Rev 1 | HCSB | STEP | The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave Him to show His slaves what must quickly take place . He sent it and signified it through His angel to His slave John ,

‏ Revelation of John 1

Revelation

Prologue

1 The revelation of ^{▼▼Or Revelation of, or A revelation of} Jesus Christ that God gave Him to show His ^{▼▼slave: The strong Greek word doulos cannot be accurately translated in English by "servant" or "bond servant"; the HCSB translates this word as "slave," not out of insensitivity to the legitimate concerns of modern English speakers, but out of a commitment to accurately convey the brutal reality of the Roman empire's inhumane institution as well as the ownership called for by Christ.}slaves ^c what must quickly ^{▼▼Or soon} take place. ^e He sent it and signified it ^{▼▼Made it known through symbols} through His angel ^g to His slave John, ^h 2 who testified to God’s word and to the testimony ^{▼▼Or witness} about Jesus Christ, ^j in all he saw. ^{▼▼Lit as many as he saw} 3 The one who reads this is blessed, ^l and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep ^{▼▼Or follow, or obey} what is written in it are blessed, because the time is near!

4 John:To the seven churches in ^{▼▼Asia: A Roman province that is now part of modern Turkey; it did not refer to the modern continent of Asia.}Asia.Grace and peace ^o to you from ^{▼▼Other mss add God} the One who is, who was, and who is coming; ^q from the seven spirits ^{▼▼Or the sevenfold Spirit
,} ^s 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 has set us free ^{▼▼Other mss read has washed us} from our sins by His blood, 6 and made us a kingdom, ^{▼▼Other mss read kings and} priests ^{▼▼Or made us into (or to be) a kingdom of priests; Ex 19:6
,} ^w to His God and Father – the glory and dominion are His forever and ever. ^{▼▼Amen: The transliteration of a Hebrew word signifying that something is certain, valid, truthful, or faithful; it is often used at the end of biblical songs, hymns, and prayers.}Amen.

7 Look! He is coming with the clouds, ^y
and every eye will see Him,
including those who pierced ^{▼▼Or impaled} Him.
And all the families of the earth ^{▼▼Or all the tribes of the land} ^{ab
,} ^ac
will mourn over Him. ^{▼▼Or will wail because of Him} ^{ae
,} ^af
This is certain. Amen.

8 “I am the ^{▼▼Alpha and Omega: The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; it is used to refer to God the Father in Rv 1:8 and 21:6, and to Jesus, God the Son, in Rv 22:13.}Alpha and the Omega,” ^ah says the Lord God, “the One who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty.”

John’s Vision of the Risen Lord

9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of God’s word and the testimony about Jesus. ^{▼▼Lit the witness of Jesus
,} ^aj 10 I was in the Spirit ^{▼▼Or in spirit; lit I became in the Spirit
,} ^{▼▼John was brought by God’s Spirit into a realm of spiritual vision.
,} ^am on the Lord’s day, ^▼▼Sunday and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write on a scroll ^{▼▼Or book} what you see and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

12 I turned to see whose voice ^ap it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven gold lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was One like the ^{▼▼Son of Man: The most frequent title Jesus used for Himself; Dn 7:13}Son of Man, ^{▼▼Or like a son of man
,} ^as dressed in a long robe and with a gold sash wrapped around His chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool – white as snow – and His eyes like a fiery flame. 15 His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and His voice like the sound of cascading ^{▼▼Lit many} waters. ^au 16 He had seven stars in His right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth, ^av and His face was shining like the sun at midday. ^{▼▼Lit like the sun shines in its power}

17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. He laid His right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last, ^ax 18 and the Living One. I was dead, but look – I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and ^{▼▼Hades: The Greek word for the place of the dead; it corresponds to the Hebrew word Sheol.}Hades. 19 Therefore write what you have seen, what is, and what will take place after this. 20 The ^{▼▼secret: Translation of the Greek word mysterion; it is a secret hidden in the past but now revealed.}secret of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven gold lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels ^{▼▼Or messengers} of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands ^{▼▼Other mss add that you saw} are the seven churches.