Add parallel Print Page Options

Chapter 3

The Messenger of the Covenant

(A)Now I am sending my messenger—
    he will prepare the way before me;[a]
And the lord whom you seek will come suddenly to his temple;
The messenger of the covenant whom you desire—
    see, he is coming! says the Lord of hosts.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 3:1 My messenger…before me: Mt 11:10 applies these words to John the Baptist; Mt 11:14 further identifies John as Elijah (see Mal 3:23). Some take God’s messenger in v. 1a to be a person distinct from “the lord” and “the messenger of the covenant” in v. 1b; others hold that they are one and the same person. Some consider “the lord” and “the messenger of the covenant” to be divine, while others hold that in the text’s literal sense he is a messianic earthly ruler.

“I will send my messenger,(A) who will prepare the way before me.(B) Then suddenly the Lord(C) you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant,(D) whom you desire,(E) will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

Read full chapter

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

Read full chapter

John, to the seven churches in Asia:[a] grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,(A)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1:4 Seven churches in Asia: Asia refers to the Roman province of that name in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey); these representative churches are mentioned by name in Rev 1:11, and each is the recipient of a message (Rev 2:1–3:22). Seven is the biblical number suggesting fullness and completeness; thus the seer is writing for the whole church.

Greetings and Doxology

John,

To the seven churches(A) in the province of Asia:

Grace and peace to you(B) from him who is, and who was, and who is to come,(C) and from the seven spirits[a](D) before his throne,

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 1:4 That is, the sevenfold Spirit

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;

Read full chapter

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,”[a] says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.”(A)

The First Vision.[b]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1:8 The Alpha and the Omega: the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In Rev 22:13 the same words occur together with the expressions “the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End”; cf. Rev 1:17; 2:8; 21:6; Is 41:4; 44:6.
  2. 1:9–20 In this first vision, the seer is commanded to write what he sees to the seven churches (Rev 1:9–11). He sees Christ in glory, whom he depicts in stock apocalyptic imagery (Rev 1:12–16), and hears him describe himself in terms meant to encourage Christians by emphasizing his victory over death (Rev 1:17–20).

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,”(A) says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come,(B) the Almighty.”(C)

Read full chapter

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.

Read full chapter

The four living creatures, each of them with six wings,[a] were covered with eyes inside and out. Day and night they do not stop exclaiming:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty,
    who was, and who is, and who is to come.”(A)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 4:8 Six wings: like the seraphim of Is 6:2.

Each of the four living creatures(A) had six wings(B) and was covered with eyes all around,(C) even under its wings. Day and night(D) they never stop saying:

“‘Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,’[a](E)

who was, and is, and is to come.”(F)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 4:8 Isaiah 6:3

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

Read full chapter