1 1This is a revelationa from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must happen soon. And Christ sent his angel to show it to his servant John, 2who has told everything he saw. It is the truth that Jesus Christ told him; it is the message from God. 3Great blessings belong to the person who reads the words of this message from God and to those who hear this message and do what is written in it. There is not much time left.To the seven churchesb in the province of Asiac: Graced and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is coming; and from the seven spirits before his throne; 5and from Jesus Christ. Jesus is the faithful witness. He is first among all who will be raised from death. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth. Jesus is the one who loves us and has made us free from our sins with his blood sacrifice. 6He made us his kingdome and priests who serve God his Father. To Jesus be gloryf and power forever and ever! Ameng. 7Look, Jesus is coming with the clouds! Everyone will see him, even those who piercedh him. All peoples of the earth will cry loudly because of him. Yes, this will happen! Amen. 8The Lord God says, "I am the Alpha and the Omegai. I am the one who is, who always was, and who is coming. I am the All-Powerful." 9I am John, your fellow believerj. We are together in Jesus, and we share these things: suffering, the kingdom, and patient endurance. I was on the island of Patmosk because I was faithful to God's messagel and to the truth of Jesus. 10On the Lord's Day, the Spiritm took control of me. I heard a loud voice behind me that sounded like a trumpet. 11It said, "Write down in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea." 12I turned to see who was talking to me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. 13I saw someone among the lampstands who looked like the Son of Mann. He was dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash tied around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool - wool that is white as snow. His eyes were like flames of fire. 15His feet were like brass that glows hot in a furnace. His voice was like the noise of flooding water. 16He held seven stars in his right hand. A sharp two-edged sword came out of his mouth. He looked like the sun shining at its brightest time. 17When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He put his right hand on me and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18I am the one who lives. I was dead, but look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hadeso. 19So write what you see. Write the things that happen now and the things that will happen later. 20Here is the hidden meaning of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands that you saw: The seven lampstands are the seven churches. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. a1:1 revelation An opening up (making known) of truth that was hidden. bchurch Literally, “assembly” or “community,” the people who have been brought together as God’s family through their common faith in Jesus Christ. The word often refers to a group of believers who meet together or who live in the same area, but it is also used to mean the worldwide community of all believers in Christ. cAsia The geographical area, sometimes called Asia Minor, that is now the western part of modern Turkey. dgrace The love and kindness that God shows in his complete willingness to give people favors he does not owe them and blessings they don’t deserve. ekingdom See “God’s kingdom.” fglory A word that refers to the special qualities of God. Often it means brightness, referring to the way he appears to people. Sometimes it means majesty or power, referring to a kind of greatness that cannot be compared to anything in human experience. It can also include the ideas of wealth, honor, fame, or respect, especially in expressions of praise. gAmen A Hebrew word meaning “That’s right,” “True,” or “Yes.” It is used to express strong agreement with what has been said. h1:7 pierced When Jesus was killed, he was stabbed with a spear in the side. See Jn. 19:34. i1:8 Alpha … Omega The first and last letters in the Greek alphabet, meaning the beginning and the end. jbeliever Where this word is marked, it is literally “brother,” a term used by followers of Jesus Christ to refer to fellow members of God’s family. k1:9 Patmos A small island in the Aegean Sea, near the coast of modern Turkey. lmessage See “Good News.” mSpirit See “Holy Spirit.” nSon of Man The name that Jesus most often used for himself. The phrase in Hebrew or Aramaic means “human being” or “mankind,” but in Dan. 7:13-14 it is used of a future savior and king, and this was later understood to be the Messiah, the one God would send to save his people. oHades The Greek word for “Sheol,” the home of the dead. It is often used as a metaphor for death. |