Revelation 1:9-20
Amplified Bible
The Patmos Vision
9 I, John, your brother and companion in the [a]tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos, [exiled there] because of [my preaching of] the word of God [regarding eternal salvation] and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the [b]Spirit [in special communication with the Holy Spirit and empowered to receive and record the revelation from Jesus Christ] on the [c]Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, 11 saying, “Write on a scroll what you see [in this revelation], and send it to the [d]seven churches—to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands; 13 and in the midst of the lampstands I saw someone [e]like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe reaching to His feet, and with a golden sash wrapped around His chest.(A) 14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, [glistening white] like snow; and His [all-seeing] eyes were [flashing] like a flame of fire [piercing into my being].(B) 15 His feet were like burnished [white-hot] bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was [powerful] like the sound of many waters.(C) 16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword [of judgment]; and His face [reflecting His majesty and the [f]Shekinah glory] was like the sun shining in [all] its power [at midday].(D)
17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. And He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last [absolute Deity, the Son of God],(E) 18 and the Ever-living One [living in and beyond all time and space]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of [absolute control and victory over] death and of Hades (the realm of the dead). 19 So write the things [g]which you have seen [in the vision], and the things [h]which are [now happening], and the things [i]which will take place after these things. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels ([j]divine messengers) of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
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- Revelation 1:9 I.e. persecution because of one’s faith.
- Revelation 1:10 Or spirit. The Greek wording is not decisive, so John could be referring either to being in special communion with the Holy Spirit, or to being in a trance-like state in his own spirit like that experienced by Peter at Joppa (cf Acts 10:10, 11).
- Revelation 1:10 The early church used this term to refer to Sunday, the day of Jesus’ resurrection. The term Kyriake is also the regular word for Sunday in modern Greek.
- Revelation 1:11 These were actual churches in Asia Minor (now western Turkey), and in John’s time there would have been only one church body in each of the cities. They are mentioned in the order in which they would be visited by a messenger traveling northward on the imperial road from Ephesus to Laodicea.
- Revelation 1:13 Or like a son of man. The phrase is a translation of a Hebrew idiom which refers to a man, and John could simply be describing his first impression. But since this proves to be a vision of Christ (v 18), John probably is referring to Him by the title that Jesus so often applied to Himself, a title originating in the Messianic prophecy of Daniel.
- Revelation 1:16 The visible, divine Presence.
- Revelation 1:19 I.e. the vision of ch 1.
- Revelation 1:19 I.e. the events of the present moment (chs 2; 3).
- Revelation 1:19 I.e. the events to come in chs 4-22, after the messages to the churches in chs 2; 3.
- Revelation 1:20 The Greek word for “messenger” is aggelos. When the word is referring to a heavenly being, it is usually not translated, but rather transliterated as “angel”; that is, the Greek letters are converted to their English equivalents, based on the sound of the Greek word. When the word is referring to a human, it is instead translated as “messenger” or the equivalent. So whether “angel” or “messenger” is used depends on the context.
Revelation 1:9-20
New American Standard Bible
The Patmos Vision
9 (A)I, John, your (B)brother and (C)fellow participant in the tribulation and (D)kingdom and [a](E)perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos (F)because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was (G)in the [b]Spirit on (H)the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice (I)like the sound of a trumpet, 11 saying, “(J)Write [c]on a scroll what you see, and send it to the (K)seven churches: to (L)Ephesus, (M)Smyrna, (N)Pergamum, (O)Thyatira, (P)Sardis, (Q)Philadelphia, and (R)Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw (S)seven golden lampstands; 13 and (T)in the middle of the lampstands I saw one (U)like [d]a son of man, (V)clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and (W)wrapped around the chest with a golden sash. 14 His head and His (X)hair were white like white wool, like snow; and (Y)His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15 His (Z)feet were like [e]burnished bronze when it has been heated to a glow in a furnace, and His (AA)voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In His right hand He held (AB)seven stars, and out of His mouth came a (AC)sharp two-edged sword; and His (AD)face was like (AE)the sun [f]shining in its strength.
17 When I saw Him, I (AF)fell at His feet like a dead man. And He (AG)placed His right hand on me, saying, “(AH)Do not be afraid; (AI)I am the first and the last, 18 and the (AJ)living One; and I [g](AK)was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have (AL)the keys of death and of Hades. 19 Therefore (AM)write (AN)the things which you have seen, [h]and the things which are, and the things which will take place (AO)after these things. 20 As for the (AP)mystery of the (AQ)seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the (AR)seven golden lampstands: the (AS)seven stars are the angels of (AT)the seven churches, and the seven (AU)lampstands are the seven churches.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Revelation 1:9 Or steadfastness
- Revelation 1:10 Or spirit
- Revelation 1:11 Or in a book
- Revelation 1:13 Or the Son of Man
- Revelation 1:15 Or fine brass
- Revelation 1:16 Lit shines
- Revelation 1:18 Lit became
- Revelation 1:19 Or both the things
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