1This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John, 2who testified to God’s word and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw.
3Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written in it, for the time is near.
4John, to the seven assemblies that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from God, who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne; 5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood— 6and he made us to be a Kingdom, priests to his God and Father—to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
9I John, your brother and partner with you in the oppression, Kingdom, and perseverance in Christ Jesus, was on the isle that is called Patmos because of God’s Word and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet 11saying, “What you see, write in a book and send to the seven assemblies: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lamp stands. 13And among the lamp stands was one like a son of man, clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters. 16He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest. 17When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.
He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last, 18and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 19Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will happen hereafter. 20The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven assemblies. The seven lamp stands are seven assemblies.
Christ appeared in heaven with His army behind Him. The first thing John notices is the white horse Jesus is riding. Riding a white horse symbolized victory and conquest in the ancient world. A king rode a dark horse into battle. White horses drew the attention, especially of archers. When a king approached a city offering peace, he rode a donkey; thus, Jesus rode a donkey’s colt when offering peace to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. A conqueror rode a white horse into the capital city after he had conquered it. So, when coming to set up His kingdom, Jesus comes as the world’s conqueror.
John now describes Jesus. Calling Him “faithful” and “true” looks at Jesus’ character. A third character trait, “righteousness,” describes how Jesus does two things, which, in a sense, are the same activity. He judges and makes war. His burning eyes take the reader back to John’s vision of Jesus in Chapter 1. The presence of “many crowns” indicates the significance of His coming. The Greek term used for “crown” here is the diadem, the ruler’s crown, rather than a stephanos, the victor’s wreath.
Jesus’ secret name is not explained. Normally, one’s name indicates one’s character. Here, it may indicate His infinitude. Jesus’ robe is described as “dipped in blood,” most likely a reference to His crucifixion, not the blood of His opponents, since He is just now arriving and has not yet begun to judge. He is then named “the Word of God,” which takes us back to John 1 and Jesus’ role as Revealer of the Father (John 1:18).
John pauses to mention the army following Jesus. They are wearing white, clean, fine linen, which is symbolic of purity. These would be robes offered to the saints in Sardis (Rev 3:5) who were promised white garments for overcoming and being faithful to Christ. The white horses this army rides indicate that they are victorious as well. They are sharing in Christ’s victory. This indicates that Jesus is bringing back with Him those who have earned the right to rule with Him in His kingdom, those who have been faithful to the end. It is very likely that this army accompanying Jesus will not include all believers, especially within the church, since not all will have been faithful. This can be seen from such parables as the Parable of the Talents, in which one servant loses reward for faithlessness while others are assigned cities to rule for being faithful and productive, while their master, symbolic of Jesus, was away receiving His kingdom.
Next, John turns back to describing Jesus, and reflects again on the picture of Him from Chapter 1. The sharp sword with which Jesus smites the nations is either an executioner’s sword or a military weapon, or both. The sword is symbolic of Jesus speaking judgment and destruction upon His enemies. Jesus is then described, not as a Lamb or as a Savior, but as the ruler who “rules with a rod of iron” (Psalms 2:8-9). Jesus’ reign will be strict and powerful, even destructive for those who would rebel. Jesus is then identified as the one treading the winepress of God’s wrath. This indicates that judgment upon rebellious mankind and Satan will not be through intermediaries, like angels. Jesus will do the judging Himself.
John ends this description with the “name,” which describes Jesus’ sovereign rule over the whole earth, in fulfillment of numerous Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah’s reign.