1 The cause of this revelation. 3 Of them that read it. 4 John writes to the seven Churches. 5 The majesty and office of the Son of God. 20 The vision of the candlesticks and stars.
1.abThe revelation of JESUS CHRIST, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly be cdone: which he sent, and showed by his Angel unto his servant John,
2.Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3.Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this dprophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is eat hand.
4.John, to the fseven Churches which are in Asia, Grace be with you, and peace from him Which *is, and Which was, and Which is to come, and from the gseven Spirits which are before his Throne.
5.And from Jesus Christ, which is a *faithful witness, and *the first begotten of the dead, and Prince of the Kings of the earth, unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his *blood,
6.And made us *Kings and Priests unto God even his Father, to him be glory, and dominion for evermore, Amen.
7.Behold, he cometh with *the clouds, and every eye shall see him: yea, even they which hpierced him through: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail ^before him, Even so, Amen.
8.I *am iΑ and Ω, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come, even the Almighty.
9.I John, even your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle called Patmos, for the ^word of God, and for the ^witnessing of Jesus Christ.
10.And I was ravished in the spirit on kthe Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as it had been a trumpet,
11.Saying, I am iΑ and Ω, the first and the last: and that which thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the mseven Churches which are in Asia, unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamus, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardi, and unto Philadephia, and unto Laodicea.
12.Then I turned back to see the nvoice, that spake with me: and when I was turned, I saw oseven golden candlesticks,
13.And in the middes of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the pSon of man, clothed with a garment qdown to the feet, and gird about rthe pappes with a golden girdle.
14.His head, and hairs were swhite as white wool, and as snow, and his eyes were as ta flame of fire.
15.And his feet like unto ^fine ubrass, burning as in a furnace: and his xvoice as the sound of many waters.
16.And he had in his right hand seven ystars: and out of his mouth went a zsharp two edged sword: and his face shone as the sun shineth in his strength.
17.And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as *dead: then he laid his right ahand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not: I am the *bfirst and last,
18.And am alive, but I was dead: & behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen: & I have the ckeys of hell and of death.
19.Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall come here dafter.
20.The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest ein my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks, is this, The seven stars are the fAngels of the seven Churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest, are the seven Churches.
Christ received this revelation out of his father’s bosom as his own doctrine, but it was hid in respect of us so that Christ as Lord and God revealed it to John his servant by the ministry of his Angel, to the edification of his Church.
That is, from the holie Ghost, or these seven Spirits were ministers before God the Father and Christ, whom after he calls the horns and eyes of the Lamb, chap. 5.6. In a like phrases Paul takes God, and Christ, and the Angels to witness, 1 Tim. 5.21.
I am he before whom nothing was, yea, by whom whatsoever is made, was made, and he that shall remain when all things shall perish, even I am the eternal God.