He said, “A certain man had two sons.

The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of your property.’

So he divided his livelihood between them.

Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country.

There he wasted his property with riotous living. When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.

He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any.

But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger!

The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven assemblies. The seven lamp stands are seven assemblies.

“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:

“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.

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

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