Book of Common Prayer

1 God showed these things to Jesus Christ to show to his servants. These are things that must happen soon. Then God sent his angel and showed them to John, his servant.

² John wrote down what God said and what Jesus showed to him. These words tell all that He saw.

³ God will bless the person who reads the words of this book. God will bless those who hear the words of this book and obey the things written in it.

⁴ Here is what John wrote to the people of the seven churches which are in the country of Asia Minor: May God's loving kindness bless you and give you peace. He lives now, he always has lived, and he will come again. May the seven Spirits bless you and give you peace. They stand in front of God's throne [chief chair of a king].

⁵ May Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace. What he says is true. He was the first to rise from death. And he is ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us. By his own blood [death] he has made us free from the wrong things we have done.

⁶ He has made us into kings and priests to his God and Father. Praise him! He is great and has power for ever! Yes, it is so!

⁷ Watch! He will come in the clouds. Every one will see him. Those who stuck a spear in him will also see him. All the tribes on earth will cry when they see him. That is the way it will be. Yes it will!

⁸ The Lord God says, `I am the First and the Last. I am the beginning and the ending. I live now. I always have lived, and I will come again. I have all power.'

²³ The same day some of the Sadducees came to Jesus. They say that people do not rise from death.

²⁴ They came to ask him a question. They said, `Teacher, Moses gave us this law: "If a man dies and has no children, then his brother must marry the wife and raise a family for his brother."

²⁵ There were seven brothers among us. The first one married. He died and left no children. So his brother married the wife.

²⁶ The same thing happened to the second brother, and the third one, and all seven of them.

²⁷ Last of all, the woman died.

²⁸ Now then, when people rise from death, which of the seven brothers will have her for his wife? They all married her.'

²⁹ Jesus answered, `You are wrong! You do not know what the holy writings say. And you do not know what power God has.

³⁰ When people rise from death, men and women do not marry. But they are like angels in heaven.

³¹ People do rise from death! Have you never read what God said to you?

³² He said, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." He is not the God of dead people, but of living people.'

³³ When the people heard this, they were surprised at his teaching.