The Writings of Polycarp, From the Words of Saint John on Patmos

I, Polycarp, a servant of Jesus Christ, write these things as they were spoken to me by the blessed John, my teacher, on the island called Patmos, where I was with him because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. And as he commanded me to write these things to the churches of God, behold, here is what John himself told me and commanded. He is commanded to testify about the vision given to him on the holy island:

The Son of Man speaks with power and tenderness to the churches of the faithful. This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place – not as a fear, but as a light dawning in the morning. And He signified it by sending His angel to His servant John, who testified to the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything he saw in the Spirit.

Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

John, to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins by His own blood, and has made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Yes, Amen.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

I, John, your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands, one like a Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and girded at the chest with a golden band. His head and His hair were black, but His face shone with a light not of this world. His eyes were gray and kind, and His feet were like burnished bronze, glowing as in a furnace. His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

And John continued, saying to me, "Brother, write the words to the churches that the one walking among the lampstands speaks.

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write: 'These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your works, your toil, and your patient endurance, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be false. You have endurance and have persevered for My name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you: you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you soon and move your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. Yet you have this in your favor: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna, write: 'These are the words of the First and the Last, who was dead and has come to life: I know your tribulation and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be harmed by the second death.

"To the angel of the church in Pergamum, write: 'These are the words of Him who has the sharp two-edged sword: I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast My name, and you have not denied My faith even in the days of Antipas, My faithful witness, who was killed among you. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent then! If not, I will come to you soon and make war against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.

"To the angel of the church in Thyatira, write: 'These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like burnished bronze: I know your works, your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and deceiving My servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refused to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works; and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am He who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to this teaching, who have not learned "the deep things of Satan"—as they call them—I do not lay on you any other burden, except hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps My works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when clay pots are shattered—as I also have received authority from My Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

And John continued, saying to me, "Brother, write also to the angel of the church in Sardis: 'These are the words of Him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works, that you have a name for being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! And strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of My God. Remember then how you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the Book of Life. I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write: 'These are the words of the Holy One, the True One, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one will open: I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut, for you have but little power, and have kept My word and have not denied My name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept My word about patient endurance, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God; never shall he go 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 comes down from My God out of heaven, and My own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea, write: 'These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the creation of God: I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. For you say, 'I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,' not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and not be shamed by your nakedness, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also conquered and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

And John continued, saying to me, "After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking with me like a trumpet, said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.' At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. And the one seated was like the appearance of a jasper and a sardius stone, and around the throne was a rainbow resembling an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders seated, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.

From the throne came flashes of lightning, and sounds, and peals of thunder, and before the throne were seven burning torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

In the midst of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say:

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who is seated on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:

"Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created!"

And John continued, saying to me, "Then I saw in the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?' And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. And I wept loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. Then one of the elders said to me, 'Do not weep; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.'

And I saw, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb, as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne.

And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying:

"Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth!"

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

"To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!"

And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

And John continued, saying to me, "Then I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say, as with a voice of thunder, 'Come and see!' And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering and to conquer.

When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, 'Come and see!' And another horse came out, a red horse. And its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another, and he was given a great sword.

When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, 'Come and see!' And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, 'A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and the wine!'

When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, 'Come and see!' And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, 'O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?' Then a white robe was given to each of them, and they were told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as a fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a great wind. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and every slave and every free person, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?'

And after this, John showed me, saying, "And I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the earth and the sea, saying, 'Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads with the seal of peace.'

And I heard the number of those who were sealed—not from a tribe or lineage, but by mercy and a desire for righteousness. A multitude from every nation, every spirit not bowed down by fear but lifted up in compassion—from north and south, from east and west—the poor in spirit came, those who mourn, the meek, the peacemakers, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. These were sealed, for theirs is the kingdom of light.

And after this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in robes of grace, with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, whose way is love!'

And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, 'Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.'

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, 'Who are these, clothed in these robes of grace, and from where have they come?' I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' And he said to me, 'These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in tears and made them bright in the compassion of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in the temple of the Spirit; and He who sits on the throne will shelter them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

And John continued, saying to me, "Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and smoke came up from the shaft like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a person. In those days people will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, but death will flee from them.

The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold, their faces were like human faces, their hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the thunder of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. They have tails like scorpions, and stings, and in their tails is their power to harm people for five months. They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon(Destroyer).

The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still to come after this.

Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, 'Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.' So the four angels who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year were released, to kill a third of mankind. The number of the troops of cavalry was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. And this is how I saw the horses in my vision: and those who sat on them had breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of brimstone, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and from their mouths came fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and smoke and brimstone that came from their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they inflict harm.

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

And John continued, saying to me, "Then one of the seven angels who had the bowls of righteousness came and spoke with me, saying, 'Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, whispering to rulers in their sleep. With her the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and the dwellers on earth have become drunk with the wine of her immorality.'

And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her immorality. But in it was the blood of the poor, the consumed prayers of children, and the laughter of false prophets. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: 'Babylon the Great, Mother of Prostitutes and of Earth's Abominations.' A mystery: Babylon, the tangled mother of dominion, a bride of violence.

And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great wonder. And when I saw her, I wept, not over her, but over the earth beneath her feet.

And the angel said to me, 'Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the Book of Lifefrom the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and yet is. And the nations will marvel, not for wisdom, but because their names are not written in the Book of Compassion.

This calls for a mind with wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; they are also seven kings: five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. The beast that was and is not, is itself an echo of all of them; it carries their crowns, speaks their lies, and walks in their destruction. It is itself the eighth, but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, with the beast."