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Yeshua’s Revelation to John

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, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Yeshua the Messiah—to everything he saw. 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.

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, 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 and made us a kingdom, kohanim to His God and Father—to Him be glory and power forever! Amen!

“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!”

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,”[d] says Adonai Elohim, “Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty!”

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.”

Prologue

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, who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

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

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; 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. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

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!

“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

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. 1:1a Or of.
  2. 1:1b Or suddenly, or quickly.
  3. 1:4a Asia was a Roman province in what is now western Turkey.
  4. 1:4b Greek the seven spirits.
  5. 1:8 Greek I am the Alpha and the Omega, referring to the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
  6. 1:10 Or in spirit.
  7. 1:11 Or on a scroll.
  8. 1:13 Or like a son of man. See Dan 7:13. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
  9. 1:18 Greek and Hades.
  10. 1:19 Or what you have seen and what they mean—the things that have already begun to happen.
  11. 1:20 Or the messengers.