Revelation 1
New King James Version
Introduction and Benediction
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, (A)which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must [a]shortly take place. And (B)He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 (C)who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things (D)that he saw. 3 (E)Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for (F)the time is near.
Greeting the Seven Churches
4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from Him (G)who is and (H)who was and who is to come, (I)and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, (J)the faithful (K)witness, the (L)firstborn from the dead, and (M)the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him (N)who [b]loved us (O)and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has (P)made us [c]kings and priests to His God and Father, (Q)to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, He is coming with (R)clouds, and every eye will see Him, even (S)they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 (T)“I am the Alpha and the Omega, [d]the Beginning and the End,” says the [e]Lord, (U)“who is and who was and who is to come, the (V)Almighty.”
Vision of the Son of Man
9 I, John, [f]both your brother and (W)companion in the tribulation and (X)kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 (Y)I was in the Spirit on (Z)the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me (AA)a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, [g]“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches [h]which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned (AB)I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 (AC)and in the midst of the seven lampstands (AD)One like the Son of Man, (AE)clothed with a garment down to the feet and (AF)girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and (AG)hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and (AH)His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 (AI)His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and (AJ)His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 (AK)He had in His right hand seven stars, (AL)out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, (AM)and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And (AN)when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But (AO)He laid His right hand on me, saying [i]to me, “Do not be afraid; (AP)I am the First and the Last. 18 (AQ)I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, (AR)I am alive forevermore. Amen. And (AS)I have the keys of [j]Hades and of Death. 19 [k]Write the things which you have (AT)seen, (AU)and the things which are, (AV)and the things which will take place after this. 20 The [l]mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are (AW)the [m]angels of the seven churches, and (AX)the seven lampstands [n]which you saw are the seven churches.
Footnotes
- Revelation 1:1 quickly or swiftly
- Revelation 1:5 NU loves us and freed; M loves us and washed
- Revelation 1:6 NU, M a kingdom
- Revelation 1:8 NU, M omit the Beginning and the End
- Revelation 1:8 NU, M Lord God
- Revelation 1:9 NU, M omit both
- Revelation 1:11 NU, M omit “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and,
- Revelation 1:11 NU, M omit which are in Asia
- Revelation 1:17 NU, M omit to me
- Revelation 1:18 Lit. Unseen; the unseen realm
- Revelation 1:19 NU, M Therefore, write
- Revelation 1:20 hidden truth
- Revelation 1:20 Or messengers
- Revelation 1:20 NU, M omit which you saw
Revelation 1
Amplified Bible
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
1 This is the [a]revelation of Jesus Christ [His unveiling of the divine mysteries], which God [the Father] gave to Him to show to His bond-servants (believers) the things which must soon take place [in their entirety]; and He sent and communicated it by His angel (divine messenger) to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified and gave supporting evidence to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to everything that he saw [in his visions]. 3 [b]Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and who keep the things which are written in it [heeding them and taking them to heart]; for the time [of fulfillment] is near.
Message to the Seven Churches
4 [c]John, to the seven churches that are in [the province of] [d]Asia: [e]Grace [be granted] to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being], from Him Who is [existing forever] and Who was [continually existing in the past] and Who is to come, and from [f]the seven Spirits that are before His throne,(A) 5 and from Jesus Christ, the [g]faithful and trustworthy Witness, the [h]Firstborn of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who [always] loves us and who [has once for all] [i]freed us [or washed us] from our sins by His own blood (His sacrificial death)—(B) 6 and formed us into a kingdom [as His subjects], [j]priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.(C) 7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes (nations) of the earth will mourn over Him [realizing their sin and guilt, and anticipating the coming wrath]. [k]So it is to be. Amen.(D)
8 “I am the [l]Alpha and the Omega [the Beginning and the End],” says the Lord God, “Who is [existing forever] and Who was [continually existing in the past] and Who is to come, the Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all].”(E)
The Patmos Vision
9 I, John, your brother and companion in the [m]tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, [exiled there] because of [my preaching of] the word of God [regarding eternal salvation] and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the [n]Spirit [in special communication with the Holy Spirit and empowered to receive and record the revelation from Jesus Christ] on the [o]Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, 11 saying, “Write on a scroll what you see [in this revelation], and send it to the [p]seven churches—to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands; 13 and in the midst of the lampstands I saw someone [q]like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe reaching to His feet, and with a golden sash wrapped around His chest.(F) 14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, [glistening white] like snow; and His [all-seeing] eyes were [flashing] like a flame of fire [piercing into my being].(G) 15 His feet were like burnished [white-hot] bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was [powerful] like the sound of many waters.(H) 16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword [of judgment]; and His face [reflecting His majesty and the [r]Shekinah glory] was like the sun shining in [all] its power [at midday].(I)
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. And He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God],(J) 18 and the Ever-living One [living in and beyond all time and space]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of [absolute control and victory over] death and of Hades (the realm of the dead). 19 So write the things [s]which you have seen [in the vision], and the things [t]which are [now happening], and the things [u]which will take place after these things. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels ([v]divine messengers) of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Footnotes
- Revelation 1:1 The God-given disclosures contained in this book relate to both Christ and future events.
- Revelation 1:3 This is the first of the seven promised blessings (beatitudes) of the Revelation. See also 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14.
- Revelation 1:4 John and his brother James were among the first apostles chosen by Jesus, and were the sons of Zebedee and Salome. In addition to the Revelation, John wrote the Gospel and the three letters that bear his name.
- Revelation 1:4 The Roman province of Asia (now western Turkey) was formed in 129 b.c.
- Revelation 1:4 Like Paul, the apostle John takes the standard Jewish greeting of “Peace [Heb shalom] to you” and modifies it by adding grace, without which no one could obtain peace with God.
- Revelation 1:4 A literal translation, perhaps referring to the perfect fullness of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
- Revelation 1:5 Lit the witness, the faithful.
- Revelation 1:5 Jesus was not the first person to be brought back to life, since He raised others from the dead (the most notable being Lazarus, John 11), but they had to experience death again. Jesus is the first to be restored to life with a glorified (immortal, everlasting) body, never again to die. The word Firstborn may point not only to Jesus’ own resurrection but also to His divine power to resurrect others. The Firstborn (preeminent) is given power over all things.
- Revelation 1:5 Some manuscripts use “freed” (lusanti) while others use “washed” (lousanti). Either reading conveys a similar theological conclusion: Jesus has taken away our sins by His blood.
- Revelation 1:6 All Christians become priests to God in order to offer spiritual sacrifices (1 Pet 2:5) and proclaim His praises (1 Pet 2:9), and they will reign with Christ in the Millennium (20:6).
- Revelation 1:7 Lit Yes, amen.
- Revelation 1:8 An expression of God’s absolute supremacy over all things.
- Revelation 1:9 I.e. persecution because of one’s faith.
- Revelation 1:10 Or spirit. The Greek wording is not decisive, so John could be referring either to being in special communion with the Holy Spirit, or to being in a trance-like state in his own spirit like that experienced by Peter at Joppa (cf Acts 10:10, 11).
- Revelation 1:10 The early church used this term to refer to Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection. The term Kyriake is also the regular word for Sunday in modern Greek.
- Revelation 1:11 These were actual churches in Asia Minor (now western Turkey), and in John’s time there would have been only one church body in each of the cities. They are mentioned in the order in which they would be visited by a messenger traveling northward on the imperial road from Ephesus to Laodicea.
- Revelation 1:13 Or like a son of man. The phrase is a translation of a Hebrew idiom which refers to a man, and John could simply be describing his first impression. But since this proves to be a vision of Christ (v 18), John probably is referring to Him by the title that Jesus so often applied to Himself, a title originating in the Messianic prophecy of Daniel.
- Revelation 1:16 The visible, divine Presence.
- Revelation 1:19 I.e. the vision of ch 1.
- Revelation 1:19 I.e. the events of the present moment (chs 2; 3).
- Revelation 1:19 I.e. the events to come in chs 4-22, after the messages to the churches in chs 2; 3.
- Revelation 1:20 The Greek word for “messenger” is aggelos. When the word is referring to a heavenly being, it is usually not translated, but rather transliterated as “angel”; that is, the Greek letters are converted to their English equivalents, based on the sound of the Greek word. When the word is referring to a human, it is instead translated as “messenger” or the equivalent. So whether “angel” or “messenger” is used depends on the context.
Revelation 1
Tree of Life Version
Yeshua’s Revelation to John
1 The revelation of Yeshua the Messiah, which God gave Him to show to His servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Yeshua the Messiah—to everything he saw. 3 How fortunate is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and those who hear and keep what has been written in it—for the time is near.
4 John,
To Messiah’s seven communities in Asia:[a]
Grace to you and shalom from Him who is and who was and who is to come, as well as from the seven spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Messiah Yeshua, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood 6 and made us a kingdom, kohanim to His God and Father—to Him be glory and power forever! Amen!
7 “Look, He is coming with the clouds,[b]
and every eye shall see Him,
even those who pierced Him.
And all the tribes of the earth
shall mourn because of Him.[c]
Yes, amen!”
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”[d] says Adonai Elohim, “Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty!”
9 I, John, your brother and fellow partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance that are in Yeshua, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Yeshua. 10 I was in the Ruach on the Day of the Lord,[e] and I heard behind me a loud voice like that of a trumpet, 11 saying, “Write what you see in a scroll,[f] and send it to Messiah’s seven communities—to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
Vision of the Glorious Son of Man
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned, I saw seven golden menorot. [g] 13 In the midst of the menorot, I saw One like a Son of Man, clothed in a robe down to His feet, with a golden belt wrapped around His chest. [h] 14 His head and His hair were white like wool, white like snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire. [i] 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace,[j] and His voice was like the roar of rushing waters. [k] 16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came forth a sharp, two-edged sword.[l] His face was like the sun shining at full strength.[m]
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man.[n] But He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid! I am the First and the Last, [o] 18 and the One who lives. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever! Moreover, I hold the keys of death and Sheol. [p] 19 Therefore write down what you have seen, what is, and what will happen after these things. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden menorot—the seven stars are the angels of Messiah’s seven communities, and the seven menorahs are the seven communities.”
Footnotes
- Revelation 1:4 The Roman province of Asia, in the western part of Asia Minor (now part of Turkey).
- Revelation 1:7 Dan. 7:13.
- Revelation 1:7 Zech. 12:10-14.
- Revelation 1:8 cf. Rev. 21:6; 22:13. cf. Isa. 9:5-6(6-7); 41:4.
- Revelation 1:10 cf. Isa. 13:6, 9; Ezek. 30:3; Joel 2:1; 3:4(2:31); Amos 5:18; Obad. 15; Zeph. 1:7, 14; Mal. 3:17.
- Revelation 1:11 cf. Isa. 30:8; Jer. 36:2, 4.
- Revelation 1:13 cf. Exod. 25:37; 37:23; Zech. 4:2.
- Revelation 1:14 cf. Dan 7:13; 10:5; also Ex. 29:5; Lev 8:7.
- Revelation 1:15 cf. Isa. 1:18; Dan. 7:9.
- Revelation 1:15 cf. Ezek. 1:7; Dan. 10:6.
- Revelation 1:16 cf. Ps. 93:4; Ezek. 1:24; 43:2.
- Revelation 1:16 cf. Isa. 49:2; Heb. 4:12.
- Revelation 1:16 cf. Exod. 34:29.
- Revelation 1:17 cf. Dan. 8:17-18; 10:9-10, 15.
- Revelation 1:18 cf. Isa. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12.
- Revelation 1:19 cf. Job 38:17; Jn. 5:25-27.
Revelation 1
New Living Translation
Prologue
1 This is a revelation from[a] Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon[b] take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, 2 who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.
John’s Greeting to the Seven Churches
4 This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia.[c]
Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit[d] before his throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.
All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. 6 He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
7 Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven.
And everyone will see him—
even those who pierced him.
And all the nations of the world
will mourn for him.
Yes! Amen!
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,”[e] says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”
Vision of the Son of Man
9 I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. 10 It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit.[f] Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. 11 It said, “Write in a book[g] everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man.[h] He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.[i]
19 “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.[j] 20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels[k] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Footnotes
- 1:1a Or of.
- 1:1b Or suddenly, or quickly.
- 1:4a Asia was a Roman province in what is now western Turkey.
- 1:4b Greek the seven spirits.
- 1:8 Greek I am the Alpha and the Omega, referring to the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
- 1:10 Or in spirit.
- 1:11 Or on a scroll.
- 1:13 Or like a son of man. See Dan 7:13. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
- 1:18 Greek and Hades.
- 1:19 Or what you have seen and what they mean—the things that have already begun to happen.
- 1:20 Or the messengers.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
