Revelation of John 1
Revelation
Prologue
1The 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 ▼
,
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, yand 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
,
acwill mourn over Him. ▼
▼Or will wail because of Him
ae
,
afThis 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 10I 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.” 12I 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 16He 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.
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