Revelation 1
The revelation of Jesus Christ: John, exiled on Patmos, receives a vision of the risen Christ standing among seven golden lampstands. Jesus appears with white hair, blazing eyes, and a voice like rushing waters. He holds seven stars and declares: I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!
This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John,
who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.
John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from Him who is and was and is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne,
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 released us from our sins by His blood,
who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
A kingdom of priests — made us a kingdom and priests to serve his God
And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”
Read Exodus 19 ›Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
Read Zechariah 12 ›Look, he is coming with the clouds — every eye will see him
In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.
Read Daniel 7 ›“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus.
On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands,
Seven golden lampstands — Zechariah's vision echoed
“What do you see?” he asked. “I see a solid gold lampstand,” I replied, “with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven spouts to the lamps.
Read Zechariah 4 ›and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest.
Someone like a son of man among the lampstands
In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.
Read Daniel 7 ›Priestly garments of glory — Jesus dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet
Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, to give him glory and splendor.
Read Exodus 28 ›The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire.
His head and hair were white like wool — Ancient of Days description
As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
Read Daniel 7 ›His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.
His voice like the sound of a multitude — feet like bronze
His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of polished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
Read Daniel 10 ›He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
I am the First and the Last
Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me.
Read Isaiah 44 ›the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.
Therefore write down the things you have seen, the things that are, and the things that will happen after this.
This is the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
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