Revelation 1

Chapter 1

John's message that comes from God

1This book describes the things that God showed to Jesus Christ. #1:1 Christ is a name for Jesus in the Greek language that means the same as Messiah in the Hebrew language. It means someone that God chose as a special king for his people. He wanted Jesus to show these things to his own servants. They are events that must happen soon. Jesus sent his angel to show them to me, his servant John.

2I, John, have written about everything that God showed me. These things are a true message from God. They are the things that Jesus Christ says are true. 3If anyone reads aloud the words of this prophecy, God will bless that person. God will also bless the people who listen to these words, if they continue to obey them. The things that are written here will soon happen.

John writes to seven churches

4I am John. I am writing to the seven churches that are in the region of Asia. #1:4 At the time of the Bible, Asia was a region which the Romans ruled. It was in the west part of the country that we now call Turkey. I pray that God will be very kind to you. I pray that he will give you peace in your minds. God is alive now. He has always been alive. He will continue to be alive for ever.

God will help you, and the seven spirits that are in front of his throne will help you. #1:4 We find the number 7 many times in the book of Revelation. In the Bible, the number 7 usually means that something is complete or perfect. So ‘the seven spirits’ may mean God's Holy Spirit.

5Jesus Christ will also help you. He always speaks a true message. He is the first person who became alive again after death. #1:5 Other people had become alive again after they had died. But Jesus never died again. He is the first to do this and believers will also then become alive again for ever. He rules the kings of the earth.

Jesus loves us and he died for us. That is how he made us free. Because of Jesus, God will not punish us for the bad things that we have done. 6Jesus has brought us into his family, so that we belong to God's kingdom. He has made us priests, so that we serve his God and Father.

So we praise Jesus Christ! He will always be very great! He has power for all time. Amen.

7Look! He will come on the clouds!

At that time, everyone will see him!

Even the people who pushed a spear into his body will see him. #1:7 The soldiers who killed Jesus put nails through his body to fix him to the cross. A soldier also pushed a spear into Jesus when he was dying on the cross. See John 19:34-37. See also Zechariah 12:10.

People from all the nations on earth will be sad when they see him.

Yes, it is true! Amen.

8The Lord God says, ‘I caused all things to begin and I will cause the end of all things. I have all power and authority. I am alive. I have always been alive. I will continue to be alive for ever.’

Jesus Christ appears to John

9I am John. I am a believer, as you are. Because we belong to Jesus' kingdom, we are suffering. So we all need to be strong and patient, as Jesus helps us. The Roman leaders sent me as a prisoner to Patmos island because I taught God's message. I told people the true message about Jesus. #1:9 Patmos island was near to the Roman region of Asia. This was part of the country that we now call Turkey. The Romans would not let John leave Patmos. That is how they punished him.

10On the Lord's day, God's Spirit caused me to see and to hear things. #1:10 ‘The Lord's day’ was the day of the week when Christians met together to worship God. I heard a voice speak behind me. The sound was as loud as a trumpet. 11The voice said, ‘When you see these things, write them in a book. Then you must send the book to the seven churches in these cities:

Ephesus,

Smyrna,

Pergamum,

Thyatira,

Sardis,

Philadelphia,

Laodicea.’

12I turned round to see who was speaking to me. When I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands with their lights. 13In the middle of the lights, I saw someone like a son of man. #1:13 ‘A son of man’ may mean ‘a human’. See Daniel 7:13. Jesus called himself the Son of Man. He was wearing long clothes that reached down to his feet. He wore a gold belt around the top part of his body. 14His head and his hair were white like sheep's hair. They were very white, like snow. His eyes were like fires that were burning brightly. 15His feet shone like a metal that shines brightly in a very hot fire. When he spoke, his voice was very loud. It was like the sound of water that pours along a river very quickly. 16He held seven stars in his right hand. A sword with two sharp edges came out of his mouth. His face was like the sun when it shines very brightly.

17When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a dead person. Then he put his right hand on me, and he said to me, ‘Do not be afraid! I am the one who is the first and also the last. 18I am the one who always lives. I died once. But look! Now I am alive and I will be alive for ever. I have authority over death and over the place for dead people. 19So write down the things that you have seen. Write about what you see that is happening now. Also write about the things that will happen later.

20You saw seven stars that I held in my right hand. You saw seven lights in their gold lampstands. Now I will tell you what they mean. The seven stars show what the angels of the seven churches are like. #1:20 The ‘angels’ could mean ‘messengers’ or ‘leaders’. The seven lights in their lampstands show what the seven churches themselves are like.’

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Revelation 1: EASY

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