Revelation 1
Expanded Bible
John Tells About This Book
1 This is the revelation ·of Jesus Christ [about Jesus Christ; or given by Jesus Christ; C the author could be intentionally ambiguous], which God gave to him, to show his servants what must ·soon [quickly] happen. And Jesus sent his angel to ·show it [make it known] to his servant John, 2 who has ·told [witnessed; testified to] everything he has seen. It is the word of God; it is the ·message [witness; testimony] from Jesus Christ. 3 ·Blessed [Happy] is the one who reads the words of ·God’s message [L the prophecy], and ·blessed [happy] are the people who hear this message and ·do [keep; obey] what is written in it [C the context envisioned is a leader reading to a congregation]. ·The time is near when all of this will happen [L For the time is near].
Jesus’ Message to the Churches
4 From John.
To the seven churches in Asia [C the Roman province of Asia, today part of western Turkey]:
Grace and peace to you from the One who is and [the One who] was and [the One who] is coming [C these three descriptions function like titles for God; Ex. 3:14–15], and from ·the seven spirits [C referring either to angels or to the “sevenfold Spirit”—the Holy Spirit portrayed in his perfection (the number seven indicating completeness)] before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ. Jesus is ·the faithful witness [or the faithful one, the witness], the ·first among those raised from [L firstborn of/from among] the dead. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth.
·He is the One [L To him] who loves us, who made us free[a] from our sins ·with the blood of his death [L by his blood]. 6 He made us to be a ·kingdom of priests [or kingdom and priests; or kingdom, that is, priests; Ex. 19:6] who serve ·God his Father [L his God and Father]. To ·Jesus Christ [L him] be glory and ·power [dominion] forever and ever! Amen.
7 Look [T Behold], Jesus is coming with the clouds [Dan. 7:13–14], and ·everyone [L every eye] will see him, even those who ·stabbed [pierced] him [C a reference to the crucifixion; Zech. 12:10]. And all ·peoples [people groups; tribes] of the earth will ·cry loudly [wail; mourn] because of him. ·Yes, this will happen [So it shall be; L Yes]! Amen.
8 The Lord God says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega [C the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; 21:6; 22:13]. I am the One who is and [the One who] was and [the One who] is coming [see 1:4]. I am the ·Almighty [All-powerful].”
9 I, John, ·am your brother. All of us share [L your brother and partner] ·with Jesus [or in Jesus; C referring to salvation as joining oneself to Christ] in ·suffering [persecution], in the kingdom, and in ·patience to continue [perseverance]. I was on the island of Patmos [C a small island in the Aegean Sea near Asia Minor, present-day Turkey], because ·I had preached [L of] the word of God and the ·message [witness; testimony] about Jesus. 10 On the Lord’s day [C probably a reference to the first day of the week, Sunday, when Christians met for worship] I was in the ·Spirit [or spirit; C a state of deep spiritual communion with God], and I heard a loud voice behind me that sounded like a trumpet [C trumpet blasts often precede a divine appearance or speech; Ex. 19:16, 19]. 11 The voice said, “Write what you see in a ·book [scroll] and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea [C locations in western Asia Minor, present-day Turkey].”
12 I turned to see who was talking to me. When I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands 13 and someone among the lampstands who was “like a Son of Man [C referring to Jesus; the title he most often used to refer to himself; Dan. 7:13–14].” He was dressed in a long robe and had a gold ·band [sash] around his chest [C the clothes of a dignitary; Dan. 10:5]. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow [Dan. 7:9], and his eyes were like ·flames of [blazing] fire [Dan. 10:6]. 15 His feet were like bronze ·that glows hot [refined; fired] in a furnace [Dan. 10:6], and his voice was like the noise of ·flooding water [rushing water; L many waters; Ezek. 43:2]. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword came out of his mouth. ·He [L His face] looked like the sun shining ·at its brightest time [or with full power/force; L in its strength].
17 When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead man. He put his right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the One who lives; I was dead, but ·look [T behold], I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys to death and ·to the place of the dead [L Hades]. 19 So write the things you ·see [or have seen], ·what is now [L what is] and what will happen ·later [L after these things]. 20 Here is the ·secret [mystery] of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the ·angels [or messengers; C these may be guardian angels, human leaders, or the personified “spirit” of each church] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Footnotes
- Revelation 1:5 who made us free Some Greek copies read “who washed us.”
Revelation 1
Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament
1 The revelation apokalypsis of Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos, which hos God theos gave didōmi him autos · ho to show deiknymi to ho his autos servants the things that hos must dei soon en take place ginomai. · kai He made it known sēmainō by sending apostellō · ho his autos angel angelos to ho his autos servant John Iōannēs, 2 who hos bore witness martyreō to everything hosos he saw, the ho word logos of ho God theos and kai the ho testimony martyria of Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos. 3 Blessed makarios is the ho one who reads aloud anaginōskō the ho words logos of this ho prophecy prophēteia, and kai those ho who hear akouō and kai keep tēreō what ho is written graphō in en it autos, for gar the ho time kairos is near engys.
4 John Iōannēs to the ho seven hepta churches ekklēsia that ho are in en · ho Asia Asia: Grace charis to you hymeis and kai peace eirēnē from apo the ho one who is eimi, and kai who ho was eimi, and kai who ho is to come erchomai, and kai from apo the ho seven hepta spirits pneuma who hos are before enōpion · ho his autos throne thronos, 5 and kai from apo Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos the ho faithful pistos witness martys, · ho the ho firstborn prōtotokos of the ho dead nekros, and kai the ho ruler archōn of the ho kings basileus of the ho world gē. To him ho who loves agapaō us hēmeis and kai has freed lyō us hēmeis from ek · ho our hēmeis sins hamartia by en · ho his autos blood haima 6 and kai has made poieō us hēmeis a kingdom basileia, priests hiereus to ho his autos God theos and kai Father patēr, to him autos be · ho glory doxa and kai · ho dominion kratos for eis all ho time aiōn ho. · ho Amen amēn. 7 Behold idou, he is coming erchomai with meta the ho clouds nephelē, and kai every pas eye ophthalmos will see horaō him autos, even kai those who hostis pierced ekkenteō him autos; and kai all pas the ho tribes phylē of ho earth gē will wail koptō on account of epi him autos. So shall it be nai! Amen amēn.
8 “ I egō am eimi the ho Alpha alpha and kai the ho Omega ō,” says legō the Lord kyrios · ho God theos, “ the ho one who eimi is , and kai who ho was eimi, and kai who ho is to come erchomai, the ho Almighty pantokratōr.”
9 I egō, John Iōannēs, · ho your hymeis brother adelphos and kai partner synkoinōnos in en the ho tribulation thlipsis and kai kingdom basileia and kai patient endurance hypomonē that are in en Jesus Iēsous, was ginomai on en the ho island nēsos · ho called kaleō Patmos Patmos on account of dia the ho word logos of ho God theos and kai the ho testimony martyria of Jesus Iēsous. 10 I was ginomai in en the spirit pneuma on en the ho Lord’ s kyriakos Day hēmera, and kai I heard akouō behind opisō me egō a loud megas voice phōnē like hōs a trumpet salpinx, 11 saying legō, “ Write graphō what hos you see blepō on eis a scroll biblion and kai send pempō it to the ho seven hepta churches ekklēsia— to eis Ephesus Ephesos, · kai Smyrna Smyrna, · kai Pergamum Pergamos, · kai Thyatira Thuateira, · kai Sardis Sardeis, · kai Philadelphia Philadelpheia, and kai Laodicea Laodikeia.” 12 And kai I turned epistrephō to see blepō the ho voice phōnē that hostis was speaking laleō to meta me egō, and kai when I had turned epistrephō I saw seven hepta golden chrysous lampstands lychnia, 13 and kai in en the midst mesos of the ho lampstands lychnia one like homoios a son hyios of man anthrōpos, dressed endyō in a long robe podērēs and kai with a gold chrysous sash zōnē tied perizōnnymi high across pros his ho chest mastos. 14 · ho · de His autos head kephalē and kai his ho hair thrix were white leukos, like hōs white leukos wool erion, like hōs snow chiōn, and kai · ho his autos eyes ophthalmos were like hōs a flame phlox of fire pyr. 15 · kai · ho His autos feet pous were like homoios burnished bronze chalkolibanon, refined pyroō in en a furnace kaminos, and kai · ho his autos voice phōnē was like hōs the roar phōnē of many polys waters hydōr. 16 · kai In en · ho his autos right dexios hand cheir he held echō seven hepta stars astēr, · kai from ek · ho his autos mouth stoma came ekporeuomai a sharp oxys two-edged distomos sword rhomphaia, and kai · ho his autos face opsis was shining phainō like hōs the ho sun hēlios at en · ho full autos strength dynamis. 17 And kai when hote I saw him autos, I fell piptō at pros · ho his autos feet pous as though hōs dead nekros. And kai he laid tithēmi · ho his autos right hand dexios on epi me egō, saying legō, “ Do not mē fear phobeomai! I egō am eimi the ho First prōtos and kai the ho Last eschatos, 18 · kai the ho Living One zaō. · kai I was ginomai dead nekros, but kai behold idou, I am eimi alive zaō for eis all ho time aiōn ho! · ho And kai I hold echō the ho keys kleis of ho death thanatos and kai of ho Hades hadēs. 19 Write graphō therefore oun the things hos that you have seen, · kai those that hos are eimi, and kai those that hos are mellō to take place ginomai after meta this houtos. 20 The ho mystery mystērion of the ho seven hepta stars astēr that hos you saw in epi · ho my egō right hand dexios, and kai the ho seven hepta golden chrysous lampstands lychnia, · ho is this: the ho seven hepta stars astēr are eimi the angels angelos of the ho seven hepta churches ekklēsia, and kai the ho seven hepta lampstands lychnia · ho are eimi the seven hepta churches ekklēsia.
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