Revelation 1 (New International Version)

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Prologue

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave¹ him to show his servants what must soon take place.² He made it known by sending his angel³ to his servant John,⁴ 2 who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word of God⁵ and the testimony of Jesus Christ.⁶ 3 Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it,⁷ because the time is near.⁸

Greetings and Doxology

4 John, To the seven churches⁹ in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you¹⁰ from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,¹¹ and from the seven spirits^a¹² before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,¹³ the firstborn from the dead,¹⁴ and the ruler of the kings of the earth.¹⁵ To him who loves us¹⁶ and has freed us from our sins by his blood,¹⁷ 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests¹⁸ to serve his God and Father¹⁹--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.²⁰ 7 Look, he is coming with the clouds,²¹ and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him;²² and all the peoples of the earth will mourn²³ because of him. So shall it be! Amen. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega,"²⁴ says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come,²⁵ the Almighty."²⁶

One Like a Son of Man

9 I, John,²⁷ your brother and companion in the suffering²⁸ and kingdom²⁹ and patient endurance³⁰ that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God³¹ and the testimony of Jesus.³² 10 On the Lord's Day³³ I was in the Spirit,³⁴ and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,³⁵ 11 which said: "Write on a scroll what you see³⁶ and send it to the seven churches:³⁷ to Ephesus,³⁸ Smyrna,³⁹ Pergamum,⁴⁰ Thyatira,⁴¹ Sardis,⁴² Philadelphia⁴³ and Laodicea."⁴⁴ 12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,⁴⁵ 13 and among the lampstands⁴⁶ was someone "like a son of man,"^b⁴⁷ dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet⁴⁸ and with a golden sash around his chest.⁴⁹ 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.⁵⁰ 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,⁵¹ and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.⁵² 16 In his right hand he held seven stars,⁵³ and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword.⁵⁴ His face was like the sun⁵⁵ shining in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet⁵⁶ as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me⁵⁷ and said: "Do not be afraid.⁵⁸ I am the First and the Last.⁵⁹ 18 I am the Living One; I was dead,⁶⁰ and behold I am alive for ever and ever!⁶¹ And I hold the keys of death and Hades.⁶² 19 "Write, therefore, what you have seen,⁶³ what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand⁶⁴ and of the seven golden lampstands⁶⁵ is this: The seven stars are the angels^c of the seven churches,⁶⁶ and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.⁶⁷

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Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version)

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 1:4 - Or "the sevenfold Spirit"

b. Revelation 1:13 - Daniel 7:13

c. Revelation 1:20 - Or "messengers"

1. Revelation 1:1 - Jn 12:49; 17:8

2. Revelation 1:1 - ver 19; Da 2:28,29; Rev 22:6

3. Revelation 1:1 - Rev 22:16

4. Revelation 1:1 - ver 4,9; Rev 22:8

5. Revelation 1:2 - ver 9; S Heb 4:12

6. Revelation 1:2 - ver 9; 1Co 1:6; Rev 6:9; 12:17; 19:10

7. Revelation 1:3 - Lk 11:28; Rev 22:7

8. Revelation 1:3 - S Ro 13:11

9. Revelation 1:4 - ver 11,20

10. Revelation 1:4 - S Ro 1:7

11. Revelation 1:4 - ver 8; Rev 4:8; 11:17; 16:5

12. Revelation 1:4 - Isa 11:2; Rev 3:1; 4:5; 5:6

13. Revelation 1:5 - Isa 55:4; Jn 18:37; Rev 3:14

14. Revelation 1:5 - Ps 89:27; Col 1:18

15. Revelation 1:5 - S 1Ti 6:15; Rev 17:14

16. Revelation 1:5 - S Ro 8:37

17. Revelation 1:5 - S Ro 3:25

18. Revelation 1:6 - S 1Pe 2:5; Rev 5:10; 20:6

19. Revelation 1:6 - Ro 15:6

20. Revelation 1:6 - S Ro 11:36

21. Revelation 1:7 - Da 7:13; S Mt 16:27; 24:30; 26:64; S Lk 17:30; S 1Co 1:7; S 1Th 2:19; 4:16,17

22. Revelation 1:7 - Jn 19:34,37

23. Revelation 1:7 - Zec 12:10; Mt 24:30

24. Revelation 1:8 - S ver 17; Rev 21:6; 22:13

25. Revelation 1:8 - S ver 4

26. Revelation 1:8 - Rev 4:8; 15:3; 19:6

27. Revelation 1:9 - ver 1

28. Revelation 1:9 - S Ac 14:22; 2Co 1:7; Php 4:14

29. Revelation 1:9 - ver 6

30. Revelation 1:9 - 2Ti 2:12

31. Revelation 1:9 - ver 2; S Heb 4:12

32. Revelation 1:9 - S ver 2

33. Revelation 1:10 - Ac 20:7

34. Revelation 1:10 - Rev 4:2; 17:3; 21:10

35. Revelation 1:10 - Ex 20:18; Rev 4:1

36. Revelation 1:11 - ver 19

37. Revelation 1:11 - ver 4,20

38. Revelation 1:11 - S Ac 18:19

39. Revelation 1:11 - Rev 2:8

40. Revelation 1:11 - Rev 2:12

41. Revelation 1:11 - Ac 16:14; Rev 2:18,24

42. Revelation 1:11 - Rev 3:1

43. Revelation 1:11 - Rev 3:7

44. Revelation 1:11 - S Col 2:1; Rev 3:14

45. Revelation 1:12 - ver 20; Ex 25:31-40; Zec 4:2; Rev 2:1

46. Revelation 1:13 - Rev 2:1

47. Revelation 1:13 - Eze 1:26; Da 7:13; 10:16; Rev 14:14

48. Revelation 1:13 - Isa 6:1

49. Revelation 1:13 - Da 10:5; Rev 15:6

50. Revelation 1:14 - Da 7:9; 10:6; Rev 2:18; 19:12

51. Revelation 1:15 - Eze 1:7; Da 10:6; Rev 2:18

52. Revelation 1:15 - Eze 43:2; Rev 14:2; 19:6

53. Revelation 1:16 - ver 20; Rev 2:1; 3:1

54. Revelation 1:16 - Isa 1:20; 49:2; Heb 4:12; Rev 2:12,16; 19:15,21

55. Revelation 1:16 - Jdg 5:31; Mt 17:2

56. Revelation 1:17 - Eze 1:28; Da 8:17,18

57. Revelation 1:17 - Da 8:18

58. Revelation 1:17 - S Mt 14:27

59. Revelation 1:17 - Isa 41:4; 44:6; 48:12; Rev 2:8; 22:13

60. Revelation 1:18 - Ro 6:9; Rev 2:8

61. Revelation 1:18 - Dt 32:40; Da 4:34; 12:7; Rev 4:9,10; 10:6; 15:7

62. Revelation 1:18 - Rev 9:1; 20:1

63. Revelation 1:19 - ver 11; Hab 2:2

64. Revelation 1:20 - S ver 16

65. Revelation 1:20 - S ver 12; Zec 4:2

66. Revelation 1:20 - ver 4,11

67. Revelation 1:20 - Mt 5:14,15

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