Revelation 1

Prologue and Blessing

1 This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place. He sent His angel to make it known to His servant John.

2 John’s writing down everything he saw, God’s Word, the truth Jesus spoke, and everything that went down.

3 Blessed is the one who reads these words aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written here, because the time is near.

4 From John, to the seven churches in Asia: Grace and peace to you from the One who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne.

5 And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and freed us from our sins by His blood,

6 who made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

7 Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. All the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him. So it shall be. Amen.

8 "I am the A and the Z," says the Lord God, who was, who is, and who is still coming, the Almighty.

9 I, John, your brother and partner in the suffering, 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.

10 One Sunday, the Spirit hit me strong. I heard this loud voice behind me, like a trumpet blast.

11 It said, "Write down what you see, and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."

John’s Vision of Christ

12 I spun around to see who was talking, and I saw seven golden lampstands.

13 And standing among the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man, wearing a robe that reached His feet with a golden sash across His chest.

14 His hair was white like snow, shining bright, and his eyes were flames, on fire with intensity.

15 His feet looked like polished bronze fresh out the furnace, and his voice, It was like a roar, like mad waves crashing.

16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword was coming out of his mouth. His face was shining like the sun, blazing at full strength.

17 When I saw him, I could not handle it, I fell down like I was dead. But he reached down, put his hand on me, and said, "Do not trip. I am the First and the Last.

18 I am the Living One. I was dead, but look, now I am alive forever! And I got the keys to death and the grave.

19 So write down what you have seen, what is happening now, and what is about to go down.

20 Here is the mystery of the seven stars 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."