Revelation 1

Revelation 1:1-2

¹This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John, ²who testified to God’s word and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw.

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon happen, is signified through an angel to John, who bears witness to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Revelation 1:3

³Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written in it, for the time is near.

A blessing rests on the one who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep what is written, for the time is near.

Revelation 1:4-6

⁴John, to the seven assemblies that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from God, who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne; ⁵and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood— ⁶and he made us to be a Kingdom, priests to his God and Father—to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

John greets the seven churches with grace and peace from Him who is and was and is to come, the seven Spirits, and Jesus Christ—the faithful witness, firstborn of the dead, and ruler of kings—who loves us, freed us by His blood, and made us a kingdom and priests.

Revelation 1:7

⁷Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen.

Behold, He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him—even so, Amen.

Revelation 1:8

⁸“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The Lord God declares, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” the One who is and was and is to come—the Almighty—framing the whole book with His eternal, sovereign identity.

Revelation 1:9-11

⁹I John, your brother and partner with you in the oppression, Kingdom, and perseverance in Christ Jesus, was on the isle that is called Patmos because of God’s Word and the testimony of Jesus Christ. ¹⁰I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet ¹¹saying, “What you see, write in a book and send to the seven assemblies: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

John, partner in tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus, was on Patmos for the word of God; on the Lord’s day he hears a loud voice like a trumpet telling him to write what he sees to the seven churches.

Revelation 1:12-16

¹²I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lamp stands. ¹³And among the lamp stands was one like a son of man, clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. ¹⁵His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters. ¹⁶He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

Turning, John sees seven golden lampstands and one like a son of man among them—robed, golden-sashed, white-haired, flaming-eyed, bronze-footed, with a voice like many waters, seven stars in His right hand, a sharp two-edged sword from His mouth, and a face like the sun.

Revelation 1:17-18

¹⁷When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last, ¹⁸and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.

John falls as dead; Jesus lays His right hand on him, saying, “Don’t be afraid; I am the first and the last, the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.”

Revelation 1:19-20

¹⁹Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will happen hereafter. ²⁰The 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.

Jesus commands John to write things seen, present, and future, and explains the mystery: the seven stars are angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

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