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.
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, 2 who testified to God’s word and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw.3 Blessed 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.4 John, 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;
This book is a complete revelation of Jesus Christ in all of His essence. It will put His character on full display. He was indeed the Lamb of God that humbled Himself even unto death on the cross. He will return as King of Kings and Lord of all Lords. He was the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, but He will return as a lion in all of His power and glory. It is addressed to each and everyone of us who is a “servant” of God. That’s you and me! It is a revelation that is given for our benefit, and it will tell us of things that are “shortly to take place.” That means that, as John wrote it, there was an immediacy to it. It could happen at any time after it was written. The passage tells us that it was “signed and sealed” and delivered to John for all of us.
John had “born witness” to the Word of God. He had been there. He had seen Jesus. He had held Him. This is the same disciple whom Jesus loved so much. He was there at the foot of the cross when Jesus put His own earthly mother in John’s care. He had heard the testimony of Jesus Christ and He had been an eyewitness to the things that Jesus did during His ministry. It is important to remember that John’s Gospel is an eyewitness account that repeatedly assures the reader that Jesus is God incarnate, yet He was fully man. We are told that we will be blessed if we read and hear the words of this prophecy. I don’t know about you, but anytime the Bible tells me that something is a blessing, I’m ready to get in on it.
In verse four, John addresses the letter to “the seven churches that are in Asia.” We will learn shortly which churches these are. I believe John was addressing instructions to all Churches at all times throughout their history. Churches go through stages and phases, and perhaps there is a word for your own church as you listen to the words given to each church. There is then a wish for grace and peace from Him who is, who was, and who is to come. That, of course, is Jesus. It then mentions seven spirits, and we’re not given an explanation of who or what those spirits are.
Some think it’s the Holy Spirit. Perhaps seven is because it is God’s holy, perfect number. The apocryphal books of 1 Enoch (20:2-8) and Tobit (12:15) name seven angels who supposedly stand before God: Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqael (Sariel), Gabriel, and Remiel. Pastor Warren Wiersbe says, “Seven” is the number of completion and stands for the fullness of the Spirit. I think a better approach is to say we aren’t exactly sure who or what they are because John doesn’t tell us. We do know that “Seven” is the number of completion, and it is linked with the Spirit. Although much of this book is difficult to understand, read it and listen. Reader, in doing so, you will be blessed.