Revelation1
New International Version
1The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
2who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
3Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
4John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,
5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from 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,
6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
7“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen.
8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
9I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
10On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
11which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
12I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.
14The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.
15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
16In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.
18I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
19“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.
20The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Revelation 1.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The Divine origin, the design, and the importance of this book. (1–3). The apostle John salutes the seven churches of Asia. (4–8). Declares when, where, and how, the revelation was made to him. (9–11). His vision, in which he saw Christ appear. (12–20).
vv1-3
This book is the Revelation of Jesus Christ; the whole Bible is so; for all revelation comes through Christ, and all relates to him. Its principal subject is to discover the purposes of God concerning the affairs of the church, and of the nations as connected therewith, to the end of the world. These events would surely come to pass; and they would begin to come to pass very shortly. Though Christ is himself God, and has light and life in himself, yet, as Mediator between God and man, he receives instructions from the Father. To him we owe the knowledge of what we are to expect from God, and what he expects from us. The subject of this revelation was, the things that must shortly come to pass. On all who read or hear the words of the prophecy, a blessing is pronounced. Those are well employed who search the Bible. It is not enough that we read and hear, but we must keep the things that are written, in our memories, in our minds, in our affections, and in practice, and we shall be blessed in the deed. Even the mysteries and difficulties of this book are united with discoveries of God, suited to impress the mind with awe, and to purify the soul of the reader, though he may not discern the prophetic meaning. No part of Scripture more fully states the gospel, and warns against the evil of sin.
vv4-8
There can be no true peace, where there is not true grace; and where grace goeth before, peace will follow. This blessing is in the name of God, of the Holy Trinity, it is an act of adoration. The Father is first named; he is described as the Jehovah who is, and who was, and who is to come, eternal, unchangeable. The Holy Spirit is called the seven spirits, the perfect Spirit of God, in whom there is a diversity of gifts and operations. The Lord Jesus Christ was from eternity, a Witness to all the counsels of God. He is the First-born from the dead, who will by his own power raise up his people. He is the Prince of the kings of the earth; by him their counsels are overruled, and to him they are accountable. Sin leaves a stain of guilt and pollution upon the soul. Nothing can fetch out this stain but the blood of Christ; and Christ shed his own blood to satisfy Divine justice, and purchase pardon and purity for his people. Christ has made believers kings and priests to God and his Father. As such they overcome the world, mortify sin, govern their own spirits, resist Satan, prevail with God in prayer, and shall judge the world. He has made them priests, given them access to God, enabled them to offer spiritual and acceptable sacrifices, and for these favours they are bound to ascribe to him dominion and glory for ever. He will judge the world. Attention is called to that great day when all will see the wisdom and happiness of the friends of Christ, and the madness and misery of his enemies. Let us think frequently upon the second coming of Christ. He shall come, to the terror of those who wound and crucify him by apostacy: he shall come, to the astonishment of the whole world of the ungodly. He is the Beginning and the End; all things are from him and for him; he is the Almighty; the same eternal and unchanged One. And if we would be numbered with his saints in glory everlasting, we must now willing submit to him receive him, and honour him as a saviour, who we believe will come to be our Judge. Alas, that there should be many, who would wish never to die, and that there should not be a day of judgment!
vv9-11
It was the apostle's comfort that he did not suffer as an evil-doer, but for the testimony of Jesus, for bearing witness to Christ as the Immanuel, the Saviour; and the Spirit of glory and of God rested upon this persecuted apostle. The day and time when he had this vision was the Lord's day, the Christian sabbath, the first day of the week, observed in remembrance of the resurrection of Christ. Let us who call him “Our Lord,” honour him on his own day. The name shows how this sacred day should be observed; the Lord's day should be wholly devoted to the Lord, and none of its hours employed in a sensual, worldly manner, or in amusements. He was in a serious, heavenly, spiritual frame, under the gracious influences of the Spirit of God. Those who would enjoy communion with God on the Lord's day, must seek to draw their thoughts and affections from earthly things. And if believers are kept on the Lord's holy day, from public ordinances and the communion of saints, by necessity and not by choice, they may look for comfort in meditation and secret duties, from the influences of the Spirit; and by hearing the voice and contemplating the glory of their beloved Saviour, from whose gracious words and power no confinement or outward circumstances can separate them. An alarm was given as with the sound of the trumpet, and then the apostle heard the voice of Christ.
Key Words
ἀποκάλυψις (apokálypsis): disclosure
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs): Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites
Χριστός (Christós): anointed, i.e. the Messiah, an epithet of Jesus
ὅς (hós): the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
θεός (theós): figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very
δίδωμι (dídōmi): to give (used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection)
αὐτός (autós): the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
δεικνύω (deiknýō): to show (literally or figuratively)
δοῦλος (doûlos): a slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency)
δεῖ (deî): also deon deh-on'; neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is (was, etc.) necessary (as binding)
Cross References
Revelation 1Direct Old Testament prophetic foundation for 'they also which pierced him; and all kindreds... shall wail'.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Textual source of the title 'one like unto the Son of man' coming in the clouds.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The description of Christ's head and hair white like wool and snow mirrors the Ancient of Days.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Direct parallel describing Christ as the 'firstborn from the dead' (or 'first begotten of the dead').
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
The Sinai covenant promise to make Israel 'a kingdom of priests' fulfilled in the New Covenant church.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Apostolic confirmation of believers being made a royal priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices to God.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Zechariah's golden candlestick vision provides the direct symbolic imagery for the seven golden candlesticks.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
The vision of Daniel's glorious man closely parallels the eyes of fire and feet of polished brass.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Trinitarian greeting of God as 'him which is, and which was, and which is to come' echoes 'I AM'.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
The Yahweh title 'the first, and I am the last' applied directly to Jesus Christ.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Early church evidence of the first day of the week set apart as 'the Lord's day'.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Christ revealing the Father's secrets to His friends/servants, establishing the principle of the Apocalypse.
Supported by JFB
Book-ending blessing on those who keep the words of the prophecy because the time is near.
Supported by JFB
Messianic prophecy identifying the coming Savior as 'a witness to the people'.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The feet shining like 'burnished brass' (or fine brass) mirrors Ezekiel's vision of heavenly beings.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Parallels the imagery of the word of God as a sharp, two-edged sword piercing to the soul.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Ezekiel's identical physical reaction of falling on his face as dead upon seeing divine glory.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Daniel falling down in deep sleep of fear and being touched/set upright by a hand.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The prophetic formula concerning 'what shall come to pass in the latter days'.
Supported by JFB
Davidic covenant parallel calling the Messiah 'a faithful witness in heaven'.
Supported by Matthew Poole