Prologue

1 This is a revelation from^[a] Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon^[b] take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John,

⁶ Then the angel said to me, “Everything you have heard and seen is trustworthy and true. The Lord God, who inspires his prophets,^[a] has sent his angel to tell his servants what will happen soon.^[b]”

¹² I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.^[a]

²⁸ But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future. Now I will tell you your dream and the visions you saw as you lay on your bed.

²⁹ “While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen.

¹⁹ “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.^[a]

Vision of the Son of Man

⁹ I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.

³ As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me.

³² He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them!