Rev 1 | ESV | STEP |

‏ Revelation of John 1

“The revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1) was probably written by the apostle John while in exile on the island of Patmos, off the coast of present-day Turkey. It was addressed to seven actual churches. Revelation begins with letters from Christ himself to these churches, letters that include commendation, criticism, and comfort. Then comes a long series of visions of judgment on the wicked, all in highly symbolic language. The church is depicted under great distress but is assured of the final triumph of Jesus as “King of kings and Lord of lords” (19:16), bringing to an end the rebellion of humanity and ushering in “a new heaven and a new earth” (21:1), where God himself will reign forever and ever (11:15). Revelation was probably written a.d. 95–96.

Prologue

2 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God ^agave him ^bto show to his servants ^{▼▼Greek bondservants} the things that must soon take place. ^dHe made it known by sending his angel to his servant ^{▼▼Greek bondservant} John, 3 ^fwho bore witness to the word of God and to ^gthe testimony of Jesus Christ, even ^hto all that he saw. 4 ⁱBlessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, ^jfor the time is near.

Greeting to the Seven Churches

5 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from ^khim ^lwho is and ^mwho was and who is to come, and from ⁿthe seven spirits who are before his throne, 6 and from Jesus Christ ^othe faithful witness, ^pthe firstborn of the dead, and ^qthe ruler of kings on earth.

To ^rhim who loves us and ^shas freed us from our sins by his blood 7 and made us ^ta kingdom, ^upriests to ^vhis God and Father, to him be ^wglory and ^xdominion forever and ever. Amen. 8 Behold, ^yhe is coming with the clouds, and ^zevery eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail ^{▼▼Or mourn} on account of him. Even so. Amen.

9 ^ab“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, ^ac“who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Vision of the Son of Man

10 I, John, your brother and ^adpartner in ^aethe tribulation and ^afthe kingdom and ^agthe patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos ^ahon account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 11 ^aiI was in the Spirit ^ajon the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice ^aklike a trumpet 12 saying, ^al“Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

13 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw ^amseven golden lampstands, 14 and in the midst of the lampstands ^anone like ^aoa son of man, ^apclothed with a long robe and ^aqwith a golden sash around his chest. 15 ^arThe hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. ^asHis eyes were like a flame of fire, 16 ^athis feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and ^auhis voice was like the roar of many waters. 17 ^avIn his right hand he held seven stars, ^awfrom his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and ^axhis face was like the sun shining ^ayin full strength.

18 ^azWhen I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But ^bahe laid his right hand on me, ^bbsaying, “Fear not, ^bcI am the first and the last, 19 and the living one. ^bdI died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and ^beI have the keys of Death and Hades. 20 ^bfWrite therefore ^bgthe things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.