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Revelation 1
Christian Standard Bible
Revelation 1
Christian Standard Bible
Prologue
1 The revelation of[a] Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his servants(A) what must soon take place.(B) He made it known by sending his angel(C) to his servant John,(D) 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony[b] of Jesus Christ,(E) whatever he saw.[c] 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy,(F) and blessed are those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep[d] what is written in it, because the time is near.
4 John: To the seven churches in Asia. Grace and peace(G) to you from[e] the one who is, who was, and who is to come,(H) and from the seven spirits[f](I) before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,(J) the firstborn from the dead(K) and the ruler of the kings of the earth.(L)
To him who loves us and has set us free[g] from our sins by his blood,(M) 6 and made us a kingdom,[h] priests[i](N) to his God and Father—to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.(O)
7 Look, he is coming with the clouds,(P)
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
And all the tribes[j] of the earth[k](Q)
will mourn over him.[l][m] (R)
So it is to be. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”(S) says the Lord God, “the one who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
John’s Vision of the Risen Lord
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the affliction,(T) kingdom,(U) and endurance(V) that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.(W) 10 I was in the Spirit[n](X) on the Lord’s day, and I heard a loud voice behind me like a trumpet(Y) 11 saying, “Write(Z) on a scroll[o] what you see and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see whose voice(AA) it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,(AB) 13 and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man,[p](AC) dressed in a robe(AD) and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest.(AE) 14 The hair of his head was white as wool—white as snow(AF)—and his eyes like a fiery flame.(AG) 15 His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace,(AH) and his voice like the sound of cascading[q] waters.(AI) 16 He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth,(AJ) and his face was shining like the sun at full strength.(AK)
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.(AL) He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last,(AM) 18 and the Living One.(AN) I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever,(AO) and I hold the keys(AP) of death and Hades. 19 Therefore write what you have seen,(AQ) what is, and what will take place after this. 20 The mystery(AR) of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels[r] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands[s] are the seven churches.(AS)
Footnotes
- 1:1 Or Revelation of, or A revelation of
- 1:2 Or witness
- 1:2 Or as many as he saw
- 1:3 Or follow, or obey
- 1:4 Other mss add God
- 1:4 Or the sevenfold Spirit
- 1:5 Other mss read has washed us
- 1:6 Other mss read kings and
- 1:6 Or made us into (or to be) a kingdom of priests; Ex 19:6
- 1:7 Or peoples
- 1:7 Gn 12:3; 28:14; Zch 14:17
- 1:7 Or will wail because of him
- 1:7 Dn 7:13; Zch 12:10
- 1:10 Or in spirit; lit I became in the Spirit
- 1:11 Or book
- 1:13 Or like a son of man
- 1:15 Lit many
- 1:20 Or messengers
- 1:20 Other mss add that you saw
Revelation 1
New Catholic Bible
Revelation 1
New Catholic Bible
Prologue
Chapter 1
The Revelation or Apocalypse of Jesus Christ.[a] 1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God entrusted to him so that he might show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who has borne witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ by reporting everything that he has seen.
3 Blessed[b] is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who keep what is written in it, for the appointed time is near.
He Is, He Was, and He Will Return.[c] 4 John, to the seven Churches[d] in Asia: grace to you and peace from him who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,[e] the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood 6 and made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.[f]
7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him.
All the peoples of the earth will mourn him.
So shall it be. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
“I Am the First and the Last.”[g] 9 I, John—your brother and partner in the suffering and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are ours in Jesus—was on the island of Patmos[h] because I had proclaimed the word of God and given testimony to Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s day, I was caught up in the spirit,[i] and I heard behind me a loud voice, like the sound of a trumpet, 11 that said, “Write down on a scroll[j] what you see and send it to the seven Churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
12 Then I turned to see whose voice it was that had spoken to me, and when I turned I beheld seven gold lampstands. 13 [k]And in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man,[l] dressed in a robe that reached down to his feet and with a golden breastplate around his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white with the whiteness of wool, like snow, and his eyes were like a burning flame. 15 His feet were like burnished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars. From his mouth there protruded a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face shone like the sun in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead, but he laid his right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One. 18 I was dead, but now I am alive forevermore, and I hold the keys to death and the netherworld.
19 “Now write down what you have seen, what is happening now, and what will take place afterward. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and of the seven gold lampstands, is this: the seven stars are the angels of the seven Churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven Churches themselves.
Footnotes
- Revelation 1:1 Christians are living in the last period of history. They are facing difficult times, and God’s plan is questioned. More than ever, faithfulness to his plan is required. Here then is a vision of faith concerning what is happening. The one who attests to it, in the Name of Christ, is prepared to give testimony for it even by shedding his blood.
- Revelation 1:3 Blessed: this is the first of seven beatitudes that appear in the book (see Rev 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7; 22:14). The word “blessed” is more all-encompassing than “happy”; it indicates the favorable conditions in which God has placed a person (see Ps 1:1; Mt 5:3). Prophecy: i.e., any word from God, whether it foretells the future, commands, instructs, or sets forth history.
- Revelation 1:4 The greeting and the address introduce the work as a letter. [He] who is: this is how God revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush (Ex 3:14); this time, the divine name embraces the past, present, and future of humankind and is turned to the future, to the immediate fulfillment of all things: God, he who is to come. God is also described with the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, Alpha and . . . Omega; he is the Beginning and the End, the origin and the completion (a proper name of God according to Isa 44:6; 48:12). In addition, he is the master of all historical events, including the present ones, which, according to the author, are decisive. And Christ will appear in all the glory of his Resurrection and in the grandeur of the work accomplished to save humankind, comprising the body of the Church (see 1 Pet 2:5, 9), in the imminence of his coming to judge the world.
In order to speak of him, the author here multiplies Biblical reminiscences (Ex 19:6; Ps 89:28, 38; Isa 55:3). The seven spirits before the throne (v. 4) represent the Holy Spirit in the many ways that the Spirit manifests himself in the world (e.g., Isa 11:2, 5). - Revelation 1:4 Seven Churches: the Churches (named in v. 11) formed a circle in the province of Asia and were separated from one another by some fifty miles.
- Revelation 1:5 Faithful witness: the Messiah is the witness to the promise the Lord made to David (2 Sam 7:1; Ps 89; Isa 55:3-4; Zec 12:8) in his person as well as in his work. He also fulfills this promise and is thus the efficacious Word, God’s Yes (see Rev 3:14; 19:11, 13; 2 Cor 1:20). He is the heir of David (see Rev 5:5; 22:16) but also the firstborn from the dead because of his Resurrection (see Col 1:18) who will rule the universe after his enemies have been overcome (see Rev 19:6; Dan 7:14).
- Revelation 1:6 Those who follow Christ will be part of a kingdom, because they will rule over all the nations (see Isa 54:11-17; Dan 7:22, 27; Zec 12:1-3; see Rev 2:26; 5:10; 20:6; 22:5). They will also be priests because like Jesus the Priest they offer up the sacrifice of their own lives as a burnt offering of love.
- Revelation 1:9 The author describes himself as a Christian who has been exiled to a little island that lay off the coast of Miletus and Ephesus and was known as a prison island. Before his eyes the risen Christ appears. The majestic description derives its images from the portrait of the Son of Man in chs. 7 and 10 of the Book of Daniel. The description of his stance and clothing suggests majesty and power; this being who is master of life possesses the secret of all things and holds even the realm of death subject to him (v. 18).
The netherworld, or the lower world (Hebrew: Sheol; not to be confused with hell, the place of eternal damnation), is a localization of the realm of death, where, it is imagined, the dead dwell, deprived of the ability to perform any existential act. Another term for it is Hades. Christ has the power to release souls from the netherworld (see Jn 5:26-28).
The very figure of Christ shows the judgment to be imminent. But he is also present in the life of the Churches, and the author lists seven of them (seven is the number symbolizing universality).
The text speaks of the angels of the Churches; according to the religious vision of the world at that time, some heavenly representatives presided over the destinies of cities, peoples, and Churches. The seer might be speaking of the earthly persons in charge of the Churches. However, the Churches are also in the power of Christ and under his protection.
What is happening now, and what will take place afterward (v. 19): these words anticipate the two main parts of the work. - Revelation 1:9 Patmos: a small island in the Aegean Sea about 50 miles from Ephesus. According to the third-century Church historian Eusebius, John the Apostle was released from Patmos under the emperor Nerva (A.D. 96–98).
- Revelation 1:10 In the spirit: i.e., in a state of spiritual ecstasy (see also Rev 4:2; 17:3; and 21:10). The Lord’s day: Sunday. In the Old Testament the expression “Day of the Lord” signifies some special intervention of God in history. For Christians, the eschatological age is the last times that have begun with the Resurrection of Christ; to celebrate the Lord’s day means therefore to commemorate his Paschal victory and to hasten his return (see Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 11:26; 2 Pet 3:12; see also the present-day liturgical acclamations after the consecration of the Eucharist).
- Revelation 1:11 Scroll: pieces of papyrus or parchment sewn together and rolled up. The book form came into use some time in the second century.
- Revelation 1:13 Jesus appears in garments that are priestly (the habit or long tunic) and royal (the golden breastplate). The white hair is a symbol of eternity; the flaming eyes signify omniscience, and the bronze feet, immutability. He is also a Judge, prepared to sentence those who are unfaithful (see Rev 2:16; 19:15; Isa 49:2; Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12). One or other of his attributes as Judge is used by the author at the beginning of each of the seven letters to indicate the circumstances of the Church addressed.
- Revelation 1:13 Son of man: see note on Mt 8:20.
Revelasyon 1
Nouvo Testaman: Vèsyon Kreyòl Fasil
Revelasyon 1
Nouvo Testaman: Vèsyon Kreyòl Fasil
Jan ap entwodui liv la
1 Liv sa a, se yon seri vizyon ki montre ki moun Jezikris ye. Se Bondye ki bay Jezi revelasyon sa yo, pou l voye montre sèvitè l yo sa k gen pou rive nan yon ti kras tan ankò. Epi, Kris voye Zanj li pou montre Jan, sèvitè l la, bagay sa yo. 2 Se Jan k ap rakonte tout sa l te wè. Sa Jezi di l la se verite a. Se mesaj sa a Bondye voye menm. 3 Moun k ap li liv sa a ansanm ak moun yo k ap tande sa liv sa a di, moun sa yo se moun ki ere, si yo mete an pratik pawòl sa yo. Paske moman ki fikse pou bagay sa yo prèske rive.
Jan voye lèt bay legliz yo
4 Se Jan k ap ekri voye bay sèt legliz ki nan zòn Azi a:
Gras ak lapè Bondye pou nou, limenm ki la, ki te toujou la, epi ki nan wout ap vini an, ansanm ak sèt espri Bondye yo ki devan twòn li a, 5 ansanm ak Jezikris, temwen fidèl la. Li se premye pami moun ki va resisite yo, li se chèf tout wa sou latè.
Jezikris renmen nou epi ak san li, li delivre nou anba pouvwa peche nou yo. 6 Epi li pran nou, li fè nou vin yon wayòm, yon pil sakrifikatè pou Bondye, Papa li. Se pou li laglwa ak puisans ye pou tout tan gen tan! Amèn.
7 Gade, men l ap vini avèk nyaj yo! Tout je moun ap wè l, menm moun yo ki te pèse[a] kò l yo. Tout moun sou latè ap kriye anpil epi y ap pote dèy poutèt li menm. Wi, sa pral rive! Amèn!
8 Senyè a deklare: “Mwen se Alfa ak Omega,[b] mwen se premye, mwen se dènye. Se mwen ki la, ki te la, epi k ap vini an, sila a ki gen tout pouvwa a.”
9 Mwen se Jan, frè nou, k ap patisipe nan menm detrès la, menm wayòm ak menm pèseverans nan Jezi ak nou. Yo te ekzile m sou zile yo rele Patmòs[c] la, poutèt m t ap di laverite ki konsènen Jezi epi mwen t ap anonse mesaj Bondye a. 10 Nan jou Senyè a, Sentespri Bondye te pran kontwòl mwen nèt, epi m tande yon vwa ki te sonnen byen fò, menm jan ak yon kout twonpèt. 11 Vwa a te di konsa: “Sa ou wè a, ekri l nan yon liv pou voye l bay sèt egliz yo: Efèz, Esmin, Pègam, Tiyati, Sad, Filadèlfi epi Lawodise.”
12 Mwen vire pou m wè vwa a ki t ap pale avè m nan. Lè m vire, mwen wè sèt chandelye an ò. 13 Epi, nan mitan chandelye yo, mwen wè tankou se yon moun. Li te gen yon wòb tou long sou li ak sentiwon an ò boukle sou pwatrin li. 14 Tèt li ak cheve li te tou blan. Yo te sanble ak yon lenn blan, menm jan ak lanèj. Epi je li te tankou yon flanm dife tou wouj. 15 Pye li te sanble ak bwonz dife fè vin klere anpil. Vwa li te tankou bri vwa gwo dlo k ap desann. 16 Nan men dwat li, li kenbe sèt zetwal, epi nan bouch li, yon nepe soti. Pwent nepe a file epi li koupe nan de bò. Figi li t ap briye menm jan ak yon gwo solèy midi.
17 Lè m wè l, mwen tonbe nan pye l, menm jan ak yon moun mouri. Li poze men dwat li sou mwen epi li di: “Ou pa bezwen pè! Se mwen menm ki premye a, se mwen menm ki dènye a. 18 Se mwen menm ki vivan an. Mwen te mouri, men kounye a, mwen vivan pou tout tan epi mwen gen pouvwa sou lanmò, mwen gen pouvwa sou kote mò yo ye a. 19 Alò, ekri sa ou wè, sa k ap pase kounye a, epi sa k ap rive apre sa. 20 Men ki sans kache sèt zetwal yo ou wè nan men dwat mwen yo genyen, oubyen sèt lanp yo: Sèt zetwal yo se zanj sèt egliz yo epi sèt lanp yo se sèt egliz yo.”
Revelation 1
New International Version
Revelation 1
New International Version
Prologue
1 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave(A) him to show his servants what must soon take place.(B) He made it known by sending his angel(C) to his servant John,(D) 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God(E) and the testimony of Jesus Christ.(F) 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it,(G) because the time is near.(H)
Greetings and Doxology
4 John,
To the seven churches(I) in the province of Asia:
Grace and peace to you(J) from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,(K) and from the seven spirits[a](L) before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness,(M) the firstborn from the dead,(N) and the ruler of the kings of the earth.(O)
To him who loves us(P) and has freed us from our sins by his blood,(Q) 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests(R) to serve his God and Father(S)—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.(T)
7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”[b](U)
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;(V)
and all peoples on earth “will mourn(W) because of him.”[c]
So shall it be! Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,”(X) says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come,(Y) the Almighty.”(Z)
John’s Vision of Christ
9 I, John,(AA) your brother and companion in the suffering(AB) and kingdom(AC) and patient endurance(AD) that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God(AE) and the testimony of Jesus.(AF) 10 On the Lord’s Day(AG) I was in the Spirit,(AH) and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,(AI) 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see(AJ) and send it to the seven churches:(AK) to Ephesus,(AL) Smyrna,(AM) Pergamum,(AN) Thyatira,(AO) Sardis,(AP) Philadelphia(AQ) and Laodicea.”(AR)
12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,(AS) 13 and among the lampstands(AT) was someone like a son of man,[d](AU) dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet(AV) and with a golden sash around his chest.(AW) 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.(AX) 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,(AY) and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.(AZ) 16 In his right hand he held seven stars,(BA) and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.(BB) His face was like the sun(BC) shining in all its brilliance.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet(BD) as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me(BE) and said: “Do not be afraid.(BF) I am the First and the Last.(BG) 18 I am the Living One; I was dead,(BH) and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!(BI) And I hold the keys of death and Hades.(BJ)
19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen,(BK) what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand(BL) and of the seven golden lampstands(BM) is this: The seven stars are the angels[e] of the seven churches,(BN) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.(BO)
Footnotes
- Revelation 1:4 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
- Revelation 1:7 Daniel 7:13
- Revelation 1:7 Zech. 12:10
- Revelation 1:13 See Daniel 7:13.
- Revelation 1:20 Or messengers
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Nouvo Testaman: Vèsyon Kreyòl Fasil (VKF)
Copyright © 2017 by Bible League International
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.