The Revelation of Jesus Christ
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to show his servants what must happen soon. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
who gives witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ by reporting what he saw.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud and blessed are those who listen to this prophetic message and heed what is written in it, for the appointed time is near.
John, to the seven churches in Asia: grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,
[4] Seven churches in Asia: Asia refers to the Roman province of that name in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey); these representative churches are mentioned by name in ⇒ Rev 1:11, and each is the recipient of a message (⇒ Rev 2:1-⇒ 3:22). Seven is the biblical number suggesting fullness and completeness; thus the seer is writing for the whole church.
and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
who has made us into a kingdom, priests for his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever (and ever). Amen.
{6} John is referring to the Priesthood of the Laity here.
Behold, he is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. All the peoples of the earth will lament him. Yes. Amen.
{7} When Jesus comes back, modern technology will make it possible for every eye to see him quickly.
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty."
[8] The Alpha and the Omega: the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In ⇒ Rev 22:13 the same words occur together with the expressions "the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End"; cf ⇒ Rev 1:17; ⇒ 2:8; ⇒ 21:6; ⇒ Isaiah 41:4; ⇒ 44:6.
I, John, your brother, who share with you the distress, the kingdom, and the endurance we have in Jesus, found myself on the island called Patmos because I proclaimed God's word and gave testimony to Jesus.
[9-20] In this first vision, the seer is commanded to write what he sees to the seven churches (⇒ Rev 1:9-11). He sees Christ in glory, whom he depicts in stock apocalyptic imagery (⇒ Rev 1:12-16), and hears him describe himself in terms meant to encourage Christians by emphasizing his victory over death (⇒ Rev 1:17-20).
[9] Island called Patmos: one of the Sporades islands in the Aegean Sea, some fifty miles south of Ephesus, used by the Romans as a penal colony. Because I proclaimed God's word: literally, "on account of God's word."
I was caught up in spirit on the Lord's day and heard behind me a voice as loud as a trumpet,
{10} The Lord’s day: The Jewish Sabbath falls on Saturday, while Christians came to designate Sunday, the day of the Resurrection, as the Lord’s Day. Although Constantine the Great’s decree of 321 AD, referring to Sunday as the “venerable day of the sun,” gave civil recognition to this practice, Christians had been observing the Lord’s Day on Sunday long before this. See Acts 20:7, where believers gather on the first day of the week. Hence, John was likely referring to Sunday.
which said, "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."
Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands
[12-16] A symbolic description of Christ in glory. The metaphorical language is not to be understood literally; cf Introduction.
{12} The seven gold lampstands are the seven churches.
and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, wearing an ankle-length robe, with a gold sash around his chest.
[13] Son of man: see the note on ⇒ Mark 8:31. Ankle-length robe: Christ is priest; cf ⇒ Exodus 28:4; ⇒ 29:5; ⇒ Wisdom 18:24; ⇒ Zechariah 3:4. Gold sash: Christ is king; cf ⇒ Exodus 28:4; ⇒ 1 Macc 10:89; ⇒ 11:58; ⇒ Daniel 10:5.
The hair of his head was as white as white wool or as snow, and his eyes were like a fiery flame.
[14] Hair . . . as white as white wool or as snow: Christ is eternal, clothed with the dignity that belonged to the "Ancient of Days"; cf ⇒ Rev 1:18; ⇒ Daniel 7:9. His eyes were like a fiery flame: Christ is portrayed as all-knowing; cf ⇒ Rev 2:23; ⇒ Psalm 7:10; ⇒ Jeremiah 17:10; and similar expressions in ⇒ Rev 2:18; ⇒ 19:12; cf ⇒ Daniel 10:6.
His feet were like polished brass refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing water.
[15] His feet . . . furnace: Christ is depicted as unchangeable; cf ⇒ Ezekiel 1:27; ⇒ Daniel 10:6. The Greek word translated "refined" is unconnected grammatically with any other word in the sentence. His voice . . . water: Christ speaks with divine authority; cf ⇒ Ezekiel 1:24.
In his right hand he held seven stars. A sharp two-edged sword came out of his mouth, and his face shone like the sun at its brightest.
{16} The seven stars in his right hand represent the seven angels. The sharp two-edged sword signifies the word of God proceeding from his mouth.
When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and said, "Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last,
[17] It was an Old Testament belief that for sinful human beings to see God was to die; cf ⇒ Exodus 19:21; ⇒ 33:20; ⇒ Judges 6:22-23; ⇒ Isaiah 6:5.
the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld.
[18] Netherworld: Greek Hades, Hebrew Sheol, the abode of the dead; cf ⇒ Rev 20:13-14; ⇒ Numbers 16:33.
Write down, therefore, what you have seen, and what is happening, and what will happen afterwards.
[19] What you have seen, and what is happening, and what will happen afterwards: the three parts of the Book of Revelation, the vision (⇒ Rev 1:10-20), the situation in the seven churches (Rev 2-3), and the events of Rev 6-22.
This is the secret meaning of the seven stars you saw in my right hand, and of the seven gold lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
{20} John indicates here that his visions often describe realities symbolically rather than literally. While he reveals the meaning in this instance, the reader will be left to discern the meaning elsewhere in the text.