1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants[1] the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, (约8:26; 约14:10; 约17:7; 启22:6; 启22:16)2who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. (约19:35; 林前1:6; 启1:11; 启1:19; 启6:9; 启12:17; 启19:10)3Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. (路11:28; 约8:51; 羅13:11; 约一2:3; 约一2:18; 启22:7; 启22:10)
Greeting to the Seven Churches
4John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, (出3:14; 约1:1; 來13:8; 启1:8; 启3:1; 启4:5; 启4:8; 启5:6)5and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood (诗89:27; 诗89:37; 赛55:4; 约13:34; 约15:9; 约18:37; 徒26:23; 林前15:20; 西1:18; 提前6:13; 彼前1:18; 启2:13; 启3:14; 启17:14; 启19:16)6and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (羅11:36; 羅15:6; 彼前2:9; 彼前4:11; 启5:10; 启20:6)7Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail[2] on account of him. Even so. Amen. (但7:13; 亚12:10; 太16:27; 约19:37)8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (赛41:4; 赛43:10; 赛44:6; 启1:4; 启21:6; 启22:13)
Vision of the Son of Man
9I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. (约16:33; 腓4:14; 提后2:12; 启1:2; 启3:10)10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet (王上18:12; 结3:12; 太22:43; 徒20:7; 林前16:2; 林后12:2; 启4:1; 启4:2; 启17:3; 启21:10)11saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” (启1:2; 启1:19)12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, (出25:37; 代下4:20; 亚4:2; 启1:20; 启2:1; 启11:4)13and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. (但7:13; 但10:5; 但10:16; 启14:14; 启15:6)14The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, (但7:9; 但10:6; 启2:18; 启19:12)15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. (结1:7; 结43:2; 但10:6; 启14:2; 启19:6)16In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. (士5:31; 赛49:2; 太17:2; 弗6:17; 來4:12; 启1:20; 启2:1; 启2:12; 启2:16; 启3:1; 启19:15)17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, (赛41:4; 赛44:6; 赛48:12; 但8:17; 但10:9; 但10:15; 太17:7; 路24:37; 约21:12; 启2:8; 启22:13)18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. (羅6:9; 羅14:9; 启9:1; 启20:1)19Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. (启1:2; 启1:11; 启1:12)20As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (太5:14; 启1:12)