of her fornication; and she not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that with her into great tribulation, except they of their deeds. And I will kill her children with ; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and : and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in , as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of , as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give over the nations: And he shall rule them with a ; as the vessels of a shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of . And I will give him the . He that hath an ear, let him hear what saith unto the churches.
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.