Revelation 1

Revelation 1 is the first chapter of the Book of Revelation. It contains the prologue and greeting for the entire book, along with the first vision John saw on the island of Patmos. The letters to the seven churches in chapters 2–3 follow from the command to write that John receives in this chapter.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 Prologue. The revelation that God gave to Jesus Christ was made known through an angel to His servant John. A blessing is pronounced on those who read, hear, and keep this prophecy.
• Verses 4–8 A greeting to the seven churches of Asia and a doxology (praise exalting God). Grace and peace are invoked from "him which is, and which was, and which is to come," from the seven Spirits, and from Jesus Christ. Christ's coming with clouds is then proclaimed, and God declares that He is "Alpha and Omega."
• Verses 9–11 On Patmos, John is in the Spirit on the Lord's day and hears a voice like a trumpet. The voice commands him to write what he sees in a book and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
• Verses 12–16 John sees "one like unto the Son of man" standing among seven golden candlesticks. His hair is white, His eyes are like a flame of fire, He holds seven stars in His right hand, and a sharp sword goes out of His mouth.
• Verses 17–20 When John falls at His feet, the figure tells him, "Fear not," and identifies Himself as the first and the last, who has the keys of hell and of death. He commands John to write and explains the meaning of the seven stars and the seven candlesticks.

Key Verses

• Revelation 1:3 "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear … and keep those things which are written therein." This indicates that the whole book was written to be read aloud to the gathered congregation.
• Revelation 1:8 "I am Alpha and Omega." These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, signifying that God is sovereign over the beginning and the end.
• Revelation 1:19 "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." Many interpreters read this verse in connection with the structure of the entire book.

People and Places

• John: The writer of the book. Church tradition has identified him as the apostle John, though some scholars hold that he was a different person.
• Jesus Christ: Appears in this chapter as "one like unto the Son of man."
• Patmos: A small island in the Aegean Sea. John was there "for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."
• Seven churches of Asia: The churches of seven cities in the Roman province of Asia, in what is now western Turkey. The first is Ephesus.

Points to Consider When Reading

• The structure of 1:19: Dispensationalist interpretation often treats this verse as an outline of the entire book, dividing it into chapter 1 (the things seen), chapters 2–3 (the things which are), and chapter 4 onward (the things which shall be hereafter). Other interpreters do not divide it into a strict chronological sequence.
• The Lord's day (verse 10): Most churches understand this expression to mean Sunday, that is, the Lord's Day. The Seventh-day Adventist Church understands it as the Saturday Sabbath (see Sabbath and Lord's Day).
• The seven Spirits and the seven angels: Some hold that the seven Spirits symbolize the fullness of the Holy Spirit, while others regard them as seven angels. Views on the "angels" of the churches are likewise divided between those who see them as heavenly angels and those who see them as church leaders.
• Connections with the Old Testament: The description of one like the Son of man with white hair resembles Daniel 7. "They also which pierced him" recalls Zechariah 12:10, and "kings and priests" recalls Exodus 19:5–6. His coming with clouds is read together with Matthew 24:30–31 as a basis for the doctrine of the Second Coming.
• Distinguishing text from tradition: The account that John was exiled to Patmos under the Roman emperor Domitian comes from church tradition. The word "exile" does not appear in the text itself.
• The features of the Son of man described in this chapter (the seven stars, the sharp sword, the eyes like a flame of fire, and so on) reappear at the opening of each of the letters to the churches in chapters 2–3.