Revelation 1 (Holman Christian Standard)

One verse per line

Prologue

1 The revelation of^a Jesus Christ that God gave Him to show His slaves what must quickly^b take place.^c He sent it and signified it^d through His angel to His slave John, 2 who testified to God's word and to the testimony^e about Jesus Christ,^f in all he saw.^g 3 Blessed^h is the one who reads and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keepⁱ what is written in it, because the time is near! 4 John: To the seven churches in the province of Asia.^j Grace and peace to you from^k the One who is, who was, and who is coming; from the seven spirits^l ^m 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 freeⁿ from our sins by His blood, 6 and made us a kingdom,^o priests^p to His God and Father-to Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, including those who pierced ^q Him. And all the families of the earth ^r ^s will mourn over Him. ^t ^u This is certain. Amen. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega,"^v 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 perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of God's word and the testimony about Jesus.^w ^x 10 I was in the Spirit^y ^z ^aa on the Lord's day,^bb and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, "Write on a scroll ^cc what you see and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea." 12 I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me. When I turned I saw seven gold lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man,^dd ^ee 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, His eyes like a fiery flame, 15 His feet like fine bronze fired in a furnace, and His voice like the sound of cascading^ff waters.^gg 16 In His right hand He had seven stars; from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was shining like the sun at midday.^hh 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, 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. 19 Therefore write what you have seen, what is, and what will take place after this. 20 The secret ⁱⁱ of the seven stars you saw in My right hand, and of the seven gold lampstands, is this: the seven stars are the angels ^jj of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands ^kk are the seven churches.

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Study Tools Footnotes Cross References

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Geneva Study Bible

John Darby's Synopsis of the New Testament

John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete)

Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

People's New Testament

Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)

Treasury Of Scripture Knowledge

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

a. Revelation 1:1 - Or Revelation of, or A revelation of

b. Revelation 1:1 - Or soon

c. Revelation 1:1 - Dn 2:28-29,45

d. Revelation 1:1 - Made it known through symbols

e. Revelation 1:2 - Or witness

f. Revelation 1:2 - Rv 1:9; 12:17; 19:10; 20:4

g. Revelation 1:2 - Lit as many as he saw

h. Revelation 1:3 - Rv 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7,14

i. Revelation 1:3 - Or follow, or obey

j. Revelation 1:4 - Lit churches in Asia; that is, the Roman province that is now a part of modern Turkey

k. Revelation 1:4 - Other mss add God

l. Revelation 1:4 - Or the sevenfold Spirit

m. Revelation 1:4 - Rv 3:1; 4:5; 5:6

n. Revelation 1:5 - Other mss read has washed us

o. Revelation 1:6 - Other mss read kings and

p. Revelation 1:6 - Or made us into (or to be) a kingdom of priests; see Ex 19:6

q. Revelation 1:7 - Or impaled

r. Revelation 1:7 - Or All the tribes of the land

s. Revelation 1:7 - Gn 12:3; 28:14; Zch 14:17

t. Revelation 1:7 - Or will wail because of Him

u. Revelation 1:7 - Dn 7:13; Zch 12:10

v. Revelation 1:8 - Isaiah 44:6

w. Revelation 1:9 - Lit the witness of Jesus

x. Revelation 1:9 - Rv 1:2; 6:9; 12:17; 19:10; 20:4

y. Revelation 1:10 - Lit I became in the Spirit or in spirit

z. Revelation 1:10 - John was brought by God's Spirit into a realm of spiritual vision.

aa. Revelation 1:10 - Rv 4:2; 17:3; 21:10

bb. Revelation 1:10 - Sunday

cc. Revelation 1:11 - Or book

dd. Revelation 1:13 - Or like a son of man

ee. Revelation 1:13 - Dn 7:13

ff. Revelation 1:15 - Lit many

gg. Revelation 1:15 - Rv 14:2; 19:6

hh. Revelation 1:16 - Lit like the sun shines in its power

ii. Revelation 1:20 - Or mystery

jj. Revelation 1:20 - Or messengers

kk. Revelation 1:20 - Other mss add that you saw

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