The Revelation · New Testament

Revelation 1

Revelation 1: the book names itself and John sees one like the Son of man

General context

The book opens by naming itself "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass", sent by an angel to "his servant John". A blessing is pronounced on the one who reads and those who hear and keep the words. John greets seven churches in Asia and writes a doxology to Jesus Christ, "the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead". The doxology closes with "to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever", and the text then declares that he comes with clouds and that every eye shall see him. A further line names the speaker as Alpha and Omega, "saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty". John says he was in the isle called Patmos, and that he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day when he heard a great voice as of a trumpet telling him to write in a book and send it to seven named churches. Turning, he sees seven golden candlesticks and one like the Son of man among them, described piece by piece. John falls at his feet as dead; the figure lays a right hand on him, tells him not to fear, and names himself the first and the last. The chapter closes by explaining the stars and the candlesticks.

Cited passages: Revelation 1:1, Revelation 1:2, Revelation 1:3, Revelation 1:4, Revelation 1:5, Revelation 1:6, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:9, Revelation 1:10, Revelation 1:11, Revelation 1:12, Revelation 1:13, Revelation 1:14, Revelation 1:16, Revelation 1:17, Revelation 1:18, Revelation 1:19, Revelation 1:20

Revelation 1 (KJV)

¹The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

²Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

³Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

⁴John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

⁵And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

⁶And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

⁷Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

⁸I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

⁹I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

¹⁰I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

¹¹Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

¹²And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

¹³And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

¹⁴His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

¹⁵And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

¹⁶And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

¹⁷And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

¹⁸I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

¹⁹Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

²⁰The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The writer is named John and describes himself as "your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ". The text does not call him an apostle, does not give him a father or a home town, and does not identify him with anyone else of that name. It places him "in the isle that is called Patmos" and gives the reason as "for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ", without saying who put him there or when. The seven churches are named individually and located "in Asia". Verse 20 supplies the book's own explanation of two images: "The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches." The text does not say what these angels are beyond the word it uses. No date, ruler or external event is stated anywhere in the chapter.

Cited passages: Revelation 1:1, Revelation 1:2, Revelation 1:4, Revelation 1:9, Revelation 1:10, Revelation 1:11, Revelation 1:20

Literary context

Almost every element of the central vision arrives as a comparison rather than a statement: a voice "as of a trumpet", hairs "white like wool, as white as snow", eyes "as a flame of fire", feet "like unto fine brass", a voice "as the sound of many waters", a countenance "as the sun shineth in his strength". The chapter repeats a three-part formula for God, "which is, and which was, and which is to come", and gives the commission in three parts as well: "the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter". Daniel 7:9 prints the phrase "the hair of his head like the pure wool", and Daniel 7:13 prints "one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven"; the wording is shared with this chapter, which the text presents without comment of its own. The vision ends by turning back on itself and interpreting two of its own images.

Cited passages: Revelation 1:4, Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:10, Revelation 1:13, Revelation 1:14, Revelation 1:15, Revelation 1:16, Revelation 1:19, Revelation 1:20, Daniel 7:9, Daniel 7:13

Key moments

The book names its subject (Revelation 1:1). The opening line calls the book the Revelation of Jesus Christ, signified by an angel to John.
John on Patmos (Revelation 1:9). John says he was in the isle called Patmos for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Seven churches named (Revelation 1:11). The voice lists Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.
John falls as dead (Revelation 1:17). John falls at the figure's feet and is told not to fear.
The text explains itself (Revelation 1:20). The stars are said to be the angels of the seven churches and the candlesticks the seven churches.

For reflection

Verse 20 stops to explain the stars and the candlesticks, and leaves the sword, the girdle and the keys unexplained. What difference does it make to read a book that interprets some of its own images and says nothing about the rest?