以下是上帝赐给耶稣基督的启示,让祂把将来要发生的事指示祂的众奴仆。因此,祂差遣天使告诉祂的奴仆约翰。 约翰便为自己所看见的一切——上帝的道和耶稣基督做见证。 那位宣读这预言的人和那些听见并遵守其中内容的人有福了,因为日期近了。

问候七教会

4-5 我约翰写信给你们亚细亚的七间教会。愿昔在、今在、以后永在的上帝,祂宝座前的七灵[a]和耶稣基督赐给你们恩典和平安。耶稣基督是忠心的见证人,是首先从死里复活的,是世上君王的首领。祂爱我们,用自己的血救我们脱离罪恶, 使我们成为祭司的国度[b]来事奉祂的父上帝。愿祂得到一切荣耀和权柄,一直到永永远远。阿们!

看啊!祂要驾云降临,世人都要看见祂,包括曾经刺祂的人。地上的万族都必因祂而哀哭。这事必定实现。阿们!

主上帝说:“我是阿拉法,我是俄梅加[c],我是昔在、今在、以后永在的全能者。”

基督的显现

我约翰是你们的弟兄,在耶稣里和你们患难与共、同享国度、一起忍耐。我因传扬上帝的道、为主耶稣做见证而到了拔摩海岛上。 10 主日,我被圣灵感动,听见身后有号角般响亮的声音说: 11 “把你所看见的写在书上,然后送给以弗所、士每拿、别迦摩、推雅推喇、撒狄、非拉铁非和老底嘉七间教会。”

12 我转身看究竟是谁在对我说话,我看见七个金灯台, 13 有一位好像人子耶稣的站在这些灯台中间。祂长袍垂脚,金带围胸, 14 头与发白如羊毛、洁白如雪,眼睛像火焰, 15 双脚像炉中冶炼过的铜一样光亮,声音如同洪涛之声。 16 祂右手拿着七颗星,口中吐出一把两刃的利剑,面貌如烈日放光。

17 我一看见祂,便扑倒在祂脚前,像死了一样。祂把右手按在我身上,说:“不要害怕!我是首先的,我是末后的, 18 我是永活者。我曾经死过,但看啊,我永永远远活着。我掌握死亡和阴间的钥匙。 19 所以,你要将所看见的一切——现在和将来要发生的事都记录下来。 20 你所看见在我右手中的七颗星和七个金灯台的奥秘是,七颗星代表七间教会的天使[d],七个灯台代表七间教会。

Footnotes

  1. 1:4-5 七灵”指的就是圣灵,数字七代表完全,不是说有七个灵。
  2. 1:6 成为祭司的国度”或译“成为国度,做祭司”。
  3. 1:8 阿拉法”和“俄梅加”分别是希腊文第一个和最后一个字母,故此句意即“我是始,我是终”。
  4. 1:20 天使”或译“信使”或“使者”,下同,可能指教会的守护天使,或者是教会的领袖。

The 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:

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

Blessed 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.

John 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;

And 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,

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

Behold, 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.

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

I 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.

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

11 Saying, 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.

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

13 And 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.

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

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

16 And 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.

17 And 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:

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

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

20 The 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.

Prologue

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) who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God(E) and the testimony of Jesus Christ.(F) 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

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, 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) 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)

“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.

“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

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

  1. Revelation 1:4 That is, the sevenfold Spirit
  2. Revelation 1:7 Daniel 7:13
  3. Revelation 1:7 Zech. 12:10
  4. Revelation 1:13 See Daniel 7:13.
  5. Revelation 1:20 Or messengers