Revelation 1

1This is the divine unveiling of Jesus Christ! God gave Him this message to show His servants what must happen soon. Jesus sent His angel to explain these truths to His servant John.

2John told everything he saw — the word of God and the message of Jesus Christ.

3God will bless the one who reads the words of this prophecy out loud. He will bless those who hear it and obey what is written. The time is near.

4John sends greetings to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from God! He is the One who is, who always was, and who is coming. Grace and peace from the sevenfold Holy Spirit before God's throne.

5And grace from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness! Jesus is the firstborn raised from the dead. He rules as supreme King over all the kings of the earth! He loves us and washed away our sins with His own blood.

6He has made us a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father. To Him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

7Look, He is coming with the clouds! Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. All the peoples of the earth will cry because of Him. Yes, this is true. Amen.

8I am the Alpha and the Omega — the beginning and the end, says the Lord God, the One who is, and who was, and who is coming, the All-Powerful.

9I, John, am your brother. I share with you in the suffering, the kingdom, and the patient endurance that are ours in Jesus. I was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the message of Jesus.

10On the Lord's day the Spirit took hold of me, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.

11It said: Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

12I turned around to see who was speaking to me. When I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands,

13I saw someone like the Son of Man standing among the lampstands. He wore a long robe with a gold sash around His chest.

14His head and hair were snow-white like pure wool. His eyes blazed like leaping flames of fire!

15His feet glowed like bronze refined in a super-hot furnace. His booming voice roared like crashing ocean waterfalls!

16He held seven stars securely in His right hand. A sharp, two-edged sword of truth proceeded out of His mouth! His face shone with the blinding brilliance of the midday sun.

17When I saw Him, I collapsed at His feet like a dead man! He laid His right hand on me and said: Do not fear! I am the First and the Last, the living Savior.

18I died on the cross, but look — I am alive forever and ever! I hold the keys of death and the grave!

19So write down what you have seen, what is happening now, and what will happen later.

20Here is the meaning of the seven stars you saw in my right hand, and the seven gold lampstands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. The seven lampstands are the seven churches themselves.